Statewide firearms deer season is set to begin the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says no other single point of the hunting calendar draws as much participation. 

Opening day, which falls on Saturday, November 30, will put more than half a million hunters in the woods.

“Growing up, I looked forward to the first day of deer season all year,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “I’m hardly alone that way. For many of us, hunting, and deer hunting in particular, isn’t just a hobby. It’s a part of the fabric of our lives. Our hunting culture, and our commitment to wildlife and conservation, is so strong, so deeply rooted, so passionate, that it’s impossible to separate it from who and what we are.”

This year's deer season continues through December 1-14, excluding only Sunday, December 8. Hunters are allowed one antlered deer per year, plus one antlerless deer for every Wildlife Management Unit (WMU)-specific antlerless license or Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permit. 

Last year, hunters harvested an estimated 430,010 white tailed deer. The statewide buck harvest was estimated at 171,600. The antlerless harvest was estimated 258,410. 

More information on deer firearms season can be found here.