#9 State Game Lands 243
Property Manager: Pennsylvania Game Commission (814) 643-1831
GPS address: Several Accesses: 2398 Gameland Rd, Dillsburg, PA 17019
420 Franklintown Road, Dillsburg, PA 17019, and Big Dam Road access.
Hours: Dawn til Dusk
Parking: At SGL 243 there are multiple parking areas. Two on Gameland Road, two on Franklintown Road, one on State Game Road, and one on Big Dam Road.
Restrooms: Restrooms are not available.
Safety Reminders: Do not bird in these locations during popular hunting periods. Be smart always wear blaze orange if you choose to bird this property (as typically something is in season almost at every point in the year). It is required by law to wear fluorescent orange hat and vest when you are in gamelands from November 15-December 15th. First Sunday of rifle season is open to hunting do not go birding on this date. Some areas are posted March 1-June 15th for no entry, please follow all posted signs. Do not park in “no parking areas” or interfere with those hunting. Familiarize yourself with rules as the Game Commission may allow Sunday hunting soon. In the future one may even need a permit for non-hunting activities (not needed at this time).
Best Birding: Sundays and not during popular game seasons. All seasons, dawn until dusk.
Site Description: This area managed by the PA Game Commission is a large property of 1,160 acres, located in York County. The terrain is fairly level agricultural-reverting fields interspersed with small woodlots.
One can begin birding the property by turning off of PA-194 on to State Game Road. Parking area 243-35 is less than a mile down the road after driving through the agricultural fields. These fields hold many sparrows, blackbirds, and are great for the migration of these two families of birds. Meadowlarks and other meadow birds will nest in the area depending on what crops have been planted in the fields. During hard snowy winters the road edges here can be productive for Horned Larks and their winter flock mates. Once parked, if on Sunday or a non-hunting day walk the many open hunter trails to scan and listen to birds along the edges of the field. A large conifer stand is visible at the top of the hill north of the road. Look here for roosting raptors and others.
There are more stands of mixed conifers that edge the many field units of this property. Be careful if you decide to walk off trail to look for roosting owls. Always wear blaze orange. Be advised the State Gamelands have great habitat, and SGL 243 has two small ponds. The smaller pond is a short walk from parking areas 243-20 and 243-15. This is near the corner of Gameland Road and Franklintown Road. The larger pond which is off limits to walk around from Mar 1- June 15th is accessible from the parking area nearest the intersection of Franklintown Road and Willow Glenn Road.
Lastly a small portion of SGL 243 is not connected to the other portions. It is not user friendly and I would not mention if it wasn’t the best sparrow habitat in this section of the county. To get there go farther south on PA-194 than the main unit of SGL 243. Turn west onto Big Dam Road and travel west on Big Dam Road for 0.6 miles until you see a small gravel lot. There will also be a state gamelands sign there and a post at the back of the lot labeled 243-40. One can simply listen in to the woods and pick up some great woodland birds here in the summer. In winter from their hike west on Big Dam Road down into the gully and ¼ of the way up the other side cross the road and enter the agricultural field. When you enter the field to the north know that there are no established trails. This is an area where American Tree Sparrow can be found in winter along with White-crowned and other sparrow varieties. A recent Christmas Bird Count turned up a rarity here at the end of 2018. A Le Conte’s Sparrow was documented here in a wet patch of high grasses near the edge of the wooded area that is close to the middle of the small parcel. Check the properties boundaries along Big Dam Road and the surrounding areas before attempting any sparrow chases here. Red-headed Woodpecker and Northern Harrier are also in this area. Remember even in this small parcel SGL 243 has a primary function for hunters. Please enjoy responsibly. Do not enter the gamelands on a day that you could be putting yourself or others at risk.
Property Manager: Pennsylvania Game Commission (814) 643-1831
GPS address: Several Accesses: 2398 Gameland Rd, Dillsburg, PA 17019
420 Franklintown Road, Dillsburg, PA 17019, and Big Dam Road access.
Hours: Dawn til Dusk
Parking: At SGL 243 there are multiple parking areas. Two on Gameland Road, two on Franklintown Road, one on State Game Road, and one on Big Dam Road.
Restrooms: Restrooms are not available.
Safety Reminders: Do not bird in these locations during popular hunting periods. Be smart always wear blaze orange if you choose to bird this property (as typically something is in season almost at every point in the year). It is required by law to wear fluorescent orange hat and vest when you are in gamelands from November 15-December 15th. First Sunday of rifle season is open to hunting do not go birding on this date. Some areas are posted March 1-June 15th for no entry, please follow all posted signs. Do not park in “no parking areas” or interfere with those hunting. Familiarize yourself with rules as the Game Commission may allow Sunday hunting soon. In the future one may even need a permit for non-hunting activities (not needed at this time).
Best Birding: Sundays and not during popular game seasons. All seasons, dawn until dusk.
Site Description: This area managed by the PA Game Commission is a large property of 1,160 acres, located in York County. The terrain is fairly level agricultural-reverting fields interspersed with small woodlots.
One can begin birding the property by turning off of PA-194 on to State Game Road. Parking area 243-35 is less than a mile down the road after driving through the agricultural fields. These fields hold many sparrows, blackbirds, and are great for the migration of these two families of birds. Meadowlarks and other meadow birds will nest in the area depending on what crops have been planted in the fields. During hard snowy winters the road edges here can be productive for Horned Larks and their winter flock mates. Once parked, if on Sunday or a non-hunting day walk the many open hunter trails to scan and listen to birds along the edges of the field. A large conifer stand is visible at the top of the hill north of the road. Look here for roosting raptors and others.
There are more stands of mixed conifers that edge the many field units of this property. Be careful if you decide to walk off trail to look for roosting owls. Always wear blaze orange. Be advised the State Gamelands have great habitat, and SGL 243 has two small ponds. The smaller pond is a short walk from parking areas 243-20 and 243-15. This is near the corner of Gameland Road and Franklintown Road. The larger pond which is off limits to walk around from Mar 1- June 15th is accessible from the parking area nearest the intersection of Franklintown Road and Willow Glenn Road.
Lastly a small portion of SGL 243 is not connected to the other portions. It is not user friendly and I would not mention if it wasn’t the best sparrow habitat in this section of the county. To get there go farther south on PA-194 than the main unit of SGL 243. Turn west onto Big Dam Road and travel west on Big Dam Road for 0.6 miles until you see a small gravel lot. There will also be a state gamelands sign there and a post at the back of the lot labeled 243-40. One can simply listen in to the woods and pick up some great woodland birds here in the summer. In winter from their hike west on Big Dam Road down into the gully and ¼ of the way up the other side cross the road and enter the agricultural field. When you enter the field to the north know that there are no established trails. This is an area where American Tree Sparrow can be found in winter along with White-crowned and other sparrow varieties. A recent Christmas Bird Count turned up a rarity here at the end of 2018. A Le Conte’s Sparrow was documented here in a wet patch of high grasses near the edge of the wooded area that is close to the middle of the small parcel. Check the properties boundaries along Big Dam Road and the surrounding areas before attempting any sparrow chases here. Red-headed Woodpecker and Northern Harrier are also in this area. Remember even in this small parcel SGL 243 has a primary function for hunters. Please enjoy responsibly. Do not enter the gamelands on a day that you could be putting yourself or others at risk.