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PGC upland and small game
Snowshoe Hare Hunting in Pennsylvania
Snowshoe hare season is just 6 days, Dec 26 to Dec 31, 2026. Season rows, limits, legal arms and mapped public land for snowshoe hares.
Photo: c w (CC BY 2.0)
The limit is one hare a day and three for the season. Survey figures for 2025: 581 hares taken by 740 hunters. Only a handful of game lands mention snowshoe hares in their PGC descriptions; they are listed below.
The PGC hare summary
- Dec. 26-31, 2026; 1 daily, 3 season.
Snowshoe Hare opening and closing days
Hare hunters get 2 segments in 2026-27. Day counts include the first and last day.
| Season | Zone or WMU | Begins | Ends | Days | Sundays | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 6 | 1 | |
| Falconry | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | 212 | 30 |
What the season notes say
- 1 daily, 3 season limit.
- 1 daily, 3 season.
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
How many snowshoe hares you may take
What a game warden will check: the hare limits.
Bag: snowshoe hare
1 daily, 3 per season.
Best public tracts for snowshoe hares
6 public tracts list hare, led by 5 State Game Landss; the biggest is Pinchot State Forest at 54,000 acres. Tracts with a star have snowshoe hares in their PGC description.
| Public land | Type | County | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinchot State Forest★ | State Forest | Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe | 3B/3C/3D/4E | 54,000 |
| State Game Lands 57★ | State Game Lands | Wyoming, Luzerne | 3B | 46,676 |
| State Game Lands 29★ | State Game Lands | Warren | 2F | 9,830 |
| State Game Lands 38★ | State Game Lands | Monroe | 3D | 5,818 |
| State Game Lands 221★ | State Game Lands | Monroe | 3D | 4,684 |
| State Game Lands 318★ | State Game Lands | Monroe | 3D | 858 |
Snowshoe Hare counties
- Monroe County4 tracts
- Luzerne County2 tracts
- Lackawanna County1 tracts
- Warren County1 tracts
- Wayne County1 tracts
- Wyoming County1 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 snowshoe hares
These are Game Commission survey estimates, statewide only.
| Year | Harvest | Hunters | Hunter days | Per 100 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 581 | 740 | 2,066 | 28.12 |
| 2024 | 350 | 1,146 | 2,348 | 14.91 |
| 2023 | 222 | 1,496 | 5,072 | 4.38 |
| 2022 | 526 | 1,272 | 2,042 | 25.76 |
| 2021 | 360 | 1,129 | 2,420 | 14.88 |
| 2020 | 998 | 2,512 | 4,753 | 21 |
| 2019 | 230 | 1,455 | 1,936 | 11.88 |
| 2018 | 535 | 1,945 | 3,956 | 13.52 |
Harvest data: harvest, hunters, hunter days. Estimates as published by the PGC.
Rules for snowshoe hares: licenses, hours, orange
These cards cover the paperwork and field rules for snowshoe hares.
What to buy
Fees that apply to snowshoe hares.
Legal light
The PGC day for snowshoe hares runs sunrise minus thirty minutes to sunset plus thirty.
Blaze orange
The PGC lists all small game seasons, snowshoe hares among them, as orange seasons: 250 square inches.
Sundays
Sunday hunting is legal for snowshoe hares 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.
Snowshoe Hare: legal arms
From the digest’s sporting arms pages and the general rules, the rows that apply to snowshoe hares.
| Season | Permitted | Not permitted |
|---|---|---|
| Small game | Manual and semiautomatic shotguns 10 gauge or less, 3-shell capacity; manual and semiautomatic rifles and manual handguns .22 rimfire or less; air guns .177-.22 (woodchucks at least .22) with single projectile; muzzleloading rifles/handguns .40 or less and shotguns 10 gauge or less; bows and crossbows. No magazine limit on semiautomatic rifles. | BB ammunition; shot larger than No. 4 lead/No. 2 steel. Rifle/handgun caliber limits (except air guns) do not apply to woodchucks. |
How snowshoe hares may be hunted
Hunting parties
Max 25 for deer, elk or bears; max 6 for small game (not waterfowl/dove hunters in blinds or stationary).
2026-27 digest, sporting arms and unlawful acts pages, checked October 12, 2026.
Snowshoe Hare: what hunters ask
Can falconers take snowshoe hares longer?
Yes. The falconry season runs Sept. 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, one a day and three for the season.
What arms does the PGC allow for snowshoe hares?
Small game: Manual and semiautomatic shotguns 10 gauge or less, 3-shell capacity; manual and semiautomatic rifles and manual handguns .22 rimfire or less; air guns .177-.22 (woodchucks at least .22) with single projectile; muzzleloading rifles/handguns .40 or less and shotguns 10 gauge or less; bows and crossbows. No magazine limit on semiautomatic rifles.
Can I hunt snowshoe hares on Sunday?
Sunday hunting is legal for snowshoe hares throughout the season.
Is there a bag limit on snowshoe hares?
1 daily, 3 per season.
When is hare season in Pennsylvania for 2026-27?
Snowshoe hares run regular season Dec 26 to Dec 31, 2026.
Which public lands list snowshoe hares?
Start with Pinchot State Forest, State Game Lands 57 and State Game Lands 29, the biggest of 6 tracts.
Which licenses cover snowshoe hares?
The hare list: Resident Adult Hunting License ($20.97); Nonresident Adult Hunting License ($101.97); Nonresident 7-Day Small Game License ($31.97).
What orange rules apply to snowshoe hares?
The PGC lists all small game seasons, snowshoe hares among them, as orange seasons: 250 square inches.
What are legal shooting hours for snowshoe hares?
The PGC day for snowshoe hares runs sunrise minus thirty minutes to sunset plus thirty.
Packing for Snowshoe Hare country
Four items chosen for this ground and its seasons.
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Snowshoe Hare checklist
For snowshoe hares 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); Dana Beveridge (CC BY 2.0); btrentler (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0); ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0).