HARRISBURG, PA — A possible shake-up to Pennsylvania’s most anticipated hunting tradition is on the table as the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners prepares to debate opening day for the firearms deer season and other far-reaching rule changes that could alter the fall woods for years to come.
The board will meet Friday and Saturday, January 23 and 24, to consider preliminary hunting seasons and bag limits for the 2026–27 license year, including two competing proposals that would determine when the firearms deer season begins. One option would move opening day to the Saturday before Thanksgiving, while the other would keep the long-standing structure of opening on the Saturday after the holiday.
Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith said an earlier start could ease longstanding conflicts between hunting traditions and family obligations tied to Thanksgiving.
“This change would give hunters an earlier start and provide more opportunities for families, young hunters, and those who travel longer distances to enjoy opening weekend without competing with the Thanksgiving holiday,” Smith said, adding that the shift could increase participation and access.
Under the proposal to open the season before Thanksgiving, the firearms bear season would be moved one week earlier, and the early bear muzzleloader, archery, and special firearms seasons would be shortened to a single weekend to accommodate the change.
The board also is expected to consider expanding Sunday hunting during the 2027 spring gobbler season, a move that could further redefine Pennsylvania’s hunting calendar. To offset concerns about increased harvest pressure, the proposal calls for limiting the spring gobbler bag limit to one bird and eliminating the option to purchase a second spring turkey tag for that season.
The two-day meeting begins Friday at 1 p.m. with staff presentations covering elk and turkey management and other agency initiatives. Public comment will not be accepted Friday. The meeting resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m., when members of the public will be allowed to address the board for up to five minutes each on a first-to-register, first-to-speak basis. Registration opens at 7:45 a.m., and visual presentations will not be permitted.
Beyond deer and turkey seasons, commissioners will review a wide-ranging agenda that includes Pennsylvania’s elk application process, Chronic Wasting Disease response strategies, the Certified Hunter Program, approved trapping methods, the use of fluorescent orange on state game lands by non-hunters during fall seasons, and potential changes to baiting regulations in Special Regulation Areas.
The board is scheduled to adopt final seasons and bag limits for the 2026–27 license year at its next meeting on Saturday, April 11, 2026, setting the stage for what could be one of the most consequential hunting seasons Pennsylvania has seen in years.
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