Fall Hunting 2024
State game land tours on the horizon
Roll the windows down, enjoy the scenery and breathe in the fresh air.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s driving tours through state game lands are just up the road.
Nine tours are scheduled for 2024, the first of which will be held Sunday, Oct. 6. Other tours will be held on Sunday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 20.
The tours provide a good example of the opportunities available on game lands statewide, while showcasing how habitat work being done on these tracts benefits wildlife.
ll tours are free, held rain or shine and open only to vehicles licensed for travel on public roads.
The tour schedule fol-
lows: Sunday, Oct. 6
State Game Lands 12, Bradford County, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – This 28-mile, self-guided, circular driving tour will take about two hours to complete, and highlight habitat enhancements, infrastructure improvements and hunting opportunities.
The tour will showcase what Game Commission wildlife habitat crews, as well as dedicated volunteers from several conservation organizations, have accomplished on this game lands consisting of nearly 24,480 acres.
The tour will start at the game lands parking lot on top of Wheelerville Mountain off state Route 154, just south of Canton. Vehicles with good ground clearance
are recommended. The route travels east to the Barclay Cemetery, then down the hill to Laquin before turning west onto the railroad grade to Wheelerville. The tour ends at the intersection with state Route 154 in Wheelerville. From there, those on the tour can travel north on state Route 154 to Canton, or south to Shunk in Sullivan County. The tour goes by Sunfish Pond County Park, so a picnic lunch may be the order of the day! Those taking the tour will find the local history of the mountain and the Game Commission’s refuge system intriguing. A pocket guide with historical information and photographs will be provided to each vehicle at the start of the tour. The first 200 vehi-
cles will receive a free bag of tree seedlings courtesy of Chesapeake Energy.
State Game Lands 311, Elk County, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This roughly 3.5-mile self-guided driving tour provides a peek behind the curtain on the elk range. The tour will start at the Winslow Hill Viewing Area in Benezette, then enter the game lands at the bottom of Dewey Road, continuing to Porcupine Road. Game Commission staff will be posted along the tour route. Among other highlights, the tour will showcase elk habitat management including the planting and maintenance of forage plots and the use of prescribed fire, early successional and aspen forest management, acid mine drainage
treatment, grassland bird and American kestrel management, and recent infrastructure improvements including two different styles of Game Commission bridges. As a reminder, the tour is open only to PennDOT-registered vehicles. ATVs/UTVs are not permitted.
Sunday, Oct. 13
State Game Lands 26, Bedford County, Noon to 3 p.m. – The public is invited to tour State Game Lands 26, a 12,000-acre tract situated in Blue Knob. The tour begins off Route 869 near the Bedford/Cambria county line and covers approximately 7 miles. Participants will find ample opportunity to enjoy the historical aspects of the game lands and
the quality habitat improvements conducted by Pennsylvania Game Commission habitat crews in partnership with cooperating organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation. Work by the Game Commission’s forestry staff also will be showcased through with the viewing of vast timber production brought forth through timber sales and timber stand improvements. State Game Lands 57, Luzerne and Wyoming counties, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Game Commission personnel will be on hand to explain points of interest, including wildlife habitat-improvement projects on this 45,000 acres of state game lands. Four-wheel-drive vehicles See Tours Page 3
Tours
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gate, 4 miles north of Strausstown. State Game Lands 110 offers over 10,000 acres of wildlife habitat in Berks and Schuylkill counties. In addition to hunting opportunities, the historic Appalachian Trail runs through the game lands paralleling much of the driving tour. This forested ridge is an important corridor along the Kittatinny Ridge that tens of thousands of hawks use every fall to migrate south along their migration route. Game Commission personnel will be stationed along the tour route to provide site-specific information and answer questions.
State Game Lands 211, Dauphin County, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Known as the Stoney Valley Tour, this tour begins at the Ellendale Forge gate, located 6 miles east of Dauphin Borough, along Stoney Valley Road, and ends at the Gold Mine gate. This more than 44,000-acre state game lands bridges three different counties including Dauphin, Lebanon and Schuylkill. The tract has an abandoned railroad bed that traverses the entire game lands from west to east. The Appalachian and Horse-Shoe Trails run through this game lands, providing excellent opportunities for hiking and other recreational opportunities in addition to hunting. Game Commission personnel will be stationed along the tour route to provide site-specific information and answer questions.
