These are silver carp, an invasive species that are getting close to the great lakes. Pray they don't make it!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
CWD Not Found in Pennsylvania Hunter-Killed Deer Samples; CWD Creeps Closer to Pennsylvania Border
From The Pennsylvania Game Commission
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 22, 2011 Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was not found in samples taken from hunter-killed deer during the state's 2010 hunting season, according to Dr. Walt Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.
In 2010, 3,882 samples from hunter-killed deer were tested, and CWD was not detected. This marked the ninth year for testing hunter-killed deer. In total, nearly 30,000 deer have been tested. CWD was not detected in any samples from previous years.
Results showing that the CWD tests of hunter-killed elk from 2010 were all negative were announced on Jan. 5. "We are pleased to report that Pennsylvania continues to have no confirmed or suspected cases of CWD in wild deer or elk," Cottrell said. "By conducting these tests from a random sample of hunter-killed deer and on all hunter-killed elk, we continue our efforts to find the disease in wild deer and elk in the state."
The CWD tests on deer and elk samples were conducted by the New Bolton Center, which is the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Under a contract with Penn State University, the elk samples also were tested for brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis and found to be free of those diseases.
Heads from hunter-killed deer were collected from deer processors by deer aging teams during the two-week rifle deer season. Specific tissues were collected from these heads at Game Commission region offices by agency personnel and Pennsylvania and U.S. departments of agriculture animal health officials.
"The test results are good news," Cottrell said. "Although CWD has not been found in Pennsylvania, we must continue to be vigilant in our CWD surveillance efforts. The surveillance work we are doing is important for the early detection of CWD. Let's not forget that CWD has been found less than 10 miles away from our border in Maryland, which is likely to be part of the spread of the disease from West Virginia. There is no reason to expect that it will not eventually come into Pennsylvania.
"We already are planning to continue testing hunter-killed deer and elk during the 2011-12 seasons, and we are pleased that the Pennsylvania and U.S. departments of agriculture will continue to play an important role in this disease surveillance program. However, we will also be increasing our surveillance by sampling road-killed deer adjacent to Maryland and investigating every clinically suspect deer that our time and budget allows."
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 22, 2011 Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was not found in samples taken from hunter-killed deer during the state's 2010 hunting season, according to Dr. Walt Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.
In 2010, 3,882 samples from hunter-killed deer were tested, and CWD was not detected. This marked the ninth year for testing hunter-killed deer. In total, nearly 30,000 deer have been tested. CWD was not detected in any samples from previous years.Results showing that the CWD tests of hunter-killed elk from 2010 were all negative were announced on Jan. 5. "We are pleased to report that Pennsylvania continues to have no confirmed or suspected cases of CWD in wild deer or elk," Cottrell said. "By conducting these tests from a random sample of hunter-killed deer and on all hunter-killed elk, we continue our efforts to find the disease in wild deer and elk in the state."
The CWD tests on deer and elk samples were conducted by the New Bolton Center, which is the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Under a contract with Penn State University, the elk samples also were tested for brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis and found to be free of those diseases.
Heads from hunter-killed deer were collected from deer processors by deer aging teams during the two-week rifle deer season. Specific tissues were collected from these heads at Game Commission region offices by agency personnel and Pennsylvania and U.S. departments of agriculture animal health officials.
"The test results are good news," Cottrell said. "Although CWD has not been found in Pennsylvania, we must continue to be vigilant in our CWD surveillance efforts. The surveillance work we are doing is important for the early detection of CWD. Let's not forget that CWD has been found less than 10 miles away from our border in Maryland, which is likely to be part of the spread of the disease from West Virginia. There is no reason to expect that it will not eventually come into Pennsylvania.
"We already are planning to continue testing hunter-killed deer and elk during the 2011-12 seasons, and we are pleased that the Pennsylvania and U.S. departments of agriculture will continue to play an important role in this disease surveillance program. However, we will also be increasing our surveillance by sampling road-killed deer adjacent to Maryland and investigating every clinically suspect deer that our time and budget allows."
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Bull Creek Member Featured in Pittsburgh Post Gazette Women In Shooting Sports Article!
