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Northeast Pennsylvania

WMU 4E Hunting Guide

Unit 4E is the 15th largest of the 22 WMUs at 1,736 square miles; about 4% of it is public land.

1,736Unit area
60State Game Lands
61,000Antlerless allocation
FoundCWD

Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)

The lay of WMU 4E

10 Counties fall partly or wholly inside 4E: Montour, Northumberland, Columbia, Snyder, Luzerne, Dauphin, Schuylkill and Union and more. For public access the figures are 60 square miles of game lands plus 17 of forests, parks and federal ground. Bucks need three points on one side here.

1,736Sq mi, total
60SGL sq mi
17Other public
4%Percent public
10Counties
21Mapped tracts

WMU 4E boundary

From Muncy, PA Route 405 east to PA Route 118 at Hughesville; PA Route 118 east to PA Route 29 near Pikes Creek; PA Route 29 south to I-81 near Nanticoke; I-81 south to I-80; I-80 west to PA Route 42 near Bloomsburg; PA Route 42 south to PA Route 61 at Centralia; PA Route 61 south to I-81 near Frackville; I-81 south to US Route 209 near Joliett; US Route 209 west to Millersburg Ferry; from the Millersburg Ferry on the Susquehanna River north to a point directly east of the intersection of US Route 11/15 and PA Route 104; from this point directly west to PA Route 104; PA Route 104 north to PA Route 45 at Mifflinburg; PA Route 45 east to Susquehanna River; Susquehanna River north to PA Route 405 at Muncy.

Map image for 4E

PGC WMU boundary maps. Checked October 12, 2026.

When each season runs in 4E

Dates for unit 4E: 55 rows, sorted by species.

GameSegmentFirst dayLast dayDaysSundaysStatus
White-tailed deerAg Tag, antlerlessAug 1, 2026Apr 15, 202725837
White-tailed deerArcheryOct 3, 2026Nov 20, 2026497
White-tailed deerOctober muzzleloader antlerlessOct 17, 2026Oct 25, 202692
White-tailed deerSpecial firearms antlerlessOct 22, 2026Oct 25, 202641
White-tailed deerRegular firearmsNov 28, 2026Dec 13, 2026163
White-tailed deerArcheryDec 26, 2026Jan 24, 2027305
White-tailed deerExtended firearms antlerlessDec 26, 2026Jan 24, 2027305
White-tailed deerFlintlockDec 26, 2026Jan 24, 2027305
Black bearArcheryOct 17, 2026Oct 25, 202692
Black bearMuzzleloaderOct 22, 2026Oct 25, 202641
Black bearSpecial firearmsOct 22, 2026Oct 25, 202641
Black bearRegular firearmsNov 21, 2026Nov 24, 202641
Black bearExtended firearmsNov 28, 2026Dec 6, 202692
Wild turkeyFall seasonOct 31, 2026Nov 8, 202692
Wild turkeySpring gobbler youth huntApr 24, 2027Apr 25, 202721
Wild turkeySpring gobbler, morningsMay 1, 2027May 15, 2027152
Wild turkeySpring gobbler, all dayMay 16, 2027May 31, 2027163
Ruffed grouseRegular seasonOct 17, 2026Dec 24, 20266910
PheasantJunior huntOct 10, 2026Oct 18, 202692
PheasantRegular seasonOct 24, 2026Dec 24, 2026629
PheasantRegular seasonDec 26, 2026Feb 28, 20276510
Bobwhite quailRegular seasonSep 1, 2026Dec 24, 202611516
Bobwhite quailRegular seasonDec 26, 2026Mar 31, 20279614
CottontailJunior huntOct 3, 2026Oct 18, 2026163
CottontailRegular seasonOct 17, 2026Dec 24, 20266910
CottontailRegular seasonDec 26, 2026Feb 28, 20276510
Snowshoe hareRegular seasonDec 26, 2026Dec 31, 202661
SquirrelsJunior huntSep 12, 2026Sep 27, 2026163
SquirrelsRegular seasonSep 12, 2026Dec 24, 202610415
SquirrelsRegular seasonDec 26, 2026Feb 28, 20276510
WoodchuckRegular seasonJul 1, 2026Dec 24, 202617725
WoodchuckRegular seasonDec 26, 2026Jun 30, 202718727
CrowRegular, Thu to SunAug 20, 2026Mar 21, 202721431
CoyoteHuntingJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 202736552
FoxHuntingOct 24, 2026Feb 21, 202712118
RaccoonHuntingOct 24, 2026Feb 21, 202712118
PorcupineHuntingOct 10, 2026Nov 27, 2026497
PorcupineHuntingDec 14, 2026Dec 24, 2026111
PorcupineHuntingDec 26, 2026Jan 31, 2027376
Mourning doveRegular seasonSep 1, 2026Nov 27, 20268812
Mourning doveRegular seasonDec 18, 2026Jan 2, 2027162
WoodcockRegular seasonOct 17, 2026Dec 8, 2026538
BobcatTrappingDec 19, 2026Jan 10, 2027234
BobcatHuntingJan 9, 2027Feb 3, 2027264
Opossum, skunkHuntingJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 202736552
Starling, sparrowNo closed seasonJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 202736552
GallinulesRegular seasonSep 1, 2026Nov 20, 20268111
RailsRegular seasonSep 1, 2026Nov 20, 20268111
SnipeRegular seasonOct 17, 2026Dec 8, 2026538
FurbearersTrappingOct 24, 2026Feb 21, 202712118
Mink and muskratTrappingNov 21, 2026Jan 10, 2027518
BeaverTrappingDec 19, 2026Mar 31, 202710315
FisherTrappingDec 19, 2026Jan 10, 2027234
Coyote, foxCable restraintsDec 26, 2026Feb 21, 2027589
River otterTrappingFeb 13, 2027Feb 21, 202792

