Although it’s not official yet, hunters may likely begin preparing for Pennsylvania’s largest weekend in the sport, which is the first day of the deer rifle season in late November.
The 2025–2026 hunting and trapping season schedules were unanimously approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners on Saturday. The vote came after nearly two hours of public comment, which began the second day of the board’s first meeting of the year in its Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, headquarters.
Its next meeting, in April, is set to include a final vote.
This year’s deer rifle season begins on November 29, the Saturday following Thanksgiving, according to the dates. Since 2019, a Saturday opener has been scheduled annually. Before then, hunters would go into the woods on the Monday after Thanksgiving to begin the beloved season, following a custom that dates back more than 60 years.
Hunters in Pennsylvania are divided on the move. Additionally, a large number of people came to express their dissatisfaction with the commissioners’ failure to address what they see to be a deadly blow to Pennsylvania’s hunting culture, which has developed around a three-day post-Thanksgiving buildup to the Monday hunt, primarily in rural communities north of Interstate 80.
Last Thanksgiving week, the Misfire special project on HighValleyLive.com explored this topic.Misfire can be explored here.
Regarding the board’s stance on the opener, Tim Hamilton, a hunter from Lititz who is in favor of bringing back the Monday opener, said, “You ignore the majority of hunters year after year.” You have betrayed our confidence by doing this. You are not trusted by us.
Other hunters retorted that their determination to continue with the Saturday opener in spite of the vociferous protest has increased their faith in the commissioners.
At a time when hunting participation is declining, the commission has justified the opener move as a way to increase opportunities for both novice and experienced hunters.
Prior to Saturday’s decision, commissioners did not provide any public comments regarding the deer hunting opener.
A hearing on proposed legislation that would overturn the commission and permanently fix the Monday following Thanksgiving as the opener is scheduled for February, according to proponents of restoring the Monday opening.
The hearing before the Pennsylvania House Game & Fisheries Committee is scheduled for 9 a.m. on February 3. It will be live-streamed via the committee’s website, atpahouse.com/live, and is billed as an informational session.
In his remarks during a public comment on Saturday, Mike Kreiner, director of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen and Conservationists, advised hunters who wish to see Harrisburg make the choice to exercise caution.
Kreiner, whose group has supported the Saturday opener in the years since the initial 2019 change, said it is crucial to keep these decisions inside the wildlife community since it has always been like a large family.
Speaking to fans of the Monday kickoff, he said, “I know that in family squabbles, people get upset when things aren’t going (their) way.” Let’s continue our conversation. Change is possible. And it’s significant that you’re here today.
Similar to previous years, the hunting and trapping calendar for 2025–2026 includes Sunday hunting on November 16, 23, and 30 to cover a range of game and terminate on the Sunday of the first weekend of the deer firearms season.
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Kurt Bresswein, a reporter for Lehighvalleylive.com, contributed to this article.
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