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Clarion County · WMU 2F
Cook Forest State Park Hunting
Everything we could verify about Cook Forest State Park: acreage, rules, game, stocking and the ground nearby.
Photo: grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cook Forest State Park in brief
In Clarion, Forest and Jefferson counties, Cook Forest State Park is a DCNR state park with areas opened to hunters; it falls in WMU 2F. The DCNR Bureau of State Parks sets the rules on the ground. The 11,000 acres open to hunting figure places it 5th of 92 state parks by size. The DCNR park boundary covers 11,143 acres in all. Marienville is the closest town on this site, about 11 miles in a straight line.
Counties that hold Cook Forest State Park
| County | County seat | Population | Sq mi | Units | SRA | Feeding ban | Head bins | 2024 bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarion County | Clarion | 36,855 | 601 | 2D, 2F | No | — | No | 57 |
| Forest County | Tionesta | 6,601 | 427 | 2F | No | — | No | 48 |
| Jefferson County | Brookville | 43,367 | 652 | 2D, 2F, 2E, 2G | No | 7 municipalities | Yes | 60 |
From the source record (DCNR park hunting page (acres open to hunting): "During established seasons, hunting is permitted daily on approximately 11,000 acres on both park and Clarion River lands, with the exception of migra"), 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.
Cook Forest State Park up close
PGC and DCNR map data, followed by the agency text.
In the agency’s own words
Note: Overnight and day use designated areas are off limits to hunting. In these areas safety zones must be observed. Specifically, the area around the Sawmill Center for the Arts, Indian Cabins, Park Office, River Cabins, Henry Run Day Use Area, and Ridge Campground are all off limits to hunting. Nearby: More than 10,000 acres of adjacent Clear Creek State Forest land and 500,000 acres of Allegheny National Forest land also are open to hunting.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PASDA; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Access, licenses and rules for Cook Forest State Park
Ground-specific rules first, then licenses, orange and Sundays.
How access works
Designated areas only, PGC seasons only, DCNR and PGC rules together; woodchucks are protected in state parks.
Hunting acres cover on both park and Clarion River lands. Sundays remain closed to migratory game birds. There are no park-specific firearm restrictions.
Paperwork for the game here
Every hunter starts with a general license; it already carries the antlered deer and both turkey tags.
Orange, plus Sunday hunting
The rule covers small game and the firearms seasons for big game. It does not apply in archery seasons or to turkey, waterfowl, dove or furbearer hunting.
This is the first license year with Sunday hunting in all seasons but migratory birds; spring gobbler 2026 had no Sundays.
Cook Forest State Park: which seasons are running
PGC unit lines follow roads and rivers, so a county can straddle two units. This list keeps every segment that touches Cook Forest State Park.
| Game | Segment | WMU | First day | Last day | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Nov 25, 2026 | Nov 27, 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.
Game listed for Cook Forest State Park
Species named by the agency for this ground: whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ducks and geese, furbearers and small game.
White-tailed deer
Last season WMU 2F gave up about 26,500 deer.
Black bear
Bears from WMU 2F in 2025: 228.
Wild turkey
About 1,842 gobblers came from WMU 2F in spring 2024.
Ducks and geese
Duck and goose zones follow highways, so dates are on the species pages. Canada goose
Furbearers (trapping)
33,682 coyotes were taken statewide in 2025.
Small game
66,555 rabbits statewide in 2025, by PGC 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.
Public ground a short drive from Cook Forest State Park
Inside a 25-mile ring sit 12 more areas; orange marks Cook Forest State Park. Of these, Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District is largest (249,968 acres).
| Neighbor | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 283 | State Game Lands | 3,061 | 3 mi | southeast | 2F |
| Clear Creek State Park | State park | 1,000 | 7 mi | east | 2F |
| State Game Lands 24 | State Game Lands | 8,585 | 8 mi | northwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 74 | State Game Lands | 6,568 | 8 mi | southwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 72 | State Game Lands | 2,028 | 10 mi | southwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 266 | State Game Lands | 493 | 13 mi | south | 2D |
| Clear Creek State Forest | State forest | 16,716 | 13 mi | east | 2D, 2F |
| Tionesta Lake | Corps lake | 2,619 | 14 mi | northwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 63 | State Game Lands | 3,553 | 14 mi | southwest | 2D, 2F |
| State Game Lands 28 | State Game Lands | 11,268 | 17 mi | northeast | 2F |
| State Game Lands 54 | State Game Lands | 19,408 | 17 mi | east | 2F |
| Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District | Ranger district | 249,968 | 18 mi | northeast | 2F |
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.
