Outdoors category, Page 14

A hunter has been killed by a grizzly bear in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. It’s the first-known grizzly attack death in the nation’s largest national park. Park officials said in a statement that the hunter was killed Sunday, attacked while the hunter and a friend were near...

Quemahoning Creek in Somerset County has a “rock snot” problem. The invasive algae didymo, also known as “rock snot,” was recently discovered in the creek, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission announced Friday. Somerset Conservation District employees found the algae about two months ago in a section of stream used...

Knowing that good weather is in store for the holiday weekend, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission at the last minute is offering $1 fishing licenses for Labor Day, Sept. 7, only. However, there is one caveat: the Fish and Boat Commission are reminding anglers and boaters to practice safe...

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — A mountain lion baby boom has occurred this summer in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills west of Los Angeles. Thirteen kittens were born to five mountain lion mothers between May and August, according to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It’s the first...

The herds of roaming deer causing vehicle accidents, spreading Lyme disease through the ticks they carry and gnawing away at expensive landscaping may soon have one less place in the North Hills to escape the hunter’s snare. McCandless council has given town planning commission member Dan Kortum the green light...

The 2020-21 hunting season officially gets under way on Sept. 1 as two species of migratory birds become legal game: Canada geese and mourning doves. The early seasons on both seasons this year will be pretty much the same as last year. Although it doesn’t impact the early season opening...

Lacking a 2020 Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Elk Expo as a venue, the Pennsylvania Game Commission plans to reveal the names of the hunters being drawn to receive 2020-21 elk hunting licenses in a Facebook Live online event on Saturday. The elk expo has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic,...

BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. wildlife officials on Wednesday rejected special protections for a rare, freshwater fish related to salmon that’s been at the center of a long-running legal dispute, citing conservation efforts that helped increase Arctic grayling numbers in a Montana river. The Associated Press obtained details of the decision...

Kayakers will be able to get out on the water in Aspinwall this weekend, Venture Outdoors announced Thursday. After a stalled start to the season amid covid-19 concerns, the group said it will open its Kayak Pittsburgh site at the Aspinwall Riverfront Park on Friday for members. Access will be...

As people search for summer fun in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, camping has quickly become a popular alternative to bustling beaches and large crowds. At Ohiopyle State Park, park manager Kenneth Bisbee said attendance has skyrocketed this season. “Since the governor issued the stay-at-home order in March, our...

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is studying if covid-19 has been contracted by local bats who are recovering from white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungus that has been decimating populations. If the state’s fragile but recovering bat population contracts covid-19, it could create another stressor for the night...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported 200 more cases of chronic wasting disease last year in white-tailed deer and is enlarging three disease management areas across the state that include Westmoreland and Armstrong counties. There is no cure or live-animal test for CWD, a brain disease that is deadly for deer,...

It’s safe to go hiking in groups again, at least for some groups. State restrictions for the prevention of covid-19 on group activities have prohibited group hikes since mid-March. However, with Allegheny and surrounding counties moving into the green phase allowing a number of public activities, local groups are offering...

Beginning in September, an organized group of archery hunters will fan out on public and private land in Ross Township to thin the herd of deer blamed with causing vehicle accidents, spreading Lyme disease through the ticks they carry and damaging expensive landscapes. Commissioners on June 15 voted 7-1 to...

Preliminary data is showing that Pennsylvania is on track for its third year of declining incidents of Lyme disease, but an estimated 8,500 cases in 2019 still puts the state among the top five nationwide. As tick season ramps up to its peak in July, state health officials urge residents...

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday updated guidelines on the types of outdoor recreation that businesses may offer during the yellow and green phases of the state’s reopening plan. Wolf’s new guidance will permit additional outdoor recreational activities in counties that are in the yellow phase. These activities include mountain biking,...

When Lancaster County angler Jeff Bonawitz, 54, of East Lampeter Township reeled in a state record 50-pound, 7-ounce flathead catfish on the Susquehanna River in April 2019, he said, “I have a feeling this record may not last very long.” Bonawitz was right. His record ended up lasting a little...

Will Carnevale has been fishing off his family’s dock in Allegheny Township off the Allegheny River for quite some time, but this past weekend he received quite the surprise … twice. After casting his line Friday night, the Fox Chapel senior said he walked into the house for a few...

Young black bears are on the move in Western Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reports that bear sightings are up this year, thanks in part to cooler-than-usual temperatures in May that brought more bears out during the daytime and also because more people have been staying home because of the...

Kayakers, the wait is almost over. Kayak Pittsburgh, with rental sites in North Shore, North Park and Aspinwall, has announced its opening dates for the season. “Thank you for your continued support during this time. We are working diligently to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all participants as we...