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100 Best Public-Land Hunts: Pennsylvania
State Game Land 232
Location: southwest Pennsylvania
Size: 5,230 acres
ZIP: 15365
Since the mid-'90s, bowhunters in Pennsylvania's southwest corner have rewritten the state record books, posting five top-10 typicals and five top-10 nontypicals. Antler restrictions initiated four years ago (bucks need four points or better on one side in five western units) have further improved prospects for trophy deer, says Doug Dunkerley, land manager for the Pennsylvania Game Commission in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene and Washington counties. "Everyone I talk to mentions how many big deer they've seen," Dunkerley says. "A couple of pretty decent springs provided lush vegetation, and we seem to getting some pretty nice bucks." Game Land 232, in Washington County, plants more row crops (2,000-plus acres) than any public land in Dunkerley's region, and another 300 acres of reverting farm fields and 160 acres of forest clear-cuts produce abundant browse. Hunting pressure can be high during firearms season, though last year a pair of nine-pointers were taken on the final day. Archery pressure is much lighter-not bad for an area only 40 minutes from Pittsburgh on I-70.
State Game Land 223
Location: southwest Pennsylvania
Size: 7,200 acres
ZIP: 15370
Hardwood forest tangled with wild grapevines dominates this area on either side of I-79 in Greene County. "There are a lot of deer on the public area, and they don't seem to be hard to hold," Dunkerley says. Reverting farm fields and old apple orchards help keep bucks put, as do 200 acres of crop fields and numerous clear cuts that are the result of vigorous timber sales. Game Land 223 is about 70 minutes from Pittsburgh, and Dunkerley says the greater distance seems to lighten hunting pressure a bit. The area produced a 178 Boone and Crockett buck two years ago, and someone snapped a photograph of a 190-class bruiser in 2006. "As far as we know he wasn't killed last year," Dunkerley says. "He may still be out there."
Cooperative Farm-Game Program and Cooperative Safety Zone Program lands
Location: southwest Pennsylvania
Size: 5,000 acres
ZIP: 15122-15223
Lots of states say some of their biggest bucks are found near urban areas, but not many offer hunters a chance to harvest them. Pennsylvania does. The Farm-Game and Safety Zone programs lease private property for public access, and about 5,000 acres are in Allegheny County. Many of these plots are undeveloped urban lots within the Pittsburgh city limits or small farms just outside it, and they can be hunted with a bow, muzzleloader, or shotgun. "Most people wouldn't take a second look at some brushy area between a couple of industrial parks," Dunkerley says, "but there are a lot of 160-class bucks killed every year in the city of Pittsburgh." A road-kill buck Dunkerley picked up last year near the 1,000 acre Consol Energy Farm-Game site score 170, and bow hunters harvested three Boone and Crockett bucks in the last two years. It will take some Web browsing to map the spots, and some footwork to track down the landowners (some areas offer open access, but others require permission). The payoff is worth it: Pressure is very light.
I'd like to get a big 160 class public land buck!
Posted by: adam | January 20, 2008 at 06:48 PM
Then you better go to Ohio.
Im from the southwest Pa and only chance you have at remotely killing a 140" buck + is in the highly limited access urban Allegheny Co. Everywhere else down here the herd reduction has been severe and it takes doe to have bucks.
Posted by: Ralphie | April 06, 2008 at 09:42 PM
Those gamelands are as worthless as teats on a boar hog. The gameless commission ruined the deer herd and you are lucky to see a barely legal scrap buck let alone a "trophy" buck. The buck harvest dropped from over 200,000 to just barely over 100k this year. Not much harvest for 900,000 hunters!
What a joke. Thank you Gary Alt!
Posted by: Lippston | May 10, 2008 at 11:10 PM
i hunt the game lands off of route 22 in washington county and the past few years ive seen more and bigger bucks than i have ever seen. the gamelands are a great place to hunt if you know where to go. take the time and go a little bit further than the average hunter. most hunters aren't more than a 20 minute walk from thier car. if you walk further and go deeper it will be well wourth the extra work. the game commission has done a good job on deer management. i have found a shed of a non-typical that may not be record breaking but anyone of you would be proud to brag about harvesting this one
Posted by: jeff | May 17, 2008 at 05:31 PM
Lippston all have to say to your comment is get out of the truck and hunt,thats the problem with people these days walk in the woods for 3 hours and complain there isnt any deer, i have killed some of the biggest bucks in the past two years in p.a, i do also hunt Ohio and yes they do have bigger and more and they always will, because they dont kill everything like P.a hunters do.
Posted by: shawn | May 17, 2008 at 09:28 PM
P.A. has done a great job on deer management.I hunt beaver county,about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh.Since the 4 on 1 side rule has gone into affect.I've taken a 137",129",156",and 148". All in bow season,within 180 yds of each other. For the people that think P.A. has no nice size buck.You better learn how to hunt, cuz that's just b.s.!!!!!!
Posted by: Rich Bedalota | May 19, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Rich thats great, where do you hunt public or private
Posted by: shawn | May 19, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Good answer shawn. The deer herd in pa is a joke. If you disagree then you are one of those lucky ones that hunt on private land with limited hunters and pressure. For the rest of us you hunt all day and maybe see 6-10 deer if you are lucky. This year on the 1st day I was forteunit to see 3 deer, what a joke. Good luck hunting in pa.
