HARRISBURG -- Pumpkin spice lattes are here. Corn mazes are opening and orchards across the state are offering chances to get your picture taken in sunflower fields in full bloom.
Fine enough. Those things all have their place.
But if your passion centers around white-tailed deer, the shorter days and cooler nights that hint at the coming of fall can only mean one thing: it’s soon time to go hunting.
Pennsylvania’s statewide archery deer season kicks off on Oct. 4 and runs through Nov. 21, then comes back in from Dec. 26 through Jan. 19, 2026. Hunters afield in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B and 5C and 5D – the former surrounding Pittsburgh, the latter two, Philadelphia – can start pursuing deer even earlier. The season there runs from Sept. 20 through Nov. 28, then again from Dec. 26 through Jan. 24, 2026.
While that’s all similar to last year, this season brings something different – expanded Sunday hunting.
In 2024, Pennsylvania had just three Sundays when big game could be pursued, and only one of them fell within the statewide archery deer season. This year, thanks to the passage of Act 36 of 2025 – legislation signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro that fully repeals the state’s longstanding ban on Sunday hunting – more opportunity awaits.
The Game Commission in July revisited the already-established 2025-26 hunting seasons, authorizing hunting on 13 Sundays, from Sept. 14 through Dec. 7, as long as they fall within established seasons. Seven of those fall within the statewide archery deer season, nine within the archery deer season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D.
There are still some things hunters need to be aware of. Within Pennsylvania state parks, for example, Sunday hunting only will be allowed this year on and Nov. 16, Nov. 23 and Nov. 30 – the three Sundays initially approved. There is no Sunday hunting for any migratory game birds. And those hunting on private property on Sundays must carry with them written permission from the landowner.
But that’s lots of opportunity, and history shows hunters use it well. In the 2024-25 season, the state’s 350,000-plus bowhunters harvested an estimated 178,140 deer – 87,540 of them antlered and 90,600 antlerless – to account for about one-third of all deer taken in Pennsylvania.
“We now have as many, if not more, bowhunters than any state in the country,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “It’s amazing – but not surprising to see how archery hunting has evolved in Pennsylvania. Mild weather, readily available antlerless tags, the kind of mature bucks that previous generations of hunters might only dream of, and the excitement of the whitetail rut are huge draws. Hunters are putting food on their tables and making remarkable memories alongside family and friends.”
Hunters can take one antlered deer per license year, as well as one antlerless deer for every antlerless license, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permit or Agricultural Deer Control Program permit.
David Stainbrook, the Game Commission’s Deer and Elk Section Supervisor, said all the pieces are in place for an archery deer season much like last year.
“I would expect the upcoming seasons to be very similar to our most recent ones, but with even more antlerless licenses available,” Stainbrook said. “There are certainly places with more deer than others, though, and time spent scouting can increase the odds of finding those places. If possible, look for those offering deer both food and cover in one location, then look for fresh sign to be sure deer are using it.”
Then, he said, hunt as much as possible. Typically, every week of the archery season contributes at least 10% of the overall bow harvest. So there’s never a bad time to be out.
And if archers successfully fill tags, they’re only keeping up with their brethren across the region. According to the National Deer Association, bowhunting has grown to the point that archers typically harvest about one-third of all deer across what’s considered the Northeast region, a 13-state area stretching from Maine to Virginia.
Here as in all those places, archers play an especially important role in managing deer in areas that are more heavily urban and suburban, where firearms hunting is not always feasible.
“Hunting even one more day can mean the difference between harvesting a deer and not,” Executive Director Smith added. “And who doesn’t always want just one more day in the woods?”
Getting started
The Game Commission’s YouTube page offers several videos to help deer hunters.
There’s a two-part series on learning to hunt deer with archery gear, a video on the effective range of crossbows, one on tracking a deer after the shot in archery season, and guidance on deboning a deer in the field. There are also several videos on tree stand safety.
Search “learn to hunt” or “tree stand safety” to find the videos.
Hunters might also want to check out the in-person and online versions of Pennsylvania’s “Successful Bowhunting” course and/or its online archery safety course. Hundreds of people completed both last season. More information is available online.
Of course, bowhunters should also practice with their equipment before the season starts, shooting from the ground and/or an elevated stand, whichever mimics how they’ll hunt. Hunters should only take responsible shots – broadside or quartering-away shots at deer within their personal maximum effective shooting range – to ensure quick, clean kills.
As for equipment, archery hunters may use long, recurve or compound bows, or crossbows. Bows must have a draw weight of at least 35 pounds; crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds.
Illuminated nocks that aid in tracking or locating the arrow or bolt after being launched are legal, but transmitter-tracking arrows are not.
Tree stands and climbing devices that cause damage to trees are unlawful to use or occupy unless the user has written permission from the landowner. Tree stands – or tree steps – penetrating a tree’s cambium layer cause damage, and it is unlawful to build or occupy tree stands that are nailed or screwed to trees on state game lands, state forests or state parks.
Portable hunting tree stands and blinds are allowed on state game lands, starting two weeks before opening day of archery season, but must be removed no later than two weeks after the close of the flintlock and late archery deer seasons in the WMU being hunted.
In all cases, tree stands and blinds on state game lands also must be conspicuously marked with a durable and legible identification tag that identifies the stand’s owner. Those tags must include the hunter’s first and last name and legal home address, their nine-digit CID number, or their unique Sportsman’s Equipment ID number. Hunters can find their number in their HuntFishPA online profile or on their printed license.
