Hunting in Pennsylvania: 14 Animals to Hunt in the Spring

While fall is the most common time for hunting in Pennsylvania, the state offers plenty of opportunities to hunt during the spring. Determined by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, spring open seasons cover such animals as turkey, coyotes and crows.

Here is a look at some of the animals that can be hunted during the spring in Pennsylvania.

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1. Wild Turkeys (Spring Gobblers)
The most commonly hunted animal in the spring is the wild turkey, known here as the spring gobbler. There is a one-day season for eligible youth hunters. Afterward, the regular season for bearded birds takes place, lasting approximately one month. For youth hunters, the bag limit is one. For adult hunters, the daily bag limit is one and the daily possession limit is two.

2. Groundhogs
Groundhogs have no closed season in Pennsylvania so they can be hunted year-round. The only exception is on Sundays during the regular firearms season, which takes place in the fall. Springtime is a favorite time for many groundhog hunters, as farmers want to get rid of the animals that they many consider a pest and a danger to their working farm animals.

Outdoor Life magazine recommends four rifles from Cooper, Windham, Jarrett, and Remington for hunting groundhogs. They also recommend a range finder and shooting sticks because of the long distance shots that often are required.

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3. Coyotes, Opossums, Striped Skunks, and Weasels
Other animals in Pennsylvania that have no closed hunting season include coyotes, opossums, striped skunks and weasels. The state's game commission requires that people trying to harvest any of those animals via trapping must do so during the established furtaking season, which runs for four months, straddling the two calendar years involved.

4. Other Animals
Some animals, such as porcupines and crows, have a single season that starts in the fall and continues into the following spring. There is a daily limit of three porcupines and 10 animals per season. Crows are only available for hunting on Saturday and Sunday, with no limit on how many birds a hunter may take.

The final option for people who wish to hunt in the spring is via falconry. The PGC offers a season for squirrels, quail, grouse, rabbits, hares and pheasants that starts in late summer and runs to late March of the following year.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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