Pennsylvania Canned Hunting Statutes and Regulations

No Ban: Mammals permitted.

Statute

Pennsylvania law specifies that "regulated hunting grounds require a minimum of 100 acres of land, or land and water combined, on which the permittee must release one of the following species of domestically produced game birds: namely, ringneck pheasants, bobwhite quail or mallard ducks." 34 Pa.C.S.A. §2928(a).

Any of the listed species and chukar partridges "may be released only if they are listed on the permit application and propagated by the permittee or received from a legal source." Id. There are two classes of regulated hunting grounds: commercial and noncommercial. A commercial regulated hunting ground is "open to the public for a fee or other charge." Id. at §2928(b)(1).

A non-commercial regulated hunting ground is "used by the permittee only, or guests with no fee or any charge for the use of the area or the birds." Id. at §2928(b)(2).

Pennsylvania law also states that a permit is required for any person who intends to "propagate any game bird, wild bird, game animal or wild animal which is presently found in a wild state within this Commonwealth for the purpose of sale, barter, gift or other transfer of possession..." 34 Pa.C.S.A. §2930(a).

Birds or animals raised under such a permit "may be shipped alive or may be killed within the enclosure, for sale or gift, without regard to sex or numbers, at any time of the year." Id. at Pa.C.S.A. §2930(e).

However, all species of game, other than those specified on the permit, found within the licensed enclosure covered by the propagating permit "may be taken within the licensed enclosure only under the general provisions...governing seasons and bag limits." Id. at Pa.C.S.A. §2930(f.1).

"Game animals" is defined to include "the elk, the whitetail deer, (and) the bear..." Id. at Pa.C.S.A. §102.

"Wildlife" is defined as "wild birds, wild mammals and facsimiles thereof, regardless of classification..." Id.

Persons engaged in the importation, possession, purchasing, selling, locating for a fee, bartering, donating, or giving away or otherwise disposing of more than one bird or one animal classified as exotic wildlife must obtain a permit to act as an exotic wildlife dealer. Id. at Pa.C.S.A. §2961, §2962(a), §2963(a).

"Exotic wildlife" includes, but is not limited to, "all bears, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, (and) wolves..." Id. at 34 Pa.C.S.A. §2961.

Regulation

Regulations governing the establishment and operation of regulated shooting areas specify that "the period to hunt on regulated hunting areas will be the first Monday in September through the last Saturday in April for both private and commercial areas." 58 Pa. Code §139.5(a). Sunday hunting is prohibited on commercial areas. Id.

Return to canned hunting map.