Is This Legal in PA?

Dear dude,

Twenty some posts and this is still going on?

You can't camp on Gamelands, period, end of story.

You shouldn't camp on private lands without express written permission of the owner.

I'm kind of surprised that some people suggested that if you don't get caught and rousted you really didn't do anything wrong? Y'all on drugs or what?

I'll be sure to remember this thread and smile the next time I eat streambred wild native brook trout for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

They don't get much bigger than a minute and I figure I can easily eat five of 'em at a sitting and leave no trace so I'm all good for a full day of belly filling.

Regards,
Tim Murphy :-?
 
We are incensed when guys keep OUR fish illegally in the SR areas or wild trout streams, or litter illegally – those SCOFFLAWS! But illegal camping is okay? I’m with you Tim.
 
What do you do if a trophy buck comes into plain view 20 yards away a few minutes after shooting hours - do you shoot? If you foul hook a trophy fish of a lifetime - do you keep it and have it mounted?

I’m paraphrasing here, but one of our Founding Fathers said – the true judge of the character of a man is what he does when there is no one around to see……………
 
There's a tremendous amount of state forest land, plus the Allegheny National Forest, where you can camp legally. Why camp illegally and risk a hassle?

I "camped" on state gamelands maybe twice in my life, when I couldn't find an alternative. My "camping" consisted of a foam pad and a sleeping bag unrolled under the stars. No tent, no fire, no nothin. I wouldn't do it now, because it's illegal and I don't like hassles. I did it when I was.......uhhhh.......... about The Dude's age.

Years ago some friends and I were in Yellowstone Park and the campgrounds were all full. Being clever we thought, we'll just wait til dark, park our car along some road, carry a sleeping bag and foam pad back through the woods and sleep out there. As we were doing this, we saw other people doing the same thing. Just as we were dozing off, there was a spotlight shining through the trees. The Park Rangers were on their patrol and kicked all of us "casual campers" out of the park. It seemed absolutely routine to them. They probably did it every night.
 
afishinado i was wondering if the founding father that said that was a slave owner or not? i also fail to see how camping with no effect on the land has anything to do with eating wild brook trout or conserving them. certain laws have to be followed, and other ones like camping on state game lands in my opinion can be broken, but if your caught deal with the cosequences. i feel sorry that the day has come when we're dependent on our goverment to provide all the answers and lost the ability to be responsible and govern our own lives.


"the day i follow every law that the characterless politicians come up with is the day that i'll be buried."
-this guy
 
Would seem to me GAME lands is the word here. The land is for the animals, not us. Except for hunting season, we may visit but thats all. I certainly dont think what Dudes planning on doing would hurt a thing, in the least way. But I would personally not do it with respect to the animals. Most people I know love wild animals as much as wild trout. And I do anything I can to keep things wild for the trout. Why not the same for deer, grouse, bear, or turkeys?
A persons ethics to his respect for nature come from within, politicians got nothing to do with it.
 
i totally agree with you on the ethics coming from within squaretail.
but an animal sanctuary is for the animals, not state game lands, where you are able to hunt pretty much throughout the year for whatever animal is in season, so i think the game lands are there for us not the animals.
we preserve the forests, give the animals a place to live and thrive so we have a place to harvest them.
i guess it comes down to camping "illegally" within the game lands to fish for brookies and release them or coming for the day to fill your tag for a deer, turkey, bear, rabbit, squirell, pheasant, grouse, coyote, etc. ?
 
“The measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.”
— Baron Thomas Babington Macauley, English historian and statesman (1800-1859)
Click to expand...

This has been falsely attributed to Benjaman Franklin and several other founding fathers, but alas was old Tom MacAuley, who would not have been a slave owner. He was the son of Zachary Macaulay, who was a colonial governer of South Africa and a noted anti-slavery philanthropist. More importantly, does the validity of that sentence rely on it's author for credence? OK, carry on, I just had to throw that in there.

Boyer
 
If you camp on State Forest Land you do need a permit, and they should know where you intend to camp.
 
Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! Simmer down now fellers.

I never intended to set up camp next to a stream if it were illegal, that was the entire point of creating a thread called "Is this legal in PA?".

Troutbert (I got it right this time, no idea why I said Tom the first time), thank you so much for your information, I will certainly put those trails to good use in the upcoming months. I would like to try one this weekend, but I've had my heart set on this place on SGL, and I'm stubborn.

There is a state forest very close to the stream I want to go to, so I'm just going to camp there, completely legally.

I was not able to get in touch with the local PFBC, but maybe if I do they can tell me some places I might be able to camp streamside (with permission from landowners) next time I go.
 
You started it up, Mr. Dude.
What would be really neat is you come back with a nice report and maybe some pictures. One thing I'm pretty confident on is we all want you to do well and have a good time melting with with Ma nature. Share it when you come back.
 
