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PGC Northeast region
State Game Lands 13 Hunting Notes
Access rules, 2026-27 WMU 3B dates for whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and pheasants, deer harvest and the nearest towns.
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC BY 2.0)
Where SGL 13 sits and how big it is
State Game Lands 13 is a State Game Lands tract owned and managed by the Game Commission for hunting and trapping in Sullivan, Columbia and Lycoming counties, inside WMU 3B. It is managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Size on record: 50,745 acres, 1st among 312 State Game Lands. On the PGC map sheet: 50,742 acres. Nearest town guide: Laporte, 6 miles off; the area sits southeast of there.
SGL 13: county context
| County | Seat | People (2024) | Land sq mi | WMUs | Special Regs Area | CWD feeding ban | CWD head bin | Bears 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County | Laporte | 5,927 | 450 | 3B | No | — | Yes | 75 |
| Columbia County | Bloomsburg | 66,012 | 483 | 4E, 4C, 3B | No | — | Yes | 45 |
| Lycoming County | Williamsport | 113,236 | 1,229 | 2G, 3B, 4D, 4E | No | — | Yes | 148 |
From the source record (PGC SGL Boundaries GIS (sum of ACRES for SGL 13)), counties and WMUs from the PGC county and WMU layers; county facts from the Census and the 2026-27 digest; bear counts from the PGC 2024 bear release. Checked October 12, 2026.
How hunting works on SGL 13
The first card is specific to this ground; the rest are the statewide rules that matter most here.
Access rules here
Every PGC season is open here under the statewide rules, trapping included. Motor vehicles stay off gated roads and trails, and posted refuges and propagation areas are closed to entry.
Game land musts
New for 2026-27, the orange rule covers everyone on State Game Lands in fall and spring, not just hunters: 250 sq in or an orange hat.
Licenses and add-ons
The adult hunting license includes antlered deer, fall turkey and spring turkey tags and covers small game.
Two statewide rules
Wear it for small game and for all firearm deer, bear and elk hunting. Bowhunters in archery seasons and turkey, duck and furbearer hunters are exempt.
Sundays are open in every 2026-27 season except migratory birds, and there are no Sundays in the 2026 spring gobbler season.
The land itself at SGL 13
Mapped features first, then what the agency writes about the place.
| What is there | Details |
|---|---|
| Food plots | 31 · 41 ac |
| Pheasant stocking 2026-27 | 9 releases, 535 birds |
| Late-season birds | Yes |
From the PGC description
State Game Land 13 (SGL 13) consists of 50,744.42 acres. Located in the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Northeast Region, covering parts of Sullivan and Columbia Counties it is the largest state game lands in the state. Public access to SGL 13 is provided from State Route 118 to the south, State Route 220 to the west, and State Route 487 which runs through the eastern side of SGL 13. A variety of other state and township roads run through or along SGL 13.
There are three disabled/ATV accessible Roads including Thorndale, Dutchman Swamp roads and Hemlock Run Road totaling approximately 6 miles combined. There are 35 parking areas that average approximately 1/10 acre in size. These lots are dirt or grass and range from fair to good condition. Parking areas are maintained annually by food and cover personnel. The terrain is characterized by broad to narrow, rounded to relatively flat, elongate uplands separated in most places from the adjacent Glaciated Low Plateau Section by a steepsloped, well defined escarpment.
The Loyalsock and the East and West branch of Fishing Creek along with a number of named and unnamed tributaries can be found draining the game lands to the Susquehanna River Watershed. State Game Land 13 is entirely within Wildlife Management Unit 3B. The principal species hunted on this Game Lands are white -tailed deer, black bear, and eastern wild turkey.
Facts from the source record, pa.gov, PGC AGOL layer, pa.gov; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
The game on SGL 13
Per the source, hunters come here for whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and pheasants.
White-tailed deer
PGC estimates 22,000 deer taken in WMU 3B last season.
Black bear
In 2025, hunters checked 300 bears from WMU 3B.
Wild turkey
The spring 2024 estimate for WMU 3B is 1,903 birds.
Ring-necked pheasant
Statewide pheasant harvest, 2025: 214,577. This ground gets 535 birds over 9 releases.
Species from the area record; bag limits and seasons from the PGC seasons and bag limits; harvest from PGC deer report, PGC harvest data and PGC turkey report. Checked October 12, 2026.
