Game Commission board unanimously supports Saturday deer opener

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is exploring ways to expand programs to help alleviate crop damage caused by deer and other wildlife. Courtesy of PA GAME COMMISSION

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By Doyle Dietz

outdoors@republicanherald.com

HARRISBURG — With an eye toward the continued recruitment of young hunters, at Saturday’s quarterly meeting of the Pennsylvania Game Commission to set preliminary seasons and bag limits for the 2025-26 license year, the board of game commissioners by a unanimous 9-0 voted to continued to open the firearms deer season the first Saturday following Thanksgiving Day.

This united front by the commissioners apparently puts to rest the ongoing attempt by a vocal minority wanting opening day to return to the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

This year, the concurrent statewide firearms season for antlered and antlerless deer opens Nov. 29, and continues through Dec. 6, including Nov. 30 — which is the third and final Sunday is legal. Monday-Saturday, Dec. 8-13, concludes the final six days of the firearms season.

Archery deer season opens statewide Oct. 4, and runs through Nov. 21 — including Nov. 16. Late archery and flintlock muzzleloader seasons run December 26 through January 19 — excluding Sundays.

Archery deer seasons in Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D open Sept. 20. Antlerless muzzleloader season is October 18-25, and antlerless special firearms season Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 23-25.

Statewide there will continue to be firearms bear season from Nov. 22 through Nov. 25 — including Nov. 23. Once again the muzzleloader special firearms bear season will be three days — October 23-25.

Archery bear season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D opens Sept. 20; in 5B opens October 4. In WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A the season is October 18 through November 8.

There are extended bear seasons in WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4E and 5A Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29 and 30, and from Dec. 1-6. In WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D the extended bear season is Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29 and 30, and Dec. 1-13.

Public comments on all proposed 2025-26 seasons and bag limits, as well as other board actions, between now and the board’s April 11 and 12 meeting, when 2025-26 seasons and bag limits will be finalized, and antlerless deer license allocations will be presented. To comment go to the PGC website at www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc.html.