Rise in Firearms Use by Women a National Trend
Sunday, April 17, 2011
By Shannon M. Nass, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
There is a new trend among women and it has nothing to do with high heels or hemlines. Conversations about caliber and kick back are swirling as across the country, the number of female shooters is on the rise.
"More and more women are coming into gun ownership and the number of women participating in recreational shooting has risen exponentially," said Rachel Parsons of the National Rifle Association, which will hold its annual national convention April 29-May 1 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. Included on the schedule is a women-only NRA Pistol Instructor Training class. (Registration ended Friday.)
The National Shooting Sports Foundation confirms the trend. In 2009, the last year for which the foundation has statistics, gun store owners reported a 73 percent increase in female customers. And while many of the women were using the guns for hunting -- there was a 28.5 percent increase in firearms bought for that purpose -- the number of women buying guns for personal defense increased 83 percent.
"Women are interested in learning how to use a gun," said Parsons, "not just frivolously going out and buying a firearm without being educated." Men often tend to come into firearm ownership at a young age from the sporting side and later develop an interest in self-defense, but Parsons said women typically have an opposite introduction to guns, driven by feelings of vulnerability. "Women tend to come in from the self-defense side and then realize this is really fun," she said.
In Wilkinsburg, Buddy Savage, owner of Braverman Arms, said training is imperative for women. "They need it more," he said. "The average guy will grow up and slowly learn it from his dad because of some interest in hunting, but a lot of women didn't partake in that."
Responding to calls from women wanting to learn how to hunt and shoot in the company of other women, the NRA developed Women on Target in 1999 for women-only instructional shooting and hunting excursions. Parsons attributes the program's popularity to camaraderie among the women and a less intimidating environment in the absence of men.
The program has grown by almost 20 percent since its inception with 326 clinics and over 10,000 women attending events all over the United States and in Ireland. Three dozen shooting clinics were added this year, and attendance has jumped by more than 2,000.
"[Locally] there's no question that there are more females getting involved in shooting sports," said Savage. Interest in self-defense initially brings women into his store, with the pursuit of recreational shooting quickly following.
"Once they get over the stigma of associating the firearm with something negative, they associate it with something positive and they get more actively involved in it," he said. "They see there is some recreation involved in the use of firearms. They're getting more training while they're having fun."
Responding to the trend, shooting ranges and sportsmen's clubs are offering discounts to encourage women's membership and participation. Manufacturers also have taken notice and are issuing smaller women-specific guns with thinner grips and softer recoil.
Lori Lojak of Fawn and Tarra Hazlett of Curtisville were raised in families that hunted and have used firearms since they were children.
"It's just natural for me because I grew up with it," said Lojak. "I didn't even think twice about it."
Hazlett's firearm experience began at 8 years old with a BB gun and quickly progressed to target shooting and hunting. It's an interest she has passed down to her 8-year-old son, Cody, with whom she now hunts.
"At this age, I don't think he realizes that I'm not the norm," said Hazlett. "I'm definitely outside of the box."
Hazlett and Lojak plan to attend a Women in the Outdoors activity June 4 at Bull Creek Rod and Gun Club in Tarentum. The event is sponsored by the Allegheny Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Included among birding and gardening classes will be instruction on handguns, rifle marksmanship, trap shooting and archery. Lojak said Women in the Outdoors draws 30-40 women each year, most of whom have never handled a firearm. She said fear among first-timers is present but short-lived.
"Once the women shoot that gun and they get comfortable with it, they love it," Lojak said. "It's hysterical, because the instructor starts out with these little guns and by the end of the class, they want to shoot the big guns."
Colleen Zaremski of West Deer said she was raised in an anti-gun family but changed her mind after attending a Women in the Outdoors event. "I was born and raised by an Eastern Orthodox priest and you didn't touch [a gun]," she said. "There are gun advocates and then there is the polar opposite, which is what I grew up with."
Zaremski attended a Women in the Outdoors event with Hazlett where she signed up for trap shooting. It was an experience she said she'll never forget.
"It was amazing. It's such a powerful weapon, and just as powerful is the experience of shooting something out of the sky," she said. Zaremski said she will definitely shoot again. "It's very fun to shoot a gun," she said. "It's liberating and empowering. I would encourage every woman to try it."
