Berks County Wildlife Problems: Who to Call for Bears, Deer

Almost every wildlife problem in Berks County goes to one number: the Pennsylvania Game Commission's dispatch center at 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453), staffed around the clock, which takes reports of bears, sick or injured wild animals, road-killed deer and wildlife emergencies and reaches the game warden for the county. The exceptions are a dead deer on a state road, which is PennDOT's job at 1-800-FIX-ROAD; a bite or scratch, which goes to your doctor and the state Department of Health at 877-PA-HEALTH; a snake, which belongs to the Fish and Boat Commission; and an animal that is a danger to someone right now, which is a 911 call.

No county office handles any of this. Berks has no animal control department and no health department, and the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, which does animal control for some towns, says it "is not a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and is not able to respond to wildlife concerns," though its service page says that in its contracted towns it will help police capture an animal that is injured or threatening a person or property. Our guide to animal complaints covers dogs, cats, barking and cruelty; this one covers the wild animals.

Problem	Who handles it	Number
Bear, coyote or fox that is sick, injured or will not leave	Game Commission dispatch, 24 hours	1-833-PGC-WILD
Injured, sick or orphaned wild animal	A licensed wildlife rehabilitator, or dispatch	Cricket Wildlife Center 717-381-9893; Red Creek 570-739-4393
Dead deer on a state road	PennDOT	1-800-FIX-ROAD
Dead deer on a township or borough road	Your municipality's road department	Municipal office
Keeping a road-killed deer	Game Commission dispatch, within 24 hours	1-833-PGC-HUNT
Bats, squirrels, raccoons in the house	You, or a permitted nuisance wildlife control operator; the region office for advice	1-833-742-4868
Bite or scratch from a wild animal	Your doctor; Department of Health	877-PA-HEALTH
Snake in the yard or house	Fish and Boat Commission Southeast Region	717-626-0228
Animal endangering someone right now	Berks County 911	911

The Game Commission is the state agency for wild birds and mammals. Its Southeast Region office, at 253 Snyder Road in Reading, covers Berks and 11 other counties, answers 1-833-742-4868 (the same number as 1-833-PGC-HUNT) and is staffed weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its contact page says the dispatch center "is staffed 24/7 to receive calls from the public," and its Request Help With Wildlife page sets the ground rule: "All wildlife is protected, however certain nuisance animals can be removed" when they damage crops, property or people.

A bear, coyote or fox in the yard

Bears in Berks are usually passing through. The Game Commission's black bear page says bears seen in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania are mostly transient because the area lacks enough forest. Its advice is about food: "Bird feeders, garbage cans and backyard grills all can draw bears," and "Eliminating attractants typically prevents these types of problems." The nuisance wildlife page recommends "bringing your feeders in for the summer, or at least at night." Feeding a bear is against the rules: "It is unlawful to intentionally lay or place food" or other attractants that cause bears to congregate or habituate an area.

A bear that will not leave, is in a building, is injured or is acting sick goes to dispatch at 1-833-PGC-WILD. A bear walking through the yard and out again does not need a report. The Game Commission's bear page publishes no step list for a face-to-face encounter; it links to BearWise, whose basics are to never feed or approach bears, secure food and garbage, and pull feeders when bears are active.

Coyotes and foxes are different because both are what the state calls rabies vector species, which the rehabilitation regulations define as raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, coyotes and groundhogs. A coyote or fox at dusk is normal. One that staggers, approaches people, ignores noise or has bitten a pet is a dispatch call. The Game Commission's coyote page says nothing about pets; it notes that "During most of the year coyotes may be hunted with only a general license," which our hunting guide covers. If your dog or cat is bitten by a wild animal, the pet quarantine rules in the animal complaints guide apply.

Injured, sick or orphaned wildlife

The first rule is legal. The Game Commission's springtime alert, dated May 14, 2025, says "It is illegal to take or possess wildlife from the wild," with a fine of up to $1,500 per animal, and that only rehabilitators licensed by the Game Commission may care for injured or orphaned wildlife for release. It points the public to the list at pawr.com, kept by the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators, and to dispatch if no local rehabilitator can be found.

The second rule is about babies. The alert says that for young wildlife "the best thing you can do is leave them alone," because adults leave their young to forage but "they do return," and that "deer fawns sometimes are assumed to be abandoned when, in fact, their mothers are nearby." Red Creek Wildlife Center, a licensed rehabilitator in Schuylkill Haven, spells out the fawn rules: a doe may leave a fawn alone for up to 24 hours; a fawn curled up is hiding normally; one on its side with legs extended, covered in flies, or crying for hours needs help; and never feed a fawn, because the wrong formula can kill it.

The third rule is about the rabies vector species. The alert warns that any "high risk" rabies vector species "confiscated after human contact must be euthanized and tested." A baby raccoon picked up bare-handed cannot go back to the wild.

