Hunting

Helpful tips for hikers and hunters during big game seasons on Appalachian Trail lands.

Tips for Hikers During Hunting Seasons

Know Before You Go

Specific dates for hunting seasons vary year to year and also by type of game hunted and weapon used. Small-game seasons (turkey, rabbit) stretch from fall through the end of May; big-game seasons (deer, bear, moose) generally occur October through January. In Loudoun County, Virginia, deer season extends through March. Learn the regulations and hunting seasons for the areas where you will be hiking before you go. Hunting on Sundays is prohibited in some states, but be aware that hunting is now allowed in Pennsylvania on some Sundays, including the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Wear Blaze Orange

Wear a fluorescent or “blaze” orange hat and vest (and pack cover if backpacking), or hooded outerwear when hiking in fall, winter, or spring. Blaze orange will help distinguish you from wild game. If you hike with a dog, your pup should also wear blaze orange visible from all sides. We recommend that pets be leashed at all times while hiking.

A special note about Pennsylvania: On state game lands in Pennsylvania, all hunters and non-hunters are required to wear at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest, and back combined, or a fluorescent orange hat, from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15. The orange material must be visible from all angles (360 degrees).

A reversible fluorescent orange beanie featuring Appalachian Trail Conservancy branding may be purchased from ATC’s online Ultimate Trail Store or in the gift shop at ATC’s visitor center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Use Extra Caution at Dawn and Dusk

Hunting activity may increase at dawn and dusk when animals are feeding. Visibility is also poor. Avoid hiking during this time, or wear reflective vests and use a headlamp or flashlight for extra visibility.

Use Extra Caution Near Roads and in Valleys

Be especially cautious within 1/2 mile of road crossings (both approaching and leaving) and in valley areas.

Avoid Hunter Interference

Hikers should be aware that interference or harassment of hunters in the lawful pursuit of game is a violation of law in all 14 A.T. states. This includes interference or tampering with dogs used in the pursuit of game where allowed by law. Sportsmen are our partners in conservation, and encounters between hunters and hikers are opportunities to raise the awareness of both groups.

Deer Firearm Season

Deer firearm season is generally considered the most important time to exercise extra caution or consider hiking in an area where hunting is not allowed. Seasons vary by state. November is typically the prime month for deer firearm season, but October, November, December, and January are also months when deer firearm season may be open. During firearm season, if you want to choose an area of the A.T. where hunting is not allowed, you can hike in one of five national parks crossed by the A.T. (note that hunting is allowed in Delaware Gap National Recreation Area, another national park unit):

• C&O Canal National Historical Park, Maryland
• Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia
• Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
• Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

Hunting is also prohibited on Sundays in several A.T. states.

Be Heard

Make sure you are heard before you are seen by whistling, singing,​ or talking while you hike.

Tips for Hunters During Hunting Seasons

​Follow All Hunting Regulations

• It is the responsibility of the sportsman to know where the land ownership and boundaries for the area where he or she wishes to hunt and to contact the landowner regarding the rules and regulations governing hunting at that location.
• The act of hunting and the discharging of weapons remains prohibited on National Park Service lands managed by the ​A.T. Park Office.
• The use of off-road vehicles, including ATVs, is prohibited along the entire length of the ​A.T.

​​Know Where the Trail Is

• A.T. maps can be purchased from the ATC and at local outfitters. Contact the nearest ATC office for more information.
• Do not shoot toward the Trail or the Trail corridor.
• A special note about Pennsylvania: Those hunting in Pennsylvania, where land hunting boundaries can be especially confusing, are encouraged to contact our Mid-Atlantic Regional Office for assistance in determining where hunting is permitted. The Trail is often located on the height of the land.

Be Sure of Your Target

• On National Forest lands in 2002 and 2003, two ​A.T. hikers were shot by hunters who thought they were shooting at deer. Both hikers suffered serious injuries, and both hunters were prosecuted.

​​Make Your Presence Known to ​Hikers

• Many hikers are from urban or suburban areas and are unfamiliar with hunting. Hikers may not be aware of hunting seasons, or that they are in or near areas open to hunting.
• Hikers may not be wearing blaze orange. Please use appropriate caution.

​Hunting is Prohibited on Lands Acquired by the National Park Service for the Trail

• Be aware that, although the protected National Park Service Trail corridor is marked with yellow blazes and U.S. Boundary signs, corridor-boundary monitors cannot post (and maintain) signs every year along all of the more 1,200 miles of boundaries where hunters might cross onto A.T. lands.
• The Trail itself is marked by 2″ by 6″ vertical white rectangles painted on trees. Less familiar are the boundary blazes and signs on NPS corridor lands. Here, white 3″ x 12″ U.S. Boundary signs are placed facing out from the boundary with A.T. lands behind them. Trees on (or within a few feet of) the boundary are blazed with irregular yellow paint marks.
• Keep in mind that about 75 miles of the boundary of Pennsylvania State Game lands are marked with white paint, which occasionally causes confusion with white A.T. blazes.

2022-2023 Hunting Seasons on the Appalachian Trail

Dates shown: August 2022 through June 2023, noting that some dates are shown in ranges and may not be consecutively occurring dates. Not all dates apply to all counties or towns; hunting dates and laws (including, but not limited to, Sunday and nighttime hunting) are subject to change. Re-confirm hunting season dates locally before you go. This listing is not comprehensive.

HUNTING SEASONS 2022-2023 (DOWNLOAD AS PDF)