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Tioga County, state forest
Tioga State Forest Hunting
Who runs it, which seasons apply for whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and ruffed grouse, what PGC has mapped on it and the public ground around it in Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford and Potter counties.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Quick facts on Tioga State Forest
Tioga State Forest sits in the PGC Northcentral region as a DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping (Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford and Potter counties, WMU 2G, WMU 3A and WMU 3B). Manager on record: the DCNR Bureau of Forestry. Its 161,890 acres rank 6th of 20 state forests with a published figure. The boundary polygons total 162,031 acres. Wellsboro is the nearest town we cover, roughly 9 miles away (the area lies southwest of it).
County facts for Tioga State Forest
| County | Seat | Residents | Sq mi | WMU | SRA | CWD feeding | Head bin | Bears (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tioga County | Wellsboro | 40,698 | 1,134 | 3A, 2G, 3B | No | — | No | 163 |
| Lycoming County | Williamsport | 113,236 | 1,229 | 2G, 3B, 4D, 4E | No | — | Yes | 148 |
| Bradford County | Towanda | 59,699 | 1,147 | 3C, 3B, 3A | No | — | No | 133 |
| Potter County | Coudersport | 15,993 | 1,081 | 2G, 3A | No | — | No | 109 |
From the source record (DCNR Tioga State Forest page: "” It covers 161,890 acres in:"), 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.
Rules that apply on Tioga State Forest
Area rules, then the statewide basics.
Access and limits
Open to hunting and trapping under PGC seasons and regulations throughout the forest except safety zones around buildings and picnic areas; Sunday hunting follows PGC dates.
State forest rules
Sundays are huntable on the forest in step with PGC seasons. Stay clear of buildings and picnic areas; their safety zones are closed.
What to buy
A general license is the base; antlered deer, fall turkey and spring gobbler tags come with it.
Orange and Sundays
You need orange in small game seasons and during any firearms deer, bear or elk season; it is not required for archery, turkey, waterfowl or doves.
PGC opened Sundays across all seasons for 2026-27 except migratory game birds.
Tioga State Forest: features, plots and stocking
Features mapped by the managing agency, then its own description.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Wild area | Asaph Wild Area · 2,783 ac |
| Natural area count | 5 |
Description on file
Hunting for deer, turkeys, grouse, squirrels, and black bear is a popular use of the forest during designated seasons. Other than a few safety zones around buildings and picnic areas, hunting is permitted throughout the state forest.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PGC AGOL layer, pa.gov; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Tioga State Forest: game and bag limits
Whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and squirrels, per the agency record.
White-tailed deer
The 2025-26 estimate for WMU 2G is 19,900 deer.
Black bear
WMU 2G bear harvest, 2025: 488.
Wild turkey
Spring 2024 gobbler harvest in WMU 2G: about 2,966.
Ruffed grouse
Pennsylvania hunters took about 3,175 grouse statewide in 2025 (Game Take Survey).
Squirrels
The 2025 Game Take Survey puts the squirrel harvest at 344,414.
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.
Tioga State Forest game seasons, unit by unit
The Game Commission sets dates by WMU, not by county. Tioga State Forest sits in WMU 2G, WMU 3A and WMU 3B, and the 50 rows below are the ones that reach it.
| Game | Season | Applies in | Begins | Ends | Right 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 | WMU 3A, 3B | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 2G, 3A | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 3B | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | WMU 3B | 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.
The WMU 2G, WMU 3A and WMU 3B picture for Tioga State Forest
PGC publishes deer data by unit; nothing finer exists.
| Unit | Area | Game land | Buck rule | Antlerless licenses | vs 2025-26 | Sold out | CWD | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 2G | 4,112 | 294 | 3 points, one side | 57,000 | +/- 0 | 8/3 | No | 19,900 |
| WMU 3A | 1,508 | 87 | 3 points, one side | 21,000 | +/- 0 | 7/28 | No | 14,500 |
| WMU 3B | 2,220 | 277 | 3 points, one side | 53,000 | +/- 0 | 8/26 | No | 22,000 |
2025 was the high mark at 19,900; 2015 the low at 10,200. 2025-26: 7,600 antlered deer and 12,300 antlerless. Archers took 4,960, rifle and shotgun hunters 13,500, muzzleloaders 1,440. Before 2024, PGC counted the former WMU 2H separately, so earlier 2G bars cover a smaller unit. WMU 2G gets 57,000 antlerless tags in 2026-27 (+/- 0).
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.
Areas tied to Tioga State Forest
Sorted by size where it helps.
