[OutdoorMishaps]

Hello,

also posted in the archery forum regarding a different SGL but considering SGL 110 and when looking at ON X it appears as though there is a road through it, can hunters access this road and drive down it? also how heavily is it hit during archery season? i am not looking for any secret spots, just a place to hunt, just moved here and next year will be my first time hunting in PA. Archery, maybe rifle if I am feeling brave.

would this be a good place for bear? coming from missouri, we dont get to hunt bears. please let me know. ill go there and get boots on the ground, but knowing how heavy it's hit during archery seasons would be extremely beneficial. thank you so much.

 

[BCozhunter]

Along with the Appalachian, there looks to be several other marked, named trails through that gamelands. I see the road named "State Game Land Rd" but can't tell from OnX if it's an open rd. I don't know that game lands, but if it was me I would be looking for a section of that GL with a minimal amount of trails. My guess is with that many named trails, there's more than just other hunters moving about.

I hunt an area of the Michaux SF that has the App Trail and another named trail not too far away. I don't see other archery hunters, but have had enough hikers go by that I stopped going to there on Saturdays.

 

[RyanR]

Yes, there is a seasonally open gamelands road that goes up from off of Mountain Road (a town road) all the way up to the top of the mountain and then left all the way out to Route 183. I doubt it gets hunted too hard during archery at least not back in a bit. And yeah, you'll see bear there. Yes, the Appalachian Trail runs along the top of the ridge but once hunting season rolls around I don't know how many hikers you'll see up there. And most day hikers in that area will lbe more attracted to the trails in and around Hawk Mountain Migratory Bird Sanctuary a few miles east of the gamelands.

 

[LostAgain]

The road that runs along the top of the mountain is accessible off Mountain Road from behind Cabela, and takes you west to the road that goes back down to Shartelsville. The section of road that goes east off Rt 183 is for handicapped hunters only(or at least it used to be 5 years ago). Again it goes east, and then back down the mountain to Shartelsville.

Bear are found on that GL, look for areas with laurel and scrub oak. I could recommend some good archery areas, but dont want to step on anyones toes that might be using the same areas, you'll have to find those yourself

 

[kenh6412]

Welcome to hunting in PA. The PA Game Commission has a great mapping link on their webpage (see below). Good luck and once again welcome.

ArcGIS Web Application

 

[Hammer47]

Yes, there is a seasonally open gamelands road that goes up from off of Mountain Road (a town road) all the way up to the top of the mountain and then left all the way out to Route 183. I doubt it gets hunted too hard during archery at least not back in a bit. And yeah, you'll see bear there. Yes, the Appalachian Trail runs along the top of the ridge but once hunting season rolls around I don't know how many hikers you'll see up there. And most day hikers in that area will lbe more attracted to the trails in and around Hawk Mountain Migratory Bird Sanctuary a few miles east of the gamelands.

Actually SGL 110 is a popular and heavily used game lands. It is not a place I would hunt bear because it is not a place to normally find bear. I used to live about 5 miles from this game lands and am very familure with it. There are two hard roads that give access to the game lands and everyone in the area knows about it. .

 

[RyanR]

Actually SGL 110 is a popular and heavily used game lands. It is not a place I would hunt bear because it is not a place to normally find bear. I used to live about 5 miles from this game lands and am very familure with it. There are two hard roads that give access to the game lands and everyone in the area knows about it. .

Hammer, unless I'm mistaken the two hard roads only give periphery access to the gamelands. The gravel road that gives access to the interior. Between 110, Weiser and 106 I've found bear sign on all three. Why do you think it's a place you don't normally find bear? It's rugged and pretty thick in places and with the crop land below after that gets harvested those bears need a place to go.

Is it that heavily used during bow season though? I've hunted Weiser and 106 more but there similar and of course right next to Hawk Mountain and I have found either one of them to be too crowded outside of rifle deer season.

 

[Hammer47]

Hammer, unless I'm mistaken the two hard roads only give periphery access to the gamelands. The gravel road that gives access to the interior. Between 110, Weiser and 106 I've found bear sign on all three. Why do you think it's a place you don't normally find bear? It's rugged and pretty thick in places and with the crop land below after that gets harvested those bears need a place to go.

Is it that heavily used during bow season though? I've hunted Weiser and 106 more but there similar and of course right next to Hawk Mountain and I have found either one of them to be too crowded outside of rifle deer season.

