Hunting, furtaker and antlerless deer hunting licenses went on sale this past Monday (June 23). Sorry for this delayed notice, but the game commission didn’t release this information until late June 17.

According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the procedure for buying antlerless licenses will be available at the same time as the general license. But this year, the PGC says, all Pennsylvania residents are guaranteed to get an antlerless license for the WMU of their choice, so long as they buy it by 7 a.m. on Monday, July 14, the day license sales open to nonresidents at 8 a.m.. At that time, antlerless licenses will not be guaranteed, and all remaining sales will be on a first come, first serve basis until the allocated number of licenses is exhausted.

The second round of antlerless sales, at which time resident and nonresident hunters can buy a second antlerless license for any WMU where licenses remain, begins on Monday, July 28 at 8 a.m.

Third round antlerless licenses will go on sale Monday, Aug. 11. Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permits also go on sale when this round begins.

During the fourth round of antlerless sales, which begins Monday, Aug. 25 at 8 a.m., hunters can purchase additional antlerless licenses for any WMU where licenses are available.

In most of the state, hunters may hold up to six unfilled antlerless licenses until they use those tags by harvesting deer and reporting them. There’s a higher limit for WMUs here in 5C and 5D in southeast Pennsylvania. There, hunters may hold up to 15 unfilled antlerless licenses at a time.

Hunters can view the number of remaining licenses in real time by going to HuntFish.PA.gov. and clicking on the Antlerless Deer tab, then Antlerless Deer Quota. In doing so, sportsmen can get a better idea on sales progress and track how fast licenses for a given WMU are selling.

New licenses may be purchase online at HuntFish.PA by clicking on License Catalog under the hunting tab. Paper licenses and harvest tags are mailed when bought online. General hunting licenses for resident adults cost $20.97 and antlerless licenses cost $6.97 for residents.

To renew senior tags for residents ages 65 or older, they may purchase a lifetime hunting or furtaker license or a lifetime license that includes hunting, furtaking and other privileges, but lifetime license holders still must obtain new antlered deer and turkey harvest tags each license year, as well as new antlerless deer licenses, bear licenses, elk license applications, DMAP permits and more.

All senior lifetime hunting and combination license holders who purchased their lifetime license prior to May 13, 2017, are exempt from needing a pheasant permit to hunt or harvest pheasants.

When doing so, hunters need to provide proof of residency, usually with a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, when renewing lifetime licenses.