Use jerkbaits to catch cold-water saugeyes, other game fishVideo
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 releasedVideo
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...
Mallards continue to impact waterfowl seasons in PennsylvaniaVideo
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 hikeVideo
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 fishVideo
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 newsVideo
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 huntingVideo
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 newsVideo
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...
Historic bear season in Pennsylvania sparks research effort
Pennsylvania’s 2019 black bear season — or seasons, more appropriately, as we’ll see — set a lot of records. It’s what was most normal about them that’s generating new research, however. Hunters killed 4,653 black bears across the state last fall. That was the most ever for a single year,...
Pennsylvania’s mentored hunting program might changeVideo
Mentoring programs are supposed to make it easy for people to try hunting. This one is sometimes doing just the opposite, and that might lead to changes. The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers mentored youth and adult hunting programs. They work, to a point. “We know, based on the surveys we’ve...
Keys to catching Great Lakes yellow perchVideo
This isn’t necessarily what you would call run and gun fishing. But it is increasingly a game built on mobility. Catching yellow perch on Lake Erie — or on any of the Great Lakes, really — used to mean going out, finding a school, anchoring over it and having at...
Trout stocking season is here again
The numbers vary from state to state. The high levels of enthusiasm they generate among at least some anglers do not. Spring is fast approaching, and that means it’s trout stocking season. State fisheries agencies all around the country are trucking trout to rivers, streams and lakes to provide recreation...
Having trouble catching crappies throughout the year? Try these tipsVideo
Sasquatches. The Loch Ness Monster. Chupacabras. And crappies outside of the spawn. What do they all have in common? They’re often sought, much talked about, but rarely seen. But that’s not how things have to be, at least when it comes to crappies. It’s possible to catch them — consistently,...
6 important tips to make that pet camping trip a successVideo
The legend of the Lone Ranger is the stuff of “those thrilling days of yesteryear.” So, too, is the notion of camping without your pet. More and more public campgrounds around the country are open to camping with dogs and sometimes other animal friends. Take Pennsylvania, for example. That state’s...
Fly Fishing Museum inducting Chauncy Lively into hall of fameVideo
It’s a celebration of one man’s life. But it’s more than that, too. The Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum Association is inducting Chauncy Lively into its hall of fame in a special ceremony Feb. 29 in Mars. That recognition is really just the centerpiece for a celebration of all things Western...
Determining backpack weight and more outdoor newsVideo
Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week Pack light. That’s the mantra of the backpacker. But what does that mean? Do you really have to cut off the last three inches off your toothbrush’s handle,...
Number of Pennsylvania chronic wasting disease cases grows againVideo
This isn’t good news by any means. The Pennsylvania Game Commission found more deer with chronic wasting disease in 2019 than the year before. And that’s with some counting still left to do. Hunters will know soon how the agency plans to deal with that. The commission unveiled a draft...
Fishing’s leaky bucket and more outdoor newsVideo
Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a fishing lure and more: Tip of the week Interest in recreational shooting is on the increase across America, with many of the newcomers, younger ones in particular, focused on handguns. But which one to buy? Walk into any...
Test and Review: BioLite HeadLamp 200 provides lightweight optionVideo
If you enjoy channeling your inner coal miner when roaming woods and trails in the dark, move along. This isn’t the headlamp for you. But if seeing well enough to cook dinner, set up your tent or walk to your treestand without tripping over rocks and roots are priorities, well,...
How to use pup distress calls to target coyotesVideo
It’s not exactly going out on a limb to say Al Morris is a passionate predator hunter. Make that visibly passionate. The three-time world coyote calling champion is one of the hosts of FOXPRO Furtakers on the Outdoor Channel. He travels all over the country for the show. Watch the...
Whitetail Report shows America’s hunters taking more, older bucksVideo
Get two hunters together anywhere, anytime, and one question is more likely to come up than any other. Did you get your buck? In South Carolina, the answer is likely yes, at least lately. In 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, 79% of licensed Palmetto State...
Bobcats a beautiful species making a big comebackVideo
The clock is ticking for bobcats in North America. Not in the sense that they’re in trouble. Far from it. Bobcats were scarce as recently as the 1970s. Deforestation, development, changes in agricultural practices and even bounties hammered the population. But things are dramatically different. A decade ago, researchers with...
Voluntary fishing permits sell better than hoped; plans for funds revealedVideo
This worked out about as well as could have been expected. And maybe better. Late in 2018, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officials created four voluntary permits meant to raise funds for fish habitat work, research, angler surveys and more. They started marketing them earnestly early in 2019. One permit,...
Backyard bird count and more outdoor newsVideo
Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week Compared to the cost of a rifle and optics you mount on it, scope rings are fairly inexpensive. But to get the most from your firearm, you still...
A canoe camping checklist for every paddlerVideo
Imagine the movie “Wild Hogs,” but with four kayaks and a single canoe replacing the motorcycles. That’s what our trip was like. Well, sort of. We’re a half-dozen middle-aged guys — trending hard and fast toward old — and last summer’s float was an attempt to add a little adventure...
