Home › Pennsylvania › Public land › Bald Eagle State Park
Centre County, state park
Bald Eagle State Park Hunting
Who runs it, which seasons apply for whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and elk, what PGC has mapped on it and the public ground around it in Centre County.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Quick facts on Bald Eagle State Park
Bald Eagle State Park sits in the PGC Northcentral region as a DCNR state park with areas opened to hunters (Centre County, WMU 2G). Manager on record: the DCNR Bureau of State Parks. Its 4,910 acres open to hunting rank 15th of 92 state parks with a published figure. The full park outline is 5,738 acres in DCNR GIS. Beech Creek is the nearest town we cover, roughly 5 miles away (the area lies southwest of it).
County facts for Bald Eagle State Park
| County | Seat | Residents | Sq mi | WMU | SRA | CWD feeding | Head bin | Bears (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre County | Bellefonte | 159,805 | 1,107 | 4D, 2G | No | — | Yes | 64 |
From the source record (DCNR park hunting page (acres open to hunting): "During established seasons, hunting is permitted daily on approximately 4,910 acres, with the exception of migratory game bird hunting which remains p"), counties and WMUs from the PGC county and WMU layers; county facts from the Census and the 2026-27 digest; bear counts from the PGC 2024 bear release. Checked October 12, 2026.
Rules that apply on Bald Eagle State Park
Area rules, then the statewide basics.
Access and limits
Permit-only (lottery) special-regulation deer hunting in designated areas; see the park hunting page for the application window.
Migratory bird hunting stays closed on Sundays here. No firearm restrictions apply beyond statewide law.
What to buy
A general license is the base; antlered deer, fall turkey and spring gobbler tags come with it.
Orange and Sundays
You need orange in small game seasons and during any firearms deer, bear or elk season; it is not required for archery, turkey, waterfowl or doves.
PGC opened Sundays across all seasons for 2026-27 except migratory game birds.
Bald Eagle State Park: features, plots and stocking
Features mapped by the managing agency, then its own description.
Bald Eagle State Park and the 2026 elk zones
| Elk zone | Description | Bull | Cow | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 309 | 367 sq mi, 46% public land; SGL 100 and Sproul State Forest. | — | — | — |
Elk may be hunted only with a license drawn in the July lottery; zone counts are the 2026 PGC allocation.
Description on file
Nearby: Hunting also is available on nearby state game lands 92 and 252.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PASDA, PGC AGOL layer; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Bald Eagle State Park: game and bag limits
Whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, elk, ducks and geese, furbearers and small game, per the agency record.
White-tailed deer
The 2025-26 estimate for WMU 2G is 19,900 deer.
Black bear
WMU 2G bear harvest, 2025: 488.
Wild turkey
Spring 2024 gobbler harvest in WMU 2G: about 2,966.
Elk
PGC counted 108 elk on 140 tags in 2025.
Ducks and geese
Check the duck and Canada goose pages for zone dates. Canada goose
Furbearers (trapping)
PGC estimates 33,682 coyotes taken statewide in 2025.
Small game
Pennsylvania hunters took about 66,555 rabbits statewide in 2025 (Game Take Survey).
Species from the area record; bag limits and seasons from the PGC seasons and bag limits; harvest from PGC deer report, PGC harvest data and PGC turkey report. Checked October 12, 2026.
Bald Eagle State Park game seasons, unit by unit
The Game Commission sets dates by WMU, not by county. Bald Eagle State Park sits in WMU 2G, and the 51 rows below are the ones that reach it.
| Game | Season | Applies in | Begins | Ends | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Agricultural Deer Control (Ag Tag, antlerless only) | This area | Aug 1, 2026 | Apr 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | October muzzleloader (antlerless only) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Special firearms (antlerless only) | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Rifle (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Extended regular firearms (antlerless only) | This area | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Flintlock (antlered or antlerless) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Archery | This area | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Special firearms | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Rifle | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Elk | Archery (antlered or antlerless) | Elk Hunt Zones | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Elk | First regular firearms (new) | Elk Hunt Zones | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Elk | Second regular firearms | Elk Hunt Zones | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Elk | Third regular firearms | Elk Hunt Zones | Jan 9, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler youth hunt | Statewide | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler season (morning only) | Statewide | May 1, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler season (all day) | Statewide | May 16, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Junior hunt | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (male or female) | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (male or female) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Junior hunt | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Junior hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodchuck | Regular | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Woodchuck | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Crow | Regular (Thursday-Sunday only) | Statewide | Aug 20, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | This area | Jan 9, 2027 | Feb 3, 2027 | |
| Opossum, striped skunk and weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Starling and English sparrow | No closed season | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Gallinules | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Virginia and sora rails | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 |
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
The WMU 2G picture for Bald Eagle State Park
PGC publishes deer data by unit; nothing finer exists.
| Unit | Area | Game land | Buck rule | Antlerless licenses | vs 2025-26 | Sold out | CWD | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 2G | 4,112 | 294 | 3 points, one side | 57,000 | +/- 0 | 8/3 | No | 19,900 |
2025 was the high mark at 19,900; 2015 the low at 10,200. 2025-26: 7,600 antlered deer and 12,300 antlerless. Archers took 4,960, rifle and shotgun hunters 13,500, muzzleloaders 1,440. Before 2024, PGC counted the former WMU 2H separately, so earlier 2G bars cover a smaller unit. WMU 2G gets 57,000 antlerless tags in 2026-27 (+/- 0).
