Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Public land

Every year we look for someplace out of state within days driving distance of western Ny to smoke pole hunt and extend our season. Huge bucks are not necessary, as we look to just have fun. The past few years we have gone to East central ohio. We are looking elsewhere now, any of you guys have any recommendations where to start ?

You drove right through some of the best deer hunting in North America to get to Ohio. Pennsylvania has plenty of public land opportunities. Two ML seasons-one for all ML's, and one for flintlocks only. Take your pick, buy a tag over the counter, and go have some fun.

Personally, I'd look to the Shenandoah Valley with the NF on either side, all the way down into and through TN and NC. ML seasons generally coincide with the peak of rutting activity.

The early muzzleloader season is antlerless only and runs for a week in October. The last 3 days of that week, junior and senior hunters can use regular firearms.

The late season starts the day after Christmas and is flintlock only but bucks (if you haven't already got one) and does are legal.

Depending on the Wildlife Management Unit you pick, there is a good possibility for non residents to draw at least one antlerless tag.

Check out the Game Gommission website for more info.

http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Dale

Virginia also has a pile of public land and dinks, you get 2 or even 3 buck tags per license and a 3 week late muzzle season...Countys like Bath, Rockbridge, Botetourt and Craig are mostly National Forest.....Good luck......Hb

There are no deer in Bath lol.

I used to hunt Bath Co. around Millboro back the 80's, at that time there was a pile of hunters in those woods from anywhere and everywhere you could think of ( like Ohio is now) ...I only know one guy that still hunts that area and he tells me he has the woods mostly to himself and he usually kills a couple Bath Co. 90"-110" bucks but he is happy with that so more power to him............Hb

I live in Bath. Very few hunters. Even a lot of locals have gotten out of it.

EHD and Blue Tongue hit that area very hard, in back to back years.

Used to hunt VA national forest ( Bath , Highland, Botretaurt, Rockingham and Augusta co) back in the 80s and 90s was a lot of deer. They're still some decent hunting but nothing like it used to be.

Got to get the clearcuts happening again. Deer will be back.

This is key. My area of PA has had some major logging in the last 10 years and more ongoing. Couple that with reduced pressure in gun season and we have some top notch hunting.

This is right...........Bath Co and that part of the state is rough and beautiful country, I miss the scenery but the buck im after today dont live there.............Hb

I had not heard this......Thats too bad.......Hb

Doesn't even have to be clear cuts. Some decent selective cutting would open the canopy up to allow sunlight in and some early successional regrowth.

Oh they live here. Just few and far between. Some of these places the mountain laurel is taller than the trees.

Ha! Yeah I have no doubt there are a few bucks in Bath Co. I'd be proud to shoot, but just like you said they are too few and far between..........I would camp on Pads Creek and mostly hunt Rough Mtn. and some on Mill Mtn........It is some beautiful country, your lucky to live in that area.........Hb

Yes, you are exactly right here.........Hb

Be damned nice to get some grouse back, too.

Yeah, we used to be covered up with grouse in Wise and Scott Co. 20 years ago but i bet i did not see 3 gouse all Fall in My area.........I think we have seen the last of the grouse........Hb