Outdoors category, Page 15
200 more deer test positive for chronic wasting disease across Pa.
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,...
Back on the trail: Group hikes restart in Western Pa.
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...
Ross OKs organized bow hunt to thin deer population
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...
Health officials: Some Lyme, covid-19 symptoms are similar
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. Wolf updates guidance on outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania
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,...
56-pound flathead catfish caught in Eastern Pa., setting state record
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...
Fox Chapel teen catches pair of large flathead catfish on Allegheny River
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...
Bear sightings on the rise in Western Pennsylvania
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...
Kayak Pittsburgh to open in June
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...
Penn-Trafford freshman Mallory McRae achieves hunting’s rare ‘Triple Trophy’
Mallory McRae already accomplished something her dad didn’t while hunting: kill a bear. But the Penn-Trafford freshman recently achieved a rarity: She killed a bear, a buck and a turkey in the same license year. McRae, 14, achieved the “Triple Trophy” honor after getting her turkey earlier this month in...
No license required: Free fishing day May 24, local lawmaker wants more
What’s better than two days a year of free fishing without a license? Four days of free fishing. State Rep. Bill Kortz, D- Dravosburg, wants to double the number of free fishing days in the state from two to four. As it stands now, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission...
Eden Hall trout to be harvested, delivered to 412 Food Rescue in Millvale
Fish that were raised at Chatham University’s Eden Hall will be harvested today and Saturday to feed people across the Lower Valley. The coronavirus pandemic canceled usual operations at the Aquaculture Center in Richland Township, where fish are raised to feed students and fulfill other projects at the campus along...
Lower Burrell native signs with top collegiate bass fishing school
When Lower Burrell native Austin Aikins started fishing, he never could have imagined how his future would pan out. But the Central Catholic senior is ecstatic with how it has. While some high school athletes are looking for a college scholarship in sports such as football, baseball or basketball, Aikins...
Pennsylvania Game Commission will reopen shooting ranges in ‘yellow’ counties
The Pennsylvania Game Commission on Friday will reopen public rifle, shotgun, pistol and archery ranges in counties the state has moved into the “yellow” phase of coronavirus mitigation efforts. Ranges in red-phase counties, including Allegheny, Westmoreland and the rest of Southwestern Pennsylvania, will remain closed. The shooting ranges on state...
Osprey in Indiana County was shot, Pa. game commission seeking tips
A fatally injured osprey discovered April 28 in rural Indiana County, north of Blairsville, was shot, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. “We just received the necropsy report and the osprey was indeed shot by an unknown individual. We’re still looking for any and all information from the public to...
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness MonthVideo
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 meetingVideo
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...
