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Labor Day ushers in plenty of outdoor opportunities

Commentary

Every August I find myself wondering where the summer has gone, and this week has brought on that annual feeling of dread regarding the waning days of summertime.

The arrival of September this Friday brings with it the opening days of the mourning dove and early Canada geese hunting seasons. Dove season will again be divided into three segments. The first segment of dove season runs from Sept. 1 until Oct. 7, with hunting hours from noon until sunset. The daily limit for doves is 15. The early Canada goose season also opens on Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 25 with a daily limit of eight geese.

To hunt geese, ducks and other waterfowl, hunters 16 and older are required to have a federal duck stamp. To hunt ducks, geese, doves, woodcocks and other migratory birds, hunters 12 and older are required to have a Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird License. In yet another irrational cost-cutting measure, the Game Commission is no longer distributing the “Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest” free with your hunting license purchase. To view the complete regulations for waterfowl and migratory game bird hunting (and they are many and complicated), visit the Game Commission website, PGC.pa.gov.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is offering some special incentives again this year on Labor Day. The first of those is a special one-day adult resident or non-resident Labor Day fishing license for just $1, giving folks who haven’t yet bought a fishing license so far this year the chance to experience a day of fishing either by themselves or with family or friends for a just a buck (plus the usual $1.60 in issuing fees, I assume).

The second opportunity is a Mentored Youth Panfish Day on Labor Day. This event provides youth anglers who obtain a free Mentored Youth permit or purchase a Mentored Youth voluntary license the opportunity to fish on 19 lakes around the state in the Panfish Enhancement program. Here in our region Beaverdam Run Reservoir, Hinkston Run Reservoir and Wilmore Dam in Cambria County and Foster Joseph Sayers Lake in Centre County are part of that program. Panfish Enhancement lakes are managed to increase the number and size of certain species of panfish such as sunfish, crappies and perch by having size and creel limits of 20 on these fish, while statewide there are no size limits and creel limits are 50 combined for all species of panfish.

For this “special” youth day, kids with a voluntary youth fishing license or mentored youth permit and their licensed adult mentors can keep panfish of any size on those designated waters.

I have long been a great supporter of getting more youngsters involved in outdoor activities, but this program makes absolutely no sense. Does someone (or more likely some committee) in Harrisburg really believe allowing folks to keep undersized panfish for one day on a handful of lakes is really any kind of incentive to go fishing? If keeping a bunch of dinky panfish is your motivation, anyone can do that any day of the year on any water in the state, except the 19 special Panfish Enhancement lakes. And kids under 16 don’t need any special permit or daffy voluntary license to fish for any species any day of the year on any water in the state. This would almost be funny except we are actually paying pinheads in the PFBC to come up with such stupid ideas.

One of my favorite Labor Day weekend traditions is attending the 79th Annual Ox Roast Festival on Sunday, Sept. 3 and Monday, Sept. 4 at the Blair County Game, Fish and Forestry Association in Riggles Gap north of Altoona. The public is cordially invited to attend all the festivities, and admission and parking is free.

The weekend will kick off early with the Mark Kopp Memorial 99-bird trapshooting event on Saturday at 6 p.m. Featured events on Sunday and Monday will include a 30-target 3-D archery course starting at 7:30 a.m. Other activities from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will include trap shooting, 5 stand, running deer, handgun steel plate shoot, a 22 caliber shooting gallery, kid’s games, hay rides, a sportsman’s flea market, lots of vendors, bingo and more. Monday’s special activities include the club’s famous field day of 6 events, which include .22 rifle, high-power rifle, running deer, handgun, archery and disappearing bear.

Of course, there is always plenty of great food, so make sure to stop by the outdoor kitchen for a couple of the club’s signature ox roast sandwiches and some baked macaroni and cheese. Live music will also be featured throughout the weekend. Festival bands on Sunday include Asbury Lane at 11 a.m., Rokkandy at 1 p.m. and Borrowed Time at 3 p.m. On Monday, the Backyard Rockers will perform at 11 a.m. and Running Creek at 1 p.m.

The club is located about three miles north of Altoona on 301 Riggles Gap Sportsmen Road. For more information, check their Facebook page, visit the club website at www.blaircountygame.com for a map and directions or call the lodge at 942-8522.

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