As usual, you can identify the season's first hunt by degree of difficulty.•••It's 5:45 a.m. when I park the truck.Cool air fills my lungs, and the scent of the Chester County dairy farm's barnyard invades my nostrils......

• Tues., Oct. 7 & 14 - Manheim Sportsmen's indoor pistol range is open to the public from 7-9 p.m. Take Route 72 north from Manheim; left on Oak Tree Road.• Wed., Oct. 8 & 15 - Cocalico Sportsmen's skeet shoot begins at 6 p.m. on ......

The Oct. 23-24 meeting of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners is shaping up to feature a knock-down, drag-'em-out brawl over crossbows. Or not. The United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania (UBP) are sharpening their broadheads — figuratively speaking, of course — in antic......

Tropical Storm Hanna dumped as much as 3 inches of rain on parts of Lancaster County Saturday.No doubt she washed out just about every outdoor activity folks had planned that day.But not all of them."Hey P.J., I don't know what you've got planned for tomorrow......

Not counting today, the kickoff to the 2008-09 hunting season is less than a week away.At sunrise Sept. 1, some 37,000 waterfowlers are expected to be fanned out across the state, awaiting the first flocks of resident Canada geese.At noon, they will be joined by several thousand mor......

Pennsylvania's latest harvest sets pace in North America•••Ask a group of Pennsylvania hunters about the state of deer hunting here these days and you're likely to hear mixed reviews.Some will say they are too few deer. S......

I always thought hard work was supposed to be rewarded.The amount of effort expended correlates to the sum of the benefits earned.Isn't that the way life is supposed to work?If I could walk the 4.3 miles to the summit of Algonquin Peak — the second-tallest ......

County sportsmen's clubs offer plenty of chances to hone your skills for fall•••The deer stood frozen in front of me in the steamy woods of Ephrata mountain Sunday morning.Sweat streamed down my temples as I clipped an arrow ......

Most trout anglers are satisfied with the fishing here in Pennsylvania.They prefer fishing for trout with bait.They release most of the trout they catch.And they favor having an opening day, as opposed to year-round fishing.These are just a few of the findings of a sur......

Factions at odds over weapon's use in hunting seasons•••Crossbows are once again back in the crosshairs in Pennsylvania.Efforts to allow the use of crossbows statewide during all hunting seasons — including the fall arc......

Shooting aficionados no doubt have heard of trick-shot artist Tom Knapp.The Team Benelli exhibition shooter has been thrilling crowds for years with tricks, such as tossing 10 claybirds in the air with one hand and then shooting each one with individual shots from his semiautomatic shotgun......

Pennsylvania Game Commission holds big game scoring sessions •••It all started Nov. 9, 2002.I was on a morning bowhunt in a small woodlot in southern Chester County.About two hours had passed since I climbed into my t......

Unveils long-term plan to boost population•••I am unfortunately old enough to remember the days when pheasants were all over southeast Pennsylvania, but not old enough to have hunted them in their heyday in the 1970s.As a kid gro......

Everybody's got buddies.Men. Women. Kids.We all have people around us to whom we are not related but with whom we share common interests.They're our buddies.Hunting buddies are a special brand of buddy, since hunting is not without its perils.You carry a......

On May 12, a Lycoming County woman was attacked by a black bear outside her house.According to published reports, the woman's dog spotted the bear in the backyard and ran after it.The bear swatted the dog before running toward the woman and biting her on the leg.The woman......

Sometimes, even a butcher may get caught in the act•••Sometimes I hear stories about hunters and anglers tangling with the law that are so interesting/egregious/unbelievable, I just have to share them with all of you.Following ar......

Most hunters here favor whitetail restrictions•••Statistics and comparisons.For me, no article can be boring with those ingredients.Some might say that makes me a nerd.I can't say I totally disagree.I mea......

Game Commission scorers will be available at Middle Creek June 21•••Shoot a half-decent whitetail buck these days and you can count on hearing the question from someone."What did he score?"We live in an ......

Proposal would allot percentage of sales tax to state wildlife agencies•••Take a drive up to State Game Lands 156 near Brickerville on a pleasant, spring Sunday afternoon.Odds are you'll find the parking lots surrounding the ......

Ephrata man has sights on 100,000th trap-shooting target•••Becoming a great trap shooter requires more than just skill with a shotgun.It demands mental strength.Nearly anyone can develop the aiming prowess needed to regula......

