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Outdoors

Bluebird nesting boxes are available

From Mirror reports HARRISBURG — Spring might not be “just around the corner,” but bluebirds will be scouting out nesting sites before you know it, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission can help bring them and other songbirds to your backyard. Bluebird nesting boxes built by staff at the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery are available for sale, and can be ordered over the phone or purchased directly at the nursery office, the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters and Game Commission region offices. Nesting-box kits also are available. Nursery staff build bluebird and ...

Disc golf set for Raystown

From Mirror reports HUNTINGDON — It was recently announced that Raystown Lake has been selected to receive $25,000 in funding on behalf of USACE Headquarters’ Handshake Partnership Program to implement a disc golf course, with construction scheduled to begin in fall 2021. USACE started the Handshake Partnership Program in 2004 to enhance USACE natural resources and recreation projects for future generations. Raystown Lake has been selected as a recipient of this award nine times, contributing most recently to the creation of the Mountain Biking Skills Park and improvements to the ...

Science needs more cold for smelts study

By Patrick Whittle The Associated Press BOWDOINHAM, Maine — A lack of ice in cold weather states this year has made it difficult for scientists to study the population of an ecologically important fish. Rainbow smelts, which are small fish that are very popular with ice anglers, have been a focus of conservationists for many years. The federal government listed the fish as a species of special concern more than 15 years ago due to declines in its population. In Maine, a late arriving winter has made it difficult to collect data about the health of the smelt population. The weather ...

Plenty to keep busy for hunters, anglers

Winter seems determined this year to linger on for at least the next several weeks. Add to that the ongoing restrictions of COVID-19, and our options for passing those often-dreary winter days are even more limited than usual. I feel fortunate to have acquired the do-it-yourself trait at an early age, so tinkering with my fishing tackle, guns and all my other outdoor gear tends to be a year-round endeavor for me. But in the wintertime, The ability to make or repair some of my own equipment is especially gratifying. For those also suffering from extreme boredom, here are a few ideas ...

Bedford group works to improve area’s natural resources

From Mirror reports BEDFORD — Most Bedford County residents would agree the Bedford region is an outdoor enthusiast and sportsman paradise. One can find trails, parks, and fishing holes from one end of the county to the other nestled within wide swaths of forests, farms, serene landscapes, and other natural resources. Earlier last year, a group of local leaders and residents from various backgrounds — agriculture, business, environmental, engineering, and local government — came together and formed a committee to contemplate the development of the Bedford Countywide Action ...

Family’s life is on the river

By Frank Bodani The Associated Press YORK — The river flowed easy, like poured syrup, which made Devin Winand smile as he pulled one kayak after another onto the shore. A few couples strolled the river’s edge as the evening sky blushed to pink. A lone paddleboarder dropped in a fishing line. The summer-sweet air barely moved. Winand had just toured a handful of paddlers around the rocks and historic bridges between the York and Lancaster county banks. Who would have thought the Susquehanna River could be so peaceful and clear a day after Tropical Storm Isaias swept ...