Pennsylvania

Check out the latest info for Pennsylvania. Image by Bruce MacQueen

Season Dates (2024):

Deer hunting dates vary greatly by unit. Check the PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION WEBSITE for specific deer season dates. In general, archery season is Oct. 5-Nov. 22, and Dec. 26-Jan. 20. Firearms season is Nov. 30-Dec. 14. Flintlock season is Dec. 26-Jan. 20. There are additional antlerless-only seasons for archery, muzzleloader, and firearms.

The Grade: B

Deer hunting is a big tradition in Pennsylvania, second only to Texas as having the most licensed hunters in the country. Some small PA towns cancel school and work for opening day of deer season, and anywhere that does that is a winner in our book. PA hunters consistently shoot more whitetails each season than hunters in most other states. They shot the third-most bucks of any state (behind Texas and Michigan) last year, and took the most antlered bucks per square mile, too. Licenses are inexpensive, and there are millions of acres of public land available. Still, PA has it’s drawbacks. It isn’t known as a trophy buck destination (although the sixth all-time largest typical was taken here), hunting pressure is intense, the terrain is rugged, and Sunday hunting for deer is still mostly off limits.

Antler Nation Knowledge:

In the western region, consider Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Indiana, Mercer, Venango, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. In the eastern region, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and York counties are historically the best.

“For hunters who want to see large numbers of deer, WMUs 5C, 2A, 2D, 1A, and 1B would be good choices,” said Jeannine Fleegle, wildlife biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. “With APRs in place, hunters have a good chance for a 2-1/2-year-old buck in all the WMUs. An average 2-1/2-year-old buck will typically be 13 to 15 inches wide and have eight points. But hunters also need to be patient. It’s OK to let even a legal buck walk. Many of them will survive to become mature bucks with larger antlers.”

Millions of public land acres make it possible to find a secluded piece of ground to avoid other hunters. There are numerous STATE GAME LANDS, and you can scout digitally with the PGC MAPPING CENTER. And don’t forget about the HUNTER ACCESS PROGRAM, as well as other public-access types, such as federal and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands.

“Susquehannock State Forest in Potter County has good road access and has many different habitat types due to timber management,” Fleegle said. “An excellent hunt for someone that is healthy and wants a challenging hunt for a mature buck can go to the large state game lands and state forest lands in 2G and 2H. The woods are big, the terrain steep, and the deer, including the bucks, get old for the same reasons.”