I just did a google search for it.. holy moly,,, looks like it may give Mels' buck a run for its money. Absolutely an incredible deer!

I seen that and I think the weight is crazy too

What state?

Yowzer

Bomber and sticks as well.

Anybody got a link?

That’s the county my in-laws live in! Whoa. That’s a big ole boy!!

Wow, thought it was an Irish Elk for a sec.

It’s a world record !!!

Killed on Pa. gamelands I believe.

Don't tell anyone it was killed in Pennsylvania. We have seen what happens to other states when that happens. I think that was Tioga County, NY. :)

There is always some nice bucks being killed in Pennsylvania. Just check out the Pennsylvania Big Game Records book the Pennsylvania Game Commission puts out.

Thats a freak, was it taken in a game farm? How can it get that big otherwise.... Traditional kill also...

If it was Pennsylvania and Tioga County, that is a county located at the top of the state in the center and shares its northern border with New York. My family owns a cabin in Potter County, to the west of Tioga.

Seems to me a little weird that is isn't plastered all over the news if it was true. I'll wait for confirmation.

I too heard it was killed in tioga county. Gentleman that killed it is a world class shooter also from what I heard.

That’s Cory, I know him from shooting at Harrisburg, great guy and a super good archer.

Awesome job !! There’s a whole lotta mountains up there in Pa, I’ve hunted em, I’m sure there are some big boys up there, problem is most hunters don’t go more than 100 yards off the road, lots of private land at the bottom of those game land mountains also ......

Congrats Cory! Well done...

Nice and maybe only 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 years old what do you think ?

Thought someone said it scored in the 190’s. It’s a beast. It’s amazing what can happen when a deer makes it past 1.5 years old. PA hunters are experiencing the best buck hunting ever. Good luck everyone.

Thats Dennys kid, he makes his own bows too, Mike

I hunted in that county back in the late 70’s. Saw some nice deer killed there but nothing like this. Congratulations on a magnificent animal.

Yeah, magnificent buck, CONGRATS to hunter!

Weight ... ?

Are those it's sheds he has in the 2nd pic?

I smell a rat

Helluva nice buck. But no its not going to give mels a run for its money. Maybe a Pa state record but who knows.

Congratulations to the hunter,how big did Mel's buck score ?

If this buck is from this year thats a green score and it'll end up mi ti high 180's. Mels i think was 204 and change after drying.

MEL JOHNSON's official P&Y SCORE: 204 4/8

Year Taken: 1965

Location: PEORIA COUNTY, IL

---

Milo Hanson's official B&C SCORE: 213-5/8

Year Taken: 1993

LOCATION: Biggar, Saskatchewan

Mel's buck above actually looks bigger to me than Milo's here...

It’s a huge accomplishment no matter what for many reasons. The buck was taken on public land, the terrain itself is very difficult to hunt, a buck of that caliber didn’t get big without eluding hunters for years, and he killed him with Trad equipment. My hats off to the guy.

I don't have the 2019 Pennsylvania Big Game Records book but in the 2018 Pennsylvania Big Game Records book the number one typical archery buck was shot by Ronald Shaulis from West Newton and scored 185 4/8. And the buck was shot in Westmoreland County.

This buck may beat it.

I meant to say Cory's buck may beat Ronald Shaulis's buck.

"Mel's buck above actually looks bigger to me than Milo's here... "

You have to look at both 'gross' score and 'net' score after deductions for non-symmetrical measurements. The Hanson buck loses very little.

Not sure where in tioga county it was killed but if it was anywhere around the canyon wouldn't surprise me.

Those that have never hunted there don't realize how steep and rugged some of it is.

Also areas of really thick mt laurel. Up gamble run rd their is a large area of choppings that grew back in briars so thick their is NO way you could hunt it.

lots of places in tioga county where a buck can grow old.

Great buck, looks like it is going to be a new state record. Congrats to the hunter!

Great buck and congrats to the hunter! Hard to believe it was killed in PA as all of us PA hunters know there are no buck in PA except a few fork horns and spikes ;)

I truly hope the young man can keep positive and enjoy his moment as the whiners and doubters pile on. I wish him the best!