At Yough School District in Herminie, firearms training starts early. The Yough Outdoors Club introduces boys and girls grades 9-12 to numerous outdoor activities, including recreational shooting. Paul Yackovich of West Newton instructs students on gun safety and oversees their hands-on experience at the Herminie No. 2 Game Association. Yackovich said he believes an early introduction into firearms training instills respect for their power.
"I think every kid should shoot a 12-gauge shotgun before becoming an adult to see what it's like," he said. "A lot of kids just don't have the opportunity."
For more information on the NRA annual meeting, visit www.nraam.org. For more information on Women in the Outdoors, visit http://www.womenintheoutdoors.org./
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11107/1139929-358-0.stm
Sunday, April 17, 2011
By Shannon M. Nass, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"More and more women are coming into gun ownership and the number of women participating in recreational shooting has risen exponentially," said Rachel Parsons of the National Rifle Association, which will hold its annual national convention April 29-May 1 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. Included on the schedule is a women-only NRA Pistol Instructor Training class. (Registration ended Friday.)
The National Shooting Sports Foundation confirms the trend. In 2009, the last year for which the foundation has statistics, gun store owners reported a 73 percent increase in female customers. And while many of the women were using the guns for hunting -- there was a 28.5 percent increase in firearms bought for that purpose -- the number of women buying guns for personal defense increased 83 percent.
"Women are interested in learning how to use a gun," said Parsons, "not just frivolously going out and buying a firearm without being educated." Men often tend to come into firearm ownership at a young age from the sporting side and later develop an interest in self-defense, but Parsons said women typically have an opposite introduction to guns, driven by feelings of vulnerability. "Women tend to come in from the self-defense side and then realize this is really fun," she said.
In Wilkinsburg, Buddy Savage, owner of Braverman Arms, said training is imperative for women. "They need it more," he said. "The average guy will grow up and slowly learn it from his dad because of some interest in hunting, but a lot of women didn't partake in that."
Responding to calls from women wanting to learn how to hunt and shoot in the company of other women, the NRA developed Women on Target in 1999 for women-only instructional shooting and hunting excursions. Parsons attributes the program's popularity to camaraderie among the women and a less intimidating environment in the absence of men.
The program has grown by almost 20 percent since its inception with 326 clinics and over 10,000 women attending events all over the United States and in Ireland. Three dozen shooting clinics were added this year, and attendance has jumped by more than 2,000.
"[Locally] there's no question that there are more females getting involved in shooting sports," said Savage. Interest in self-defense initially brings women into his store, with the pursuit of recreational shooting quickly following.
"Once they get over the stigma of associating the firearm with something negative, they associate it with something positive and they get more actively involved in it," he said. "They see there is some recreation involved in the use of firearms. They're getting more training while they're having fun."
Responding to the trend, shooting ranges and sportsmen's clubs are offering discounts to encourage women's membership and participation. Manufacturers also have taken notice and are issuing smaller women-specific guns with thinner grips and softer recoil.
Lori Lojak of Fawn and Tarra Hazlett of Curtisville were raised in families that hunted and have used firearms since they were children.
"It's just natural for me because I grew up with it," said Lojak. "I didn't even think twice about it."
Hazlett's firearm experience began at 8 years old with a BB gun and quickly progressed to target shooting and hunting. It's an interest she has passed down to her 8-year-old son, Cody, with whom she now hunts.
"At this age, I don't think he realizes that I'm not the norm," said Hazlett. "I'm definitely outside of the box."
Hazlett and Lojak plan to attend a Women in the Outdoors activity June 4 at Bull Creek Rod and Gun Club in Tarentum. The event is sponsored by the Allegheny Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Included among birding and gardening classes will be instruction on handguns, rifle marksmanship, trap shooting and archery. Lojak said Women in the Outdoors draws 30-40 women each year, most of whom have never handled a firearm. She said fear among first-timers is present but short-lived.
"Once the women shoot that gun and they get comfortable with it, they love it," Lojak said. "It's hysterical, because the instructor starts out with these little guns and by the end of the class, they want to shoot the big guns."
