Backcountry Wilderness Deer Hunting in Potter County | Public Land Whitetails

Finding True Wilderness Where Few Think to Look

When most folks picture whitetail deer hunting, their mind drifts to the usual scenes: farm field edges, ladder stands tucked into fence lines, and carefully managed private ground.

Pennsylvania has plenty of that.

But it also has something else, something wildly overlooked.

I grew up in a state that quietly boasts one of the most intricate and expansive state forest systems in the country, paired with enough public game land that you could explore for a lifetime and still never step foot in the same place twice.

Hidden inside those massive swaths means something special: real wilderness.

Now, let’s be clear, I’m not here to argue that Pennsylvania stacks up against Montana or Alaska. That wouldn’t pass a basic fact check. What I am here to say is this: wilderness is relative.

To a kid, wilderness might be the ten-acre woodlot down the road.

To someone wired like me (and maybe you) it doesn’t start feeling wild until you’re at least a mile from the nearest road, swallowed by quiet and contour lines.

So here’s the real question:

Can Pennsylvania be a wilderness destination?

I’d argue it already is.

Pennsylvania is home to 20 state forests, ranging from the modest Cornplanter State Forest at just over 1,500 acres to the sprawling Sproul State Forest, which stretches over 300,000 acres. Stack that with over 1.5 million of acres of state game lands, and the idea that “there’s no wilderness here” starts to fall apart pretty quickly.

You’re telling me you can’t disappear in all that space?

That’s a trick question, I know you can.

These woods hold healthy populations of whitetail deer, black bear, elk, grouse, woodcock, and more. If you’re willing to slow down, pay attention, and put in the miles, Pennsylvania can feel downright magical.

In today’s video “Backcountry Wilderness Deer Hunting in Potter County, Pennsylvania | God’s Country” I set out to show exactly what wilderness looks like here.

We encounter a pile of whitetail deer, the largest black bear I’ve ever seen in person, and a massive bull elk that would make even a hard-core September rut hunter do a double take.

And here’s the kicker:

All of it happened on opening day of Pennsylvania rifle season (arguably the busiest day of the year) and I didn’t see a single other person.

I heard shots, sure.

But not one human crossed my path.

That’s a small miracle in this state and proof that if you’re willing to go far enough where the feet get sore, Pennsylvania still has places that feel untouched.

Give the video a watch. Let me know what you think.

And maybe, just maybe, go explore a little Pennsylvania wilderness for yourself.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/HBO2JZ6WiiQ