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Pike County, state forest
Delaware State Forest Hunting
Who runs it, which seasons apply for whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and ruffed grouse, what PGC has mapped on it and the public ground around it in Pike and Monroe counties.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Quick facts on Delaware State Forest
Delaware State Forest sits in the PGC Northeast region as a DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping (Pike and Monroe counties, WMU 3D). Manager on record: the DCNR Bureau of Forestry. Its 83,519 acres rank 12th of 20 state forests with a published figure. The boundary polygons total 84,225 acres. Milford is the nearest town we cover, roughly 16 miles away (the area lies southwest of it).
County facts for Delaware State Forest
| County | Seat | Residents | Sq mi | WMU | SRA | CWD feeding | Head bin | Bears (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | Milford | 62,376 | 545 | 3D | No | — | No | 85 |
| Monroe County | Stroudsburg | 166,523 | 608 | 3D | No | — | No | 93 |
From the source record (DCNR Delaware State Forest page: "Delaware State Forest totals 83,519 acres in:"), 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 Delaware State Forest
Area rules, then the statewide basics.
Access and limits
Open to hunting and trapping under PGC seasons and regulations throughout the forest except safety zones around buildings and picnic areas; Sunday hunting follows PGC dates.
State forest rules
Sundays are huntable on the forest in step with PGC seasons. Stay clear of buildings and picnic areas; their safety zones are closed.
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.
Delaware State Forest: features, plots and stocking
Features mapped by the managing agency, then its own description.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Wild area | Stairway Wild Area · 2,705 ac |
| Natural area count | 6 |
Description on file
Delaware State Forest Hunting and Trapping Hunting for deer, turkey, grouse, woodcock squirrels, waterfowl, rabbits, hares, coyotes and black bear is a popular use of the forest during designated seasons. Other than a few safety zones around buildings and picnic areas, hunting is permitted throughout the state forest. Additionally, the entire Delaware State Forest is enrolled in DMAP. Nine DMAP areas open for antlerless deer harvest only provide deer hunters with additional opportunities to pursue their sport.
For the past nine plus years, the Delaware State Forest has cooperated with Promised Land Sportsmen Association to offer opportunities for youth hunters on liberated Pheasants. These pheasants linger long after the mid-October youth hunt. Trappers have the option to pursue coyotes, bobcats and beaver to name a few. With all the steams, ponds and wetlands beaver, muskrats and mink are often very plentiful. Additional information on hunting can be obtained from the PA Game Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources websites.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PGC AGOL layer, pa.gov; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Delaware State Forest: game and bag limits
Whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, squirrels, cottontails, woodcock, pheasants, ducks and geese, coyotes and furbearers, per the agency record.
White-tailed deer
The 2025-26 estimate for WMU 3D is 15,600 deer.
Black bear
WMU 3D bear harvest, 2025: 416.
Wild turkey
Spring 2024 gobbler harvest in WMU 3D: about 1,002.
Ruffed grouse
Pennsylvania hunters took about 3,175 grouse statewide in 2025 (Game Take Survey).
Squirrels
The 2025 Game Take Survey puts the squirrel harvest at 344,414.
Cottontail rabbit
Pennsylvania hunters took about 66,555 rabbits statewide in 2025 (Game Take Survey).
Woodcock
Pennsylvania hunters took about 5,105 woodcocks statewide in 2025 (Game Take Survey).
Ring-necked pheasant
About 214,577 pheasants were taken across the state in 2025.
Ducks and geese
Check the duck and Canada goose pages for zone dates. Canada goose
Coyote
PGC estimates 33,682 coyotes taken statewide in 2025.
Furbearers (trapping)
PGC estimates 33,682 coyotes taken statewide in 2025.
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.
Delaware State Forest game seasons, unit by unit
The Game Commission sets dates by WMU, not by county. Delaware State Forest sits in WMU 3D, and the 48 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 3, 2026 | Nov 20, 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 | |
| Black bear | Extended firearms | This area | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 8, 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 3D picture for Delaware State Forest
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 3D | 2,102 | 249 | 3 points, one side | 52,000 | +/- 0 | 9/2 | No | 15,600 |
2025 was the high mark at 15,600; 2015 the low at 7,200. 2025-26: 6,000 antlered deer and 9,600 antlerless. Archers took 5,460, rifle and shotgun hunters 9,500, muzzleloaders 640. WMU 3D gets 52,000 antlerless tags in 2026-27 (+/- 0).
Spring turkey and bear
| Unit | Spring birds 2024 | Bear harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 3D | 1,002 | 416 |
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.
Areas tied to Delaware State Forest
Sorted by size where it helps.
