The autumn foliage color change has started early, and the first fall hunting seasons are underway. Dove season and resident Canada goose season began Sept. 1. Squirrel season started more than a month early this year — on Sept. 12, as compared to last year’s Oct. 19 beginning.
The earlier squirrel season is only one of the many changes scheduled to unfold as other hunting seasons open. Hunters should be aware of the changes in order to take advantage of the extended opportunities and obey the law.
Statewide archery deer season opened on Saturday, and with the addition of Sunday, Nov. 15, and extension until Nov. 20, the season will be longer than last year. Yes, you read correctly — a Sunday has been added to the season.
For the first time ever in Pennsylvania, three Sundays have been added to the fall hunting seasons: Sunday, Nov. 15, for archery deer; Sunday, Nov. 29, as the second day of the regular firearms deer season; and the addition of Sunday, Nov. 22, to bear season. As a result, rifle bear season is scheduled for four continuous days — Nov. 21-24. The Wednesday in bear season was dropped.
Pennsylvania’s black bear population has been growing, and last year, stood at well over 20,000 bruins. The Pennsylvania Game Commission made numerous changes to the bear seasons last year in an attempt to lower or at least cap the bear population. The biggest changes were the introduction of two new October seasons — a muzzleloader bear season and a special firearms season for certain groups of hunters.
Hunters responded in a big way by purchasing a record number of bear licenses — over 202,000. Those two new seasons, plus an expanded archery bear season, resulted in a record bear harvest of 4,653 — over 300 bears higher than the previous record of 4,350 set in 2011. Hunters shot 1,340 bears during the new seasons, and archery season added 561 bears to the tally — bringing the total to 4,653.
New 2020 bear season changes include the addition of an extra week to archery bear season and an earlier start for the extended bear season. This year, archery bear season will run from Oct. 17 to Nov. 7. The season’s second week overlaps with the early muzzleloader season for antlerless deer, as well as the statewide muzzleloader bear season. Prospects look good for yet another large bear harvest.
The hunting season for squirrels began Sept. 12, a month earlier than last year, and continues through Nov. 27. Photo by Mark Nale | For the Gazette
The extended bear season begins on the first Monday of the firearms deer season in 16 wildlife management units. This includes the southern two thirds of Centre County south of I-80, which is part of WMU 4D. Here in WMU 4D, the extended season runs until Dec. 5, although it is a week longer in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D. Centre County north of I-80 does not have an extended bear season.
In another regulation change — properly licensed archery hunters can now carry a muzzleloader afield when archery deer season overlaps with the muzzleloader bear season. The same rule applies when archery bear season overlaps with the muzzleloader deer or bear season.
Hunters are reminded that it is now legal for landowners to mark their property borders with purple paint instead of no trespassing signs. Game wardens were also given the authority to enforce trespass laws beginning this year.
Chronic Wasting Disease, commonly referred to as CWD, has been spreading in the deer population each year from affected areas of the state. The disease, which can be found in both deer and elk, is always fatal. Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced that the zig-zagging northern boundary of Disease Management Area 2 has been expanded north to include parts of Centre County in three areas.
For the past two years, DMA 2 ended at Route 453 as it runs through Tyrone. The new boundary moves northward to Route 350. It follows Rte. 350 from Rte. 45 south of Warriors Mark northward through the Village of Bald Eagle to Sandy Ridge. It then follows Rte. 970 northwest to Osceola Mills. In Centre County, this takes in the western corner of Taylor Township, as well as the southwestern end of Rush Township.
The line tracks Rte. 45 northeast out of Huntingdon County into Ferguson Township and dips back out of the county, following Rte. 26 south from Pine Grove Mills. This includes much of the Penn State University property southwest of Pine Grove Mills.
DMA 2 includes a much larger chunk of Centre County as it again comes north, following Rte. 322 to Potters Mills and along Rte. 144 until it again meets Rte. 45. The boundary follows Rte. 45 northeast until leaving the county. As a result, DMA 2 now includes large parts of Potter, Gregg, Penn and Haines townships.
Egg Hill, Georges Valley, Big Poe Mountain, Coburn, Ingleby, Poe Valley State Park and Paddy Mountain, to name a few places, are within DMA 2. Hunters can help slow the spread of CWD by adhering to Game Commission rules upon shooting a deer. Consult the regulation booklet that comes with your hunting license to learn the details. The new map on the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website clearly delineates the boundaries. [Go to pagame.maps.arcgis.com and click on Chronic Wasting Disease]
Last, but not least, earlier this year, the legislature passed HB 1188, which gave the Game Commission the ability to regulate the use of night-vision and infrared optics. Their use had been previously forbidden by law. At the Commission’s September 26 meeting, they gave final approval to make such optics legal for nighttime predator hunting. The change will become effective in six to eight weeks — following its publication in the Pennsylvania Manual. A news release from the Commission will announce the official change.
Due to low numbers in the eastern flyway, the daily limit on mallard ducks is two per day, with only one being a hen. Photo by Mark Nale | For the Gazette
