PENNSYLVANIA, USA — As the weather gradually cools down and summer fades into fall, deer archery season is rapidly approaching.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is providing tips, reinforcing techniques and keeping hunters up-to-date on what they need to know before heading into the woods this fall.
The 2023-24 statewide archery season begins Sept. 30 and runs through Nov. 11. It continues Sunday, Nov. 12 through Nov. 17. The final stretch runs for statewide hunting runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 15, 2024.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, archers pursuing whitetails in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B and 5C and 5D, around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively, can start hunting two weeks earlier and can hunt later into 2024.
In those WMUs, archery season runs from Sept. 16 to Nov. 11, continues on Sunday, Nov. 12 through the 18, carries into Sunday, Nov. 19, and goes from Nov. 20 to 24. It comes back on Dec. 26 and goes through Jan. 27, 2024.
A new hunting license online ordering system was launched in late June of 2023, causing long wait times and plenty of frustration for those anxious to quickly grab their licenses. However, following a rocky start, the online license sale went much smoother.
The Game Commission announced that 1,095,000 antlerless deer licenses will be allocated statewide for 2023-24, which is up from the 948,000 licenses allocated for 2022-23.
Hunters are reminded that they must use long, recurve or compound bows with a peak draw weight of no less than 35 pounds, and crossbows with a draw weight of no less than 125 pounds, and not more than 200 pounds.
According to Gearhead Archery, in Pennsylvania, bowhunters must use arrows equipped with broadheads having an outside diameter of at least 7/8-inch with no less than two cutting edges, which shall be in the same plane throughout the length of the cutting surface.
Those who plan to hunt on private property on the Sundays open to archers must carry with them written permission from the landowner to be there, the Pa. Game Commission said.
For more regulations issued by the Game Commission, click here.
