Hunting seasons get finalized but PGC wants to confirm which day is best for rifle opener

The Pennsylvania Game Commission approved hunting seasons for the year, but is open to more research to confirm if hunters actually do prefer having rifle deer season start on Saturday instead of the Monday after Thanksgiving.

During Saturday’s agency meeting, the commissioners set this year’s opening day of the firearms deer season as the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

In 2019, the PGC changed the start of rifle deer season to the Saturday after Thanksgiving instead of Monday to create more opportunities for hunters, including those attending college. At the same time, the state legislature approved three Sundays for hunting. One of those is used on the opening weekend of rifle season.

Before 2019, the first day of rifle deer season was held for about 60 years on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

After approving the hunting seasons Saturday morning, the board said it realizes there’s an ongoing debate over which opening day best suits most of the hunters.

The board said it believes the Saturday opener better accommodates the majority of hunters and is better for the future of hunting, opinions backed by evidence such as license sales and a scientific survey of hunters.

However president commissioner Scott Foradora, representing Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties, said the board wants to know more about the impacts of the Saturday opener, especially knowing that some hunters would like to see the opener returned to the Monday after Thanksgiving.

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Foradora directed the Game Commission’s staff to work with the Legislature on the issue to determine which day most hunters truly support and read the following statement:

“With today’s vote, the Board has once again scheduled the start of the firearms deer season to be on a Saturday. We do this, firmly believing that starting the season on a Saturday creates the most opportunity for hunters, and thus helps ensure the future of the sport that we are charged with protecting.

“Nonetheless, we recognize that there are those with a different opinion, who would like to see a return to a Monday opener. And we recognize the passion that many of you feel about this issue. We may disagree, but we have heard your voices.

“As the debate over a Saturday or Monday opener lingers on, it has unfortunately caused considerable disagreement within our hunting ranks. It has fractured and divided us, at a time when we should be united.

“Therefore, I am directing staff within the Game Commission to work with the leadership of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, to once again study and analyze this issue. It is my hope that a comprehensive review can take place, to address some of the concerns that we have heard and ensure that the board’s decision is truly in the best interest of our hunting community.”

One of the people who regularly attends the agency’s board meetings seeking to have the opener return to Monday is Randy Santucci, co-founder of the coalition Hunters to Reinstate the Monday Deer Opener and Facebook group Pennsylvania Hunters Against the Saturday Deer Opener.

In the public comment section of Saturday’s meeting, he told the board he believes hunters want the opening day to be on Monday.

“There are economic negatives, nonprofits being hurt and a short-sightedness of family strife surrounding Thanksgiving,” he said about fundraisers held over the weekend and visits to local sports shops. “Quite possibly the biggest hurt was taking away time from hunters to enjoy tradition and finalize preparations with family and friends."

Other hunters have voiced their support of the Saturday opening day that is a day where they don’t have to work or attend school. Those who want to start hunting on Monday do have the option to wait until Monday to hunt.

Rifle deer season this year will be held Nov. 30 to Dec. 14, except for Sunday, Dec. 8.

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Hunting season modifications for 2024-25:

In an effort to reduce the number of deer where Chronic Wasting Disease is prevalent in southcentral Pennsylvania, a new antlerless deer extended firearms season will be held in Wildlife Management Units 4A, 4D, and 5A on Jan. 2 through Jan. 20. An antlerless deer can be taken with each required antlerless license or permit.

Other modifications for this year’s hunting season include:

• For black bear, the October muzzleloader season will be shortened to three days to reduce harvest rates on female bears and thereby promote stabilization of the bear population.

• Mentored hunters of all ages will be eligible to hunt in the early October pheasant season segment, known best as the Junior Hunt.

• For wild turkey, fall season length will be increased in 11 WMUs and WMU 5A, which was previously closed to fall hunting, will be opened for a three-day season. Season length will be reduced in WMUs 3D and 4C.

• For furbearers, WMU 2D will be opened to bobcat hunting and trapping. Also, the fisher trapping season will be increased by one week in all WMUs open to fisher harvest. This will allow concurrent fisher and bobcat trapping seasons.

• If pheasant hunting within the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area (WPRA) is opened again, it will be open to all hunters. Potential season dates and bag limits will be determined later this year, following data collection within the WPRA.

The Game Commission also announced 1,186,000 antlerless deer licenses will be allocated statewide for 2024-25, which is up from the 1,095,000 licenses allocated for 2023-24.

Allocations by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) are as follows, with the allocation from the previous license year appearing in parentheses. WMU 1A – 46,000 (46,000); WMU 1B – 37,000 (37,000); WMU 2A – 46,000 (46,000); WMU 2B – 53,000 (53,000); WMU 2C – 93,000 (88,000); WMU 2D – 102,000 (86,000); WMU 2E – 54,000 (52,000); WMU 2F – 55,000 (49,000); WMU 2G – 37,000 (35,000); WMU 3A – 21,000 (21,000); WMU 3B – 34,000 (32,000); WMU 3C – 40,000 (40,000); WMU 3D – 41,000 (41,000); WMU 4A – 61,000 (61,000); WMU 4B – 60,000 (46,000); WMU 4C – 53,000 (32,000); WMU 4D – 77,000 (77,000); WMU 4E – 61,000 (54,000); WMU 5A – 40,000 (40,000); WMU 5B – 67,000 (60,000); WMU 5C – 79,000 (70,000); and WMU 5D – 29,000 (29,000).

Antlerless licenses for 2024-25 again will be sold over the counter and online beginning June 24.

The agency also allocated 140 elk licenses (65 antlered, 75 antlerless) across three seasons. Last year there were 144 elk tags. For the one-week general season to run Nov. 4-9, 30 antlered and 38 antlerless tags have been allocated. In the archery season open only in select Elk Hunt Zones, to run from Sept. 14-28, 16 antlered and 11 antlerless licenses are available. And there are 19 antlered and 26 antlerless licenses available for the Dec. 28-Jan. 4 late season.

All elk licenses will be awarded by lottery and each application costs $11.97. Hunter can enter all three season drawings for $35.91. The deadline to apply is July 14.

Antlerless deer and elk license allocations are based on scientific data and tailored to meet population objectives within each WMU and Elk Hunt Zone.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors, and Instagram at whipkeyoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: What day does rifle deer season begin in Pennsylvania