Brian Whipkey

Pennsylvania Outdoors Columnist

Jan. 21, 2026, 3:17 p.m. ET

• Proposed changes would allow hunters to take deer to any processor but require proper disposal of high-risk parts.
• The commission is also looking to add an early October firearms season for elk hunting.
• Hunters will now need a general Pennsylvania hunting license before applying for the elk license lottery.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking at easing some of the restrictions for deer hunters in areas where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found and there will also be improvements for those applying for an elk license.

The commission is meeting Jan. 23-24 for its quarterly meeting in Harrisburg for a variety of topics, including deer and elk regulations.

The board may reduce some of the regulations on those who hunt in areas where deer have been found to have CWD.

The neurological disease is fatal to deer and can be transmitted to other deer through liquids, such as saliva and feces.More: Rifle deer hunting season may start week earlier in Pa. this yearNeed a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

Jan. 24 meeting preview: Game Commission considers 13 properties for hunters across Pennsylvania

The meeting agenda proposes to eliminate the restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of high-risk parts like the brain, spine and spleen.

The agenda also looks at removing the requirements for deer processors and taxidermists, and eliminates the prohibition on cervid (deer) urine-based attractants for hunting.

There is a proposal to expand the prohibition against the disposal of high-risk parts of deer on the landscape.

If the changes are approved, a hunter in a Disease Management Area will be able to take their deer to be processed at the processor of their choice or butcher it themselves, but they need to properly dispose of the high-risk parts.

As of Jan. 21, the agency’s online CWD Surveillance Map revealed 86 of 6,792 deer tested for CWD were positive for the 2025-26 license year. Those detections were mostly in southcentral Pennsylvania, and all were found within existing DMA boundaries. Testing of deer, including those found along the highways, will continue through the license year.

In the 2024-25 license year, the commission had 530 positive CWD detections from 13,526 deer.

More: Of 140 elk hunters in Pennsylvania, 108 get elk this fall and winter

Elk hunting changes in Pennsylvania

For elk, the agency is looking at offering an early October firearms season segment.

In previous years, the rifle season was only the first week of November. There have also been archery and late rifle seasons.

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This year, elk seasons are proposed to include Sept. 12-27 for archery, Oct. 3-11 for the first regular (firearms), Oct. 31 to Nov. 8 for the second regular season, and Jan. 9-17 for the late season.

The agency reports the early October firearms season segment is proposed to limit crowding and maintain hunter satisfaction under current and potential future increased license allocations. The late firearms elk season is proposed to be moved later in January to avoid conflicts with major holidays. This year, it was held Dec. 27-Jan. 3.

The commission is looking at a new process for applying for an elk licenses that will benefit those who live in the commonwealth.

Among the changes being implemented to the program is a new requirement for hunters across the nation to have a general Pennsylvania hunting license before applying for the elk license lottery.

In past years, a hunting license wasn’t required to purchase a $11.97 chance for an elk license. The winners of the license lottery are then required to purchase their hunting license and elk permit. General hunting licenses cost $20.97 for residents of Pennsylvania and $101.97 for nonresidents.

The agency is also limiting each year’s allocation of elk licenses to a maximum of 10% going to nonresidents of Pennsylvania.

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The Game Commission’s two-day public meeting begins at 1 p.m. Jan. 23 and will include staff presentations on a range of wildlife management topics, including elk and turkey management, as well as other key agency initiatives. No public comment will be accepted Friday.

The meeting resumes at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 24. Public comment, limited to five minutes per speaker, will be accepted on a first-to-register, first-to-speak basis.

Game Commission meetings are held at the agency’s headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, just off the Progress Avenue exit 69 of Interstate 81. Those unable to attend may watch them live on the Game Commission’s YouTube channel.

16 hours, 47 minutes ago by Special to The Commercial

• https://www.pbcommercial.com/news/2026/jan/21/deadline-approaching-to-apply-for-an-arkansas/

Two mature gobblers enter a field in northeastern Arkansas to compete for hens. (Special to The Commercial/Mike Wintroath/Arkansas Game and Fish Commission)

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Hunters have until 11:59 p.m. Feb. 15 to apply for a chance at one of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s managed permit-only turkey hunts on select wildlife management areas (WMAs) throughout the state this spring.

Visit the AGFC website and click the “Get a License” link in the top right corner of the page to get started. WMA hunt applications are listed under the Special Hunt Permits Section of the licensing system, according to an AGFC news release.

Turkey hunting is open on many Arkansas WMAs to anyone during the season, but a handful of locations are managed through randomly drawn permits to increase hunt quality. Some draws are designed to reduce pressure on birds in popular hunting areas, while others are used in smaller areas where hunters may get too close to each other to have enjoyable hunts, according to the release.

WMA Turkey Hunt Permits will be drawn Feb. 17, and successful applicants will be notified by Feb. 18. Any leftover permits will be made available through the AGFC licensing site beginning at 8 a.m. Feb. 23. Hunters who successfully draw a permit for a special WMA turkey hunt will also need to claim their free permit upon notification of their draw status.

In addition to WMA Turkey Hunting Permits, all turkey hunters must carry a valid Arkansas hunting license that allows the harvest of big game as well as a Nonresident Turkey Permit ($100), Resident Turkey Tag (free), Nonresident Youth Turkey Tag (free), or a Resident Youth Turkey Tag (free).

Each permit holder is allowed to bring one hunting mentor who did not draw a permit on their hunt. Hunting mentors must have a valid hunting license, and they are not eligible to harvest a bird or hunt any other in-season game animals, but they can call for the permitted hunter and help them learn the ropes.

Applications require a $5 nonrefundable processing fee. Winning applicants are not required to pay any additional fees beyond the purchase of their hunting license.

Visit the AGFC website to view a list of available permits and odds of drawing each hunt based on last year’s permit applications.

• Missouri Department of Conservation
• Jan 20, 2026
• https://www.phelpscountyfocus.com/news/article_bc23b6d3-1cc0-5f6d-87e4-1cbc8dc4d36c.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawPfSjtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEele49l9ss5XFIWQJQnmoWVlu_aWAGFA_CfuZZrcgVklCCG4apJhdZbjUFvXs_aem_HuolpVYpiAtzgpGIfDohsQ

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The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds hunters they can now use artificial light and other methods for an extended period during the coyote hunting season. Regulation changes were approved by the Conservation Commission in fall 2025, allowing the use of artificial light, night vision, and thermal imagery equipment from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, excluding the prescribed spring turkey hunting season. The changes took effect Jan. 1, 2026.

During this extended period, coyotes may not be chased, pursued, or taken during the daylight hours from April 1 through the day prior to the beginning of the spring turkey hunting season. Coyotes, except as otherwise provided in the Wildlife Code of Missouri, may be taken by hunting, and pelts and carcasses may be possessed, transported, and sold in any numbers throughout the year.

Special method restrictions apply during spring turkey season, elk season and deer season. See Allowed & Prohibited methods at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/o3H. Any questions about conservation area regulations and the Wildlife Code can be directed to local MDC staff. Find local MDC staff by county at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4ok.

Find a complete list of Missouri’s hunting seasons at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/o3j.