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Ricketts Glen State Park for Hunters
A hunter’s summary of Ricketts Glen State Park in Luzerne and Sullivan counties: rules, seasons, harvest and local services.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Ricketts Glen State Park: the essentials
WMU 3B and WMU 4E covers Ricketts Glen State Park, a DCNR state park with areas opened to hunters in Luzerne and Sullivan counties. The DCNR Bureau of State Parks sets the rules on the ground. By size (10,287 acres open to hunting) it comes in at 7th of 92 state parks. Total park area in DCNR GIS: 12,994 acres. Look northeast of Benton (the nearest town we cover), around 11 miles out.
County details near Ricketts Glen State Park
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Square miles | WMUs | SRA county | CWD feeding ban | Head bin site | Bear harvest 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County | Wilkes-Barre | 331,379 | 890 | 4E, 3B, 3D, 4C | No | — | Yes | 95 |
| Sullivan County | Laporte | 5,927 | 450 | 3B | No | — | Yes | 75 |
From the source record (DCNR park hunting page (acres open to hunting): "During established seasons, hunting is permitted daily on approximately 10,287 acres, with the exception of migratory game bird hunting which remains "), 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 Ricketts Glen State Park is hunted for
The record lists whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, pheasants, ducks and geese, furbearers and small game.
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).
Ring-necked pheasant
214,577 pheasants statewide in 2025, by PGC survey. 9 stockings and 510 pheasants are scheduled here.
Ducks and geese
Waterfowl dates depend on PGC zones drawn along highways; see the duck and goose pages. Canada goose
Furbearers (trapping)
Statewide in 2025: 33,682 coyotes, 50,350 red foxes and 136,839 raccoons.
Small game
PGC survey estimate for 2025: 66,555 rabbits.
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.
Ricketts Glen State Park: rules before the first sit
Prices are the PGC 2026-27 license figures.
Rules on this ground
DCNR opens designated parts of the park during PGC seasons, under both DCNR and PGC rules. Woodchuck hunting is banned in every state park.
Migratory game birds: no Sunday hunting. Any sporting arm legal for the season may be used.
Pheasant season
| Segment | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Junior hunt | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
| Regular season (male or female) | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 |
| Regular season (male or female) | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Falconry | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 |
A pheasant permit is required on top of the license, free for juniors.
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.
DMAP
Antlerless DMAP permits ($10.97 resident) apply here, and the extended antlerless firearms season runs on all DMAP land.
On the ground at Ricketts Glen State Park
From the agency map layers and description.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stocked pheasants | 9 releases, 510 birds |
| DMAP | Yes |
What the DCNR Bureau of State Parks says about it
Note: The Glens Natural Area (Falls Trail system) and the main day use and camping areas of the park are closed to hunting. Nearby: For additional hunting opportunities, about 83,000 acres of state game lands lie to the west and north of the park.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PASDA, PGC AGOL layer; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Ricketts Glen State Park 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 |
| WMU 4E | 1,736 | 60 | 3 points, one side | 61,000 | +/- 0 | 9/6 | Yes | 25,000 |
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).
PGC has found CWD in WMU 4E. Dispose of high-risk parts as the statewide rule requires. CWD page
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 Ricketts Glen State Park
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) | WMU 4E | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 3B | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 3B | 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.
Ricketts Glen State Park plotted with its neighbors
Ricketts Glen State Park 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 206 | State Game Lands | 1,513 | 5 mi | southeast | 4E |
| State Game Lands 13 | State Game Lands | 50,745 | 7 mi | west | 3B |
| State Game Lands 57 | State Game Lands | 46,676 | 8 mi | northeast | 3B |
| State Game Lands 66 | State Game Lands | 8,106 | 10 mi | north | 3B |
| State Game Lands 224 | State Game Lands | 878 | 13 mi | southeast | 3B, 4E |
| State Game Lands 260 | State Game Lands | 3,100 | 15 mi | south | 4E |
| State Game Lands 55 | State Game Lands | 2,651 | 16 mi | south | 4E |
| Worlds End State Park | State park | 265 | 18 mi | northwest | 3B |
| State Game Lands 142 | State Game Lands | 369 | 18 mi | north | 3B |
| Vosburg Neck State Park | State park | 575 | 19 mi | northeast | 3C |
| Frances Slocum State Park | State park | 700 | 20 mi | east | 3B |
| State Game Lands 172 | State Game Lands | 730 | 20 mi | north | 3B |
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.
Ricketts Glen State Park 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 Ricketts Glen 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.
Where to sight in near Ricketts Glen State Park
The Game Commission range closest to Ricketts Glen State Park is State Game Lands 206 Public Shooting Range (4 miles). Local clubs within 30 miles are included.
Rifle range 50/75/100 yd, 10 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 8 points
Trap
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Where to stay and shop near Ricketts Glen State Park
Pick a base town, then find a processor.
| Town | County | Miles | Direction to area | Population | Public land nearby (ac) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | Columbia | 11 mi | northeast | 824 | 16,942 |
| Harveys Lake | Luzerne | 12 mi | west | 2,862 | 39,686 |
| Laporte | Sullivan | 13 mi | southeast | 318 | 75,149 |
| Dushore | Sullivan | 15 mi | southeast | 458 | 44,446 |
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.
Ricketts Glen State Park: what to bring along
Four items chosen for this ground and its seasons.
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Ricketts Glen State Park: what hunters keep asking
What is the antlerless allocation near Ricketts Glen State Park?
53,000 for WMU 3B this year. Last year’s sellout date: 8/26.
Which 2026-27 deer segments cover Ricketts Glen State Park?
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 Ricketts Glen State Park?
All seasons include Sundays now, migratory birds excepted.
When is orange mandatory at Ricketts Glen State Park?
250 sq in of fluorescent orange, visible all around, whenever the season requires it.
What paperwork do I carry on Ricketts Glen State Park?
Start with the $20.97 resident license; bear, archery, muzzleloader and antlerless are extra. The pheasant permit is $26.97 for adults.
What species does Ricketts Glen State Park hold?
Whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, pheasants, ducks and geese, furbearers and small game.
How often is Ricketts Glen State Park stocked?
Yes: 9 releases and 510 birds in 2026-27.
What is the closest public land to Ricketts Glen State Park?
In order of distance: State Game Lands 206 (5 miles), State Game Lands 13 (7 miles) and State Game Lands 57 (8 miles).
What was the deer harvest near Ricketts Glen State Park?
About 22,000 deer came from WMU 3B last season.
Where can I get a map of Ricketts Glen State Park?
The managing agency’s page or PDF is linked above.
How many bears in Luzerne and Sullivan counties?
170 bears in 2024 across Luzerne and Sullivan counties.
Ricketts Glen State Park, the last word
Double-check Ricketts Glen State Park with its manager: open areas, gates and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: pa.gov: hunting · pa.gov: hunting · PASDA: MapServer 8 · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 100; 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); Sarah Stierch (CC0 1.0).