Pennsylvania deer hunters will have 147,000 more antlerless deer licenses, 34 fewer elk

Pennsylvania deer hunters will have more than 1 million antlerless deer licenses available to them, starting this summer.

The state Game Commission finalized a new process to purchase antlerless deer licenses Saturday and allocated 147,000 more doe tags than last year. Also there will be 34 fewer elk tags this year than last year.

The agency plans to issue 1,095,000 antlerless deer licenses across the state for the 2023-24 hunting seasons, which is up from the 948,000 licenses issued for 2022-23. The antlerless deer and elk allocations are based on scientific data and tailored to meet population objectives within each WMU and elk hunt zone.

The licenses are allocated for each Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) and are as follows, with the allocation from the previous license year appearing in parentheses:

• WMU 1A – 46,000 (43,000)

• WMU 1B – 37,000 (34,000)

• WMU 2A – 46,000 (39,000)

• WMU 2B – 53,000 (49,000)

• WMU 2C – 88,000 (67,000)

• WMU 2D – 86,000 (74,000)

• WMU 2E – 52,000 (42,000)

• WMU 2F – 49,000 (37,000)

• WMU 2G – 35,000 (31,000 including former 2H)

• WMU 3A – 21,000 (19,000)

• WMU 3B – 32,000 (33,000)

• WMU 3C – 40,000 (37,000)

• WMU 3D – 41,000 (41,000)

• WMU 4A – 61,000 (50,000)

• WMU 4B – 46,000 (34,000)

• WMU 4C – 32,000 (31,000)

• WMU 4D – 77,000 (55,000)

• WMU 4E – 54,000 (42,000)

• WMU 5A – 40,000 (31,000)

• WMU 5B – 60,000 (60,000)

• WMU 5C – 70,000 (70,000)

• WMU 5D – 29,000 (29,000)

Hunters should note that WMU 2H has been dissolved and its land area has been placed within WMU 2G.

For more than 40 years, hunters could only purchase a doe tag by mailing a special pink envelope to a county treasurer.

Earlier this year, a new law took effect that enables all license-issuing agents to sell antlerless deer licenses. The change will allow hunters to purchase antlerless licenses online or anywhere else licenses are sold such as at sport shops and county treasurers. Mail applications will no longer be accepted.

Key things to know

• Antlerless licenses will go on sale during the first day of license sales, June 26.

• Only residents can apply initially.

• Application by nonresidents won’t begin until July 10.

• A hunter can get only one license in the first round.

• A second round for remaining licenses will begin July 24 for both residents and nonresidents.

• A hunter can get a second license in the second round for any WMU where tags are available.

• A third round will begin Aug. 14. The sale of Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permits also will begin on this date.

• A hunter can get a third antlerless license in the third round.

• Then, in the fourth round beginning Aug. 28, a hunter can buy additional licenses until reaching their personal limit of six. Additional licenses, if available, then can be purchased after the season begins, as the hunter harvests antlerless deer and reports them.

• In each round, antlerless license sales won’t begin until 8 a.m.

• Hunters are encouraged to review their HuntFishPA customer profile information to make sure contact information including their address, phone number and email are correct and up to date. That will allow the Game Commission to communicate directly with hunters.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans said the modernized process will increase convenience for hunters getting their antlerless deer licenses.

“A simpler, more convenient system is better for hunter satisfaction, and ultimately, hunter recruitment,” Burhans said in the announcement. “We thank Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) for championing this change, which will fully modernize the process for issuing antlerless licenses.”

The regular firearm deer season for buck and doe will begin Nov. 25 and include Sunday, Nov.26. The rifle season ends on Dec. 9. Hunters also have archery and muzzleloader seasons in the fall and winter.

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Elk licenses

The board also approved 144 elk licenses (65 antlered, 79 antlerless) across three 2023-24 elk seasons. That is 34 fewer elk tags than last year. In the 2022-23 seasons, the agency awarded 178 elk licenses (60 antlered, 118 antlerless).

For the one-week general season to run Oct. 30-Nov. 4, 30 antlered and 42 antlerless tags have been allocated. In the archery season, open only in select elk hunt zones from Sept. 16-30, 18 antlered and eight antlerless licenses are available. And there are 17 antlered and 29 antlerless licenses available for the Dec. 30-Jan. 6 late season.

All elk licenses will be awarded by lottery, and hunters must apply separately for all seasons they wish to be eligible to hunt. Each application costs $11.97, meaning a hunter can enter all three drawings for $35.91. Individuals can be drawn for a maximum of one elk license per license year. The deadline to apply is July 16.

While the allocations are based on scientific data, the commissioners did not vote on the allocations, as it had in the past. Board President Kristen Schnepp-Giger explained that, to preserve the integrity of a process that relies on science-based management to achieve population objectives, the board will be discontinuing the practice of annually approving the number of antlerless deer and elk licenses to be allocated.

This decision will allow the appropriate experts within the agency to prepare and finalize allocations that are in accordance with the goals set forth in the agency’s deer and elk management plans. The board is not required by law to consider or approve the license allocations.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors ,Twitter @whipkeyoutdoors and Instagram at whipkeyoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: How do you apply for an antlerless doe license in Pennsylvania?