Licenses: The current hunting license, which is valid from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 is now available for purchase at either your preferred local vendor or online at HuntFish.PA.gov. Regarding antlerless licenses, Pennsylvania resident hunters are guaranteed ONE license in any WMU and must purchase it up until 7:00 a.m. on July 13, 2026.
Mentored Hunters: A mentored hunter must obtain a Mentored Hunting permit, which contains their unique Customer Identification number (CID). Mentors no longer may transfer harvest tags to mentored hunters, thus al mentored hunters must use their own tags, which come with their mentored permits and the other licenses and permits for which they’re eligible to apply. A mentored hunter can hunt squirrels, rabbits, hares, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, pheasants, waterfowl, crows, doves, porcupines, woodchucks, coyotes, deer, bears and turkeys in any of their respective seasons, and must follow daily and season bag limits for each species. The exact details of the Mentored Hunting Program can be a bit complicated and are best spelled out on page 11 of the current edition of the Pennsylvania’s Hunting and Trapping Digest.
Sunday Hunting: Sunday hunting has expanded this year. Nearly all 2026-2927 Pennsylvania hunting seasons include all Sundays within the season, and many seasons that previously ended on Saturday now end on Sunday. Sunday hunting is closed for migratory game birds. Sunday hunting is limited within state parks in certain counties, as detailed on page 4 of the Hunting and Trapping Digest.
Changes: The spring gobbler bag limit is reduced to one to offset possible additional harvest due to the inclusion of Sundays. Bear check stations are only open on the first two days of the regular firearms bear season and select days of the extended seasons. Big game harvest tags are now issued to mentored hunters under 7 years old at the time they purchase a permit. Squirrel, ruffed grouse, rabbit, pheasant, bobwhite quail and woodchuck seasons will remain open during the regular firearms deer season. There are a few additional changes that are more regional in coverage – that is, they do not apply to the whole state. Once you have purchased your license and have obtained a copy of the 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Digest, refer to page 1 to review all of the changes.
Seasons and Bag Limits: The numerous seasons, daily bag limits and season bag limits for deer, bear, turkey, elk, small game and Furtaking are all thoroughly detailed on pages 6 and 7 of the 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Digest.
Once you have purchased your license for the coming seasons, and have obtained the current Hunting and Trapping Digest, brew a fresh pot of coffee, settle into your favorite easy chair and begin planning out your days afield in the upcoming seasons! After all, one of the great pleasures of hunting is the time spent planning and daydreaming of whatever the days ahead will bring! If you have never done so in the past, consider mentoring a youth or an adult. It will provide a memorable opportunity to share and promote the sport that we love as hunters and will go a long way to helping perpetuate hunting and the joy of the outdoors for generations to come!