Whiners and doubters? I've seen previous declarations turn out to be not true. Verification is not whining, and doubt is cleared up with facts....not hope or emotion. I hope it is true and suspect it i; but, normally at buck that big will be broadcast widely by the local and state bowhunters quickly. Silly insults won't keep me from being cautious.

Wow someone does the work and shoots a good buck and he’s cheater. Why even insinuate that until it’s becomes a question.

There's a bog about 8 miles from where I live in Maine that has produced two bucks, twenty years apart, that both scored over 205 B&C points, and I'll guarantee you that neither of those bucks ever saw a mineral block or a feed plot. They just had the genetic makeup to grow big antlers, good diverse mixed cover, and plenty of wild land in which to hide from hunters.

What a Buck!!!

Congratulations to Cory. I would imagine that anyone pursuing a Whitetail of that caliber enjoys many days and nights pondering the next hunt with the excitement of the possible close encounter with one like that. Can really keep us honing our set up and shooting skills.

Pictures do not do the Hanson buck justice, you have to see it in person to really appreciate it

That is one dandy whitetail buck!

https://www.huntingpa.com/threads/another-pa-giant.316987/#post- 3863254

Hope this works. Another for George to raise his eyebrows at.

Come on George, give the guy a break. LOL That’s one heck of a buck and congratulations to Cory on his trophy.

Really great buck. I live in Tioga County and have done so my whole life. I'm about 4 miles from the PA Grand Canyon, and hunt it often. Very rugged and steep, and deer do grow old there. I've never seen a buck from "the woods" here that grew that big. I have seen some farm deer (posted and patrolled land, heavy food plots, etc.) get some real body and antler size though. Seems odd... no one here is talking about it; that just doesn't happen. This area is awash in hunters of all persuasion: trad bows, compounds, crossbows, rifles, pistols, etc. When a nice buck is taken anywhere in the county, EVERYONE is talking. I'm not normally skeptical, but I think I'm with George on this one. I hope we're both wrong! I first saw this picture on Facebook last week. I have friends and relatives spread around the county, as well as several sporting goods store owners I know well. After several phone calls last weekend, no one I talked to knew anything about a "monster" buck being taken.

The two mortal sins according to the Leatherwall: Try to make money off outdoor equipment, and kill a bigger deer than the next guy.

mortal sin #3 A successful big buck killer is probably guilty, until he proves he isn't.

How’d he get this beast before the rut???????!!!! Beauty!

Well, if you shot a buck of this caliber, would you really want everyone knowing about it? You'd have half the county sitting in and around the stand where this deer was shot. Or if it was private land where the owner was nice enough to let you hunt for free, well he just made several new friends who have lots of money to throw you out. And if you are leasing the land your price to stay is going up if higher bidders come by. If I shot a deer that big I wouldn't tell anyone either except for my obligation to tag and report to the DNR.

Can’t kill em before the rut ???? Lost me

I am simply trying to figure out how the hunter would've gotten that brute out (intact, not quartered) of the rugged terrain it was thought to have been in.....orv I suppose?

I have no problem believing he shot a buck that big. I've seen some pictures of jaw dropping bucks killed in Forest county. My cousin killed a giant 12 point in Buzzard swamp with a rifle. It was big enough to make the local paper.

Two years ago I saw a huge 14 point step out of a thicket while I was hunting with a self bow. I had no idea how big he was but knew he was big. It was killed during gun season on posted property. It was running with a buck almost as big.

There is a lot of acorns this year and was a nice spring and summer. The deer look really healthy this year.

Call me a skeptic but I still smell a rat.LOL

Awesome buck! Congratulations for sure!

But remember, just because a deer has huge antlers does not make him smarter than any other mature buck.

A mature deer is a mature deer.

The big antlered deer just have the right combinations of age, food and antler genetics.

Not much of a challenge there. How can anyone miss a target that big! Even I could hit that huge beast! LOL!

Congrats to him on a wonderful trophy.

How right you are CD!!!

Magnificent animal for sure! Congrats to Cory...

My Daughter lives there,... Her husband has taken some nice ones during the past few years! There`s some good gene`s in that area. What a Beast!!! Congrats Cory!!!

