Veterans Alliance is privately owned and operated to serve veterans. We are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Alliance — Veterans Alliance
← All Pennsylvania benefits
recreationstate

Waterfowl Days Reserved for Veterans — Outside the Regular Season

Pennsylvania sets aside extra waterfowl hunting days for veterans as defined at 38 U.S.C. §101 and for members of the Armed Forces on active duty. Some are shared with junior hunters and some are VETERAN AND MILITARY ONLY. For 2026-27 the zone dates are Lake Erie 24 October, Northwest 26 September, North 31 October and South 7 November, with veteran and military-only days on 16 AND 23 JANUARY. You still need a Pennsylvania hunting licence, a Migratory Game Bird Licence and, at 16 or over, a federal duck stamp.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

Pennsylvania sets aside extra waterfowl hunting days for veterans as defined at 38 U.S.C. §101 and for members of the Armed Forces on active duty. Some are shared with junior hunters and some are VETERAN AND MILITARY ONLY. For 2026-27 the zone dates are Lake Erie 24 October, Northwest 26 September, North 31 October and South 7 November, with veteran and military-only days on 16 AND 23 JANUARY. You still need a Pennsylvania hunting licence, a Migratory Game Bird Licence and, at 16 or over, a federal duck stamp.

What it's worth: Additional zone-specific waterfowl days outside the regular season

  • Open to veterans as defined at 38 U.S.C. §101 and to members of the Armed Forces ON ACTIVE DUTY.
  • 2026-27 zone dates: LAKE ERIE 24 OCTOBER, NORTHWEST 26 SEPTEMBER, NORTH 31 OCTOBER, SOUTH 7 NOVEMBER — those are shared with junior hunters.
  • VETERAN AND MILITARY-ONLY DAYS: 16 AND 23 JANUARY.
  • THE DATES CHANGE EVERY SEASON. Check the current year before relying on any of them.
  • You still need a PA hunting licence, a MIGRATORY GAME BIRD LICENCE, and at 16 or over a FEDERAL DUCK STAMP.
  • NO RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT is stated beyond holding Pennsylvania licences.

Who is entitled to it

  • You serve or served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • Your discharge meets the definition.
  • Pennsylvania hunting.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

Deadline: Specific dates each season
  1. 1Check the Game Commission's current season dates. The ones here are 2026-27 and they move each year.
  2. 2Get the PA hunting licence AND the Migratory Game Bird Licence — the second is separate and easy to forget.
  3. 3At 16 or over, buy the federal duck stamp.
  4. 4Note which days are veteran and military only and which are shared with junior hunters.
  5. 5Carry proof of service; the days are restricted and will be checked.
Form
No application — hold the right licences and hunt on the day
File with
No filing; Pennsylvania Game Commission sets the dates
Documents you will need
dd214
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Known gapThe dates given are for the 2026-27 season only. Unlike most records in this corpus this one goes out of date on a fixed schedule, so treat the dates as an example of the pattern and take the current year from the Game Commission.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.