More public ground in the same counties
| Name | Kind | County | Acres | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sproul State Forest | State forest | Clinton, Centre, Potter | 305,450 | 31 mi |
| Susquehannock State Forest | State forest | Potter, Clinton, McKean | 265,000 | 24 mi |
| Elk State Forest | State forest | Cameron, Elk, McKean | 217,000 | 43 mi |
| Bald Eagle State Forest | State forest | Union, Centre, Mifflin | 194,602 | 50 mi |
| Tiadaghton State Forest | State forest | Lycoming, Clinton, Potter | 146,539 | 21 mi |
| Loyalsock State Forest | State forest | Lycoming, Sullivan, Bradford | 114,552 | 33 mi |
| State Game Lands 13 | State Game Lands | Sullivan, Columbia, Lycoming | 50,745 | 54 mi |
| State Game Lands 75 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 27,500 | 12 mi |
| State Game Lands 12 | State Game Lands | Bradford, Sullivan | 24,598 | 37 mi |
| State Game Lands 36 | State Game Lands | Bradford | 18,972 | 42 mi |
| State Game Lands 37 | State Game Lands | Tioga | 13,136 | 21 mi |
| State Game Lands 208 | State Game Lands | Tioga | 8,833 | 13 mi |
| State Game Lands 134 | State Game Lands | Lycoming, Sullivan | 8,615 | 35 mi |
| State Game Lands 64 | State Game Lands | Potter | 8,100 | 16 mi |
| State Game Lands 59 | State Game Lands | Potter, McKean | 7,023 | 43 mi |
| Tioga-Hammond Lakes | Corps lake | Tioga | 6,488 | 22 mi |
| State Game Lands 219 | State Game Lands | Bradford | 5,703 | 66 mi |
| State Game Lands 204 | State Game Lands | Potter | 4,030 | 39 mi |
Forest acres per county
| County | Forest acres |
|---|---|
| Tioga County | 154,681 |
| Lycoming County | 4,503 |
| Bradford County | 2,648 |
| Potter County | 187 |
State forest land by county from the DCNR forest boundary layer intersected with Census county outlines.
Pins around Tioga State Forest
The orange pin is Tioga State Forest; 12 other public areas lie within 25 miles. The largest of them is State Game Lands 75 at 27,500 acres.
| Name | Type | Acres | Away | Bearing | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 268 | State Game Lands | 3,049 | 3 mi | east | 2G |
| Leonard Harrison State Park | State park | 250 | 6 mi | northwest | 2G |
| Colton Point State Park | State park | 100 | 6 mi | northwest | 2G |
| State Game Lands 68 | State Game Lands | 3,761 | 11 mi | south | 2G |
| State Game Lands 75 | State Game Lands | 27,500 | 12 mi | south | 2G |
| State Game Lands 208 | State Game Lands | 8,833 | 13 mi | northwest | 2G, 3A |
| State Game Lands 313 | State Game Lands | 485 | 13 mi | northeast | 3A |
| State Game Lands 64 | State Game Lands | 8,100 | 16 mi | northwest | 2G, 3A |
| Ole Bull State Park | State park | 11 | 17 mi | west | 2G |
| Little Pine State Park | State park | 1,700 | 18 mi | south | 2G |
| Lyman Run State Park | State park | 505 | 20 mi | west | 2G |
| State Game Lands 37 | State Game Lands | 13,136 | 21 mi | northeast | 3A |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (DCNR Bureau of Forestry boundary GIS (point inside largest parcel)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Closest public range to Tioga State Forest
No range sits on Tioga State Forest; the nearest Game Commission range is State Game Lands 206 Public Shooting Range, about 66 miles away. The other cards are clubs within 30 miles.
Rifle range 50/75/100 yd, 10 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 8 points
Trap / skeet / rifle / smallbore / handgun / archery / muzzleloader / benchrest / silhouette
Archery / 3D archery / field archery / target archery
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Base towns for Tioga State Forest
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighboring counties.
| Town | County | Straight line | Heading | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellsboro | Tioga | 9 mi | southwest | 3,422 | 54,886 |
| Galeton | Potter | 15 mi | southeast | 955 | 96,063 |
| Blossburg | Tioga | 17 mi | west | 1,509 | 48,687 |
| Mansfield | Tioga | 21 mi | southwest | 2,937 | 32,462 |
Nearby services
Who to call
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.
Tioga State Forest: sunrise, sunset and legal light
Shooting hours for whitetails, turkeys and rabbits run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset. Migratory game birds end at sunset.
Times worked out for Tioga State 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.
Tioga State Forest gear checklist
Click through for current models and prices.
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Common Tioga State Forest questions from hunters
Are antlerless licenses for Tioga State Forest sold out?
The WMU 2G quota is 57,000, +/- 0 on 2025-26, which sold out 8/3.
When does rifle season open near Tioga State Forest?
Oct 3 to Nov 20, 2026 for archery, then Nov 28 to Dec 13, 2026 for firearms. See the WMU table for the rest.
Does Tioga State Forest allow Sunday deer hunting?
Yes. Sundays inside season dates are open for all but migratory game birds.
How many square inches of orange does Tioga State Forest require?
Small game and firearm big game hunters wear 250 sq in; archery, turkey and waterfowl are exempt.
Is any special permit required on Tioga State Forest?
A general license, $20.97 for residents and $101.97 for nonresidents.
Which animals are hunted on Tioga State Forest?
Per the agency, whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and squirrels.
What public land is near Tioga State Forest?
Within reach are State Game Lands 268 (3 miles), Leonard Harrison State Park (6 miles) and Colton Point State Park (6 miles), nearest first.
How did WMU 2G do last season?
19,900 in WMU 2G for 2025-26; PGC does not report by property.
Where are the boundaries of Tioga State Forest?
Follow the official page button above.
How many bears came from the Tioga State Forest counties?
In 2024, Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford and Potter counties gave up 553 bears.
What kind of property is Tioga State Forest, exactly?
DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping, under the DCNR Bureau of Forestry.
One more check on Tioga State Forest
The managing agency has the last word on Tioga State Forest. Read its page and the PGC digest the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: pa.gov: hunting · pa.gov: tioga · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 1 · pa.gov: hunting · PASDA: MapServer 9; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: NPS Photo (Public domain); David Williss (CC BY 2.0).