WMU 1B, Pennsylvania
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- WMU Group 1
- Area
- 2,118 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 67
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Wild Turkey — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 2,112
Draw odds for Wild Turkeyaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 23,300
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for Black Bear, Wild Turkey, White-tailed Deer so far. Deer, Turkey, Bear also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedWMU 1B sits atop the Allegheny Plateau in Potter and Clinton counties, encompassing some of Pennsylvania's most remote and roadless state forest and game land — making it a destination unit for big-woods deer and bear hunters. The unit holds one of the highest antlerless allocations in the state (44,000 licenses) yet still produces quality bucks under a demanding three-points-to-a-side antler restriction. Bear populations here rank among the densest in Pennsylvania, and the fall turkey season opens a week earlier than most of the state.
Allegheny Plateau — rolling to steep ridges blanketed in unbroken northern hardwood and mixed oak-hemlock forest. Elevations range roughly 1,400–2,400 ft. Drainages of the Susquehanna headwaters (Pine Creek, Kettle Creek, Sinnemahoning) cut deep gorges. Sparse road network, large roadless blocks, and low human density define the landscape.
low
Antlered deer: OTC with base hunting license, one per license year. Antler restriction is the enhanced rule — three points to a side (not counting brow tine), one of the most restrictive in the state. Antlerless: 44,000 licenses allocated for 2025-26, one of the largest quotas in Pennsylvania; residents guaranteed one license if purchased before the July priority deadline, with additional licenses sold first-come first-served thereafter. Liberal antlerless allocation.
DEER — Archery: Oct. 3 statewide open. Regular firearms (rifle): opens late November (typically Nov. 29 Saturday after Thanksgiving, running ~12 days). Muzzleloader/flintlock: Dec. 26–Jan. 19. Antler restriction: 3 points to a side. BEAR — Archery: Oct. 17–25; Muzzleloader: Oct. 22–25; Regular firearms: Nov. 27 (Sunday)–Dec. 4. One bear per license year statewide. WMU 1B is core bear range; Potter and Clinton counties are consistent top-producers in the annual PA bear harvest. TURKEY — Spring: late April through May (statewide, bearded birds only, 2-bird limit). Fall: Nov. 1–8 in WMU 1B (earlier opener than most units); shotgun and archery only in fall, 1 bird per license year. ELK — WMU 1B is NOT in the PA elk zone (WMU 2G/2H cover the Benezette area in Elk and Cameron counties, adjacent to the east). No elk tags available in WMU 1B.
Among PA's premier big-woods bear hunting counties (Potter and Clinton rank near the top of the annual statewide harvest). Extremely large blocks of contiguous public land — Susquehannock and Sproul State Forests combined rival any public-land hunting destination in the Northeast. Remote terrain rewards hunters willing to go deep. Fall turkey season opens Nov. 1, one week earlier than most PA units. Quality deer herd with a demanding antler restriction that grows older bucks.
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: PA Game Commission official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 23d ago.