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2026-27 · State forest
Tuscarora State Forest, a Hunter’s Guide
96,025 acres of state forest in WMU 4B, with access rules, licenses, harvest numbers and a map.
Photo: lcm1863 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tuscarora State Forest by the numbers
Think of Tuscarora State Forest as a DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping, spread over Perry, Juniata, Mifflin, Franklin, Cumberland and Huntingdon counties and lying in WMU 4B. The DCNR Bureau of Forestry runs it. At 96,025 acres it is number 9 of the 20 state forests that report a size. The DCNR boundary layer measures 96,127 acres. From McVeytown, the nearest town guide, the area is around 13 miles to the southeast.
Where Tuscarora State Forest sits, county by county
| County | Courthouse town | Population | Land, sq mi | Units | Special Regs | Feeding ban | Head bins 2026 | Bear count 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | New Bloomfield | 46,816 | 551 | 4B | No | Whole county | Yes | 12 |
| Juniata County | Mifflintown | 23,395 | 391 | 4B, 4D, 4E | No | Whole county | Yes | 13 |
| Mifflin County | Lewistown | 45,935 | 411 | 4D, 4B | No | Whole county | Yes | 14 |
| Franklin County | Chambersburg | 159,285 | 772 | 5A, 4B, 4A | No | Whole county | Yes | 9 |
| Cumberland County | Carlisle | 275,516 | 545 | 5A, 4B, 5B | No | Whole county | Yes | 11 |
| Huntingdon County | Huntingdon | 43,359 | 875 | 4A, 4D, 4B | No | Whole county | Yes | 49 |
From the source record (DCNR Tuscarora State Forest page: "Comprising 96,025 acres, Tuscarora State Forest includes tracts 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.
Hunting Tuscarora State Forest by species
Listed game runs to 4 groups: whitetails, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and squirrels.
White-tailed deer
21,100 deer came out of WMU 4B in 2025-26 (PGC estimate).
Wild turkey
WMU 4B hunters took roughly 1,268 spring turkeys in 2024.
Ruffed grouse
Statewide grouse harvest, 2025: 3,175.
Squirrels
344,414 squirrels statewide in 2025, by PGC survey.
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 Tuscarora State Forest legally
What applies on this ground, card by card.
Where and when you may hunt
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.
Forest hunting rules
Forest land follows PGC Sunday dates. Buildings and picnic areas carry closed safety zones; everything else is open.
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 Tuscarora State Forest
Everything here is read from the agency record, nothing estimated.
| On the ground | Count or size |
|---|---|
| DCNR wild area | James C. Nelson Wild Area · 5,227 ac |
| Natural areas | 3 |
Agency description
Hunting, particularly for deer and turkey, is extremely popular in Tuscarora State Forest. The squirrel population fluctuates with the relative abundance of acorns, while the grouse population is usually low. Special wildlife habitat improvement projects in the district benefit both game and non-game species.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PGC AGOL layer, pa.gov; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Harvest and allocation near Tuscarora State 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 4B | 1,583 | 66 | 3 points, one side | 71,000 | +11,000 | 11/8 | Yes | 21,100 |
Harvest peaked at 21,100 in 2025 and bottomed at 11,400 in 2016. Antlered 6,700, antlerless 14,400 in 2025-26. Firearms seasons accounted for 12,800 deer, archery 7,200 and muzzleloader 1,100. The unit’s 2026-27 antlerless quota is 71,000 (+11,000).
Bear harvest, counties
| County | 2024 harvest | 2025 (top 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Perry | 12 | — |
| Juniata | 13 | — |
| Mifflin | 14 | — |
| Franklin | 9 | — |
| Cumberland | 11 | — |
| Huntingdon | 49 | — |
WMU harvest
| WMU | Spring turkey 2024 | Bears 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 4B | 1,268 | 66 |
CWD has been detected in WMU 4B. 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.
Tuscarora State Forest seasons by Wildlife Management Unit
23 species and 47 dated segments for WMU 4B. 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 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 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 25-mile ring around Tuscarora State Forest
12 public areas within 25 miles, plus Tuscarora State Forest in orange. Biggest neighbor: State Game Lands 88, 7,005 acres.
| Public ground | Type | Acres | Distance | Which way | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 215 | State Game Lands | 1,276 | 4 mi | northwest | 4B |
| State Game Lands 88 | State Game Lands | 7,005 | 9 mi | northeast | 4B |
| Colonel Denning State Park | State park | 35 | 10 mi | southeast | 4B |
| State Game Lands 169 | State Game Lands | 2,513 | 13 mi | south | 4B, 5A |
| State Game Lands 251 | State Game Lands | 4,229 | 14 mi | southwest | 4B |
| State Game Lands 113 | State Game Lands | 523 | 15 mi | north | 4D |
| State Game Lands 112 | State Game Lands | 6,633 | 18 mi | northwest | 4D |
| State Game Lands 71 | State Game Lands | 5,204 | 19 mi | west | 4A |
| State Game Lands 76 | State Game Lands | 4,297 | 20 mi | southwest | 4B |
| State Game Lands 99 | State Game Lands | 4,471 | 21 mi | west | 4A |
| State Game Lands 230 | State Game Lands | 1,290 | 21 mi | east | 4B |
| Little Buffalo State Park | State park | 300 | 22 mi | east | 4B |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (DCNR Bureau of Forestry boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Tuscarora State Forest and its related units
Straight-line miles from this page’s map point.