Posted by: Tom | May 19, 2008 at 06:59 PM
Hunting deer on public land in pa is certainly a challenge, but that makes you appreciate the deer you do kill, as well as the experiences you have in the woods. Sometimes its not about killing monster bucks, or any deer at all.
Posted by: Earl | May 20, 2008 at 07:42 PM
DEER HUNTING IN PA HAS BEEN OK TO ME I HUNT IN DELAWARE COUNTY AND IN THE POCONOS OFF OF ROUTE 940 AND SOMETIMES I SEE DEER AND SOMETIMES I DONT I SEE LESS DEER NOW BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR TIME IN MY FRIENDS HUNT AND THEY GOT SOME REAL NICE BUCKS AND IT DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER TO IT WAS RAINING REAL HARD LAST YEAR AND I SEEN 16 DEER JUST PUT YOUR TIME IN AND YOU WILL GET ONE GOOD LUCK ALL IN PA. AND FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME AND MABEY WE CAN CHAT AND SEE WHERE YOU HUNT.
Posted by: JOE | May 22, 2008 at 07:20 PM
I hunt in Fulton County probably some of the best in Pennsylvania it is southcentral,probably 20 minuites to Maryland line, and there is plenty of state game lands here.
Posted by: Shawn | May 24, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Don't come to Pike County Illinois and try to ask to hunt on any farmers land. Trust me, I lived here my whole life and it is all leased out. You will find huge deer here and you will also pay for them...
Posted by: justin | May 25, 2008 at 01:19 PM
I agree with Joe, you have to put your time in in this state to get the deer you are looking for, and that can be frustrating to some "hunters." To me, that is just a part of hunting, taking big deer is not easy. I have hunted Lycoming, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Armstrong counties, and they all have great hunting and big deer, you just have to work for them.
Posted by: Earl | May 26, 2008 at 03:45 PM
I have a question. Does anyone know of any hunting ground for lease in fulton county,penna? I would prefer lower fulton county close maryland line or warfordsburg, penna. area. I have heard maybe glatfelter has some. thank you
Posted by: sharon | June 08, 2008 at 02:28 PM
I know of some land near my familys farm in needmore its Gladfelter ground.
Posted by: SHAWN | June 09, 2008 at 10:19 AM
My email is [email protected] if you want to know where it is.
Posted by: shawn | June 09, 2008 at 10:20 AM
I hunt in southwest PA and I have had some great hunting on private land I have taken two bucks since I started hunting that spot a nice 10 point and a jacked up 10 pointer I have lost count of all the doe that I have killed in this spot as far as the game lands go I have not had luck I live in Mercer Pa north west Pa and I hunt the game lands up here when I cant make it down to hunt and I have seen some nice bucks on game lands before the season starts and when I go to hunt I cant find a buck if I was a doe. The hunting season last year I saw one nice buck but I had shot my buck down southern pa as far as doe on the game lands when you see them its on a run I have missed two doe up here because of that. I hunt alone so if I had someone hunting with me game lands would be good places to put drives on. GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU HUNTERS THIS YEAR
Posted by: Dan | June 30, 2008 at 11:19 AM
I MADE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT PA HUNTING MY NAME IS JOE AND I LIVE IN DELAWARE COUNTY I FORGOT TO PUT MY EMAIL ADDRESS IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CHAT ABOUT DEER HUNTING IN PA IT IS [email protected] SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME TAKE CARE AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL THIS SEASON
Posted by: joe | July 08, 2008 at 06:47 PM
It isn't the game comm that killed off the deer. It is the greedy hunters that got as many doe tags they could and filled the freezor or just killed them and donated it. Then only to find next year if they were lucky to find a walking deer in the woods, they had to toss out the meat they didn't eat last year..Yes.it is the hunters that shot off the doe ...not PGC. Posted land is the biggest problem now. PGC is doing a fine job.
Posted by: Richard Eiler | July 11, 2008 at 08:52 AM
The "greedy" hunters were ENCOURAGED to kill the deer with big promises attached as well as scare tactics. The game commission SHOULD have been more responsible then "hunters" and managed accordingly. They didnt. They preferred to get into bed with The Pa audubon society and promote eco-freaks into the board of commissioners as well as people like Pallone with STRONG timber industry ties... PGc is a fraud, has sold out the hunters of the state and need to be abolished.
Posted by: Rufus | August 24, 2008 at 08:11 PM
""PGC is doing a fine job.""
Funniest damm statement Ive ever seen on the internet. They are being petitioned by hunters, sued, audited and basically are the biggest joke of a management agency in the entire nation.
Posted by: Estabono | August 24, 2008 at 08:13 PM
Southwestern Pa was hit HARD with ehd...Greene county...last year. Basically ruined the entire herd in the western part of Greene. LOW deer densities.. The game commission didnt even care. Gave a TON of tags for the wmu again this year. Oh well.
Posted by: | August 24, 2008 at 08:17 PM
Alt was the biggest A-hole in the history of wildlife management. PERIOD.
Posted by: Daryl | August 29, 2008 at 07:57 PM
Good public land hunting in Pa is an oxymoron. And our wildlife management agency is run by just plain ol morons.
Posted by: Karl | October 01, 2008 at 06:34 PM
The Pa gameless commission needs disbanded and rebuilt. They are inept, corrupt and legislators have taken actions, but need to go all out and end this nonsense. The current pgc is ecoextremist minded and very hunter nonfriendly. Its every states hunters nightmare come true here. Eco-flakes, not hunters, dictating our game management.
Posted by: | October 01, 2008 at 06:39 PM