Looks like I'll be moving to PA sometime at the end of this year. A couple of questions:

Is it really as hard as they say it is to find hunting land there? I'll be in the Lancaster area.

What are season dates and regs (yes I could check the website but I like conversation more).

Anyone in the area care to take a rookie 2 (haven't got a deer yet) of years hunting with them?

sorry... wanted to watch for replies...

Yes area around lamcaster and berks county is tough. People fight over it. I will help you.I live near Morgantown. 15 south of Reading.Lancaster county is mostly amish cleared farms.But Over in berks there is some more woods and then some in York county ,but dont know much about York county. Where in the Lancaster area ? Morgantown is about 25 miles east of lancaster.

This year our archery season starts Oct. 1st and runs through Nov. 12th. We also have an extended archery season from Dec. 26th through Jan. 14th.

Your best bet might be to look for state gamelands near the area where you will be living. That way you'll have somewhere to go until you can start finding private spots that you can hunt.

Your best bet is to register to hunt Fort Indiantown Gap army base. Thousands of acres and good hunting.

Wow, look at all these great responses and in such a short time. I live about an hour north and east of the area you are referring to. There is some decent public land on the northern end of Berks county...Hawk Mountain area.

bscofield, drop me a line when you get in town. Plenty of great hunting spots in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. Quite a few corn fed monsters in each county with little or no hunting pressure. All you have to do is ask.

You're about an hour from Maryland. for about 100 bucks you can buy a non resident license and can come down and bow hunt from Sept through February. There are a couple big watersheds that are Archery only and are home to a ton of deer. You also have a ton of state land scattered around the state. All this and about 36 deer tags for $100 bucks. OF course, there's NO Sunday hunting.

[:@]At least as a resident, you'll get your doe permit [:@] Non resident that arePa Landowners pay taxes and such on Camps includimg school taxes..but get no break on licenses or doe permits!! all sold out by the time we apply!!

But thats a rant for another thread! Anyway, in the Clarion area there is plenty of land to hunt both private and State Game Lands. I Can't speak of your area.

If you're willing to drive 2.5 hours, State Game Land 13 in Sullivan County has a little under 50,000 acres of public hunting. There's also a park on one side and thousands of acres of private land in the vicinity. That means that it won't be hunted out.