State Gamelands 69
We are fortunate here in Pennsylvania to have a lot of public lands, much more so than many other eastern states. And if you’re willing to get out of the seat of your vehicle it is easy to immerse yourself into the forests, marshes and hemlock shrouded hollers that cover this state. A shift in mentality from driving your rig for adventure to one of driving your rig to the adventure can open up all kinds of possibilities. Most people in these parts head into the State Forest system or the National Forests as they (mostly) offer the greatest camping and touring opportunities. But there is one class of public land that many overlook…the Pennsylvania Game Lands…
Now to be clear right off the bat, there are a few caveats to SGL use. First is that camping is absolutely not allowed on Gamelands. Second, vehicle use is very limited and restricted though with some exploring you can find some nice tertiary roads accessing or passing through them. During certain times of the year the Game Commission will open roads normally closed to allow hunters into areas that otherwise would be difficult to access. But Gamelands often border many of the State Forests which can serve as base camp areas to explore from. The beauty of the Gamelands is that outside of the major hunting seasons (spring turkey, fall deer and bear) they usually are empty of people and they often hide within them some great scenic spots to discover. Hidden ponds and marches, deep trout stream gorges, evergreen glades lay in wait for those who leave the comfort of their vehicle and go out searching for them. It is somewhat a risk to go out to find these spots as there is never a guarantee, but the discoveries you can find are worth the time and exploration involved. And while SGL will never be a centerpiece of an adventure they surely are worthy of spending a day out and exploring away from the everyday stuff. The best thing though is that there are multiple Gamelands just a few miles from anywhere in this state. Some are forests, some hold large ponds or lakes to fish or paddle, almost all harbor a wide variety of critters to observe all of which can lead to some outdoor goodness.
One day in the beginning of March of this year there was a break in the incessant dreary and gloomy Pennsylvania winter. The sun was shining the temps weren’t too bad and the snow cover was pretty well melted down, but a storm was on its way in. So I jumped in the truck to get out while I could. I figured as the snow pack was down that I might as well go hunting for some antler sheds and thus I set my sights on a marshy patch of Gamelands that I’ve had a lot of luck finding drops in the past. This would be SGL 69 over in the Guys Mills area of PA.
I pulled into one of the parking area and made my way through the hemlocks that dominate this section of the woods…
I passed quite a few of these early fall buck rubs…
Winter still held the landscape in its grip here even though we haven’t had as much snow as usual so all the ponds were still frozen…
Soon the spring thaw will come and these ponds will be magnets for the geese and ducks that thrive here. That too will bring a bit of color to the overriding tones of green, grey, brown and white that is northwestern Pennsylvania in the winter time. Still occasionally you’ll come across a splash of color here or there..
Seems like a hungry woodpecker has been busy looking for food, probably flat head borer grubs…Yummy if you’re a woodpecker.
Well I didn’t find any sheds and what snow pack was left was icy and crunchy so sneaking up on some critters was out of the question, but it was an enjoyable day