The Pennsylvania Game Commission is pleased to offer 125 elk licenses for the 2018 season!

Information about buying your elk license
can be found here.

  Our state is home to some of the largest-antlered, biggest-bodied elk in the nation.

The elk hunting opportunity is high-quality and offers an outstanding success rate.  But don’t take it from us— here is what our hunters have to say about their experience.

Robert, drawn in the Elk License Lottery in 2017: 

Receiving a phone call stating that you were successful drawing one of the bull elk tags in Pennsylvania is an Elk Hunter’s Powerball. Meeting some of the nicest people, tagging out on a record book bull and having my son there to share the whole experience with me— Priceless!

David, drawn in the Elk License Lottery in 2017:

I was at the county fair with my family when I got the call from the Pennsylvania Game Commission.  I couldn't believe it.  Not only did I draw a PA elk tag, but it was a bull tag!  I involved my family as much as possible and we all had a blast. It was the experience of a lifetime.

Don’t miss out on this special chance to hunt the big and beautiful elk of Pennsylvania.  They are out there waiting to be hunted.  Why not you this year?

Apply today before the July 31st deadline and make your elk hunting dream come true.

An easy online application, $10.90 entry fee (all going towards the elk conservation and management program) and your name will be entered in the lottery.  You can also apply in person at any license vendor. Winners are announced on August 18th at the Elk Expo.  Good luck!

PA Deer farm operators claim wild deer are infecting their stock

By John Hayes / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. — The “ridge and valley” region is a beautiful swath of south-central Pennsylvania. Rising out of the Maryland panhandle, it spreads about 80 miles between the Allegheny Front west of Altoona and the Piedmonts east of Harrisburg. For centuries the rolling gap separating the mountain chains has served as a corridor between northern and southern Indian nations, William Penn’s charter and the Virginia colony and Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War.

Now, a new type of warfare is raging through those hills and plains. On one side, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and many of the state’s hunters are losing a war of attrition against a serious deer disease they say has entered free-ranging populations from commercial deer farms in the region. On the other side, deer farmers claim to be economic victims in the war against chronic wasting disease, a little-understood and always-fatal sickness that is killing fenced and free-ranging deer throughout the ridge and valley.

“This is serious. We all know that,” said Jarrid Barry, a Blair County deer farmer and president of the Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association. Two weeks ago Barry testified before the state House Game and Fisheries Committee on the spread of chronic wasting disease. “We’re frustrated because we’re getting blamed for this. It’s put some of us out of business even though the mapping shows just the opposite — it’s in the wild deer and our deer are getting it inside the fence.”

Originally found on a deer research facility in Colorado in 1969, CWD is a transmissible neurological disorder of deer and similar animals. It carves sponge-like holes in the brains of its victims, similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep. Not caused by a parasite, bacteria or virus, CWD is the result of an oddly folded protein, or prion, that is resistant to an enzyme that breaks down proteins and peptides. The resistance is transferred when a prion touches a healthy protein.

Chronic wasting disease is completely undetectable in live deer for up to a year before it inevitably causes loss of body condition, disorientation, behavioral abnormalities and death. It is not known how long the prions remain viable, but they’ve been found to be infective for at least a decade after being passed onto the ground by a diseased animal, and can survive tremendously high temperatures. Despite longtime scientific consensus to the contrary, recent research suggests CWD may be transferable to humans who eat the malformed protein.

The disease has been confirmed in 24 states. Since it was detected on an Adams County deer farm in 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which regulates the deer farming industry, has counted 46 captive deer that tested positive. Those farms were closed by the department, and any farm linked by deer exchanges were subject to quarantine until proven safe. Among free-ranging deer in Pennsylvania, chronic wasting disease recently crossed a transmission threshold, jumping from a total of 25 cases in 2016 to 125 confirmed positives this year. The Game Commission established four disease management areas around those locations (one has been eliminated), where special hunting and deer-handling regulations attempt to control the export of high-risk parts that harbor greater concentrations of prions.

In 2017 the Game Commission’s CWD pointman Wayne Laroche toured the state with a stop in Monroeville. Researchers, he said, have found spotty distribution of CWD in wild deer from the Rocky Mountains to southcentral Pennsylvania, suggesting the disease is radiating out from hotspots near deer farming facilities. Laroche’s presentation included a map showing the locations of CWD cases in the proximity of some of the state’s 860 deer farms, many clustered in the ridge and valley region surrounding Barry’s Powder Ridge Whiltetail Deer Farm.

