Outdoors category, Page 5
Opponents of Saturday deer opener cite negative economic, social impacts
A few years ago, Randy Santucci’s deer hunting season would begin at a leisurely pace once Thanksgiving was over. “People would start trickling into camp on Saturday, we’d do a campfire Saturday night, my brother would fly in from South Carolina with a bunch of dove breasts from hunting, and...
Bill seeks to move Pa. firearms deer season opener back to Monday
As the debate around the timing of the opening day of the Pennsylvania’s firearms deer season continues, a Lehigh Valley legislator has joined the ranks of those considering moving the opener back to its traditional Monday after Thanksgiving. Last week, state Sen. Lisa Bosola posted a legislative memo looking for...
Lower Burrell’s Austin Aikins casting off to professional fishing career
Fresh off competing in the collegiate national championships, Lower Burrell’s Austin Aikins is taking the next step in his fishing career. “I’m going to try to pursue it on a professional level right now,” said Aikins, who represented Bethel University in the Major League Fishing (MLF) College National Championships, Feb....
Pa. game commission seeking genetic info on ‘tame’ ruffed grouses
Have you been harassed by Pennsylvania’s state bird? The game commission wants to know. No, seriously. In the spring and fall, some ruffed grouses exhibit what wildlife experts refer to as “tame” behavior. Despite being completely wild animals, they show very little fear around people and will sometimes even act...
$6M wetlands initiative will improve habitats on 61 state game land sites
The state Game Commission and Ducks Unlimited have partnered to form the Pennsylvania Wetland Habitat Initiative that would improve 1,600 acres of wetland habitats on 61 state game lands. Outdated pipes, damaged dikes and dilapidated infrastructure limit site managers’ ability to the wetlands and leave the species in these habitats...
Game Commission to host waterfowl briefing
Hunters and members of waterfowl organizations can attend the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s virtual annual waterfowl briefing, streamed by the agency’s Facebook page, on March 9 at 1 p.m. Waterfowl Program Specialist Nate Huck and Wildlife Operations Division Chief Ian Gregg will review the proposed 2023-24 waterfowl hunting seasons, regulations, and...
Section of GAP hiking and cycling trail closed for 2 months
A remote section of the Great Allegheny Passage between Ohiopyle and Confluence is closed for the next two months while construction crews replace an aging culvert. The section between mile markers 68 and 69 was closed earlier this month in Ohiopyle State Park and construction vehicle traffic is heavy in...
Meet Philip Ferry, Westmoreland County’s new game warden
Philip Ferry has been one with the woods since he was a young boy. Growing up in Youngstown, Pa., surrounded by forest and wildlife, his affinity for hunting and being an outdoorsman is what led him to become Westmoreland County’s new game warden. “Most people …. they find out early,...
Pa. Game Commission says 2022 bear harvest included 14 ‘tremendous’ bears over 600 pounds
While the number of black bears harvested in Pennsylvania in 2022 was down, some of those were “tremendous” animals that weighed more than 600 pounds. The Pennsylvania Game Commission said of the 3,170 bears harvested, three weighed more than 700 pounds and 11 weighed more than 600 pounds. It was...
Native weasel reintroduction in Pa. under consideration, Monroeville presentation planned
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are considering a plan to reintroduce a native species of weasel to the state’s woodlands after its disappearance more than 100 years ago. The American marten, or pine marten, and its potential habitats are being studied to determine if the proposal is feasible. Tom Keller, the...
Dogs could help state game commission track chronic wasting disease
The Pennsylvania Game Commission could soon be using specially trained dogs to help sniff out deer infected with chronic wasting disease as part of a new effort to learn more about the fatal, contagious ailment that continues to spread among the state’s herd. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn...
Applications for elk hunting season now open
As of Feb. 1, applications are open for Pennsylvania’s 2023-24 elk hunting seasons. Three seasons, archery, general, and late, have been preliminarily approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners. Interested parties can apply for $11.97 per season, or $35.91 for all three. Applications can be purchased online at huntfish.pa.gov...
