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2026-27 · National forest
Allegheny National Forest, a Hunter’s Guide
512,932 acres of national forest in WMU 1B, WMU 2F and WMU 3A, with access rules, licenses, harvest numbers and a map.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Allegheny National Forest by the numbers
Think of Allegheny National Forest as a national forest hunted under Pennsylvania seasons, spread over Warren, Elk, Forest and McKean counties and lying in WMU 1B, WMU 2F and WMU 3A. The USDA Forest Service runs it. 512,932 acres are on file for it. From Sheffield, the nearest town guide, the area is around 3 miles to the south. It splits into 2 listed units, each with its own page.
Where Allegheny National Forest sits, county by county
| County | Courthouse town | Population | Land, sq mi | Units | Special Regs | Feeding ban | Head bins 2026 | Bear count 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | Warren | 37,373 | 884 | 2F, 1B | No | — | Yes | 67 |
| Elk County | Ridgway | 30,124 | 827 | 2G, 2F | No | — | Yes | 44 |
| Forest County | Tionesta | 6,601 | 427 | 2F | No | — | No | 48 |
| McKean County | Smethport | 39,478 | 980 | 3A, 2F, 2G | No | — | Yes | 78 |
From the source record (USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics (USDA Forest Service ownership, Allegheny NF)), 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.
Hunting Allegheny National Forest by species
Listed game runs to 7 groups: whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, squirrels, woodcock and pheasants.
White-tailed deer
28,700 deer came out of WMU 1B in 2025-26 (PGC estimate).
Black bear
The 2025 bear count for WMU 1B was 68.
Wild turkey
WMU 1B hunters took roughly 2,112 spring turkeys in 2024.
Ruffed grouse
Statewide grouse harvest, 2025: 3,175.
Squirrels
344,414 squirrels statewide in 2025, by PGC survey.
Woodcock
Statewide woodcock harvest, 2025: 5,105.
Ring-necked pheasant
Pennsylvania hunters took about 214,577 pheasants statewide in 2025 (Game Take Survey). 2,374 pheasants in 9 releases are allocated to this ground.
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.
Hunting Allegheny National Forest legally
What applies on this ground, card by card.
Where and when you may hunt
Open to hunting under PGC seasons and licenses; firearm discharge prohibited within 150 yards of developed sites and across forest roads.
Pheasant rules
| Season | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Carry a pheasant permit along with your license. Junior hunters pay nothing for it.
License checklist
The general license covers small game plus the antlered deer and turkey tags; add the extras below as needed.
Sundays and blaze orange
Orange is needed in small game seasons and every firearms deer, bear and elk segment; archery seasons, turkey, waterfowl, doves and furbearers are exempt.
Except for migratory birds, every season in 2026-27 includes its Sundays.
Features mapped inside Allegheny National Forest
Everything here is read from the agency record, nothing estimated.
| On the ground | Count or size |
|---|---|
| Birds stocked | 9 releases, 2,374 birds |
Agency description
USFS: habitat for white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock and squirrels; hunting allowed on National Forest land with state licenses, seasons set by PGC. No discharging a firearm within 150 yards of a developed recreation area, building or occupied area, or across a forest road. Posting NFS land or reserving a hunting spot is prohibited. 144 forest roads opened Sept. 19, 2026 for hunter access, with nine more opening later; roads reserved for disabled hunters require a PGC Disabled Persons Permit.
National Forest System land: 512,932 acres (USFS EDW), Bradford Ranger District 262,965 and Marienville Ranger District 249,968.