Waterfowl and dove seasons follow statewide or highway zones and are not listed here.

seasons and bag limits, 2026-27 digest. Checked October 12, 2026.

Deer hunting in WMU 4E

61,000 antlerless licenses were set for 4E, +/- 0 against 2025-26. Sales closed out on 9/6 last year. Hunters took about 25,000 deer here in 2025-26: 7,500 antlered and 17,500 antlerless. Archery dates: Oct 3 to Nov 20, 2026; Dec 26, 2026 to Jan 24, 2027.

3 pointsAntler rule
61,000Antlerless licenses
+/- 0Change
9/6Sold out 2025
13.42Density 2024
25,000Deer, 2025-26
WMU 4E deer harvest by license year07,50015,00022,50030,0002009: 10,40010,40020092010: 10,70010,70020102011: 11,10011,10020112012: 11,10011,10020122013: 14,00014,00020132014: 11,70011,70020142015: 13,10013,10020152016: 14,80014,80020162017: 16,90016,90020172018: 16,30016,30020182019: 16,80016,80020192020: 19,80019,80020202021: 19,70019,70020212022: 20,40020,40020222023: 21,80021,80020232024: 23,30023,30020242025: 25,00025,0002025
SeasonBucksDoes and button bucksTotal
Archery3,5504,1807,730
Firearms3,90011,90015,800
Muzzleloader501,4201,470

allocations, 2025-26 deer report, PGC harvest dashboard. Checked October 12, 2026.

Mapped public land, WMU 4E

21 tracts, sorted by acres; a tract that crosses a unit line appears in both units.

Public landTypeCountyAcresGame listed
Pinchot State ForestState ForestLackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe54,000deer, bear, turkey +6
Weiser State ForestState ForestDauphin, Schuylkill, Columbia30,000deer, bear, turkey +2
Ricketts Glen State ParkState ParkLuzerne, Sullivan10,287deer, bear, turkey +4
State Game Lands 264State Game LandsDauphin, Schuylkill9,018pheasant
State Game Lands 84State Game LandsNorthumberland, Schuylkill9,010deer, grouse, squirrel +1
State Game Lands 226State Game LandsColumbia4,322pheasant
State Game Lands 260State Game LandsLuzerne3,100–
State Game Lands 326State Game LandsSchuylkill2,699–
State Game Lands 55State Game LandsColumbia2,651deer, bear, turkey +5
State Game Lands 207State Game LandsLuzerne2,573deer, bear, turkey +3
State Game Lands 132State Game LandsSchuylkill1,830deer, turkey, grouse +1
State Game Lands 115State Game LandsNorthumberland, Montour1,686deer, turkey, grouse +4
State Game Lands 206State Game LandsLuzerne1,513–
State Game Lands 165State Game LandsNorthumberland1,267deer, grouse, squirrel +2
State Game Lands 233State Game LandsNorthumberland915–
State Game Lands 224State Game LandsLuzerne878–
State Game Lands 258State Game LandsPerry, Dauphin, Northumberland852deer, grouse, rabbit +2
State Game Lands 325State Game LandsNorthumberland, Lycoming637–
State Game Lands 212State Game LandsSnyder504deer, bear, turkey +5
State Game Lands 193State Game LandsUnion325deer, turkey, pheasant +2
State Game Lands 201State Game LandsUnion271deer, squirrel, rabbit +1

PGC State Game Lands GIS and DCNR and federal land data, overlaid on the PGC WMU layer; a tract counts when at least 1% of it, or 100 acres, falls in the unit. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Other big game and fur in 4E

90 bears came from 4E in 2025. Archery for bear runs Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026 in this unit. After the four-day season, bears stay legal Nov 28 to Dec 6, 2026. Fall birds are open Oct 31 to Nov 8, 2026. The spring 2024 survey put the 4E gobbler harvest at 1,655. 4E is open for bobcat, fisher and river otter with a permit. 4E beaver limit: 5 daily / 5 season.