Rehabilitators who serve Berks County

The pawr.com list for Berks County has two entries. Cricket Wildlife Center, 100 Bitting Road, Alburtis, PA 18011, 717-381-9893, is listed for mammals, raptors, songbirds and waterfowl, and rabies vector species; the ARL's page adds that it does not take reptiles or amphibians. Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation, run by Steph Stronsick from a post office box in Mertztown, (484) 908-0231, is listed "BATS ONLY."

Two more are on the pawr.com Schuylkill County page: Red Creek Wildlife Center, 300 Moon Hill Drive, Schuylkill Haven, 570-739-4393, listed for mammals, birds, raptors, rabies vector species and reptiles; and Helping Hands Wildlife Center in Pottsville, 570-497-6414, for mammals and rabies vector species. For a snake or turtle, the ARL lists the Venom Institute in Coal Township, (484) 525-3512. Call first; none of these pages posts intake hours.

Veterinarians are one exception to the possession rule. Under 58 Pa. Code section 147.302, a licensed veterinarian may treat injured wildlife without a permit as long as "the wildlife is not held for more than 48 hours before contacting the Commission or a wildlife rehabilitator." An injured adult deer is a dispatch call; of the rehabilitators above, only Red Creek's website says it takes deer. A songbird that hit a window is an injured animal; Cricket's pawr.com Lehigh County listing names Renae Yeager, (484) 268-6873, as its songbird contact for Lehigh County callers, while Berks callers use the main number.

A dead deer or other road-killed animal

Who removes a dead animal depends on who owns the road; our guide to reporting a road problem explains how to tell. On a state route, the Game Commission's Oct. 21, 2026 release says to call PennDOT at 1-800-FIX-ROAD. PennDOT's own reporting page calls that number the line "for immediate needs or safety issues," offers an online Customer Care Center with a "Remove something from road" category, read only "Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.," and says to call the district office for an urgent issue. It does not mention deer by name. PennDOT's District 5, 1002 Hamilton Street, Allentown, 610-871-4106, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., covers Berks. On a township or borough road, call the municipality. The ARL does not pick up or dispose of dead animals anywhere. For a carcass on private land, a permitted nuisance wildlife control operator may collect and dispose of it "with or without a fee" under 58 Pa. Code section 147.726(i).

If the deer is alive, the release says to keep your distance, because some recover and leave, and to report it if it stays. Drivers are not required to report a deer collision to the Game Commission, whose 2023 release cited an insurance report giving Pennsylvania drivers "a 1-in-59 chance of a vehicular accident involving a big game animal."

Keeping the deer

Pennsylvania residents may keep a road-killed deer for the meat. Under 58 Pa. Code section 147.142, a person may "take immediate possession of the carcass of a deer or turkey" killed by a vehicle and must "contact the Commission to obtain a permit number within 24 hours." The number is the permit, valid for up to 120 days. Inedible parts go back to the Commission, and the meat may not be given to anyone else.

1. Call dispatch at 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD within 24 hours of picking up the deer. The permit number is free; write it down.
2. Only Pennsylvania residents may claim a deer. If the driver who hit it does not want it, a passing Pennsylvania motorist may.
3. Chronic wasting disease rules still apply, which means the head and backbone may not be carried out of a Disease Management Area.

Nuisance wildlife in the house: bats, squirrels, raccoons, groundhogs, skunks

For a raccoon in the attic, the Game Commission's nuisance wildlife page offers two routes, doing it yourself or "hiring a wildlife pest control agent." It tells landowners to "contact the region office that serves the county where they are located before trapping nuisance wildlife," then lays out what a homeowner may and may not do.

What you may do: take action when personal property, "other than an agricultural crop," is being destroyed, or when "a sick or diseased animal poses a threat to humans, farm animals or pets," with exceptions for deer, bear and other listed species. "Only the property owner or person in charge of the property may take steps to capture or kill wildlife." "Live wildlife may be relocated to a natural setting." Traps "must be checked daily." And "Any wildlife killed must be reported to the Game Commission."

What you may not do: "Landowners and homeowners may not trap beavers, bobcats, migratory birds, big game, threatened species or endangered species." Rabies vector species "should not be relocated like other wildlife," and "If bitten or scratched, the wildlife will need to be tested for rabies." So a trapped raccoon, skunk, groundhog or fox should not be driven to a park and let go.

Timing matters more than traps. The page says excluding bats in summer is "a bad idea" because it traps them inside, so "it's best to wait until late fall," and for skunks, raccoons, squirrels and groundhogs, "Let the young leave the maternity site." The Game Commission's bat page is blunter: "Do not seal bats out during June or July because you will trap flightless young inside." The agency's bat guide for control operators sets the Pennsylvania maternity season, when no exclusion should be done, at May 15 through Aug. 1.