Facts from the source record, USFS, USFS, USFS EDW; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Harvest and allocation near Allegheny National Forest
PGC sets deer licenses and reports deer harvest by WMU, not by property, so these are unit figures.
| WMU | Square miles | SGL area | Antler restriction | Doe licenses | Change | Sellout | CWD detected | Deer taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 1B | 2,118 | 82 | Three up | 44,000 | +/- 0 | 7/28 | No | 28,700 |
| WMU 2F | 2,411 | 221 | 3 points, one side | 67,000 | +16,000 | 7/31 | Yes | 26,500 |
| WMU 3A | 1,508 | 87 | 3 points, one side | 21,000 | +/- 0 | 7/28 | No | 14,500 |
Harvest peaked at 29,500 in 2020 and bottomed at 14,600 in 2015. Antlered 11,100, antlerless 17,600 in 2025-26. Firearms seasons accounted for 18,500 deer, archery 9,020 and muzzleloader 1,180. The unit’s 2026-27 antlerless quota is 44,000 (+/- 0).
CWD has been detected in WMU 2F. High-risk deer parts must be disposed of under the statewide rule. CWD rules
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.
Events tied to Allegheny National Forest
Retrieved October 12, 2026: 1 published result, covering grouse trial.
Recent winners
| Held | Event | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2025 | Pennsylvania Grouse Championship 2025 (78th renewal) · Grouse trial | Pennsylvania Grouse Championship [One-Hour Heats] winner: Blue Ribbon River (Martin Festa, owner, Robert Ecker, handler) Pennsylvania Grouse Championship [One-Hour Heats] runner-up: Gracie Ballroom Star (George Najor, owner, Robert Ecker, handler) Open Puppy 1st: Sunrise Double Barrell Star (George Najor, owner; Bob Ecker, handler) Open Derby 1st: Heartbreaker Bud Light (Tom Butts, owner and handler) | Source |
Allegheny National Forest seasons by Wildlife Management Unit
23 species and 51 dated segments for WMU 1B, WMU 2F and WMU 3A. The last column compares each one with today’s date.
| Species | Segment | Unit | From | Through | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | WMU 3A | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 3A | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 1B | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 2F | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 2F | 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 | WMU 2F, 3A | 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.
The 25-mile ring around Allegheny National Forest
12 public areas within 25 miles, plus Allegheny National Forest in orange. Biggest neighbor: Clear Creek State Forest, 16,716 acres.
| Public ground | Type | Acres | Distance | Which way | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapman State Park | State park | 700 | 11 mi | northwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 29 | State Game Lands | 9,830 | 11 mi | northwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 28 | State Game Lands | 11,268 | 15 mi | south | 2F |
| Hatch Run | Pheasant release site | — | 18 mi | north | 2F |
| State Game Lands 86 | State Game Lands | 14,320 | 18 mi | northwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 24 | State Game Lands | 8,585 | 20 mi | southwest | 2F |
| Tionesta Lake | Corps lake | 2,619 | 21 mi | southwest | 2F |
| State Game Lands 309 | State Game Lands | 996 | 22 mi | west | 2F |
| Clear Creek State Park | State park | 1,000 | 23 mi | south | 2F |
| Kinzua Bridge State Park | State park | 275 | 24 mi | east | 3A |
| Clear Creek State Forest | State forest | 16,716 | 24 mi | south | 2D, 2F |
| Elk State Park | State park | 3,150 | 24 mi | east | 2G |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (PGC copy of ANF boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Allegheny National Forest and its related units
Straight-line miles from this page’s map point.
