For sportsmen who attempt to plan some of their vacations for the upcoming hunting seasons, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave final approval to the seasons and bag limits for the 2024-25 hunting seasons. Some of which have shortened seasons, while others have extended seasons.

The seasons are as follows:

*For black bear, the October muzzleloader season will be shortened to three days to reduce harvest rates on female bears in an effort to stabilize the bear population.

*In Wildlife Management Units (WMU) 4A, 4D and 5A, an extended firearms season for antlerless deer will be held from Jan. 2 to Jan. 20, running concurrently with the final two weeks of the flintlock and late archery seasons within those WMUs, and extended seasons are being offered to help meet deer harvest goals there.

*Mentored hunters of all ages will be eligible to hunt in the early October pheasant season segment, known as the Junior Hunt.

*For wild turkey, fall season length will increase in 11 WMUs and WMU 5A, which was previously closed to fall hunting, will now be opened for a three-day season. Season length will be reduced in WMUs 3D and 4C.

*If hunting in the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area is opened again and will be open to all hunters.

At their recent meeting, the board approved 1,186,000 antlerless deer licenses which is up from 1,095,000 licenses allocated for the 2023-24 seasons.

Locally within the Southeast and popular counties (along with last season’s totals in parenthesis) they are as follows: WMU 3A - 21,000 (21,000); WMU 3D - 41,000 (41,000); 4C - 53,000 (32,000); 5C - 79,000 (70,000); WMU 5D - 29,000 (29,000).

As for the big game seasons, they are as follows:

*Wild Turkey (fall season) in WMUs 1A, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B and 4D, Nov. 2-16; WMUs 1B, 3D, 4C and 4E, Nov. 2-9; WMUs 2A, 2F, 3B and 3C, Nov. 2-16 and Nov. 27-29; WMUs 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E, Nov. 2-22 and Nov. 27-29; WMUs 5A and 5B, Nov. 2-5; WMUs 5C and 5D closed to fall hunting.

*Spring Gobbler (bearded only) May 3-31.

*Black Bear Archery in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, Sept. 21-Nov. 16; Sunday, Nov. 17, Nov. 18-23, Sunday, Nov. 24 and Nov. 25-29.

*Black Bear Archery in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A, Oct. 19-Nov. 9.

*Black Bear Muzzleloader statewide; Oct. 24-26; Special Firearms Statewide, Oct. 24-26.

*Black Bear Statewide Nov. 23, Sunday, Nov. 24 and Nov. 25-26; WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, Nov. 30, Sunday, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2-14; WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 4C, 4E and 5A, Nov 30; Sunday, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2-7.

Deer Archery (antlerless and antlered), WMUs 2B, 5C, 5D, Sept. 21-Nov. 16; Sunday, Nov. 17; Nov. 18-23; Sunday, Nov. 24; Nov. 25-29 and Dec. 26-Jan. 25.

*Deer Archery Antlered and Antlerless statewide; Oct. 5- Nov. 16; Sunday, Nov. 17; Nov. 18-22 and Dec. 26-Jan. 20, 2025.

*Deer Antlerless Muzzleloader statewide Oct. 19-26.

*Deer Regular Firearms Antlered and Antlerless statewide; Nov. 30; Sunday, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2-14.

*Deer Antlered and Antlerless Flintlock statewide: Dec. 26-Jan. 20, 2025; WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, Dec. 26-Jan 25.

*Deer Antlerless Extended Regular Firearms in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D; Dec. 26-Jan. 25; WMUs 4A, 4D and 5A; Jan. 2, 2025-Jan. 20, 2025.

For small game seasons and mentored youth dates, check the PGCs website or the Hunting/Trapping Digest that comes with your 2024-25 hunting license.