Colleen Zaremski of West Deer said she was raised in an anti-gun family but changed her mind after attending a Women in the Outdoors event. "I was born and raised by an Eastern Orthodox priest and you didn't touch [a gun]," she said. "There are gun advocates and then there is the polar opposite, which is what I grew up with."
Zaremski attended a Women in the Outdoors event with Hazlett where she signed up for trap shooting. It was an experience she said she'll never forget.
"It was amazing. It's such a powerful weapon, and just as powerful is the experience of shooting something out of the sky," she said. Zaremski said she will definitely shoot again. "It's very fun to shoot a gun," she said. "It's liberating and empowering. I would encourage every woman to try it."
At Yough School District in Herminie, firearms training starts early. The Yough Outdoors Club introduces boys and girls grades 9-12 to numerous outdoor activities, including recreational shooting. Paul Yackovich of West Newton instructs students on gun safety and oversees their hands-on experience at the Herminie No. 2 Game Association. Yackovich said he believes an early introduction into firearms training instills respect for their power.
"I think every kid should shoot a 12-gauge shotgun before becoming an adult to see what it's like," he said. "A lot of kids just don't have the opportunity."
For more information on the NRA annual meeting, visit www.nraam.org. For more information on Women in the Outdoors, visit http://www.womenintheoutdoors.org./
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11107/1139929-358-0.stm
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Pennsylvania Made Stink Bug Traps Lure Buyers and Bugs
Saturday, April 16, 2011
When 36-year-old Andy Strube lost his job and had to sell his house, he never could have imagined it was a good thing. He used his equity to rent a house for himself and his three children in Columbia, Lancaster County.
He found out quickly the place was crawling with thousands of stink bugs."The house was so infested we had entomologists from Penn State University taking bags of stink bugs out to analyze," he said. He couldn't sit down to dinner without the bugs landing on his plate, and at night they would drop on his face while he was trying to sleep.
The pests actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Mr. Strube. When he couldn't find an effective control, he decided to invent something. He tested all sorts of different ways in his home, starting by trying to get the bugs to crawl onto a sticky substance. Through trial and error he realized the secret was to get the stink bug to take flight and land on the trap. He hung a coffee can covered in glue next to a lamp and that's when he realized they were drawn to light.
He began to refine the idea and, using skills from his former job in aircraft maintenance, he designed and built different traps. Each version caught more bugs. Mr. Strube continued to study the insects, keeping a colony in an aquarium and researching things that attracted them. He discovered they couldn't resist a cocktail he created of peppers and squash and put the mixture in an interchangeable cartridge inside the trap. When the fluorescent light heats up the cartridge, it releases the odor which humans can barely smell, but the bugs long for.
Friends who visited the house saw the traps and asked for one. As they reported back their successes, a business was born.
The Strube Stink Bug Trap is $50; a replacement cartridge is $20. Each cartridge will last about a month and is meant to catch hundreds of stink bugs. The traps are being sold at hardware stores near his home and can be found online. Since he began offering them online, he's sold hundreds that have caught tens of thousands of bugs, he says. Mr. Strube adds that a good portion of his business comes from the Pittsburgh area.After I wrote about his invention, he sent me one to test on my minimal stink bug problem. I only see one or two a week. Inside the package was a flier warning that the glue is extremely sticky. I found that to be very true as I managed to get some cardboard, the power cord and the rope that hangs the trap stuck in it.
I installed it in an upstairs bathroom, where I know many of the bugs enter the house. I caught 10 bugs the first night, and the trap continues to lure the insects. The company's Facebook page is filled with photos of traps littered with dead stink bugs. But not everyone has been as lucky. Since I first wrote about the traps, I've heard from three people who have not had success. Mr. Strube has also talked to a couple.
He offers some tips to get the most out of the trap. The warmer the area, the more active the bugs will be, he said. That means upper floors and attics, where heat collects are most conducive to catching stink bugs. Leaving the trap in one place and letting it run all night are essential to catching stink bugs. Turn off any other lights in the room. The trap needs to be the primary light source.
Mr. Strube has been swamped with orders. His family and friends are helping him keep up, but he's sleeping just a couple of hours a night between shifts building traps. He's hoping to strike a deal with a bigger company soon to increase production. He's also working on setting up summer trials outdoors to improve the trap's efficiency in the field, and he hopes his trap will help farmers and gardeners this season.
