Game Commission made some changes to the elk application procedure and bear seasons

At their recent board meeting, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners made some changes to several hunting seasons and bag limits. 
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For starters, the PGC made two changes to the after Christmas extended firearms season for antlerless deer. First, the extended firearms deer season will be open to all Deer Management Assistance Program properties statewide from Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2026. Secondly, the extended firearms deer season will run Jan. 2-19, 2026 in WMU 4C where CWD was recently detected. 

Additionally, the statewide archery bear season is being shortened from three weeks to one week. The archery bear season will run Oct. 18-25. The archery bear seasons in WMU 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D will retain their longer formats. 

As for the elk season, hunters applying for an elk license will now be required to buy a hunting license first. Previously, a hunter could draw an elk tag can then purchase a hunting license. 

Secondly, a hunter will no longer be required to include their Social Security numbers or hunter ID numbers on applications because by first purchasing a hunting license, the ID number will already be in the licensing system. 

Thirdly, no more than 10 percent of available elk licenses in any given year will be awarded to nonresidents. In previous years it was a as high as 13 percent which drew concerns from resident hunters. 

Fourth, any hunter drawn for a bull elk license will be ineligible for another. Previously, a hunter who drew a bull elk license could, after five years, enter the bull tag drawing again in hopes of getting selected a second time. Added to this, and beginning on Jan. 1, 2026, any applicant who draws a bull tag will be ineligible to apply for a bull tag ever again. Those who drew a bull tag prior to Jan. 1, 2026, still are eligible to draw a second bull tag using the bonus points they’re already accumulated. They won’t be able to enter any new bull elk license application after that date. However, those who draw a bull tag after Jan. 1, 2026, will retain their bonus points but they would be applied only to drawings for a cow tag going forward. 

While on the elk topic, 140 elk licenses (65 antlered, 75 antlerless) were allocated across three 2025-26 elk seasons. For the one-week general season to run Nov. 3-8, 30 antlered and 38 antlerless tags have been allocated. In the archery season open only in select Elk Hunt Zones, to run Sept. 13-27, 16 antlered and 11 antlerless licenses will be available. There will be 19 antlered and 26 antlerless licenses available for the Dec. 27-Jan. 3 late season. The deadline to apply is July 13. 
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As for antlerless deer licenses for all WMUs, they will be guaranteed to Pennsylvania residents as long as they buy them before 7 a.m. on Monday July 7 when the first round of license sales opens. All totaled, 1,312,000 licenses will be allocated for the 2025-26 seasons, which is up from 1,186,000 allocated for 2024-25. And antlerless license numbers for sale for local WMUs are as follows with last years allocation in parenthesis: *WMU 3D, 52,000 (41,000); WMU 4C, 51,000 (53,000); WMU 5C, 67,000 (79,000).

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