(Credit: LevittownNow.com file photo)
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced a phased expansion of Sunday hunting in state parks and forests Tuesday
For the 2025-2026 season, Sunday hunting in state parks will be limited to three dates: Nov. 16, 23 and 30.
State forests will continue to permit hunting on all Sundays approved by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which include dates in September, October, November and December.
State officials said the rollout is designed to “balance Pennsylvania’s rich hunting traditions with the recreational needs and safety of millions of visitors to public lands.”
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said the plan is a “responsibility to roll out these opportunities in a way that reflects the many ways Pennsylvanians use our public lands.”
She added that the department is reviewing recreational patterns and park layouts to ensure hunting “can be expanded safely, responsibly, and in a way that maintains high-quality experiences for hunters and non-hunters alike.”
Earlier this summer, Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, signed House Bill 1431 into law, which repealed Pennsylvania’s longstanding ban on Sunday hunting.
The new law empowers the Pennsylvania Game Commission to expand Sunday hunting opportunities and strengthens wildlife conservation efforts.
According to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Pennsylvania joins 39 other states with no limitations on Sunday hunting for deer, bear, turkey and other game.
Since 2019, hunting has been allowed on three Sundays each year. A longstanding exception prior to 2019 permitted hunting crows, foxes and coyotes on Sundays.
Beginning in the 2026-2027 hunting license year, DCNR plans to expand Sunday hunting opportunities to most state parks that currently allow hunting.
Decisions will be made on a park-by-park basis to ensure safety based on park layout, visitor use and proximity to residential communities, officials said.
Hunting is permitted on about 240,000 acres across 99 of Pennsylvania’s 124 state parks. State forests, which cover 2.2 million acres, are also used for hunting.
In Bucks County, Washington Crossing Historic Park does not allow hunting, while Neshaminy and Tyler state parks only allow mentored youth or controlled hunting.
DCNR advised hunters to follow all hunting regulations and use caution.
Visitors are encouraged to wear fluorescent orange, stick to trails and avoid dawn and dusk when visibility is low.
For more information on hunting at state parks, visit the DCNR website.
