Pennsylvania House Bill HB1659

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/25/25
• Refer: 6/25/25

Caption

In Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for junior hunter projects; and, in game or wildlife protection, further providing for regulations.

Summary

HB1659 would amend Pennsylvania’s Game Code to expand and formalize youth and mentored hunting opportunities and to set specific opening dates for the regular antlered deer season. On the youth-hunting side, the bill requires the Pennsylvania Game Commission to maintain at least two junior license hunter projects and a mentored hunter season aimed at increasing participation among young people and mentored adults. It also adds a new seven-day mentoring season immediately after the regular firearms deer season, during which eligible hunters may hunt deer and certain small game species if accompanied by a mentor. The bill also changes the statutory rules for when the regular antlered deer hunting season opens in different wildlife management districts. Instead of leaving that timing entirely to regulation, the bill hard-codes two opening-date patterns: the first Monday after Thanksgiving in districts 1, 3, 5, and 7, and the first Saturday before Thanksgiving in districts 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.

Impact

HB1659 would directly amend Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, limiting the Game Commission’s discretion by placing certain deer-season opening dates into statute and by requiring a specific seven-day mentoring season after firearms deer season. It would affect junior hunters, mentored adult hunters, mentors, deer hunters, small-game hunters, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s regulatory authority over hunting seasons and participation programs.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be a pro-hunting, pro-youth-participation proposal with an administrative and conservation-management focus. Its structure suggests support for recruiting new hunters and providing clearer, predictable season dates, with no documented opposition or recorded roll-call sentiment in the provided materials.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the bill’s reduction of the Game Commission’s flexibility by setting deer-season opening dates in statute rather than leaving them to regulation. Stakeholders who favor agency discretion or who prefer different season timing could object, while hunters, hunting organizations, and advocates for youth recruitment are likely to support the expanded junior and mentored hunting opportunities. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided transcripts or votes.