Pennsylvania Game Commission-Southcentral Region

10/09/2026

Well, that didn’t go as planned!

We regret to announce that due to the forecasted weather on Sunday, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s State Game Lands 26 Driving Tour.

We were looking forward to showcasing our beautiful state game lands and highlighting the work of our dedicated employees, but due to the potential for treacherous road conditions, and keeping safety in mind, we decided to cancel the event.

We hope you’ll join us next week for the State Game Lands 67 Tour on October 18 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine!

Be sure to download the STQRY Guide app and the State Game Lands 67 tour ahead of time so you’ll be ready to enjoy the experience.

We appreciate your understanding and hope to see you next week!

10/06/2026

Join your local game wardens during sportsmen town hall on Thursday, October 8 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Brothers Family Diner and come with your questions!

Join us for a Sportsmen Town Hall on Oct. 8 at Brothers Diner! This is your opportunity to speak directly with Game Wardens and Fish Commission Officers about issues impacting you. To RSVP, go to repmarcanderson.com/events or call 717-432-0792.

10/05/2026

🔸️ IMPORTANT REMINDER 🔸️

New regulations require ALL state game lands users NOT engaged in hunting, trapping, or fishing to wear fluorescent orange from October 1 through January 31.

Users are required to wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on head, chest, and back combined OR a fluorescent orange hat.
Our goal is to ensure ALL users, hunters and non-hunters alike, are as safe as possible on state game lands 365 days a year!

As a reminder, be respectful when using public land as other outdoorsmen and women may be nearby. Be mindful of current open seasons and be aware of your surroundings.

Have you heard about the changes this year?

New regulations require ALL state game lands users NOT engaged in hunting, trapping, or fishing to wear fluorescent orange from October 1 through January 31.

Users are required to wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on head, chest, and back combined OR a fluorescent orange hat.

Here are some extra tips for enjoying state game lands this fall:

- If you have a pet with you, we highly recommend a vest, harness, leash, or bandana.

- Backpacks can limit your 360 degrees of visibility. Add a bandana or covering to your backpack to ensure you're seen.

- Even if you’re horseback riding, you’re REQUIRED to meet orange requirements, regardless of safety equipment being worn. It’s suggested to have orange on your horse as well.

Our goal is to ensure ALL users, hunters and non-hunters alike, are as safe as possible on state game lands 365 days a year!

For full details, check your 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Digest or visit our website at bit.ly/PGCDigest.

As a reminder, be respectful when using public land as other outdoorsmen and women may be nearby. Be mindful of current open seasons and be aware of your surroundings.

10/01/2026

Calling all ghosts, goblins, critters, and creatures! 🌙

Follow the tracks to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Southcentral Regional Office for an evening of trunks, treats, and wild things at our Witches and Wardens Trunk-or-Treat event.

Throw on your best costume (adults too), grab your treat bag, and join us on Wednesday, October 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. for a frightfully fun evening filled with treats, decorated trunks and Halloween fun.

Looking for a fun, safe, and family-friendly place to trick or treat? We’ve got you covered!

With plenty of law enforcement and first responders on scene, this may be the safest place in town to make off with a bag full of candy.

No tricks here — just treats, tracks and a few wild surprises!

Creep on over, we hope to see you there!

09/25/2026

Join us Sunday, October 25 at 1 p.m. at the Southcentral Region Office (8627 William Penn Hwy., Huntingdon) for an engaging look into the world of the Allegheny Woodrat, a state-threatened native species that has experienced significant population declines in Pennsylvania and throughout its range.

Discover the innovative techniques the Pennsylvania Game Commission and our partners are using to study, conserve, and manage this fascinating, yet little-known species.

During the program you will learn about:

• Conservation efforts across the state.
• Various challenges facing Allegheny woodrats.
• Work being done to prevent further declines and help restore populations across our state.

Whether you love wildlife, enjoy exploring Pennsylvania’s great outdoors, or are simply curious about this elusive resident of our rocky landscapes, this is a program you won’t want to miss.

We hope to see you there!

09/12/2026

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but can a seasoned hunting dog or maybe the dog’s handler teach you something new?

That could be the case this fall if you’re looking for a new hunting adventure!

Beginning in the 2026-27 seasons, the Game Commission has expanded what was formerly known as junior pheasant hunts to include junior and all mentored hunters this fall with mentored pheasant hunts.

