PENNSYLVANIA (WHTM) — Opening day of Pennsylvania’s firearms deer season is historically the busiest single day on the hunting calendar and the Pennsylvania Game Commission says that hunters will be out in full force when it begins on Saturday, Nov. 25.

“Pennsylvania’s firearms deer season is truly a tradition unlike any other,” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “We’ve got lots of deer and lots of hunters pursuing them, some from camps far from home, others in woodlots and fields near where they live. But all share the same passion for wildlife, hunting, and conservation. That’s something special.”

According to the National Deer Association, Pennsylvania normally ranks top in the country when it comes to hunter identity. The data from 2021 state that there were 14.14 hunters per square mile in Pennsylvania. Only three other states, New York, Wisconsin, and New Jersey hit double digits.

The association also stated that Pennsylvania ranked in the top five states in 2021 for antlered buck harvest per square mile.

“We are in a very productive part of the country for deer, and we have a lot of deer out there,” said David Stainbrook, Game Commission Deer and Elk Section Supervisor.

In Pennsylvania, hunters are permitted to harvest one antlered deer with a valid general hunting license, which costs $20.97 for adult residents and $101.97 for adult nonresidents. If taking an antlerless deer, a hunter must have a valid antlerless deer license or a valid Deer Management Assistance Program Permit.

More information can be found here.