HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners this week gave preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for the 2020-21 license year.

Modifications proposed for the 2020-21 seasons include: expanding Sunday hunting opportunities on three days – Sunday, Nov. 15 for archery deer hunting, Sunday, Nov. 22 for bear hunting during the bear firearms season, and Sunday, Nov. 29 for deer hunting during the firearms deer season; allowing concurrent hunting of antlered and antlerless deer statewide for the duration of the 14-day firearms deer season; shifting the statewide general bear season to run from Saturday through Tuesday; bringing back a three-day Thanksgiving turkey season, running Wednesday through Friday, in many Wildlife Management Units (WMUs); adding a week to the archery bear season, creating an overlap in the first week with the muzzleloader deer and bear seasons; opening squirrel season statewide on Sept. 12; permitting either-sex pheasant hunting statewide, outside of Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas; shortening the length of the fall turkey season by one week in WMUs 4D and 4E in response to declining local turkey populations; opening bobcat hunting and trapping seasons in WMU 2B; opening river otter trapping seasons in WMUs 1A, 1B and 2F; increasing the season bag limit for beavers from 40 to 60 in WMUs 1A and 1B in response to nuisance complaints; and eliminating the extended elk season held outside the Elk Management Area given that no elk ever have been harvested in this season.

The public may offer comments on all proposed 2020-21 seasons and bag limits, as well as other board actions, between now and the board’s next quarterly meeting, when 2020-21 seasons and bag limits will be finalized, and antlerless deer license allocations will be determined.

The board’s next quarterly meeting is scheduled to be held April 6 and 7 at the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters.

Proposed 2020-21 hunting seasons and bag limits

SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license, and mentored youth – Sept. 12-26 (6 daily, 18 in possession limit after first day).

SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Sept. 12-Nov. 27; Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27 (6 daily, 18 possession).

RUFFED GROUSE: Oct. 17–Nov. 27 and Dec. 14-24 (2 daily, 6 possession).

RABBIT (Cottontail) Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license: Oct. 3-Oct. 17 (4 daily, 12 possession).

RABBIT (Cottontail): Oct. 17-Nov. 27, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27 (4 daily, 12 possession).

PHEASANT: Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license – Oct. 10-17 (2 daily, 6 in possession). Male and female pheasants may be taken in all WMUs. There is no open season for taking pheasants in Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas, except within the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area, as authorized by executive order.

PHEASANT: Oct. 24-Nov. 27, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27 (2 daily, 6 in possession). Male and female pheasants may be taken in all WMUs. There is no open season for taking pheasants in Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas, except within the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area, as authorized by executive order.

BOBWHITE QUAIL: Oct. 17-Nov. 27, Dec. 14-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 27 (8 daily, 24 possession).

HARES (SNOWSHOE RABBITS) OR VARYING HARES: Dec. 26-Jan. 1, in all WMUs (1 daily, 3 possession).

WOODCHUCKS (GROUNDHOGS): No closed season, except on Sundays and during the regular firearms deer seasons. No limit.

CROWS: July 3-April 11, 2021, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. No limit.

STARLINGS AND ENGLISH SPARROWS: No closed season, except during the antlered and antlerless deer season. No limit.

WILD TURKEY (Male or Female): WMU 1B – Oct. 31-Nov. 7; WMU 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) and WMU 2C – Oct. 31-Nov. 20 and Nov. 25-27; WMUs 1A, 2A, 4A, 4B, 4D and 4E – Oct. 31-Nov. 7 and Nov. 25-27; WMUs 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 4C– Oct. 31-Nov. 14 and Nov. 25-27; WMU 5A – Nov. 5-7; WMU 5B – Nov. 3-5; WMUs 5C and 5D – CLOSED TO FALL TURKEY HUNTING.

SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with required license, and mentored youth – April 24, 2021. Only 1 spring gobbler may be taken during this hunt.

SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): May 1-May 31, 2021. Daily limit 1, season limit 2. (Second spring gobbler may be only taken by persons who possess a valid special wild turkey license.) From May 1-15, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon; from May 17-31, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.

BLACK BEAR, ARCHERY (WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D): Sept. 19-Nov. 27. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR, ARCHERY (WMU 5B): Oct. 3-Nov. 14. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR, ARCHERY (Statewide): Oct. 17-31. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR, MUZZLELOADER (Statewide): Oct. 17-24. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR, SPECIAL FIREARMS (Statewide): Oct. 22-24, Junior and Senior License Holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) Holders, and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in U.S. Armed Services or in the U.S. Coast Guard only. Also included are persons who have reached or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the application for a license and hold a valid adult license, or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (Statewide): Nov. 21, Nov. 22 and Nov. 23-24. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 1B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A): Nov. 28-Dec. 5. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D): Nov. 28-Dec. 12. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

ELK, ARCHERY: Sept. 12-26.

ELK (Antlered or Antlerless): Nov. 2-7. Only one elk may be taken during the license year.

ELK, LATE (Antlerless only): Jan. 2-9, 2021

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Sept. 19-Nov. 14, Nov. 15, Nov. 16-27 and Dec. 26-Jan. 23, 2021. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. One antlered deer per hunting license year.

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Oct. 3-Nov. 14, Nov. 15 and Dec. 26-Jan. 18, 2021. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Nov. 28, Nov. 29. Nov. 30-Dec. 12. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS SPECIAL FIREARMS (Statewide): Oct. 22-24. Junior and Senior License Holders, Mentored Youth Permit Holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) Holders, and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in U.S. Armed Services or in the U.S. Coast Guard only, with required antlerless license. Also included are persons who have reached or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the application for a license and hold a valid adult license, or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER (Statewide): Oct. 17-24. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide): Dec. 26-Jan. 18, 2021. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (WMUs 2B, 5C, 5D): Dec. 26-Jan. 23, 2021. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS EXTENDED REGULAR FIREARMS: (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties): Dec. 26-Jan. 23. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS (Military Bases): Hunting permitted on days established by the U.S. Department of the Army at Letterkenny Army Depot, Franklin County; New Cumberland Army Depot, York County; and Fort Detrick, Raven Rock Site, Adams County. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.