Outdoors category, Page 10
Fall turkey season begins Saturday in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Game Commission reports that turkey reproduction was well above average this past summer, translating to above average fall flock sizes that are worth pursuing. Pennsylvania’s fall turkey season kicks off Saturday in 19 of Pennsylvania’s 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) — and there’s reason for hunters to be...
Experts pick the best places to see fall foliage in Southwestern Pa.
Local foresters, outdoors enthusiasts, biologists and motorcycle riders all have their favorite places to see the fall panorama of leaves. Mountains, hillsides and river valleys are among the best places to view the fall leaf spectacle not just because of the volume of trees, but the variety. “The diversity of...
Any day now, really: Fall leaf colors to pop soon in Western Pa.
There wasn’t much peeping going on for the long-planned and sold-out Gateway Clipper fall leaf-peeping tour last weekend on the Allegheny River in Armstrong County. Although the boat ride was spectacular in its own right, “it was disappointing we could not control Mother Nature,” said Chris Ziegler, president of the...
Increased mosquito activity in Western Pa. spurred by recent rain, high humidity
Recent rain showers and high humidity have set the scene perfectly for a jump in mosquito activity in Western Pennsylvania. That’s why Karen Poh, a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State University’s Department of Entomology, said she isn’t surprised there has been an uptick in mosquito activity in the region. Mosquitoes...
Algae bloom dissipates in Twin Lakes Park
Signs warning visitors about a harmful algae bloom at the lower lake in Twin Lakes Park are expected to be taken down this week as the conditions dissipate, according to Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation director Brandon Simpson. He said the signs were put up a couple weeks...
Digital hunting licenses become reality for Pennsylvania hunters
Digital hunting licenses now are available to Pennsylvania hunters, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The commission authorized hunters and trappers to carry digital licenses and permits, and the change to a new online license-issuing system, HuntFishPA, has brought the capability for digital licenses with it. But paper harvest tags...
‘Yough n’ Roll’ trail ride, community day planned along Great Allegheny Passage
The all-volunteer Mon/Yough Trail Council plans to celebrate its 30th anniversary with events Saturday along the Great Allegheny Passage. Volunteer event coordinator Ken Medved said a family-friendly bicycle ride “Yough n’ Roll” and Community Appreciation Day will kick off at the Boston access of the trail. The ride, a fundraiser...
Bike ride to mark 10 years of closing gap in Great Allegheny Passage trail in Homestead area
There was a serious five-mile gap in the McKeesport to Munhall section of the Great Allegheny Passage a decade ago that was solved by an additional off-road trail and two “flyover” bridges over live railroad lines. To celebrate closing the gap in the GAP trail, the Steel Valley Trail Council...
Agriculture officials urge businesses, residents to be aware of spotted lanternflies
As he was walking in a park near his home on Pittsburgh’s North Side late last month, Joe Dep saw a bug fly past him that immediately caught his attention. “I was in Allegheny Commons Park, and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was something I didn’t...
‘Think safety and come prepared’: Officials urging caution on waterways
As boaters and rafters gear up for a three-day weekend that some consider the unofficial end of summer, officials are urging caution for possible dangerous conditions on the region’s waterways. The conditions were created when remnants of Hurricane Ida pounded Western Pennsylvania this week, bringing several inches of rain and...
Pa. Board of Game Commissioners meeting in Westmoreland County next week
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners is coming to Westmoreland County next week. The agency announced the board will meet Sept. 10 and 11 at the agency’s Southwest Region Office off Route 711 in Fairfield Township. The meeting on Friday, Sept. 10 begins at 2 p.m. The purpose of this...
First hunting seasons of 2021-22 open in Pa. on Wednesday
While hunting is open nearly year-round for a few species like groundhogs and coyotes, for most Pennsylvania hunters the first seasons of the July 1-June 30 hunting license year open on Sept. 1. Two common and abundant species — Canada geese and mourning doves — become legal game on Wednesday....
Could saving Pa.’s state tree help fix trout fishing troubles?