All hunters need a valid general hunting license or mentored permit, unless they qualify for exceptions. Some hunters are eligible to hold combination hunting licenses that include archery privileges, but most hunters also need an archery license to take part in the archery deer season.
Licenses may be purchased online at www.huntfish.pa.gov or at any license issuing agent, the locations of which are mapped online. Because licenses bought online are mailed, and deer hunters must be in possession of their deer harvest tags while hunting, those planning to hunt soon after buying their licenses might be better off getting them from an issuing agent.
A general hunting license contains an antlered deer harvest tag. A valid antlerless license, DMAP permit or Ag Tag permit is needed for each antlerless deer harvested.
Hunters who harvest deer are required by law to file a report with the Game Commission within 10 days. Harvests can be reported online at huntfish.pa.gov, by phone at 1-800-838-4431, or by sending in the postage-paid report card found within the Hunting & Trapping Digest.
Safety tips for bowhunters
Make sure someone knows where you’re hunting and when you expect to return home. Leave a note or topographic map with your family or a friend. Pack a cellphone for emergencies.
Practice climbing with your tree stand before the opening day of the season, especially if you’ll be climbing in the dark. Consider placing non-slip material on the deck of your tree stand if it’s not already there.
Always use a fall-restraint device – preferably a full-body harness – when hunting from a tree stand. Wear the device from the moment you leave the ground until you return. Don’t climb dead, wet or icy trees, and consider staying on the ground on blustery days.
Use a hoist rope to lift your bow and backpack to your tree stand. Trying to climb with either will place you at unnecessary risk.
Don’t sleep in a tree stand. If you can’t stay awake, return to the ground.
Keep yourself in good physical condition. Fatigue can impact judgment, coordination and reaction time, as well as accuracy.
Always carry broadhead-tipped arrows in a protective quiver, especially when moving. Cocked crossbows should always be pointed in a safe direction. Know how to uncock a crossbow safely, too. If you use a mechanical release with a vertical bow, always keep your index finger away from the trigger when drawing.
In all cases, check your equipment before every outing and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for using it.
Always carry a whistle to signal passersby in the event you become immobile. A compass or GPS unit and map, matches or lighter and tinder also are essential survival gear items to have along. A flashlight with extra bulbs and/or a portable charger for the light and your phone also can be helpful.
Venison care
While hunting in early fall often offers pleasant days afield, the warm weather also presents challenges for successful deer hunters.
One is making sure they wind up with high-quality venison for the table.
Deer harvested when the weather is warm should be field-dressed quickly, then taken from the field and cooled down as soon as possible, preferably by refrigerating if temperatures are above 40 degrees.
Additional information on warm-weather venison care, as well as instructions on deer processing and other tips, are available on the white-tailed deer page on the Game Commission’s website, www.pa.gov/pgc.
Deer Management Assistance Program
The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) allows public and private landowners to better meet their own deer-management goals through the harvest of antlerless deer.
Each DMAP permit can be used to hunt and harvest antlerless deer during established seasons. Each hunter can get up to two DMAP permits for a DMAP property that offers direct sales, and up to four DMAP permits for a property where landowners issue coupons that later are redeemed for permits.
There’s a limited number of permits available for each property, and permits for certain properties might already be sold out. Each DMAP permit costs $10.97.
To find properties enrolled in DMAP and check on permit availability, visit https://www.pgcapps.pa.gov/Harvest/DMAP. Additional information on DMAP is available through the Game Commission’s website.
Once again, DMAP permits are available on certain state game lands, where they’re intended to lower deer browsing impacts on forest regeneration by focusing hunting pressure in areas where it’s needed. DMAP permits also are made available in areas impacted by Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) to enhance surveillance.
Hunters with DMAP permits are required to report deer harvests within 10 days. Additionally, a report must be filed for any DMAP permit that’s not used to harvest a deer, with those reports due when the last deer seasons end.
Disease Management Areas
Pennsylvania’s nine Disease Management Areas (DMAs) – places with special rules meant to slow CWD’s spread – have in some cases expanded since last season. Up-to-date boundaries can be found online at the Game Commission’s Mapping Center.
Hunters who harvest a deer within a DMA or the CWD Established Area (EA) can take them directly to any Game Commission-approved processor or taxidermist anywhere in the state. That list is available at www.pa.gov/cwd.
Hunters who take a deer within a DMA or the EA may also leave the high-risk parts at the location of harvest, although this is not preferred, or they can take the deer home to process themselves, so long as they also live within that DMA or the EA and dispose of the high-risk parts through a trash service. Hunters who live outside a DMA or the EA can quarter the animal to take it home, free of high-risk parts.
High-risk parts include 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 within a DMA can also have their deer tested for CWD. Information on head bin collection sites and drop-off procedures is available at www.pa.gov/cwd.
Enhanced trespassing penalties
When Act 36 of 2025 became law, it did more than just remove the prohibition on Sunday hunting. It also increased the fines for those caught trespassing on private property.
The penalty for trespassing while hunting has increased to a second-degree summary offense, in most cases. Trespassers who refuse to leave a property when asked, if convicted, will lose their hunting privileges for three years, while those convicted of a second or subsequent offense within seven years will lose their hunting privileges for five years.
Hunters are reminded that property can be posted against trespass with signs or with purple paint used on trees, fence posts and the like.
“We continue to encourage hunters to know where they’re hunting and ensure they’re aware of the regulations that are in place for that area,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith.
Act 36 of 2025 also legalized the hunting use of deer urine products statewide. Previously deer urine was prohibited within Pennsylvania’s Chronic Wasting Disease Management Areas (DMAs).