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Outdoors

Poacher pleads guilty

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California man who admitted to taking two bear cubs from their den and notified officials after he was unable to care for them pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited species, wildlife officials said. Cody Dylon Setzer, 29, and a co-worker who has not been identified and cooperated with authorities took the month-old bears from their den in a tree that had fallen across a forest road, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday. Setzer contacted wildlife officers on March 9, 2019, and told them he had found the baby bears. ...

Maine’s Sunday hunt legislation shot down

The Associated Press AUGUSTA, Maine — An attempt to open up Sunday hunting in Maine has been shot down in committee. Hunting big game animals such as bears and moose is a popular activity in Maine, but the state is home to a law that bars hunting on Sunday. The Maine Legislature’s Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife voted against a proposal to end the ban earlier this week. There have been many attempts to repeal or alter the ban over the years and none have succeeded. The latest proposal, from Democratic Sen. Jim Dill of Old Town, would have allowed Sunday hunting ...

Hunters, anglers applaud MAPLand passage

From Mirror reports WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House of Representatives passed the Modernizing Access to our Public Land Act earlier this week, which would enhance outdoor recreation opportunities on public land by investing in modern mapping systems that provide Americans with the public access information they need while using handheld GPS technology commonly found in smartphones. Introduced by U.S. Representatives Blake Moore (R-Utah), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), the MAPLand Act has been a top priority for hunters and anglers. It was ...

Special-regulation waters offer trout opportunities

By Walt Young sports@altooonamirror.com Although stocked trout waters throughout the state are currently closed to all fishing until the opening day of trout season on April 2, anglers desiring a little preseason trout fishing this month can do so on variety of special regulation waters regardless of whether they fish with flies, lures or bait. Fishing in these designated areas is limited to catch and release, however, so those seeking a few fish to take home will have to wait until opening day. A complete statewide listing of all special regulation areas with the boundaries and ...

PSU fly-fishing program gets generous gift

By Walt Young sports@altoonamirror.com Last month during a wrestling tournament between Penn State and Rutgers, Penn State used the event to announce a $250,000 endowment to fund the university’s historic fly-fishing program. At the request of the anonymous donor, the program will be renamed the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program to recognize the renowned angler who taught the fly-fishing courses at Penn State for 19 years. Humphreys, 93, wrestled for Penn State while a student there. After graduating from Penn State in 1957, Humphreys was a successful wrestling coach at several ...

Florida to allow limited fishing of goliath groupers

The Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. — Florida lifted its three-decade ban on catching and killing goliath groupers Thursday with state officials enacting a highly restricted catch of 200 annually, saying the coastal fish’s numbers have rebounded sufficiently since they were driven to near-extinction. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to allow the catching of younger goliaths of between 2- and 3-feet in length, which would put them at about 30 pounds (13 kilograms). Adult goliaths typically weigh 400 pounds (180 kilograms) but can exceed 800 pounds (360 ...