WMU 5A, Pennsylvania
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- WMU Group 5
- Area
- 1,310 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 10
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
- 822
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
- 12,200
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 · sourcedPennsylvania WMU 5A covers the Laurel Highlands of southwest PA — Westmoreland, Fayette, and portions of Somerset and Cambria counties — spanning 1,309 square miles of rugged Allegheny Plateau terrain with over 18% public land. The unit offers strong deer and turkey hunting across a mix of hardwood ridges, agricultural valleys, and mature forest. Antlerless allocations have trended very liberal in recent years, making WMU 5A a top destination for hunters seeking quality doe harvest opportunities alongside solid antlered deer potential.
Rugged Allegheny Plateau rising into the Allegheny Mountains; Chestnut Ridge and Laurel Hill define the unit's backbone. Elevation ranges from valley floors around 800 ft to ridgetops exceeding 2,800 ft. Cover is predominantly oak-hickory and mixed hardwood forest with laurel thickets, interspersed with agricultural bottomlands in Westmoreland and Fayette valleys. Steep hollows and second-growth timber provide classic PA big-woods hunting character.
moderate-to-high
Antlered buck: one per license year, OTC with hunting license (no separate tag required). Antlerless: WMU 5A has carried very liberal allocations — 65,000 antlerless licenses were allocated for 2026-27, up sharply from 46,000 the prior year, reflecting a population well above management goals. Hunters may hold up to 6 antlerless licenses for WMU 5A. Antlerless licenses are sold by WMU through HuntFishPA in successive rounds beginning in mid-July.
DEER — Archery: Oct 4 through mid-November plus late-season Jan window. Regular Firearms: statewide two-week season typically opens first Monday after Nov 15. Muzzleloader: antlerless Oct 18-25 special season. Extended antlerless firearms: Dec 26 through Jan 18, 2027. One antlered buck per year; antlerless requires purchased license. BEAR — Archery: Oct 17-25; Extended firearms: Nov 28-Dec 6. One bear per license year statewide. WMU 5A has huntable bear populations on the forested ridges. TURKEY — Spring gobbler: May 1-31 (one bird, males only). Fall turkey: Oct 31-Nov 3 (either sex); season limit 1 per season. ELK — WMU 5A is NOT an elk zone; elk hunting is restricted to WMU 2G in north-central PA.
Very liberal antlerless allocation makes WMU 5A one of the better doe-hunting units in southwest PA. Forbes State Forest provides expansive walk-in access with low pressure relative to adjacent private land. Laurel Highlands ridge terrain produces consistent fall turkey action. Bear numbers on Chestnut Ridge and Laurel Hill are solid. Extended firearms antlerless season through mid-January adds significant opportunity.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU 5A— 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 5A.
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Boundaries: PA Game Commission official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 23d ago.