Located close to the Ohio border, SGL No. 101 -- known as Jumbo Woods -- has some of the flattest land in Pennsylvania. There is only 60 feet difference in elevation. The habitat is reverting vegetation, with trees in various stages of growth and maintained openings. The ground is very wet. Do not even consider hunting in here without waterproof boots.

Though managed intensively for small game -- including woodcock, grouse and pheasant -- this is very good big buck habitat.

Another interesting public tract is SGL No. 277, a 972-acre tract that lies along French Creek bottomland.

Surrounded by agricultural lands and reverting farmland, thick cover on this state game land makes a great retreat for deer.

SGL No. 277 is situated just outside Cambridge Springs, along U.S. Route 6 in northern Crawford County.

In sharp contrast, the eastern side of the Northwest Region lies on the Allegheny Highlands, mostly WMU 2F and the Allegheny National Forest that stretches into the North Central Region. Some of the most severe cuts in deer density have occurred on WMU 2F. The trick to locating the better concentrations of deer is looking for recently timbered areas and for white oak acorns.

Probably the best hunting is along the edges of the Allegheny Highlands where you'll find farms and reverting farmland. SGL No. 282 is one likely bet. Better known as Akeley Swamp, this 435-acre tract lies in the Conewango Creek valley.

A large part of it is artificial swamp; virtually all of it is wet. Local hunters are more likely to think of it during waterfowl seasons than during deer-hunting seasons.

Most hunters access SGL No. 282 by way of an old railroad grade that forms the artificial swamp. But you can also reach it by boat, launching from a township access off U.S. Route 62 just north from the bridge at Akeley.

Completely different in nature is SGL No. 86, which lies just west of the Allegheny River between Irvine and Tidioute. This is a huge state game lands of 14,271 acres. The terrain is extremely steep, almost cliff-like in some stretches of the valley.

But along the uphill western side, there's a lot of reverting farmland and some active farmland.

SGL No. 86 is old-fashioned Big Woods hunting-camp country. Come deer season, hunting is the main business in and around Tidioute.

Very few hunters climb the steep river ridges from the bottom. But a few steep valleys provide somewhat easier access from this side.

Anyone who shoots a deer partway down the river ridge and drags any direction other than downhill is mighty energetic!

No matter what anyone might tell you, those steep ridges don't get a lot of hunting pressure except the ones close to camps. Between Dunns Eddy and Cobham Station, there are places where a deer could lie along a steep slope all through the season and never have to move for a hunter.

For more about deer hunting in the Keystone State, contact that Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.

Or phone (717) 787-4250, or check their web site, www.pgc.state.pa.us.

For more information about traveling, contact the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism, Room 404, Forum Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Or phone 1-800-VISIT-PA (847-4872), or visit www.visitPA.com.