Moving into a house infested with stink bugs might not be everyone's idea of a good thing, but for Mr. Strube and his family it's turned his life around.
"This has been a godsend to us," he said. "It's unimaginable. It's just so awesome to be able to help people. It's a feeling I really can't explain."
For information about the Strube Stink Bug Trap: www.stinkbugtrapsonline.com or 1-717-449-3015.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11106/1139734-30-0.stm
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Fayette County Pair's Hunting Licenses Suspended
Proof again that poaching doesn't pay (except to the state!)...
By Liz Zemba, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Two Fayette County men accused of poaching two deer for a Super Bowl XLV party had their hunting licenses temporarily suspended and will pay $6,000 in fines.
Christopher Scott Layman, 21, of 123 Bethelboro Road, Uniontown, and James Richard Donaldson, 35, of 725 Penn Ave., Lemont Furnace, were charged last month with two counts each of unlawful killing or taking of big game in connection with the shootings of two whitetail deer on the day before the Super Bowl.
Jason D. Farabaugh, a wildlife conservation officer who conducted the investigation into the out-of-season killings, said the offenses were reduced from misdemeanors to less serious summary offenses.
The charges were reduced as part of a plea deal negotiated on Wednesday at the office of North Union District Judge Wendy Dennis.
"They made a mistake," Farabaugh said. "They weren't bad guys by any means, but they knew they did wrong."
According to criminal complaints, Layman told Farabaugh that he, Donaldson and a male juvenile decided to shoot the deer on Feb. 5 for a Super Bowl party. One deer was shot along Elliottsville Road in North Union and the other near a quarry on Jumonville-Coolspring Road, according to the complaints. The deer were butchered in a garage in Lemont Furnace.
Farabaugh investigated after receiving a tip, according to the complaints.
Terms of the plea agreement call for Layman and Donaldson to pay fines of $3,000 each, for a total of $6,000. Farabaugh said Donaldson's hunting license was suspended for five years. Layman's was suspended for eight years.
Charges against the unidentified juvenile are pending in juvenile court, Farabaugh said.
By Liz Zemba, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Christopher Scott Layman, 21, of 123 Bethelboro Road, Uniontown, and James Richard Donaldson, 35, of 725 Penn Ave., Lemont Furnace, were charged last month with two counts each of unlawful killing or taking of big game in connection with the shootings of two whitetail deer on the day before the Super Bowl.
Jason D. Farabaugh, a wildlife conservation officer who conducted the investigation into the out-of-season killings, said the offenses were reduced from misdemeanors to less serious summary offenses.
The charges were reduced as part of a plea deal negotiated on Wednesday at the office of North Union District Judge Wendy Dennis.
"They made a mistake," Farabaugh said. "They weren't bad guys by any means, but they knew they did wrong."According to criminal complaints, Layman told Farabaugh that he, Donaldson and a male juvenile decided to shoot the deer on Feb. 5 for a Super Bowl party. One deer was shot along Elliottsville Road in North Union and the other near a quarry on Jumonville-Coolspring Road, according to the complaints. The deer were butchered in a garage in Lemont Furnace.
Farabaugh investigated after receiving a tip, according to the complaints.
Terms of the plea agreement call for Layman and Donaldson to pay fines of $3,000 each, for a total of $6,000. Farabaugh said Donaldson's hunting license was suspended for five years. Layman's was suspended for eight years.
Charges against the unidentified juvenile are pending in juvenile court, Farabaugh said.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Adopted Pennsylvania 2011-12 Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits Announced
SQUIRRELS (Combined Species): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license, and mentored youth – Oct. 8-14 (6 daily, 12 in possession limit after first day).
SQUIRRELS (Combined Species): Oct. 15-Nov. 26; Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Feb. 25 (6 daily, 12 possession).
RUFFED GROUSE: Oct. 15–Nov. 26, Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Jan. 28 (2 daily, 4 possession).
RABBIT (Cottontail) Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license: Oct. 8-15 (4 daily, 8 possession).
