PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – The opening day of Pennsylvania’s firearms deer season is on Saturday. The Pennsylvania Game Commission says more than half a million hunters are expected to participate. “Growing up, I looked forward to the first day of deer season all year,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “I’m hardly alone that way. For many of us, hunting, and deer hunting in particular, isn’t just a hobby. It’s a part of the fabric of our lives.” The season starts Saturday, continues on Sunday and then runs from Dec. 2 through 14, excluding Sunday, Dec. 8. Hunters are allowed one antlered deer per year. To hunt antlerless deer, hunters must have a Wildlife Management Unit-specific antlerless license or Deer Management Assistance Program permit. The Game Commission says that last year, across all of the 2023-24 deer seasons, hunters harvested an estimated 430,010 white-tailed deer. The buck harvest was around 171,600 and the antlerless harvest was 258,410. Hunters must have a general hunting license which costs $20.97 for adult residents and $101.97 for adult nonresidents.