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PGC furbearers
Mink and Muskrat Trapping in Pennsylvania
Mink and muskrat trapping runs Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027, with no limit. Season rows, limits, legal arms and mapped public land for mink and muskrats.
Photo: GlacierNPS (Public domain)
Falconers may also take mink and muskrats Sept. 1 to March 31. Survey estimates for 2025: 16,419 muskrats and 3,852 mink. A furtaker license is required.
The PGC mink and muskrat summary
- Trapping Nov. 21-Jan. 10, 2027; no limit.
Mink and Muskrat opening and closing days
Water trappers get 2 segments in 2026-27. Day counts include the first and last day.
| Season | Zone or WMU | Begins | Ends | Days | Sundays | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 51 | 8 | |
| Falconry (mink, muskrat, fox, opossum, raccoon, striped skunk and weasel) | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 212 | 30 |
What the season notes say
- No limit. Furtaker license.
- No limit.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
How many mink and muskrats you may take
What a game warden will check: the mink and muskrat limits.
Best public tracts for mink and muskrats
174 public tracts list furbearers, led by 85 State Parks; the biggest is Rothrock State Forest at 96,000 acres. Tracts with a star have mink and muskrats in their PGC description.
| Public land | Type | County | WMU | 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 |
More public land naming mink and muskrats
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) · and another 99
Mink and Muskrat counties
- 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.
PGC harvest figures for mink and muskrats
These are Game Commission survey estimates, statewide only.
Harvest data: furbearer harvest, hunters and trappers. Estimates as published by the PGC.
Rules for mink and muskrats: licenses, hours, orange
These cards cover the paperwork and field rules for mink and muskrats.
What to buy
Fees that apply to mink and muskrats.
Legal light
Mink and muskrats are trapping species. Traps may not be set before 7 a.m. on the opening day and must be checked every 36 hours.
Blaze orange
Water trappers are exempt from the orange requirement. Non-hunters on State Game Lands wear orange from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 and April 20 to May 31.
Sundays
Sunday hunting is legal for mink and muskrats throughout the season. All Sunday rules
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission 2026-27 digest, license types and harvest reporting, checked October 12, 2026. Pennsylvania hunting laws · License guide.
Mink and Muskrat: legal arms
From the digest’s sporting arms pages and the general rules, the rows that apply to mink and muskrats.
| Season | Permitted | Not permitted |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
How mink and muskrats may be hunted
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.
Mink and Muskrat: what hunters ask
Is there a limit on muskrats?
No. Mink and muskrat have no limit in 2026-27.
Can I hunt mink and muskrats on Sunday?
Sunday hunting is legal for mink and muskrats throughout the season.
What orange rules apply to mink and muskrats?
Water trappers are exempt from the orange requirement. Non-hunters on State Game Lands wear orange from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 and April 20 to May 31.
When is mink and muskrat season in Pennsylvania for 2026-27?
Mink and muskrats run trapping Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
What arms does the PGC allow for mink and muskrats?
Trapping (dispatch during deer season): .22 rimfire or smaller rifles (semi or manual) and manual .22 rimfire handguns; air rifles/handguns .177-.22.
Which public lands list mink and muskrats?
Start with Rothrock State Forest, Delaware State Forest and Forbes State Forest, the biggest of 174 tracts.
Which licenses cover mink and muskrats?
The mink and muskrat list: Resident Adult Furtaker License ($20.97); Nonresident Adult Furtaker License ($81.97); Resident Junior Furtaker License ($6.97).
What are legal shooting hours for mink and muskrats?
Mink and muskrats are trapping species. Traps may not be set before 7 a.m. on the opening day and must be checked every 36 hours.
Mink and Muskrat checklist
For mink and muskrats on public ground, read the tract’s own notes as well as the statewide rules.
Other photos on this page: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0); Acorns Resort (CC BY 2.0); Kaarina Dillabough (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Mountain-Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0).