Of all the months in the year, none shortchange sportsmen more than October.
That is not to say there is a shortage of outstanding hunting and fishing opportunities. In fact, that is the problem — too few days and not enough hours of daylight to enjoy those opportunities.
In addition to the statewide archery deer season being under way in Pennsylvania, there is limited bear hunting in specific wildlife management units, a seven-day antlerless muzzleloader season and a special three-day firearms season for qualified hunters. Most of all, however, October is the month when small game and waterfowl seasons are in full swing.
No matter how much the vocal minority rants and raves that hunting in Pennsylvania is all about deer hunting all the time, generations of hunters made their first trip afield with a parent, relative or friend in pursuit of trophy squirrels, rabbits or ringneck pheasants.
Now, because of the special youth hunting seasons and the Mentored Youth Hunting Program that have been created by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, it has never been easier to hunt those species and create memories that will last a lifetime. Those memories will be not only of the hunt, but also of the canvas of colors created by October’s fall foliage that signals the seasons of mixed-bag hunting have arrived again.
Based on input from PGC biologists, the PGC board of commissioners has provided additional opportunities for small game hunters during the 2015-16 license year by extending the late-season portions of the squirrel, ringnecked pheasant and rabbit seasons. Hunting for these three species will end Monday, Feb. 29.
This change is in line with other states that end rabbit seasons annually on the last day of February, and the majority of rabbits taken during the late season are males. PGC staff reported there is no biological evidence to suggest adverse impacts will result from adding another eight or nine days to a season that initially was proposed to end Saturday, Feb. 20.
2015-16 small game
hunting seasons
• SQUIRRELS — Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license, and mentored youth: Under way through Oct. 16; regular seasons: Oct. 17-Nov. 28; Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 29 (6 daily, 18 in possession).
• RABBIT — Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license: Under way through Oct. 17; regular seasons: Oct. 24-Nov. 28, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 29 (4 daily, 12 in possession).
• PHEASANT — Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license: Under way through Oct. 17; regular seasons: Oct. 24-Nov. 28, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 29; male pheasants only in Wildlife Management Units 2A, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B; male and female pheasants may be taken in all other WMUs; no open season for pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Area (2 daily, 6 in possession).
• RUFFED GROUSE — Oct. 17-Nov. 28, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 23 (2 daily, 6 in possession).
• BOBWHITE QUAIL — Oct. 24-Nov. 28; closed in WMU 5A (4 daily, 12 in possession).
2015-16 waterfowl seasons
• DUCKS — North Zone: Under way through Nov. 28; South Zone: Oct. 17-24 and Nov. 14-Jan. 14; Northwest Zone: Under way through Dec. 12 and Dec. 26-Jan. 2; Lake Erie Zone: Oct. 26-Jan. 2 (6 daily, 18 in possession; daily limit may not exceed 4 mallards, including 2 hen mallards, 2 scaup, 1 black duck, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 pintails, 1 mottled duck, 1 fulvous whistling duck and 4 scoters.
• MERGANSERS — Statewide: (5 daily, 15 in possession; not more than 2 hooded mergansers daily, 6 in possession).
• COOTS — Statewide: (15 daily, 45 in possession).
• CANADA AND WHITE-FRONTED GEESE — Resident Population Goose Zone: All of Pennsylvania except Southern James Bay Population and the Atlantic Population zones: Oct. 24-Nov. 28, Dec. 18-Jan. 14, and Feb. 1-29, (5 daily); Southern James Bay Population Zone: Under way through Nov. 28, Dec. 14-Jan. 22 (3 daily); Atlantic Population Zone: Nov. 14-28 and Dec. 19-Jan. 30 (3 daily).
• BRANT — All Zones: Oct. 17-Nov. 20 (1 daily, 3 in possession).
• LIGHT (SNOW) GEESE — Atlantic Population Zone: Under way through Jan. 30 (25 daily, no possession limit; Conservation Hunt: Feb. 1-April 22 (25 daily, no possession limit); Southern James Bay Population Zone: Under way through Jan. 22 (25 daily, no possession limit); Conservation Hunt: Jan. 23-April 22 (25 daily, no possession limit); Resident Population Zone: Oct. 28-Feb. 29 (25 daily, no possession limit); Conservation Hunt: March 1-April 22 (25 daily, no possession limit).
• MIDDLE CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA — Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for geese and ducks on the following dates: Nov. 14 (Junior-Only Day), 17, 19, 21, 24, 26 and 28; Dec. 19, 22, 24, 26, 29, and 31; Jan. 2, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 14. Geese only: Jan. 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, and 30.
• JUNIOR WATERFOWL HUNTING DAYS — Lake Erie Zone: Oct. 17; South Zone: Nov. Nov. 7; open to licensed junior hunters ages 12-15, when properly accompanied, for ducks, mergansers, gallinules and coots and Canada goose as permitted. Same daily bag limits as regular season.
• JUNIOR-ONLY DAYS AT CONTROLLED HUNTING AREAS — Middle Creek, Nov. 14; Pymatuning, Nov. 28.