A place to hunt in Northampton, Lehigh, or upper Bucks County?

[mtncycler]

Long story short...the place I grew up hunting has become a housing development and I will no longer be able to hunt. I was able to hunt as the development building progressed. I will be able to hunt till the middle of December on a 3 acre remaining tract.

So figured it couldn't hurt to ask within the community forum...

Would anyone be willing to let someone like myself hunt an area of private land?

About myself:
33 years old, married, father to two young boys...6 and 3...someday hope they can join me!
I am a local high school history teacher, adjunct part-time at a local university, and am a PGC certified Hunter Education Safety Instructor.
To say the very least, I consider myself a very ethical, safe, and responsible hunter...I have passed up many shots that I just felt were beyond my sure capabilities. I would also consider myself a traditionalist and hold a strong affinity to the PA woods and the deep history hunting has played in the foundation of this colony and state.
I might also add that being a teacher I have a lot of time free in the summer months and would gladly exchange some of my labors for access.

If this request is something that you might be able to help me out with...feel free to private message me. I would be glad to meet you with and discuss in person...irregardless of the outcome...Id love to talk hunting, history, and whatever else might arise.

Thanks for taking the time to read this over...unfortunately in these counties my story is all too common.

Best.
B.A.

[mtncycler]

Knocked on five doors...3 allowed me to briefly introduce myself...one not so much but one generous land owner gave me the go ahead to hunt in the late season. It's not a huge property but it sure beats sitting inside and watching crappy college bowl games. If you don't ask, you will never know!

Still open to suggestions and appreciate those who reached out.

Thanks, Merry Christmas, and good luck to all those who venture out into the cold late season.

BA

[Gunplummer]

My suggestion is to get on the PAGC website and look at their Game Lands. There are State Parks and State Forests to hunt also. I cannot even believe you are a safety instructor and do not know about these areas to hunt.

[paptini]

That's the way to do it. Sure people are going to say no, maybe because some schmuck didn't ask permission or shot at his cow etc. etc. but the only way to find out is to ask. Local farmer told us yes, and whenever we're on his land come across a downed tree blocking a tractor path or laying out in the field we go back a get a chainsaw and clear it up. That kind of stuff usually goes a long way with your host. Good luck in your search.

[ReconLdr]

My suggestion is to get on the PAGC website and look at their Game Lands. There are State Parks and State Forests to hunt also. I cannot even believe you are a safety instructor and do not know about these areas to hunt.

Last time I hunted state lands.... I was completely surrounded by orange to the point that I didn't have a safe shot in any direction.

I hunted/scouted that area through all of archery season without EVER seeing a single person or muddy footprints that weren't mine..... I was so stoked that I had found "The spot" at which 6 or 7 trails met. I had passed over quite a few shooters because I was hoping for the bigger buck to come in to bow range.... I figured, I'd have a better shot during gun season.... But by the time it was light enough to get a shot, I was completely surrounded.

Luckily for me, I have permission to hunt a number of properties and I don't have to go back to game lands....

[mtncycler]

Gunplummer...Im sure your intentions were to be informative but your response was rather crass. You still have to knock and ask permission. I was turned away by two PGC access points bc of the amount of people already hunting there..and i understand the landowners point. I was even asked by the landowner how they could remove their property from the list/website bc of the amount of people who dont ask and assume they can hunt without permission.

I prefer private property and thats what i found. I do frequent jacobsburg state park and have found more bright orange than wild game. But i still frequent the nearby SGL and parks...the thrill of the hunt is sometimes all that is needed to break up the winter doldrums.

[Gunplummer]

What the heck are you people talking about? Nobody has to ask permission to hunt State Game Lands or State Parks or State Forests. I hunted three different areas this year (Had 4 days to hunt). One was SGL, two were State Parks. I saw a total of three (3) hunters while hunting this year, and all three I met near the parking areas. If you are willing to drive as far as Bucks County, a short run up the turnpike will put you on thousands of acres of open land.

[mtncycler]

Perhaps we were talking about two different concepts of access. PGC has what is called the hunter access program. It is essentially an agreement bw PGC and private landowners who agreed to keep access to their private property somewhat open to hunters...that is what i was referring. There is a nice map on the pgc website that shows these access spots as well as gamelands, state parks etc.

And i agree public north of bucks or northampton county is less crowded bc it is more expansive.

[Bang]

If had land, and you approached and said you are a teacher, I'd sic the dogs on you. Hate teachers.

ETA: Not really. :-)... but in today's world I feel out of place if I don't hate some group, and I can't bring myself to hate cops. I ain't allowed to hate an ethnicity. I've seen negatives about educational institutes, so maybe hating teachers will work?

[stack$99]

Just my experience with the state shared access program but there are 2 places within a few miles of my house so I thought I would go talk to the land owner and check them out, got permission, then walked the property to scout out some potential areas……. tree stands and blinds everywhere! Was worse than any SGL I've been on. Maybe the land owners did not know how many people actually hunt their land but it was way over hunted. On the other hand, Opening day of rifle this year went out on SGL in pike, over 3000 acres, there were 3 other trucks in the parking lot, saw 2 other hunters that weren't in our group. Had the place to ourselves.