WMU 4E bear harvest0501001502002018: 10510520182019: 13913920192020: 13513520202021: 979720212022: 10910920222023: 727220232024: 969620242025: 90902025
WMU 4E spring gobbler harvest07501,5002,2503,0002015: 1,7861,78620152016: 1,4191,41920162017: 1,6351,63520172018: 1,7631,76320182019: 1,5011,50120192020: 1,3781,37820202021: 1,1691,16920212022: 1,6331,63320222023: 1,7171,71720232024: 1,6551,6552024
WMU 4E fall turkey harvest05001,0001,5002,0002009: 1,5271,52720092010: 1,0801,08020102011: 81581520112012: 76376320122013: 87287220132014: 75075020142015: 69469420152016: 52052020162017: 45245220172018: 27127120182019: 33333320192020: 31431420202021: 20820820212022: 19819820222023: 1471472023

bear report, bear 2024, spring turkey, PGC harvest dashboard, furbearer WMUs. Checked October 12, 2026.

Which counties 4E covers

Each county guide shows every unit it touches, with the same shares.

CWD has been found in wild deer in 4E, so the unit’s hunters can use free PGC head bins. Feeding deer is prohibited in parts of Snyder, Dauphin and Juniata. The 2026 head-bin list includes Northumberland, Columbia, Snyder, Luzerne, Dauphin, Schuylkill, Union, Lycoming and Juniata. CWD in Pennsylvania

County shares from the PGC WMU layer intersected with Census county outlines (counties.json); CWD lists from the digest and feeding order. Checked October 12, 2026.

Kitchen Creek cascading over stepped shale in autumn, Ricketts Glen State Park
Kitchen Creek cascading over stepped shale in autumn, Ricketts Glen State ParkPhoto: Doug Kerr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Waterfall plunging over a dark ledge into a fern-lined glen at Ricketts Glen State Park
Waterfall plunging over a dark ledge into a fern-lined glen at Ricketts Glen State ParkPhoto: Jason (CC BY 2.0)
Gravel Tannery Road through yellow autumn forest, Pinchot State Forest
Gravel Tannery Road through yellow autumn forest, Pinchot State ForestPhoto: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC0 1.0)

WMU 4E FAQ

How many points does a buck need in 4E?

Bucks in 4E need 3 points on one side. The junior and mentored youth exemption allows two points on one side.

Is chronic wasting disease in 4E?

CWD has been found in wild deer in 4E, so the unit’s hunters can use free PGC head bins. Feeding deer is prohibited in parts of Snyder, Dauphin and Juniata. The 2026 head-bin list includes Northumberland, Columbia, Snyder, Luzerne, Dauphin, Schuylkill, Union, Lycoming and Juniata. The carcass rule is the same statewide.

What are archery dates in 4E?

Archery dates: Oct 3 to Nov 20, 2026; Dec 26, 2026 to Jan 24, 2027. Sundays inside those dates are open.

Can I hunt turkeys in the fall in 4E?

Fall birds are open Oct 31 to Nov 8, 2026.

How many bears come from 4E?

Archery for bear runs Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026 in this unit. After the four-day season, bears stay legal Nov 28 to Dec 6, 2026. 90 bears came from 4E in 2025.

What is the biggest public tract in 4E?

For public access the figures are 60 square miles of game lands plus 17 of forests, parks and federal ground. By acreage, Pinchot State Forest, Weiser State Forest and Ricketts Glen State Park lead.

How does the 4E deer harvest compare?

Hunters took about 25,000 deer here in 2025-26: 7,500 antlered and 17,500 antlerless. Only 7 units gave up more.

What are the trapping rules in 4E?

4E is open for bobcat, fisher and river otter with a permit. 4E beaver limit: 5 daily / 5 season.

Where are the WMU 4E boundaries?

The boundary text above lists the roads; the unit spans 1,736 square miles across Montour, Northumberland, Columbia, Snyder and Luzerne.

Can I still buy an antlerless license for 4E?

61,000 antlerless licenses were set for 4E, +/- 0 against 2025-26. Sales closed out on 9/6 last year. They are sold by unit at $6.97 for residents.

Plan the rest of the trip

Neighbouring units

WMU 4C · WMU 4D · WMU 3B · WMU 4B · WMU 2G · WMU 3D · WMU 5B

Closest agency offices

Loyalsock District Office (Loyalsock State Forest)

Dushore, Sullivan County · about 34 mi away

PGC Northeast Region Office

Dallas, Luzerne County · about 38 mi away