Good public land areas around Pittsburgh to State College PA?

My family will be moving to Indiana, PA in about a month. I am looking for some good public land spots to hunt in Northwestern PA. I don't mind walking in a couple miles to hunt in a large expanse of public land? OR should I hunt parts of Ohio given that I will be may be a couple hours from some decent public land spots in Ohio?

And if you guys could offer any info on PA's hunting seasons and if they have bow only seasons/bow only public lands I would appreciate it.

Thanks guys.

 

dont live out there but our bow season starts most of the time the first weekend of october and gun opens first monday after thanksgiving. then we have winter archery after christmas that goes till the end of january

 

Still pumped for you guys Brett! That's going to be a sweet experience! Best of luck to the whole family.

 

Thanks Matt. I am excited for my wife as she takes steps to fulfill her dreams.

 

If you come an hour further West of State C you're welcome at my fire anytime Brett. Got 175 acres bordered by a ton of State land.

 

Also, buy you license ASAP as first doe apps will be due soon.

Will you be a non res this year?

I'd look into the cost diff/pros-cons to staying VA vs PA

 

This.

Must of missed this news of the move, Brett, but I'm also in your neck of the woods. You're welcome here anytime as well.

Some WMU's fill up their doe licenses quick, which is what Ben is eluding to. 2G which I'm in (you won't be) fills all slots first round historically, thus I'm limited to one tag in my unit. Other units take quite a while to fill up (Ben is in 3B and it usually goes several rounds). Obviously, you're limited to just one buck per tag. Our season opens usually right around the end of September to the first few days in October (this year it opens on the 5th) and runs for ~6 weeks (closes on the 16th this year). We then have a late season that opens the day after Christmas and runs until mid January. This season is usually cold and much harder hunting, but you will have the woods basically to yourself (especially on SGL).

 

Ben and Matt, thanks guys.

So let me try to simplify what you said. I can use my buck tag anywhere in the state, but I have to buy a doe tag and can only use it in my assigned area?

More than likely we will be renting a house here in the next 6 weeks. I will be living in Virginia, yet commuting up about 10-14 days per month on my off days from work. I will be taking a hunting vacation from Nov 2-16 and after I clear Ohio around November 6th, I would like to stay in PA with my family and hunt. If there are some good state lands I could hunt I would like to do so.

 

Where exactly are you looking for sgl . I've got friends with knowledge near pit

But what's the perfect loc

 

And yea, buck anywhere, lottery 3 drawings for does

 

Nearby I see:

Yellow Creek State Park that is open to hunting.

I also see State Game Lands #276.

Gallitzen State Forest.

Prince Gallitzen State Park.

State Game Lands #248

Blue Spruce Park.
State Game Lands #185.

Keystone State Park.

State Game Lands #153.

 

Also guys make easy for me....I want to hunt deer.

I need a general hunting license for a non-resident + an archery tag and that is it right?

At that point I will be eligible to kill a buck but I would still need to sign up to kill does?

Im a little lost as you can tell.

 

There is a ton of property within 15 minutes of town that holds some great deer. I have hunted around Yellow Creek but it was predator hunting. I know some great deer are taken out of that area every year and the turkey hunting is excellent. My hunting ground is close to SGL #248 (pretty much across the road) and I can say that it is awesome. The area around Two Lick is packed with deer and some really big bucks are taken there every year. If you are willing to walk, you can get back in some prime spots. I watched a buck that fed on the new Airport runway property that was living in those SGL's this year, he was shot in rifle season and ended up being a 26-1/2" wide 8 point. There is also a farm out past the Airport on Airport road which you can easily get permission to hunt that butts up against SGL #248. They are a deer damage area and I know there was a 150" class 9 point running the area after rifle season last year. These areas are WMU 2E and have a 3 point antler restrictions. Blue Spruce park is another area that has some good hunting and that is in WMU 2D which is a 4 point antler restriction area. WMU gives out more antlerless tags than 2E. I can tell you that there are a bunch of farms in the area that if you talk to the owners you can get permission to archery hunt rather easily. If you would like, I can PM you directions to a couple of spots that I have hunted where you can talk to the land owner for permission.

 

You are correct, you will need a general tag and an archery tag to kill a buck. You have to apply for a doe tag in order to shoot antlerless deer. Your general tag comes with an either sex fall turkey tag, a spring bearded turkey tag, and allows you to hunt small game (rabbit, squirrel, groundhog, grouse, pheasant) and will allow you to hunt coyote 365 days a year.

 

Public Land is a premium in PA i just have say that. Its good that your willing to walk a couple miles because thats what it will take here. PA is one of the most populated states when it comes to licensed hunters.

 

First off congratulations to you and your wife Bret. In PA you can only shoot one buck per license. Pa is split by WMU's. It looks like you will be in 2D. There are 61,000 doe licenses available in 2d. An adult license is $20.70 and an archery tag is an extra $16.70. An antlerless tag is $6.70. You will be able to buy multiple antlerless tags if you want. Regular archery season starts Oct. 5th. and runs through Nov. 15. There is a 3 day in line muzzleloader season before the regular archery season. Rifle starts the Monday after Thanksgiving and is 3 weeks long. 2nd archery season comes in the 26th of Dec. and runs through the first week of Jan. I hope some of this info helps you out and once again congratulations.

 

Buck Magnet, thanks man. I would only like you to PM the info to some of the lands you have hunted IF I don't mess anything up for you. I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize your hunting grounds. I've never had private lands to hunt with any regularity so I know how hard it can be to gain those properties.

Powerhawk, thanks buddy, I appreciate the info.

And to you both.....So I should buy a non-resident tag plus an archery tag THEN put in for doe tags in the areas I would be hunting? Looks like the public grounds I want to hunt are in 2C, 2D, and 2e.

 

It's no problem Brett. I will shoot you a PM tomorrow evening and give you much more detailed info. I won't mess any of my own hunting up and I am sure I can help you get into some really good spots. The public land around here doesn't really get hammered hard in archery as others have mentioned. It may be a shock on some of the hunting, most of the private properties are small broken woodlots. I can actually hear IUP band, High School football games, and announcements from Pine Grove Prison while in my treestand haha. One other thing is, be ready to see bears. I'm not sure if you have had to deal with many of them where you are at now, but there are a bunch around here. They aren't anything to be scared of, but it is good to be aware that they are out there and be ready to see them.

 

I don't mind hearing things in the woods as long as I am on deer. I routinely hear gun blasts, bombs, pa announcements, and cars driving when I am hunting on the military base. I just don't care. Now, as for bears.....Ive never seen once in the woods, ever. Ummmmmm.

 

Haha, you get use to them. I will admit, when I put my game cams out the other day I was on edge as there is a bear causing havoc around the area. The PGC set up several traps trying to capture him because he killed a neighbors dog that was tied out in the yard in the middle of the day. That is the exception though as all the bears I have bumped in to were more scared of me than I was of them. I jumped a bear at less than 20 feet a few years ago while he was sleeping in a patch of christmas trees. He stood on his back legs and looked at me, then took off like a runaway train through the brush. I really think you will be happy with the archery hunting around here. There are a ton of deer and we are seeing better and better bucks every year.