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Pennsylvania migratory birds
Mute Swan Hunting in Pennsylvania
Mute swans are non-native and unprotected in Pennsylvania, so they may be taken and do not count toward any daily limit. Below: every 2026-27 segment, the limits, WMU detail, public land, harvest figures and the rules for mute swans.
Photo: USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0)
Tundra and trumpeter swans have no open season. No public tract on our list names swans; the lands below list waterfowl. The PGC species classes list the mute swan under Other, with crows, starlings and English sparrows.
Mute Swan: the PGC summary
- Non-native and unprotected; may be harvested, not counted in bag; tundra and trumpeter swans protected.
2026-27 mute swan calendar
From the first mute swan opener to the last close, 0 segments make up the 2026-27 calendar.
| Hunt | Applies in | Start | End | Length | Sundays | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No open season | Statewide | Not set |
Season table notes
- No open season.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
What the PGC allows for mute swans
Read these before counting mute swans; the wording is the Game Commission’s.
Bag: mute swan
Non-native, unprotected; may be harvested and do not count toward the daily bag.
Public land for mute swans
For mute swans we fall back to the 131 tracts whose game list includes waterfowl.
| Name | Land type | County | WMUs | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware State Forest | State Forest | Pike, Monroe | 3D | 83,519 |
| Pinchot State Forest | State Forest | Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe | 3B/3C/3D/4E | 54,000 |
| State Game Lands 108 | State Game Lands | Cambria, Blair | 2E/4D | 22,739 |
| Ohiopyle State Park | State Park | Fayette | 2C | 20,000 |
| State Game Lands 141 | State Game Lands | Carbon | 4C | 17,227 |
| Moraine State Park | State Park | Butler | 1A | 14,000 |
| Hickory Run State Park | State Park | Carbon | 3D/4C | 13,000 |
| Laurel Ridge State Park | State Park | Somerset, Westmoreland, Cambria | 2C | 13,000 |
| State Game Lands 180 | State Game Lands | Pike | 3D | 12,506 |
| Cook Forest State Park | State Park | Clarion, Forest, Jefferson | 2F | 11,000 |
| State Game Lands 95 | State Game Lands | Butler | 2D | 10,626 |
| Pymatuning State Park | State Park | Crawford | 1A | 10,300 |
| Ricketts Glen State Park | State Park | Luzerne, Sullivan | 3B/4E | 10,287 |
| State Game Lands 214 | State Game Lands | Crawford | 1A | 9,661 |
| State Game Lands 34 | State Game Lands | Clearfield, Elk | 2G | 9,558 |
116 more tracts for mute swans
State Game Lands 159 (9,448 ac) · Erie National Wildlife Refuge (8,959 ac) · Raccoon Creek State Park (7,000 ac) · Oil Creek State Park (6,800 ac) · State Game Lands 40 (6,200 ac) · State Game Lands 46 (6,053 ac) · French Creek State Park (6,000 ac) · Lehigh Gorge State Park (6,000 ac) · State Game Lands 38 (5,818 ac) · State Game Lands 213 (5,646 ac) · Prince Gallitzin State Park (5,600 ac) · Tobyhanna State Park (5,200 ac) · Blue Knob State Park (5,000 ac) · Bald Eagle State Park (4,910 ac) · State Game Lands 69 (4,476 ac) · State Game Lands 312 (4,459 ac) · Hillman State Park (3,650 ac) · Nescopeck State Park (3,500 ac) · Nockamixon State Park (3,500 ac) · Swatara State Park (3,500 ac) · Shenango River Lake (3,449 ac) · Elk State Park (3,150 ac) · Black Moshannon State Park (3,000 ac) · Shawnee State Park (3,000 ac) · State Game Lands 145 (2,987 ac) · State Game Lands 302 (2,976 ac) · Codorus State Park (2,800 ac) · Gouldsboro State Park (2,700 ac) · State Game Lands 43 (2,571 ac) · State Game Lands 280 (2,552 ac) · Kings Gap Environmental Education Center (2,500 ac) · State Game Lands 301 (2,332 ac) · Yellow Creek State Park (2,300 ac) · Laurel Hill State Park (2,200 ac) · McConnells Mill State Park (2,200 ac) · Gifford Pinchot State Park (1,945 ac) · State Game Lands 56 (1,791 ac) · Beltzville State Park (1,700 ac) · Little Pine State Park (1,700 ac) · Locust Lake State Park (1,700 ac) · William Penn State Forest (1,683 ac) · Kettle Creek State Park (1,640 ac) · State Game Lands 284 (1,590 ac) · State Game Lands 151 (1,584 ac) · Prompton State Park (1,400 ac) · Sinnemahoning State Park (1,400 ac) · State Game Lands 140 (1,346 ac) · State Game Lands 218 (1,339 ac) · Promised Land State Park (1,300 ac) · State Game Lands 191 (1,223 ac) · State Game Lands 310 (1,197 ac) · State Game Lands 277 (1,192 ac) · State Game Lands 243 (1,167 ac) · State Game Lands 254 (1,163 ac) · State Game Lands 199 (1,129 ac) · State Game Lands 317 (1,103 ac) · Mount Pisgah State Park (1,100 ac) · Tuscarora State Park (1,100 ac) · Maurice K. Goddard State Park (1,075 ac) · Clear Creek State Park (1,000 ac) · and 56 more in the directories