RABBIT (Cottontail): Oct. 22-Nov. 26, Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Feb. 25 (4 daily, 8 possession).
PHEASANT: Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license – Oct. 8-15 (2 daily, 4 in possession). Male pheasants only in WMUs 2A, 2B, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B. Male and female pheasants may be taken in all other WMUs. There is no open season for the taking of pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas in any WMU.
PHEASANT: Male only in WMUs 2A, 2B, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B – Oct. 22-Nov. 26. Male and female may be taken in all other WMUs – Oct. 22-Nov. 26, Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Feb. 4 (2 daily, 4 in possession). There is no open season for the taking of pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas in any WMU.
BOBWHITE QUAIL: Oct. 22-Nov. 26 (4 daily, 8 possession). (Closed in WMUs 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D.)
HARES (SNOWSHOE RABBITS) OR VARYING HARES: Dec. 26–Jan. 1 (1 daily, 2 possession).
WOODCHUCKS (GROUNDHOGS): No closed season, except on Sundays, and during the antlered and antlerless deer seasons. No limit.
PORCUPINES: Sept. 1-March 31 (6 daily, 12 possession). Closed during the regular two-week firearms deer season.
CROWS: July 1-April 8, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. No limit.
STARLINGS AND ENGLISH SPARROWS: No closed season, except during the antlered and antlerless deer season. No limit.
WILD TURKEY (Male or Female): Wildlife Management Units 1A, 1B and 2A (Shotgun and bow and arrow) – Oct. 29-Nov. 12 and Nov. 24-26; WMU 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow) – Oct. 29-Nov. 18 and Nov. 24-26; WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 4A, 4B and 4D – Oct. 29-Nov. 12 and Nov. 24-26; WMUs 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C and 4E – Oct. 29-Nov. 18 and Nov. 24-26; WMU 5A – Nov. 1-3; WMUs 5B, 5C and 5D – CLOSED TO FALL TURKEY HUNTING.
SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with required license, and mentored youth – April 21, 2012. Only 1 spring gobbler may be taken during this hunt.
SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): April 28-May 31, 2012. Daily limit 1, season limit 2. (Second spring gobbler may be only taken by persons who possess a valid special wild turkey license.) From April 28-May 12, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon; from May 14-31, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
BLACK BEAR (Statewide) Bow and Arrow only: Nov. 14-18. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
BLACK BEAR (Statewide): Nov. 19, and Nov. 21-23. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
BLACK BEAR (WMUs 3D, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5B and 5C): Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
BLACK BEAR (Designated Areas): Nov. 28-Dec. 3. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
- WMUs 3A and 3C;
- Portions of WMU 3B, East of Rt. 14 from Troy to Canton, East of Rt. 154 from Canton to Rt. 220 at Laporte and East of Rt. 42 from Laporte to Rt. 118 and that portion of 4E, East of Rt. 42; and
- Portions of WMUs 2G in Lycoming and Clinton counties and 3B in Lycoming County that lie North of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River from the Rt. 405 Bridge, West to Rt. 15 at Williamsport, Rt. 15 to Rt. 220, and North of Rt. 220 to the Mill Hall exit, North of SR 2015 to Rt. 150; East of Rt. 150 to Lusk Run Rd. and South of Lusk Run Rd. to Rt. 120, Rt. 120 to Veterans Street Bridge to SR 1001; East of SR 1001 to Croak Hollow Rd., South of Croak Hollow Rd. to Rt. 664 (at Swissdale), South of Rt. 664 to Little Plum Rd. (the intersection of SR 1003), South of SR 1003 to SR 1006, South of SR 1006 to Sulphur Run Rd., South of Sulphur Run Rd. to Rt. 44, East of Rt. 44 to Rt. 973, South of Rt. 973 to Rt. 87, West of Rt. 87 to Rt. 864, South of Rt. 864 to Rt. 220 and West of Rt. 220 to Rt. 405 and West of Rt. 405 to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
ELK (Antlered or Antlerless): Oct. 31-Nov. 5. Only one elk may be taken during the license year.
ELK, EXTENDED (Antlered and Antlerless): Nov. 7-12. Only one elk may be taken during the license year. Eligible elk license recipients who haven’t harvested an elk by Nov. 6, in designated areas.
