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Loyalsock State Forest for Hunters
A hunter’s summary of Loyalsock State Forest in Lycoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties: rules, seasons, harvest and local services.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Loyalsock State Forest: the essentials
WMU 3B covers Loyalsock State Forest, a DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping in Lycoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties. The DCNR Bureau of Forestry sets the rules on the ground. By size (114,552 acres) it comes in at 8th of 20 state forests. On the DCNR forest boundary the district adds up to 114,647 acres. Look south of Canton (the nearest town we cover), around 14 miles out.
County details near Loyalsock State Forest
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Square miles | WMUs | SRA county | CWD feeding ban | Head bin site | Bear harvest 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lycoming County | Williamsport | 113,236 | 1,229 | 2G, 3B, 4D, 4E | No | — | Yes | 148 |
| Sullivan County | Laporte | 5,927 | 450 | 3B | No | — | Yes | 75 |
| Bradford County | Towanda | 59,699 | 1,147 | 3C, 3B, 3A | No | — | No | 133 |
From the source record (DCNR Loyalsock State Forest page: "Loyalsock State Forest is named for Loyalsock Creek, a scenic freestone stream that winds through the heart of its 114,552 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.
What Loyalsock State Forest is hunted for
The record lists whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and squirrels.
White-tailed deer
Deer harvest, WMU 3B, 2025-26: 22,000.
Black bear
PGC recorded 300 bears in WMU 3B for 2025.
Wild turkey
PGC estimates 1,903 spring birds for WMU 3B (2024).
Ruffed grouse
PGC survey estimate for 2025: 3,175 grouse.
Squirrels
Pennsylvania hunters took about 344,414 squirrels 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.
Loyalsock State Forest: rules before the first sit
Prices are the PGC 2026-27 license figures.
Rules on this ground
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.
Forest musts
On state forests, Sunday hunting runs on the PGC dates. Safety zones around forest buildings and picnic areas are the only closed spots.
License costs
One general license covers small game and comes with tags for an antlered deer and two turkeys (fall and spring).
Sunday and orange rules
Firearm big game and all small game seasons call for orange; archery-only, turkey and migratory bird hunts do not.
Sunday hunting now covers every season other than ducks, geese, doves and woodcock; the 2026 spring gobbler season skipped Sundays.
On the ground at Loyalsock State Forest
From the agency map layers and description.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Wild area | McIntyre Wild Area · 7,227 ac |
| Wild area | Kettle Creek Wild Area · 1,935 ac |
| DCNR natural areas | 3 |
What the DCNR Bureau of Forestry says about it
Hunting for deer, turkey, grouse, squirrels, 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. The Resource Management Center near Laporte serves as a bear check station and the forest district has excellent black bear habitat. Additional information on hunting can be obtained from the Pennsylvania Game Commission or the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources .
Loyalsock State Forest is named for Loyalsock Creek, a scenic freestone stream that winds through the heart of its 114,552 acres.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PGC AGOL layer, pa.gov; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Loyalsock State Forest deer numbers by WMU
Unit-level figures from PGC, the finest level published for deer.
| Unit | Area sq mi | Game lands | Antlers | Licenses | Change | Sellout 2025 | CWD | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3B | 2,220 | 277 | 3 points, one side | 53,000 | +/- 0 | 8/26 | No | 22,000 |
Peak: 22,000 deer in 2025. Low: 14,200 in 2015. Bucks: 7,900; antlerless: 14,100 (2025-26). Archery 6,650; firearms 14,100; muzzleloader 1,250. Antlerless licenses for WMU 3B: 53,000 this year (+/- 0).
Turkeys and bears by WMU
| Unit | Turkeys (spring 2024) | Bears (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 3B | 1,903 | 300 |
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.
2026-27 season calendar for Loyalsock State Forest
Rows come straight from the 2026-27 digest and the seasons and bag limits page; the status column turns green while a season is open.
| Animal | Season | Covers | Starts | Ends | 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 | |
| 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 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.
Loyalsock State Forest plotted with its neighbors
Loyalsock State Forest sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbors inside 25 miles. Largest within reach: State Game Lands 13, 50,745 acres.
| Area | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 134 | State Game Lands | 8,615 | 3 mi | south | 3B |
| Worlds End State Park | State park | 265 | 11 mi | east | 3B |
| State Game Lands 133 | State Game Lands | 2,542 | 12 mi | west | 3B |
| State Game Lands 12 | State Game Lands | 24,598 | 12 mi | northeast | 3B |
| State Game Lands 298 | State Game Lands | 1,140 | 12 mi | southwest | 3B |
| State Game Lands 335 | State Game Lands | 1,169 | 16 mi | northwest | 3B |
| State Game Lands 36 | State Game Lands | 18,972 | 16 mi | northeast | 3B |
| State Game Lands 13 | State Game Lands | 50,745 | 21 mi | east | 3B |
| State Game Lands 325 | State Game Lands | 637 | 21 mi | south | 4E |
| State Game Lands 126 | State Game Lands | 646 | 22 mi | southwest | 4D |
| State Game Lands 114 | State Game Lands | 2,884 | 22 mi | west | 2G |
| State Game Lands 289 | State Game Lands | 1,642 | 23 mi | north | 3B, 3C |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (DCNR Bureau of Forestry boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Loyalsock State Forest: parent, units and county neighbors
Largest first; distance is as the crow flies.