Where mute swans counties rank
- Crawford County8 tracts
- Wayne County8 tracts
- Monroe County7 tracts
- Dauphin County6 tracts
- Erie County6 tracts
- Carbon County5 tracts
- Luzerne County5 tracts
- Potter County5 tracts
- Berks County4 tracts
- Bucks County4 tracts
- Chester County4 tracts
- Lackawanna County4 tracts
- Lawrence County4 tracts
- Mercer County4 tracts
- York County4 tracts
PGC State Game Lands GIS, DCNR forest and park hunting pages and federal managers (PGC layers), retrieved 2026-10-12. Species lists are what each manager names; area rules still apply.
Mute Swan licenses and requirements
Everything here is from the 2026-27 digest and applies statewide unless a WMU or area says otherwise.
Fees
The paperwork for mute swans, with fees.
Shooting time
Migratory rules apply to mute swans, so legal shooting runs from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
Safety orange
Mute swans are hunted without the orange requirement. Remember that coyote hunters during a big game season follow that season’s orange rule.
Sundays this year
Mute swans stay closed on Sundays, since federal migratory bird seasons are excluded. Sunday hunting in PA
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission 2026-27 digest, license types and harvest reporting, checked October 12, 2026. Pennsylvania hunting laws · License guide.
What you may hunt mute swans with
The PGC lists legal arms by season; these rows cover mute swans.
| Applies to | Legal sporting arms | Prohibited |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfowl and migratory birds | Manual and semiautomatic shotguns no larger than 10 gauge plugged to 3 shells; bows and crossbows; nontoxic shot up to size T for waterfowl. | Lead shot for waterfowl; unplugged guns; sink boxes; shooting from moving motorboats. |
Methods that matter for mute swans
Migratory bird restrictions
No migratory bird hunting on Sundays; no sink boxes, motor vehicles, aircraft, moving motorboats, live decoys, recorded calls (except snow goose conservation season), baited areas (baited for 30 days after removal) or driving birds.
2026-27 digest, sporting arms and unlawful acts pages, checked October 12, 2026.
Quick answers on mute swans
Can I hunt tundra swans in Pennsylvania?
No. Tundra and trumpeter swans have no open season.
Can I use a rifle for mute swans?
Waterfowl and migratory birds: Manual and semiautomatic shotguns no larger than 10 gauge plugged to 3 shells; bows and crossbows; nontoxic shot up to size T for waterfowl.
What does the PGC allow per day for mute swans?
Non-native, unprotected; may be harvested and do not count toward the daily bag.
What paperwork do waterfowlers carry?
For mute swans: Resident Adult Hunting License ($20.97); Resident Migratory Game Bird License ($3.97).
Can I hunt mute swans on State Game Lands?
Our list has 131; by acreage, Delaware State Forest, Pinchot State Forest and State Game Lands 108 come first.
Can mute swans be hunted at night?
Migratory rules apply to mute swans, so legal shooting runs from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
Is orange needed when hunting mute swans?
Mute swans are hunted without the orange requirement. Remember that coyote hunters during a big game season follow that season’s orange rule.
Does Sunday hunting include mute swans?
Mute swans stay closed on Sundays, since federal migratory bird seasons are excluded.
Before the drive to Mute Swan country
Chosen around the hunting done here; listings update on every click.
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Wrapping up mute swans
A State Game Land, park or forest can add its own rules on top of the statewide mute swan rules here.
Other photos on this page: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0); Calistemon (CC BY-SA 4.0); David Williss (CC BY 2.0); Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0).