State Game Lands 51, Fayette County, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – This tour will be a 5 mile, self-guided, one-way driving tour and will highlight mountainous terrain and early fall foliage on the Chestnut Ridge and this 16,945-acre game lands. The tour will begin on the game lands road across from the Game Commission Crew Headquarters at 268 Dunbar Ohiopyle Road, Dunbar, PA 15431. The tour will conclude where the game lands road meets Green Brier Road in Wharton Township. Items of interest along the tour route includes several forestry projects to improve habitat for wildlife, herbaceous openings that have been planted to provide food for wildlife, native pollinator fields, and areas where the Game Commission releases pheasants. Habitat crews, biologists, foresters and game wardens will be on hand to answer any questions. Visitors will be able to see the equipment the Game Commission uses to manage the game lands for wildlife.
FALL HUNTING
AP photo
A young white tail deer looks up from a hillside in Marple Township, Pa.
Pennsylvania elk season rounding into shape
HARRISBURG — The action is heating up on northcentral Pennsylvania’s elk range, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission once again is inviting people everywhere to view it in real time online.
The Game Commission’s Elk Cam, a 24-7 livestream that can be accessed through www.pgc.pa.gov, launched last week. And if history is an indicator, the best is yet to come, with elk continually becoming more active in coming weeks and putting on a show for the camera.
The camera feeding the livestream is on State Game Lands 311 in Elk County, in a field that’s typically a hub of elk activity. Regular viewers can expect to see elk, but also turkeys, deer, bears, coyotes and other wildlife.
“Fall in Pennsylvania offers several wildlife viewing opportunities all across the state,” said Jordan Sanford, wildlife outreach coordinator for the Game Commission.
“In the Northcentral Region, the annual elk rut is a unique
of wildlife viewing on the live cam in elk country,” said Tim Sears, the founder of HDOnTap. “Year after year, the Elk Cam is livestreamed to more than 1 million screens nationwide. This live cam’s allure lies in its unpredictability, showcasing the wildlife of Pennsylvania during daylight and nighttime with infrared.”
The Elk Cam is slated to run until the end of the bugling season, likely sometime in mid-October. The top time to see elk on camera is late in the afternoon.
The stream can be accessed on the Game Commission website at https://www.pgc. pa.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/Elk/Pages/default.aspx.
Elk Cam need not worry about getting too close to elk or potentially compromising their wild qualities, things are different when viewing elk in person.
Wildlife is best appreciated from a comfortable distance, and those enjoying Pennsylvania’s elk country should do their part to preserve the wild nature of the herd.
“ELK SMART” provides four simple, effective ways to ensure a wild elk herd for generations to come.
experience in itself. Spotting a harem of elk, sparring bulls, or hearing majestic bugles ring through the fog is thrilling and exciting. The Elk Cam allows onlookers near and far to join in on the fun. Wherever you are, get connected to catch a glimpse of these majestic ani-
mals! The Pennsylvania Game Commission is proud to bring back the Elk Cam this year.”
The livestream is provided by HDOnTap and made possible with the help of the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission.
“HDOnTap is very excited to partner with the Game Commission for another year
VISITORS ENCOURAGED TO BE ‘ELK SMART’
While those viewing the
Give elk space – Keep a distance of at least 100 yards between you and the elk. Never approach them. Elk are wild animals that are unpredictable and sometimes aggressive, especially during the fall breeding season. Cows are also known to defend their young when they feel threatened.
AP photo
Grants awarded to help with education projects
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has awarded $203,527 in grant funding to support 19 education projects in 17 counties that foster interest in fishing and boating in Pennsylvania through the R3 (recruitment, retention, and reactivation) Education Grant Program. One statewide project was also awarded. The R3 grants are awarded to recipients to help increase the number of anglers and boaters in Pennsylvania. Efforts include recruiting new participants, retaining existing participants, and
reactivating former participants in fishing and boating recreation.
Last year, the PFBC awarded $187,625 in grant funding to support 15 education projects in 11 counties and 2 statewide efforts.