Four WMUs will lose five days in fall•••Let the experiment commence.The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners on Tuesday approved a reduction by five days of the firearms antlerless deer season in four wildlife management unit......

But will all accept results of review?•••Pennsylvania's deer management program is about to be run through the grinder.And parties on all sides of this divisive issue appear poised to eat whatever comes out in the end —......

Critics say it's driving hunters away•••Pennsylvania Game Commission executive director Carl Roe last week testified before the state House Game & Fisheries Committee.Though I did not attend the meeting, I watched it in i......

Camp Mack hosts annual Pennsylvania Spring 3-D competition•••It has become a rite of spring in southeast Pennsylvania, much like the opening of trout season and turkey season.On Saturday and Sunday, nearly 1,000 archers from acro......

Dick Deibert got my attention with his tone."Get your camera ready. Here comes a good one," the retired Hempfield High School teacher said to me March 20.At the time, I was standing on top of the closed tanks on the back of a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission trout-sto......

Rainbow trout should appear in greater number•••Given the fact that most of the land adjoining Lancaster County's trout streams is privately owned, changes to the county's stocking program each year are inevitable.Land ch......

Deer won't sneak up on sportsmen with this motion detecting device•••If you've spent more than one or two days in the woods hunting deer, the following probably has happened to you.You've been on stand for a few hours......

Hunting snow geese can be difficult, but worth the effort•••Snow goose hunters Kevin Addy and Mike Clingan want it all when they hit the field.They want a stiff wind to make their decoys come to life.They want low cloud co......

Seek increase in license fees from state Legislature•••For East Earl Township resident Troy Wallace, the hunting year begins Sept. 1 and it ends in mid-February.During that period, the 46-year-old enjoys many days afield for the ......

Pennsylvania landowners resist trend away from conservation•••When I drove past the Sheetz on Route 23 in New Holland Wednesday morning and saw "$3.09" printed on the store's sign as the lowest cost for a gallon of gas, I ......

I was looking up facts about Pennsylvania on the Internet the other day, and I came across a page that said our state mammal is the white-tailed deer.Call me ignorant, but I didn't know we had a state mammal.But how fitting is it that our state mammal is the most hunted, debated......

Spring season contingent on federal approval•••Spring conservation snow goose hunts are becoming quite popular in the western United States.Held after all other waterfowl seasons have closed and when snow geese are migrating back......

Several WMUs would be impacted••• Lots of ground to cover this week in the aftermath of the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners.So without further adieu, here's what hunters will have to chew on unt......

Game Commission will seek public input during upcoming meetings•••A half hour after sunset on Saturday, Pennsylvania's 2007-08 deer seasons officially will be closed in all parts of the state.But already, it's time to think about......

By and large, any game involving bows and arrows is up close and personal.Unless you're a professional, the typical 3-D shoots held on weekends at clubs in and around Lancaster County feature shots under 50 yards.Archers competing in local indoor target leagues shoot 20 yards....

Game Commission must approve hunting regulations•••If you've never done it, hunting wild hogs is a load of fun.I'm not sure exactly what it is about hunting porkers that makes it so exciting. I mean, basically, you sit in......

It's been said that a 3-D archery shoot is like golf with bows and arrows.You walk through the woods, from one "hole" to the next, taking shots at life-like, foam animal targets placed out from shooting lines (tees) at varying distances.The parallels between the two ga......

Minder's latest Canadian expedition leads him to personal-record buck•••Steve Minder has heard the axiom before — You'll know a really big buck the instant you see one.When he spotted the deer sneaking thro......

Lititz deer hunter Gregg Stauffer fondly remembers the days when he used to see 15 or more deer in one day of hunting in Schuylkill County.When the 51-year-old father tells his two sons about those days, however, they think Dad might be spinning a few yarns."When I tell them ab......

By many accounts, it was a tough year for Pennsylvania deer hunters. Foul weather and a reduced deer herd combined to make conditions tough across much of the state. But that doesn't mean there weren't some great success stories. Pictured here today is evidence that some hunte......

Ever look at a map of the United States and notice the layout of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky?These famous whitetail destinations form a perfect box around one state you almost never hear mentioned in discussions about hunting big bucks in the Midwest — Indiana.Well d......

Monday's deer season opener will probably go down in the annals of hunting as an endurance test rather than a day of pursuing whitetails.Hunters all over the state who ventured out that day were hit with torrential rain, fog and/or wind. Some places in the mountains even had snow....