Elk, Special Conservation Tag (Antlered or Antlerless): Sept. 1-Nov. 5. One elk tag for one antlered or antlerless elk was auctioned at the Safari Club International Banquet.
DEER, ARCHERY (Antlerless Only) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Sept. 17-30, and Nov. 14-26. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Oct. 1-Nov. 12 and Dec. 26-Jan. 28. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Oct. 1-Nov. 12 and Dec. 26-Jan. 16. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4C, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D: Nov. 28-Dec. 10. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER (Antlered Only) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E: Nov. 28-Dec. 2. One antlered deer per hunting license year. (Holders of valid DMAP antlerless deer permits may harvest antlerless deer on DMAP properties during this period.)
DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E: Dec. 3-10. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERLESS (Statewide): Oct. 20-22. Junior and Senior License Holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) Holders, and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in U.S. Armed Services or in the U.S. Coast Guard only, with required antlerless license. Also included are persons who have reached or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the application for a license and hold a valid adult license, or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER (Statewide): Oct. 15-22. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide): Dec. 26-Jan. 16. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (WMUs 2B, 5C, 5D): Dec. 26-Jan. 28. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, Antlerless (WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D): Dec. 26-Jan. 28. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERLESS (Military Bases): Hunting permitted on days established by the U.S. Department of the Army at Letterkenny Army Depot, Franklin County; New Cumberland Army Depot, York County; and Fort Detrick, Raven Rock Site, Adams County. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
For the rest of the details click here.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Armed Man With No Arms!
Submitted by club member Bill Motosicky...
This guy not only shoots well, he even reloads a semi-automatic handgun.
This guy not only shoots well, he even reloads a semi-automatic handgun.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
2011 Valley Trap League Schedule Now Online!
The clubs involved are Bull Creek Rod and Gun, South Buffalo Sportsmen, Tarentum Sportsmen, Ford City Sportsmen, Frazier Sportsmen and Pony Farm. The shoots are every Tuesday evening, with sign-ups from 4:30pm to 8:00pm. For the season schedule and more details click here.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Women in the Outdoors Event Scheduled for June 4th 2011 at Bull Creek
From firearm skills to outdoors cooking, this is a great opportunity to try something new. The NWTF Women in the Outdoors program is dedicated to helping women ages 14 and over achieve confidence and competence in outdoor skills through a series of hands-on workshops taught in informative, relevant and reassuring settings. Gather some girlfriends, your mom and daughter and check "me time" off your list. You deserve a day outdoors. Registration fee includes your choice of 4 expertly instructed classes, continental breakfast, and picnic lunch. Non members will receive a 1 year membership to the National Wild Turkey Federation, which includes 4 issues of PA Turkey Talk and 6 issues of Turkey Country, the official magazine of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Click on the 2 images below for a full size version and print them out. Mail completed forms to the contact information listed on the form.
This has been a very popular program held at Bull Creek for over 10 years. Register early and don't miss this great opportunity to learn new skills and and have a great day for yourself!
For more information on the Women In The Outdoors organization click on this link!
Felt-Soled Waders To Be Banned?
Waders root of problem in spreading algae
By Bob Frye, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, April 3, 2011
But didymo? It’s really ugly.
Commonly called “rock snot,” didymo is a yellow-brown, cotton-feeling algae — it’s often mistaken for fiberglass or toilet paper — that’s an aquatic invasive species. It thrives in cold flowing waters and, when it gets established, can bloom in huge mats, carpeting river and stream bottoms, to the detriment of stoneflies, mayflies and even crayfish.
It's nasty, and it’s on the move.
“It’s an algae that’s spreading from one blue ribbon fly-fishing stream to the next across the globe,” said Jonathan McKnight, a biologist and associate wildlife director for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “It bounces from one great stream to another.”
Fishermen have largely been to blame.
Anglers fishing a stream with didymo have carried the algae with them when moving to the next water, McKnight said. Their felt-soled waders are most often the vehicle.
Didymo can live on rubber-soled waders for less than a day. It can survive in moist felt-soled waders for as long as three weeks, McKnight said.
