Nature can be enjoyed, even in cold weather

February 4, 2023

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 ...

B-A banner a nice touch for program

February 1, 2023

During a recent visit to Bellwood-Antis High School to cover a basketball game, I noticed a banner honoring the 2019-2020 girls basketball team for making the Elite 8 in a season that was never completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hanging next to the Lady Blue Devils’ two state championship banners from the two previous seasons and the same size and just as prominent. Obviously not all the teams that were still playing when the PIAA shut down the season in 2020 would have won a PIAA championship, but I would like to see all of them honored the way B-A and some other ...

Annual seedling sale underway

January 28, 2023

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

January 21, 2023

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 ...

Momentum for PSU building for 2023

January 20, 2023

Sorting through some Penn State related notes while coming to the realization that college football has no offseason: You have to go back a long time — probably since 1994 — to recall Penn State being in a better position to contend for the national championship than the Nittany Lions are right now. In the way-too-early Top 25 preseason rankings, Penn State currently sits anywhere between No. 5 and No. 7. Georgia, of course, is No. 1 and will be until it’s dethroned. Ohio State and Michigan remain ahead of Penn State, which is in the mix with Alabama, Tennessee, USC and LSU, ...

Don’t overlook your reel’s drag

January 14, 2023

In a column last month discussing some routine offseason maintenance of fishing equipment, I suggested backing off the drag settings on your fishing reels. At the grocery store last week, I ran into a friend who asked me about my reasoning for that recommendation. I explained it was a practice I adopted decades ago when I was first able to afford some top-quality reels. Back then, the drag systems of certain better models included leather or cork washers that compressed slightly as the drag was tightened. To maintain the resiliency of those components, some manufacturers recommended ...