Neighbors by county
| Name | Type | Counties | Acreage | Straight line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sproul State Forest | State forest | Clinton, Centre, Potter | 305,450 | 53 mi |
| Bald Eagle State Forest | State forest | Union, Centre, Mifflin | 194,602 | 46 mi |
| Tioga State Forest | State forest | Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford | 161,890 | 33 mi |
| Tiadaghton State Forest | State forest | Lycoming, Clinton, Potter | 146,539 | 31 mi |
| State Game Lands 13 | State Game Lands | Sullivan, Columbia, Lycoming | 50,745 | 21 mi |
| State Game Lands 75 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 27,500 | 28 mi |
| State Game Lands 12 | State Game Lands | Bradford, Sullivan | 24,598 | 12 mi |
| State Game Lands 36 | State Game Lands | Bradford | 18,972 | 16 mi |
| Ricketts Glen State Park | State park | Luzerne, Sullivan | 10,287 | 28 mi |
| State Game Lands 134 | State Game Lands | Lycoming, Sullivan | 8,615 | 3 mi |
| State Game Lands 66 | State Game Lands | Sullivan, Wyoming | 8,106 | 27 mi |
| State Game Lands 219 | State Game Lands | Bradford | 5,703 | 47 mi |
| State Game Lands 68 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 3,761 | 35 mi |
| State Game Lands 252 | State Game Lands | Lycoming, Union | 2,904 | 24 mi |
| State Game Lands 114 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 2,884 | 22 mi |
| State Game Lands 133 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 2,542 | 12 mi |
| Little Pine State Park | State park | Lycoming | 1,700 | 30 mi |
| State Game Lands 289 | State Game Lands | Bradford | 1,642 | 23 mi |
County share of Loyalsock State Forest
| County | District acres |
|---|---|
| Lycoming County | 70,282 |
| Sullivan County | 41,504 |
| Bradford County | 2,862 |
State forest land by county from the DCNR forest boundary layer intersected with Census county outlines.
Loyalsock State Forest hunting hours by day
Deer, bear and grouse hunters get a half hour of light at both ends of the day. Duck, goose and dove hunters stop right at sunset.
Times worked out for Loyalsock 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.
Where to sight in near Loyalsock State Forest
The Game Commission range closest to Loyalsock State Forest is State Game Lands 206 Public Shooting Range (33 miles). Local clubs within 30 miles are included.
Rifle range 50/75/100 yd, 10 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 8 points
Trap / sporting clays / shotgun / archery / cowboy action
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Where to stay and shop near Loyalsock State Forest
Pick a base town, then find a processor.
| Town | County | Miles | Direction to area | Population | Public land nearby (ac) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | Bradford | 14 mi | south | 1,711 | 52,298 |
| Picture Rocks | Lycoming | 14 mi | north | 632 | 22,359 |
| Laporte | Sullivan | 16 mi | west | 318 | 75,149 |
| Williamsport | Lycoming | 20 mi | northeast | 27,628 | 20,673 |
Services close by
Nearest 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.
Loyalsock State Forest: what to bring along
Four items chosen for this ground and its seasons.
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Loyalsock State Forest: what hunters keep asking
What is the closest public land to Loyalsock State Forest?
In order of distance: State Game Lands 134 (3 miles), Worlds End State Park (11 miles) and State Game Lands 133 (12 miles).
What was the deer harvest near Loyalsock State Forest?
About 22,000 deer came from WMU 3B last season.
Where can I get a map of Loyalsock State Forest?
The managing agency’s page or PDF is linked above.
How many bears in Lycoming and Sullivan counties?
356 bears in 2024 across Lycoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties.
Is Loyalsock State Forest owned by the state, a federal agency or someone else?
A DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping; the manager is the DCNR Bureau of Forestry.
Is Loyalsock State Forest big enough for a full day of hunting?
114,552 acres on the record.
Which town works well as a base for Loyalsock State Forest?
Lycoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties; Canton is the nearest town we cover, 14 miles away.
What Wildlife Management Unit covers Loyalsock State Forest?
It lies in WMU 3B. The antler rule in WMU 3B is three points on a side.
What is the antlerless allocation near Loyalsock State Forest?
53,000 for WMU 3B this year. Last year’s sellout date: 8/26.
Which 2026-27 deer segments cover Loyalsock State Forest?
Rifle season: Nov 28 to Dec 13, 2026. Archery starts Oct 3, 2026. The full list is in the season table above.
Is Sunday hunting allowed on Loyalsock State Forest?
All seasons include Sundays now, migratory birds excepted.
Loyalsock State Forest, the last word
Double-check Loyalsock State Forest with its manager: open areas, gates and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: pa.gov: hunting · pa.gov: loyalsock · 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: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Michele Dorsey Walfred (CC BY 2.0).