Outdoors category, Page 23
New York’s Stony Brook State Park beautifully scarred
When it comes to hiking, New York’s Stony Brook State Park is more mom-and-pop store than big box outlet. Options are limited. The 577-acre park has just three trails, none more than a mile long. Two snowmobile paths add another 21⁄2 miles or so of possibilities. And that’s it. But...
Missing: Nearly 3 billion birds that used to live in North America
North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, according to a new analysis of bird survey and radar data. The sharp decline, described in a study in the journal Science, is not just bad for birds. It also bodes ill for the ecosystems those birds inhabit, and points...
Bill to increase fine for misusing animal traps passes House
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is giving its unanimous approval to toughening penalties for using body-gripping animal traps outside of the waterways for which they’re designed. Lawmakers voted Thursday to send the bill to the state Senate for its consideration. Backers argue the larger penalties may help deter people from...
Pa. wants deer hunters to help control chronic wasting disease
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking public comment on a proposal to more actively involve deer hunters in the fight against chronic wasting disease, or CWD. The commission released a draft report and is accepting comments through Feb. 29, 2020 — in time for implementation in the 2020-21 hunting seasons....
Ohio state park Hocking Hills worth a visit around the crowds
“One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn’t belong…” That’s an old tune from Sesame Street. It teaches children to identify differences in colors and sizes and shapes. It’s not the theme song of Hocking Hills State Park. But it could be. The park...
Boating accidents: A look at how, when and why they occur
It’s a new way to fight an age-old problem. Sometimes, people drink alcohol when out boating. And, as a result, some of them die. But there are new tools out there to detect who has had too much. The U.S. Coast Guard recently released its 2018 Recreational Boating Statistics report....
Outdoors notices for Sept. 15, 2019
Notices Outdoors RIFLE/TRAP LEAGUES There were 153 shooters who competed in the Twi-Night Trap League on Thursday, and nine managed perfect 25 straights in the final shoot of the regular season. Connellsville finished in first place with a score of 195 targets. Ruffsdale (190), Hecla (188), Youngwood (187) and East...
Sunday hunting push faces obstacles in Pennsylvania
Hunters seeking the chance to pursue deer or other game on Sundays in Pennsylvania have a fight on their hands. And it’s one they apparently will have to wage with kid gloves. State lawmakers, either surprisingly more polite or thin-skinned, made that clear this past week. Public hearing The House...
A dove recipe and more outdoor extras
Lure of the week Lure name: Erratic shiner Company: LIVETARGET Lures (livetargetlures.com) Lure type: Spoon Sizes and colors: Available in four sizes — ¼-, 3/8-, ½- and ¾-ounces — in 10 colors, including gold/black, silver/blue, gold/green, glow/black and glow/pearl. Target species: Largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleyes, northern pike, muskies, trout...
Fishing report: Crankbaits fetching largemouth bass at Keystone Lake
• Anglers at Keystone Lake are reporting plenty of largemouth bass catches, some of which are weighing in at more than a few pounds. As far as setup goes, crankbaits are fetching some lucrative results. While smallmouth bass are not being caught at the same rate as the largemouth bass,...
Managed dove fields can provide good hunting
Long popular in the South, they recently have spread across the country. No, not mourning doves. They already are super abundant just about everywhere. Estimates are there are some 350 million of them across the nation. Hunters harvest 20 million annually. “These numbers make doves the widest ranging and most...
A goose recipe and more outdoor extras
Gear of the week Gear name: Permethrin Company: Sawyer (everybodyshops.com/permethrin-clothing-and-gear-insect-repellent-18-ounce-spray.html) Gear type: Insect repellent Product description: Hunters, hikers, leaf peepers, steelhead and trout anglers and others will be walking through grass, brush and woods over the next few months as cooler temperatures and the attractions of fall come to pass....
Outdoors notices for Sept. 8, 2019
Notices Outdoors RIFLE/TRAP LEAGUES There were 168 shooters who competed in the Twi-Night Trap League on Thursday, and 18 managed perfect 25 straights. Connellsville finished in first place with a score of 200 targets. East Huntingdon (195), Ruffsdale (193), Youngwood (191) and Hecla (189) rounded out the scoring. Connellsville (117)...
Pymatuning Lake walleyes still abundant, maybe easier to catch
Maybe nature is balancing itself out at Pymatuning Lake. Anglers can’t be blamed for hoping so. For years, biologists with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission have talked about how many walleyes swim in the 17,088-acre lake in Crawford County. It’s the centerpiece of Pymatuning State Park, on the Pennsylvania-Ohio...
Velvet antlers about to disappear for another year
Chances are it’s going on in your neck of the woods right now. But if you want to see it, you better hurry. White-tailed bucks scrape and scratch the velvet from their antlers late each summer, in preparation for the fall breeding season, or rut. They do it every year,...
Fishing report: Hefty walleye biting at Keystone Power Dam
• Anglers casting their lines out into the waters around the Keystone Power Dam are reeling in some hefty walleye, with some catches measuring in at 20-25 inches. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting in this area, too. To add to that, the catch rate for muskellunge is on the...
State officials pledge more ‘aggressive’ approach to combating overgrowth at Somerset County lake
Two state legislators are pledging a more aggressive approach to reclaiming a lake in Somerset County that experienced a serious fish kill this summer. State Rep. Matt Dowling, R-Uniontown, and state Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Connellsville, met with officials of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission last...
Hiking through the sky, below it at Kinzua Bridge State Park
Be warned: If heights set your knees to knocking, this is one hike that will involve plenty of trembling. After all, they don’t call it the “skywalk” for nothing. The trail leading from the visitor center at Kinzua Creek State Park is innocent looking initially. It’s paved, surrounded by mowed...
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...
Outdoors notices for Sept. 1, 2019
Notices Outdoors RIFLE/TRAP LEAGUES There were 169 shooters who competed in the Twi-Night Trap League on Thursday, and 18 managed perfect 25 straights. Connellsville finished in first place with a score of 199 targets. Ruffsdale (194), Hecla (193), East Huntingdon (190) and Youngwood (195) rounded out the scoring. Connellsville (112)...
Fishing report: Youghiogheny yielding plenty of flathead catfish, channel catfish
• Anglers visiting the Youghiogheny River are bringing back flathead catfish and channel catfish in solid numbers. The flathead catfish appear to be more prevalent, while the channel catfish are most active around dusk. The channel catfish are biting at typical live baits such as chicken livers. Meanwhile, a few...
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...
‘Jelly brains’ emerge in Pennsylvania lakeVideo
Gooey blobs are living in a Monroe County lake. Visitors to Skytop Lodge near Canadensis just might catch a glimpse of these melon-sized bryozoans, or jelly brains, reports WNEP-TV. The colony of moss animals is harmless and indicators of healthy water. They were intriguing to guests on guided nature walks...
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...