Why the Pa. Game Commission voted to keep opening day for firearms deer season in place
The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Board of Commissioners have given preliminary approval to the 2023-24 hunting seasons and dates, including a firearms deer season that opens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The board took the action at its meeting last week. While some hunters had been urging the agency to return...
State game commissioners eye changes to antlerless deer license system, CWD rules
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — The days of applying for antlerless deer licenses with a pink envelope may soon be over. The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners met Saturday in Harrisburg to preliminarily approve hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2023-24, with restructuring the antlerless deer allocation system being one...
Crows, crows and more crows among interesting results of Christmas Bird Count
While volunteer bird enthusiasts counted cardinals and robins for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count from Pittsburgh to Harmar, the most common bird found was the American crow — 20,000 strong, accounting for about half of the birds seen. The Christmas Bird Count was held in some areas in the region...
Punxsutawney Phil to be inducted into Meteorologist Hall of Fame
Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog will receive a big honor just before he gives his weather prediction on Groundhog Day 2023. The Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center will induct Punxsutawney Phil into the Meteorologist Hall of Fame on Feb. 1 - the day before Groundhog Day. The center said Phil will be...
Feds try to improve fishing data with new monitoring rules
PORTLAND, Maine — Changes to U.S. rules about the monitoring of Northeast commercial fishing activities are going into effect this month with a goal of providing more accurate information about some of the nation’s oldest fisheries. The U.S. mandates observers to work onboard fishing boats to collect data and make...
Should you worry about lichens, moss, algae on trees?
Now that deciduous trees are bare, trunks and branches have taken center stage, and you might be noticing nuances and irregularities that evaded your attention over the summer. For instance, what are those green masses growing on your trees? Those growths could be either lichens, moss or algae, and the...
Vintage lures and more available at Tri-County Trout Sport Show & Flea Market
After a two-year hiatus during the height of the covid-19 pandemic, the Tri-County Trout Club is back for its 17th Sport Show & Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The club moved the show from Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2’s social center to Patterson Hall at...
Tradition of hiking in the new year reaches all 50 U.S. states
BOSTON — A simple plan to get more people enjoying the outdoors on New Year’s Day has become a nationwide movement after a hike at a Massachusetts park more than three decades ago. Just 380 people participated in the initial First Day Hike in 1992 at the nearly 7,000-acre Blue...
Deer hunters back bill changing opening day of deer season
A coalition of hunters and businesses across the state, including many in Chester County, are supporting legislation aimed at changing the opening day of deer season back to Monday. Pennsylvania has opened its rifle deer season on the Monday after Thanksgiving for over 60 years, that is until 2019. The...
Honeybees are at risk, along with the crops they pollinate
PHILADELPHIA — The honeybees looked perfectly healthy, buzzing about their boxy wooden hive on a warm autumn day in central Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Capaldi suspected otherwise. Clad in a protective white suit and hat, the biologist reached out with a gloved hand to capture one of the insects in a small...
Christmas tree recycling is a good alternative to landfills
Taking down the Christmas tree is only one task after the holiday season. For those with a real tree, figuring out what to do with it can be as easy as placing it by the curb. In most states, it can be the gift that keeps on giving. Discarded Christmas...
Scientists reveal secrets of frog transparency
WASHINGTON — Now you see them, now you don’t. Some frogs found in South and Central America have the rare ability to turn on and off their nearly transparent appearance, researchers report Thursday in the journal Science. During the day, these nocturnal frogs sleep by hanging underneath tree leaves. Their...
2 area ski resorts set to begin seasons as winter weather approaches
A blast of winter weather is arriving this week just as two area ski resorts are opening for the season. Hidden Valley Resort in Somerset County will welcome skiers today, Dec. 21, while Laurel Mountain Ski Area in Ligonier Township is set to open two days later. Both attractions are...
