Bucks County firearm hunting?

**tkole** · September 24th, 2016, 04:46 PM

I recently moved to Bucks county and I was expecting it to be clearly identified as a firearm free hunting zone. The hunting digest doesn't make it easy to figure out whether that is the case. What firearms, if any, are legal to hunt with for deer in Bucks County? Thank you.

**Gripsafety** · September 24th, 2016, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by tkole

I recently moved to Bucks county and I was expecting it to be clearly identified as a firearm free hunting zone. The hunting digest doesn't make it easy to figure out whether that is the case. What firearms, if any, are legal to hunt with for deer in Bucks County? Thank you.

You can use a shotgun with buckshot.

Small game can be hunted with a shotgun or a rimfire rifle.

§ 141.1. Special regulations areas.

(a) Name. The areas shall be known and referred to as special regulations areas.

(b) Descriptions.

(1) Southwest area. Includes the County of Allegheny.

(2) Southeast area. Includes the Counties of Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia and also includes Tyler and Ridley Creek State Parks and other publicly-owned lands therein.

(c) Prohibitions.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (d), it is unlawful to take, kill or attempt to take or kill wildlife through the use of a firearm of any description which discharges single-projectile ammunition, or, while hunting for wild birds or wild animals, to possess single-projectile ammunition, except for employees of political subdivisions and other persons who have a valid deer control permit issued under the authority of Chapter 29 of the act (relating to special licenses and permits).

(2) It is unlawful to use buckshot in Allegheny or Philadelphia Counties without specific authorization of the Director.

(3) It is unlawful to, except for normal or accepted farming, habitat management practices, oil and gas drilling, mining, forest management activities, or other legitimate commercial or industrial practices, intentionally lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals anywhere in the southeast special regulations area for the purpose of feeding white-tailed deer, or to intentionally lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals that may cause white-tailed deer to congregate or habituate an area. If otherwise lawful feeding is attracting white-tailed deer, the Commission may provide written notice prohibiting this activity.

(d) Permitted acts. It is lawful to:

(1) Except in Philadelphia County, Ridley Creek State Park, Delaware County and Tyler State Park, Bucks County, hunt and kill deer and bear through the use of a muzzleloading long gun or a shotgun, at least .410 gauge (rifled barrels permitted), including semiautomatics which, upon discharge, propel a single projectile.

(2) Take deer with a shotgun 20 gauge or larger—including semiautomatic—using buckshot in the Southeast area only.

(3) Take small game, furbearing animals, crows or wildlife with a manually operated rimfire rifle or handgun .22 caliber or less.

(4) Kill an animal legally caught in a trap with a manually operated rimfire rifle or handgun .22 caliber or less while trapping.

(5) Harvest more than one deer at a time when multiple harvests of deer per day are authorized without first lawfully tagging previous harvests, provided all deer harvested are lawfully tagged immediately thereafter.

(6) Hunt or take deer during any deer season through the use of or by taking advantage of bait on private property currently operating under a valid deer control permit where approval for limited baiting activities has previously been obtained under § 147.552 (relating to application). This limited authorization is valid only to the extent that persons comply with the standards and conditions in § 147.556 (relating to lawful devices and methods).

(7) Hunt or take deer in the southeast special regulations area during regular open hunting seasons for white-tailed deer through the use of or by taking advantage of bait on private, township or municipal property only under a deer attractant permit issued under Chapter 147, Subchapter R (relating to deer control).

**tkole** · September 24th, 2016, 06:30 PM

[QUOTE=Gripsafety;3404023]You can use a shotgun with slugs or buckshot. A rifled slug gun with sabots is a deer killer.

THANK YOU - I am all set! Just couldn't easily find the rules.

**Gripsafety** · September 25th, 2016, 08:04 AM

[QUOTE=tkole;3404037]

Originally Posted by Gripsafety

You can use a shotgun with slugs or buckshot. A rifled slug gun with sabots is a deer killer.

THANK YOU - I am all set! Just couldn't easily find the rules.

Maybe not - I just reread the rules and it looks like only buckshot is permitted in Bucks County per (d)(1) and (d)(2). Sorry 'bout that.

**Gripsafety** · September 25th, 2016, 12:46 PM

Now I'm confused. According to the Hunting Digest, slugs are OK in Bucks. Look at page 34 of this pdf:

http://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Law/D...g%20Digest.pdf

According to Title 58 chapter 141, you cannot use slugs in Bucks.

http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/05...41/s141.1.html

Can anyone help the OP?

**God's Country** · September 25th, 2016, 01:23 PM

The way I read it is Bucks (sticking with modern firearms) is .410 or larger with slugs, 20g or larger with buckshot, and only buckshot 20g or higher in Ridley Creek and Tyler state parks. do not know if they are in Bucks. Semi and manual shotguns OK in both situations.

YMMV

**Gripsafety** · September 25th, 2016, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by God's Country

The way I read it is Bucks (sticking with modern firearms) is .410 or larger with slugs, 20g or larger with buckshot, and only buckshot 20g or higher in Ridley Creek and Tyler state parks. do not know if they are in Bucks. Semi and manual shotguns OK in both situations.

YMMV

I read Title 58 again, and you're right.

(d) Permitted acts. It is lawful to:

(1) Except in Philadelphia County, Ridley Creek State Park, Delaware County and Tyler State Park, Bucks County, hunt and kill deer and bear through the use of a muzzleloading long gun or a shotgun, at least .410 gauge (rifled barrels permitted), including semiautomatics which, upon discharge, propel a single projectile.

(2) Take deer with a shotgun 20 gauge or larger—including semiautomatic—using buckshot in the Southeast area only.

It is saying that Ridley Creek State Park is in Delaware County and Tyler is in Bucks. I misread it to say that Delaware and Bucks counties were included with Philadelphia County and the parks.

Thanks God's Country.