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Crawford County, wildlife refuge
Erie National Wildlife Refuge 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 Crawford County.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Quick facts on Erie NWR
Erie National Wildlife Refuge sits in the PGC Northwest region as a national wildlife refuge with a hunting program (Crawford County, WMU 1B). Manager on record: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its 8,959 acres rank 1st of 3 wildlife refuges with a published figure. Meadville is the nearest town we cover, roughly 10 miles away (the area lies east of it). There are 2 separate units within it.
County facts for Erie NWR
| County | Seat | Residents | Sq mi | WMU | SRA | CWD feeding | Head bin | Bears (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | Meadville | 82,089 | 1,012 | 1B, 1A | No | — | No | 20 |
From the source record (USFWS Annual Report of Lands as of 9/30/2025 (Erie, 8,959.28 acres)), 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 Erie NWR
Area rules, then the statewide basics.
Access and limits
Open without a refuge permit under Pennsylvania seasons and refuge-specific rules; small game in Areas A and B, migratory birds only in Area B.
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.
Erie NWR: features, plots and stocking
Features mapped by the managing agency, then its own description.
Description on file
FWS: established 1959 primarily for migratory birds; deer, black bear, waterfowl, pheasant, ruffed grouse, woodcock and other game; turkey in spring and fall; non-lead requirement proposed to take effect Sept. 1, 2026. 2026-27 regulations: refuge hunting permits are no longer required; hunters may enter 2 hours before sunrise and must leave 2 hours after sunset; stay 330 feet from eagle nests Jan. 15-Aug. 15; blinds or stands may be placed two weeks before the area's season and removed within two weeks after, marked with name, address or CID; toxic shot prohibited for shotgun hunting except for bear, deer and turkey; non-motorized watercraft only for waterfowl; upland small game in Areas A and B, migratory birds in Area B only.
Big game hunting Sept. 1 through end of February plus spring gobbler season.
Facts from the source record, USFWS, USFWS, FWS realty layer; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Erie NWR: game and bag limits
Whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, squirrels, cottontails, woodcock, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves, bobwhite quail, coyotes and furbearers, per the agency record.
White-tailed deer
The 2025-26 estimate for WMU 1B is 28,700 deer.
Black bear
WMU 1B bear harvest, 2025: 68.
Wild turkey
Spring 2024 gobbler harvest in WMU 1B: about 2,112.
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
Mourning dove
Statewide dove harvest, 2025: 91,336.
Bobwhite quail
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.
Erie NWR game seasons, unit by unit
The Game Commission sets dates by WMU, not by county. Erie NWR sits in WMU 1B, and the 46 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 1B picture for Erie NWR
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 1B | 2,118 | 82 | Three up | 44,000 | +/- 0 | 7/28 | No | 28,700 |
2020 was the high mark at 29,500; 2015 the low at 14,600. 2025-26: 11,100 antlered deer and 17,600 antlerless. Archers took 9,020, rifle and shotgun hunters 18,500, muzzleloaders 1,180. WMU 1B gets 44,000 antlerless tags in 2026-27 (+/- 0).
Bears taken nearby
| County | Bears 2024 | Bears 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Crawford | 20 | — |
Spring turkey and bear
| Unit | Spring birds 2024 | Bear harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 1B | 2,112 | 68 |
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 Erie NWR
Sorted by size where it helps.
Its units
| Name | Kind | County | Acres | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie National Wildlife Refuge, Sugar Lake Division | Refuge division | Crawford | 5,206 | 0 mi |
| Erie National Wildlife Refuge, Seneca Division | Refuge division | Crawford | 3,753 | 12 mi |
Pins around Erie NWR
The orange pin is Erie NWR; 12 other public areas lie within 25 miles. The largest of them is State Game Lands 213 at 5,646 acres.
| Name | Type | Acres | Away | Bearing | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 69 | State Game Lands | 4,476 | 4 mi | northeast | 1B |
| State Game Lands 200 | State Game Lands | 154 | 7 mi | north | 1B |
| Woodcock Creek Lake | Corps lake | 710 | 8 mi | northwest | 1B |
| State Game Lands 146 | State Game Lands | 526 | 9 mi | north | 1B |
| State Game Lands 96 | State Game Lands | 5,031 | 9 mi | southeast | 1B |
| State Game Lands 122 | State Game Lands | 2,735 | 10 mi | northeast | 1B |
| State Game Lands 85 | State Game Lands | 677 | 12 mi | north | 1B |
| State Game Lands 199 | State Game Lands | 1,129 | 13 mi | northeast | 1B |
| Two Mile Run Cty Park | Pheasant release site | 2,551 | 14 mi | southeast | 1B |
| State Game Lands 213 | State Game Lands | 5,646 | 15 mi | west | 1A |
| State Game Lands 277 | State Game Lands | 1,192 | 15 mi | north | 1B |
| State Game Lands 270 | State Game Lands | 2,191 | 15 mi | southwest | 1A |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (USFWS National Realty interest GIS (point inside largest parcel)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Closest public range to Erie National Wildlife Refuge
No range sits on Erie National Wildlife Refuge; the nearest Game Commission range is State Game Lands 109 Public Shooting Range, about 28 miles away. The other cards are clubs within 30 miles.
Rifle range 100 yd, 6 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 3 points; Shotgun patterning 20/40 yd; Archery range 10/20/30/40/50 yd, 12 lanes
Trap / skeet / archery
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Base towns for Erie NWR
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighboring counties.
| Town | County | Straight line | Heading | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadville | Crawford | 10 mi | east | 12,347 | 6,370 |
| Franklin | Venango | 17 mi | northwest | 5,933 | 16,420 |
| Conneaut Lake | Crawford | 18 mi | east | 612 | 15,278 |
| Sandy Lake | Mercer | 19 mi | north | 630 | 15,462 |
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.
Erie NWR: 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 Erie NWR 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.
Erie NWR gear checklist
Click through for current models and prices.
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Common Erie NWR questions from hunters
Is any special permit required on Erie NWR?
A general license, $20.97 for residents and $101.97 for nonresidents. Stocked pheasants require the $26.97 permit.
Which animals are hunted on Erie NWR?
Per the agency, whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, squirrels, cottontails, woodcock, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves, bobwhite quail, coyotes and furbearers.
What public land is near Erie NWR?
Within reach are State Game Lands 69 (4 miles), State Game Lands 200 (7 miles) and Woodcock Creek Lake (8 miles), nearest first.
How did WMU 1B do last season?
28,700 in WMU 1B for 2025-26; PGC does not report by property.
Where are the boundaries of Erie NWR?
Follow the official page button above.
How many bears came from the Erie NWR counties?
In 2024, Crawford County gave up 20 bears.
What kind of property is Erie NWR, exactly?
National wildlife refuge with a hunting program, under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What is the published acreage for Erie NWR?
It covers 8,959 acres by the published figure.
What county holds Erie NWR?
It is in Crawford County. Meadville sits 10 miles away.
What antler rule applies on Erie NWR?
PGC places it in WMU 1B. WMU 1B uses the three-up rule: three points on one side counting the beam tip, brow tine excluded.
Are antlerless licenses for Erie NWR sold out?
The WMU 1B quota is 44,000, +/- 0 on 2025-26, which sold out 7/28.
One more check on Erie NWR
The managing agency has the last word on Erie NWR. Read its page and the PGC digest the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: USFWS: hunting · USFWS: 2026 2027 erie nwr hunting regs maps final 0 · USFWS: 2025 annual report of lands data tables v2 · FWS realty layer: FeatureServer 0; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); Dave Williss (CC BY 2.0).