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State coyote hunts part of big debates

By Jason Nark The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A dead Eastern coyote hung upside down above a bucket of dried blood in a rural Pennsylvania fire hall, its lips locked in a perpetual snarl. Some men crouched beside it, while other adults twirled spaghetti with a fork, looking on from aluminum chairs. Children held canned sodas and stared. “Thirty-eight pounds even,” the men said when the needle on the scale settled. On this sunny February afternoon last year, 38 pounds wouldn’t take the crown at the 17th annual Sullivan County Coyote Hunt in LaPorte. The ...

Colorado man banned from hunting

The Associated Press COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A hunter from Colorado Springs has been permanently banned from hunting in 48 states, including Colorado, after he pleaded guilty to several poaching charges across the state. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said hearing examiner Steven Cooley decided last week to permanently suspend hunting privileges for Iniki Vike Kapu, 28, after he pleaded guilty, KMGH-TV reported. Colorado is a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, meaning the lifetime hunting ban also extends to the other 47 member states, not including Hawaii and ...

No turkey calling contests this season

Every outdoors person’s thoughts turn to spring as March approaches this time of year. Even while we are drowning in the persistent snow and cold, we are longing for trout season and spring gobbler seasons to arrive. These activities keep each participant socially distant from others, as a rule. So, it was quite disappointing when the National Wild Turkey Federation had to postpone one of the most popular and meaningful events of each year — the Grand National Turkey Calling contest. Here is what the NWTF said about this through CEO Becky Humphries. “Increasing COVID-19 cases ...

Unique study highlights bobcat population

UNIVERSITY PARK — The reintroduction of 32 bobcats to an island off the coast of Georgia more than three decades ago created an ideal experiment to examine the accuracy of a genetic-modeling technique that predicts extinction of isolated wildlife populations. That’s the conclusion of Penn State researchers who continue to monitor the bobcat population on Cumberland Island National Seashore, and who conducted a study comparing and contrasting the Cumberland Island bobcats to a population of bobcats on Kiawah Island off the coast of South Carolina. The research was led by ...

Wisconsin concerned over wolf kill numbers

The Associated Press MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin hunters and trappers killed nearly double the number of wolves that the state allotted for a weeklong season, and they did it so quickly that officials ended the hunt after less than three days, according to figures released Thursday. Nontribal hunters and trappers registered 216 wolves as of this past Thursday, blowing past the state’s kill target of 119. The state Department of Natural Resources estimated before the hunt that there were about 1,000 wolves in the state. Its population goal for the animal is 350. The wolf season ...

Wildlife viewing, preseason trout opportunities exist

The official first day of spring is now just one month away according to the calendar. I suppose I’m not alone in wishing some springlike weather arrives even earlier. To help pass the waning weeks of winter, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is again offering some online livestreams for some special wildlife viewing opportunities on your computer. Two Bald Eagle Cams are in place to watch pairs of eagles as they lay eggs and raise their eaglets. Each of the two nesting pairs have reportedly produced their first eggs. Female eagles typically lay two or three eggs, and both the ...