The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Board met Tuesday to set dates for this fall’s hunting season, which will include three Sundays.

The first Sunday will fall at the close of the state’s archery season, Nov. 15. The season dates for statewide archery will be Oct. 3 through Nov. 15.

The second Sunday will be during the statewide regular firearms season for bear. The season will open Saturday, Nov. 21 and include Sunday, Nov. 22. The four-day season ends Tuesday Nov. 24.

The third Sunday will occur during the state’s firearm season for deer. The season will open Saturday, Nov. 28 and include Sunday, Nov. 29. The season will end Saturday, Dec. 12.

The PGC Board of Commissioners also amended language regarding public use of state game lands during hunting seasons. Past language for this regulation stated that anyone using state game lands during hunting seasons would be required to wear fluorescent orange vest and hat, with the exception of Sundays. The board amended the language to remove the Sunday exception.

The board also changed requirements for tagging harvested deer, despite objections from some members. The new regulation will allow a hunter to shoot a second deer before tagging a first deer, having shot both.

“I think it’s a bad idea - not a good idea to shoot multiple deer (without tagging the first one),” said Commissioner Michael Mitrick. “It could result in careless shooting and deer shot and not being found.”

Two commissioners, Brian Hoover and Denny Fredericks, said that they are familiar with deer harvests in special regulations areas, where that method of tagging was already in effect. Both said that it hadn’t caused any issues. The change in tagging requirement passed by a 6-2 vote, with Mitrick and Charles Fox voting no.

In another change related to deer management, the board unanimously approved a change in the DMAP program, increasing the number of tags available per person from 2 to 4. Commissioner Brian Hoover said that the increase in the number of tags was “for farmers” and would be applied on large tracts of private land.

The board shot down a proposal which would have allowed hunters to use inline muzzleloaders which are loaded from both the muzzle and the breech. The language of the proposal would have allowed hunters to load “a cartridge of loose or pelletized black powder” loaded from the breech, in combination with a projectile loaded from the muzzle.

Commissioner Charles Fox called it “splitting hairs” and said such a change would benefit a specific manufacturer.

“When I see the term cartridge, I get concerned,” Fox said. The measure failed by a 7-1 vote, with only Commissioner Brian Hoover voting in favor.