I JUST MOVED UP TO LONG ISLAND FROM FLORIDA (FOR GUN USE WORST MOVE EVER). I KNOW THERE IS NO BIG GAME RIFLE HUNTING ON LONG ISLAND BUT DOES ANYONE KNOW OF SOME GOOD PLACES UP STATE OR EVEN IN PENN THAT WOULD BE FUN. THANKS FOR THE INPUT IN ADVANCE

Hi and welcome.. not quite sure why you'd move from Florida to NY but whatever floats your boat... Please turn caps off, it's typically interpreted as 'yelling' and also it's just hard to read. Thanks

As for hunting in NY: Most of the eastern section is private and posted. At least until you get pretty far up into the Adirondacks and believe me, that's some TOUGH hunting and deer are few and far between. The ones that are there tend to be pretty big though. I can't speak to the center or western parts of the state, they may be different. We do have some state game lands around us but the hunting pressure is brutal and there are a lot of IDIOTS who don't care if they setup within eyesight of others, movement shoot, etc.... can be scarey.

As for PA, I've hunted some of the State Game Lands in the Tobyhanna area. Deer and bear there but like anywhere you have to have the time to scout out the areas.

Good luck and hopefully others will chime in.

Oh, and get a good topo map of the area you're going and a decent compass. I always have those onboard but tend to reply more on my gps (spare batteries too. ;-) This is the one I have and absolutely love it. http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Handhe...B000CSQRYS )

Trust me, you get lost in the Adirondacks or PA State Forests and you can really be in trouble.

Pop 930,
I was looking for a response on the Connecticut state page and happened to read your post on the New England page. Since you appear to be interested in (& I guess willing to travel to) upstate NY or PA I thought I'd ask if you have ever considered CT. The Department for Environmental Protection (DNR in other states) claims there are more whitetail deer in CT than people. The tutors at the hunters ed. classes and a few land owners agree with this claim.
Now I certainly do not want more hunters in my precious CT, but I was in the same situation five years ago until I moved here permanently.
I have access to state land and private land. I have bagged deer on state land (archery) every year.
It is not difficult to find good archery locations just a few miles off the I-95 corridor, or along the Connecticut River. You could be back in Long Island same day.
Hope this helps.

St. Lawrences and Jefferson counties have good deer and black Bear population , and theres plenty of state land to hunt if you dont know anyone with private land in the area.