Mentored pheasant hunts are designed to provide new hunters with a unique opportunity to gain experience outside of deer hunting. Hunters can register for free events that are hosted by sportsmen’s clubs across our state. These host clubs will often provide mentors, hunting dogs with their handlers, and additional opportunities the day of the event.

Here are some near you in the Southcentral Region:
🔸 Blair County: Hosted by Thunderbird Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society at State Game Lands 198 in Ashville
🔸 York County: Hosted by Starview Sportsmen's Association at State Game Lands 243 in Mt Wolf
🔸 Huntingdon County: Hosted by Raystown Chapter of Pheasants Forever at State Game Lands 420 in Markelsburg

These events are open to all resident and nonresident junior hunting license holders and mentored permit holders.

All hunters will need a pheasant hunting permit — there is no additional cost for junior and mentored hunters under the age of 17 and a $26.97 cost for those 17 and older.

If you have questions about these programs, email [email protected]. Visit https://bit.ly/MentoredPheasant to find an event near you or register today!

09/10/2026

We’re ready to get off the beaten path and go for a drive… wanna join us?

It’s time once again for state game lands driving tours across our state, showcasing hunting and trapping opportunities, all while enjoying Pennsylvania’s beautiful fall scenery.

Tours are FREE, held rain or shine, and open only to vehicles licensed for travel on public roads.

🛻 Sunday, October 11, 12 to 3 p.m.
State Game Lands 26, Bedford County—Starting Point: (40.298825, -78.641233) Off Route 869 near the Bedford/ Cambria County line.

🛻 Sunday, October 18, 12 to 3 p.m.
State Game Lands 67, Huntingdon County—Starting Point: (40.2488603, -78.1980772) In Saxton on Burma Road, off Little Valley Road.

Both tours are self-guided audio tours using the STQRY Guide app. You must go to your phone’s app store and download the STQRY Guide app ahead of time. Once you install this free app, download the “Pennsylvania Game Commission SGL 26” or “Pennsylvania Game Commission SGL 67” tour prior to arriving for the tour.

To find driving tours outside of the Southcentral Region, be sure to visit the other Game Commission regional pages or check out the full listing at: https://bit.ly/2026SGLTours

09/01/2026

Poachers are thieves, help us catch them!

Operation Game Thief (OGT), created in 2015, is a silent witness, anti-poaching program that encourages the public to report any suspicious activity or knowledge about a poaching violation.

How do I report a wildlife crime?
You can report information about a wildlife crime, by calling the OGT hotline — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year — at 1-888-PGC-8001 or report online at http://bit.ly/PGCOGT.

What should I report?
Wildlife crimes would include activities like illegal shooting or taking of big game or protected, endangered, or threatened species or any crime against those species.

Other violations like illegal use of state game lands, illegal dumping, etc. can also be reported.

What information do I need?
When reporting, try to provide as many details as possible. Even small details prove helpful in some cases. If possible, note:

- Description of what you saw and the wildlife involved
- Date and time of the incident
- Location or address
- Description of the person(s) including height, weight, hair color, eye color, approximate age, tattoo or other distinguishing feature, clothing, fi****ms/ weapons involved, etc.
- Description of the vehicle(s) including color, make, model, dents, decals, bumper stickers, license plate number and state, road/route, direction of travel

Thank you in advance for your assistance in helping to protect Pennsylvania wildlife!

08/21/2026

State Game Wardens are still actively investigating this incident. Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to report it to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Central Dispatch at 1-833-PGC-HUNT or the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-888-PGC-8001 or online at http://bit.ly/PGCOGT.

08/11/2026

Sometimes the best habitat managers wear orange, and sometimes, they’re covered in fur.

Our biologists, foresters, and habitat crews work year-round to improve wildlife habitat on state game lands, but sometimes, nature’s own engineers can do the job even better.

Beavers are incredible habitat builders. By constructing dams, they create wetlands that provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds for countless wildlife species, not just themselves. But sometimes they need a little help, or some extra encouragement.

Later this year, the Game Commission is proposing to establish a beaver refuge along a portion of Canoe Creek on State Game Lands 166, off Beaver Dam Road in Blair County.

By establishing a refuge where beaver trapping and harvesting will be prohibited, this will allow the local beaver population to thrive and continue creating these valuable habitats, benefiting wildlife throughout the surrounding landscape.

Want to learn more about this new project? Join us for a public meeting where we’ll explain the proposed refuge, discuss the conservation benefits, answer questions, and gather public input.

Date: September 9
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Terry Wentz Education Center, Canoe Creek State Park, 160 Marsh Road, Hollidaysburg

We hope to see you there!