“I’ve seen that map,” said Barry, during a recent tour of his 30-acre deer breeding facility. “It shows the disease moving up from counties in West Virginia where they’ve had more than 300 cases of CWD in wild deer since 2005, but no cases in deer farms. Up from Maryland where they’ve had about 30 cases of CWD in free-ranging deer and none in farm deer. When you see [on the map] 125 positives in Pennsylvania and 46 in fenced deer facilities, I don’t know how you look at Wayne’s map and see the disease coming out of deer farms.

Barry’s medium-size family-owned facility started with three bred does in 2007. Now, his 150 deer are raised primarily for sales to hunting preserves and stud service. Through selective breeding, he said, his 3- to 4-year-old bucks grow racks averaging 105 to 120 inches.

Some 3,500 jobs and $103 million in commerce are generated by Pennsylvania deer farms. Those that exchange deer within the state only are required by the Agriculture Department to be enrolled in a herd monitoring program in which CWD testing is performed on 50 percent of their deer that die at more than 1 year of age. Farms that move deer across state lines must have post-mortem CWD tests are performed on every deer that is at least a year old at death. In addition, deer farms involved in interstate commerce are subject to an intensive inventory process and hands on inspections of all deer by independent contractors every three years. Two forms of ID must be placed on every animal, and farms must comply with herd certification program protocols for at least five years before moving an animal out of state.

“Every deer that has tested positive in a captive farm in Pennsylvania was born in Pennsylvania,” said Barry. “There hasn’t been one animal shipped into our state that has tested positive for the disease. So get rid of that idea that we brought it in through an animal shipment, because there’s no evidence to support that.”

He admits it’s more difficult to monitor free-ranging deer, but more could be done, he said, to control the spread of CWD. Barry suspects that one of the main vectors for the disease may be successful hunters who carelessly discard carcasses of infected deer that were killed before showing signs of the CWD.

“Last year was the most mortalities [the Game Commission] ever tested and it was around 2 percent — 8,000 deer out of 300,000 deer shot,” said Barry. “When they find a case, how long was [the disease] there before they found it? Compare that with, behind fences last year in Pennsylvania, 65 percent of all the deer that died were tested for CWD.”

Barry’s enclosure exceeds the requirements of state law with an electric fence and two high fences separated by 8 feet, and his deer are certified for interstate sale. Nevertheless, five years after opening, a wild-deer disease management area was established that coincidentally encompasses the farm. Powder Ridge Whitetails has never had a case of CWD, he said, but special regulations prohibit him from selling his product out of state.

“My business is down, I have to get rid of some of my does,” he said. “To tell you the truth, I’m scared to death. I love deer, but I have deer outside my fences every day that potentially have the disease. One positive and my family business is out of business.”

John Hayes: jhayes@post-gazette.com

2018-19 PA Hunting Licenses/Permits scheduled On Sale NOW!

Buy a license online. Licenses purchased online may take up to 10 business days to arrive. Most general and add-on licenses are available on the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS). Exceptions are noted below. 

*Verify your mailing address. If you purchase a Hunting & Trapping Digest, it will be mailed separately from your license and may not arrive at the same time. The Digest is also available for printing and viewing online.

Locate a License Issuing Agent to purchase your license in person. Most general and add-on licenses are available in-store. Exceptions are noted below.

Bull Creek Loses A Great Member. RIP Steve Alias

It is with great sadness we report that member Steve Allias passed away several days ago. 

Steve was a very active member at Bull Creek, serving many years on the Board of Directors, assisting the Board on many legal issues, serving as an instructor for our "Hunters Safety courses" and initiating and running the "Youth 22 shoots", among other things. 

As per Steve's final requests there will be no viewing or service. 

July 28th PA Hunter Safety Course At Bull Creek Now Registering!!

Our Next course will be Offered on Saturday July 28th from 8AM to 4:00 PM. You may register for the  class by clicking here.

