The much anticipated statewide firearms deer hunting season kicks off Sat. Nov. 25

Saturday, Nov. 25, marks the opening of the statewide firearms deer hunting season in Pennsylvania. It’s the much-anticipated date when over a million orange clad hunters will take to Penn’s Woods in hopes of taking a big buck and putting some much-cherished venison in the freezer. 

This Saturday opener was recently changed from the traditional and long-running Monday opener that garnered good and bad vibes from veteran hunters. But according to a PGC survey, 60 percent of deer hunters surveyed said they prefer a Saturday rather than a Monday opener. The study showed that opposition is higher among hunters 55 and older, compared to their younger counterparts. 

And there’s certainly no shortage of deer in the state as they seem to be everywhere and places you’d not expect them to be. I’ve seen deer on a small patch of woods on the cloverleaf of Route 22 and Route 191 in Bethlehem. And my buddy who lives on Buckingham Drive in the high rent district of Salisbury Township always has deer, even some big bucks in his back yard. The firearms season opener includes a Sunday, Nov. 26 and runs from Nov. 27-Dec. 9. 

While the deer season is going on, the general bear season, that concluded Nov. 21, offers an extended season in Wildlife Management Units (WMU) 3A, 3B, 3D, 4C, 4E, and 5A that runs from Nov. 25; Sunday, Nov. 26; Nov. 27-Dec. 2. The extended season also includes WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C, 5D that runs Nov. 25; Sunday, Nov. 26; and Nov. 27-Dec. 9. 

These extended dates are the result of Pennsylvania having a large bear population (15,000 estimated) and big bears, a few close to 900 pounds. Last year the largest taken was a 755-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 22 in Barrett Township, Monroe County. 

Locally, and within in the last few weeks, a bear was spotted several times in Lower Macungie Township, one on the outskirts of Egypt and another in the Orefield area and at Leaser Lake. This area of the Southeast region saw the total number of bears taken in 2022 as Schuylkill County had 131; Dauphin, 26; Lebanon, 14; Northampton, 12; Berks, 11 and Lehigh, 2. 

The PGC compiled some interesting statistics on bear harvests to show that filling a bear tag isn’t easily done. For example, the PGC says only somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 percent of bear license holders get a bear in any given year. Only 43 percent of most hunters ever harvest a bear. But 11 percent harvested five or more bears in their lifetime, while 1.5 percent harvested more than 10 bears in their lifetime. 

RESIDENT POPULATION GOOSE HUNTING SEASON

While the early goose season here in the Atlantic Population Zone began back in Sept. 1, and concludes Nov. 24, it starts up again Dec. 11-Jan. 20 and again from Feb. 2- Feb. 24 when the bag limit drops from eight to five in theses latter seasons. 

Included in the waterfowl season are also ducks in the North Zone that began Nov. 14 and continues to Jan. 6. And in the South Zone, the season runs Nov. 21-Jan. 20. 

Up until recently, waterfowlers didn’t have many places to hunt as corn and soybean crops weren’t as yet harvested. But that changed within the last two weeks when more farmers are taking down their corn that was preceded by soybeans. This now gives geese and ducks more places to feed and hunters to pursue them. And soon we may see the arrival of snow geese that will descend on local fields, especially winter wheat fields where a sizable flock can wipe out a wheat field in short order. In fact, one wheat field off Mauch Chunk Road in South Whitehall Township now sports a coyote decoy on the middle of the field to dissuade the anticipated snows (and Canada’s) from devouring the wheat. 
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As a reminder, hunters need a Duck Stamp to pursue ducks and geese.