Mark Nale

Although some big bears were taken in the 2025 hunting seasons in Pennsylvania, none showed up at the check station in Quehanna.
On the evening of the opening day of the statewide firearms season, Nov. 22, hunters with bears lined up at the Quehanna check station, however, almost every bear weighed less than 200 pounds.

Although generally happy with the 2025 regular season’s results, Pennsylvania Game Commission elk biologist Jeremy Banfield commented on a few exceptions.
“Elk Hunt Zone 2’s cow harvest is disappointing that most of the elk in that area were locked up in zone 7 (ironically on the visitor center grounds) and I don’t think they ever left the entire week,” Banfield said.

Beautiful weather greeted Pennsylvania elk hunters for the general season – Nov. 3-8. Aside from a little rain late in the week and a wind event, it was perfect hunting weather.
Out of 68 licenses awarded by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for the general season, 51 hunters harvested elk during the six-day season – 26 bulls and 25 cows. They proved once again that Pennsylvania elk hunting is not easy.

Archers were met with mostly hot and dry weather for the 14-day elk season in Pennsylvania, which for the first time included two Sundays. Temperatures topped out in the high 70s to mid 80s almost every day.
“Elk were primarily found along the rivers and creeks in the valley bottoms. That’s not shocking – it was the only water available.”