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Wintertime hunting already underway

By Walt Young For the Mirror The autumn season is synonymous with the most popular hunting seasons for a majority of hunters. But for those intrepid folks willing to brave some winter weather, the next several weeks will serve up a wide range of opportunities to extend their hunting time well into the wintertime. These post-Christmas hunting seasons include just about every category of game available in Pennsylvania from deer to ducks. The late archery and flintlock seasons have long been popular for a dedicated segment of deer hunters. Like so many changes to the hunting ...

Don’t feed animals in the wintertime

Most winters, I devote some space to reminding folks that feeding wildlife to “help” them through the harsh weather of the season is generally a bad idea. After two relatively mild winters with not much lingering snowfall, we’ve already had some cold weather and a bit of snow so far, even though winter officially begins this weekend. That may be an indication that we could be in store for a more traditional winter this year in terms of weather. If that is indeed the situation, more folks will be tempted to put out food for wild animals. The best advice regarding that is just ...

Looking at economics of hunting in state

While doing some internet research for a future article, I came across a news story posted just before the start of deer season. The focus of that story was that many rural businesses would like to see the opening day of deer season moved back to the Monday after Thanksgiving rather than the Saturday after Thanksgiving as it has been since 2019. This response seems strongest from some businesses in the sparsely populated northcentral region of Pennsylvania that benefited from a large influx of deer hunters coming there to spend the weekend before the opener at a hunting camp or other ...

Bear season gets underway this weekend

By Walt Young sports@altoonamirror.com Pennsylvania’s four-day statewide firearms bear season begins this weekend on Saturday and continues through Tuesday More than 206,000 hunters bought a bear license in 2023, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission expects a similar turnout for the several bear-hunting opportunities scheduled for 2024. A special archery season for several Wildlife Management Units in southeastern Pennsylvania bear season began on Sept. 21 and continues through Nov. 29. A statewide muzzleloader season and a special firearms season for junior and senior ...

Cove man ‘hooked’ on national competitive shooting

It has been said that an individual can often succeed in any endeavor for which he or she possesses unlimited enthusiasm. Ryan Beck, 36, a resident of the small village of Henrietta near Martinsburg, has been proving that adage true in the sport of competitive long-range rifle shooting. “I ...

50 years of changes to Pa. deer hunting

Sometimes I have difficulty coming to terms with the fact that I am now the same age as old people. But like it or not, time marches on. I do find it satisfying to be able to draw on decades of experience and memories regarding hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. My father wasn’t a hunter, so I didn’t start hunting until I was in my late teens when I was old enough to buy my own guns and gear and hunt unaccompanied. That was the early 1970s, so my personal hunting career has now spanned more than half a century (that almost makes me feel older than old people). During that ...