Not quite as big as the rompolo buck from here in michgigan but its not bad.

We shall see monkeyball. You guys do have big deer there. From the looks of the YouTube videos I see even your public land is full of em. Your antler restrictions work

Ahhhh Ricky, you didn't...8^)

The APR's are working. Rompola's is a whopper too, looks big bucks in that area of Michigan.

just because nobody has heard about it doesn't necessarily mean its not true or legit.

some people don't post all their pics on the internet or drive around showing their buck off.

Not putting people down, but I seriously doubt personally I'd ever bother putting a buck in the record books. Sounds strange to many, but my biggest bucks I don't even have pictures of, just sawed off the racks.

Regardless that's a whopper of a buck. bigger than anything I've ever seen in the wild....lol...that one I might get mounted.

Guys, this buck is legit. It was shot on public land, Tioga county PA. Corey and all of his family are great hunters. His dad was 2-3 time grand national turkey calling champion and put out some real good videos in the 80’s.

Corey started showing up at the IBO world shoot a few years ago and did very well in the RU class.

If I’m not mistaken, Matt Z (Push archery)had a podcast scheduled with Corey this week to discuss the hunt and the history of Corey pursuing this giant for the past 3 years.

I was told that this buck was rough measured at 191 green.

studying the pics...it almost looks like he's on a gasline...and looking at the background mts, it doesn't look like around the canyon, looks more like the mts around blossburg...

lol..yea having hunted tioga and Lycoming all my life, I'm trying to figure out where it was shot.

Gary Ought comes to mind,but he was run out of state years ago.

Should be Gary Alt.

... and still NO ONE has posted a dressed weight ... anyone know what it was?????????????????

Had the opportunity to shoot a competition with Cory at Pine Hill a couple years ago I know he shot over 280 on a possible 300 course. Seeing those sheds, I now know why he wasn't to willing to talk about his deer hunting location. Great guy. Congrats Cory!

I was told by a taxidermist in tioga county this morning where he shot it, out of respect for Cory him i'll keep that to myself.

I will say though, the area he hunted is BIG country. I was also told he works for DCNR and puts a lot of time in following these bucks, finding sheds etc..

It takes a lot of time to scout in these bigwoods, there is no quick in and out, and it takes a lot of ambition.

congrats to him....hard work pays off.

Amen shade mt ...... determination does pay off .....

If it works I imbedded a link adding to this story.

I see that another young man of the same last name, killed a Pa, bear this past weekend with a recurve. I wonder if he's Corey's brother? He filmed it.

A few people commented about deer hiding in the mountains. Thats unlikely a whitetail that big not only needs the genes it needs a lot of food - for years.

Im not saying anything bad about the hunter. Im just saying the deer lived somewhere that it had access to serious food.

And why wouldn't there be serious food out in the middle of nowhere? Do we all think deer need to be made a food plot to grow huge antlers?

More or less yes. You dont have to specifically have a food meant deer. But you need a high food density. Old woodland is worse grass land and farmland is much better. And generally inaccessible mountains will have worse food density.

A deer living in laurel, hemlocks and some nut tress is going to get much less calories and burn more calories than a deer living in a wood lot next to a corn field and a small orchard with easy access to a grassy field and maybe a garden also.

Of course a deer farm where they basically feed it grain and vegetables all year is going to be even more conducive to large deer.

But there no way around it that deer in pure forests especially mountains work harder for less than deer many other deer.

X2 what DIRTNAP said !!!!!!!

Food plays a role, but so does genetics and age. Whitetail deer are browsers and can get plenty of good food in the diversified habitats of northern Pa. It's big woods but certainly not barren woods.

All that stuff matters. But they are basically all limits. To get a deer that big you need all, the genes, the age and a huge amount of food.

WOW!!! Guess the antler restrictions are paying off!!!

To the point about nutrition, age, etc. I bet deer used to grow that big all the time before humans started blasting them with guns on a regular basis. Just a thought. If they were all allowed to reach five plus years, who knows how big they’d get.

For the naysayers. There is an article about this buck in the PA Outdoors News.

Good article. I'll try to find it and post it.

