The new Sunday hunting days for 2025 have been set.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission today announced that beginning Sept. 14, and through the second Sunday in firearms deer season Dec. 7, all Sundays that fall within established hunting seasons will be included as part of those seasons and open to hunting.

Migratory game bird seasons are the lone exception. No Sundays will be added to the 2025-26 migratory game bird seasons because those seasons are set through federal frameworks and adding any Sundays at this time would result in a loss of hunting days in 2025-26.

For other species with open seasons, the Sundays authorized for hunting in 2025 are: Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Sept. 28, Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16, Nov. 23, Nov. 30, and Dec. 7.

Please note the firearms deer season still will end on Saturday, Dec. 13. Many established hunting seasons will continue to close as scheduled on a Saturday. Sundays must fall between the established opening and closing days of a season to be open to hunting.

In addition to these new Sunday hunting dates, the previously approved Sundays for foxes, coyotes and crows remain in place for the 2025-26 seasons.

The Sundays to be added to the 2025-26 seasons follow the passage of House Bill 1431, which was signed into law July 9 as Act 36 of 2025. The new law, which takes effect Sept. 7, repeals Pennsylvania’s longstanding prohibition on Sunday hunting, allowing the Game Commission to fully regulate Sunday hunting.

After thoroughly discussing and deliberating additional Sunday hunting opportunities for the 2025-26 license year, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution directing Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith to add the new Sunday hunting days by executive order, as authorized by regulation. The order will be made to take effect Sept. 7, when the new law is in place. While the Board unanimously supported the list of Sundays to be implemented, Commissioners noted that an executive order was necessary. Adjusting seasons through Board action would have required affirmative votes at two consecutive meetings and could not have taken effect until sometime in November – after the majority of fall hunting seasons had already occurred.

For each new Sunday to be implemented, the Board considered potential impacts on game species, and Game Commission staff assured Commissioners no negative impacts would be expected from opening the approved Sundays within seasons. Allowing expanded Sunday hunting only through the firearms deer season will help to ensure the new opportunities align with wildlife-management goals, as well.

When the Board begins the process of setting the 2026-27 hunting seasons in January, with the benefit of including Sundays when establishing seasons instead of adding Sundays to already-established seasons, the slate of opportunities might look different.

In the inaugural year of the repealed Sunday hunting ban, however, the Game Commission is pleased to offer continuous Sunday hunting opportunity for more than three months, at the peak time for hunting participation, Executive Director Smith said.

“Hunters have sought expanded Sunday hunting for decades, but state law limited the opportunities we could provide,” Smith said. “Now, with the action taken by the General Assembly and the Governor, those restrictions finally have been lifted and the Game Commission is prepared to offer additional Sunday hunting opportunities throughout the fall hunting seasons. We’ve carefully reviewed these expanded season dates and are confident they will not jeopardize our healthy and abundant wildlife populations. We will closely monitor the impact of these additions to help inform future season dates.

“We’re proud to offer 13 Sundays of hunting this season,” Smith said. “These aren’t just extra days in the field, they’re a reflection of our commitment to removing barriers, making hunting more accessible, and ensuring that Pennsylvania’s rich hunting heritage is passed on to the next generation. Today marks a major step forward for our hunters and for conservation across the Commonwealth.”

AG TAGS, SNOW GOOSE PERMITS FOR MENTORED HUNTERS

In other action at today’s meeting, mentored hunters ages 7 and older soon will be able to purchase snow goose conservation permits, as well as Ag Tags for antlerless deer.

After giving preliminary approval in April, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today adopted a measure that, once finalized, will further increase the slate of opportunities available to mentored hunters. As with all hunters, there will no limit on the number of Ag Tags a mentored hunter 7 or older can receive, so long as tags remain available.

These changes will take effect when they are published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, which usually takes about six weeks.

Allowing mentored hunters 7 or older to receive snow goose permits and Ag Tags provides additional opportunity for mentored hunters while enabling them to take part in important management initiatives.

LAND DEALS TO ADD 57 ACRES TO GAME LANDS

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today addressed four land deals: one purchase in Luzerne County, one exchange in Cambria County, one acquisition through interagency transfer in Luzerne County, and one boundary settlement in Elk County through a notational vote on June 11, 2025. The total acreage to be added to existing state game lands through these deals is 57 acres.

The land purchase in Luzerne County is in partnership with Natural Lands Trust and includes roughly 16.5 acres adjacent to State Game Lands 91 off Route 115.

In Cambria County, the Game Commission will be receiving roughly 18.5 acres adjacent to State Game Lands 79, in Blacklick Township, in exchange for roughly 3.8 acres that are now part of it. The exchange eliminates a significant encroachment and improves the manageability of this land.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation agreed to transfer exclusive jurisdiction and control of roughly 22 acres located in Hanover Township, Luzerne County to the Game Commission. The property, known as the Witinski Bank Site, is an indenture to State Game Lands 207 with both Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats showing a potential presence on the property. PennDOT will be able to credit these acres against impacts to state game lands in the northeast region, resulting from future highway and road projects.

By notational vote on June 11, 2025, the Board of Commissioners approved the resolution to a boundary dispute on State Game Lands 44 in Elk County. The total land involved in the dispute was roughly one-half acre.

Hunters and other users of the game lands system should be aware that none of these additions are yet final. Some are contingent upon third parties receiving funding through grants or other means. What’s more, the Board of Commissioners’ approval of the agreements is but one step in the land transfer process.

When that process is completed, and the properties are officially game lands, the Game Commission will post signs to that effect, stating that they’re now available for public use.

CHANGES TO CROP-DAMAGE PROGRAM ADOPTED

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today adopted two changes to the Agricultural Damage Depredation Permit program, which allows farmers to take wildlife for crop damage.

The Board voted to remove requirements that affected agricultural lands be enrolled in a two-year public access program and that applicants supply a deed for enrolled lands, allowing them to certify their authority instead.

These changes will take effect when they are published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, which usually takes about six weeks.