State game lands an option for hunters, outdoor enthusiasts
Pennsylvania has nearly 1.5 million acres of state game lands — a land base larger than the entire state of Delaware.
They’re lands that Patrick Snickles, wildlife conservation officer supervisor with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, believes are underutilized.
“And sometimes, I’d say they’re underappreciated places to go for outdoor recreation,” Snickles said. “Not every state wildlife agency has a land base like PA does that’s set up primarily for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.”
“Most states don’t have them like we do. Be grateful that we have a system in the state that provides these,” he said. “Take advantage of them. Use them,” Snickles said.
Those public lands can be a mecca for hunters. With an abundance of acreage and a variety of habitats, outdoorsmen can utilize them for upland game, squirrels, predators or deer.
Over his years in the field, though, Snickles has heard a number of misconceptions and hunter’s reasonings for not hunting game lands — the most common of which are that there’s no game and too many hunters.
“Public lands can sometimes be hunted really hard,” Snickles said, noting from his experience on the opening day of rifle season in Indiana County that there was a lot of pressure on the game lands.
Most of the time, though, outside of the opening day and some Saturdays, game lands are far less populated with hunters, he said.
If pressure is a concern, Snickles said it might be a matter of changing which days you hunt, or trying a new game lands.
“Or if it’s a large game land, like Game Lands 51, which is several thousand acres, maybe look for another access point,” Snickles said, referring to the large portion of game lands between Dunbar and Ohiopyle.
“We’re blessed in this state, particularly in the southwest region, to have so many game lands,” he added.
As for another conclusion commonly heard for not using game lands — the lack of game — Snickles said it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“They’re managed for wildlife,” he said.
It also might be a matter of analyzing the habitat in which you’re hunting.
“If you’re not seeing game, it might be the type of habitat you’re hunting. If you’re a squirrel hunter, you have to be where the squirrels are,” Snickles said. “You can’t hunt a creek bottom with pines and hemlocks. You have to find the appropriate habitat for the species you’re hunting.”
“Not every game land is going to be comprised of habitat that’s suitable for every species,” he added. “Some game lands are awesome for woodcock hunting — there’s moist grounds and creek bottoms. But other game lands on the mountains, it would be foolish to try and find them there. If you’re not seeing game, re-evaluate habitat and understand that you’re not always going to see them.”
As for the benefits of utilizing those public lands, Snickles said one of the big ones if not having to ask permission to use them.
“You don’t have to worry about permission from a landowner,” he said.
He added that the boundaries are almost always marked. Detailed, topographical maps are also available for every game lands. Outdoorsmen can access them at the regional office, where they can also be printed for a minimal price.
“You pick out the game lands you want, you formulate it, we print it, and you’re good to go,” he said. “They’re very detailed. The roads and fields are marked.”
Snickles also encouraged game land users, whether first timers or those who’ve hunted them for years, to familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations listed in the hunter’s digest, which is available online or in print.
“There are some misconceptions. People think it’s just all public land, but there’s a difference in public land — there’s state forests, state parks and state game lands. Some regulations are similar, but not all,” Snickles said.
One of the common misunderstandings is ATV use, which is strictly prohibited on state game lands.
“We have trouble with people on ATVs there. There are some established trails for disabled hunters, but outside that, there’s no justification of ATVs on game lands,” he said.
Those regulations will also help game land users — whether they’re hikers, mountain bikers, hunters, bird watchers, photographers or other outdoor enthusiasts — know when they have to wear fluorescent orange for their own safety.
“It also spells out what you can and can’t do on game lands. You can come pick things like mushrooms and berries. However, it’s illegal to pick things like ginseng,” Snickles said, adding that it’s also illegal to remove rocks and trees.
He also reminded hunters that tree stands on public lands must be tagged with the owner’s name, address and CID number, and can only be up during hunting seasons. Hunters are also not permitted to use screw in steps or anything that might damage the trees.