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Natural resources

Pennsylvania Expands Deer Management Opportunities with Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has introduced the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) to address out-of-balance white-tailed deer populations across the state. By offering 28,607 permits in 95 units totaling over 1.2 million acres, the program aims to promote a diverse and healthy natural habitat, provide additional hunting opportunities, and maintain forest regeneration for sustainable forestry practices. The program is implemented in 27 state parks and 18 state forest districts, with permits now available for purchase.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) allows landowners to apply for permits to encourage antlerless deer harvests on their property, enabling the management of white-tailed deer populations.
  • Out-of-balance deer populations impact other wildlife and disrupt forest regeneration, which is vital to healthy, sustainable forested ecosystems.
  • The program is implemented in 27 state parks and 18 state forest districts, covering over 1.2 million acres of land.
  • Hunters can obtain permits directly from license-issuing agents or the Pennsylvania Game Commission website.
  • Requests for program-targeted areas and the number of permits sought are science-driven, taking into account DCNR's statistically based vegetation sampling protocol.
  • The department's goals for the Deer Management Assistance Program are to promote a diverse, healthy natural habitat, provide additional hunting opportunities, establish and maintain regeneration for sustainable forestry practices, and promote a healthy, sustainable forest and native, wild plant communities.
  • Applicants for DMAP permits can find DCNR tract locations and maps, availability numbers, past hunter success rates, and other information on an interactive map.
  • Sunday hunting is permitted in state parks and forests, with three designated Sundays in state parks and extended firearms season open on all DMAP properties from December 26, 2025, through January 24, 2026.
  • The program has established areas in 18 of the 20 forest districts across the state, with snowmobiling permitted in all forest districts when conditions allow.

Statistics:

  • 28,607 permits are available for purchase in the Deer Management Assistance Program.
  • The program covers over 1.2 million acres of land across 27 state parks and 18 state forest districts.
  • The department's vegetation sampling protocol includes over 10,000 plots across 2.2 million acres of state forestland.
  • There are 850,000 licensed hunters in Pennsylvania, with Sunday hunting permitted in state parks and forests.
  • The extended firearms season for antlerless deer will be open on all DMAP properties from December 26, 2025, through January 24, 2026.

Sources:

  • Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
  • Pennsylvania Game Commission
  • House Bill 1431 (signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro)
  • DCNR's Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)
  • DCNR's interactive map for DMAP permits
  • Pennsylvania Game Commission's website
  • DCNR's website
  • DCNR's Calendar of Events

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