Harrisburg - Timed to help sportsmen plan for their participation in the Saturday, Sept. 29, opening of Pennsylvania’s traditional archery deer hunting season, additional roads will be opened to hunters in 17 of the 20 state forest districts.  Included is Delaware State Forest in Monroe and Pike counties

“Hunters again will have access to approximately 500 additional miles of state forest roads, and many will not be gated when archers take to the woods in search of deer on opening day,” said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. “This is a ‘win-win’ decision by our Bureau of Forestry, as it helps hunters -- sometimes providing access to remote areas -- while enabling forestry experts to channel deer hunting pressure where they think it is needed to benefit forest regeneration”

During the archery season, which closes Saturday, Nov. 10, and the state’s other deer hunting seasons, running into January 2008, hunters will find more than 3,100 miles of roadway open to them in state forestlands.

“These changes are in line with our desire to accommodate deer hunters, affording them access to more remote areas where we believe larger deer harvests are necessary for the regeneration of the forests,” DiBerardinis said. “Hunters seeking whitetails in our state forest will find more than 90 percent of all state forestland is now within one-half mile of an open road during deer season.

“The state’s deer hunters are an invaluable tool in both wildlife management and forest stewardship,” said DiBerardinis. “By opening these roads temporarily, hunters will have even greater access to our woodlands in the coming seasons.”

DiBerardinis noted some of these additional roads will be open only during deer season and at the discretion of the district forester. Others only will be opened for the second week of the traditional rifle season because they cannot withstand the expected heavy traffic of the first week. Two- or three-month long openings will be in effect only where there is minimal threat of damage or deterioration to road surfaces or forest surroundings.

Road openings are planned in the following state forest districts and counties: