The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has officially approved the hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2026-27, marking a significant expansion of Sunday hunting across the Commonwealth. Under the newly finalized rules, almost all hunting seasons will now include the Sundays that fall within their designated start and end dates. Furthermore, seasons that traditionally concluded on Saturdays will now largely extend through Sunday, providing hunters with additional weekend opportunities throughout the year.
While most game species are included in the expansion, the Commission noted that migratory game birds remain a major exception. There will be no Sunday hunting permitted for waterfowl, woodcock, or mourning doves during the upcoming season. This decision follows recent surveys indicating a slight preference among migratory bird hunters to exclude Sundays to allow for a longer overall season. Additionally, federal regulations require that if Pennsylvania chooses to implement Sunday hunting for migratory birds, the change must be permanent, prompting the board to maintain the current restriction for the time being. Detailed schedules for the migratory bird seasons will be released once they are finalized later this year.
