Pennsylvania Game News - November 2009 - 50

as well as deer, both bucks and does, with rifles and bows. I’ve been at the park alone to hunt and as part of a group of friends and relatives. I use “my” county park in other seasons for more traditional park uses, the picnic grounds, the swimming beach, the lake to fish and boat, the hiking and cross country ski trails, and I take visitors with children to the playgrounds. But this county park is for hunting, too. As are many of Pennsylvania’s state parks. My home county’s more than 6,000acre state park affords me lots of places to hunt. Because of its larger size and its back country feel, although it’s actually a long, deep, wooded valley between roads, I generally choose the state park over the county park as my go-to hunting spot. Again, I’ve shot deer, turkeys and squirrels at the state park, and I was there the day a friend shot a large bear. This state park also hosts the more “usual” park recreations, such as fishing and canoeing the creek that flows through the valley, a paved hike/bike path paralleling the stream, an extensive hiking trail system with overnight shelters, picnicking, children’s play areas and historical sites. I often travel the bike path and hiking trails to access my hunting spots in the park. If I meet other, non-hunting park users on the way, I take this as an opportunity to be an ambassador for hunting. I stop and chat with the other park visitors, with my gun slung on my shoulder and obviously safe. So far I’ve found every one of them to be pleasant and friendly. Not a few were intrigued about my hunting at the park, asking what I hunted there and had I had any luck. I often cite my personal experiences at this state park and my county park as proof to the doubters that hunting and other outdoor recreations are compatible on the same landscape. I do encourage other parkland users to wear fluorescent orange, especially in the prime hunting times of year, while assuring them of hunting’s excellent safety record. I tell them that if they wear fluorescent orange, they will be helping hunters like me to see them. I thank them if they are already wearing orange. I spent last year’s opening day of deer season at the nearby state park and met a day hiker on the trail. He was wearing an orange vest, so I knew he was accustomed to sharing the woods with hunters, while taking part in his own favorite recreation. “Maybe I’ll push you a buck,” he said, moving down the trail after we finished talking. “Have a good hike,” I called back, and he turned and smiled. As hunters in state parks, we should recognize that other park visitors also have a right to be there and enjoy what the park has to offer. I heard one hunter who didn’t understand that, complaining when he returned to a state park parking lot at the end of a November day. “Can you believe it? I was sitting there calling turkeys and these hikers came right by me,” he growled. “They spooked the birds.” “Where were you calling?” I asked him. “Up there,” he said, “on the point of the hill.” “Well, naturally you saw hikers,” I replied. “The hiking trail goes right through there.” Of course the solution, especially for such a fine fall weather Saturday, would be to set up a calling location that was not near the traveled path, if the hunter didn’t want to be interrupted. Hunting away from the hiking trail would have been safer, too. I like that on DCNR’s website about hunting in state parks, www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/recreation/ hunting.aspx, the first sentence says, “Hunters are welcome in Pennsylvania State Parks.” Not every state’s parks department says that, I’m sure. I’ve visited state parks in other parts of the country and told people I met there that in Pennsylvania we can hunt many of our state parks. They’re surprised and sometimes ask how this is GAME NEWS

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/recreation/

Pennsylvania Game News - November 2009

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