Correct, the hard road access are along two different sides of the game lands and give access and there are dirt service roads that run run through it but you can only drive in so far and the road is gated. Since access is so easy it is heavily used and the service roads give access to much of the land for hunters to walk in. When the PGC was stocking turkeys the hardening pens used to be on SGL 110. I am not saying it isn't possible to run into a bear but in my opinion it isn't worth investing the time to hunt where there may or may not be bears during short bear the season and there certainly isn't a large population unless things have drastically changed since I hunted and fished there.

 

[LostAgain]

Anyone that remembers the turkey pens is OLD. And in those days there were no roads opened, so everything was walk in. I used to bow hunt and chase grouse around the turkey pens, close to a 1.5 mile walk up the mountain, but then you had the area to yourself.

Now, if I wanted to escape hunting pressure next season, it would be in the section that is only open for handicapped hunters; that section from Rt 183 to the road leading down to Shartelsville; it would require a walk in that very few are willing to take. But I can also think of a few areas to check out along the access road that comes in from Mountain road.

 

[DennyF]

Since they opened a bear check station at the PGC/HQ on Elmerton Avenue, I've stopped over there every opening day around dusk. Have seen several bears brought in there over the years, that were killed on 110. One year an ear tagged bear was killed, that had been trapped from that area earlier in the year and taken about 50 miles north and released. It had made it back to the same area of 110 in time for bear season. IIRC it had been trapped not far from Linglestown, close to Blue Mtn. Parkway?

Haven't hunted on 110 in over 40 years and that time we went out to the eastern end in Lebanon County, up at the end of the old RR grade. That parking lot was full by the time the sun came up and people were still walking in on the road going in. First Saturday of buck.

 

[joshb729]

It could just be my areas, but none of the SGLs around me are heavily hunted in archery. I usually don't see people in the woods until the first Saturday of bear.

 

[NorthernPotterCo]

Don`t hunt State Game Lands but there are several near us in Potter and Tioga Counties and believe they are used well but not overly crowded. But I could be wrong.

 

[DennyF]

SGL 280 is the closest one to my camp. It's down near RT. 6, just north of Gaines up Rt. 349. Over 8,000 acres of mostly steep, forested terrain, with a fair amount of creek bottom (Long Run), near the road. Folks I know that have hunted it for years, say it gets hunted regularly in rifle deer season, but many hunters avoid the steeper parts.

Came home from camp early on the second Thursday morning this year. Dozens and dozens of vehicles parked along the road on the way past there.that morning. Kinda surprised to see that much activity down there, late in the second week.

It's right against the Potter/Tioga border. There's another SGL right on the Potter side, probably about the same size?

 

[NorthernPotterCo]

DennyF , I know the one you`re talking about . The camp below us use bear hunt there and hunt deer near their home near Millerton in Perry county.

 

[LostAgain]

Denny are you getting senile. GL280, is the Blue Marsh GL in Berks county? GL110 is in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Are you thinking about GL 211 when you mentioned walking in the RR grade from Lebanon county?

 

[DennyF]

Nah, I'm occasionally lysdexic. Meant SGL 208. And yeah, 211. Me go bed now.

 

[tdd]

I live 10 min from 110 and I have never hunted it.

I’ve hunted Weiser and 106.

People use the Appalachian Trail all the time. And they are often not happy to see a hunter (despite the fact that they are on state game lands and the hunters are providing the public access, but I digress...)

Hawk Mt draws lots of folks to be sure. In our COVID situation, hiking has grown exponentially in popularity. Hiking trails will have non-hunters on them. One should expect that.

 

[Bufflehead]

I hunted SGL 110 for deer some years back, although I never saw any bears at the time or hikers on the app. trail. Have hunted it for small game more recently than that. In regular firearm season it gets pounded for deer. Have not hunted during early archery season but I'm guessing that if you were to get back in there deep away from roads and off the main trails you would do well, has been noted. At least that's been my experience on other SGLs. Also, be careful on those roads going up the hill. Sometimes after a snow they came become icy and slick as glass. Especially the steep road headed up the hill just above Shartlesville. Good luck.

 

[clermont]

I live 10 min from 110 and I have never hunted it.

I’ve hunted Weiser and 106.

People use the Appalachian Trail all the time. And they are often not happy to see a hunter (despite the fact that they are on state game lands and the hunters are providing the public access, but I digress...)

Hawk Mt draws lots of folks to be sure. In our COVID situation, hiking has grown exponentially in popularity. Hiking trails will have non-hunters on them. One should expect that.

Me too!

 

[Denny B]

DennyF......Yeah, I knew you meant 208 instead of 280 when you said that. I hunted 208 for the first 25 years or so of my hunting life. My Dad and gang started there in the early 1950's. So many happy memories there. Haven't been there though in more than 15 years. Lord, how I miss that place.