Pennsylvania is accepting applications for 30,024 special deer hunting permits from the Deer Management Assistance Program, or DMAP, for the 2022 season. Hunters with permits will be allowed to harvest deer in state forests and parks.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, or DCNR, has designated 104 units opening up 1.3 million acres for hunting. Landowners may also apply for permits to hunt additional antlerless deer on their properties.
“Habitat conditions guide all of DCNR’s DMAP applications,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “DMAP permits remain an important tool upon which state forest and park managers rely heavily for continued sustainability of state plants and forests.”
The goal is to promote environmental health and reduce damage to forests and crops caused by deer by managing their population. The number of permits issued is determined by taking samples from more than 10,000 locations across Pennsylvania where hunting is permitted.
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By keeping the state’s deer population in check wildlife officials expect a healthier deer population and habitat in general, with more wildlife diversity and less reliance on deer fencing, which impacts other animal populations.
Hunters looking to stalk deer in Pennsylvania can find more information from the DCNR online. The DCNR would also like to remind hunters that elk applications must be submitted by July 31st.
Information and rules for all game and hunting seasons can be found on the Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest. Prospective hunters also can find DCNR tract locations including availability numbers, past hunter success rates and more information on their interactive map.
