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There’s nothing like getting into fishing kayak

In May of 2006, I headed to Erie, Pennsylvania, for a few days of fishing. The main event on that trip was a walleye charter on Lake Erie, which was a grand success. The next day I met a friend to fish together at Presque Isle State Park. He lived in Erie County and had been coaxing me to try fishing from a kayak with him for a couple of years. Back then, I had no faith that a kayak could be a practical fishing craft and resisted his invitations. But knowing I would have plenty of time on this trip, he refused to take no for an answer, so I relented. My friend brought one of his ...

Gypsy moth gets a name change in the form of … the spongy moth

By Walt Young sports@altoonamirror.com Last month, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced it’s plans to spray more than 109,000 acres of state game lands to protect the forests from spongy moths. For those who may not have heard of the spongy moth, it might help to know that this invasive pest was known as the gypsy moth until March of last year. This insect, of course, has done extensive damage to hardwood forests, particularly oaks, throughout the Northeast. Spongy moths were first brought to Massachusetts in North America from Europe in 1869 for an experimental ...

Hunters prefer an earlier spring gobbler season

By Shirley Grenoble sports@altoonamirror.com Spring gobbler season opens Saturday with the youth season having already opened up last weekend. Yet many hunters have been voicing their wishes that the spring season would start a week earlier than it currently does. It truly seems that the gobblers and hens have abandoned their romantic notions by then. I support that idea. Like many others, I don’t much enjoy hunting the last week of the four-week season.The foliage is so thick you can’t see or hear well, and it’s pretty tough to get a gobbler in the clear to get a shot by ...

Application process set for doe licenses

At their regular quarterly meeting on April 15, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave final approval to a new system of how Pennsylvania hunters will apply for antlerless deer licenses. For generations, state law required all antlerless deer licenses to be issued only by county treasurers. Before the adoption of Wildlife Management Units, antlerless deer licenses were allocated on a county-by-county basis, and hunters were obligated to submit their antlerless deer license applications to the treasurer of the county where they desired to hunt. In the early 2000s, the ...

Finding time to fine-tune your trout fishing tactics

By Walt Young sports@ltoonamirror.com As we reach mid-April, trout season is now two weeks old. The typical crowds of the opening weekend have dwindled drastically on most trout waters, a situation most experienced trout anglers readily await. Not having to dodge throngs of other fishermen to enjoy their sport is a welcome relief, along with the ability to pursue their quarry with a reasonable degree of expertise. The progression of the season presents a different circumstance, however, for most of the multitude of folks who eagerly flocked to the stream opening morning but ...

What to do and not to do when preseason scouting

Late this month is the magic time for many Pennsylvania hunters — the spring gobbler opener. That means that preseason scouting is a priority for hunters who need to get out in the woods and find out where the big boys are hanging out. I have been driving around some wooded areas, stopping just to listen to see if I hear any gobblers sounding off. The hunter’s biggest concern right now is that for the last couple of seasons the birds have been annoyingly silent. We could be out on the nicest days and hear nothing. Unfortunately, hunters’ scouting techniques are a lot to blame ...