Sanctioned By
PA Game Commission







All Hunter Education classes MUST be registered for online. Click Here To Register for July 28th 2018 basic class

These Classes are FREE, but you must pre-register. Space is limited! Please register early!
Lunch and refreshments will be supplied by Bull Creek!!
Bull Creek Rod and Gun Club's Hunter-Trapper Education classes are held twice a year, in early spring and mid summer. Our last class was held in March, 2018. Classes are taught by 4 or 5 certified instructors who are both Bull Creek club members and trained by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Plus, volunteers from the club and community assist the instructors with presentations offered in:

• History of Hunter-Trapper Education in Pa.
• Knowledge of sporting arms, ammunition, and traps.
• Safe handling of sporting arms and trapping equipment
• Wildlife Conservation and Management
• Wildlife Identification
• Hunting and trapping laws
• Hunter-Trapper/Landowner relations and ethics
• Safe Clothing
• Outdoor Safety (Emergency first aid and survival)
• Field care of game
• Game Law presentation by Game Commission Officers
• Range Instruction
• Walk through shoot/don't shoot course
• Archery Demonstration
• Tree Stand Demonstration

STUDENT EXAM FOLLOWS COURSE
Eligibility: Student must be 11 years of age or higher to register and receive a training certificate. You MUST have completed this mandatory training and have reached at least 12 years of age to hunt in Pennsylvania.

Call 1-800-243-8519 to reach the Southwest Region Office in Ligonier, PA, for other
class schedules near you.
THESE COURSES ARE FREE!

Read a testimonial:

PA Hunters asked to protect eagle populations

Pennsylvania eagles have blossomed over the last three-plus decades.

They're so abundant as to be mysterious even.

"From a lot of two or three nests in the 1970s, we have probably over 300 at this point," said Patti Barber, a bird biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. "I say probably because we have so many eagles it's a challenge to keep track of them all.

"But that's a good problem to have."

There's a bad one, too, though.

The surge in eagle numbers has been accompanied by a surge in eagle-human interactions, Barber noted. Not all end well.

In particular, incidents of eagles showing up with lead poisoning are on the rise.

"Other states have been dealing with this for quite some time. For us, it's a recently new phenomenon," said Steve Smith, chief of the commission's bureau of information and education.

Starting this fall, hunters are asked to solve that problem.

The commission is launching a "significant educational campaign" to try and keep eagles from ingesting lead spread by hunters.

It's sportsmen who are, at least in part, adding lead to the environment, said Justin Brown, wildlife veterinarian for the commission.

Eagles are scavengers, he noted. Like other raptors, they often feed on carcasses and gut piles left behind in the woods, intentionally or, in the case of animals shot but not recovered, unintentionally.

That causes problems, he said.

Eagles that feed on such carrion can absorb lead into their bodies. When it collects in high enough concentrations, it impacts everything from liver function and nervous systems to blood. That often leaves them emaciated, blind and unable to walk or fly, Brown said.

To prevent that, the commission is going to ask hunters to do one of two things: switch to using non-lead ammunition or bury or hide gut piles and carcasses.

"Basically, the goal is to protect lead from moving into those non-target species and our scavengers ingesting the lead," Brown said.

Non-lead ammunition is much more readily available now than in the past, he said. While it remains more expensive, prices are coming down, he added.

"I think we feel good and are excited to get hunters invested in the management of the disease," Brown said.

Commissioner Jim Daley of Butler County said the return of bald eagles in Pennsylvania is a "tremendous success story." Sportsmen wrote it, he added.

It was the commission, financed by hunting license sales, that restored eagle populations, he noted. It secured birds from Saskatchewan and elsewhere and reintroducing them.

"We as hunters are the ones who brought all these birds back into Pennsylvania," he said.

Now, he said, it falls to sportsmen to "keep that going."

The commission developed a brochure explaining the lead-eagle issue. It will be available to hunters and trappers when they get their 2018-19 licenses. An educational video is ready, too, that's online.

Both note that sportsmen led the charge to bring eagles back, Smith said. Now, they need to make sure those efforts don't prove to be in vain.

