When Is PA Deer Season 2024?

With a strong hunting tradition, some nicely conditioned mature bucks, and millions of acres of public and private land, experienced hunters can make the most of the PA deer season 2024. If you're willing to push for it, this is your chance to bag an impressive buck in a secluded pocket of public land.

This blog is your guide to the Pennsylvania deer season dates and regulations, underlining the crucial role of season preparation tips in ensuring you make the most of the upcoming season. 

An Overview of the PA Deer Season 2024 

The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is responsible for conserving and managing wildlife in the state. It imposes season limits and regulations to help maintain numbers and offer ethical access to hunting with a focus on game management. 

The Pennsylvania seasons are structured based on firearm type, antler vs. antlerless restrictions, and a zoning-based approach in areas known as Wildlife Management Units (WMUS). Regarding WMUs, the seasons and bag limits may vary based on these zones, which are grouped geographically and based on habitat. 

Generally, the archery deer season for you bowhunters out there runs from early October to November and late December to late January. The rifle deer season opens on Thanksgiving weekend and runs through mid-December, and the antlerless muzzleloader season runs mid-October. 

Archery Season 

Ready to get out and hunt with your bow? Here's when you can gear up and go!

• The statewide archery season for 2024 runs October 5 – 16, November 17, November 18 – 22, and December 26 – January 20. 
   
• Additionally, specific WMUSs open for shorter windows during the season: (WMUs 2B, 5C, and 5D) September 21 – November 16, November 17, November 18 – 23, November 24, November 25 – 29, and December 26 – January 25. 

Hunting with long, recurve, and compound bows with a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds is permitted. Crossbows with sharp, cutting-edge-styled broadheads are also allowed during the archery season.

Arrows and crossbow bolts must be fitted with a broadhead with either a sharpened metal or stone tip. The broadhead must be at least 7/8 of an inch wide and no more than 3.25 inches long, ensuring it meets the specific requirements.

Additionally, using magnifying scopes and red-dot sights is permitted on crossbows. 

Special note: If you carry a muzzleloader and archery permit and hunt during the crossover periods of these seasons, you are permitted to have both firearm types. 

Rifle Season

Pennsylvania has the highest hunter density of any state, and the firearm hunting season is the state's most popular and heavily participated in.

Taking part in this historic hunting season is like taking part in history. Although there's some hunting pressure, there's still plenty of opportunity to find your slice of deer hunting paradise. 

Regular Firearms 

This statewide season for antlered and antlerless deer runs November 30, Sunday, December 1, and December 2 thru 14. 

Deer Special Firearms (Antlerless Only)
 

This season is open for junior and senior license holders, mentored license holders, active-duty military, and persons with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind. It runs statewide from October 24 thru 26. 

Deer Flintlock (Antlered and Antlerless)
 

• Statewide: December 26 thru January 20, 2025
• WMUs 2B, 5C, 5D: December 26 thru January 25, 2025

Deer Extended Firearms (Antlerless Only)
 

This statewide season runs from December 26 to January 25, 2025.

Muzzleloader Season

The muzzleloader season is antlerless only and runs from October 19 through 26. The only time you can use an antlerless tag is during the flintlock and muzzleloader season, and hunters will require a muzzleloader and general license to participate in this hunt. 

Muzzleloader hunters hunt with any single-barrel muzzleloading long gun. This includes flintlock, in-line, percussion ignition guns of 44 caliber or larger or handguns of 50 caliber or larger. 

Bag Limits and Tagging

Within the 23 wildlife management units, hunting seasons and bag limits vary across these zoning requirements. The general Pennsylvania deer bag limit is one antlered deer per hunting license year and one antlerless deer with each required antlerless license or permit.

Pennsylvania deer hunters can also apply for specialist deer management assistance program (DMAP) tags for antlerless deer. This allows hunters to hunt private lands, helping landowners better manage the deer populations on their private property. 

All deer must be tagged before moving the carcass. The deer harvest tag must be detachable from the deer's license, filled out using a ballpoint pen, and securely attached to the animal's ear (not the antlers). 

Harvested deer, including DMAP antlerless deer, must be reported within ten days (or five days for persons with a homemade tag). 

Licensing and Permits 

All hunters need a general hunting license to hunt any Pennsylvania season. You will also need a hunter education certificate if you're a first-time hunter.

Hunters hunting the muzzleloader or archery season will require a muzzleloader or archery license in addition to the general permit. 

Regarding tags, hunters can take one antlerless deer for each valid license or permit, and each hunter can only have up to six licenses for antlerless deer that haven't been filled out at any given time.

Purchase your hunting license online or via a registered retailer.

Preparing for the Season

The season is fast approaching, so it's time to start pre-season scouting as soon as possible. 

Unless you've hunted Pennsylvania before and have some decent locations in mind, it's best to focus on high-impact, popular hunting locations such as the Lebanon and Lancaster counties, which offer 6,000 acres of land in the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.

The mixed environments, including hardwoods, agricultural zones, and waterways, create an elite deer environment for the animals to thrive. Other options include the Allegheny National Forest within the Appalachian mountains, Pine Creek Valley, and the Upper Delaware River zones. 

No matter your chosen location or WMU, scouting with HuntWise to target high-impact mixed environments, flagging hunting zones, and leveraging the private landowner contact details to request private land hunting opportunities will all lay the foundation for a successful hunt. 

Gear Up and Get Out

If you're planning to hunt an extended season or are hoping to take a couple of deer to share with friends or family, make sure your gear is in order.

Then, spend some time on the range, get some boots-on-the-ground scouting in, and study HuntCast and WindCast forecasting in the HuntWise app to plan the ideal day and spot for your hunt. 

Prep for the Pennsylvania Deer Season With HuntWise 

The Pennsylvania deer season is serious business (they've even dedicated a whole day to it). To make sure you're staying ahead of the pack, on top of all regulations, and hunting in optimal conditions, download the HuntWise app today.

You'll access state-of-the-art mapping features, overlays, private landowner contact details, hunting insights, and more. 

PA deer season 2024 is almost here! Get your gear and get the HuntWise hunting app to start scouting and marking your hunt area. We'll give you your first week free!