The battle lines have been drawn ever since the Pennsylvania Game Commission moved opening day for the firearms deer season from the once traditional Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday after Thanksgiving six years ago.
About half the state’s deer hunters have fervently opposed that move ever since and continue to pressure the Game Commission to return opening day to its traditional roots. But the Game Commission has stuck to its guns, arguing that the Saturday opener makes sense because it makes opening day more accessible to folks who would otherwise have work or school obligations preventing them from any weekday foray into the deer woods.
But apparently the folks at the Game Commission may be feeling the heat, and to that end will propose a potentially ‘radical’ new solution to this ongoing controversy. This will become official at its first meeting of the new year Jan. 23 and 24. Among other agenda items, the Board will consider preliminary hunting seasons and bag limits for the 2026-27 license year.
But more dramatically, the meeting will include two proposals for the board to consider regarding the start of the firearms deer season. The most controversial proposal would open the firearms season on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, earlier than ever before. The second proposal would maintain the current season structure, with the season opening on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
You’ll notice that a return of opening day to the Monday after Thanksgiving is not an option here, so it’s unlikely that either of these proposals will mollify the diehard traditionalists. But the ‘Saturday before Thanksgiving’ option might get some support, although I notice that it is getting mixed reviews from a ton of Pennsylvania deer hunters on Facebook posts.
Here are a few examples:
“How about moving it to the Sunday after Thanksgiving?”
“Make it the Monday after Thanksgiving where it was for over 50 years.”
“Why Monday? Most of us can’t get off from work on Monday. If you don’t likeSaturday then wait until Monday.”
“The way it is now, kids can hunt with their dads on Saturday and Sunday to openthe season. How can that be bad?”
Truth be told, the majority of the posts I saw all advocated a return to Monday, which, as noted, is not an option, at least not this time around.
Regarding the proposal to open the firearms season before Thanksgiving, Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith said, “This change would give hunters an earlier start and provide more opportunities for families, young hunters, and those who travel longer distances to enjoy opening weekend without competing with the Thanksgiving holiday. Opening the season earlier could improve access for hunters and continues the Board’s focus on structuring seasons in ways that maximize participation.”
To accommodate a potential earlier start date, the first proposal would move the firearms bear season one week earlier and shorten the early bear muzzleloader, archery, and special firearms season to a single weekend. Smith discussed the potential change this week on an episode of the agency’s podcast, Call of the Outdoors.
The board also will consider allowing Sunday hunting during the 2027 spring gobbler season. To offset the potential for increased harvest associated with Sunday hunting, the proposal recommends limiting the spring gobbler bag limit to one bird, eliminating the option to purchase a second spring turkey tag for the 2027 season.
The two-day public meeting begins Jan. 23, at 1 p.m., and will include staff presentations on a range of wildlife management topics, including elk and turkey management, as well as other key agency initiatives. No public comment will be accepted on Friday.
The meeting resumes Jan. 24, at 8:30 a.m. Public comment, limited to five minutes per speaker, will be accepted on a first-to-register, first-to-speak basis. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. in the headquarters lobby.
PowerPoint presentations will not be permitted during public comment. Following public comment, the board will proceed with its regular agenda and new business. The full agenda is available on the Game Commission’s website under ‘About Us’ and ‘Public Meetings.’
In addition to preliminary seasons and bag limits, the board will consider items related to Pennsylvania’s elk application process, Chronic Wasting Disease response, the Certified Hunter Program, approved trapping methods, fluorescent orange on game lands for non-hunters during the fall hunting seasons, changes to the regulations authorizing baiting in the Special Regulation Areas, and other wildlife management issues.
The Board is set to adopt final seasons and bag limits for the 2026-27 license year at its next meeting, on April 11.
The meeting will be held at the Pennsylvania Game Commission headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, just off the Progress Avenue exit 69 of Interstate 81. Those unable to attend may watch the meeting live on the Game Commission’s YouTube channel.
Fish and Boat Commission meeting
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will hold its quarterly business meeting at 10 a.m. Jan. 26 at its Harrisburg headquarters, 1601 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110. The meeting is open to the public.
The complete schedule, agenda, and instructions for joining a webinar to view this meeting remotely are available on the Meetings page of the commission’s website (Fishandboat.com). Public comments will be accepted in person.
Tom Tatum is the outdoors columnist for MediaNews Group. You can reach him at tatumt2@yahoo.com.