The Joys Of Going Camping In PA (Pennsylvania)
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The next time you go camping in PA (Pennsylvania) there are some things you should consider. When you think of camping and the outdoors most think of Yosemite Yellowstone and large famous parks. Pennsylvania, though not on the top of the list has other attractions that you should be aware of.
Most campers go out for the campsites in the spring and summer. Pennsylvania has three state parks that are open year round. These parks include Little Pine, Promised Land, and Ole Bull. Since this location is in the upper northeast, these parks get a taste of all the different seasons.
There are numerous different activities to do in winter months then during the regular season. Campers enjoy cross country skiing, twenty three miles of snowmobile trails and ice fishing. Promised Lake is 422 acres large. During the winter this becomes a heaven for ice fishers.
Seasonal parks in Pennsylvania have other attractions. Among these seasonal state parks are Parker Dam, Shawnee, Prince Gallitzin, Champan, Gifford Pinchot, Pine Grove Furnace and the large Pymatuning. Tourist and avid campers alike flock to Pymatining State Park. It is one of the most visited parks in Pennsylvania. This maybe due to is vast size of 21, 122 acres and its reservoir that is over 17, 000 acres. Both being some of the biggest Pennsylvania state parks have to offer.
Before any camper voyages to their campsite, they must know the rules and regulations. Pennsylvania parks have textbook rules. These are rules such as no unauthorized fires, this is a for obvious reasons. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at the campsites or the state parks. This may be a bad thing for a few campers, though there are plenty of campsites outside of the state parks where having alcohol is legal. On the up side, the state parks allows pets on premise as long as it is a dog, cat or small caged animal.
Pennsylvania has populations of black bears and coyotes. This is state land that the elk are free to roam and graze about. An elk is much bigger then a deer. A typical male elk can reach a thousand pounds.
If hunting isn’t on the menu, but observing wildlife is you can visit an elk range. Elk are larger then deer and males can weigh up to a thousand pounds. You can drop by one of the ranges near your campsite.
The Pleasures Of Setting Up Camp In Pennsylvania (PA)
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Yellowstone and Yosemite are some of the most renowned and most known by outdoor lovers. Camping in Pennsylvania is not as well known as these other places. Yet, for campers and outdoor lovers alike there are things you should know about the camping and state parks in Pennsylvania.
Most campers go out for the campsites in the spring and summer. This is due to the seasonal campgrounds. Pennsylvania has three state parks that are year round ventures. These parks are Little Pine, Ole bull, and Promised Land. The cold might be a factor for some campers. The state is located in the upper northeast and winters see snowfall and cold temperatures. This can be remedy by the cabins available at the campsites.
There are numerous different activities to do in winter months then during the regular season. Campers in Pennsylvania enjoy cross country skiing, twenty three miles of snowmobile trails and ice fishing. Promised Lake is 422 acres large. During the winter season ice fishing is also a big hit among visitors. That is not the only attraction during the long winter months. There are hundreds of trails open for cross county skiing. Twenty three miles of trail is also open for snowmobiles. Along with the trailers and RV you can take to the campsite log cabins are available.
The seasonal state parks have just as much to offer. The top seven state parks are Champan, Parker Dam, Gifford Pinchot, Shawnee, Pine Grove Furnace, Prince Gallitzin, and the huge Pymatuning. Each park has a different flavor. Records show that Pymatuning is one of the most visited parks in Pennsylvania. It is by far the biggest state park in Pennsylvania being 21, 122 acres. The park has one of the biggest lakes that is well over seventeen thousand acres.
There are some rules and regulations, just like at any state park for camping. Pennsylvania parks have textbook rules. Such has no unauthorized fires, this is a for obvious reasons. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at the campsites or the state parks. This may be a bad thing for a few campers, though there are plenty of campsites outside of the state parks where having alcohol is legal. On the up side, the state parks allows pets on premise as long as it is a dog, cat or small caged animal.
Another large attraction for campers is the elk ranges. This is state land that the elk are free to roam and graze about. An elk is much bigger then a deer. Hunting and game is another activity that can be done in the state park system. You will need the proper permits paper work and hunt during the right season. The most usual game include wild turkey, whitetail deer, grouse, and pheasant.
If hunting isn’t on the menu, but observing wildlife is you can visit an elk range. Elk are larger then deer and males can weigh up to a thousand pounds. You can drop by one of the ranges near your campsite.
