Yes. To hunt fox in Pennsylvania you need a furtaker license, not a general hunting license. A resident adult furtaker license costs $20.97, and a nonresident adult license costs $81.97.1Pennsylvania Game Commission. License Types Both red and gray fox fall under this rule.
Why Fox Requires a Furtaker License
Pennsylvania’s Game Code classifies fox as a furbearer under 58 Pa. Code § 133.5, alongside bobcat, otter, muskrat, beaver, mink, skunk, opossum, raccoon, and weasel.2Cornell Law Institute. 58 Pa Code 133.5 – Furbearers Species on that list generally require a furtaker license to hunt or trap.
Two furbearers are exceptions. Coyote and porcupine can be taken with either a general hunting license or a furtaker license.2Cornell Law Institute. 58 Pa Code 133.5 – Furbearers Fox is not on that short list. Hunters who already carry a general license for deer or small game sometimes assume it covers fox too, and that assumption can lead to a citation. A general hunting license in Pennsylvania authorizes deer, turkey, and small game, plus coyote and porcupine among the furbearers. Everything else on the furbearer list, fox included, requires the furtaker license.
Fox Season, Hours, and Bag Limits
For the 2025–2026 license year, the fox season runs from October 25 through February 21, 2026, with no daily bag limit and no season limit. Sunday hunting is permitted for fox throughout the season.3Pennsylvania Game Commission. Seasons and Bag Limits Red fox and gray fox share the same dates and rules.
Fox may be hunted at any hour, day or night, throughout the season.4Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. 58 Pa Code 141.4 – Hunting Hours Around-the-clock hunting also applies to raccoon, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, and weasel.
Equipment and Orange Rules
Hunters pursuing fox on foot at night may use a handheld light, including a gun-mounted light. Electronic callers are also legal.5Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. 58 Pa Code 141.6 – Illegal Devices Lawful firearms, bows, and crossbows are all permitted, and shotgun magazines must be limited to a two-shell capacity.
Fluorescent orange is not required when hunting fox. That is a real departure from deer and bear rules. The orange requirement that does apply to a furbearer is coyote-specific: coyote hunters must wear 250 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange during the regular firearms deer season or any bear season. It does not extend to fox. If your fox hunt overlaps with firearms deer season, orange is still a sensible precaution even when the law doesn’t require it.
Fox Chasing With Hounds Is Different
Fox chasing, where organized packs of foxhounds pursue foxes without the intent to harvest, is governed by a separate permit. A club, organization, or individual using a pack of five or more foxhounds may apply to the Game Commission for a permit to chase foxes on horseback during designated periods.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. 34 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 2945 – Fox Chasing
Participants in a permitted fox chase are not required to hold a furtaker license.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. 34 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 2945 – Fox Chasing If your plan is to harvest a fox rather than chase one under a permit, you need the furtaker license.
Mentored Youth and Fox
Pennsylvania’s Mentored Youth Hunting Program lets young hunters take the field under a licensed adult mentor without first completing Hunter-Trapper Education, but fox is not on the approved list of species for mentored hunting.7Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Purchase a Mentored Hunting Permit A young hunter interested in fox will need to finish Hunter-Trapper Education, buy a junior or adult hunting license, and add a furtaker license. Hunter-Trapper Education has a minimum age of 11, and license privileges begin at 12.8Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hunter-Trapper Education
Penalties for Skipping the Furtaker License
Hunting or trapping fox without the required license is a summary offense of the fifth degree under Pennsylvania’s Game Code. Violations involving bobcat or otter are classified higher, at the fourth degree.9Pennsylvania General Assembly. Title 34 – Game, Chapter 23 Summary offenses carry fines and can affect your eligibility for future hunting licenses. A game warden checking licenses in the field will look for the furtaker license if you have fox in your possession.
Buying the License
Furtaker licenses are sold online through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s HuntFishPA platform and in person at authorized issuing agents, including sporting goods stores and county treasurer offices.10Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Purchase a Hunting and Trapping License Online purchases generate a digital copy immediately, and no harvest tag is required for fox, so the digital license is enough to hunt.11Pennsylvania Game Commission. Licensing FAQs
First-time hunters and trappers must complete Pennsylvania’s Hunter-Trapper Education course before buying any license. The in-person course is free and open to anyone 11 or older, and an online version is available to Pennsylvania residents 16 and older.8Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hunter-Trapper Education