Every 2026-27 hunting season in SGL 13
Archery, rifle, flintlock and small game segments for WMU 3B. Where only part of SGL 13 is covered, the unit is named.
| Species | Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Agricultural Deer Control (Ag Tag, antlerless only) | This area | Aug 1, 2026 | Apr 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | October muzzleloader (antlerless only) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Special firearms (antlerless only) | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Rifle (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Extended regular firearms (antlerless only) | This area | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Flintlock (antlered or antlerless) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Archery | This area | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Special firearms | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Rifle | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Extended firearms | This area | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Nov 25, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler youth hunt | Statewide | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler season (morning only) | Statewide | May 1, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler season (all day) | Statewide | May 16, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Junior hunt | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (male or female) | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (male or female) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Junior hunt | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Junior hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodchuck | Regular | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Woodchuck | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Crow | Regular (Thursday-Sunday only) | Statewide | Aug 20, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | This area | Jan 9, 2027 | Feb 3, 2027 | |
| Opossum, striped skunk and weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Starling and English sparrow | No closed season | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Gallinules | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Virginia and sora rails | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 |
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
SGL 13: unit allocation and harvest trend
There is no harvest figure for a single game land; WMU numbers are the closest published level.
| Unit | Sq mi | SGL | Points rule | Allocation | Up/down | Sold out on | CWD | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3B | 2,220 | 277 | 3 points, one side | 53,000 | +/- 0 | 8/26 | No | 22,000 |
Range on the chart: 14,200 (2015) up to 22,000 (2025). In 2025-26 the split was 7,900 antlered and 14,100 antlerless. Season split: archery 6,650, firearms 14,100, muzzleloader 1,250. PGC set 53,000 antlerless licenses for WMU 3B in 2026-27 (+/- 0 from last year).
Gobblers and bears
| Unit | Gobblers 2024 | Bears 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 3B | 1,903 | 300 |
WMU areas from the PGC WMU pages; antlerless allocations from the PGC allocation; deer harvest from the 2025-26 PGC report and the PGC historic harvest dashboard; bears from PGC releases; turkeys from PGC job report. Checked October 12, 2026.
How SGL 13 fits with nearby ground
Rows link to each area’s page; miles are straight-line.
Public land in Sullivan, Columbia and Lycoming counties
| Unit | Type | Counties | Acres | From here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sproul State Forest | State forest | Clinton, Centre, Potter | 305,450 | 71 mi |
| Bald Eagle State Forest | State forest | Union, Centre, Mifflin | 194,602 | 55 mi |
| Tioga State Forest | State forest | Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford | 161,890 | 54 mi |
| Tiadaghton State Forest | State forest | Lycoming, Clinton, Potter | 146,539 | 49 mi |
| Loyalsock State Forest | State forest | Lycoming, Sullivan, Bradford | 114,552 | 21 mi |
| Weiser State Forest | State forest | Dauphin, Schuylkill, Columbia | 30,000 | 37 mi |
| State Game Lands 75 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 27,500 | 48 mi |
| State Game Lands 12 | State Game Lands | Bradford, Sullivan | 24,598 | 23 mi |
| State Game Lands 58 | State Game Lands | Columbia | 12,630 | 29 mi |
| Ricketts Glen State Park | State park | Luzerne, Sullivan | 10,287 | 7 mi |
| State Game Lands 134 | State Game Lands | Lycoming, Sullivan | 8,615 | 20 mi |
| State Game Lands 66 | State Game Lands | Sullivan, Wyoming | 8,106 | 11 mi |
| State Game Lands 226 | State Game Lands | Columbia | 4,322 | 18 mi |
| State Game Lands 68 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 3,761 | 55 mi |
| State Game Lands 252 | State Game Lands | Lycoming, Union | 2,904 | 32 mi |
| State Game Lands 114 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 2,884 | 41 mi |
| State Game Lands 55 | State Game Lands | Columbia | 2,651 | 18 mi |
| State Game Lands 133 | State Game Lands | Lycoming | 2,542 | 31 mi |
SGL 13 on the map, with its neighbors
Map of SGL 13 (orange) and the public ground within 25 miles. State Game Lands 57 (46,676 acres) is the largest nearby.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Straight line | Direction | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricketts Glen State Park | State park | 10,287 | 7 mi | east | 3B, 4E |
| State Game Lands 66 | State Game Lands | 8,106 | 11 mi | northeast | 3B |
| Worlds End State Park | State park | 265 | 11 mi | northwest | 3B |
| State Game Lands 206 | State Game Lands | 1,513 | 12 mi | southeast | 4E |
| State Game Lands 57 | State Game Lands | 46,676 | 13 mi | east | 3B |
| State Game Lands 142 | State Game Lands | 369 | 16 mi | north | 3B |
| State Game Lands 226 | State Game Lands | 4,322 | 18 mi | southwest | 4E |
| State Game Lands 55 | State Game Lands | 2,651 | 18 mi | south | 4E |
| State Game Lands 172 | State Game Lands | 730 | 19 mi | north | 3B |
| State Game Lands 134 | State Game Lands | 8,615 | 20 mi | west | 3B |
| State Game Lands 260 | State Game Lands | 3,100 | 20 mi | southeast | 4E |
| State Game Lands 250 | State Game Lands | 440 | 20 mi | north | 3B |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (PGC SGL Boundaries GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Practice before hunting State Game Lands 13
State Game Lands 206 Public Shooting Range in Luzerne County is the nearest State Game Lands range, 12 miles out. Two nearby club or private ranges follow.
