A trio of new Sunday-hunting opportunities and opening concurrent buck and doe hunting statewide throughout the 14-day firearms deer hunting season likely will prove the most controversial of an extensive list of changes to hunting and trapping seasons given preliminary approval Saturday by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners.
The proposed changes, which will be up for final approval at the commissioner’s April 6-7 meeting, include the following:
- Opening hunting on Sunday, Nov. 15, for archery deer hunting; Sunday, Nov. 22, for bear hunting during the bear firearms season; and Sunday, Nov. 29, for deer hunting during the firearms deer season.
- Allowing concurrent hunting of antlered and antlerless deer statewide throughout the 14-day firearms deer season.
- Shifting the statewide firearms bear season to run from Saturday through Tuesday, rather than Saturday and Monday through Wednesday.
- Bringing back a three-day Thanksgiving turkey season, running Wednesday through Friday, in many wildlife management units.
- Adding a week to the archery bear season, creating an overlap in the first week with the muzzleloader deer and bear seasons.
- Opening squirrel season statewide on Sept. 12, rather than Oct. 5 as last year.
- Permitting either-sex pheasant hunting statewide, outside of wild pheasant recovery areas.
- Reducing the length of the fall turkey season by one week in WMUs 4D and 4E in response to declining local turkey populations.
- Opening bobcat hunting and trapping seasons in WMU 2B.
- Opening river otter trapping seasons in WMUs 1A, 1B and 2F.
- Increasing the season bag limit for beavers from 40 to 60 in WMUs 1A and 1B in response to nuisance complaints.
- Eliminating the extended elk season held outside the Elk Management Area, because no elk ever have been harvested in that season.
- More: Saturday deer opener did not lead to drop in hunting license sales
Here’s the complete slate of proposed seasons and bad limits for 2020-21.
Squirrels – Special season for eligible junior hunters and mentored youth, Sept. 12-26, limit of 6 daily, 18 in possession after the first day.
Squirrels – Sept. 12-Nov. 27, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27, 6 daily, 18 possession.
Ruffed grouse – Oct. 17–Nov. 27 and Dec. 14-24, 2 daily, 6 possession.
Cottontail rabbit – Special season for eligible junior hunters, Oct. 3-17, 4 daily, 12 possession.
Cottontail rabbit – Oct. 17-Nov. 27, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27, 4 daily, 12 possession.
Ring-necked pheasant – Special season for eligible junior hunters, Oct. 10-17, 2 daily, 6 in possession.
Ring-necked pheasant – Oct. 24-Nov. 27, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27, 2 daily, 6 in possession, except in wild pheasant recovery areas.
Bobwhite quail – Oct. 17-Nov. 27, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27, 8 daily, 24 possession.
Snowshoe rabbits or varying hares – Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 1 daily, 3 possession.
Woodchucks – No closed season, except on Sundays and during the regular firearms deer seasons. No limit.
Crows – July 3-April 11, 2021, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. No limit.
Starlings – No closed season, except during the antlered and antlerless deer season. No limit.
English sparrows – No closed season, except during the antlered and antlerless deer season. No limit.
Wild turkey – Wildlife Management 1B, Oct. 31-Nov. 7; WMUs 2B and 2C, Oct. 31-Nov. 20 and Nov. 25-27; WMUs 1A, 2A, 4A, 4B, 4D and 4E, Oct. 31-Nov. 7 and Nov. 25-27; WMUs 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 4C, Oct. 31-Nov. 14 and Nov. 25-27; WMU 5A, Nov. 5-7; WMU 5B, Nov. 3-5; WMUs 5C and 5D, closed to fall turkey hunting.
Spring gobbler – Special season for eligible junior hunters and mentored youth – April 24, 2021. Only 1 spring gobbler may be taken during this hunt.
Spring gobbler - May 1-31, 2021, daily limit 1, season limit 2.
Black bear – Archery, WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, Sept. 19-Nov. 27. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Black bear – Archery, WMU 5B, Oct. 3-Nov. 14. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Black bear – Archery, Oct. 17-31. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Black bear – Muzzleloader, Oct. 17-24. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Black bear – Special firearms, Oct. 22-24, junior and senior license holders, disabled person permit (to use a vehicle) holders, and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in U.S. Armed Services. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Black bear – Nov. 21-24. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Black bear – WMUs 1B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A, Nov. 28-Dec. 5. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Black bear – WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, Nov. 28-Dec. 12. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
Elk – Archery, Sept. 12-26. Only one elk may be taken during the license year.
Elk – Nov. 2-7. Only one elk may be taken during the license year.
Elk – Antlerless only, Jan. 2-9, 2021
Deer – Archery, WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Sept. 19-Nov. 14, Nov. 15, Nov. 16-27 and Dec. 26-Jan. 23, 2021. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. One antlered deer per hunting license year.
Deer – Archery, Oct. 3-Nov. 15 and Dec. 26-Jan. 18, 2021. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
Deer – Nov. 28- Dec. 12. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
Deer – Antlerless special firearms, Oct. 22-24. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
Deer – Antlerless muzzleloader, Oct. 17-24. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
Deer – Flintlock, Dec. 26-Jan. 18, 2021. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
Deer – Flintlock, WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, Dec. 26-Jan. 23, 2021. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
Deer – Antlerless, extended, Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, Dec. 26-Jan. 23. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
Coyotes – Hunting, no closed season. No limits.
Raccoons – Hunting, Oct. 24-Feb. 20. No limits.
Foxes – Hunting, Oct. 24-Feb. 20. No limits.
Opossums – Hunting, no close season, except Sundays. No limits.
Striped skunks – Hunting, no close season, except Sundays. No limits.
Weasels – – Hunting, no close season, except Sundays. No limits.
Bobcats – Hunting, WMUs 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E, Jan. 9-Feb. 3. One bobcat per license year.
Porcupines – Hunting, Oct. 10-Jan. 30, 2021, 3 daily, season limit of 10.
Minks – Trapping, Nov. 21-Jan. 10. No limits.
Muskrats – Trapping, Nov. 21-Jan. 10. No limits.
Coyotes – Trapping, Oct. 25-Feb. 21. No limits.
Foxes – Trapping, Oct. 25-Feb. 21. No limits.
Opossums – Trapping, Oct. 25-Feb. 21. No limits.
Raccoons – Trapping, Oct. 25-Feb. 21. No limits.
Striped skunks – Trapping, Oct. 25-Feb. 21. No limits.
Weasels – Trapping, Oct. 25-Feb. 21. No limits.
Coyotes – Cable restraints, Dec. 26-Feb. 21. No limits.
Foxes – Cable restrains, Dec. 26-Feb. 21. No limits.
Beavers – Trapping, Dec. 19-March 31. Limits vary depending on WMU.
Bobcats – Trapping, WMUs 2A, 2B 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E, Dec. 19-Jan. 10. One bobcat per license year.
Fishers – Trapping, WMUs 1B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E, Dec. 19-Jan. 3. One fisher per license year.
River otters – Trapping, WMUs 1A, 1B, 2F, 3C and 3D, Feb. 13-20, 2021. One river otter per license year.
The public may offer comments on the proposed 2020-21 seasons and bag limits, as well as other board actions, between now and the board’s April 6-7 meeting, when 2020-21 seasons and bag limits will be finalized, and antlerless deer license allocations will be determined.
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Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.