Difference beween a naysayer and a skeptic Bob. With all that goes on in the name of trophy killing nowadays, it usually pays to get the story right, so folks don't just jump up and say good job then later find out not so much.

Anyway, it appears all is well that ends well and done legally.

Hey guys, there are hunters out there that do the due diligence, scout hard, pattern bucks, sleep in the woods, etc., etc. There are also guys that wished they had the intestinal fortitude to accomplish the same w/out as much pain, dedication and effort. Success is an earned trait, and a desire to be and do the best. So face it guys, put in the effort, luck and success will follow! Kinda like Olympic champions, very few will put in that kind of work or dedication, and very, very few will finish 1st. Sounds like this hunter earned his trophy, the hard way!(;^)

Kwikdraw and monkeyball X2. Great buck taken by a fella that put the time, effort and dedication in to kill him. Congrats again to Cory!

Thanks for the update. Originally I was one of the "wait and see" group. I have since done some internet searches and found several articles about his hunting accomplishments. I have talked to several people who know Cory personally or worked with him. He has a top-notch reputation as a hunter/outdoorsman, and more importantly, as a person.

Congratulations Cory!

The hanson buck probably lost a couple inches net, mels lost the length of a whole tine and then some. Mels buck is bigger but hansons scored better. In Comptons mels would be better. They use gross score.

I’m not a subscriber. Truly a magnificent animal.

I’m not a subscriber. Truly a magnificent animal.

As far as the food issue in the deep woods go, my brothers and I just got back from a 84 mile backpacking trip in Elk, Potter and Cameron counties. There were acorns up high half the size of golf balls. Plenty of browse. Also, few dirt roads or Jeep trails really remote so critters can grow. We had bear sign along some of the trail that was from a REALLY big black bear. I've seen some 500 pounders a this boy was 500 on the low end. His scat piles alone were almost as big as half a football. Get back in several miles from any easy access and it's a different world.

A lot of the acorns would be no good by now. I often hear guys saying " man there are acorns everywhere " ...But if you bite them open there is nothing in them, the shells last a long time, often from the year before.

As far as food, hunters have been programmed to believe deer need agriculture to get big, and so much is said about it that well.....we believe it.

Some of the biggest heaviest deer come from the wilds of Maine, Canada etc..

Deer are ruminants their body's are made to eat roughage not grain, sure they eat it sure they like it, yes it makes them fat....But they need roughage.

What the big woods of PA have going for them is...antler restrictions...and areas remote enough to keep hunting pressure down....both enable them to grow old enough to put some bone on their head.

That being said this buck was an incredible exception...most buck wouldn't sport that kind of headgear regardless of age.

I shot a buck this year that I would say is a normal old buck here in PA...nice yes, high ,17" ,decent tine length, ....But nothing like this buck. You will look for a long long time to find buck that size.

Many large/huge bucks are being killed in bow only areas.. I'm talking about metro and suburb hunts. Some of these deer live in or off of gardens, flowers, and tiny plots of land. Many never get seen until they are killed.

Bucks have access to yard after yard and are safe but not social. Deer can make their own sanctuary providing there is enough food source to support them.. having said that, it has been studied that a bucks home range can have a radius in the 25 mile area.. probably more. That study took place in Iowa, or Illinois where they didn't seem like they would have the need to travel that far.

Deer browse and in their travels, they pick up what they need if it is available. Even when they encounter a corn pile, they don't generally stay until it's gone.

It takes lots of things to make a buck like this.. and there's likely more up and comers where this buck was taken.

The most important thing it takes to make a big buck like this is to keep shooting does and pass on the young bucks. It's not likely to happen in most areas unless there is some sort of antler restrictions.

Considering my surroundings and land regs of where I might be hunting, I shoot what I'm allowed. I would never consider shooting a small buck on a "hunting trip" because I'm not there for that and killing something doesn't matter that much to me.

Locally at a friends place with a brown and down rule? yep, it's freezer filling time.

My big brother used to say... "I just don't get opportunities to shoot big bucks" Well, that's because he always filled his tag with the first deer that came by. He now hunts mostly Minnesota metro and has the taste of some very nice bucks and has changed his tune.

