One area that December deer hunters must check out is Forbes State Forest's Roaring Run Natural area in southeastern Westmoreland County. All 3,070 acres of Roaring Run are closed to vehicles. "No vehicles" means foot traffic only. And when an area can be accessed only by foot, that automatically cuts down the numbers of hunters willing to put forth the effort to explore it. Low hunting pressure means more deer.

Roaring Run Natural Area was heavily timbered and lined with logging roads before the state bought it in 1975, but since then it has been untouched by man. We're talking about big-timber hunting in this area. That means tall trees with sparse understory -- prime conditions for a spot-and-stalk hunt. Move slowly through the forest, watching far ahead for a glimpse of a deer.

To get to Roaring Run Natural Area, take Route 31 east from Mount Pleasant in Westmoreland County to the state forest parking areas past Jones Mills.

Another good area is around Wharton Furnace in Fayette County. Take Route 40 north and east of Farmington to Chalk Hill, and then turn left on Route 26201 toward Wharton Furnace. Hunt to the west along Chaney Run, or hunt the ridges to the east toward Big Sandy Creek.

For a map of Forbes State Forest, contact the state department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) at (717) 787-2869 and transfer to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. For lodging information, contact the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau at (724) 238-5661.

SGL NO. 217
Some hunters might not think there's much in the way of "rugged" country within a short drive of Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Allentown. But SGL 217 on the Blue Mountain is as rough and tough as any of Pennsylvania's wildest places.

SGL 217's 6,648 acres generally follow the top of Blue Mountain in Carbon, Lehigh and Schuylkill counties. It's part of a huge block of public land owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the National Park Service and the DCNR that stretches from the Susquehanna River eastward almost to the New Jersey state line.

One good option for hunting SGL 217 is to take Route 309 to the game lands parking lot near the tract's western end. Hike the Appalachian Trail to the west and look for deer on the steep ridge to the south.

Be sure to pay attention to the game lands boundary markers in this area because you will leave SGL 217 for a brief stretch on the trail before you re-enter the property.

A lot of hunters like to hunt off the Appalachian Trail, which runs on top of Blue Mountain the length of SGL 217. To get away from those crowds, take Route 309 north from New Tripoli and turn east on Mountain Road. Turn left on Reservoir Road to the SGL 217 boundary at the base of the Blue Mountain.

Hunt west toward the mountain. Hunters may work the bottom, waiting for deer to get pushed down the mountain from hunters on top, or they can hike up the side, find a good-looking bench and set up to ambush deer feeding on acorns or seeking cover from other hunters.