Pennsylvania deer hunters have a new way to purchase their antlerless deer licenses after years of applying for them in the traditional pink envelopes and sending them to county treasurer’s offices.

Under a new state law (Act 1-48 of 2022), the act now allows the Pennsylvania Game Commission to modernize and simplify how antlerless deer licenses are sold.

As such, 2023-23 antlerless deer licenses sales began on June 26, allowing hunters to purchase them online at HuntFishPa or at any in-store hunting license issuing agent. Licenses will no longer be sold as in the past with pink envelopes. Antlerless licenses will also be sold alongside hunting and furtaker licenses, and other licenses, permits and privileges. According to the PGC, an online customer who wants a general license and antlerless license needs to click to select those options, plus any other licenses or permits such as archery, bear or muzzleloader licenses, before checking out. In-person customers relay the same information to the issuing agent who will check the appropriate boxes then prints the licenses and tags. License and tags purchased online will be sent to customers by mail within 10 business days.

With this new system, the sale of antlerless deer licenses will follow a set schedule and system of rounds similar to what was in place when licenses were obtained by mail. Hunters may purchase no more than one antlerless license per round (provided they’re still available for the desired WMU) in the first three rounds. The second round, in which a resident or nonresident (only Pennsylvania residents may buy initially) may pick up a second antlerless license beginning Monday, July 24 at 8 a.m. The third round begins at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 14, the same day DMAP permits go on sale. Online customers should be forewarned there may be a delay if sales volume is large. At that time, customers will be routed to a virtual waiting room then brought into the sales site on a first-come first-served basis.

Then in the fourth round beginning Monday, Aug. 28 at 8 a.m., hunters may purchase additional antlerless licenses for any WMU where licenses remain until reaching their personal limit of six active antlerless deer licenses.

Antlerless licenses continue to cost $6.97 for residents and $26.97 each for nonresidents. Online customers should note that they will pay additional shipping fees for licenses.

A digital license stored on a mobile device might be all a hunter needs to carry in some situations, whereas big-game hunters must carry their paper big-game harvest tags while hunting as these must be completed and properly affixed to harvested big-game before it’s moved from the harvest site. Same goes for bobcats, fishers and otters.

It’s also not too late to apply for an elk license application which went on sale earlier this year and prior to the start of 2023-24 general license sales. Sales for them will close two weeks sooner, too, with applications accepted through July 16 after which an earlier license drawing will be held July 29 at the Keystone Elk Country Alliance Elk Expo (which previously was held in August).

For the 2023-24 season, 144 elk licenses (65 antlered and 79 antlerless) have been allocated across three elk seasons. For the one-week general season that runs Oct. 30-Nov. 4, 30 antlered and 42 antlerless tags have been allocated. In the archery season, open only in select Elk Hunt Zones, will run Sept. 16-30 wherein 18 antlered and eight antlerless licenses will be available. There will be an additional 17 antlered and 29 antlerless licenses available for the Dec. 30-Jan. 6 late season.

For additional information on application and license fees check the agency’s website.