Divisions and districts
| Area | Type | Where | Size (ac) | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny National Forest, Bradford Ranger District | Ranger district | Warren, McKean, Forest | 262,965 | 15 mi |
| Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District | Ranger district | Elk, Forest, McKean | 249,968 | 10 mi |
Other areas sharing its counties
| Area | Type | Where | Size (ac) | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susquehannock State Forest | State forest | Potter, Clinton, McKean | 265,000 | 60 mi |
| Elk State Forest | State forest | Cameron, Elk, McKean | 217,000 | 45 mi |
| Moshannon State Forest | State forest | Clearfield, Centre, Elk | 190,031 | 47 mi |
| State Game Lands 44 | State Game Lands | Elk | 39,335 | 24 mi |
| State Game Lands 25 | State Game Lands | Elk | 24,379 | 25 mi |
| State Game Lands 54 | State Game Lands | Jefferson, Elk | 19,408 | 25 mi |
| State Game Lands 14 | State Game Lands | Cameron, Elk | 17,360 | 36 mi |
| Clear Creek State Forest | State forest | Jefferson, Venango, Clarion | 16,716 | 24 mi |
| State Game Lands 86 | State Game Lands | Warren | 14,320 | 18 mi |
| State Game Lands 30 | State Game Lands | McKean | 11,658 | 35 mi |
| State Game Lands 28 | State Game Lands | Elk, Forest | 11,268 | 15 mi |
| Cook Forest State Park | State park | Clarion, Forest, Jefferson | 11,000 | 24 mi |
| State Game Lands 61 | State Game Lands | McKean | 9,972 | 37 mi |
| State Game Lands 29 | State Game Lands | Warren | 9,830 | 11 mi |
| State Game Lands 34 | State Game Lands | Clearfield, Elk | 9,558 | 47 mi |
| State Game Lands 62 | State Game Lands | McKean | 9,258 | 25 mi |
| State Game Lands 24 | State Game Lands | Forest, Clarion | 8,585 | 20 mi |
| State Game Lands 143 | State Game Lands | Warren | 8,476 | 26 mi |
Legal hunting light around Allegheny National Forest
Pennsylvania small and big game may be hunted from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. Doves, waterfowl and woodcock stop at sunset.
Times worked out for Allegheny National Forest 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.
Ranges within reach of Allegheny National Forest
Closest public range: State Game Lands 24 Public Shooting Range, roughly 22 miles from the middle of Allegheny National Forest. Nearby clubs are shown too.
Sporting clays / shotgun
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Help close to Allegheny National Forest: shops and offices
Nearest towns by straight-line distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Toward | Population | Public ground within 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield | Warren | 3 mi | south | — | 206,323 |
| Kane | McKean | 11 mi | west | 3,489 | 155,505 |
| Marienville | Forest | 14 mi | north | — | 167,129 |
| Warren | Warren | 15 mi | southeast | 9,125 | 104,857 |
Shops and processors
Region and district 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.
Gear that fits Allegheny National Forest
Chosen around the hunting done here; listings update on every click.
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Short answers about hunting Allegheny National Forest
Which other areas are close to Allegheny National Forest?
The closest public ground on our list is Chapman State Park (11 miles), State Game Lands 29 (11 miles) and State Game Lands 28 (15 miles).
Is Allegheny National Forest stocked with pheasants?
Yes, 2,374 pheasants in 9 stockings.
How do I find parking on Allegheny National Forest?
The agency link above has the map.
What is the buck harvest in WMU 1B?
Unit-level only: 28,700 deer in WMU 1B, 2025-26.
Whose rules govern Allegheny National Forest?
the USDA Forest Service manages this national forest hunted under Pennsylvania seasons.
Is there bear hunting near Allegheny National Forest?
PGC counted 237 bears in Warren, Elk, Forest and McKean counties in 2024.
What county holds Allegheny National Forest?
Sheffield is closest (3 miles); the ground is in Warren, Elk, Forest and McKean counties.
What does Allegheny National Forest measure in acres?
512,932 acres, per USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics (USDA Forest Service ownership, Allegheny NF).
How many doe tags does WMU 1B get?
Buy a WMU 1B license. There are 44,000 of them in 2026-27.
Is Allegheny National Forest a three-up antler unit?
WMU 1B, WMU 2F and WMU 3A, by the PGC WMU layer. In WMU 1B a legal buck needs three points on one side, brow tine not counted. Other units here: WMU 2F and WMU 3A. Of these, three-up units are 1B.
Are Sundays huntable on Allegheny National Forest?
Yes for deer, bear, turkey in fall and small game; no for ducks, geese and doves.
One more check on Allegheny National Forest
Before the drive to Allegheny National Forest, confirm the WMU dates, your licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: USFS: hunting shooting · USFS: forest roads open 2026 27 hunting seasons · USFS: allegheny · USFS EDW: MapServer 0 · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 1 · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 100; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Fyn Kynd (CC BY 2.0); Virginia State Parks staff (CC BY 2.0).