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Follow The Map To Whitetails Release 90-15

10K views 26 replies 25 participants last post by  bohunr 
#1 ·
FOLLOW THE MAP TO WHITETAILS

Deer Hunter Focus Areas point hunters to some of the best deer habitat on state game lands.



Scouting for deer is all about looking for sign.

And this year, hunters also can look for signs – green-and-yellow paper placards reading “Deer Hunter Focus Area” – and follow them to some of the best whitetail habitat on state game lands.

Sections of game lands posted as Deer Hunter Focus Areas recently have undergone timber harvests or other habitat modifications that typically cause deer to concentrate because of an abundance of newly available food. Many of these areas are off the beaten path, and have been posted to alert hunters to their presence and the potential they hold.

“Some of the best places to hunt deer on state game lands are in remote, often mountainous, areas where forest-management practices have opened the canopy to promote increased plant growth,” said Dave Gustafson, chief forester for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. “However, these areas often are in remote destinations, some distance from roads open to public travel.

“That’s where this new program intends to help hunters. Our goal is to guide hunters within a half-mile – or less – of game lands locations where deer are taking advantage of these habitat improvements.”

In large tracts of forestlands, deer are drawn – almost immediately – to wherever any thinning of the forest canopy occurs. Such places quickly offer increased amounts of browse – forest plants and other succulent vegetation that are an important part of a deer’s diet. Thinned forest areas usually provide sufficient cover, too.

But drawing enough hunting pressure to these areas is key to maintaining that habitat. And as part of the program, more game lands roads will be opened to vehicles. That should help hunters cut the time it takes to travel and hike to their hunting spots, whether they’re hunting in a Deer Hunter Focus Area or somewhere else.

“By getting hunters into these areas, we can keep deer numbers in balance with available food, and the land can continue to provide for deer there, making these places ideal hunting spots for years to come,” Gustafson said.

Of course, as a result of this new program, there also will be hunters who end up with more company where they hunt currently in game lands interiors. But the program, in its first year, will occur on only 30 or so tracts of game lands. Hunters seeking to avoid the crowds still have plenty of room and places to hunt on most forested game lands.

Signs identifying Deer Hunter Focus Areas contain a yellow keystone, surrounded by a green background with images of deer silhouettes in all four corners.

Maps of state game lands with sections posted as Deer Hunter Focus Areas can be found on the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us. Go to the homepage and select Deer Hunter Focus Area link.
 
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#3 ·
All I can say is WOW!!

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/porta...ses/newsrelease/articles/release__090_15.html


I am all for teaching people to hunt, but this one irks me. Thank god I didn't see any of the gamelands that I hunt on the map. If I hunted one of those areas I would be jacked! You put your time in, use what time you have to scout and find a good area. Then you go in to your spot on the first day of buck, and see 10 cars parked there and neon signs right to your spot?

I would double check this map if you hunt one of those "white tail deer focus areas" hunt up wind from them, and shoot the deer that these sign chaser spook out of there.

I think this one is flat out wrong. Now I am a big time supporter of the PGC but this one is a bad move IMO
 
#4 ·
Re: All I can say is WOW!!

I think the game commission is trying to promote deer hunting by any means they can. I hunt near two spots on their map and there are far better places to deer hunt than where they are pointing out. One spot borders a lease, and the lease is not worth 2 cents to hunt, but someone is definitely making money on some unfortunate hunters. I think this is a gimmick, sort of an attention grabber to get some people excited.
 
#6 ·
They should have made the SGL borders on the map red, and focus areas orange.

Because that will be all You see on Monday morning, November 30th in any one of them. If you can find parking...
 
#7 ·
Yeah, I'm glad I don't hunt any of them either. My question is that will they add more sgl's in the program next year? Bad move totally in my opinion. Do your own scouting, find your own spots, and if you do shoot a deer it will be worth the effort. This is one of the closest things to having a "guide" with you. Another bad move by the PGC.

And yes, it will be a pumpkin patch in these areas on the rifle opener.
 
#9 ·
Why do some posts get so wide I have to scroll for miles to reach the end of a sentence? is it possible to have a post only
be as wide as my monitor as a default on this site? No offense, but it usually forces me to
not read a post on move on to something else right away.

Is this because the thread was "merged"?
 
#15 ·
Re: Finally, No Scouting needed!

They did that years ago on the news about Washington county game lands and they have gotten hammered for years now. Especially Bavington/Burggetstown area. The deer got wiped out quickly. Now I see they want to do it to GL 86 in Warren county-nice
That GL is one of my favorites. I use to hunt that all of the time, now they want it hammered.
 
#19 ·
Re: Finally, No Scouting needed!

I hunt SGL 37, the only target area in Tioga County. Interesting, a few years back they were going to log this area. Loggers wouldn't bid on the area unless the road was across gamelands was improved first. This road was closed to all motorized vehicles for as long as I can remember. So, along comes the PGC and using Pittman-Robertson money, improves the road, and the loggers basically clear cut a great area that always had deer and turkey. Now it's so thick you cannot get through it and the deer are just clinging in there. The PGC decided to open the road for the two weeks of firearm deer season only. Last year it was a cluster mess the number of cars back there. The zone they outling on the map is the remaining hardwoods and 5 open food plots beyond the clear cut right off the parking lot. It's going to be worse than ever back there!
 