More public ground in the same counties
| Name | Kind | County | Acres | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinchot State Forest | State forest | Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe | 54,000 | 29 mi |
| Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Pennsylvania) | Recreation area | Pike, Monroe, Northampton | 29,677 | 8 mi |
| State Game Lands 127 | State Game Lands | Monroe | 26,235 | 22 mi |
| State Game Lands 180 | State Game Lands | Pike | 12,506 | 11 mi |
| State Game Lands 168 | State Game Lands | Northampton, Monroe, Carbon | 7,814 | 34 mi |
| State Game Lands 38 | State Game Lands | Monroe | 5,818 | 21 mi |
| Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | Monroe, Northampton | 5,813 | 25 mi |
| Tobyhanna State Park | State park | Monroe, Wayne | 5,200 | 17 mi |
| State Game Lands 221 | State Game Lands | Monroe | 4,684 | 13 mi |
| State Game Lands 312 | State Game Lands | Wayne, Lackawanna, Monroe | 4,459 | 18 mi |
| State Game Lands 209 | State Game Lands | Pike | 4,383 | 18 mi |
| State Game Lands 129 | State Game Lands | Carbon, Monroe | 3,705 | 29 mi |
| State Game Lands 116 | State Game Lands | Pike | 3,088 | 16 mi |
| State Game Lands 183 | State Game Lands | Pike | 2,805 | 16 mi |
| State Game Lands 316 | State Game Lands | Pike | 2,721 | 23 mi |
| Gouldsboro State Park | State park | Monroe, Wayne | 2,700 | 20 mi |
| Promised Land State Park | State park | Pike | 1,300 | 9 mi |
| Chestnuthill Township Lands (CWMA 445) | Cooperative WMA | Monroe | 1,158 | 25 mi |
Forest acres per county
| County | Forest acres |
|---|---|
| Pike County | 74,270 |
| Monroe County | 9,914 |
| Carbon County | 47 |
State forest land by county from the DCNR forest boundary layer intersected with Census county outlines.
Pins around Delaware State Forest
The orange pin is Delaware State Forest; 12 other public areas lie within 25 miles. The largest of them is Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Pennsylvania) at 29,677 acres.
| Name | Type | Acres | Away | Bearing | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Pennsylvania) | Recreation area | 29,677 | 8 mi | southeast | 3D |
| Promised Land State Park | State park | 1,300 | 9 mi | northwest | 3D |
| State Game Lands 180 | State Game Lands | 12,506 | 11 mi | north | 3D |
| State Game Lands 221 | State Game Lands | 4,684 | 13 mi | west | 3D |
| State Game Lands 183 | State Game Lands | 2,805 | 16 mi | north | 3D |
| State Game Lands 116 | State Game Lands | 3,088 | 16 mi | north | 3D |
| Tobyhanna State Park | State park | 5,200 | 17 mi | west | 3D |
| State Game Lands 209 | State Game Lands | 4,383 | 18 mi | northeast | 3D |
| State Game Lands 312 | State Game Lands | 4,459 | 18 mi | west | 3D |
| Big Pocono State Park | State park | 800 | 19 mi | southwest | 3D |
| Gouldsboro State Park | State park | 2,700 | 20 mi | west | 3D |
| Northampton County Lands (CWMA 444) | Cooperative WMA | 1,733 | 21 mi | south | 3D, 5C |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (DCNR Bureau of Forestry boundary GIS (point inside largest parcel)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Closest public range to Delaware State Forest
No range sits on Delaware State Forest; the nearest Game Commission range is State Game Lands 180 Archery Range, about 12 miles away. The other cards are clubs within 30 miles.
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Base towns for Delaware State Forest
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighboring counties.
| Town | County | Straight line | Heading | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milford | Pike | 16 mi | southwest | 1,144 | 20,876 |
| Mount Pocono | Monroe | 17 mi | northeast | 3,039 | 40,488 |
| Stroudsburg | Monroe | 18 mi | north | 5,819 | 3,883 |
| Gouldsboro | Wayne | 19 mi | east | — | 50,245 |
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.
Delaware State Forest: 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 Delaware State Forest 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.
Delaware State Forest gear checklist
Click through for current models and prices.
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Common Delaware State Forest questions from hunters
Does Delaware State Forest allow Sunday deer hunting?
Yes. Sundays inside season dates are open for all but migratory game birds.
How many square inches of orange does Delaware State Forest require?
Small game and firearm big game hunters wear 250 sq in; archery, turkey and waterfowl are exempt.
Is any special permit required on Delaware State Forest?
A general license, $20.97 for residents and $101.97 for nonresidents. Stocked pheasants require the $26.97 permit.
Which animals are hunted on Delaware State Forest?
Per the agency, whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, squirrels, cottontails, woodcock, pheasants, ducks and geese, coyotes and furbearers.
What public land is near Delaware State Forest?
Within reach are Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Pennsylvania) (8 miles), Promised Land State Park (9 miles) and State Game Lands 180 (11 miles), nearest first.
How did WMU 3D do last season?
15,600 in WMU 3D for 2025-26; PGC does not report by property.
Where are the boundaries of Delaware State Forest?
Follow the official page button above.
How many bears came from the Delaware State Forest counties?
In 2024, Pike and Monroe counties gave up 178 bears.
What kind of property is Delaware State Forest, exactly?
DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping, under the DCNR Bureau of Forestry.
What is the published acreage for Delaware State Forest?
It covers 83,519 acres by the published figure.
What county holds Delaware State Forest?
It is in Pike and Monroe counties. Milford sits 16 miles away.
One more check on Delaware State Forest
The managing agency has the last word on Delaware State Forest. Read its page and the PGC digest the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: pa.gov: hunting · pa.gov: delaware · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 1 · pa.gov: hunting · PASDA: MapServer 9; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); seabamirum (CC BY 2.0).