For most hunters, familiarity holds greater attraction than the unknown•••There are many reasons why the Pennsylvania Game Commission in 2003 established the state's 22 wildlife management units.We don't need to discuss t......

Monday is the day.That's when you'll finally get the chance to find out if all the scouting and time spent on the shooting range will pay off this year.Except for the southwest part of the state, where a lot of deer were killed this fall by epizootic hemorrhagic disease, mos......

If you bag a deer this season, don't forget to share the fruits — or, in this case, meat — of your good fortune.Since 1991, Pennsylvania's Hunters Sharing the Harvest program has channeled tons of venison donated by hunters to local food banks, soup kitchens and needy f......

Pennsylvania's fall 2007 hunting seasons shift into another gear beginning today. First up is the state's second archery bear season, which runs through Friday in wildlife management units (WMU) 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B and 4D. In WMUs where the archery bear season and fall w......

It's an inherent trait.All hunters have a dream adventure they'd like to experience.For some, it might be chasing cape buffalo across the grasslands of Africa.Others dream of climbing high into the Rockies in pursuit of bighorn sheep.For me, the ultimate huntin......

Regular readers of this page should be fully aware of my love for Penns Creek in the Bald Eagle State Forest near State College.I've tried to spend at least a few days there every year for the past 15 years or so, hunting its fertile water for native brown trout with fly-fishing and sp......

Protective material hasn't reduced incidents•••No more fluorescent orange for spring turkey hunters.Extended season for snow goose hunting.These were among the more surprising items discussed earlier this month at the ......

Muddy Run Park helps people with disabilities feed passion for hunting•••Darryl Yost doesn't get around as well as he used to.Muscular dystrophy has severely reduced the 61-year-old Hatboro resident's ability to control h......

Undesirable conditions couldn't dampen joy of pursuing whitetails in S. Illinois•••You know you're in for a real scorcher when the thermometer hanging on the outside wall at camp says it's 70 degrees at 4 a.m.And you ......

Opportunities plentiful for local anglers•••It's the first week of October — the greatest month of the year, if you ask me.Leaves are on the verge of changing color and turning the landscape into a kaleidoscope of reds,......

Longer archery deer season opens Saturday•••For Pennsylvania bowhunters, Saturday is like Christmas.That's when the archery deer season opens statewide, a half-hour before sunrise.Sleep will be fitful at best for eager......

Disease impacts deer herds in Southwestern Pa.•••September is a month of building anticipation for Pennsylvania deer hunters.Across most of the state, the archery deer season is scheduled to open in two weeks on Sept. 29.G......

Day One was everything these goose hunters could want•••How could it be that one of the most frustrating, time-consuming projects of the year is one that I look forward to with great eagerness?Last Friday was designated for my an......

Hunting day adds half hour in the evening•••It all starts Saturday.When the sun rises Saturday morning, some 34,000 goose hunters scattered across the state will be lying in wait for the first flocks of Canada geese to traverse t......

Monthly "Callin' & Grillin' " gatherings welcome all to East Donegal Township's Riverfront Park•••Like the ducks and geese they hunt, waterfowlers are a gregarious lot.They don't like hunting alone....

With online system out of commission, finding properties a tough task•••It's August, which means many of you out there already are thinking about the upcoming, fall hunting seasons.Perhaps one of the chores at the top of your......

Studies in progress to address area's falling population•••There are certain activities that define the seasons of the year for me.Fall is synonymous with bowhunting for deer from my tree stand in southern Chester County.......

Surveys mixed on whether high gas prices affect plights of hunters, anglers•••The unofficial start of the 2007-08 hunting year is a month away.Sure, the official start of the hunting year is July 1, but, practically speaking, the......

Joseph C. Troncale was in his glory July 8.The 18-year-old from New Holland was standing on the deck of the 34-foot boat, Tia Rose, bobbing in the Gulf of Alaska off Seward, alongside his dad, Joseph A. Troncale.The father and son were fishing in celebration of the younger Joe's......

It's the middle of July, which naturally means it's time to start thinking about deer hunting.Of course, we're talking about applying for Pennsylvania doe tags to be used during the upcoming fall deer seasons.And just when we were getting the hang of the application proc......

Middle Creek will count on special regulations to work•••I heard somewhere that it took more than one day to build the city of Rome.Apparently, you can say the same thing about rebuilding the resident population of Canada geese i......