"It's only appropriate that we call on hunters and sportsmen again to try to save the population and continue what we do have," Smith said.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-216-0193 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

Article by Bob Frye, Everybody Adventures,

http://www.everybodyadventures.com

Copyright © 535media, LLC

PA GAME COMMISSION EXPANDS CWD RULES

Pennsylvanians who harvest deer anywhere in New York, Ohio, Maryland or West Virginia no longer may bring them home without first removing the carcass parts with the highest risk of transmitting chronic wasting disease (CWD).

As part of the fight to slow the spread of CWD in the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has updated its executive order prohibiting the importation of high-risk deer parts into Pennsylvania.

While the order has always prohibited whole deer from being brought into Pennsylvania from most U.S. states and Canadian provinces where CWD exists, it previously permitted deer harvested in New York, Ohio, Maryland or West Virginia to be brought in, so long as the deer weren’t reported to have been harvested in any county where CWD has been detected.

The updated order gives Pennsylvania’s free-ranging deer better protection, said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans.

“The previous rules didn’t provide assurance that deer harvested in CWD-positive counties within New York, Ohio, Maryland or West Virginia weren’t making their way into the Commonwealth,” Burhans said. “While the order prohibited the high-risk parts of those deer from being imported into Pennsylvania, enforcement was difficult for many reasons.

“As we’ve seen in Pennsylvania, just because CWD appears confined to a specific area, doesn’t mean it won’t turn up somewhere completely new, miles away,” Burhans said. “Tightening up this order puts teeth in the Game Commission’s ability to enforce it, allowing us to better protect our deer and elk from CWD.”

Now that the updated order has taken effect, there are a total of 24 states and two Canadian provinces from which high-risk cervid parts cannot be imported into Pennsylvania.

The parts ban affects hunters who harvest deer, elk, moose, mule deer and other cervids in: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming; as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Those harvesting cervids in the identified states and provinces must leave behind the carcass parts that have the highest risk for transmitting CWD. Those parts are: the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and any lymph nodes); spinal cord/backbone; spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft tissue is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue; unfinished taxidermy mounts; and brain-tanned hides.

Hunters who are successful in those states and provinces from which the importation of high-risk parts into Pennsylvania is banned are allowed to import meat from any deer, elk, moose, mule deer or caribou, so long as the backbone is not present.

Successful hunters also are allowed to bring back cleaned skull plates with attached antlers, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; tanned hide or raw hide with no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present; capes, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if no root structure or other soft tissue is present; and finished taxidermy mounts.

Pennsylvania first detected chronic wasting disease in 2012 at a captive deer facility in Adams County. The disease has since been detected in free-ranging and captive deer in parts of southcentral and northcentral Pennsylvania. To date, 104 free-ranging CWD-positive deer have been detected in Pennsylvania.

The Game Commission in late February also established its fourth Disease Management Area, DMA 4, in Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks counties in response to CWD turning up at a captive deer facility in Lancaster County.

Burhans said hunters who harvest deer, elk or moose in a state or province where CWD is known to exist should follow instructions from that state’s wildlife agency on how and where to submit the appropriate samples to have their animal tested. If, after returning to Pennsylvania, a hunter is notified that his or her harvest tested positive for CWD, the hunter is encouraged to immediately contact the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which they reside for disposal recommendations and assistance.

A list of region offices and contact information can be found at www.pgc.pa.gov by scrolling to the bottom of any page to select the “Connect with Us” tab.

First identified in 1967, CWD affects members of the cervid family, including all species of deer, elk and moose. To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the disease is always fatal to the cervids it infects.

As a precaution, CDC recommends people avoid eating meat from deer and elk that look sick or that test positive for CWD.

More information on CWD can be found at CDC’s website, www.cdc.gov.

There currently is no practical way to test live animals for CWD, nor is there a vaccine. Clinical signs of CWD include poor posture, lowered head and ears, uncoordinated movement, rough-hair coat, weight loss, increased thirst, excessive drooling, and, ultimately, death.

Much more information on CWD, as well as a video showing hunters how they can process venison for transport and consumption, is available at the Game Commission’s website.

Women In The Outdoors Event At Bull Creek June 2nd, 2018!

A GREAT ADVENTURE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Women ages 14 and over are discovering a world all of their own; the National Wild Turkey Federation's Women in the Outdoors program was created just for them. Today millions of women enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, shooting, hiking, and more. 

