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2026-27 · Wildlife refuge
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, a Hunter’s Guide
993 acres of wildlife refuge in WMU 5D, with access rules, licenses, harvest numbers and a map.
Photo: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0)
John Heinz NWR at Tinicum by the numbers
Think of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum as a national wildlife refuge with a hunting program, spread over Delaware and Philadelphia counties and lying in WMU 5D. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service runs it. At 993 acres it is number 3 of the 3 wildlife refuges that report a size. From Media, the nearest town guide, the area is around 7 miles to the southeast.
Where John Heinz NWR at Tinicum sits, county by county
| County | Courthouse town | Population | Land, sq mi | Units | Special Regs | Feeding ban | Head bins 2026 | Bear count 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | Media | 584,882 | 184 | 5D | Yes | — | No | 0 |
| Philadelphia County | Philadelphia | 1,573,916 | 134 | 5D | Yes | — | No | 0 |
From the source record (USFWS Annual Report of Lands as of 9/30/2025 (John Heinz, 993.17 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.
Hunting John Heinz NWR at Tinicum by species
Listed game runs to 1 group: whitetails.
White-tailed deer
10,100 deer came out of WMU 5D in 2025-26 (PGC estimate).
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.
Hunting John Heinz NWR at Tinicum legally
What applies on this ground, card by card.
Where and when you may hunt
Lottery-only mentored archery deer hunt (antlerless permits) within the Pennsylvania archery season; refuge special use permit required.
License checklist
The general license covers small game plus the antlered deer and turkey tags; add the extras below as needed.
Sundays and blaze orange
Orange is needed in small game seasons and every firearms deer, bear and elk segment; archery seasons, turkey, waterfowl, doves and furbearers are exempt.
Except for migratory birds, every season in 2026-27 includes its Sundays.
Arms in the SRA
Philadelphia County: bows and crossbows only. Other SRA counties: manually operated rifles and handguns chambered for straight-walled centerfire cartridges; muzzleloaders .44 or larger; manual or semiautomatic shotguns .410 or larger with slugs; bows and crossbows (125 lb min). No buckshot.
Features mapped inside John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
Everything here is read from the agency record, nothing estimated.
Agency description
FWS: eligible groups are mentored youth (12-16), mentored adults (17+), junior license holders, active-duty military, veterans and people with disabilities; crossbows and ground blinds are provided. The entire refuge closes for the 2026-27 hunts on Oct. 8-10 and Nov. 20-22, 2026 and Jan. 8-10 and Jan. 21-23, 2027. The 2026-27 application deadline has passed.
Facts from the source record, USFWS, FWS realty layer; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Harvest and allocation near John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
PGC sets deer licenses and reports deer harvest by WMU, not by property, so these are unit figures.
| WMU | Square miles | SGL area | Antler restriction | Doe licenses | Change | Sellout | CWD detected | Deer taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5D | 1,327 | 16 | 3 points, one side | 44,000 | +5,000 | 10/18 | No | 10,100 |
Harvest peaked at 10,800 in 2017 and bottomed at 7,400 in 2015. Antlered 3,000, antlerless 7,100 in 2025-26. Firearms seasons accounted for 2,200 deer, archery 7,760 and muzzleloader 140. The unit’s 2026-27 antlerless quota is 44,000 (+5,000).
Bear harvest, counties
| County | 2024 harvest | 2025 (top 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 0 | — |
| Philadelphia | 0 | — |
WMU harvest
| WMU | Spring turkey 2024 | Bears 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 5D | 115 | 1 |
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.
Events tied to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
Retrieved October 12, 2026: 1 upcoming event, covering trapping program.
Scheduled
| Held | What | Where | Link | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 19, 2026 | Introduction to Trapping Program · Trapping program | John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum · Philadelphia · Philadelphia Co. | Register | Source |
John Heinz NWR at Tinicum seasons by Wildlife Management Unit
22 species and 46 dated segments for WMU 5D. The last column compares each one with today’s date.
| Species | Segment | Unit | From | Through | Status 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) | This area | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 27, 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) | This area | 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 | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 27, 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 13, 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 25-mile ring around John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
5 public areas within 25 miles, plus John Heinz NWR at Tinicum in orange. Biggest neighbor: Ridley Creek State Park, 1,200 acres.
| Public ground | Type | Acres | Distance | Which way | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridley Creek State Park | State park | 1,200 | 10 mi | northwest | 5D |
| State Game Lands 339 | State Game Lands | 18 | 22 mi | northeast | 5D |
| Benjamin Rush State Park | State park | 310 | 22 mi | northeast | 5D |
| Evansburg State Park | State park | 1,000 | 23 mi | north | 5D |
| Neshaminy State Park | State park | 125 | 23 mi | northeast | 5D |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (USFWS National Realty interest GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Legal hunting light around John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
Pennsylvania small and big game may be hunted from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. Doves, waterfowl and woodcock stop at sunset.
Times worked out for John Heinz NWR at Tinicum 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.
Ranges within reach of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
Closest public range: State Game Lands 234 Archery Range, roughly 29 miles from the middle of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. Nearby clubs are shown too.
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Help close to John Heinz NWR at Tinicum: shops and offices
Nearest towns by straight-line distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Toward | Population | Public ground within 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media | Delaware | 7 mi | southeast | 5,938 | 80 |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 12 mi | southwest | 1,573,916 | — |
| Norristown | Montgomery | 17 mi | south | 36,075 | — |
| West Chester | Chester | 18 mi | east | 22,758 | — |
Shops and processors
Region and district offices
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.
Gear that fits John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
Chosen around the hunting done here; listings update on every click.
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Short answers about hunting John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
What county holds John Heinz NWR at Tinicum?
Media is closest (7 miles); the ground is in Delaware and Philadelphia counties.
What does John Heinz NWR at Tinicum measure in acres?
993 acres, per USFWS Annual Report of Lands as of 9/30/2025 (John Heinz, 993.17 acres).
How many doe tags does WMU 5D get?
Buy a WMU 5D license. There are 44,000 of them in 2026-27.
Is John Heinz NWR at Tinicum a three-up antler unit?
WMU 5D, by the PGC WMU layer. A legal buck in WMU 5D has three points on one side.
Are Sundays huntable on John Heinz NWR at Tinicum?
Yes for deer, bear, turkey in fall and small game; no for ducks, geese and doves.
What are the archery dates for John Heinz NWR at Tinicum?
The firearms opener is Nov 28, 2026 and archery begins Sep 19, 2026. More segments sit in the table above.
Will a general license do for John Heinz NWR at Tinicum?
A Pennsylvania hunting license: $20.97 resident adult, $101.97 nonresident adult.
What is the orange rule on John Heinz NWR at Tinicum?
Yes: 250 square inches, head, chest and back, in the seasons that call for it.
Do I need to apply to hunt John Heinz NWR at Tinicum?
At least part of the hunting is limited. Lottery-only mentored archery deer hunt (antlerless permits) within the Pennsylvania archery season; refuge special use permit required.
What game is John Heinz NWR at Tinicum known for?
1 group: whitetails.
What is the buck harvest in WMU 5D?
Unit-level only: 10,100 deer in WMU 5D, 2025-26.
One more check on John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
Before the drive to John Heinz NWR at Tinicum, confirm the WMU dates, your licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: USFWS: hunting · 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: USFWS Mountain-Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).