Outdoors category, Page 15
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month
With the prospect of quarantine measures slowly being lifted across the state in the coming weeks, many Pennsylvanians are relishing the prospect of getting outside and enjoying warming spring weather. Unfortunately, not only will they have the specter of the coronavirus hanging in the air, they’ll also have tick nymphs...
Game Commission seeking information on fatally injured osprey in Indiana County
The state Game Commission is investigating how an osprey was fatally injured this week in rural Indiana County, north of Blairsville. Game commission Officer Chris Reidmiller said the eagle-like hawk was discovered Tuesday by area residents in a farm field in Blacklick Township with a severe injury to one of...
Pa. Game Commission boss says hunting in state is ‘as safe as it’s ever been’
Pennsylvania’s turkey hunters enjoyed a record-setting spring season in 2019. No, we’re not talking about the number of turkeys harvested. We’re talking about hunter safety. For the first time in history, not a single hunting-related shooting incident was recorded during the state spring turkey season, according to the Pennsylvania Game...
Pennsylvania golf courses, marinas, private campgrounds can reopen this week
Golf courses, marinas and some campgrounds will be permitted to open Friday as Pennsylvania officials move toward a gradual reopening of a state economy halted by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to private campgrounds, guided fishing trips will be allowed to resume Friday. All of those businesses must follow life-sustaining...
Pennsylvania Game Commission launches ‘Call of the Outdoors’ podcast
Country music star Blake Shelton and Outdoor Channel’s “Bone Collector” founder Michael Waddell are making guest appearances in the new Pennsylvania Game Commission podcast series, “Call of the Outdoors.” The series, hosted by Game Commission marketing director and world turkey-calling champion Matt Morrett, will highlight wildlife, hunting, habitat and conservation...
Pennsylvania officials: Enjoy the outdoors, but stay close to home
Try your luck catching a trout, but do it close to home. That was the message Thursday from state officials, who reminded residents that, no matter what outdoor recreation or exercise you choose, keep your distance from others. “People should recreate close to home. There’s a high interest right now...
State seeks person who illegally shot deer near Boswell
The state Game Commission is looking for information related to the illegal shooting of several deer in the Jenner Township area of Somerset County, between Boswell and Acosta. Based on an investigation into the shootings, the Game Commission said in a statement that it believes the deer were shot last...
Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will hold virtual meeting
The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners meeting in April will be held online in an effort to abide by state guidelines created to combat the spread of covid-19. The online meeting is scheduled to begin April 6 at 8:30 a.m. Much of that portion of...
Lack of social distancing leads to closure of parks, trails
OAK PARK, Ill. — It was a sunny day, the first in about a week when temperatures had climbed past the 50-degree mark, and people in Chicago did what they always do on such a day: They flocked to the shores of Lake Michigan. Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not consider...
Allegheny County orders more portable toilets as park visits soar
Parks across Western Pennsylvania have seen a surge in visitors during the coronavirus pandemic, and at several Allegheny County parks that’s been particularly evident. More people in the parks has translated into a greater need for portable toilets. Allegheny County officials asked vendors to provide more of the toilets and...
Pa. state parks, forests extend facilities closure
Facilities at Pennsylvania’s parks and forests will be closed until the end of April in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday that an initial 14-day closure instituted on March 17 will be extended until April 30. Trails,...
Use jerkbaits to catch cold-water saugeyes, other game fish
They’re a toothy, often aggressive and sometimes large exception to the rule. Saugeyes are a cross between a female walleye and a male sauger. Generally, fish culturists produce them in hatcheries. They’re different than most such man-made creations in one way, though. Whereas most hybrids are sterile, saugeyes at least...
Pennsylvania’s 2019-20 deer harvest estimates released
Pennsylvania hunters killed more deer in 2019-20 than at any other time in the last 15 years. So says the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which released deer harvest estimates March 19. The total take was 374,690. That was up by 4 percent over the year before, and the biggest kill since...
Turkey calls, bike fishing and more outdoors news
Tip of the week There is a place for one-piece fishing rods. A bicycle is not always one of them. Bikes make it possible to access fishing spots like back-country lakes you might not get to otherwise, or at least hit more pools along a river trail than typical in...
How coronavirus is impacting outdoor activities, and how to combat it
The outdoors arena isn’t being spared in this world gone crazy. The coronavirus pandemic that has people all over the world suddenly working from home, treating every sneeze like it’s a hungry lion’s ominous roar and frantically searching for toilet paper and hand sanitizer is hammering outdoor-related events and activities....
Coronavirus prompts changes to Pa. trout stocking, trout season
Opening day of Pennsylvania’s 2020 trout season is going to be unlike any other. There will be trout aplenty at the start. Most than any other opener ever probably, in fact. But things could be sketchy thereafter because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officials announced...
Take to the wild in one of Western Pa.’s parks
Spring officially arrives March 19, marking the end of a cold Western Pennsylvania winter and the beginning of warmer, sunnier days. If ever there was a good time for swapping the “winter blues” for blue skies, this is it. With schools canceled and many parents working from home during the...
Enjoying great outdoors tougher at some Western Pa. parks
Enjoying the great outdoors is getting more difficult at some public parks as organizations are closing some park facilities, canceling events and making some parks off-limits altogether because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has closed facilities including restrooms and buildings at all 121...
Outdoors notices for March 15, 2020
Outdoors Notices RIFLE LEAGUES • In the Allegheny Valley Rifle League on March 6, Murrysville (11-7) defeated Fort Hand (9-9), 1,174-1,169, and Butler (10-8) beat Clymer (6-12), 1,172-1,169, in the A-team standings. In the B-team division, Murrysville (11.5-6.5) defeated Fort Hand (3.5-14.5), 1,142-1,127, and Clymer (15-3) defeated Butler (6-12), 1,157-1,112....
Mallards continue to impact waterfowl seasons in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania waterfowl hunters have had it pretty good for a long, long time, at least in one sense. Whether that continues remains to be seen. For at least the last 20 years, the state has enjoyed “liberal” duck and goose seasons, which are marked by the maximum 60 days of...
Remember these 10 essentials before setting out on a day hike
It’s the difference between going on a week-long vacation and going on an afternoon picnic at the local park. You put a lot of time and effort into prepping for the former, given commitments of time, money and labor involved. The latter is often more spur of the moment, or...
Follow these 8 steps to find — and catch — more fish
There’s no secret formula for catching fish, nothing that guarantees a finny foe on the end of the line every outing, let alone every cast. Yet fishing is not all luck, either. Indeed, the folks behind teachinfishin.com swear by an eight-step method for putting more fish in the boat. It’s...
Getting ready for camping season and more outdoor news
Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a fishing lure and more: Tip of the week It’s time to take inventory. Camping season is here, or soon will be for most folks, and some prepping is in order. Namely, it’s time to go through your gear...
Light discipline key to nighttime predator hunting
There’s an old riddle that says: “The more there is of me, the less you see. What am I?” The answer is darkness. But Joe Zaffuto isn’t buying it. Not totally, anyway. He hunts predators and has for 40 years. He’s done it during the day, after dark, using dogs,...
A look at fishing reels and more outdoor news
Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week Must there be ice before one can talk about ice-out fishing? That’s a riddle mild winters like this one make you ponder. But by whatever name, the fishing...
