Every year me and my buddies try to set our calendars to plan for the PA Game Commission’s schedule of hunting season dates.

Some remain pretty predictable, but as I’ve learned over the years, don’t assume anything until you get the facts. Well, we now have the facts and some clarification as to the plans for the 2021-22 seasons.

We will address the dates in a chronological order as the seasons approach us on the calendar.

The next hunting season of note is the spring gobbler season, which starts May 1 and finishes up on May 31. All PA license holders are allowed one bearded bird with their hunting license.

The only exception is with the purchase of an additional gobbler license before the season opens. Regardless if you have one regular license or an extra purchased license, the rule is one bird per day.

The shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise until noon from May 1-15, then from May 17-31 you may hunt all day until 30 minutes after sunset.

The next major season to consider is the PA elk Season, which is broken down into three distinct seasons. You may apply for a tag in all three hunts, but you can only hunt in one season!

They make it tough for a lucky hunter, but you will need to choose your one hunt and turn any others away. The applications for the elk seasons can be made for the archery season from Sept. 11-25, 2021, the rifle season from Nov. 1-6, 2021 and the late season from January 1-8, 2022.

In each of the seasons, you will need to decide if you will apply for a bull or cow tag, or either as a preference. Personally, I would choose either and take my chances on a bull tag. You can keep on applying if you draw a cow tag each year, but only once can you draw a bull tag … that’s no matter if you score or not!

There has been a lot of talk about the upcoming deer season and there has been some clarification on the antlerless deer licenses. The applications continue to be mail-in requests to the county treasurers as in the past. The changes will be in the total number of licenses that can be held in some WMU areas like Pittsburgh or Philadelphia suburbs.

The new limits of tags are six doe tags after mail in dates are completed. Yes, you can walk in and buy six tags at one time if they are still in stock. That will never be the case in WMU 2D or 1A, which covers most of our hunting areas.

The other news is that the seasons for the statewide deer season include; archery set for Oct. 2 -Nov. 19, 2021, which includes a Nov. 14 Sunday hunting day. The early muzzleloader season for antlerless deer from Oct. 16- 23, 2021 (one deer per tag) using either inline or flintlock rifles with the muzzleloader tag and a doe license.

The regular statewide firearms season will run from Nov. 27-Dec. 11, 2021. The season runs 14 days concurrent for either sex including Sunday, Nov. 28. The Three-up Rule for bucks is still in effect in both WMU 2D and 1A.

In WMU 1A, the antlerless season does not begin until Dec. 4th-11. The PGC allocation for antlerless licenses was 40,000 for WMU 1A, a decrease of 9,000 licenses from the year prior. For 2D, it was set at 74,000 licenses, an increase of 14,000 licenses. The late-season hunts for flintlock and archery will start after Christmas on Dec. 27 through Jan. 17.

Bear hunters have a liberal hunting season scheduled with an archery season from Oct. 16 until Nov. 6, muzzleloader hunt from Oct. 16 until Oct. 23 and a rifle season from Nov. 20 through Nov. 23, including the Sunday on Nov. 21. One bear per license and you will be required to have the special bear license purchased. Senior hunters will have a special firearms season from Oct. 21-23, 2021.

Trappers will have the opportunity to trap the major furbearers in our WMU’s. In WMU 1A, there will be a one-week river otter season from Feb. 12-19, 2022 with a special permit required. In WMU 2D, there will be a fisher season from Dec. 18-Jan. 2 with a special permit required. Both WMU’s will have a beaver season starting Dec. 18 through March 31, 2022, with limits set by regions.

Coyotes, raccoons, red fox and gray fox have no limits from Oct. 23 through Feb. 20, 2022. Until we meet again, get your 2022 licenses and mark your calendars for the upcoming hunting season!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle