It’s a good thing the Pennsylvania Game Commission gives out a Hunting and Trapping Digest each year because it’s becoming more and more difficult to keep track of what is in season and when. When I started hunting as a young man, you hunted big game with a rifle and small game with a shotgun, and seasons remained pretty much the same from year to year, and that was about it. Over time hunting with a bow gained in popularity, and so did hunting with a muzzleloader, and it wasn’t long until special seasons were established just for those weapons. In recent years more special seasons have been established for various age groups, active military, and certain disabled persons. Add to all of that; we now have several designated Sundays that you can hunt for certain species. If keeping track of all of that isn’t complicated enough, you must also be careful to determine what you can hunt and when and in what particular Wildlife Management Unit (WMU).

Deer archery season is underway right now statewide for antlered and antlerless deer from Oct.2-Nov. 19 and Dec.27-Jan. 17, but that now includes one Sunday, Nov. 14. but in the middle of that season, there is a special season for Junior and Senior license holders, Mentored Youth, active-duty military, and certain disabled persons. Bear in mind that that special firearms season is for antlerless deer only, but if you have an archery tag, you could still use a bow for buck or doe. Oh, by the way, if you have an archery tag, you can also hunt bears statewide from Oct. 16-Nov. 6 and there is a statewide muzzleloader season for bears from Oct. 16-23. Now the regular firearms bear season statewide runs from Nov. 20-23, but there is also a special firearms season from Oct. 21-23 for Junior and Senior license holders, active-duty military, and certain disabled persons. There are also some “extended bear seasons” that vary in dates depending on which WMUs you plan to hunt — check your Hunting and Trapping Digest.

Getting back to the deer seasons, the regular firearms season for both antlered and antlerless deer statewide is from Nov.27-Dec. 11, but there is also an extended firearms season for antlerless deer only but only in certain designated WMUs — check your Hunting and Trapping Digest. Oh yeah, flintlock hunting for both antlered and antlerless deer statewide is from Dec. 27-Jan. 17 but it’s extended in certain WMUs — check your Hunting and Trapping Digest. By the way, the statewide muzzleloader deer season for antlerless deer only is from Oct. 16-23.

Fall turkey season for bearded and unbearded turkeys starts on Oct.30 in all but one unit; Nov. 2 is the starting date for WMU 5B. The ending dates vary according to units — check your Hunting and Trapping Digest. Now the spring season for bearded birds only starts statewide on April 30-May 31 but bear in mind there is a special Youth Hunt on April 23, 2022-check your Hunting and Trapping Digest for varying hunting hours depending on the WMU.

Can you imagine someone who doesn’t hunt reading this and trying to make sense of all of this? Well, there is one more date I have to mention, and it is not a hunting date. I am holding my “Open House at Hill Country Gallery” on Sat. Oct. 30 from 10 am to 7 pm and Sun. Oct. 31 from 11 am to 5 pm. We are located at 4186 Muncy Exchange Rd, and I would be glad to have you stop by and see how I paint wildlife instead of just reading what I write about wildlife. By the way-no license is required, and there’s no need to check your Hunting and Trapping Digest.