Hiring a permitted operator

Anyone who removes wildlife for someone else needs a state permit. Under 58 Pa. Code section 147.721, a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator permit is required "to take, harass, transport, release or dispatch designated wildlife for another person." The same rules decide what happens to your raccoon: under section 147.726, "Nuisance wildlife captured alive shall within 24 hours be dispatched in a humane manner" or "released in an area open to hunting or trapping," and rabies vector species "shall be euthanized in a humane manner rather than released." Ask a company for its permit number, which section 147.726 requires on every trap. The Game Commission posts no public roster of permitted operators; the Southeast Region office can say whether a company holds one. PA Bat Rescue lists removal companies it works with that serve Berks.

A single bat in the living space

The Game Commission's bat guide says a bat indoors in summer "is not necessarily an indication that a bat is rabid," but the homeowner must settle with a doctor or health department whether anyone was exposed before letting it go. The Department of Agriculture's rabies exposure page repeats the CDC advice that every bat found indoors be tested, "especially if people were nearby, even while sleeping," because bat bites can go unnoticed. So: close the door, wait until the bat lands, and with thick gloves cover it with a box, slide cardboard under it and seal the lid, as PA Bat Rescue describes. If anyone slept in the room, keep the bat and call dispatch at 1-833-PGC-WILD about testing and 877-PA-HEALTH about shots. If no one could have been bitten, the guide says the bat can be released outdoors.

Rabies: bites and scratches from a wild animal

Berks has no health department. The state Department of Health lists seven county and four city departments, and neither Berks nor Reading is among them, so rabies decisions for people here are the state's.

1. Wash the wound. The Department of Agriculture's rabies page says washing a bite or scratch right away with soap and water "can greatly reduce the risk of rabies."
2. Get medical care the same day. The Department of Health's fact sheet, updated Oct. 9, 2025, says rabies "is always fatal without post-exposure prophylaxis," and that the shots, four on days 0, 3, 7 and 14 plus immune globulin, eliminate the risk. Medical providers must report animal bites to the Department of Health.
3. Call 877-PA HEALTH (877-724-3258). The department's rabies page says you "will receive a response promptly from public health staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." Its Berks County Health Center is in the Reading State Office Building, 625 Cherry St., Room 401, Reading, 610-378-4377, and the department's directory says its centers are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
4. Do not chase the animal. The Department of Agriculture says to contact the Game Commission "for help in capturing and submitting" a suspect wild animal, which can only be tested after euthanasia. If the animal is gone, seek care anyway.
5. For an exposed pet or a testing question, the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services is at 717-772-2852.

The fact sheet says the animals most likely to carry rabies in Pennsylvania are raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes and cats, and that the state confirms 350 to 500 rabid animals a year, about half of them raccoons. The Game and Wildlife Code's section 2141 allows killing a wild animal to protect a person only when "a human is endangered to a degree" that immediate destruction is necessary; the killer must report to a game warden "in no case later than 24 hours" and leave the carcass at the site.

Deer in the garden

Deer, like bears and geese, are on the list of animals a homeowner may not trap or kill. The nuisance wildlife page excludes deer from the landowner-action rule and offers gardeners scarecrows, hanging pie tins, "spraying peppery liquids on plants" and fences. The crop-protection law, section 2121, lets a person kill wildlife caught in "the material destruction" of crops, but defines that person as someone who cultivates land "as a primary means of gaining a livelihood," so a backyard vegetable bed does not qualify; the Agricultural Deer Control program is likewise for "agricultural lands." For a homeowner, the lawful tools are a fence, a repellent and, on a large enough parcel, a licensed hunter in season.

Geese, snakes and birds, briefly

Canada geese are federal. The Game Commission's goose page says geese "fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government's U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service," and the nuisance page says they "cannot be killed unless hunted legally." A landowner or homeowners' association can register at no fee under the federal nest and egg depredation order, 50 CFR 21.50, to destroy resident goose nests and eggs on its own property; the order "does not authorize the killing of any migratory bird species." Killing adult geese takes a depredation permit, with a $50 fee for a personal residence and $100 for a business or homeowners' association, documented nonlethal attempts, and a review form from USDA Wildlife Services, 866-487-3297. The nuisance page says "one of the most effective ways to make progress is to encourage people to stop feeding" the birds.

Snakes belong to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Its reptile FAQ says "There are only three venomous snakes native to PA," the eastern copperhead, timber rattlesnake and eastern massasauga; that there is "no known effective snake repellent"; and that for removal, "try using non-lethal methods" or call a law enforcement region office or an animal removal specialist. The commission's Southeast Region office, which covers Berks, is at 255 West Brubaker Valley Road, Lititz, 717-626-0228.

A bird that hit a window is an injured animal: call a rehabilitator. The Game Commission has no page on window strikes.