By becoming a member of Women in the Outdoors, you'll join a network of women who share the same hobbies and interests. You'll learn new skills, tune up existing ones, and make memories that last a lifetime in a relaxed, non-competitive environment. 

Spread the word to your mom, sister, friend or co-worker. Bring them all to the Allegheny Valley Chapter event for a fun and exciting day of learning and fellowship. Ages 14-17 must be accompanied with an adult. Pre-registration is required

What Will Be Provided: 
* Choice of 4 expertly instructed classes 
* Continental breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages 
* Equipment & materials needed for classes 
* A 1-year $35 membership in the NWTF 
* 1-year subscription to Turkey Country magazine and Turkey Talk 

If you are unable to attend our event, please visit WWW.WOMENINTHEOUTDOORS.ORG to find other events in the state of PA throughout the year! 

Please print the following form and mail, click on the images to enlarge: 

FINAL PA HUNTING AND TRAPPING SEASONS APPROVED

HARRISBURG, PA - The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final

approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for the 2018-19 license year.

A list of all seasons and bag limits appears at the end of this news release.

The commissioners also set the number of antlerless deer licenses to be allocated, as well as the number of elk licenses to be allocated for the coming license year.

The board voted to allocate 838,000 antlerless deer licenses statewide, which is up from the 804,000 licenses allocated for 2017-18. Allocations by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) are as follows, with the allocation from the previous license year appearing in parentheses: WMU 1A – 48,000 (52,000); WMU 1B – 37,000 (35,000); WMU 2A – 49,000 (50,000); WMU 2B – 58,000 (60,000); WMU 2C – 44,000 (31,000); WMU 2D – 63,000 (55,000); WMU 2E – 27,000 (22,000); WMU 2F – 23,000 (24,000); WMU 2G – 30,000 (25,500); WMU 2H – 6,000 (7,000); WMU 3A – 22,000 (20,000); WMU 3B – 29,000 (30,000); WMU 3C – 38,000 (42,000); WMU 3D – 25,000 (25,000); WMU 4A – 38,000 (30,000); WMU 4B – 26,000 (26,000); WMU 4C – 30,000 (29,000); WMU 4D – 34,000 (34,000); WMU 4E – 32,000 (27,500); WMU 5A – 23,000 (22,000); WMU 5B – 58,000 (57,000); WMU 5C – 70,000 (70,000); and WMU 5D – 28,000 (30,000).

Hunting licenses for 2018-19 go on sale in mid-June and become effective July 1. After hunters purchase a general hunting license, they may apply for antlerless deer licenses based on staggered timelines, which will be outlined in the 2018-19 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest to be made available online.

The board also voted to issue 125 elk licenses (26 antlered, 99 antlerless) for the 2018 hunt.

The licenses again will be awarded by lottery, and the deadline to enter the drawing is July 31.

Elk applications cost $10.90, and only one application may be submitted each license year.

Other modifications approved for the 2018-19 seasons include: extending the statewide archery deer season to Monday, Nov. 12 to include the Veterans Day holiday; eliminating the hen pheasant restriction in WMUs 2A, 2C, 4C, and 5B; implementing a new four-day extended black bear firearms season in WMUs 4A and 5A; increasing from four days to six days the length of the extended black bear firearms season in WMU 3A; extending hunting hours for mourning doves from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset in all season segments; and opening WMUs 4B and 4C to fisher trapping.

Several highlights pertaining to the 2018-19 seasons follow. 

SPLIT FIREARMS DEER SEASONS ADOPTED

The Board of Game Commissioners adopted a slate of deer seasons for 2018-19, implementing a split, five-day antlered deer season (Nov. 26-Nov. 30) and seven-day concurrent season (Dec. 1-8) in 20 Wildlife Management Units. The list includes WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B. The package also retains the two-week (Nov. 26-Dec. 8) concurrent, antlered and antlerless deer season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D.

Hunters with Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permits may use the permits on the lands for which they were issued during any established deer season, and will continue to be permitted to harvest antlerless deer from Nov. 26-Dec. 8 in 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B. Fees for DMAP permits are $10.90 for residents and $35.90 for nonresidents.

DMAP permits also may be transferred to Mentored Hunting Program participants.

