by Dan Glass
As the old saying goes, “Hunters wear orange, and you should, too!” This is a truth that you should be aware of if you venture into Pennsylvania’s woods. In addition to state game lands, much of our state forests are open to hunting. For many Pennsylvania residents, hunting is an important activity. Hiking is a choice; hunting, for some people, is also a choice, but for others, it’s a necessity to feed their families.
Hikers and hunters can get along well if they understand and respect each other’s reasons for being in the woods. There will always be stories about how one group (“those people”) did something to upset the other group. Human nature being what it is, people in one group are bound to get upset over, and find faults with, the other group. But when I stop to think about the situation, I realize it all comes down to this—both groups want to use the woods for something other than developing it, and both want to ensure the woods stay protected so they can continue to pursue their favorite activities there. Hikers and hunters can work together to ensure the land stays protected forever.
I like knowing that we have allies in many different places. In fact, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, in 2013 there were 952,989 people who purchased at least one hunting license. That’s a lot of potential friends—if we choose to treat each other with respect not as if one group is better than the other.
We must learn to share our playgrounds with each another. Hunters can’t hunt from the trail, and hikers need to wear orange when we hike on the trail. Avoiding disruption is important—for instance, in December, the first 2 Saturdays after the start of deer season may be the only days people can get out to hunt. Is it asking too much for non-hunters to avoid trails in hunting areas on those 2 Saturdays, allowing hunters uninterrupted time to engage in their chosen pursuit?
There are archery seasons, bear seasons, small game seasons, and turkey seasons as well. You can find all those dates and the rest of the hunting seasons listed at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=576240&mode=2. Keep in mind that something hunting-related might happen in the woods any day of the week, except Sunday (thanks to the advocacy work of organizations like Keystone Trails Association), throughout the year.
Finally, it’s imperative that hikers on public trails that cross private property (such as farmland and hunting club lands) treat these lands – and their owners - with respect. This means we need to stay on the trail at all times, keep the property owners’ signs intact, and keep their land free of litter. We need to make sure the town party doesn’t come into their woods just because they let the trail run through. We must treat their land with respect if we hope to maintain the property owners’ trust and generosity.
We can be good friends—or we can be separate entities with many similar agendas. It’s our choice, but when it comes to having land to use, I’ll take all of the friends I can get. For this, I extend a thank-you to all the hunters who have helped keep our lands wild.