“Providing the people of Pennsylvania with education and outreach opportunities for fishing and boating is paramount to the work of the Fish and Boat Commission. Having trusted partners who carry out and believe in the work, too, means more people will experience all Pennsylvania’s See Grants Page 6
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PFBC now taking apps for boating facility program
HARRISBURG — As a growing number of communities realize the positive social and economic impacts of having convenient boating access along their local waterways, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is excited to offer the next round of Boating Facility Grants to help communities capitalize on the surge in new boating activity.
The Boating Facility Grant program provides grants for planning, acquisition, development, expansion, and rehabilitation of public boating facilities located on the waters of the Commonwealth.
The PFBC encourages townships, boroughs, and municipal and county governments to apply. Nonprofit groups (501c3) including land trusts, conservancies, and watershed associations are also eligible to apply. Private businesses and service clubs are not eligible for direct funding but are encouraged to partner with their local county or municipality.
“Across Pennsylvania, momentum continues to grow
around outdoor recreation as a whole, and the enthusiasm we’re seeing for recreational boating is incredible,” said Tim Schaeffer, PFBC Executive Director. “Participation in paddlesports, especially kayaking, has surged, and many communities are eager to accommodate families and individuals by adding or improving safe and convenient public access to the water. Funds awarded through this grant program can help communities develop projects, particularly projects that are accessible for all, to improve existing access areas or develop something new to serve local residents and attract recreational boaters to their communities.”
Applicants can seek grants for site acquisition, development, expansion, prevention of the spread of aquatic invasive species, and rehabilitation of recreational boat access facilities. Eligible construction projects may include, boat ramps, courtesy floats, restrooms, access roads, parking areas and signs.
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FALL FISHING
Grants
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waterways have to offer,” said Kim Garris, PFBC Director of Outreach, Education and Marketing. “This grant program supports our partners’ work to get and keep people involved in fishing and boating, promoting healthier lifestyles and a love and appreciation of the natural world.”
Recipients of the PFBC R3 Education Grant successfully applied for and demonstrated ways in which their new or expanded projects progress R3 initiatives and connect Pennsylvanians with Commonwealth waterways. Funds awarded through the grant program will be used to purchase equipment and educational resources, provide transportation, and cover other costs associated with the development and delivery of R3 education programs.
All projects funded for this round of grants must be completed by June 30,
2025.
The 2024 R3 Education Grants include (by county): Allegheny: Steel City Rowing Club, Paddling Fleet Revitalization
Allegheny: Venture Outdoors, Inc., Vamos Afuera, Pittsburgh
Blair: Claysburg-Kimmel School District, Female-Friendly Fly-Fishing Trip
Butler: Seneca Valley School District, SV Fishery Centre: Bellefonte Area School District, Back to Nature Fly Fishing and Fly Tying
Chester: Stroud Water Research Center, Inc., Connecting Youth and Families to Boating and Angling Opportunities in Local Public Parks
Clarion: Clarion Conservation District, The Wonderful World of Fishes
Crawford: Conneaut School District, CAMS Fishing for Fun
Fayette: Mountain Watershed Association Inc., Expanding Access to Outdoor Recreation: Engaging Youth
and Families in Fishing & Boating Activities in the Youghiogheny River Watershed
Forest: Forest Area School District, Forest Area School District Stream and River Exploration
Lackawanna/Wayne: Camp Freedom Inc., Camp Freedom Freshwater Fishing Project
Lancaster: Glossbrenner United Methodist Church, Glossbrenner Experiential, Adventure and Responsible Unique Pursuits - Department of Experiential Education & Programming (GEAR-UP/DEEP)
Lawrence: Ellwood City Area School District, Reel Adventures: Hands-On Fishing Seminar for Ellwood City Students
Montgomery: College Settlement of Philadelphia, Second Century of Fishing on Friendship Lake- Teaching Thousands of Underserved Youth and Girls How to Fish
Montgomery: Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Floating Classroom Diver-
sity, Equity, and Inclusion Program 2.0
Montour: Danville Area School District, Danville High School Fly Fishing Club
Potter: Northern Potter School District, Northern Potter Fly Fishing Club: Casting Connections - Exploring Fly Fishing and Tying Together
Statewide: Pennsylvania Trout, Inc., Supporting & Expanding Trout in the Classroom
Westmoreland: Forbes Trail Trout Unlimited, Forbes Trail Trout Unlimited Education and Outreach Programs for Schools, Scouts, Adults, Military Veterans and First Responders
More information on the R3 Education Grant Program can be found on the PFBC website (FishandBoat.com).
