Erie PA

[mudlickman]

Anyone on here from this area? Just got hired by the FAA and they asked me to start my career in Erie. Once I stopped crying about leaving WY for PA, just a couple tears, I saw that the deer hunting is good and so is the waterfowl. Any locals on here?

 

[HOT ROD]

My wife is from Erie Pa. In fact she is there now. I don't no much about hunting up there... I lived farther south in a small town. I would stay away from the city area.. Its getting pretty bad there. Shooting morning noon and nite. I do no there is good fishing there.

 

[larryschwartz]

PA has game lands all over the state so hunting should not be a problem. You are also only about 100 miles from Cleveland OH and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if that interests you, and about 150 miles from Canton OH and the Pro Football Hall of Fame which is truly amazing.

 

[zeewhiteone]

Smallmouth heaven

 

[TheHardWay]

I spent some time in Erie when I went to Penn State Behrend branch campus from '99-'01. Fishing is pretty good around there, especially steelhead. You got Lake Erie right there, so if you have a boat you can get off shore. Waterfowl should be pretty good too. I didn't get the chance to do a whole lot of hunting when I was there because of time constraints. When I did have some time, I wente small game hunting on the surrounding game lands during the week. Usually I went home a couple hours south on the weekends to hunt around home where I was more familiar.
In the winter, when they get hit with the lake effect snow, it is the real deal! It can be just a bad as a good mountain storm here out west. As I sure you know, the hunting and way of life is in no way comparable to living in one of the great western states.

 

[HunterHawk]

I went steelhead fishing in erie PA and had a blast! i outfitted my brother who is a diehard steel header! also lake erie is right there and always good for fishing!

 

[kamcgraw]

NW Pennsylvania is a great place for outdoorsman. It is no Wyoming, but we do our best with what we have. Lake Erie is some of the best Walleye fishing in the world. And the creeks leading into it have some awesome steelhead fishing. Gets pretty crowded but there are ways to escape pressure as always. Some pretty big bucks come from the Eire area every year. There is a decent amount of public land around the outskirts of the city that can offer some good hunting, if you get away from pressure, which can be a challenge.

The Allegheny National Forest is about an hour south of Erie and can offer some awesome hunting opportunities for both whitetail and bear. As well as the Allegheny River which is a beautiful river valley with some good fishing. Here is a video my buddies and I shot this past year showcasing the hunting in the ANF.

https://vimeo.com/121876040

Feel free to pm me with any questions.

 

[HanceT]

Awesome video, kamcgraw. I moved to Eastern PA a couple of years ago and have not yet hunted the big woods in this state. This video has inspired me to look for adventure in my own backyard rather than 1900 miles away.

 

[Rs3003]

You can go to North East PA and do some fantastic smallmouth bass fishing. If your a hockey fan, Mercyhurst college has a good men's and women's ice hockey team year after year. The Erie Otters hockey is there also. There are a lot of good lakes near by. Edinboro, Pymatuning, and a little honey hole lake called Woodcock. If you enjoy catching snapping turtles there are some good lakes for that also. There is plenty to do, just have to find/ask around.

 

[HOT ROD]

That was a great video. It makes me miss home a little. I moved to Casper Wy all most a year ago. I grew up on the Allegheny River. In a very small river community called Eagle Rock. With only a few year around residents. I get a kick at what they call rivers out here. Five or more steps and U are across it.

 

[jlh42581]

Bonus is too living there you can hunt three states in a one hour drive. Ohio, NY and PA. I live in North central pa about a half hour from the elk range. 25,000 acres of gamelands within a mile of my house not even counting state forest.

Pa has something like 8 million acres of public land. I used to guide in Erie for steelhead.

Other good news... that's the big buck side of the state.

 

[jlh42581]

Worth noting... Pa has antler restrictions. In that area it's three up top not counting the browtine

 

[Agustus]

That's an awesome video about the ANF. Very well done indeed!

I live about an hour south of Erie. I hunt both pa and Ohio and love the steelies and fly fishing for them.

Small game including grouse can be very good. Turkey numbers are good and like anything, to avoid the pressure of others, be willing to walk and find areas farther from parking spots. Best of luck with the new move.

 

[mudlickman]

Thanks for all of the info guys. Definitely put my mind at ease and I'm now optimistic about the hunting and fishing. Just need to change my expectations coming from WY. If any of you guys that are nearby would like to get together sometime, please let me know. I'd love to have someone local teach me some tactics for steelhead since they seem like king of the area!

And wow what a cool video! I want to hunt the ANF so bad now! Haha

 

[ST52v]

Nice video!!!

 

[IdahoElk]

Wow,that was a great video! thanks for sharing

 

[kamcgraw]

Thank you guys for your replies on the video. I didn't mean to hijack this thread, just wanted to show mudlickman it won't be as bad as he thought moving to NWPA. Maybe I will post this video in the video section for others to view based on you guys responses.

 

[elkyinzer]

I live in Pittsburgh and make the drive up as often as I can to fish for walleyes offshore. There is some good public land up there for deer and waterfowl.

That video in the ANF is awesome, I have done some very similar hunting up there and think I even recognize one of the spots. Tough hunting with a lot of days in the stand without so much as a sighting but when it comes together it's so rewarding.

Wish I lived a couple hours north with better access to all that public land.

 

[fort fireman]

I grew up in Erie county Pa. There is a ton of public land to hunt in erie county. Waterfowl you have Seagal swamp and several other game lands that I really can't remember the names and numbers. I know Hearts Content was one of there names.. Theres also alot of private land that the owner still let people hunt. However I've been gone for 17 years and I've heard its getting a bit harder, like everywhere really. It used to be pretty easy to get permission to hunt small game, archery. There are alot of small inland lakes to fish. Eaton resivior used to be one of my favorites but as was said Edinboro lake, Pymatuning, Lake pleasant are all good fishing. Then you have the steelheads on the Lake Erie tributaries. It can get crowded if they are running good but its still fun. In the lake proper you have the Walleyes, yellow perch for the good eating fish then for the fun the Bass. The lake however can be tricky. It doesn't take much to get rough and not much fun to downright dangerous. Deffinately need to keep an eye on the horizon. You have ice fishing in the winter. Lets face it there really isnt much to do other than that after deer season. maybe some Skiing and Peek and peek but nothing like in Wyoming. Then likein the video you have the Alleghany National forest. I love that place and the video posted earlier made me home sick, bad. There is alot of trails, hunting, fishing, skiing, mountain biking, you name it. Its a great place. It's just the winters , the lake effect snow and the lack of jobs in my choosen field weren't there for me to stay. i still make it every year though for spring gobbler and either fall turkey of deer. Gotta get woods time with my dad ya know.

It will be alot different than Wyoming but the woods are very pretty. A very different type of woods than you are used to. At least if your area is anything like the Great falls area, or Boulder Montana( thats wheree my inlaws live). But I have to say they are some of the prettiest woods I know of. IMHO

 

[mudlickman]

For all of you guys with knowledge of the local area, if you could have one stand would it be a climber or hang on with sticks for public land?