Outdoors category, Page 24
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...
Outdoors notices for Aug. 25, 2019
Notices Outdoors RIFLE/TRAP LEAGUES There were 130 shooters who competed in the Twi-Night Trap League on Thursday, and 14 managed perfect 25 straights. Connellsville finished in first place with a score of 199 targets. East Huntingdon (194), Hecla (193), Ruffsdale (187) and Youngwood (185) rounded out the scoring. Connellsville (107)...
Fishing report: Hybrid striped bass keeping anglers busy at Lake Arthur
• Fishermen trolling Lake Arthur are seeing as many hybrid striped bass bites as they have all season, with the shallower bay areas providing the best opportunity for catches. Live bait is working well, according to anglers. Specifically, nightcrawlers and minnows are fetching solid results with the bass. • There’s...
Game wardens tranquilize 225-pound bear that stopped at beer distributor in Edinboro
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) reported details today for tranquilizing a black bear roaming around town in Edinboro last week, including stopping at a beer distributor, according to the website yourErie.com. From the beer distributor, the bruin went into Edinboro Lake, and swam to shore where more residents spotted the...
Outdoors notices for Aug. 18, 2019
Notices Outdoors RIFLE/TRAP LEAGUES There were 141 shooters who competed in the Twi-Night Trap League on Thursday, and 16 managed perfect 25 straights. Connellsville finished in first place with a score of 200 targets. Ruffsdale (195), East Huntingdon (190), Hecla (189) and Youngwood (187) rounded out the scoring. Connellsville (102)...
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...
Fishing report: Smallmouth bass biting at Kiskiminetas River
• Catch rates are on the rise at the Kiskiminetas River, where anglers are finding plenty of smallmouth bass. The bass don’t appear to be particularly picky when it comes to baits and lures, as fishermen are reporting successful results with a variety of tackle. The early-morning and early-evening hours...
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...
Pennsylvania to slash prices for fishing licenses on Labor Day
You can legally fish for less than $3 this Labor Day. For Labor Day only, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is offering a specially priced fishing license for $1 plus a $1.90 processing and vendor fee. Also on Labor Day, special youth fishing at select lakes allows young anglers...
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...
Staycation destination: Westmoreland Heritage Trail
The Westmoreland Heritage Trail offers cyclists a chance to see the county’s natural beauty and rich history, all while getting some exercise. While a section connecting Export and Delmont has yet to be completed — that section presents the difficult problem of how to safely cross Route 66 — with...
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...
Outdoors notices for Aug. 11, 2019
Notices Outdoors RIFLE/TRAP LEAGUES There were 136 shooters who competed in the Twi-Night Trap League on Thursday, and two managed perfect 25 straights. Connellsville finished in first place with a score of 191 targets. Ruffsdale (188), Hecla (183), Youngwood (182) and East Huntingdon (176) rounded out the scoring. Connellsville (97)...
Fishing report: Smallmouth bass aplenty in Lake Arthur weed beds
• At Lake Arthur, anglers are catching plenty of smallmouth bass on worms and tubes. The bass appear to be congregating in the weed beds, for the most part. Fishermen are also doing well with panfish at the lake, primarily using minnows to lure them in. The panfish are being...
National Aviary project tracks birds near Saltsburg ‘bird haven’Video
Bob Mulvihill carefully held the small American cardinal in his hands Saturday morning in rural Indiana County. He placed a thin piece of numbered metal around one of the bird’s legs, along with red- and yellow-colored bands. That will allow residents in that area to track the bright red bird...
Fishing report: Conemaugh River yielding solid numbers of bass, crappies
• Conemaugh River Lake is producing plenty of catches of late, with fishermen reeling in largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and crappies in solid numbers. Additionally, a smaller number of yellow perch, drum and carp catches were reported in recent days. • In Westmoreland County, the Allegheny River is harboring a...
State deems large fish kill natural at Somerset County lake
What some people are calling a disaster — an extensive fish kill at Cranberry Glade Lake in Somerset County — is most likely the result of an unfortunate but natural occurrence, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission said. The state agency sent a waterways conservation officers to the lake this...