Gustafson, O’Donnell take over as deputy executive directors with PGC
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Game Commission has two new Deputy Executive Directors.
David J. Gustafson, who had directed the agency’s Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management, has taken over the Deputy Executive Director role vacated when Stephen Smith became Executive Director, and Kelly O’Donnell, who comes to the Game Commission from the state Department of Agriculture, has begun work in the Deputy Executive Director position that opened when Deana Vance retired.
Gustafson started in his new role July 22. O’Donnell worked her first day as Deputy Executive Director on Aug. 12.
Smith said both Gustafson and O’Donnell bring critical expertise and a variety of experience to their new roles, and will help to guide the Game Commission in its mission to manage and protect Pennsylvania’s wildlife and habitats, while promoting hunting and trapping, for current and future generations.
“The work that ensures we’ll always have wildlife and hunting opportunities in the Commonwealth is carried out by dedicated Game Commission employees who genuinely care about conservation’s present and future,” Smith said. “Kelly and Dave are no exception. You’d be hard-pressed to find harder-working, more-talented individuals who bring different perspectives to the amazing team we have here at the Game Commission.”
Gustafson has worked for the Game Commission since 2003, most recently over-
seeing and directing wildlife habitat management practices on the Game Commission’s more than 1.5 million acres of state game lands, as well as gas, oil, coal and timber operations on game lands, in addition to other responsibilities.
Gustafson’s background is in forestry, earning a bachelor’s degree in Forest Science from Penn State in 2000, then working as a forester in the private sector and for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources before joining the Game Commission in 2003 as a forester in the Northwest Region.
In 2005, Gustafson was promoted to forest program specialist and helped start the agency’s Forest Inventory and Analysis Section.
In 2007, he was promoted to Chief Forester, working in that capacity until he became bureau director, where he was instrumental in numerous large land acquisitions, adding over 20,000 acres to the game lands system in less than three years.
In his new role, Gustafson is responsible for overseeing the implementation of agency projects, ensuring the Game Commission is compliant with in its strategic plan and assisting in the
development of regulatory proposals.
Gustafson said it’s work that means the world to him.
“Since I was a kid running around the forests of McKean County, all I’ve ever wanted to do was to work for the Game Commission,” Gustafson said. “To be able to have a hand in making things better for wildlife and hunting has been a lifelong passion of mine.
“I’m humbled and honored to have this opportunity to be a part of the future direction of this great agency, to ensure we meet our mission ensuring the sound management of wildlife and their habitats for current and future generations, and to make sure our hunting heritage continues to be the best in the nation. We have such an amazing and passionate staff here in the PGC, and we need to make sure everyone sees just how hard they work to provide for the wildlife and the sportsmen and women of this state. We find ourselves in the best financial condition in the history of the agency, and it’s a tremendous responsibility to manage the funds efficiently and effectively to the core mission of the agency, and to make sure those funds last as long as possible. I look forward to working further with Steve, the Board of Commissioners and the rest of the leadership team to promote accountability and transparency and make sure our stakeholders have confidence that we are meeting our mission,” he said.
O’Donnell, who graduated from Penn State University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science,
worked in several capacities for the state Department of Agriculture. Most recently, she was Director of the agency’s Bureau of Administrative Services, where among other responsibilities, she directed the review and analysis of program budget proposals, the preparation and execution of the department’s $220 million budget, and the monitoring of federal and state grants.
O’Donnell had worked in the director’s role since 2021. Prior to that, she was the Department of Agriculture’s Agency Director of Transformation, reporting
as well to the Governor’s Office of Performance Through Excellence, and serving as the primary liaison between the two. She also served as Director of the Department of Agriculture’s Policy Office, reporting also to the Governor’s Office of Policy and Planning, serving as the primary liaison between the department and office, and monitoring agriculture-related policies across all levels of government. And prior to that, she directed the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Legislative Affairs.
