Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Hellertown, Pennsylvania
    (Northampton County)
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    Default Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    Does it still exist?

    I've been out of the bird hunting game for way too long and would like to get back in to it. I remember the days of plenty when a limit of rooster pheasants was the rule. That was then, this is now. I know pheasant hunting isn't what it used to be but what about other bird species? Grouse, woodcock? Is there any hope for hunter on public land in the modern era?

    Thinking the eastern half of the state anywhere between Delaware and NY.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Brookville, Pennsylvania
    (Jefferson County)
    Age
    51
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    Default Re: Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    Grouse are still easy to find on state game lands and state forests.

    Pheasant = you either have to go to a private farm or to state game land pheasant fields. I've never seen a pheasant in the woods of game lands, only the surrounding areas of their pheasant fields. And the majority of them I see are on private farms.

    I've never hunted woodcock, so I have no info for that.
    RIP: SFN, 1861, twoeggsup, Lambo, jamesjo, JayBell, 32 Magnum, Pro2A, mrwildroot, dregan, Frenchy, Fragger, ungawa, Mtn Jack, Grapeshot, R.W.J., PennsyPlinker, Statkowski, Deanimator, roland, aubie515

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Perkasie, Pennsylvania
    (Bucks County)
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    74
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    Default Re: Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    Quote Originally Posted by knight0334 View Post
    Grouse are still easy to find on state game lands and state forests.

    Pheasant = you either have to go to a private farm or to state game land pheasant fields. I've never seen a pheasant in the woods of game lands, only the surrounding areas of their pheasant fields. And the majority of them I see are on private farms.

    I've never hunted woodcock, so I have no info for that.
    I'm happy to hear grouse are still easy to find. As they prefer vertical areas with lots of vines (from my experience), I can no longer hunt those areas. In fact, I'm probably going to pass on getting my tags online today. At 70, I can't drive and do the things I once did hunting. It sucks, but I'm not going to be that old guy sitting waiting for others to do all the work.

    And, the last pheasant I saw in the woods was running down a corn row near my house in Bucks Cty about ten years ago. I think he was lost!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Out There, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    534
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    7468636

    Default Re: Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    The grouse hunting in PA is potentially the worst it has been in recent memory.
    As stated, Pheasant is relegated to private preserves or stocked game lands locations. Game commission pheasant stocking has been good(particularly last year). You need a pheasant stamp now which will either cost you $26.50, or it's free if you purchased a senior lifetime hunting license before May 13, 2017. Most stocking locations(near me at least) can get pretty crowded, especially on the first couple Saturdays after stocking. That may work to your advantage though if you aren't willing to beat the bush. Hang out around the edges of the fields and wait for others to flush birds to you. Maybe not the most "sporting" way to go about it, but effective none the less.

    Game commission website publishes stocking locations, and a date range when stockings take place. Taking a limit isn't terribly hard, especially if you hit it at the right time.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    814, Pennsylvania
    Posts
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    Default Re: Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    I'm in the middleish of the state and grouse seems to be on the decline ..... to me at least.
    I have a spot they stock with pheasants ...... the guys with dogs do well ... me and another guy track them when we get a snowfall and can do ok.
    It's mostly fields but they take to the woods and even the road of course

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    North West, Pennsylvania
    (Erie County)
    Posts
    1,537
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    Default Re: Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    You need to have an idea when pheasant will be released. Struble Lake is a good choice.

    Powderbourne is a private pheasant hunt place off of 663.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Harleysville, Pennsylvania
    (Montgomery County)
    Age
    48
    Posts
    3
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    0

    Default Re: Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    Quote Originally Posted by ItchyTick View Post
    ... Powderbourne is a private pheasant hunt place off of 663.
    Powderbourne's website says that they won't be doing any more pheasant hunts.

    The restaurant, skeet shooting and sporting clays are still available.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    jersey shore, Pennsylvania
    (Lycoming County)
    Posts
    6,215
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    Default Re: Bird Hunting in Pennsylvania?

    https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wild...s/default.aspx

    Here's the pheasant stocking map for last year. I don't know if they've announced anything for this year, but it'll give you a general idea of where to start looking.

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