The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners’ Wildlife Management Committee will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. to discuss and recommend proposals for the 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons.
The Wildlife Management Committee was formed this fall, with the purpose of reviewing and recommending proposals to be included on the agenda for the board meeting that will take place in January 2025.
The committee is comprised of Commissioners Dennis Fredericks, Scott Foradora, Kristen Koppenhafer, Allen DiMarco and Bob Schwalm.
The committee is slated to discuss a number of proposals, including expanding “Ag Tag” seasons and making the application process easier; creating a general unit antlerless deer license that could be used in multiple Wildlife Management Units; removing the requirement for mentored youth under 7 years old to receive big-game tags by transfer; limiting the number of elk licenses that can be drawn by nonresidents annually; establishing an early archery season for antlerless deer; allowing fall turkey hunters to use single projectile muzzleloading firearms; allowing any muzzleloading firearm to be used on properties enrolled in the Deer Management Assistance Program during the flintlock deer season; and raising the number of antlerless licenses that an individual can be in possession of in Wildlife Management Units 5C and 5D.
A proposal that is approved by the committee will be included on the agenda for the commissioners’ January 2025 meeting, at which 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits will be preliminarily approved.
The Dec. 19 virtual meeting will be livestreamed on the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s YouTube channel, which can be accessed through www.pgc.pa.gov. Those unable to watch on Dec. 19 will be able to view thereafter.
The full Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet Jan. 24 and 25 at the Game Commission’s headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. The agenda for that meeting will be posted online prior to the meeting.