BigJim

A buck on my home place... a little 42 acre place surrounded by small 20 acre plots with houses. Not much if any hunting taking place on most and hard to pin down a big buck.

BigJim

BigJim well said and written.

Shade Mt, correct nuts need to be in season, just saying that in early October there were still nuts on the ground. Deer have to compete with Elk in that area. Once you get back in a couple miles everything is a bit different. We were following Susquehannock Trail System and on old logging roads at times. Didn't see tire tracks for a week.

another buck on my property this year. South East GA.

Not a lot of ag near me, but you can get to a bunch in 20 plus miles.

BigJim

I remember the Mitch Rompola "world record" from a number of years ago.Big controversy if it was real or not then Rompola and the deer dropped out of sight with no official measurements ever taken.

Like Crookedstix I also live in Maine.What is interesting in Maine is that deer are judged by dressed weight rather than antler size-world record rack could be laying behind some farmer's barn.

Here is a big public land PA buck from a few years ago. This one was in Bald Eagle State Forest.

No one knows where in Pa this buck was killed as was mentioned. The hunter has no shared that news so it is just hearsay

If this deer was killed in October of last year the 60 day drying period should have passed and it could be measured.

In PA you have to record the WMU (Wildlife Management Unit), County and Township where the deer was killed on your tag.

I know if I killed a buck like that I wouldn't be giving out GPS coordinates to the exact kill site.

Hey Craig, how about me, you might have to put me on the deer cart to get me way back in those mountain hollers, I would love it. You would too. P.S. what bow are you holding against that rub ?

Really miss the back woods of PA. Grew up on Paddy Mt.

That's way up past the trophy only trout area.

Saw Cory on the cover of North American Whitetail with his buck today, at the news stand. Took a quick peek inside, think it ended up #2/state. Please don't kill the messenger !Steve

The latest issue of PA Game News had a small segment. The official score was 181 7/8. You are correct it's Number 2 in the typical archery category.

Yay for PA !!! And Cory !

Has anyone seen what arrow and broadhead combo he was using? I am curious about his 43# set up

... and STILL no one has mentioned the weight of the deer ...

Lefty. Weight of a deer is typically not a big topic of conversation in these parts. This buck being shot in the big woods with I’m assuming no agricultural around probably wasn’t super big weight wise. Actually I don’t remember score being talked about much in PA either till the last few years. I know that friends in the New England states always talk about body weight. That’s not our thing.

Smokedinpa X2 on deer weight or score (until recent years with some fellas) being a big deal in PA. At least not in my experience.

I just got the 2021 Pennsylvania Big Game Records book. Ronald Shaulis Westmoreland County buck is still number one in the typical category in archery. I thought Cory Gulvas Tioga County buck would have taken the number one position, but it didn't.

Mass was probably the difference?

I knew immediately that it'd fall way short of 204". It's a fantastic buck but it lacks mass and some time length.

Pa.Steve posted before Cory Gulvas's buck was 181 7/8 but since I got the 2021 Pennsylvania Big Game Records book, I figured I'd post it. Ronald Shaulis's buck in the article said his was 185 4/8, but in the 2021 Pennsylvania Big Game Records book it said his was 184 4/8. None the less two very nice Pennsylvania bucks.

Great buck!

Thanks for bringing this back up , what a great buck

Wow great bucks. You Pa. guys have some big bucks.

Same area. Later in the season but I think it is the same year. This is a rifle kill. It took a lot of effort and teamwork. I can't imagine how good and lucky you would have to be to bow kill him where he was living. We didn't age or score him but I suspect he is much older than a buck of similar size from the midwest. There isn't much for him to eat on the steep sides where he lived.

Same area. Later in the season but I think it is the same year. This is a rifle kill. It took a lot of effort and teamwork. I can't imagine how good and lucky you would have to be to bow kill him where he was living. We didn't age or score him but I suspect he is much older than a buck of similar size from the midwest. There isn't much for him to eat on the steep sides where he lived.

Wow great buck. I love Pa.

PA has some nice buck for sure...both on private and public land.

Much of the public is in large tracts owned by the state. Both state game land and state forest.

