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Outdoors

Trout stocking set to start

Those wonderful unseasonably warm days last week undoubtedly had many folks longing for the onset of spring. And many of the anglers among us were probably thinking about the opening of trout season. The first day of trout season now happens on the first Saturday of April each year, about two weeks earlier than the traditional mid-April opener that had been in place for generations. This year, trout season will begin on Saturday, April 1 with the Mentored Youth Trout Day on Saturday, March 25. With trout season starting two weeks earlier, the trout stocking schedules have been ...

PGC: Hunters harvest 3,170 bears in 2022 seasons

From Mirror reports Pennsylvania hunters harvested some tremendous black bears in the 2022 seasons, including three of more than 700 pounds and 11 more that topped 600 pounds. Those were among 3,170 taken overall. That was down from 3,621 in 2021, but still enough to rank the harvest as the 14th largest all time. Pennsylvania’s all-time best bear season came in 2019, when hunters harvested 4,653. Hunters in 2022 took bears in 58 of the state’s 67 counties and 22 of its 23 Wildlife Management Units. Notably, the harvest was spread out — more evenly than ever before — ...

Wild Game Feast returns to Altoona

It’s a real pleasure to announce once again the popular Wild Game Feast hosted each year by the Altoona Alliance Church located at 3220 Pleasant Valley Blvd. next to Planet Fitness. After a hiatus because of COVID, the 16th annual installment of this worthwhile event will be held on Saturday, March 18. The buffet style meal will include a variety of delicious wild-game dishes, including elk, moose, bear, deer, rabbit, pheasant and fish, along with sides, desserts and drinks. And there are always some “regular” foods like store-bought turkey and hot dogs. The featured speaker ...

Nature can be enjoyed, even in cold weather

The groundhog told us to expect six more weeks of winter the other day. I imagine that put our moods in a state of euphoria — I am sure! Actually, I try to use the time during the winter period to do some scouting for upcoming seasons. A light snow on the ground is perfect. Ice is not. There is much to see and hear at this time of year. Shed deer antlers lying wherever they fall off a buck’s head is one treasure to find. I was deer hunting about 15 years ago in Alabama and found a great looking shed, and I brought it home and still have it. It’s a time to pay attention to ...

Annual seedling sale underway

As January winds to a close, it becomes reasonable to consider we are over the hump of another winter. I say that guardedly and knowing full well that February is entirely capable of serving up a stint of the harshest winter weather we can get in Pennsylvania. But February is also the shortest month, and as the days grow steadily longer over its duration, a small measure of cautious optimism for winter’s demise is in order. It’s not the end of winter that most of us yearn for, however, but rather the return of springtime weather and the chance to do more things outdoors. For ...

Opening day still up for debate

There was so much opposition to changing of the opening day of deer season from the Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday after that most hunters knew the issue would rear its head again. And so it has! Most decisions about opening days, bag limits etc. are made by wildlife professionals who have the good of the wildlife at heart. This issue, however cannot be determined by the wildlife. After all, if they could talk or vote, they would go for no opening day at all, obviously. So what are the problems for hunters? For starters, some people just don’t like change for any ...