On November 21, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced new hunting grounds in State Forests and Parks will be available to Pennsylvania deer hunters November 26, if they take advantage of additional state forest road access in 18 of the 20 state forest districts.

“Hunters will find more than 90 percent of all state forestland is now within one-half mile of an open road,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “Since the start of archery season in late September, the state has opened more than 540 miles of state forest roads that normally are gated.”

More than 3,000 miles of roadway in state forest lands will be open to deer hunters into January 2019, with the increase accounting for a roughly 20 percent increase.

DCNR teamed up with the Game Commission to offer an improved interactive map of state forest and game lands across the state. The online map supplies information on opened roads, timber harvesting activity, forestry office contact numbers and more.

Some roads will be open only during deer season and at the discretion of district foresters. Others will be opened for the second week of the traditional rifle season because of likely heavy traffic damage the first week.

Two- or three-month long openings will be in effect where there is minimal threat of damage or deterioration to road surfaces or forest surroundings.

Many state parks, especially those in the 12-county Pennsylvania Wilds region in Northcentral Pennsylvania, offer inexpensive camping and access to top-quality hunting in nearby public forestlands.

Primitive camping on state forestlands gives hunters a backcountry camping or hunting experience. Forest district managers issue required camping permits.

Many of these campsites are near state parks and forestlands enrolled in the Game Commission’s Deer Management Assistance Program, permitting hunters to take one antlerless deer or more when properly licensed. Hunters should check availability.

For more information on hunting, visit DCNR’s Hunting In State Forests And Parks webpage.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

(Photo: Deer hunters in Michaux State Forest.)

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[Posted: Nov. 21, 2018]

11/26/2018