The Magic Of Setting Up Camp In Pennsylvania
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The next time you go camping in PA (Pennsylvania) there are some things you should consider. When you think of camping and the outdoors most think of Yosemite Yellowstone and large famous parks. Pennsylvania, though not on the top of the list has other attractions that you should be aware of.
Most state parks are open seasonal. Pennsylvania has three state parks that are open year round. These parks are Little Pine, Ole bull, and Promised Land. The cold might be a factor for some campers. The state is located in the upper northeast and winters see snowfall and cold temperatures. This can be remedy by the cabins available at the campsites.
At one particular park Promised Land has a 422 acre lake, which fishing is a common pastime. During the winter season ice fishing is also a big hit among visitors. That is not the only attraction during the long winter months. Campers in Pennsylvania enjoy cross country skiing and twenty three miles of snowmobile trails.
The seasonal state parks have just as much to offer. The top seven state parks are Champan, Parker Dam, Gifford Pinchot, Shawnee, Pine Grove Furnace, Prince Gallitzin, and the huge Pymatuning. Each park has a different flavor. Records show that Pymatuning is one of the most visited parks in Pennsylvania. It is by far the biggest state park in Pennsylvania being 21, 122 acres. The park has one of the biggest lakes that is well over seventeen thousand acres.
There are some rules and regulations, just like at any state park for camping. Pennsylvania parks have textbook rules. Such has no unauthorized fires, this is a for obvious reasons. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at the campsites or the state parks. This may be a bad thing for a few campers, though there are plenty of campsites outside of the state parks where having alcohol is legal. On the up side, the state parks allows pets on premise as long as it is a dog, cat or small caged animal.
Another large attraction for campers is the elk ranges. This is state land that the elk are free to roam and graze about. An elk is much bigger then a deer. Hunting and game is another activity that can be done in the state park system. You will need the proper permits paper work and hunt during the right season. The most usual game include wild turkey, whitetail deer, grouse, and pheasant.
If hunting isn’t on the menu, but observing wildlife is you can visit an elk range. Elk are larger then deer and males can weigh up to a thousand pounds. You can drop by one of the ranges near your campsite.
Bad Weather Hunting, Sure Thing! - Part 3
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The next morning we woke up early and crawled out of our sleeping bags to see how much snow we had gotten. We looked out the door of my camping tent and almost a foot of fresh snow covered the ground. The trees were absolutely beautiful covered with the fresh white powder. It was ideal morning for deer hunting. This was going to be the day to get our bucks if it was going to happen this year. We dressed properly for the weather conditions, grabbed some hot coffee and headed down the hill with our deer rifles. The guys were going to head to the north side of the forest where they had spotted the deer the night before. I was going to head over to my favorite spot, a large group of oak trees to the west. I was positive that after all the fresh snow fell the deer were going to be looking for food.
It was still dark outside and it was hard to find the acorn feeding ground. I found it about an hour before daylight and set up my deer blind about 300 yards away. I didn’t want to spook the deer off before daylight so I crawled in my deer blind and waited for the sun to rise. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop but right at first light the woods came alive with the sound of all kinds of critters. I could hear many strange noises in the woods. If you’ve ever been there at that time, I’m sure you know just what I’m talking about. I pulled out my new buck grunt caller and got it ready to go. I also checked my gun to make sure it was loaded and ready for action. Now all I could do was wait for the big one. With all the fresh snow, I knew he would show up today.
As soon as daylight came, I heard a shot from the direction where my friends were hunting. Maybe they had gotten one! I tried using my grunt caller to call a buck in but had no luck. Just about then I saw a doe walking around some brush. She was moving straight for the acorn feeding ground. Then I saw several more big doe coming down a hill beside me and they were also heading to the feeding ground. That was a sure sign that a buck would be around soon. During the mating season, the bucks will follow the doe around and check to see if they are ready to mate. The buck always stays behind the doe and appears last. At this point there was nothing to do but wait so I grabbed a sandwich from my picnic backpack and ate while watching the doe.
