Apr 14, 2002 5 min read

SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license – Oct. 12-14 (6 daily, 12 in possession limit after first day). SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Fall Season – Oct. 19-Nov. 30; Late Seasons – Dec. 16-24, and Dec. 26-Feb. 8, 2003 (6 daily, 12 in possession limit after first day).

RUFFED GROUSE: Oct. 19-Nov. 30, Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 11, 2003 (2 daily, 4 possession). There is no open season for taking ruffed grouse in that portion of State Game Lands No. 176 in Centre County which is posted “RESEARCH AREA – NO GROUSE HUNTING.”

RABBIT (Cottontail): Nov. 2-30, Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 8, 2003 (4 daily, 8 possession).

PHEASANT: Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license – Oct. 12-14 (2 daily, 4 in possession).

PHEASANT: Male Only – Nov. 2-30. Male and female in designated areas – Nov. 2-30, Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 8, 2003 (2 daily, 4 in possession).

BOBWHITE QUAIL: Nov. 2-30 (4 daily, 8 possession). (Closed in Adams, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Snyder and York counties.)

HARES (SNOWSHOE RABBITS) OR VARYING HARES: Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 2003 (1 daily, 2 possession).

WOODCHUCKS (GROUNDHOGS): No closed season except during the antlered and antlerless deer seasons and until noon daily during the spring gobbler turkey season.

CROWS: July 5-Dec. 1, and Dec. 27-April 6, 2003, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. No limit.

WILD TURKEY (Male or Female): Management Areas 1A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7A & 8 -Nov. 2-23; Area 1B – Nov. 2-16; Area 7B- Nov. 4-9; Area 9B -Nov. 2-9; and Area 9A – Closed to Fall Turkey Hunting. (1 bird limit, either sex).

SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): April 26, 2003 – May 24, 2003. (1 bird limit)

BLACK BEAR (Statewide): Nov. 25-27; and Dec. 2-7 in Carbon, Monroe and Pike counties. One bear per hunting license year.

ELK (Antlered or Antlerless): Nov. 18-23. Daily and season limit: one.

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Oct.5-Nov. 16 and Dec. 26-Jan. 11, 2003. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Dec. 2-14. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

ANTLERLESS DEER (Statewide): Oct. 24-26. Junior and Senior License Holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) Holders, and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Services or in the U.S. Coast Guard only, with required antlerless license. Also included are persons who have reached or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the application for a license and hold a valid adult license, or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER (Statewide): Oct. 19-26. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide): Dec. 26-Jan. 11, 2003. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ARCHERY (Bow and arrows only # ) Antlered and Antlerless (Special Regulations Areas: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties): Oct. 5-Nov. 16, and Dec. 26-Jan. 11, 2003. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. Preliminary approval was given by the Board to allow the use of crossbows in this season. (# – This provision must be approved at the Board’s June meeting before taking effect.)

DEER, Antlered (Special Regulations Areas: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties): Dec. 2-14. One antlered deer per hunting license year.

DEER, Antlerless (Special Regulations Areas: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties): Dec. 2-14 and Dec. 26 – Jan.11, 2003. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

FURBEARER HUNTING SEASONS

RACCOON & FOXES: Oct. 19-Feb. 22, 2003, unlimited.

COYOTE, OPOSSUM, SKUNKS & WEASELS: No closed season, with certain exceptions during deer and spring turkey seasons. No limits.

BOBCAT (Furbearer Management Zones 2 and 3): Oct. 19-Feb. 22, 2003. One per permit. (Bobcats may only be taken by furtakers in possession of a Bobcat Hunting-Trapping permit.)

TRAPPING SEASONS

MINK & MUSKRAT: Nov. 23-Jan. 11, 2003. Unlimited.

COYOTE, FOXES, OPOSSUM, RACCOON, SKUNKS, WEASELS: Oct. 20-Feb. 22, 2003. No limit.

BEAVER (Statewide): Dec. 26-March 31, 2003 (Limits vary depending on Furbearer Management Zone).

BOBCAT (Furbearer Management Zones 2 and 3): Oct. 20-Feb. 22, 2003. One per permit. (Bobcats may only be taken by furtakers in possession of a Bobcat Hunting-Trapping permit.)

ANTLERLESS LICENSE ALLOCATION

(Figures in parenthesis are allocations from 2001-2002 season)

NORTHWEST REGION: Butler, 22,400 (17,400); Clarion, 13,700 (9,400); Crawford, 21,200 (14,000); Erie, 14,300 (11,200); Forest, 13,500 (10,400); Jefferson, 17,400 (13,100); Lawrence, 7,000 (4,700); Mercer, 12,900 (7,200); Venango, 19,000 (12,800); and Warren, 22,200 (16,000).

SOUTHWEST REGION: Allegheny, 34,000 (32,000); Armstrong, 22,000 (12,200); Beaver, 13,100 (13,000); Cambria, 12,800 (11,500); Fayette, 13,500 (12,100); Greene, 19,100 (16,800); Indiana, 22,000 (16,400); Somerset, 17,600 (12,000); Washington, 31,900 (28,600); and Westmoreland, 29,000 (22,900).

NORTHCENTRAL REGION: Cameron, 4,200 (3,600); Centre, 22,800 (16,300); Clearfield, 24,200 (17,700); Clinton, 9,000 (6,000); Elk, 14,100 (7,800); Lycoming, 23,500 (15,800); McKean, 18,000 (13,100); Potter, 20,300 (14,300); Tioga, 23,900 (14,600); and Union, 4,700 (3,400).

SOUTHCENTRAL REGION: Adams, 12,800 (12,400); Bedford, 23,200 (15,300); Blair, 12,800 (10,400); Cumberland, 10,700 (9,000); Franklin, 14,900 (9,900); Fulton, 11,100 (9,000); Huntingdon, 21,300 (17,200); Juniata, 6,900 (5,500); Mifflin, 7,500 (5,200); Perry, 14,600 (10,800); and Snyder, 5,300 (4,000).NORTHEAST REGION: Bradford, 25,600 (20,000); Carbon, 7,300 (4,200); Columbia, 12,700 (12,300); Lackawanna, 6,700 (5,800); Luzerne, 19,500 (14,000); Monroe, 12,500 (8,000); Montour, 2,800 (2,000); Northumberland, 8,700 (7,000); Pike, 13,600 (9,500); Sullivan, 8,800 (5,300); Susquehanna, 15,600 (14,000); Wayne, 14,200 (12,600); and Wyoming, 8,000 (5,300).

SOUTHEAST REGION: Berks, 26,200 (18,400); Bucks, 24,000 (20,000); Chester, 26,000 (20,000); Dauphin, 9,800 (8,500); Delaware, 7,000 (5,000); Lancaster, 10,000 (8,000); Lebanon, 6,300 (4,700); Lehigh, 9,300 (6,100); Montgomery, 15,000 (10,000); Northampton, 8,200 (7,400); Philadelphia, 750 (750); Schuylkill, 18,400 (14,700); and York, 28,000 (21,700).

No open season on other wild birds or mammals. Waterfowl and Migratory Game Bird seasons will be established in accordance with Federal Regulations this summer.