Actually, what I really want is to live somewhere where I could have a reasonable expectation of getting a buck on public land during rifle season. If such a place still exists. I'd trade all those hunts I want to go on for that.
How many days of the rifle season in Pa do you usually have to hunt?
4hour plus a little drive for you to the middle of the States big woods country? Which would get you away from the crowds. (Philadelphia to Potter Co. Which is about the max distance from the East.) Combination of State Forests, Gamelands and mountain country that is open.
Mountains around State College an hour or so less. Good Deer Country with a lot of public lands and GameLands.
Cultivate contacts and I would think you should have some great wooded farm country to hunt.
How many acres of GL do you have within a 1.5-hour drive? Guarantee they will be little hunted middle week and back in a bit.
2.5 hours NE of Pittsburgh will put me in the middle North of the States Big wood. 2.5 North will put me in the ANF. 1 hour NE will also be excellent Deer hunting. Lot of places in between I could hunt if I worked at making it happen.
Hard in Pa to be further than 4 hours away from good public land Deer hunting and most are much closer.
Addition: always nice if one has a traveling/scouting/help bring one out partner. Couple younger guys I know do that up in the ANF. Admittedly they pay their dues and work hard at it. They always don't hunt the same spots every time in that they hunt where they see Deer and sign. Both usually fill their tags every year
