Does anyone have any experience hunting SGL 203 near Pittsburgh? With it being so small, in a densely developed area, and close to Pittsburgh, I figure it gets hunted pretty hard.

You would figure correctly. Also lots of non-hunters / dog walkers / horse riders / etc

 

I live minutes from there. I remember one time me and a work buddy went to hunt the first day of pheasant season. It was a zoo. We walked up a trail off State Game Lands Road to a food plot and guys were lined up at one end, and we moved on. (This was when the season officially started at 9:00 AM.) The situation repeated itself a couple more times and we turned around and went back to our vehicles and decided to go back another day.

Guys shoot a few deer there. IMHO, I think when the deer get pressured they push onto the adjacent private properties during the day and filter back in to feed and/or bed during the night. If it were me, I'd be looking to hunt the fringes of the game land. Be careful of the property lines and posted signs. I've had some deer encounters over there, but never shot one there. There is a rifle and pistol range off the main road. You'd want to avoid that area. Ironically, I've had pheasants walk across the rifle range when I'm there. I could give more detailed info if you want to PM me.

 

You need to really get out and walk it. There is part of that the access became limited when a road got closed going into a parking lot got closed.
Makes for a very long hard drag.
You can see doe all the way to the end of late season if you're willing to put in the time.
I hunted it over 40 years before I moved.

 

Yeah, the homeowner on Bauer Lane decided he wasn't going to allow access through his property to the parking lot due to kids partying and trashing the parking area. That really messed up access to a large area of the SGL property.

To the OP:

There are several pull-offs off State Gamelands Road, but you really have to hoof it to get to the fields and food plots on the hilltops on either side. There's also an access point near an abandoned sub-station on Markman Park Road. I like that area. There's a relatively new parking area and restricted access bridge off State Gamelands Road near the southwest corner of the SGL property. I like that corner too.

Do yourself a favor, do some scouting after the late firearms deer season is over after a snowfall. That'll give you some good recon info.

 

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the insight. I will definitely spend some time exploring before bow season opens. It sounds like, if I find the right areas, I may have some luck with does at least.

Have any of you ever done any small game hunting there (squirrels and rabbits)? I figure getting out for that may not be a bad way to get a lay of the land in-season as well.

 

Hunted it a few times years ago when my brother lived a few miles away. Got a doe there once and had a few more opportunities. But like it was said, the amount of pressure was insane, almost scary. I wouldn't go back.

If you're looking for more over pressure "public land" in the area, there are several conservation properties near by that allow hunting with just a permission slip.

Not sure which side of the city you're on, but if it were me I'd keep driving another 30 minutes or so and hit moraine.

 

Any SGL or SP or even the land trust areas close enough to the city to be convenient are going to be pressured. If you can deal with that and the non-hunting pressure that goes with that convenience- go for it. When i say that - i mean 203, 95, moraine, ALT lands, etc. There's no secrets anymore with the internet, facebook, OnX, etc ... Personally - i end up driving further just to have a more relaxing and enjoyable time.

 

Actually out side of stocked pheasants I've only taken a few squirrels and 2 rabbit.
The squirrels are there but are jumpy.
Need to find a quiet place to wait them out.
Seen very few rabbits to even shoot at but have heard guys run beagles after Christmas.

 

Any gameland or State Park within an hour of the city is going to suck. Especially ones that are right off major highways like 79. I’ve hunted 203 in the early archery season years ago. The experience is exactly like what it is… your hunting around a bunch of rich peoples houses that hate hunting and every guy from cranberry thinks he’s gonna find a hidden spot, like he’s the only one who has onX lol.

Moraine, is equally as bad. Just on a larger scale. Not only does every local private ground in the area have people hunting it, but there woods are swarming with all the guys from Valencia, mars, cranberry, Wexford, Evan’s city, etc…. Also the Amish go there in droves. Last year I decided I was going into a well known swamp area in moraine (there are no secret spots) to try to shoot a doe and just get out for an evening sit somewhere. When I walked back to my truck in the dark there was a big van with a trailer parked next to me and a guy sitting in the driver seat.

I kid you not 9 Amish dudes with climbers on there back were in the same area I was in lol. Glad it happened to me though and reinforced what I already knew about the area.


head north of 80 if you want good hunting and the ability to get away from tons of people.

 

Ran into probably the same white van on sgl 95 last archery season. Same scenario, a bunch of Amish with climbers on their back standing in the parking lot before sun up, Nice enough tho. Talked to them for a few minutes and they had no clue where they were going to go, lol. I'm pretty sure they stood there till the sun came up. Kinda got the impression that their theory was with that many guys spread out at least one of them without get a shot. Also noticed 2 of them didn't have bows or climbers. Could this have been an infamous Amish bow drive?? Ill never know, when I came out later that morning there was no sign of them!