Outdoors category, Page 16
Pa. state parks, forests extend facilities closure
Facilities at Pennsylvania’s parks and forests will be closed until the end of April in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday that an initial 14-day closure instituted on March 17 will be extended until April 30. Trails,...
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...
Turkey calls, bike fishing and more outdoors news
Tip of the week There is a place for one-piece fishing rods. A bicycle is not always one of them. Bikes make it possible to access fishing spots like back-country lakes you might not get to otherwise, or at least hit more pools along a river trail than typical in...
How coronavirus is impacting outdoor activities, and how to combat it
The outdoors arena isn’t being spared in this world gone crazy. The coronavirus pandemic that has people all over the world suddenly working from home, treating every sneeze like it’s a hungry lion’s ominous roar and frantically searching for toilet paper and hand sanitizer is hammering outdoor-related events and activities....
Coronavirus prompts changes to Pa. trout stocking, trout season
Opening day of Pennsylvania’s 2020 trout season is going to be unlike any other. There will be trout aplenty at the start. Most than any other opener ever probably, in fact. But things could be sketchy thereafter because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officials announced...
Take to the wild in one of Western Pa.’s parks
Spring officially arrives March 19, marking the end of a cold Western Pennsylvania winter and the beginning of warmer, sunnier days. If ever there was a good time for swapping the “winter blues” for blue skies, this is it. With schools canceled and many parents working from home during the...
Enjoying great outdoors tougher at some Western Pa. parks
Enjoying the great outdoors is getting more difficult at some public parks as organizations are closing some park facilities, canceling events and making some parks off-limits altogether because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has closed facilities including restrooms and buildings at all 121...
Outdoors notices for March 15, 2020
Outdoors Notices RIFLE LEAGUES • In the Allegheny Valley Rifle League on March 6, Murrysville (11-7) defeated Fort Hand (9-9), 1,174-1,169, and Butler (10-8) beat Clymer (6-12), 1,172-1,169, in the A-team standings. In the B-team division, Murrysville (11.5-6.5) defeated Fort Hand (3.5-14.5), 1,142-1,127, and Clymer (15-3) defeated Butler (6-12), 1,157-1,112....
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,...
Outdoors notices for March 8, 2020
Outdoors Notices RIFLE LEAGUES • In the Allegheny Valley Rifle League on Feb. 28, Murrysville (10-7) defeated Butler (9-8), 1,166-1,154, and Fort Hand (9-8) beat Clymer (6-11), 1,166-1,155, in the A-team standings. In the B-team division, Murrysville (10.5-6.5) defeated Butler (6-11), 1,145-1,091, and Clymer (14-6) defeated Fort Hand (3.5-13.5), 1,145-1,112....
Outdoor extras: Life span of hiking boots, more outdoor newsVideo
Tip of week What size line is the right one for your spinning reel? You can find the answer on the reel itself. It identifies the size line it can handle, say 4- to 8-pound test, as well as how much line it accommodates. Abide by those numbers. Spinning reels...
Outdoors notices for March 1, 2020
Outdoors Notices RIFLE LEAGUES • In the Allegheny Valley Rifle League on Feb. 21, Murrysville (9-7) defeated Clymer (6-9), 1,169-1,157, and Fort Hand (7-8) beat Butler (9-7), 1,169-1,162, in the A-team standings. In the B-team division, Murrysville (9.5-6.5) defeated Clymer (12-3), 1,149-1,133, and Fort Hand (3.5-11.5) beat Butler (6-10), 1,134-1,093....
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...
Outdoors notices for Feb. 23, 2020
Outdoors Notices RIFLE LEAGUES • In the Allegheny Valley Rifle League on Feb. 14, Murrysville (8-7) defeated Fort Hand (6-8), 1,172-1,168, and Butler (9-6) beat Clymer (6-8), 1,164-1,163, in the A-team standings. In the B-team division, Murrysville (8.5-6.5) defeated Fort Hand (2.5-11.5), 1,150-1,109, and Clymer (12-2) beat Butler (6-9), 1,147-1,107....
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...
