Hunting & Trapping Digest 2008-2009 - (Page 50) DEER SEASONS & BAG LIMITS Antler Restriction Definition, Wildlife Management Units WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B & 2D: Four or more points to one antler. All other WMUs: Three or more points to one antler. Exceptions: In all WMUs, junior license holders, mentored youth hunters, disabled persons permit (to use a vehicle) holders and residents serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, or in the U.S. Coast Guard, two or more points to one antler, or with one antler three inches or more in length. Senior License holders must abide by antler restrictions. A Legal Point: An antler projection of at least one inch in length from base to tip, including brow tines. Main beam shall be counted as a point regardless of length. Antlerless Deer: A deer without antlers, or a deer with antlers both of which are less than three inches in length. Protected Deer: A deer not defined as an antlered deer or an antlerless deer. Limit: One legal antlered deer per license year. One antlerless deer with each valid WMU specific antlerless license. Field Possession Limit: When multiple harvests of deer per day are authorized, only one deer at a time may be taken. Before attempting to take an additional deer, the first deer shall be lawfully tagged. REGULATIONS Archery: Antlered & Antlerless Statewide: Oct. 4-Nov. 15 & Dec. 26-Jan. 10, 2009 Crossbows may be used in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, but users must have an archery stamp. Archery: Antlerless WMUs 2B, 5C & 5D: Sept. 20-Oct. 3 & Nov. 1729 and Dec. 15-23. Regular Firearms Deer Season: The designated period of time when deer may be hunted and taken by any person who possesses a General Hunting License or a General Hunting License and Antlerless License only. Antlered & Antlerless Deer - Firearms (Statewide) WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B, 5C & 5D: Dec. 1-13 Antlered Only - Firearms WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C & 4B: Dec. 1-5 Antlered & Antlerless - Firearms WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C & 4B: Dec. 6-13 Special Antlerless Only - Firearms (Statewide): Oct. 23-25 Only Junior and Senior License holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) holders and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the U.S. Coast Guard. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. Arms and ammunition permitted during the Regular Statewide Seasons can be used in this season. Antlerless - Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C & 5D Dec. 15-23 & Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2009; This is a firearms season, but WMU 5D and parts of 2B and 5C fall under Special Regulations Area restrictions. Only bows are permitted in Philadelphia County. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. Antlerless - Muzzleloader (Statewide): Oct. 18-25 An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. Must have a muzzleloader stamp. Crossbows permitted during this season, but users must have a muzzleloader stamp. Flintlock Muzzleloader (Either Sex, Statewide): Dec. 26-Jan. 10, 2009 One antlered deer per hunting license year or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each valid WMU specific antlerless license. Must have a muzzleloader stamp. Crossbows permitted during this season, but users must have a muzzleloader stamp. An antlerless deer license is valid only in the wildlife management unit of issuance. The use or attempted use of an antlerless license in another WMU is a violation of the law. Arms & Ammunition General Statewide Seasons: 1) Manually operated centerfire rifles, handguns and shotguns with all lead bullet or ball, or a bullet designed to expand on impact; 2) muzzleloading long guns of any type, 44 caliber or larger, or a muzzleloading handgun 50 caliber or larger; and 3) long, recurve or compound and crossbows with broadheads of cutting-edge design. Buckshot is illegal, except in Southeast Special Regulations Area. Archery Seasons: Long, recurve and compound bows with broadheads of cutting-edge design. Crossbows permitted for deer in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D only. Persons hunting deer in the archery seasons may not possess a firearm, except those individuals who have a License to Carry Firearms permit, and then only those firearms authorized by the permit (most sporting arms are not authorized). Muzzleloading firearms can also be carried by bowhunters during any muzzleloading season, providing the hunter has an archery license and a muzzleloader license and meets the fluorescent orange requirements of the muzzleloader season. Flintlock Muzzleloader Season: Flintlock ignition, single-barrel long gun, 44 caliber or larger, or 50 caliber or larger handgun, using single projectile ammunition. It is unlawful to use telescopic sights. Peep sights are permitted. Crossbows permitted, but users must have a muzzleloader stamp. October Antlerless Muzzleloader Season: Any single-barrel muzzleloader long gun with flintlock, percussion or in-line ignition, 44 caliber or larger, or 50 caliber or larger handgun. Scope sights permitted. Crossbows permitted, but users must have a muzzleloader stamp. Special Regulations Areas: (All of Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania and all of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in the southeast): Muzzleloading long guns 44-caliber or larger, bows and arrows, manual or autoloading shotguns .410 or larger using slugs and 20-gauge or larger using buckshot. Buckshot may not be used in Allegheny County. Only bows and arrows are permitted in Philadelphia County. Crossbows with a draw weight of at least 125 pounds, but not more than 200 pounds, may be used during the regular firearms deer seasons, including the antlerless deer season Dec. 15-23 and Dec. 26-Jan. 24 in WMUs 2B, 5C & 5D. Fluorescent Orange Requirements Antlered & Antlerless: During the regular and special deer seasons and any extensions of these seasons, all hunters must wear at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on the head, chest and back combined (example: orange cap and coat/vest visible 360 degrees). Camouflage fluorescent orange may satisfy this regulation if the total orange content is at least 250 square inches. Archers: During the Sept. 20-Oct. 3 archery season in WMUs 2B, 5C & 5D, and the first two weeks of early archery season, and during the late after-Christmas season, bowhunters are not required to wear fluorescent orange material. When the early archery season overlaps with the October muzzleloader/special antlerless firearms season, archers are required to wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing while moving about or relocating. They may remove their orange clothing providing 100 square inches of fluorescent orange material is placed within 15 feet of their location and is visible 360 degrees when on stand. Finally, during overlap with fall turkey season, archery deer hunters (and bear hunters during the designated archery bear season) must wear a hat containing a minimum of 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange material while moving about or relocating. The orange hat may be removed when the hunter is stationary, or on stand. Muzzleloader Deer: During the late flintlock deer season muzzleloader hunters are not required to wear or display fluorescent orange. However, during the October antlerless muzzleloader deer season hunters are required to wear the same 250 square inches of fluorescent orange required of all big game season hunters. Tagging, Reporting Requirements See tagging and reporting in the “Big Game Regulations” section.
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