FYU
States / PA / WMU 2G

WMU 2G, Pennsylvania

Game found here
DeerTurkeyBearElk
WMU Group 2See on map →0 questions

Unit info

Game species
Deer, Turkey, Bear, Elk
Group
WMU Group 2
Area
4,112 mi²
Public land
N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
Reported harvest
476

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
2,966

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
17,500

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, Elk also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.

About this unit

AI-compiled · sourced
Sign in to contribute

Pennsylvania WMU 2G is the largest wildlife management unit in the state, spanning Elk, McKean, Cameron, and Potter counties in the remote north-central mountains — the heart of Pennsylvania's elk range. It offers exceptional opportunities for deer, bear, turkey, and lottery elk hunting across vast tracts of public land including the Allegheny National Forest, Elk State Forest, Sproul State Forest, and multiple State Game Lands. With dense hardwood and mixed conifer forests, deep hollows, and minimal road access in many areas, WMU 2G rewards self-sufficient backcountry hunters willing to put in the effort.

Terrain & elevation

Remote north-central Pennsylvania mountains spanning Elk, McKean, Cameron, and Potter counties. Predominantly steep ridges and deep hollows covered in mixed hardwood and northern hardwood-conifer forest. Drainage basins of the Clarion, Sinnemahoning, and Susquehanna tributaries cut through the unit. Very limited agricultural land; largely wild, roadless country especially in the Hammersley Wild Area within Sproul State Forest.

Hunting pressure

low to moderate

Tags & permits

Antlered buck — OTC included with base hunting license, one per season. Antlerless — WMU 2G has a liberal allocation (57,000 antlerless licenses for 2025-26, up from 37,000 the prior year); each hunter may hold up to 6 antlerless licenses. DMAP permits also available (up to 10,790 additional antlerless opportunities). High demand — tags sold out rapidly when sales opened. Residents guaranteed at least one antlerless license per recent PGC policy.

Species & seasons

DEER: Archery opens statewide Oct. 3; regular firearms Nov. 21 – Dec. 5 (2026-27); flintlock/muzzleloader extended season available. Antlered OTC, antlerless by tag (liberal allocation in 2G). BEAR: Archery bear Oct. 17–25 in WMU 2G; statewide firearms bear seasons also apply. TURKEY: Spring gobbler season statewide; fall turkey in WMU 2G runs Oct. 31 – Nov. 15. ELK: WMU 2G is within PA's elk management zone. All elk licenses awarded by lottery — archery season runs mid-September, regular rifle seasons in Oct/Nov, and a late January rifle segment. 140 total elk licenses statewide (65 antlered, 75 antlerless) for 2025-26. Application deadline typically mid-July, $11.97 per application. One elk license maximum per hunter per year.

Highlights

Pennsylvania's premier elk zone and one of the most remote big-game destinations in the eastern US. Massive public land base anchored by Allegheny National Forest and Sproul/Elk State Forests. Liberal antlerless deer allocation rewards hunters who target does. Roadless Hammersley Wild Area offers true backcountry hunting with very low pressure after opening weekend. Lottery elk hunting available within the unit — among the only elk opportunities in the eastern US.

Species guides

Questions, tips & discussion

Ask anything about WMU 2G— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.

Nothing posted yet about WMU 2G.

Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).

Boundaries: PA Game Commission official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 23d ago.