Pennsylvania fishermen like Russ Collins are worried about trees. He lives in Palmyra, Lebanon County, and is the vice president of Trout Unlimited’s southcentral region. He wonders whether a struggling tree species could ultimately endanger one of the top fishing grounds in the country, if not the world. He sees,...
The dangerous life of young bald eagles: McKeesport bird electrocuted, Harmar bird injury heals
Young bald eagles live dangerously with different outcomes — a Harmar bald eagle’s leg healed recently while a young eagle was electrocuted on a power pole near McKeesport. Although bald eagles continue to thrive in the region, young eagles throughout the state lead perilous lives. Only about 50% of them...
Pennsylvania deer hunters face expanded chronic wasting disease regulations this year
Regulations prohibiting the movement of high-risk body parts from deer, elk and related species have been expanded for the 2021-22 hunting seasons to combat the spread of chronic wasting disease, an always fatal neurological disease in those species. As the disease continues to spread in the state, and beyond, the...
Trout Unlimited to host fishing day for military veterans
Veterans, including those who are disabled, will have the opportunity to fish for trout, bass and panfish at a Derry Township sportsman’s club. The Oct. 2 event will be held at the Kingston Veterans Sportsmen Association at its facilities along Route 217. The Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited will...
Imagination, Skittles help boy, 5, conquer Appalachian Trail
Harvey Sutton, or “Little Man,” as he is known on the Appalachian Trail, won’t have long to bask in the glory of hiking its full length. After all, he starts kindergarten Friday. At 5 years old, Harvey is one of the youngest — and the latest of several youngsters in...
Hunters beset by ongoing ammo shortage, price hikes
Hunters are scrounging for rifle ammunition and shotgun shells as harvest seasons approach in the second year of an unrelenting ammo shortage. The scarcity of rounds is changing sporting behaviors, impinging on the youth movement in competitive target shooting and greatly inflating the price of going afield. “We’ve never seen...
Double the fun: 2 elk webcams go live for bugling season
The elk are bugling for the start of mating season, and two live webcams are catching the call of the wild and more. Elk watching continues to grow as a tourist attraction in the north-central part of the state. For those who cannot visit, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and PixCams...
Molting or mites? Seeking an explanation for ‘bald birds’
Lillian DeDomenic of Monroeville was snapping photos of birds in her backyard when one in particular caught her eye. At first, she wasn’t sure what it was. It had red body plumage, but its head was a deep gray, and as she looked closer, it didn’t appear to have any...
DEP: Fungicide caused fish kill on Chartiers Creek; fish are returning
The state Department of Environmental Protection found that the thousands of dead fish found on July 14 in Chartiers Creek tested positive for fungicide. Some fungicides, used on food crops and golf courses, are lethal to freshwater organisms, according to studies by the University of South Florida and other researchers....
Pa. fish commission considers statewide opening day for trout
The head of the region’s Trout Unlimited chapter supports having a single opening day for trout season in the state — the first Saturday in April — as the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is considering. “I would support an earlier opening day because of the impact of climate change...
Couple ties knot in first-of-a-kind ceremony along Kiski Township’s Roaring Run stream
With uncommon grace and ease, a woman in a long, flowing, white satin gown made her way to a rock the size of a pickup truck in the middle of Roaring Run stream. Surrounded by rocks covered in moss, she lifted the hem of the gown to prevent it from...
Explainer: What’s making mid-Atlantic songbirds sick?
WASHINGTON — A mysterious ailment has sickened and killed thousands of songbirds in several mid-Atlantic states, including Pennsylvania, since late spring. While scientists are still racing to confirm the cause, it seems juvenile birds may be most susceptible. The U.S. Geological Survey, which oversees responses to some natural hazards and...
Pa. Fish and Boat Commission warns of invasive mudsnails in Cumberland County waters
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission on Thursday reported on social media that the invasive New Zealand mudsnail has been found in several popular southcentral Pennsylvania trout streams, including those in Cumberland County. The commission said the mudsnails were found in Trindle Spring Run, Big Spring Creek and LeTort Spring...