Other areas sharing its counties
| Area | Type | Where | Size (ac) | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bald Eagle State Forest | State forest | Union, Centre, Mifflin | 194,602 | 42 mi |
| Rothrock State Forest | State forest | Huntingdon, Centre, Mifflin | 96,000 | 27 mi |
| Michaux State Forest | State forest | Cumberland, Franklin, Adams | 85,500 | 26 mi |
| Buchanan State Forest | State forest | Bedford, Fulton, Franklin | 71,683 | 63 mi |
| State Game Lands 73 | State Game Lands | Bedford, Blair, Huntingdon | 20,814 | 39 mi |
| State Game Lands 166 | State Game Lands | Blair, Huntingdon | 12,375 | 37 mi |
| Penn State University Lands (CWMA 447) | Cooperative WMA | Huntingdon, Centre | 11,220 | 28 mi |
| State Game Lands 170 | State Game Lands | Perry, Cumberland | 9,463 | 28 mi |
| State Game Lands 107 | State Game Lands | Juniata, Mifflin | 8,263 | 22 mi |
| State Game Lands 88 | State Game Lands | Perry, Juniata | 7,005 | 9 mi |
| State Game Lands 124 | State Game Lands | Franklin, Fulton | 6,847 | 44 mi |
| State Game Lands 112 | State Game Lands | Huntingdon, Mifflin | 6,633 | 18 mi |
| State Game Lands 235 | State Game Lands | Franklin | 6,271 | 30 mi |
| State Game Lands 118 | State Game Lands | Blair, Huntingdon | 6,133 | 31 mi |
| State Game Lands 67 | State Game Lands | Huntingdon | 5,770 | 31 mi |
| State Game Lands 71 | State Game Lands | Huntingdon | 5,204 | 19 mi |
| State Game Lands 99 | State Game Lands | Huntingdon | 4,471 | 21 mi |
| State Game Lands 76 | State Game Lands | Franklin | 4,297 | 20 mi |
Where the Tuscarora State Forest acres lie
| County | Acres |
|---|---|
| Perry County | 44,270 |
| Juniata County | 17,587 |
| Mifflin County | 16,856 |
| Franklin County | 6,925 |
| Cumberland County | 5,953 |
| Huntingdon County | 4,539 |
State forest land by county from the DCNR forest boundary layer intersected with Census county outlines.
Legal hunting light around Tuscarora State 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 Tuscarora 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.
Ranges within reach of Tuscarora State Forest
Closest public range: State Game Lands 230 Public Shooting Range, roughly 21 miles from the middle of Tuscarora State Forest. Nearby clubs are shown too.
Rifle range 300 yd, 9 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 25 points; Archery range 10/20/30/40/50 yd, 12 lanes
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Help close to Tuscarora State Forest: shops and offices
Nearest towns by straight-line distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Toward | Population | Public ground within 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McVeytown | Mifflin | 13 mi | southeast | 335 | 44,479 |
| Kistler | Mifflin | 15 mi | east | 284 | 33,037 |
| Newville | Cumberland | 16 mi | northwest | 1,412 | 33,782 |
| Lewistown | Mifflin | 17 mi | south | 8,394 | 32,960 |
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 Tuscarora State Forest
Chosen around the hunting done here; listings update on every click.
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Short answers about hunting Tuscarora State Forest
Are Sundays huntable on Tuscarora State Forest?
Yes for deer, bear, turkey in fall and small game; no for ducks, geese and doves.
What are the archery dates for Tuscarora State Forest?
The firearms opener is Nov 28, 2026 and archery begins Oct 3, 2026. More segments sit in the table above.
Will a general license do for Tuscarora State Forest?
A Pennsylvania hunting license: $20.97 resident adult, $101.97 nonresident adult.
What is the orange rule on Tuscarora State Forest?
Yes: 250 square inches, head, chest and back, in the seasons that call for it.
Which other areas are close to Tuscarora State Forest?
The closest public ground on our list is State Game Lands 215 (4 miles), State Game Lands 88 (9 miles) and Colonel Denning State Park (10 miles).
What game is Tuscarora State Forest known for?
4 groups: whitetails, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and squirrels.
How do I find parking on Tuscarora State Forest?
The agency link above has the map.
What is the buck harvest in WMU 4B?
Unit-level only: 21,100 deer in WMU 4B, 2025-26.
Whose rules govern Tuscarora State Forest?
the DCNR Bureau of Forestry manages this DCNR state forest district open to hunting and trapping.
Is there bear hunting near Tuscarora State Forest?
PGC counted 108 bears in Perry, Juniata, Mifflin, Franklin, Cumberland and Huntingdon counties in 2024.
What county holds Tuscarora State Forest?
McVeytown is closest (13 miles); the ground is in Perry, Juniata, Mifflin, Franklin, Cumberland and Huntingdon counties.
One more check on Tuscarora State Forest
Before the drive to Tuscarora State Forest, confirm the WMU dates, your licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: pa.gov: hunting · pa.gov: tuscarora · 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: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0).