The other day I got my PA hunting and furtaker’s license. As I read through the PA Hunting and Trapping Digest book I noticed several things that are different from previous years. This is the list of changes I noticed (it is possible I will see some thing I did not see another year too), this list is most likely not all of the changes that were made. To be on the safe side before you take my word for a law change, go look it up in your book to be sure—because it is possible that I might mistype something. I put “” marks in were I copied something from the book, I also included the page number so you can look it up.

1. New animals added to mentored youth hunting. Page 15 In addition to being able to take squirrels and spring turkey youth hunters can now take groundhogs and antlered deer.
2. Hunting turkeys with dogs in the fall season is now allowed. Page 36 “Dogs can be used to hunt turkeys during fall season but not during the spring.”
3. Fluorescent Orange is no longer required in spring turkey season. Page 36 “Spring Season: Fluorescent orange is no longer required but is recommended when moving through the spring woods.” I think it might be a good idea to still wear at least an orange hat while moving, you might be a safe hunter and always positively identify your target but the guy over the next hill might not be. This was actually in effect for this past spring season, but was not in last years book because it was a change made later on.
4. Antlered firearms season only then antlered and antlerless firearms season together for WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C, and 4B. Page 50 Antlered only from December 1-5, then antlered and antlerless deer season together from December 6-13.
5. Opossums, Skunks, and Weasels may not be hunted on Sundays. Page 82 “Opossums, Skunks, and Weasels may not be hunted on Sundays and prior to noon during the spring gobbler season and, along with Foxes and Raccoons, not during the regular antlered and antlerless deer season from a half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset.”
6. A person applying for a bobcat permit with six preference points now automatically gets a permit. Page 85 The idea of this seems to be so that someone does not keep trying for the permit year after year, but by chance never draws one.
7. Pretty much anything can be used to attract coyotes (except living bait). Page 86 “Recent regulation change now allows any natural or manmade nonliving bait and any electronic or mechanical device to be used to attract coytes for hunting or trapping. The law allowing trappers to use any natural or manmade nonliving bait to attract coyotes still does not permit the bait to be visible from the air. Those hunting coyotes, however, may hunt over bait visible from air.”
8. Tighter regulations over shooting Feral Swine (pigs). Page 92 Previously from the way this section was phrased it sounded like you could do pretty much anything as far as hunting the Feral Swine went. They still want you to shoot them, but now they pretty much want you to check with your township or county first.

If you see any thing I missed, phrased wrong, or just want to talk about new law change please fell free to write a comment.