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Furbearers · 2026-27
Red and Gray Fox Hunting in Pennsylvania
Fox hunting and trapping both run Oct. 24, 2026 to Feb. 21, 2027, with no limit. Dates, limits, land, rules and harvest numbers for foxes, all from the Game Commission.
Photo: Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cable restraints may be set for foxes and coyotes from Dec. 26 to Feb. 21 by certified trappers. During the regular firearms deer season, fox hunting is limited to the dark hours. Survey estimates for 2025: 50,350 red foxes and 9,928 gray foxes.
Red and Gray Fox at a glance
- Hunting and trapping Oct. 24-Feb. 21, 2027; cable restraints Dec. 26-Feb. 21; no limit.
Red and Gray Fox dates by WMU and zone
The table lists 4 rows from the PGC season table and digest; the last column checks each one against today.
| Segment | Where | Opening | Closing | Days | Sundays | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | 121 | 18 | |
| Trapping (coyote, fox, opossum, raccoon, striped skunk and weasel) | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | 121 | 18 | |
| Trapping with cable restraints (coyote and fox) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | 58 | 9 | |
| Falconry (mink, muskrat, fox, opossum, raccoon, striped skunk and weasel) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 212 | 30 |
Rules attached to the dates
- No limit. Any hour day or night Oct. 24-Nov. 27 and Dec. 14-Feb. 21; only 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise Nov. 28-Dec. 13. Furtaker license.
- No limit. Furtaker license.
- No limit. Cable restraint certification required.
- No limit.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
Red and Gray Fox bag and possession limits
These fox limits apply statewide unless a WMU row says otherwise.
Coyote, fox, raccoon, opossum, skunk, weasel limit
No limit.
Red and Gray Fox on State Game Lands and forests
174 areas list furbearers, from Rothrock State Forest (96,000 acres) down. The star means the game land description names foxes.
| 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) · 99 more listed in the land directory
Counties to start with for foxes
- Jefferson County9 tracts
- Monroe County8 tracts
- Somerset County7 tracts
- Warren County7 tracts
- Wayne County7 tracts
- Crawford County6 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 foxes hunters take
Statewide survey estimates for foxes; the PGC publishes no county or WMU breakdown for this group.
Harvest data: furbearer harvest, hunters and trappers. Estimates as published by the PGC.
Red and Gray Fox rules in Pennsylvania
Before going after foxes, check these license, hour and orange rules.
Licenses and fees
Prices as the PGC lists them for foxes.
Shooting hours
Foxes may be hunted any hour of the day or night, except that during the rifle deer season fox, raccoon, opossum, skunk and weasel hunting is limited to darkness.
Orange rule
No fluorescent orange is required for foxes. Game lands have their own orange rule for everyone else in the fall and spring periods.
Sunday hunting
Fox hunters may hunt Sundays this year; written landowner permission on private land is recommended rather than required. Sunday hunting guide
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: foxes
What you can carry after foxes, and what the PGC bans.
| Group | What is legal | What is not |
|---|---|---|
| Furbearer hunting | Semiautomatic and manual rifles, manual handguns of any caliber, manual or semiautomatic shotguns, bows, crossbows, single-projectile muzzleloaders, air guns .22+; gun-mounted lights without laser beams; handheld and mounted night-vision and thermal optics for coyote, fox, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, opossum, weasel. | Shotgun shot larger than No. 4 buckshot; laser-beam lights. |
| 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. |
Red and Gray Fox methods and restrictions
Electronic calls and devices
Electronic devices prohibited except: electronic callers for bobcat, coyote, fox, raccoon, crow and conservation-season snow geese; non-beam lighted pins and reticles; arrow/bolt tracking lights; two-way radios for general communication only; hearing-protection amplifiers; electronic-ignition firearms; rangefinders; dog-locating collars; heated scent dispensers and ozone devices; ice-eaters.
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.
Spotlighting
Unlawful while possessing a firearm/bow/device, during the regular firearms deer season (closes 11 p.m. day before, reopens a full day after), or after 11 p.m.; recreational spotlighting lawful sunrise-11 p.m. Furbearer hunters on foot may use handheld or gun-mounted lights (no laser).
2026-27 digest, sporting arms and unlawful acts pages, checked October 12, 2026.
More Pennsylvania game near fox country
Common fox questions
When can I hunt foxes at night?
Any hour Oct. 24 to Nov. 27 and Dec. 14 to Feb. 21; from Nov. 28 to Dec. 13 only from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise.
How many public tracts list foxes?
174 public tracts, including Rothrock State Forest, Delaware State Forest and Forbes State Forest.
Are there hour limits on foxes?
Foxes may be hunted any hour of the day or night, except that during the rifle deer season fox, raccoon, opossum, skunk and weasel hunting is limited to darkness.
Is fluorescent orange required for foxes?
No fluorescent orange is required for foxes. Game lands have their own orange rule for everyone else in the fall and spring periods.
Are foxes open on Sundays this year?
Fox hunters may hunt Sundays this year; written landowner permission on private land is recommended rather than required.
Which weapons are legal for foxes?
Furbearer hunting: Semiautomatic and manual rifles, manual handguns of any caliber, manual or semiautomatic shotguns, bows, crossbows, single-projectile muzzleloaders, air guns .22+; gun-mounted lights without laser beams; handheld and mounted night-vision and thermal optics for coyote, fox, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, opossum, weasel.
When does the fox season start?
The PGC sets foxes at hunting Oct 24, 2026 to Feb 21, 2027; trapping Oct 24, 2026 to Feb 21, 2027; trapping with cable restraints Dec 26, 2026 to Feb 21, 2027.
What is the limit on foxes?
No limit.
What license do I need for foxes?
Required or relevant: Resident Adult Furtaker License ($20.97); Nonresident Adult Furtaker License ($81.97); Resident Junior Furtaker License ($6.97).
Red and Gray Fox country: what to bring along
Picked for the game hunted here; prices load when you click.
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Last word on foxes
Before the fox 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); Ty Nigh (CC BY 2.0); Rick Berg (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Under the same moon… (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).