How many deer come off the Cook Forest State Park unit
Antlerless licenses are sold by WMU, and harvest is estimated the same way.
| WMU | Size | SGL sq mi | Buck rule | Antlerless tags | Change | Last sellout | CWD | Deer harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 2F | 2,411 | 221 | 3 points, one side | 67,000 | +16,000 | 7/31 | Yes | 26,500 |
The best year on the chart was 2024 with 28,800 deer; the low was 12,400 in 2015. Of the 2025-26 total, 10,800 were bucks and 15,700 antlerless. 6,770 by bow, 18,400 by firearm, 1,330 by muzzleloader. The 2026-27 allocation for WMU 2F is 67,000 antlerless licenses, +16,000 versus 2025-26.
Turkey and bear harvest
| WMU | Spring 2024 | Bear 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 2F | 1,842 | 228 |
Chronic wasting disease is present in WMU 2F, so mind the high-risk parts rule. More on CWD
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.
Towns and services near Cook Forest State Park
Closest towns first; businesses sorted by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Area lies | People | Public acres within 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marienville | Forest | 11 mi | southwest | — | 167,129 |
| Clarion | Clarion | 12 mi | northeast | 4,141 | 16,023 |
| Brookville | Jefferson | 14 mi | northwest | 3,899 | 14,070 |
| Tionesta | Forest | 16 mi | southeast | 405 | 75,936 |
Processors, taxidermists and shops
PGC and DCNR contacts
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.
Cook Forest State Park: nearest ranges
For a permit range, drive about 9 miles to State Game Lands 24 Public Shooting Range. Closer private options are listed beside it.
Trap / archery / action pistol / handgun / silhouette
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Kit for hunting Cook Forest State Park
Picked for the game hunted here; prices load when you click.
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When the day starts and ends at Cook Forest State Park
Legal light opens 30 minutes before sunrise for every game species. In the evening, migratory birds close at sunset and the rest 30 minutes later.
Times worked out for Cook Forest 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.
Hunter questions about Cook Forest State Park
Where is the official page for Cook Forest State Park?
Use the agency link in the at-a-glance band.
How many deer are taken around Cook Forest State Park?
WMU 2F: 26,500 deer in 2025-26.
Who looks after Cook Forest State Park?
the DCNR Bureau of State Parks is the manager; the ground is a DCNR state park with areas opened to hunters.
Are black bears common near Cook Forest State Park?
The 2024 count for Clarion, Forest and Jefferson counties was 165.
How many miles is Cook Forest State Park from Marienville?
In Clarion, Forest and Jefferson counties, about 11 miles southwest of Marienville.
How much huntable ground is on Cook Forest State Park?
Agency acreage: 11,000.
How many antlerless licenses are there for the Cook Forest State Park area?
WMU 2F has 67,000 antlerless licenses for 2026-27 (+16,000); in 2025-26 they sold out on 7/31.
Which WMU is Cook Forest State Park in?
WMU 2F. WMU 2F uses the standard three-points-on-one-side rule.
Is Cook Forest State Park open to hunters on Sunday?
Yes, except for migratory birds.
When is the rifle opener at Cook Forest State Park?
Archery opens Oct 3, 2026; the regular firearms season runs Nov 28 to Dec 13, 2026. The table above has all dates.
Can out-of-state hunters use Cook Forest State Park?
Nonresidents pay $101.97 for the adult license; residents $20.97.
Heading to Cook Forest State Park soon?
Every property has its own fine print. Read the Cook Forest State Park page at the agency and carry your licenses.
Sources for this page: pa.gov: hunting · pa.gov: hunting · PASDA: MapServer 8; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: sam may (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region (Public domain).