Rifle range 50/75/100 yd, 10 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 8 points
Trap
Trap / sporting clays / shotgun / archery / cowboy action
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Towns, processors and offices near SGL 13
Towns with a guide on this site, then local businesses.
| Town | County | Miles off | Area direction | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laporte | Sullivan | 6 mi | southeast | 318 | 75,149 |
| Dushore | Sullivan | 11 mi | south | 458 | 44,446 |
| Benton | Columbia | 12 mi | north | 824 | 16,942 |
| Picture Rocks | Lycoming | 16 mi | east | 632 | 22,359 |
Local help
Offices for this ground
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates and Gazetteer; public acres within 10 miles from PGC, DCNR and federal layers; businesses from Hunters Sharing the Harvest, PDA, store locators and listings; offices from PGC and DCNR pages. Checked October 12, 2026. Call ahead.
Seven days of shooting time for SGL 13
The Game Commission window is sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset plus 30 for deer, bear, turkey and small game; migratory birds end at sunset.
Times worked out for SGL 13 in Eastern time from the rule in the Pennsylvania Game Commission digest (shooting hours). Some furbearers may be taken at night; check the digest. Shooting hours for every county.
Before the drive to SGL 13
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Hang-on tree stand
Most Pennsylvania deer hunters sit in hardwood ridges, on benches and along laurel edges.
SGL 13, asked and answered
What sort of ground is SGL 13?
It is a State Game Lands tract owned and managed by the Game Commission for hunting and trapping, managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
What does SGL 13 measure in acres?
About 50,745 acres.
Which town is nearest to SGL 13?
Base in Laporte, 6 miles off; the area is in Sullivan, Columbia and Lycoming counties.
Which WMU do I buy antlerless tags for at SGL 13?
Seasons follow WMU 3B. Bucks in WMU 3B need three points on one side.
Which antlerless license works on SGL 13?
53,000 WMU 3B licenses; the 2025-26 supply ran out 8/26.
When can I bowhunt SGL 13?
Archery Oct 3 to Nov 20, 2026; rifle Nov 28 to Dec 13, 2026. Flintlock and late archery are in the table.
Can I hunt SGL 13 on a Sunday this season?
Sunday hunting is legal in all seasons except migratory birds this license year.
Is fluorescent orange required on SGL 13?
250 square inches on head, chest and back in small game and firearms big game seasons. Non-hunters on SGLs need 250 sq in or an orange hat in the two seasonal windows.
How much do licenses cost for SGL 13?
The general license ($20.97 resident) plus any add-ons for your game. Add the $26.97 pheasant permit for stocked birds.
What game does the agency list for SGL 13?
The area lists whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and pheasants.
How many pheasants are released on SGL 13?
9 releases, 535 birds this season. It is on the late-season list.
SGL 13: confirm before you go
Rules on public ground change more often than the digest. Recheck SGL 13 with the agency before you go.
Sources for this page: PGC GIS: MapServer 17 · pa.gov: sgl 013 · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 100 · pa.gov: pheasant allocation · PGC GIS: MapServer 15 · pa.gov: state game lands; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); Michele Dorsey Walfred (CC BY 2.0).