If your accustomed to hunting the Midwest or forested tracts of land that are broken up like the wayne national forest in ohio.... Some of the PA state forest is going to seem a bit overwhelming.

The state forest where he shot this buck is big...real big. The whole pine creek canyon is big, steep country, and the drainages like cedar, slate, gamble run etc...etc..etc...are huge areas.

There are some really nice buck killed every year especially by firearm hunters.

But to consistently kill big mt buck with a bow your going to have to put a lot of time in it...and this guy does.

Just to access it takes time...Lots of time...your not going to just stop by for a quick scouting trip, or scout it out some sun afternoon, and know it.

Your gonna walk for hrs and only scratch the surface...you can hunt all day then view the area you hunted on a topo, and think...wow...I didn't even cover a fraction of it.

The tiadaghoton, sproul, susquehannock, moshannon, elk...all have areas like this.

State game lands..13, 57, 100...are big areas...

To me one of the most rewarding things is to put hr after hr mile after mile, in scouting, planning...the long unproductive hrs on stand when you hear no civilized sound whatsoever...just forest noise....and then it all comes together in a brief moment, and you arrow a nice mt buck.

This buck is pretty special. And his trophy quality goes far beyond just numbers.

According to the 2021 Pennsylvania Big Game Records Book Typical Whitetail deer category-archery there are 1372 entries that scored 125 Pope & Young minimum or higher.

Non-Typical Whitetail deer category-archery there are 102 that scored 155 Pope & Young minimum or higher. And these are just the ones that were entered. There was properly quite a few that were never entered.

So, I agree Pennsylvania has some nice bucks if a bowhunter wants to bow hunt hard.

OK, so he "recovered" the skeleton some 5+ weeks after he shot it? How did they forensically prove he was the cause of the death?

There are all kinds of rumours and speculation as to " where" this buck was shot.

I have a pretty good idea, and I fully understand the guy not giving the exact location, would you?

As far as publicity hurting PA hunting. I don't think you will ever see PA suffer from big buck publicity like Illinois or Ohio etc...

First off your not gonna drive from another state and waltz right on into some of our bigger public lands crawl up a tree and shoot a big mt buck..not saying it don't happen, but the odds are very against it.

More realistic....you will drive from another state with high hopes.

You will pick a public land like the sproul state forest...study topo, Google earth whatever, pick a saddle, or what " looks" to be a funnel.

Then you will get here and realize the roads in are dirt state forest, mile after mile of mt laurel, or maybe vast mature hardwoods and ferns like much of our wild areas...or maybe you will pick a big drainage like Boggs and you'll drive a 1\2 hr back a dirt road...park...hike in across the top and when you get to the edge of it and look across, you'll think...wow...the topo didn't do this justice, because it's way, way bigger than it looked on a map...and where do you begin?...because it's all the same!...Mile after mile after mile of hardwoods....pick a spot, hopes are high..But after sitting in a tree with your longbow for 5 days straight and not seeing a deer...( or another hunter)....you will see what it takes to kill one consistently.

Oh they are there....somewhere ...and not all of PA is like that, nor all the public land.

But Tioga, Has some big areas, and some nice buck...if you got the time.... And patience...to find them.

I know what you mean. These guys claim to kill big deer all the time and can’t show proof is a bunch of crap , eh.

Lots of whining and crying going on. Wow. If he killed it legally, great, if he hit it with a car…great. How does what he did affect anyone. Love the post- don’t try and make $ or kill a bigger buck than others here.. mortal sins. Lol. Seems pretty true. Also guilty until proven innocent…

If the guy poached it, and it makes him feel good, still it affects anyone how?

Insane amounts of jealousy.

I agree overspined. Jealousy in rampant. He said he killed so I believe him.

Love that post Shade Mt. cool stuff

X2, shade mt. Everything you say about PA's mountain hunting is true.

I have lived and hunted in Tioga County's Canyon Country my whole life. I have never seen, much less killed a buck like Cory's. Probably because I never put in the work that Cory has.

If you are going to try it, come prepared. Get in shape. Absolutely get to know and learn how to use BOTH your compasses. Make sure someone knows where you expect to be. Cell phone coverage is virtually non-existent for most of the big woods. I have a neighbor who provides dogs for SAR events when needed; give them all the help you can.

