Pennsylvania is making momentous strides in shaping the future of conservation with Act 36 of 2025, which fully repeals Pennsylvania’s prohibition on Sunday hunting and authorizes the Game Commission to regulate opportunities.   

Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to commemorate the event that is going down in conservation history. They go on to discuss the behind‑the‑scenes legislative process that made this possible, provide a detailed recap of the thoughtful science-based decisions made during the Board of Game Commissioners meeting, and highlight exciting new opportunities for the 2025–26 seasons as a result of the executive order. A cumulative team effort dedicated to doing what's best for wildlife, Pennsylvania, and future generations!  

Episode Highlights:    

Where we started vs what we have accomplished in Pennsylvania.   

Explanation behind the legislative process that led to Act 36.   

Why the Game Commission used an executive order.   

New opportunities available for 2025-26.   

A glimpse into what hunting seasons may look like in the future.    

Resources:    

Watch recorded Board of Game Commissioner Meeting    

Review the approved Sunday hunting dates for the 2025-26 seasons    

For more details reference PGC Newsroom   

Follow us on social media for timely updates 

Tree Trailblazers: Forest Stewardship & Wildlife Strategy  

Managing over 1.5 million acres of land may seem daunting — but not for Pennsylvania Game Commission’s habitat management staff.  

Northwest Regional Forester Scott Wolbert, Northcentral Regional Forester Dan Heggenstaller, and Forestry Division Chief Paul Weiss join host Matt Morrett to discuss how the agency uses sustainable forestry to create diverse ecosystems for better wildlife habitat.  

Episode Highlights:  

Resources:  

Learn more about the balance of healthy forests and healthy deer.  

Find state game lands near you. 

Learn more about habitat management in Pennsylvania.  

Episode 58: PA Residents Guaranteed an Antlerless License for Any WMU

You get an antlerless license! You get an antlerless license! Everybody gets an antlerless license!

Well, all residents for 21 days, anyway.

Executive Director Steve Smith and Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson join host Matt Morrett to discuss the biggest changes for the 2025-26 license year, including guaranteed antlerless licenses for residents, a shortened bear archery season, expanded DMAP opportunities, and a 10% cap on nonresident elk tags.

Episode Highlights

Resources

Log in to HuntFishPA to update your account.

Find state game lands near you.

Learn more about changes for the 2025-26 license year.

If you can outsmart a longbeard here, you can probably outsmart one anywhere. Pennsylvania birds can be challenging to hunt. Grand National Champion and PA native Hunter Wallis joins host Matt Morrett to yelp about the Keystone State’s rich turkey hunting heritage, tips for calling in birds all season long, and woodsmanship skills for spring gobbler success.

Episode Highlights: Tips for taking your turkey calling to the next level How to avoid overcalling and when to be patient after a tom’s gone quiet The skills to pair with solid calling to fill tags on pressured birds Ways to switch up tactics as the season progresses The importance of boots-on-the-ground scouting

Resources:

Explore more turkey hunting tips

Review spring gobbler seasons and bag limits 

Find state game lands near you

Learn more about Nancy’s Vision Youth Turkey Hunt

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It’s turkey time!  

Wildlife Technicians Rachel Pennell, Tony Musselman, and Andrew Cushman join host Matt Morrett to discuss Pennsylvania’s largest-ever wild turkey study and their boots-on-the-ground experience with birds that will shape the future of turkey management in the state.  

Episode Highlights:  

Resources:  

Question: what kind of bear is best? Black bear!

The Game Commission’s new Black Bear Biologist Brandon Snavely joins host Matt Morrett to provide insight into the latest black bear science, a look at a year in the life of a Pennsylvania bear, and tips for coexisting with these opportunistic omnivores.

Episode Highlights:

Resources:

Learn more about black bears in Pennsylvania.

Explore ways to be BearWise.

It’s about that time when white gold starts dropping in Penn’s Woods! 

Forester Chris Sabol and Recruiting Outreach Specialist Tyler Strohecker join host Matt Morrett to share their tips for finding dozens of antlers across Pennsylvania public land and how shed hunting helps them harvest bucks each fall.

Episode Highlights:

 Resources:

Find state game lands near you.  

Learn more about deer and elk in Pennsylvania.

Get familiar with forest habitat for wildlife.

Piling up corn for deer might seem helpful during harsh winters, but feeding wildlife is actually dangerous to animals and humans.

Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson and Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Di Salvo join host Matt Morrett to explain how supplemental feeding negatively impacts wildlife, why food plots and birdfeeders are different, and how Pennsylvanians can create complex habitat in their own backyards.

Episode Highlights:

The ways supplemental feeding can harm wildlife

How feeding deer can disrupt habitat for other species

Why food plots can be beneficial for several species

Best practices for birdfeeders

Tips for helping wildlife long-term no matter where you live 

Resources:

Learn more about the dangers of feeding wildlife.

Find six things you can do for wildlife.

Explore ways to improve habitat for wildlife.

We’re nearly halfway through Pennsylvania’s deer firearms season, but hunters still have plenty of opportunities to get into the field and fill tags!

Range Management Coordinator Luke Johnson and Deputy Director of Field Operations Dave Mitchell join host Matt Morrett to discuss their changing strategy as hunting season progresses, go-to guns and gear throughout the year, and why no amount of technology can replace putting boots on the ground.

Episode Highlights:

Resources:

Explore winter hunting opportunities.

Find shooting ranges and places to hunt.

Report a harvest.

Donate a deer to Hunters Sharing the Harvest.

Learn more about how deer populations affect habitat.

From finding camouflage corn culprits to taking tips from scorned lovers to catching bear poachers in the act, the life of a Pennsylvania state game warden can be rewarding, dangerous, and anything but boring.

Southcentral Region Director Seth Mesoras and Assistant Counsel Jason Raup join host Matt Morrett to discuss the demands of serving as a game warden, the intensive process of investigating poachers, and some of the most interesting cases that have resulted from Operation Game Thief (OGT).

Learn what you can do to help protect our wildlife resources and how to avoid ending up on the wrong side of an OGT tip.

Episode Highlights:

Resources:

Report suspected wildlife crimes to OGT.

Get familiar with current regulations in the Hunting & Trapping Digest.

Review safe hunting tips.

Find state game lands near you.