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Furbearers · 2026-27
Beaver Trapping in Pennsylvania
Beaver trapping runs Dec 19, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027, statewide. Dates, limits, land, rules and harvest numbers for beavers, all from the Game Commission.
Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
Limits are set by WMU, from five a day and five a season up to 20 a day and 60 a season, with 125 the statewide maximum. Larger body-gripping traps are now allowed for beavers and otters. PGC surveys estimated 21,659 beavers taken in 2025 by 3,971 trappers.
Beaver at a glance
- Trapping Dec. 19-March 31, 2027; 5 to 20 daily and 5 to 60 per season by WMU; 125 max.
Beaver dates by WMU and zone
The table lists 1 row from the PGC season table and digest; the last column checks each one against today.
| Segment | Where | Opening | Closing | Days | Sundays | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Dec 19, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 103 | 15 |
Rules attached to the dates
- Limits by WMU: 1A, 1B 20 daily/60 season; 2A, 2B, 3C 20/40; 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3D, 5C, 5D 20/20; 2G, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B 5/5. Statewide maximum 125 per trapper.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
Beaver bag and possession limits
These beaver limits apply statewide unless a WMU row says otherwise.
Bag: beaver
By WMU: 1A-1B 20/60; 2A, 2B, 3C 20/40; 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3D, 5C, 5D 20/20; 2G, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B 5/5 (daily/season); 125 statewide maximum.
Beaver rules WMU by WMU
Pennsylvania sets beaver rules by WMU, and unit lines follow roads and rivers rather than county lines. Each code links to its unit guide.
| WMU | Daily and season limit |
|---|---|
| 1A | 20 daily / 60 season |
| 1B | 20 daily / 60 season |
| 2A | 20 daily / 40 season |
| 2B | 20 daily / 40 season |
| 2C | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 2D | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 2E | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 2F | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 2G | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 3A | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 3B | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 3C | 20 daily / 40 season |
| 3D | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 4A | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 4B | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 4C | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 4D | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 4E | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 5A | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 5B | 5 daily / 5 season |
| 5C | 20 daily / 20 season |
| 5D | 20 daily / 20 season |
PGC season table and digest, antlerless allocations and harvest reports (seasons, deer harvest 2025-26, bear report, spring turkey, PGC harvest dashboard), checked October 12, 2026.
Beaver on State Game Lands and forests
176 areas list furbearers, from Rothrock State Forest (96,000 acres) down. The star means the game land description names beavers.
| Public area | Kind | County | Unit | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rothrock State Forest | State Forest | Huntingdon, Centre, Mifflin | 4A/4D | 96,000 |
| Delaware State Forest★ | State Forest | Pike, Monroe | 3D | 83,519 |
| Forbes State Forest | State Forest | Somerset, Fayette, Westmoreland | 2C | 59,000 |
| Pinchot State Forest★ | State Forest | Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe | 3B/3C/3D/4E | 54,000 |
| State Game Lands 12 | State Game Lands | Bradford, Sullivan | 3B | 24,598 |
| Ohiopyle State Park | State Park | Fayette | 2C | 20,000 |
| State Game Lands 36★ | State Game Lands | Bradford | 3B | 18,972 |
| State Game Lands 42 | State Game Lands | Westmoreland, Cambria, Somerset | 2C | 18,041 |
| State Game Lands 141 | State Game Lands | Carbon | 4C | 17,227 |
| State Game Lands 86★ | State Game Lands | Warren | 2F | 14,320 |
| Moraine State Park | State Park | Butler | 1A | 14,000 |
| State Game Lands 37★ | State Game Lands | Tioga | 3A | 13,136 |
| Hickory Run State Park | State Park | Carbon | 3D/4C | 13,000 |
| Laurel Ridge State Park | State Park | Somerset, Westmoreland, Cambria | 2C | 13,000 |
| State Game Lands 180★ | State Game Lands | Pike | 3D | 12,506 |
The rest of the list
Cook Forest State Park (11,000 ac) · State Game Lands 95 (10,626 ac) · Pymatuning State Park (10,300 ac) · Ricketts Glen State Park (10,287 ac) · State Game Lands 106 (9,857 ac) · State Game Lands 29 (9,830 ac) · Erie National Wildlife Refuge (8,959 ac) · State Game Lands 208 (8,833 ac) · State Game Lands 24 (8,585 ac) · State Game Lands 64 (8,100 ac) · State Game Lands 168 (7,814 ac) · State Game Lands 120 (7,398 ac) · Raccoon Creek State Park (7,000 ac) · Oil Creek State Park (6,800 ac) · State Game Lands 74 (6,568 ac) · French Creek State Park (6,000 ac) · Lehigh Gorge State Park (6,000 ac) · State Game Lands 65 (6,000 ac) · State Game Lands 156 (5,894 ac) · State Game Lands 38 (5,818 ac) · Prince Gallitzin State Park (5,600 ac) · Tobyhanna State Park (5,200 ac) · State Game Lands 31 (5,157 ac) · State Game Lands 101 (5,058 ac) · Blue Knob State Park (5,000 ac) · Bald Eagle State Park (4,910 ac) · State Game Lands 244 (4,872 ac) · State Game Lands 69 (4,476 ac) · State Game Lands 228 (4,226 ac) · Hillman State Park (3,650 ac) · State Game Lands 314 (3,550 ac) · State