Don't pack a lot of junk, you'll regret it 5 or 6 miles from the truck. Do pack whatever it might take to spend a night in the woods. Speaking of a night in the woods, this part of PA is known to be some of the best Dark Sky viewing in the United States. If being in the woods after dark gives you the "willies," this might not be for you. Get the best footwear you can find. Camo? Whatever you got will work just fine. This isn't hunting the Rockies, but it ain't a stroll through the local State Park either.

Above all, enjoy your hunt without worrying about the crowds. If you're in the right area, there won't be any. In archery season, you probably won't see a person or a vehicle. If you happen to come out of the woods onto one of the dirt forest roads, there's a good chance you won't see a track on it, except for deer, bear, and turkeys. And don't get me started on Bigfoot! LOL.

The canyon is big country, much of it is accessible off the West rim...But it's steep, real steep...steep like in a treestand your 5' off the ground on the high side, and 50' on the low side..lol..all joking aside, it is very steep, when there is snow on the ground, some of the canyon is to steep to walk on..I slid down the mt for probably 50'one summer, I was trying to grab onto anything I could to get stopped, finally got stopped, but it sure got western for a bit...and the deer and bear go down over there, especially when pressured up top.

Once up on top, it's still really big country...cedar run, fanhestock branch, farther down pine, it's slate run, gamble run...the wild area...clean over to 44, but it don't stop there, those mts extend clean over through hyner to the river, across the river, and up boggs, mclosky, bakers, clendenin, shoemaker, on and on, and on to snowshoe...to the north they stretch up into potter county, hammersley fork, crossforks, to the West they stretch over into Cameron county, elk county, etc...and just keep going...thick impenetrable mt laurel, remote areas...yes, there are some real bruisers, but it's not the midwest, or SE PA..No fields, No agriculture....it's bigwoods, and pretty tough bowhunting.

Steve, you give a really good summary of Pa mountain hunting. It is kind of a unique area and a whole different game.

Remember hiking in and camping on top to hunt some of the backwoods in PA.

Time is the key to consistent success in the areas mentioned.

The guy that shot this buck actually works for DCNR if I am not mistaken, so he is in the woods constantly.

I might ruffle some feathers by saying this, but it's not my intent and I apologize, but the truth of the matter is it is generally harder to pattern or narrow down these big buck in vast endless mts like northern PA, than it is in a agricultural, area interspersed with woodlots or ridges, or creek bottoms.

I've hunted all, and overall generally northern PA, and similar habitat is the hardest. Now that being said, fringe areas to these big state forest can be pretty productive especially in archery season.

You can see numbers of deer in what fields there are in these fringe areas. But even this is no guarantee. Because the fringe areas are mostly private, and once you get into the state ground, things become far far more spread out. On good mast years deer may really be spread out. And in some areas, there is no such thing as fringe areas, or private ground. Take rt 144 between renovo and snowshoe...it is a huge vast area and all sproul state forest. There are some really big buck in there...But unless you have a lot of time...or are just lucky, your not going to crawl up a tree and kill a big buck.

Guys that kill nice buck in these areas with a bow every year, spend a lot of time doing it.

And there are some nice buck, but buck of the same caliber as corys are few and far between...and it takes a lot of time to find them, and even more time and luck, to get an arrow into one.

I spend a lot of time in the mts, and I have never seen a buck quite that big...I have seen some real bruises however...But actually killing one...well...that's a different story.

I do however manage to kill a decent buck, every year in the big state lands usually, but if time was an issue, id probably be far far less successful...But I like seclusion.

Shade is not exaggerating the difficulty. In fact if you want to kill a nice buck go somewhere else. Guys like me won't stop going because we hunted it all our lives including through the hay days and just can't give it up. And we occasionally see a big deer. It is not uncommon for a half dozen guys in camp to hunt several weekends without seeing a deer. I would gladly give up some deer size to have a slight increase in deer population.Deer are the enemy of the state forest. Their only answer to management is to kill more. The forest needs a real change. Thousands of acres of hillsides need cut. I wish they would let sportsman's groups help on large scale. Game lands are better but often hunted really hard. Tedd

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