The board has retained antler restrictions for adult and senior license holders since the 2011-12 seasons. It remains the “three-up” on one side, not counting a brow tine, provision for the western Wildlife Management Units of 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2D, and the three points on one side in all other WMUs. Those exempt from these antler restrictions are mentored youth hunters, junior license holders, disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind and resident active-duty military on leave.

Once again this year, the commissioners gave final approval to concurrent hunting of antlered and antlerless deer in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D during most seasons, with the first segment of the archery season to run from Sept. 15 to Nov. 24 in those WMUs. 

2018 ELK HUNT, BY THE NUMBERS

In total, 125 elk licenses – 26 antlered, 99 antlerless – have been allocated for 2018-19.

Licenses are available in a new Elk Hunt Zone, EHZ 14, which is comprised of 86-percent public land including Kettle Creek State Park. Six tags are allocated within EHZ 14.

EHZ 7 again will receive no license allocation in 2018-19. This zone covers a few square miles around the Elk Country Visitor Center and the Game Commission’s viewing areas.

The elk license allocations by hunt zone follow: EHZ 1, no tags, but it is open to all hunters; EHZ 2, 27 tags (2 antlered); EHZ 3, 7 tags (2 antlered); EHZ 4, 7 tags (2 antlered); EHZ 5, 6 tags (3 antlered); EHZ 6, 9 tags (2 antlered); EHZ 7, 0 tags; EHZ 8, 9 tags (2 antlered); EHZ 10, 13 tags (2 antlered); EHZ 11, 4 tags (2 antlered); EHZ 12, 20 tags (3 antlered); EHZ 13, 8 tags (2 antlered); and EHZ 14, 6 tags (2 antlered). 

FALL TURKEY SEASON CHANGES APPROVED

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to fall turkey seasons for 2018 and spring gobbler seasons for 2019.

The board for the second consecutive year approved a conservative, midweek fall turkey season in Wildlife Management Unit 5B.

All recommendations on fall turkey season length are made in accordance with guidelines in the Game Commission’s Wild Turkey Management Plan.

The fall season in WMUs 1A, 2A, 4A and 4B will be one week (Oct. 27-Nov. 3), plus a three-day Thanksgiving season (Nov. 22-24).

In WMU 1B, the season will remain one week (Oct. 27-Nov. 3), with no Thanksgiving season.

In WMU 2B (shotgun and bow only), the season will run from Oct. 27-Nov. 16 and Nov. 22-24.

In WMU 2C, the season will be Oct. 27-Nov. 16 and Nov. 22-24.

In WMUs 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4D and 4E, the season will be Oct. 27-Nov. 10 and Nov. 22-24.

In WMU 5A, the season will be from Nov. 1-3.

In WMU 5B, the season will be from Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

And in WMUs 5C and 5D, the season will remain closed for the fall seasons.

For the 2019 spring gobbler season, which will run from April 27-May 31, the board continued with legal hunting hours to reflect the following: from April 27-May 11, legal shooting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise until noon; and from May 13-31, hunters may hunt all day, from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.

The board approved holding the one-day Spring Gobbler Youth Hunt on April 20, 2019, which will run from one-half hour before sunrise until noon. All junior license holders and Mentored Youth Hunting Program permit holders can participate in this special half-day hunt, as well as the other spring season dates. 

2018-19 HUNTING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS

SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license, and mentored youth – Sept. 29-Oct. 13 (6 daily, 18 in possession limit after first day). 

SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Oct. 13-Nov. 24; Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28 (6 daily, 18 possession). 

RUFFED GROUSE: Oct. 13–Nov. 24 and Dec. 10-24 (2 daily, 6 possession). 

RABBIT (Cottontail) Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license: Sept. 29-Oct. 13 (4 daily, 12 possession). 

RABBIT (Cottontail): Oct. 13-Nov. 24, Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28 (4 daily, 12 possession). 

PHEASANT: Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license – Oct. 6-13 (2 daily, 6 in possession). Male pheasants only in WMUs 4E and 5A. Male and female pheasants may be taken in all other WMUs. There is no open season for taking pheasants in Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas, except within the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area, as authorized by executive order. 

PHEASANT: Oct. 20-Nov. 24, Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28 (2 daily, 6 in possession). Male pheasants only in WMUs 4E and 5A. Male and female pheasants may be taken in all other WMUs There is no open season for taking pheasants in Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas, except within the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area, as authorized by executive order. 