When it is an emergency

An animal attacking someone, a rabid-acting animal on a playground or a bear inside an occupied house is a 911 call. Berks County's 911 Communications Branch answers "emergency and non-emergency calls for service" and dispatches police; its non-emergency line is (610) 655-4911, the number the ARL's wildlife page lists first. Our lost or found pet guide has the after-hours numbers for domestic animals, and the dog license guide explains the rabies vaccination you will be asked about if your dog is bitten.

FAQ

Who do I call about a bear in Berks County?

The Pennsylvania Game Commission's 24-hour dispatch center at 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453), which contacts the local game warden. Bring in bird feeders and secure garbage first. Call 911 if a bear is inside a building or threatening someone.

Can I keep a deer I hit with my car in Pennsylvania?

Yes, if you are a Pennsylvania resident. Take the carcass and call the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-HUNT within 24 hours for a free permit number. Only the meat may be kept, it cannot be given away, and chronic wasting disease rules still apply.

Who removes a dead deer from the road in Berks County?

PennDOT on state routes, at 1-800-FIX-ROAD or through its online Customer Care Center; the township or borough on a local road. The Animal Rescue League does not pick up dead animals, and dispatch at 1-833-PGC-WILD can tell you which road agency to call.

Does Berks County have a wildlife rehabilitator?

Two are listed for Berks on the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators site: Cricket Wildlife Center near Alburtis, 717-381-9893, and Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation in Mertztown, 484-908-0231, for bats only. The ARL also lists Red Creek Wildlife Center in Schuylkill Haven, 570-739-4393, as a Berks resource. Keeping wildlife yourself can cost up to $1,500 per animal.

What do I do about a bat in my bedroom?

Close the door, wait for it to land, and trap it under a box with gloves on. If anyone was sleeping in the room, keep the bat and call the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD so it can be tested, and 877-PA-HEALTH about rabies shots.

Sources

• Pa. Game Commission: Contact Information, Southeast Region, Request Help With Wildlife, Nuisance Wildlife, the springtime alert, the Black Bear, Eastern Coyote, Bats and Canada Goose pages, the bat control guide, the Agricultural Deer Control program, and the Oct. 21, 2026 and Oct. 24, 2023 deer releases.
• Law: 34 Pa.C.S. section 2121 and 2141; 58 Pa. Code Chapter 147 Subchapter P, Subchapter T and section 147.142; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service goose registration FAQ and depredation permit 3-200-13.
• Rehabilitators: pawr.com Berks, Lehigh and Schuylkill pages; Red Creek on fawns; PA Bat Rescue.
• Rabies: Pa. Department of Agriculture Rabies and Report Suspected Rabies Exposure; Pa. Department of Health Rabies, Rabies Fact Sheet, County and Municipal Health Departments, State Health Centers and the Berks County Health Center record.
• Roads, snakes, emergencies: PennDOT Report a Roadway Concern and District 5; Pa. Fish and Boat Commission Reptiles and Amphibians FAQs and Contact Us; Berks County 911 Communications Branch and Department of Emergency Services; Animal Rescue League of Berks County Emergencies and Wild Life, Animal Control and Service Areas and Contact Us.

Pa. Game Commission dispatch: 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453) or 1-833-PGC-HUNT (1-833-742-4868), 24 hours; Southeast Region office, 253 Snyder Road, Reading, 1-833-742-4868, staffed Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cricket Wildlife Center: 100 Bitting Road, Alburtis, PA 18011; 717-381-9893; Lehigh County songbird contact (484) 268-6873. Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation: P.O. Box 82, Mertztown, PA 19539; (484) 908-0231. Red Creek Wildlife Center: 300 Moon Hill Drive, Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972; 570-739-4393. Helping Hands Wildlife Center, Pottsville: 570-497-6414 or 570-385-3775. Pa. Department of Health: 877-PA HEALTH (877-724-3258), 24 hours; Berks County Health Center, Reading State Office Building, 625 Cherry St., Room 401, Reading, PA 19602, 610-378-4377, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pa. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services: 717-772-2852, RA-ahds@pa.gov. PennDOT: 1-800-FIX-ROAD; District 5, 1002 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101, 610-871-4106, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; Customer Care Center read Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pa. Fish and Boat Commission Southeast Region law enforcement: 255 West Brubaker Valley Road, Lititz, PA 17543; 717-626-0228. USDA Wildlife Services: 866-487-3297. Berks County Department of Emergency Services: DirectLink Technology Center, 2561 Bernville Rd., Reading, PA 19605; 610-374-4800; emergencies 911; non-emergency (610) 655-4911. Animal Rescue League of Berks County: 58 Kennel Road, Birdsboro, PA 19508; 610-373-8830; Monday and Wednesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Tuesday; not a wildlife rehabilitator.