PA Game Commission 2025-26 Season Proposals Discussed

HARRISBURG-The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners’ Wildlife Management Committee last week held a virtual meeting to discuss and recommend proposals for the 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons.

The committee advanced the following proposals to the agenda for January 2025 Board of Commissioners meeting:

• Expanding “Ag Tag” seasons and making the application process easier
• Increasing the number of antlerless licenses that an individual can be in possession of in Wildlife Management Units 5C and 5D.
• Limiting the number of elk licenses that can be drawn by nonresidents annually
• And requiring hunters to purchase a qualifying Pennsylvania hunting license before applying for an elk license.

While these proposals, as part of the January 2025 meeting agenda, will be considered by the full Board of Commissioners, no change would be adopted unless a majority of the board votes twice to approve it – first preliminarily, then finally, in January and April.

The committee also discussed additional proposals that were not advanced to the January 2025 meeting agenda. Those were:

• Creating a general unit antlerless deer license that could be used in multiple Wildlife Management Units
• Establishing an early archery season for antlerless deer
• Allowing any muzzleloading firearm to be used on properties enrolled in the Deer Management Assistance Program during the flintlock deer season
• Allowing fall turkey hunters to use single-projectile flintlock muzzleloaders
• And removing the requirement for mentored youth under 7 years old to receive big-game tags by transfer.

Last week’s meeting is available to view on the Game Commission’s YouTube channel, which can be accessed through www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc.html.

The Wildlife Management Committee was reactivated this fall, with the purpose of reviewing and recommending proposals to be included on the agenda for the board meeting that will take place in January 2025.

The full Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet Jan. 24 and 25 at the Game Commission’s headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. The agenda for that meeting will be posted online prior to the meeting.