Bears taken nearby
| County | Bears 2024 | Bears 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 64 | — |
Spring turkey and bear
| Unit | Spring birds 2024 | Bear harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 2G | 2,966 | 488 |
Elk drawing details: Single $11.97 application (PA hunting license required), up to five options (season, Elk Hunt Zone, antlered/antlerless); deadline 11:59 p.m. July 12, 2026; drawing July 25, 2026 at the Elk Country Visitor Center. Bonus point per unsuccessful application (max 37 for 2026-27). Antlered elk licenses are once in a lifetime. Nonresidents max 10% of licenses. 155 licenses allocated: 80 bull, 75 cow. The herd was estimated at 1,563 in the 2026 survey.
WMU areas from the PGC WMU pages; antlerless allocations from the PGC allocation; deer harvest from the 2025-26 PGC report and the PGC historic harvest dashboard; bears from PGC releases; turkeys from PGC job report. Checked October 12, 2026.
Pins around Bald Eagle State Park
The orange pin is Bald Eagle State Park; 12 other public areas lie within 25 miles. The largest of them is Sproul State Forest at 305,450 acres.
| Name | Type | Acres | Away | Bearing | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster Joseph Sayers Dam | Corps lake | 1,379 | 3 mi | northeast | 2G |
| State Game Lands 323 | State Game Lands | 3,308 | 5 mi | southwest | 2G, 4D |
| State Game Lands 92 | State Game Lands | 5,234 | 5 mi | west | 2G |
| State Game Lands 255 | State Game Lands | 2,221 | 7 mi | northeast | 2G |
| State Game Lands 295 | State Game Lands | 12,338 | 9 mi | east | 4D |
| State Game Lands 333 | State Game Lands | 1,213 | 14 mi | southwest | 4D |
| State Game Lands 103 | State Game Lands | 8,995 | 14 mi | west | 4D |
| Poe Valley State Park | State park | 450 | 17 mi | southeast | 4D |
| State Game Lands 89 | State Game Lands | 10,571 | 17 mi | northeast | 2G |
| PSU Toftrees | Pheasant release site | 943 | 18 mi | southwest | 4D |
| Sproul State Forest | State forest | 305,450 | 19 mi | north | 2G |
| State Game Lands 100 | State Game Lands | 21,071 | 20 mi | west | 2G |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (DCNR State Parks boundary GIS via PASDA (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Closest public range to Bald Eagle State Park
No range sits on Bald Eagle State Park; the nearest Game Commission range is State Game Lands 176 Public Shooting Range, about 24 miles away. The other cards are clubs within 30 miles.
Rifle range 200 yd, 25 points; Handgun range 50 yd, 25 points; Shotgun patterning 20/40 yd; Claybird throwing area; Archery range 10/20/30/40/50 yd, 11 lanes
Rifle / smallbore / handgun / archery / muzzleloader
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Base towns for Bald Eagle State Park
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighboring counties.
| Town | County | Straight line | Heading | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Creek | Clinton | 5 mi | southwest | 733 | 50,864 |
| Bellefonte | Centre | 10 mi | northeast | 5,986 | 29,174 |
| Lock Haven | Clinton | 13 mi | southwest | 8,531 | 62,180 |
| Clarence | Centre | 16 mi | east | — | 90,421 |
Nearby services
Who to call
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates and Gazetteer; public acres within 10 miles from PGC, DCNR and federal layers; businesses from Hunters Sharing the Harvest, PDA, store locators and listings; offices from PGC and DCNR pages. Checked October 12, 2026. Call ahead.
Bald Eagle State Park: sunrise, sunset and legal light
Shooting hours for whitetails, turkeys and rabbits run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset. Migratory game birds end at sunset.
Times worked out for Bald Eagle State Park in Eastern time from the rule in the Pennsylvania Game Commission digest (shooting hours). Some furbearers may be taken at night; check the digest. Shooting hours for every county.
Bald Eagle State Park gear checklist
Click through for current models and prices.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Common Bald Eagle State Park questions from hunters
Which animals are hunted on Bald Eagle State Park?
Per the agency, whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, elk, ducks and geese, furbearers and small game.
Can I hunt elk on Bald Eagle State Park?
By drawing only, in zone 309.
What public land is near Bald Eagle State Park?
Within reach are Foster Joseph Sayers Dam (3 miles), State Game Lands 323 (5 miles) and State Game Lands 92 (5 miles), nearest first.
How did WMU 2G do last season?
19,900 in WMU 2G for 2025-26; PGC does not report by property.
Where are the boundaries of Bald Eagle State Park?
Follow the official page button above.
How many bears came from the Bald Eagle State Park counties?
In 2024, Centre County gave up 64 bears.
What kind of property is Bald Eagle State Park, exactly?
DCNR state park with areas opened to hunters, under the DCNR Bureau of State Parks.
What is the published acreage for Bald Eagle State Park?
It covers 4,910 acres by the published figure.
What county holds Bald Eagle State Park?
It is in Centre County. Beech Creek sits 5 miles away.
What antler rule applies on Bald Eagle State Park?
PGC places it in WMU 2G. WMU 2G: three points, one side.
Are antlerless licenses for Bald Eagle State Park sold out?
The WMU 2G quota is 57,000, +/- 0 on 2025-26, which sold out 8/3.
One more check on Bald Eagle State Park
The managing agency has the last word on Bald Eagle State Park. Read its page and the PGC digest the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: pa.gov: hunting · pa.gov: hunting · PASDA: MapServer 8 · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 301; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).