In Pennsylvania, hunting is a 24/7, 365-day activity. In other words, on any given day — or night — it’s legal to shoot one wild animal or another, depending on the species, the location and type of weapon.

But no time of year is bigger than rifle deer season when hundreds of thousands of hunters head into the fields and forests across the state in search of their trophy buck.

“There’s always something in season,” said Travis Lau, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. “And coyotes for instance can be hunted year round, day or night, including on all Sundays.”

What about the many non-hunters in the commonwealth who want to go hiking or biking, bird watching or geocaching, in the great outdoors without fearing for their lives?

“There is some anxiety,” said Sarah Corcoran, deputy director of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club, which has 30,000 outdoors-loving members.

The popular rifle deer season runs through Dec. 9, but there are extended hunting seasons for antlerless deer, in deer management areas and extended archery and flintlock seasons that continue in certain regions until January 27.

There are 1.5 million acres of state game lands where licensed hunters can hunt any number of species of animal and hunting is allowed in all 20 state forests and in designated areas in 100 of 124 state parks. Then there are conservancy lands and private property that hunters may be using that may not be marked.

While there is some information on Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website, non-hunters say the state lacks a good database with all public land where hunting is permitted.

That lack of access to mapping has many hikers and other non-hunting outdoors people on edge, especially when it’s difficult to tell where hunting areas begin and end.

“I find it difficult myself to know what are game lands and not, hunting in some state parks but not others, said Harris Toser, 57, of Harrisburg, a hike leader for the Meet Up group, Day Hikers of Central PA, for about seven years. “There’s no hunting on the Appalachian Trail but it’s a very thin strip and you can go right through game lands and not know.”

Toser, who went to Maryland to hike to avoid the first day of hunting season in Pennsylvania, thinks there’s an opportunity for someone to develop an app that would help hunters and non-hunters alike better navigate the boundaries in the state.

“We need a better resources,” said Toser. “At any given time there’s hunting. It could be archery or small game, but it could be easier to go outdoors safely and [creating a searchable database] could an app developer’s dream.”

A DCNR spokesman said non-hunters should be able to determine where it’s safe to hike in state parks.

“We have designated areas for hunting in state parks that are clearly marked, so it is less about having areas set aside for non-hunters and more about having designated areas for hunters inside of the parks,” said DCNR spokesman Wesley Robinson.

In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf approved a bill to allow limited Sunday hunting three times a year. There is legislation proposed to allow hunting seven days a week — a move the Sierra Club and other outdoors and animal welfare groups oppose — but so far that bill has not gained traction in the General Assembly.

“Many people do not feel safe while on the trail during hunting season even though there are precautions that can be made, and knowing that there is one day a week free from hunting gives peace of mind,” said Corcoran.

The good news for hikers this year? The remaining Sundays of 2023 will be deer-hunting free.

Lau said while it might seem there is potential for hazardous encounters between hunters and non-hunters, the reality is that incidents are rare.

“All in all, non-hunters wouldn’t seem to assume any more risk than hunters using the same lands, and accidents of any kind are few,” he said.

Tips for enjoying the outdoors safely during the most active hunting seasons:

– Do your research. Be aware of state park, state forest and gameland boundaries.

– Wear bright colors, or better yet, fluorescent orange.

– Hike or bike in groups.

– Plan activities for midday rather than dawn or dusk when most hunters are out.

– Consider walking trails in city, township or other local parks where hunting is not allowed.