Game Lands 135 (3,540 ac) · Nescopeck State Park (3,500 ac) · Nockamixon State Park (3,500 ac) · Swatara State Park (3,500 ac) · State Game Lands 195 (3,460 ac) · Elk State Park (3,150 ac) · State Game Lands 105 (3,112 ac) · State Game Lands 283 (3,061 ac) · Black Moshannon State Park (3,000 ac) · Shawnee State Park (3,000 ac) · State Game Lands 145 (2,987 ac) · State Game Lands 117 (2,895 ac) · State Game Lands 138 (2,879 ac) · State Game Lands 285 (2,841 ac) · Codorus State Park (2,800 ac) · Gouldsboro State Park (2,700 ac) · State Game Lands 55 (2,651 ac) · State Game Lands 299 (2,646 ac) · State Game Lands 207 (2,573 ac) · Kings Gap Environmental Education Center (2,500 ac) · State Game Lands 330 (2,479 ac) · State Game Lands 52 (2,432 ac) · State Game Lands 222 (2,377 ac) · Yellow Creek State Park (2,300 ac) · Laurel Hill State Park (2,200 ac) · McConnells Mill State Park (2,200 ac) · State Game Lands 157 (2,102 ac) · Mahoning Creek Lake (2,019 ac) · Gifford Pinchot State Park (1,945 ac) · 101 more listed in the land directory
Counties to start with for beavers
- Jefferson County9 tracts
- Monroe County8 tracts
- Crawford County7 tracts
- Somerset County7 tracts
- Warren County7 tracts
- Wayne County7 tracts
- Erie County6 tracts
- Fayette County6 tracts
- Lancaster County6 tracts
- Lawrence County6 tracts
- Luzerne County6 tracts
- Potter County6 tracts
- Beaver County5 tracts
- Berks County5 tracts
- Butler County5 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.
How many beavers hunters take
Statewide survey estimates for beavers; the PGC publishes no county or WMU breakdown for this group.
Harvest data: furbearer harvest, hunters and trappers. Estimates as published by the PGC.
Beaver rules in Pennsylvania
Before going after beavers, check these license, hour and orange rules.
Licenses and fees
Prices as the PGC lists them for beavers.
Shooting hours
The trapping day for beavers begins at 7 a.m. on the opener; each trap is visited at least every 36 hours.
Orange rule
No fluorescent orange is required for beavers. Game lands have their own orange rule for everyone else in the fall and spring periods.
Sunday hunting
Beaver trappers may hunt Sundays this year; written landowner permission on private land is recommended rather than required. Sunday hunting guide
Limits by WMU
20 daily / 60 season: 1A, 1B; 20 daily / 40 season: 2A, 2B, 3C; 20 daily / 20 season: 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3D, 5C, 5D; 5 daily / 5 season: 2G, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission 2026-27 digest, license types and harvest reporting, checked October 12, 2026. Pennsylvania hunting laws · License guide.
Legal arms and methods: beavers
What you can carry after beavers, and what the PGC bans.
| Group | What is legal | What is not |
|---|---|---|
| Trapping (dispatch during deer season) | .22 rimfire or smaller rifles (semi or manual) and manual .22 rimfire handguns; air rifles/handguns .177-.22. | Other firearms while trapping during deer season. |
Beaver methods and restrictions
Trapping rules
No traps before 7 a.m. opening day; not within 5 ft of a den (except underwater); jaw spread max 6.5 in; body-grip traps only in water (cubby exceptions); trap ID tags; check every 36 hours; remove by sunset closing day; no bait visible from the air. Beaver/otter device limits and 15-ft dam/house setback.
2026-27 digest, sporting arms and unlawful acts pages, checked October 12, 2026.
More Pennsylvania game near beaver country
Common beaver questions
What is my beaver limit?
By WMU: 1A-1B 20/60; 2A, 2B, 3C 20/40; 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3D, 5C, 5D 20/20; 2G, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B 5/5 (daily/season); 125 statewide maximum.
What is the limit on beavers?
By WMU: 1A-1B 20/60; 2A, 2B, 3C 20/40; 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3D, 5C, 5D 20/20; 2G, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B 5/5 (daily/season); 125 statewide maximum.
What license do I need for beavers?
Required or relevant: Resident Adult Furtaker License ($20.97); Nonresident Adult Furtaker License ($81.97); Resident Junior Furtaker License ($6.97).
How many public tracts list beavers?
176 public tracts, including Rothrock State Forest, Delaware State Forest and Forbes State Forest.
Are there hour limits on beavers?
The trapping day for beavers begins at 7 a.m. on the opener; each trap is visited at least every 36 hours.
Is fluorescent orange required for beavers?
No fluorescent orange is required for beavers. Game lands have their own orange rule for everyone else in the fall and spring periods.
Are beavers open on Sundays this year?
Beaver trappers may hunt Sundays this year; written landowner permission on private land is recommended rather than required.
Which weapons are legal for beavers?
Trapping (dispatch during deer season): .22 rimfire or smaller rifles (semi or manual) and manual .22 rimfire handguns; air rifles/handguns .177-.22.
When does the beaver season start?
The PGC sets beavers at trapping Dec 19, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027.
Last word on beavers
Before the beaver trip, confirm your WMU, your license and the orange rule for the segment you hunt.
Other photos on this page: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0); Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Conservation Training Center. 10/1997-8888 (Public domain); USFWS Mountain-Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Enoch Leung (CC BY-SA 2.0); Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0).