O’Donnell directed the
state Department of Aging’s Office of Legislative Affairs, as well, and also directed the Department of Aging’s Operations and Management Office for five years between 2012 and 2017.
As the Game Commission’s Deputy Executive Director of Administration, O’Donnell assists in the planning, directing, executing and coordinating of the Game Commission’s programs to manage and protect wildlife, and directly supervises the Game Commission’s bureau directors and other staff.
Time for deer season to be kicking off
HARRISBURG — It’s probably safe to say that most people, given the chance to trade their cellphone for a landline, swap out their vehicle for a horse and buggy, or replace their washing machine with a bucket, a bar of rough homemade soap and a 100-yard walk to the nearest river, would opt to keep their modern conveniences.
Tools offering efficiency, ease and comfort are hard to forgo.
There are exceptions, though. Bowhunters – who represent one of every two deer hunters in Pennsylvania overall – each year willingly go afield with stick and string, albeit often modernized, finding attraction in the challenge and intimacy of close-range encounters.
More than 350,000 bowhunters will pursue whitetails across Pennsylvania this fall, starting soon. Archery season begins in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B, 5C and 5D – those are the ones surrounding Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively – on Sept. 21 and runs through Nov. 29, including two Sundays, Nov. 17 and 24, then comes back in from Dec. 26-Jan. 25. The statewide archery season kicks off on Oct. 5 and includes one Sunday, Nov. 17, before ending on Nov. 22. It reopens Dec. 26Jan. 20.
“No other state has as many bowhunters as Pennsylvania,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith.
“And it’s not hard to see why so many love the season. It’s a special time, with the chance to hunt in mild weather against a backdrop of amazing fall color early on and the promise of the whitetail rut later.
“Hunters appreciate what’s available and take advantage
of it.”
They take deer, too. Last year, in the 2023-24 seasons, archers harvested an estimated 154,850 whitetails (83,370 bucks and 71,480 antlerless deer). That was about 36% of the overall harvest.
That matched the most recent five-year average and is in line with what’s occurring on a larger scale. According to the National Deer Association’s 2024 “Deer Report,” in the three seasons from 2020 to 2022, archers took, on average, about 34% of all deer harvested across what’s considered the Northeast region, a 13-state area stretching from Maine to Virginia.
Hunters who want the opportunity to fill a tag during archery season should hunt where deer want to be, said David Stainbrook, the Game Commission’s Deer and Elk Section Supervisor. That’s typically around food and cover. He recommends hunters scout for fresh deer sign around places rich in green browse and, later, hard and soft mast, which includes everything from apples and agricultural crops to acorns. If those places are close to thick escape and bedding cover, all the better, he said.
Often, though, the real key is just being out there. Deer have large home ranges, Stainbrook said, taking in hundreds of acres.
“So if I could give hunters one piece of advice, it would be to just hunt as much as possible,” Stainbrook said. “Putting more time in the woods is going to increase your odds of harvesting a deer.”
That’s true throughout the season. Every week of the 2023-24 archery season contributed at least 10% to the overall harvest, with some weeks accounting for as much
as 25%.
Smith, for one, will be out there, enjoying the season for all sorts of reasons, just like so many others.
“Pennsylvania’s archery deer season is big on opportunity, and I wouldn’t miss it,” Smith said
Getting Started
The Game Commission’s YouTube page (https://www. youtube.com/pagamecommissionOpens In A New Window) offers several videos to help deer hunters.
There’s a two-part series on learning to archery hunt deer, along with another on the effective range of crossbows, one on tracking a deer after the shot in archery season, and another on deboning a deer in the field. There are also several videos on tree stand safety.
Search “learn to hunt” and “tree stand safety.”
Hunters might also want to check out the in-person and online versions of Pennsylvania’s “Successful Bowhunting” course and/or its online archery safety course. They’re available at https://storymaps.arcgis.com.
Of course, bowhunters should also practice with their equipment before the season starts, shooting from the ground and/or an elevated stand, whichever mimics how they’ll hunt. After it starts, hunters should only take responsible shots – broadside or quartering-away shots at deer within their personal maximum effective shooting range – to ensure quick, clean kills.
As for equipment, archery hunters may use long, recurve or compound bows, or crossbows. Bows must have a draw weight of at least 35 pounds; crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds.