#20 ·
Re: Finally, No Scouting needed!

Hittingguru said:
I hunt SGL 37, the only target area in Tioga County. Interesting, a few years back they were going to log this area. Loggers wouldn't bid on the area unless the road was across gamelands was improved first. This road was closed to all motorized vehicles for as long as I can remember. So, along comes the PGC and using Pittman-Robertson money, improves the road, and the loggers basically clear cut a great area that always had deer and turkey. Now it's so thick you cannot get through it and the deer are just clinging in there. The PGC decided to open the road for the two weeks of firearm deer season only. Last year it was a cluster mess the number of cars back there. The zone they outling on the map is the remaining hardwoods and 5 open food plots beyond the clear cut right off the parking lot. It's going to be worse than ever back there!
The stoned surface came after the clear cut was done. The clear cut now has roads bulldozed through it. Seeded and with apple tree planted along them. It would be almost worth it to go up there for no other reason than to listen to the comments as hunters realize what happened to the ridge between West Branch and Cabin Run. Hope they don't wait until the wee hours of the morning opening day expecting to find a favorite tree.


I approve what they did and are still planning to do...it's going to create much needed edge habitat. A lot of areas in 37 need it.

As far as the road being opened, it didn't generate a lot hunters using the area after the first day. With the road improved and new parking lots made, it should be opened from October 1st on. Small game and predator hunter/trappers are just as good supporters of PR funding as deer hunters.

The road they open in the Stephenhouse/Firetower area for the disabled is a potential accident waiting to happen. Stephenhouse can best be described as neglected compared to what PH has become. With Park Hill going to be connected to road coming up from Cabin Run, I hope they open it all the way for at least the disabled. Provide a few spots where they can pull over and park. The hill between SH and the tower area is as dangerous as they come...then add a disabled person driving on it. I don't know what they do if they meet someone coming from the other direction.

The new deer management areas being defined, I don't worry about it. I've always liked hunting there and don't feel threatened because they've created it. The gate was originally down the hill from where it is now. It probably moved someone's cheese at the time but where it is now just became the new normal. So will the road opened out to the end and down into Cabin Run.

They built a new 4 lane and the deer, turkeys, and bears still cross it and feed on the banks next to it. I don't see how opening up Park Hill to hunter traffic is going to have a major affect on how game interacts. I don't know how many times I've walked back to the main parking lot and found fresh deer, bear, or turkey tracks next to my car.
 
#21 ·
I remember years ago some magazine would publish WCO game reports (maybe they still do?) and they would give general areas or SGL's that were best for deer. This is no different. I agree they need to cut a lot more timber though. The deer will flock to those areas.
 
#22 ·
Unless I misread it, I don't see anywhere in the release that it says there are a lot of deer in these areas. It mentions that they have great or improving habitat. That in itself could give the conclusion that deer numbers in these areas are actually low right now. Just how I see it.
 
#23 ·
Nope...the flocked to these areas for food and cover. a few hunters knew about some of these areas and enjoyed continuous success.

these are the spots that folks on here talked about having deer when others would complain there are no deer left.

NOW...these spots will get hammered and hammered hard. in a few short seasons these areas wont hold the deer they used to.

think about it.
 
#24 ·
I don't know about all the areas on the map, but a lot of us were watching this area on SGL37. It was getting a lot of attention. They probably spent $200,000 on road improvements. We suspected they were up to something. Now we have the pieces to the puzzle.

I can't complain about them not doing enough and then complain about this. I've always believed more should be opened. If PR funds are used to improve road access, then hunters should be given road access.

Yes, it may on some days may be more heavily attended, but needed habitat work is getting done too.
 
#25 ·
The maps were necessary to warn hunters of timbering changes. Anyone who had tree stands in the area, might not have the old tree still standing.
It might have good effects this coming year; it might have bad effects. Depends on the hunter. Depends on how many hunters hunt the area.
It'll give some better perspective on hunting the area. It could be not hunting it on a non-opening day. It might be better for a ground pounder who moves around and not the tree stander who stays in one area.
It might have a more negative effect on hunters who hunt in a group. Better effect on the lone hunter. Better effect, worse effect on the date selected.

I have about five places to hunt. I welcome maps that show changes. Hunt alone and scout first by map.
Even have a tree stand ready. To carry in, carry out on the same day. Might find a special place to hang it; found on a hunting/scouting trip that day. Might even find a better natural ground blind.
 
#26 ·
The Biggest thing I see wrong with this is not so much the maps of the area to hunt, but opening up all the gated roads into the areas ! From what i've seen in my hunting areas all this does is promote road hunting and trash being thrown out everywhere to people just joy riding on the roads and young kids out mudding !
I look at it this way I'm 54 yrs old and still hike in to do scouting, hanging stands that I pack in and shed hunt !
If i'm to lazy to walk in and do the necessary things to harvest my deer in that area then I need to find another place to hunt or just give it up all together !
I have hunted 20 yrs in an area that they never opened the gated roads because of the lack of preasure ! they opened the gates a couple years ago to give more opportunities for people to hunt but all i've seen is road hunters ! In one saturday I saw 15 cars drive out the road and turn around (this was the first year they opened the gates. So now I had to find the new patterns of the deer again after spending all those years scouting and finding there travel routes that now have gotten altered !! Set me back to sq one !!!
 
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