Flyfish10 wrote:

afishinado i was wondering if the founding father that said that was a slave owner or not? i also fail to see how camping with no effect on the land has anything to do with eating wild brook trout or conserving them. certain laws have to be followed, and other ones like camping on state game lands in my opinion can be broken, but if your caught deal with the cosequences. i feel sorry that the day has come when we're dependent on our goverment to provide all the answers and lost the ability to be responsible and govern our own lives.


"the day i follow every law that the characterless politicians come up with is the day that i'll be buried."
-this guy

Flyfish10.

First of all the Founding Fathers were not perfect, and looking back over 200 years, it’s hard to believe, from our perspective, that they tolerated and sometimes participated in slavery. They were brilliant men, and I enjoy reading and take inspiration for what they wrote, and what they did.

As far as the government and the rules they make, I don’t agree with every law and rule, but if every we pick and choose which laws to follow, we would have anarchy. I take pride in playing the game by the rules. It may cost me some fish or game sometimes but so be it.

Think about this, if you are a hunter, the State Gamelands were purchased for the most part from funds from license sales from hunting. The land has been set aside for hunting. Would you want people camping where you hunt. How ‘bout a family of four finding a nice spot to camp under your tree stand? Add to that the safety issues, and in my opinion, it’s not a bad rule to set aside land for hunting. I would be bummed if I were hunting for turkey and I had deal with campers in the middle of the woods.

It’s not just the camping rule on gamelands, it’s all rules – follow them or change them.

Just another viewpoint. Have a great holiday.
 
Asked some heavy hunting friends about this and the things they said were, If we're in game lands 24-7, 365 days a year, the wild animals wont stay in the game lands and that there has to be good reasons or a lot of them for the commission to pass on making money from camping permits. I couldn't argue with the 2nd one at all.
 
Tim
I assume with the dead bear and all you would be an anti establishment dude. I am honestly surprised at your outrage over this. Some of these regulations are flat out lame imo.

And yes I do pick and choose which laws I want to follow. I have a moral compas and I follow that. There are a lot of things that are legal that are absolutely abhorent. There are far more that are illegal that are absolute obsurd. All we need is commen sense.....now that WAS Franklin.
 
Dear ryan,

Great attitude you got there, it's good to know that according to you laws are for the other dumb suckers to obey right?

If you don't like a law work to change it but don't promote trepassing for the purpose of camping. I see some of you people cry on a daily basis about people legally keeping a fish to eat and then some of the same people say, 'Go ahead and camp, it's only a problem if you get caught."

That is just plain wrong and if you think it isn't the needle has fallen off your "moral" compass.

Regards,
Tim Murphy :-(
 
Regardless of right or wrong, it just isn't practical screwing with the law. Is it really worth it to get a fine and/or loose your liscence privledges?

People bust people's butts all the time for taking stocked fish from a FFO or DHALO section, why is this any different? Neither law necessarily makes sense, but you have to respect them.

Also, from a practical standpoint, I would strongly advise calling the local wildlife officers in the area. Their interpretation is really the only one's that count.....and they'll often give you advice and appreciate the heads up on your activity.
 
Tim,
"ain't no time to hate" Don't get me wrong, I was just having an impassioned discussion. And don't you worry about my needle. It works just fine :-x \

I do not take fish from FFO areas, and do not agree with those that do. Infact I typically don't take fish at all.
 
For the record, I don't think camping on game lands is wrong. I think its a stupid regulation. Some designated backcountry sites would limit impact and provide safe camping and could be a source of revenue. Get the illogical rules changed, but don't break them.

As far as game leaving when people are around, the deer in the cleveland suburbs must have forgot to get that memo....
 
I would think the rationale behind that regulation has something to do with poaching. You think anybody wants to shell out the money for full time enforcement 24hrs a day? That land was bought and paid for by hunters, and nobody else. Not one cent of your tax dollars went into the purchase of that land, at least in theory. They are regulating it for hunters and scarcely have the funding to do this, much less double as park rangers. Just because one doesn't see nor understand the reason of a law doesn't mean there is no reason, and that it's stupid. It's easy to armchair this stuff because we aren't the ones who will have to be out trying to figure out who is poaching while hundreds of people are running around the woods at night. It's not fair to hunters who paid for this land for us to expect this from the game commission. I see the other side, too, because I like to camp outside away from campgrounds as well, and when I was younger I had the same point of view as some on this board, but I choose not to place this burden on my fellow hunters, who are persecuted enough and have earned a place that is regulated for hunting. Sorry, I just felt the need to stand up for the PGC and the hunters of PA on this one.

Boyer
 
Yeah Ohio O, that was my reply and they said they become more domesticated and less wary in areas that they arent hunted in. I spend plenty of time outdoors but I dont hunt anymore so I'm realizing deer knowledge should be for the deer hunters like yourself and others to discuss if I gotta go to other folks for information.
 
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