Sunday hunting begins in Pennsylvania this weekend as new law takes effect

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania hunters will have an extra day to hunt this weekend as the state’s new law allowing Sunday hunting takes effect.

Act 36 of 2025 repealed the previous ban on Sunday hunting, providing hunters with more opportunities. Introduced as House Bill 1431 by Rep. Mandy Steele (D-District 33), Act 36 received Gov. Josh Shapiro’s signature on July 9.

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“This weekend is one for the history books,” said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “Pennsylvania hunters finally have an opportunity to hunt on a Sunday under the newly enacted law, and I couldn’t be more excited to ring in Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania in 2025.”

Sunday hunting will be available for a variety of species, including squirrels, woodchucks, coyotes, antlerless deer on Ag Tag properties, crows, and bobwhite quail. As the hunting seasons progress, more Sunday hunting opportunities will become available. However, migratory game birds such as Canada geese, doves, rails and gallinules cannot be hunted on Sundays.

A total of 13 Sundays have been approved for hunting in 2025, from Sept. 14 through Dec. 7. Click here to see all the dates.

In state parks, Sunday hunting is limited to three specific Sundays in the 2025-26 hunting seasons: Nov. 16, Nov. 23 and Nov. 30. The previously approved Sundays for hunting foxes, coyotes and crows will not change.

The Game Commission has updated the hunting seasons to include new Sunday hunting opportunities, and a new edition of the 2025-26 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest is available to provide hunters with more information about the changes.

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