BOBWHITE QUAIL: Oct. 13-Nov. 24, Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28 (8 daily, 24 possession). 

HARES (SNOWSHOE RABBITS) OR VARYING HARES: Dec. 26–Jan. 1, in all WMUs (1 daily, 3 possession). 

WOODCHUCKS (GROUNDHOGS): No closed season, except on Sundays and during the regular firearms deer seasons. No limit. 

CROWS: July 1-April 14, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. No limit. 

STARLINGS AND ENGLISH SPARROWS: No closed season, except during the antlered and antlerless deer season. No limit. 

WILD TURKEY (Male or Female): WMU 1B – Oct. 27-Nov. 3; WMU 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow) – Oct. 27-Nov. 16 and Nov. 22-24; WMUs 1A, 2A, 4A and 4B, – Oct. 27-Nov. 3 and Nov. 22-24; WMUs 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4D and 4E– Oct. 27-Nov. 10 and Nov. 22-24; WMU 2C – Oct. 27-Nov. 16 and Nov. 22-24; WMU 5A – Nov. 1-3; WMU 5B – Oct. 30-Nov. 1; WMUs 5C and 5D – CLOSED TO FALL TURKEY HUNTING. 

SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with required license, and mentored youth – April 20, 2019. Only 1 spring gobbler may be taken during this hunt. 

SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): April 27-May 31, 2019. Daily limit 1, season limit 2. (Second spring gobbler may be only taken by persons who possess a valid special wild turkey license.) From April 27-May 11, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon; from May 13-31, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. 

BLACK BEAR (Statewide) Archery: Oct. 29-Nov. 3. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (Statewide): Nov. 17-21. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D): Nov. 26-Dec. 1. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D): Nov. 26-Dec. 8. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 1B, 2C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A): Nov. 28-Dec. 1. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D) archery: Sept. 15-Nov. 24. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (WMU 5B) archery: Sept. 29-Nov. 10. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D) muzzleloader: Oct. 13-20. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year. 

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D) special firearms: Oct. 18-20, for junior and senior license holders, disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind and resident active duty military. 

ELK (Antlered or Antlerless): Nov. 5-10. Only one elk may be taken during the license year. 

ELK, EXTENDED (Antlered and Antlerless): Nov. 12-17. Only one elk may be taken during the license year. Eligible elk license recipients who haven’t harvested an elk by Nov. 10, in designated areas. 

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Sept. 15- Nov. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 26, 2019. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. One antlered deer per hunting license year. 

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Sept. 29-Nov. 12 and Dec. 26-Jan. 12. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Nov. 26-Dec. 8. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER (Antlered Only) WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B: Nov. 26-30. One antlered deer per hunting license year. (Holders of valid DMAP antlerless deer permits may harvest antlerless deer on DMAP properties during this period.) 

DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B: Dec. 1-8. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER, ANTLERLESS SPECIAL FIREARMS (Statewide): Oct. 18-20. Junior and Senior License Holders, Mentored Youth Permit Holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) Holders, and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in U.S. Armed Services or in the U.S. Coast Guard only, with required antlerless license. Also included are persons who have reached or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the application for a license and hold a valid adult license, or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER, ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER (Statewide): Oct. 13-20. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide): Dec. 26-Jan. 12. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (WMUs 2B, 5C, 5D): Dec. 26-Jan. 26. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER, ANTLERLESS EXTENDED REGULAR FIREARMS: (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties): Dec. 26-Jan. 26. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. 

DEER, ANTLERLESS (Military Bases): Hunting permitted on days established by the U.S. Department of the Army at Letterkenny Army Depot, Franklin County; New Cumberland Army Depot, York County; and Fort Detrick, Raven Rock Site, Adams County. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

 2018-19 FURBEARER HUNTING SEASONS

COYOTES: No closed season. Unlimited. Outside of any big game season (deer, bear, elk and turkey), coyotes may be taken with a hunting license or a furtaker license, and without wearing orange. During any big game season, coyotes may be taken while lawfully hunting big game or with a furtaker license. 

RACCOONS and FOXES: Oct. 20-Feb. 16, unlimited.