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State Game Lands · Northeast region
State Game Lands 36 for Hunters
A hunter’s summary of State Game Lands 36 in Bradford County: rules, seasons, harvest and local services.
Photo: Doug Kerr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
SGL 36: the essentials
WMU 3B covers State Game Lands 36, a State Game Lands tract owned and managed by the Game Commission for hunting and trapping in Bradford County. The Pennsylvania Game Commission sets the rules on the ground. By size (18,972 acres) it comes in at 14th of 312 State Game Lands. Look southwest of Towanda (the nearest town we cover), around 11 miles out.
County details near SGL 36
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Square miles | WMUs | SRA county | CWD feeding ban | Head bin site | Bear harvest 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford County | Towanda | 59,699 | 1,147 | 3C, 3B, 3A | No | — | No | 133 |
From the source record (PGC SGL Boundaries GIS (sum of ACRES for SGL 36)), 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 SGL 36 is hunted for
The record lists whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, squirrels, woodcock, pheasants, coyotes and furbearers.
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).
Woodcock
PGC survey estimate for 2025: 5,105 woodcocks.
Ring-necked pheasant
214,577 pheasants statewide in 2025, by PGC survey. 9 stockings and 1,420 pheasants are scheduled here.
Coyote
Statewide in 2025: 33,682 coyotes, 50,350 red foxes and 136,839 raccoons.
Furbearers (trapping)
Statewide in 2025: 33,682 coyotes, 50,350 red foxes and 136,839 raccoons.
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.
SGL 36: rules before the first sit
Prices are the PGC 2026-27 license figures.
Rules on this ground
Statewide seasons and rules apply across the game land, for hunters and trappers alike. Vehicles are barred from gated roads and trails; posted refuges and propagation areas cannot be entered.
Game land rules
Visitors who are not hunting on State Game Lands must show orange (a hat or 250 sq in) in the two seasonal windows, Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 and April 20 to May 31.
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 SGL 36
From the agency map layers and description.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Food plots (PGC) | 5 · 83 ac |
| Stocked pheasants | 9 releases, 1,420 birds |
| Late-season stocking | Yes |
What PGC says about it
State Game Lands (SGL) 036 is located in the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Northeast Region It lies within Albany, Franklin, Monroe, and Overton Townships of Bradford County. Monroeton is the nearest populated town located approximately 1.5 miles to the north of the eastern tract of SGL 036. The Towanda Borough is approximately 8 miles north of SGL 036. Topography is best described as mountainous with many steep slopes rising from the valley bottoms to ridges and plateaued tops.
State Game Lands 036 has a well distributed diversity of land classification types that have components of a variety of hardwood and conifer tree species. The most common hardwood species are red maple, red oak, black cherry, chestnut oak, black birch, American beech, white ash, sugar maple, and aspen. Conifer species include eastern hemlock, white pine, eastern larch, plantation Norway spruce, and plantation red pine. There is a nearly equal amount of acreage in oak stands and northern hardwood stands.
The most popular hunting pursuits are for whitetail deer, black bear, ruffed grouse, squirrel, and wild turkey. American woodcock are also hunted in applicable habitat. Furtakers primarily pursue raccoon, beaver, mink, muskrat, grey fox, bobcat, and coyote. Small game hunting opportunities on SGL 036 include put and take pheasant hunting in the reclamation site.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PGC AGOL layer, pa.gov; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
SGL 36 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).
Bears by county
| County | In 2024 | In 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford | 133 | 134 |
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 SGL 36
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.
SGL 36 plotted with its neighbors
SGL 36 sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbors inside 25 miles. Largest within reach: Loyalsock State Forest, 114,552 acres.
| Area | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 12 | State Game Lands | 24,598 | 5 mi | west | 3B |
| State Game Lands 289 | State Game Lands | 1,642 | 10 mi | north | 3B, 3C |
| Mount Pisgah State Park | State park | 1,100 | 12 mi | north | 3C |
| State Game Lands 142 | State Game Lands | 369 | 12 mi | east | 3B |
| Worlds End State Park | State park | 265 | 12 mi | south | 3B |
| State Game Lands 250 | State Game Lands | 440 | 13 mi | east | 3B |
| State Game Lands 237 | State Game Lands | 184 | 13 mi | northeast | 3B |
| State Game Lands 172 | State Game Lands | 730 | 16 mi | east | 3B |
| Loyalsock State Forest | State forest | 114,552 | 16 mi | southwest | 3B |
| State Game Lands 134 | State Game Lands | 8,615 | 18 mi | southwest | 3B |
| State Game Lands 239 | State Game Lands | 840 | 19 mi | north | 3C |
| State Game Lands 66 | State Game Lands | 8,106 | 19 mi | southeast | 3B |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (PGC SGL Boundaries GIS (point inside largest parcel)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
SGL 36 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 SGL 36 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.
Shooting ranges near State Game Lands 36
The Game Commission range closest to State Game Lands 36 is State Game Lands 206 Public Shooting Range (31 miles). Local clubs within 30 miles are included.
Rifle range 50/75/100 yd, 10 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 8 points
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Where to stay and shop near SGL 36
Pick a base town, then find a processor.
| Town | County | Miles | Direction to area | Population | Public land nearby (ac) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towanda | Bradford | 11 mi | southwest | 2,774 | 11,772 |
| Dushore | Sullivan | 13 mi | northwest | 458 | 44,446 |
| Canton | Bradford | 14 mi | east | 1,711 | 52,298 |
| Laporte | Sullivan | 16 mi | north | 318 | 75,149 |
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.
SGL 36: what to bring along
Four items chosen for this ground and its seasons.
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SGL 36: what hunters keep asking
How often is SGL 36 stocked?
Yes: 9 releases and 1,420 birds in 2026-27. It gets late-season birds as well.
How many food plots does SGL 36 have?
5 mapped plots, 83 acres.
What is the closest public land to SGL 36?
In order of distance: State Game Lands 12 (5 miles), State Game Lands 289 (10 miles) and Mount Pisgah State Park (12 miles).
What was the deer harvest near SGL 36?
About 22,000 deer came from WMU 3B last season.
Where can I get a map of SGL 36?
The managing agency’s page or PDF is linked above.
How many bears in Bradford County?
133 bears in 2024 across Bradford County.
Is SGL 36 owned by the state, a federal agency or someone else?
A State Game Lands tract owned and managed by the Game Commission for hunting and trapping; the manager is the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Is SGL 36 big enough for a full day of hunting?
18,972 acres on the record.
Which town works well as a base for SGL 36?
Bradford County; Towanda is the nearest town we cover, 11 miles away.
What Wildlife Management Unit covers SGL 36?
It lies in WMU 3B. The antler rule in WMU 3B is three points on a side.
What is the antlerless allocation near SGL 36?
53,000 for WMU 3B this year. Last year’s sellout date: 8/26.
SGL 36, the last word
Double-check SGL 36 with its manager: open areas, gates and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: PGC GIS: MapServer 17 · pa.gov: sgl 036 · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 100 · pa.gov: pheasant allocation · PGC GIS: MapServer 15 · pa.gov: state game lands; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain-Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0).