Since Huntingdon County is my home county, I thought I had a good handle on all of the public places here, but one recently threw me for a surprise. Although I have known about the parcels known as State Game Lands 322, little did I realize just how little others knew of them, and especially those outside of the immediate area.
The land was once leased by a private hunting club but was acquired by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy shortly before the turn of the last century. The Pennsylvania Game Commission acquired the land from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 2000. This 2,688-acre tract is not yet listed on many maps, atlases, and other tools hunters use to find new territories. The Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site does have it included in its list of online maps.
This largely unheard of hotspot is within a few minutes drive of Raystown Lake and downtown Huntingdon. The tract is actually divided into two large parcels situated in Logan and Oneida townships. To reach the tract, drive either to the town of Petersburg or Huntingdon, then access the Petersburg Pike. The roadway cuts through the game lands and is the only major road access to the tract.
Although the initial drive along the hard road that borders the game lands might lead you to believe that this is an easy parcel to navigate, it is not. The land near the highway is, for the most part, level and just slightly inclined. Once you have penetrated a bit deeper into the woodlands, you will quickly learn that this tract has a very steep hillside that leads nearly all the way to the shoreline of the Juniata River. The only thing keeping it from touching the shoreline is the railroad that cuts through the region; however, there are some positive aspects to being near the railroad, which I will touch on later.
Much of this tract is open hardwoods, but in the past couple of years, there have been small clear-cuts made to improve the diversity of the landscape for all wildlife. It also contains about 10 acres of wetlands and 8 acres of reverting fields. For the most part, the wildlife must live off what nature provides in this region, as there is little in the way of food plots or nearby agricultural areas.
Since it is close to the town of Huntingdon, this game land does see some heavy hunting pressure. This is quite evident in the evenings, opening days, and weekends. At other times, however, the tract can appear to be devoid of human activity. If your schedule allows you to hunt during weekdays, you can increase your odds of taking the game you choose to pursue on this tract.
One tip to pass on for the spring gobbler season is to try to hunt late mornings here, as most of the local crowd will have given up after the first couple of hours of the day. They are either convinced that the turkeys have shut up for the day, or other hunters have left for work. A train passing on the tracks may actually fire up a gobbler, as the trains have to sound their warning signals at the crossings in both Petersburg and Huntingdon. That is just one of the advantages of having the railroad in close proximity.
The turkey population is good in this region, with several flocks using these hunting lands during portions of their daily routine. They can often be observed crossing back and forth across the roadway or be spotted in one of the few open areas that are within a short distance of the game lands. There are also a number of gated roadways that course through the public acreage, and turkeys, of course, like to use these open areas for travel routes and strutting zones in the springtime.
There is some good deer hunting available here too, although more than a few hunters would argue the point with me on that. While there may not be deer in the large numbers we were once accustomed too, there are some trophy-racked bucks that sometimes inhabit this region.
This game land is near what is known as the Highlands section of Huntingdon. As is the case around urban habitats, there are sections of land that are big enough for deer to hide in and thrive, yet not feasible to hunt. The bucks can grow to big sizes right under our noses, but when the rut kicks in, these bucks search for does. This leads a few of them to the public tract during the archery and rifle seasons. Still hunting the steep side hill is a key tactic for a couple of local sportsmen who consistently fill their tags here. One of those sportsmen claims his best hunting time is when a train passes by because it helps to cover any noise he makes.
The same steep hillside that keeps many hunters at bay also aids in being cover for another of Pennsylvania’s big game animals. Black bears are frequently sighted on this tract. Several were taken last year, including at least one during the extended portion of the season that overlapped with the gun season for deer. Given last year’s abundant acorn crop in the region, the food source kept the bruins active longer on the open ground, rather than having them go nocturnal and journey into the nearby towns where they could feast on unattended garbage and backyard birdfeeders.
Small-game hunters can have lots of action on this parcel as well. A good combination of both grey and fox squirrels exist, although squirrels are largely an underhunted game animal. The grays will mostly be located on the top of the tract, while the fox squirrels will tend to be closer to the river. Either may be spotted in the other’s territory, but if you are looking to bag a limit of one species or the other, these are the generalities you should follow.
Ruffed grouse have taken a beating in this region as a whole over the past few years, although you can find pockets of the birds here and there. On this game lands, look to the small clear-cuts that have been conducted over the past few years in order to find the grouse that call this tract home. Aspen and birch are some of the common species of trees now regenerating here, and they are perfect habitat for our state bird. The steep hillside, with its covering of laurel, can also be an excellent location at times, but it is food dependent and mostly a fall hideout.
Rabbits are sparse in this wooded parcel, but the animals that prey on them are in good supply. Both foxes and coyotes call this tract home. The coyotes established themselves in this area long before it became public land. In fact, the first coyote I ever saw taken in Huntingdon County came off of the hunting club land here in the mid 1980s. Foxes are about an equal mix of reds and grays. Trapping can be good for both, but keep in mind that. being this close to town, many non-hunters use this area for walking. Undoubtedly, some will be walking their dogs on the gated roadways, which is where many prefer to set their traps. This bit of knowledge may keep you from having an unpleasant encounter with someone's pet.
If you ever tire from hunting this tract, or simply want to plan a combination hunting/fishing trip, the area is ideal for it. Just bring along a small johnboat to fish the section of the Juniata River that runs near the parcel. There is a boat launch at the base of Warrior Ridge Dam, which is just a few minutes drive from the game lands. This stretch of river not only offers great fishing for smallmouth bass, walleyes, and brown trout, but it can be a great place to hunt ducks too. Also, if you are fortunate enough to take a big-game animal, such as a deer or bear, it may be far easier for you to drag it to the river and load it into a boat, rather than pulling it uphill to the top.
This game land may not have caught the eye of many hunters yet, but be assured that it offers the kind of adventure that many are seeking. It is not well-known, nor is there too much information readily available, so checking it out on your own will be the best option for now.
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