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Pennsylvania migratory birds
American Woodcock Hunting in Pennsylvania
Woodcock season runs Oct 17 to Dec 8, 2026, three a day and nine in possession. Below: every 2026-27 segment, the limits, WMU detail, public land, harvest figures and the rules for woodcock.
Photo: Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0)
Woodcock are migratory, so they close at sunset and on Sundays, and need the migratory game bird license. Survey estimates for 2025: 5,105 woodcock by 4,767 hunters. 24 public tracts list woodcock among their game.
American Woodcock: the PGC summary
- Oct. 17-Dec. 8, 2026; 3 daily, 9 possession.
2026-27 woodcock calendar
From the first woodcock opener to the last close, 1 segment make up the 2026-27 calendar.
| Hunt | Applies in | Start | End | Length | Sundays | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | 53 | Not on Sundays |
Season table notes
- 3 daily, 9 possession. Sunday hunting prohibited for migratory game birds.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
What the PGC allows for woodcock
Read these before counting woodcock; the wording is the Game Commission’s.
PGC limit: woodcock
3 daily, 9 possession.
Public land for woodcock
Woodcock hunters have 24 public options in our data, the largest Allegheny National Forest.
| Name | Land type | County | WMUs | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny National Forest | National Forest | Warren, Elk, Forest | 1B/2F/3A | 512,932 |
| Allegheny National Forest, Bradford Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Warren, McKean, Forest | 1B/2F/3A | 262,965 |
| Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Elk, Forest, McKean | 2F | 249,968 |
| Delaware State Forest | State Forest | Pike, Monroe | 3D | 83,519 |
| State Game Lands 108 | State Game Lands | Cambria, Blair | 2E/4D | 22,739 |
| State Game Lands 36 | State Game Lands | Bradford | 3B | 18,972 |
| State Game Lands 214 | State Game Lands | Crawford | 1A | 9,661 |
| Erie National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Crawford | 1B | 8,959 |
| State Game Lands 187 | State Game Lands | Luzerne | 3D/4C | 8,157 |
| State Game Lands 213 | State Game Lands | Crawford | 1A | 5,646 |
| State Game Lands 228 | State Game Lands | Somerset | 2C | 4,226 |
| State Game Lands 314 | State Game Lands | Erie | 1B | 3,550 |
| State Game Lands 222 | State Game Lands | Schuylkill | 4C | 2,377 |
| State Game Lands 284 | State Game Lands | Mercer, Lawrence | 1A | 1,590 |
| Cornplanter State Forest | State Forest | Forest, Crawford, Warren | 1B/2F | 1,585 |
9 more tracts for woodcock
State Game Lands 140 (1,346 ac) · State Game Lands 291 (1,259 ac) · State Game Lands 191 (1,223 ac) · State Game Lands 277 (1,192 ac) · State Game Lands 216 (491 ac) · State Game Lands 202 (469 ac) · State Game Lands 247 (460 ac) · State Game Lands 190 (395 ac) · State Game Lands 160 (246 ac)
Where woodcock counties rank
- Crawford County6 tracts
- Erie County4 tracts
- Forest County4 tracts
- Warren County4 tracts
- McKean County3 tracts
- Elk County2 tracts
- Lawrence County2 tracts
- Schuylkill County2 tracts
- Armstrong County1 tracts
- Blair County1 tracts
- Bradford County1 tracts
- Cambria County1 tracts
- Luzerne County1 tracts
- Mercer County1 tracts
- Monroe County1 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.
Survey harvest of woodcock
PGC survey figures for woodcock; they are estimates, not check-station counts.
| Year | Harvest | Hunters | Hunter days | Per 100 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,105 | 4,767 | 19,679 | 25.94 |
| 2024 | 1,716 | 3,250 | 13,134 | 13.07 |
| 2023 | 3,773 | 3,286 | 13,968 | 27.01 |
| 2022 | 4,707 | 3,822 | 21,016 | 22.4 |
| 2021 | 4,537 | 4,538 | 32,511 | 13.96 |
| 2020 | 8,668 | 4,215 | 33,907 | 25.56 |
| 2019 | 45,514 | 3,607 | 14,040 | 32.44 |
| 2018 | 4,986 | 3,952 | 17,759 | 28.08 |
Harvest data: harvest, hunters, hunter days. Estimates as published by the PGC.
American Woodcock 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 woodcock, with fees.
Shooting time
Migratory rules apply to woodcock, so legal shooting runs from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
Safety orange
Woodcock are hunted without the orange requirement. Remember that coyote hunters during a big game season follow that season’s orange rule.
Sundays this year
Woodcock 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 woodcock with
The PGC lists legal arms by season; these rows cover woodcock.
| 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 woodcock
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.
Dogs
Unlawful to use dogs to hunt elk, bears, deer or spring turkeys; dogs allowed for fall turkey, small game and furbearers (not during regular firearms deer and bear seasons for furbearers). Leashed tracking dogs may recover deer, bear or elk with no permit.
2026-27 digest, sporting arms and unlawful acts pages, checked October 12, 2026.
Quick answers on woodcock
Is woodcock season the same as snipe season?
Yes, both run Oct. 17 to Dec. 8, 2026, but snipe allow eight a day and woodcock three.
Is orange needed when hunting woodcock?
Woodcock 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 woodcock?
Woodcock stay closed on Sundays, since federal migratory bird seasons are excluded.
Can I use a rifle for woodcock?
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.
When can I hunt woodcock this season?
Woodcock hunters get regular season Oct 17 to Dec 8, 2026.
What does the PGC allow per day for woodcock?
3 daily, 9 possession.
What paperwork do woodcock hunters carry?
For woodcock: Resident Adult Hunting License ($20.97); Resident Migratory Game Bird License ($3.97); Nonresident Migratory Game Bird License ($6.97).
Can I hunt woodcock on State Game Lands?
Our list has 24; by acreage, Allegheny National Forest, Allegheny National Forest, Bradford Ranger District and Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District come first.
Can woodcock be hunted at night?
Migratory rules apply to woodcock, so legal shooting runs from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.
Before the drive to American Woodcock country
Chosen around the hunting done here; listings update on every click.
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Light 20 gauge case
Grouse hunters walk miles; a padded case protects the gun in the truck.
Wrapping up woodcock
A State Game Land, park or forest can add its own rules on top of the statewide woodcock rules here.
Other photos on this page: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); GerryT (CC BY 2.0); Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0); USFWS Mountain-Prairie (CC BY 2.0).