A little later I heard crashing and loud noise coming from the woods on the back side of the feeding area. There was no doubt, it was sure to be a buck. Then suddenly I saw a huge deer emerging from the thickets and heading straight toward the doe. As the deer got closer I could see antlers! It was an 8 point buck for sure. Then another deer came out behind the 8 pointer and he looked like a monster. I counted 12 points. Today was going to be my lucky day. As soon as the two bucks got to the feeding area they began fighting. It was a spectacular sight that I had never seen before in the wild. The 8 point buck lost his war with the monster buck and started to leave the area. Now was the time to shoot the 12 pointer that I had been waiting on. I had an open shot so I raised my rifle, aimed for his chest and pulled the trigger. The monster fell to the ground right in this tracks. I had bagged a 12 point buck and had a great story to tell my children and grandchildren.
Bad Weather Hunting? You Need the Right Gear! - Part 2
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We arrived at hunting camp at around 4:00 on Friday. The sun was just beginning to set to our west. The sky started to get very dark and the wind began to howl from the northwest. We had to set up camp fast because it was going to get dark soon and a possible winter storm was heading our way. I was in charge of pitching the camping tent while the others looked for the firewood.
After about 20 minutes the tent was pitched and my friends were walking up the trail carrying armloads of firewood that they found lying on the forest floor. My friend John said that they saw three big bucks in the valley as they searched for the wood. He said they ran straight to the south side of the woods jumping an old dry stream. Now we knew where we were going to start our hunt early the next morning.
Before we could think about hunting, we had to get a fire started because the storm was approaching quickly. We built a simple fire ring out of big rocks then built the fire and got the rest of our stuff unpacked and put away. As soon as we got the fire going to a roaring blaze it started to snow very hard. It was really cold out so we decided to leave our sandwiches in our picnic backpack and barbecue some juicy strip steaks. Since John had just bought new bbq tools, he got to do the honors. Besides, nobody in our hunting group will ever complain about John’s cooking. He really is the master of the grill.
The snow began to build up very quickly. In a little over an hour we had two inches on the ground. My new four season camping tent was holding up to the weather conditions very well. Soon the steaks were done and we could get into our tent and enjoy our dinner. We grabbed the cooler out of the back of the truck and headed for the tent for an evening of storytelling, food and beer.
As we ate, the snow and wind got even worse. The tent was shaking hard but we weren’t worried. I was very happy I bought the four season tent instead of the three season one I had thought about. If I had gotten the three season tent, we would have either cancelled the trip or we’d have been camping in the truck. A little while later the dinner and beer were just fond memories and it was time to climb into our sleeping bags and get some sleep. The alarm clock was going to go off early because tomorrow we would hunt!
Please come back soon for part 3 of this story about my bad weather hunting trip. In part 3 I’ll tell you the story of the hunt and the huge buck I shot that day.
Winter Hunting - Heck Yes
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Don’t you hate it when you have a camping trip planned and the forecast calls for lousy weather? Have you ever postponed a hunting trip because it was too cold or rainy? I don’t have that problem anymore. Last November I decided to go to deer camp with some of my friends. We made our plans a couple weeks ahead of time so we’d have plenty of time to get our camping gear ready. As opening day of deer season got closer, I kept an eye on the Weather Channel and the prospects didn’t look good. The forecast was for a cold and snowy weekend but were sure it wouldn’t keep us from bagging our deer.
You see, I had postponed too many hunting trips in the past and recently bought a four season family camping tent and some thermal sleeping bags to stop it from happening again. The camping tent sleeps up to eight so I knew we would have plenty of room for the five of us and our equipment. I also knew we’d be protected because the four season camping tent is built to withstand all kinds of bad weather.
As Friday got closer, I packed all my supplies knowing that we’d be going camping as planned. Not only that but hunters without the proper camping gear would be canceling their trips. Fewer hunters in the forest would mean better hunting for us. Also, doesn’t it seem like the deer know exactly when hunting season starts? Well, maybe because of the bad weather they wouldn’t hide quite so carefully.
The weekend finally arrived and we packed our camping equipment in the car and headed for the woods. All of a sudden I realized that we forgot the picnic backpacks with the food for our first day in it. We don’t cook on Friday because by the time we arrive at camp and set up our tent, it’s too late to bother cooking. After the first night though, we take out our barbecue tools and grill up dinner on our portable grill.
Finally we hit the road. I couldn’t wait to get to the woods and set up our camping equipment before the bad weather set in. For me there’s nothing better than a weekend at hunting camp with my best buddies and the anticipation of the hunt to come. Stay tuned and I’ll tell you how we did on our winter weather hunting trip.