That’s why — when didymo showed up in Maryland’s Gunpowder and Savage rivers last year — state officials started talking about what to do. Their answer is to ban the use of waders with felt soles in all freshwaters.
That rule went into effect March 22.
Maryland is the first state to enact such a ban, but it won’t be the last. Alaska and Vermont have passed regulations that will make felt soles illegal within a year. Oregon is debating a similar ban.
“A felt ban, it’s not a panacea by any means,” McKnight said. “But it removes the most organism-friendly mechanism for transporting this. Felt is almost like a petri dish for this.
‘We didn’t think we could do nothing because the stakes were too high. We’re talking about pristine waters, great fisheries, at risk.”
Pennsylvania has didymo within its boundaries. According to the Fish and Boat Commission, it’s been discovered in the east and west branches of the Delaware River. The commission has not yet considered a ban on felt-soled waders, though, said spokesman Rick Levis.
“We do not have any action pending right now related to felt soles. Staff is evaluating the issue, but are not prepared at this time to make a specific recommendation to our commissioners,” Levis said.
The commission does recommend anglers moving from one water to another clean their gear in between trips.
In the meantime, Trout Unlimited has asked wader manufacturers to phase out felt-soled waders by the end of this year. That hasn’t happened completely yet, but manufacturers have been developing alternatives that will still satisfy anglers, said Trout Unlimited spokeswoman Erin Mooney.
“The industry really has been out in the forefront of this,” she said.
Anglers will need to get involved and protect the streams and rivers they fish, too, though, said McKnight. If not, “rock snot” will find its way to new waters.
“Didymo is forever. Once you’ve got it, you can’t get rid of it. The only thing we can do is prevent it from spreading,” McKnight said. “It’s a question now of trying to quarantine it where it is.”
By Bob Frye, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, April 3, 2011
But didymo? It’s really ugly.
 |
| Didymo Algae |
It's nasty, and it’s on the move.
“It’s an algae that’s spreading from one blue ribbon fly-fishing stream to the next across the globe,” said Jonathan McKnight, a biologist and associate wildlife director for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “It bounces from one great stream to another.”
Fishermen have largely been to blame.
Anglers fishing a stream with didymo have carried the algae with them when moving to the next water, McKnight said. Their felt-soled waders are most often the vehicle.
Didymo can live on rubber-soled waders for less than a day. It can survive in moist felt-soled waders for as long as three weeks, McKnight said.
That’s why — when didymo showed up in Maryland’s Gunpowder and Savage rivers last year — state officials started talking about what to do. Their answer is to ban the use of waders with felt soles in all freshwaters.
That rule went into effect March 22.
Maryland is the first state to enact such a ban, but it won’t be the last. Alaska and Vermont have passed regulations that will make felt soles illegal within a year. Oregon is debating a similar ban.
“A felt ban, it’s not a panacea by any means,” McKnight said. “But it removes the most organism-friendly mechanism for transporting this. Felt is almost like a petri dish for this.
‘We didn’t think we could do nothing because the stakes were too high. We’re talking about pristine waters, great fisheries, at risk.”
Pennsylvania has didymo within its boundaries. According to the Fish and Boat Commission, it’s been discovered in the east and west branches of the Delaware River. The commission has not yet considered a ban on felt-soled waders, though, said spokesman Rick Levis.
“We do not have any action pending right now related to felt soles. Staff is evaluating the issue, but are not prepared at this time to make a specific recommendation to our commissioners,” Levis said.
The commission does recommend anglers moving from one water to another clean their gear in between trips.
In the meantime, Trout Unlimited has asked wader manufacturers to phase out felt-soled waders by the end of this year. That hasn’t happened completely yet, but manufacturers have been developing alternatives that will still satisfy anglers, said Trout Unlimited spokeswoman Erin Mooney.
“The industry really has been out in the forefront of this,” she said.
Anglers will need to get involved and protect the streams and rivers they fish, too, though, said McKnight. If not, “rock snot” will find its way to new waters.
“Didymo is forever. Once you’ve got it, you can’t get rid of it. The only thing we can do is prevent it from spreading,” McKnight said. “It’s a question now of trying to quarantine it where it is.”
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