New regulation shields landowners who allow hunting•••There's a lot of fighting going on these days between the Pennsylvania Game Commission and our state Legislature.Primarily, they've been fighting over deer.Fort......

The white spinnerbait buzzed along  the shoreline, just under the water's surface, as I reeled the lure in following my second cast of the morning.When the lure was about 10 feet out, it disappeared in a violent splash as a fish slammed it.My seven-foot rod bowed deep, and ......

That's when the heat, bugs and tension melt away•••Editor's note: This is the second of two parts. Click here to read part 1.I was sitting in my tree stand ......

Wilderness camp boasts legendary black bear, wealth of pike, walleye•••Editor's note: This is the first of two parts. Click here to read part 2.A twinge of exciteme......

House Bill 13 much-needed measure•••The Pennsylvania Legislature is well on its way to making right a wrong.Two weeks ago, the state House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 13.This bill is aimed at protect......

Several factors contribute to 'dry spell'•••The recovery of the American shad run on the Susquehanna River has taken a huge step backwards this year.And it's not going to get better for a few years at best and for several years at wor......

Estimate of catch-and-release rates will aid understanding of fishery•••Susquehanna River smallmouth anglers might soon start catching fish with an odd "growth" sticking out of their sides.Fear not. It's not a parasite or fungus....

Lancaster County remains among state leaders in licensed hunters•••There's been a lot of controversy lately about how the Pennsylvania Game Commission manages the state's deer herd.We've all heard the arguments.Some hunters fee......

Dispute continues over Espy Farm section of river•••The one time I had the opportunity to fish the infamous Espy Farm section of Little Juniata River, my left arm was in a cast from my wrist to my shoulder.That chance came during a conference of ......

Deer management dispute suggests more conflict ahead•••If the Pennsylvania Game Commission's deer management program were an airplane, the "Fasten Seatbelts" sign would be on and the pilot would be announcing, "We are anticipating som......

Lately, the number-one issue state Rep. Bryan Cutler has been hearing about from constituents is House Bill 760.That's the piece of legislation that would, among other privacy-invading measures, require gun owners to register their firearms and pay a $10 fee per year, per gun.Gu......

Deer hunting seasons will remain unchanged; Doe tags increased by 6,000•••Facing heavy pressure from the state Legislature and throngs of hunters to change direction, the Pennsylvania Game Commission Wednesday voted to "stay the course" with i......

Game Commission board voting set for next week•••The Pennsylvania Game Commission's board of commissioners meets next Tuesday and Wednesday and there are a lot of issues on the table that will pique hunters' interests.For starters, the bo......

This past hunting season was a good one for Lancaster County hunters who applied for lottery hunts.I mean, John Shirk of Goodville won the first Pennsylvania bull elk tag of anyone in the county, and then he went up to Clinton County and shot the state record nontypical bull, which ranks a......

State promises larger fish, although fewer in number, this spring•••Gerald Rankin picked his way through the underbrush separating Kleinfeltersville Road from Middle Creek March 22, leaning hard to his left to counterbalance the weight of the bucket in ......

As property changes hands, certain stream sections are declared off limits to state anglers•••There are eight stream sections listed on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Web site as waters removed from the state's trout stocking rolls ......

If you follow Lancaster County's in-season trout stockings from year to year, you've probably noticed this year's list is pretty thin.Aside from the streams that were removed from the stocking list here, several streams that previously had multiple in-season stockings will have......

Some say numbers inflated, other feel program headed in the right direction•••So the 2006-07 deer-kill numbers are in.According to Pennsylvania Game Commission figures, hunters last season bagged an estimated 361,560 deer, which was up two percen......

Ken Keener and his wife, Alice, love to fish. And not just for pleasure. They love to fish competitively. The retired Warwick School District teachers both are charter members of Lancaster County Bassmasters, which was formed in 1988. Every year, the Lititz couple participates in l......

New association plans to offer scoring sessions•••Hanging on the wall of my home office are two plaques bearing decent racks from two Pennsylvania bucks I shot with my bow over the past 10 years.Comparing those racks to another that I had officia......

Seventeen percent body fat. That's a pretty good fitness goal.But 17 percent is not so impressive if it's the extent of a region's landscape covered by woods.Yes, I'm talking about our beloved Lancaster County. Over the centuries, Penn's Woods has receded here to......

Public invited to March conference in State College•••As a kid growing up outside West Chester in our neighboring Chester County, I spent the lion's share of my time in "The Woods" at the top of my street."Mom, I'm going to......