K9 dog program expanding at Game Commission
They are not new, not even here. Law enforcement officers long have used dogs — K9 companions — to help find evidence, track down criminals, recover lost people and more. That’s been true on and off at the Pennsylvania Game Commission, too. Rich Palmer is deputy executive director for field...
An old lure made new and other outdoor extras
Lure of the week Lure name: Frittside Company: Berkley (berkley-fishing.com/) Lure type: Crankbait Sizes and colors: Available a 2.25-, 2.5- and 2.75-inch models in 18 colors, including candy apple red craw, cream pie, honey shad, Lone Ranger, MF bluegill, sexy back, spicy mustard and spray tan. Target species: Largemouth and...
Nonresident college anglers focus of possible license change
These are uncharted waters, even for an agency responsible for managing them. Right now, anyone who fishes Pennsylvania lakes, rivers and streams but calls another state home pays nonresident license prices. That’s $51, plus another $1.90 in fees. Such is how things always have been. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissioners...
Disease management focus of new wildlife program
More than a century ago, unregulated commercial harvest put much of Pennsylvania’s wildlife on the brink of blinking out. These days, disease is the threat. White-nose syndrome has reduced populations of some bat species by 99 percent. West Nile virus continues to hammer ruffed grouse and, perhaps, other birds. Chronic...
Hikes sometimes lead to interesting old cemeteries
There are two seeming miracles here, really. The first is that the Chess family found ground flat enough, even relatively speaking, to build a cemetery. We were hiking in extreme southwestern Pennsylvania, fewer than a dozen miles from the border of the West Virginia panhandle. It’s a land of coal...
Living the dream as a professional angler takes commitment
It’s not just about fishing. Austin Aikins is good at that. The senior at Central Catholic is one of two Pennsylvanians on the 2019 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team. It’s a collection of 62 of the best, most well-rounded anglers from around the country. Sponsors nominate teens based on...
A tip for the trail and other outdoor extras
Gear of the week Gear name: Throwdown Company: Ameristep (everybodyshops.com/ameristep-throwdown-hunting-blind.html) Gear type: Hunting blind Product description: Concealment is key in so many hunting situations, whether it be chasing spring gobblers, calling in wily predators or sitting for white-tailed deer. But what if you’re a public-land hunter, without the ability to...
What to do if your dog gets bitten by a snake on a hike
It’s been the summer of the snake for one man. We met a couple of weeks ago, via a business transaction. We got to talking about shared interests, among them hiking. He roams the woods with his two dogs, at least one of which tops 100 pounds. The places he...
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act could prove historic
It’s a crisis largely unseen and unnoticed. Hundreds of species of fish and wildlife across America — many of them habitat specialists, filling specific, if often uncommon, niches out of public view — are in trouble. Serious trouble. According to the National Wildlife Federation, “nearly one-third of all U.S. wildlife...
Some keys to camping away from the crowds are simple
It was a revelation delivered by the masses. A friend, one who spent many a night camping with his son while they were in Scouts, went on a family trip, their first in a long while. Their destination was a popular state park. On those prior outings, he and the...
Hunters feed the hungry via venison donation programs
America has a hunger problem. Hunters are helping to solve it. And with hunting seasons across the country opening in just days or at most a few weeks, the hope is they’ll step up again. According to the nonprofit Hunger Free America, one in 10 employed Americans — nearly 15...
Outdoor extras, including a dog training tip
Lure of the week Lure name: Smuggler Company: Chasebaits (chasebaitsusa.com) Lure type: Topwater Sizes and colors: Available in 21/2- and 31/2-inch sizes in seven colors: budgie, sparrow, white cockatoo, black cockatoo, clear finch, purple ghost and coot. Target species: Largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskies. Technique: Ducklings, yes. But...
Albino deer sighting a real outdoors treat
The bright red brake lights of the SUV stopped in the road in front of us offered a hint of what was to come. But only a hint. It was near dusk, and my wife and I were driving around and through a local state park. Having hiked to a...
Fisheries surveys reveal a mixed bag for largemouth bass
So you want to catch some fish, huh? Well, here’s a tip. Start by casting your line where the fish are. Pretty sage stuff there, I know. Confucius-esque, almost. But if you want to catch fish, you have to know what waters the fish call home and in what sizes...
Henry Long Ranger outshoots need for compromise
I’d like to have rock-hard, well-defined, Lord-have-mercy six-pack abs. And I might, too. Except for pizza. And ice cream, the occasional high-calorie beverage and, well, lots of other foods that promote softer edges. That’s the way things often are in life, though. We make choices, compromises, really, and live with...
Who, how of wildlife management in Pennsylvania mystery to most
The same problem faces wildlife management agencies across the country. And it’s one of relevance. According to a random, scientifically valid poll, more than half of Pennsylvanians, 52 percent to be exact, say they don’t know which agency is most responsible for managing wildlife in the state. By comparison, just...
What to do if your dog gets bitten by a snake on a hike
It’s been the summer of the snake for one man. We met a couple of weeks ago, via a business transaction. After our deal was done, we got to talking about shared interests, among them hiking. He roams the woods with his two dogs, at least one of which tops...
Outdoor extras, including a look at — and recipe for — the CanCooker
Gear of the week Gear name: CanCooker Jr. Company: Seth McGinn (everybodyshops.com/can-cooker-jr.html) Gear type: Cooking pot Product description: Meals are a big part of any camping trip. But only so long as making them is fun. If you spend all your time slaving over the stove and too little fishing...
Fisheries surveys reveal solid walleye spots around state
So you want to catch some fish, huh? Well, here’s a tip. Start by casting your line where the fish are. Pretty sage stuff there, I know. Confucius-esque, almost. But if you want to catch fish, you’ve got to know what waters the fish call home and in what sizes...
Help sought with dead bald eagle — and live ones, too
There’s one less to count this year. But, if all goes well, the person responsible for that will pay. Literally. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are asking for the public’s help in figuring out who killed a mature bald eagle in Erie County recently. Someone discovered the eagle July 25 near...
Outdoor extras, including a recipe for whole fried bluegills
Lure of the week Lure name: Frog Spinner Company: Uncle Buck’s (basspro.com) Lure type: Spinner Sizes and colors: Available in a 1-inch, 1/16-ounce model. The blade is silver, the frog body a natural green frog color. Target species: Largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegills and crappies. Technique: Though anyone can use...
Hostels serve as fun, unique rest stops along Appalachian Trail
Opulent is not a word usually associated with overnight accommodations along the Appalachian Trail. Rustic. Spare. Austere. Homey, maybe, if you’re in a particularly charitable mood. But not opulent. Most days on the trail involve walking mile after mile and eating dehydrated food while sitting on a stump or the...
Legendary hunter Barry Wensel offers advice on killing mature bucks
There’s no questioning Barry Wensel’s deer hunting resume. In six years working as a guide, he and his twin brother, Gene, helped more than 200 clients kill Pope & Young class deer with their bows. Their hunters had a 96 percent success rate. Barry has killed four Boone & Crockett...
Day hikers: Be prepared for longer trip, just in caseVideo
It’s not who you think it is. Each year, park and forest rangers, volunteer firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other search and rescue personnel take to the woods to save people in dire straits. There’s never a shortage of people needing help. Yet rarely are the rescued backwoods wanderers, exotic,...
Fisheries survey shows Allegheny River prime for big smallmouth bass
So you want to catch some fish, huh? Well, here’s a tip. Start by casting your line where the fish are. Pretty sage stuff there, I know. Confucius-esque, almost. But if you want to catch fish, you have to know what waters the fish call home and in what sizes...
