​How would you like to sample some rattlesnake sausage, wild boar belly sliders, gator bites and mini elk kabobs? Well you can if you visit the “Taste of the Wild” culinary event at Steelstacks in Bethlehem. This event takes place June 2, from 6-8 p.m. 

These are but a few of the delicacies offered that coincides with the free, “Step Outdoors” program June 3-5 at Steelstacks: You'll be able to enjoy a variety of game and fish inspired hors d’oeuvres crafted especially for the event by ArtsQuest Center Executive Chef Michael Hoffman. Such unique treats like rattlesnake Sausage with Peppers and Onions on a Pub Roll; Mini Elk Kabobs with Red Onion and Cherry Tomato and Bell Pepper; Pomegranate Glazed Wild Boar Belly; Sliders with Napa Slaw; Gator Bites with a Cajun Aioli; Crusted  Walleye and Steak Fries; Mozzarella Stackers; Spanakopita; & Rustic S’mores. 

Proceeds from Taste of the Wild, presented in partnership with the Wildlands Conservancy, go to support Step Outdoors Lehigh Valley. Tickets for the event, which also provides unique opportunities for guests to meet the education animals and staff of Wildlands Conservancy, are $38 for ArtsQuest Members and $40 for the public. They are on sale now at www.steelstacks.org or call 610-332-3378.?

While enjoying these treats, you can get up close and personal with birds of prey like an owl or hawk, reptiles and mammals from the Emmaus-based Wildlands Conservancy. Wildlands Conservancy educational staff will also be on hand to share information on the animals, their habitat and conservation success stories. The evening also includes a cash bar, as well as the sounds of the Steve Kimock Band performing live on the Levitt Pavilion stage at 7:30 p.m.?

As for the Step Outdoors program, it’s filled with dynamic presentations and hands-on activities designed to introduce children and their families to the wonders of the world around them. Activities include archery, biking, birding, fishing, visual arts, wildlife presentations and more. This year, guests will enjoy activities and presentations by more than 25 different organizations focusing on conservation, wildlife and outdoor recreation. For more information on Taste of the Wild and Step Outdoors, please visit www.steelstacks.org.

In addition, it’s also the return of the high-flying Keystone DockDogs competition which takes place June 3, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and June 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., feature athletic hunting dogs that perform high-flying feats as they leap into a 40-foot swimming pool set up on SteelStacks’ Air Products Town Square. 

During the competition, dogs will compete in categories designed to showcase the highest leap, longest jump and quickest retrieve. 

New this year are the DockDogs’ K9 Aquatics, where festival attendees can bring their own dogs and try three DockDogs disciplines: Big Air, Speed Retrieve and the Extreme Vertical jump. Public jump times are 9-10 a.m. both days.

At Step Outdoors, children can enjoy presentations and activities by more than 25 local and state groups and activities like archery, biking, gardening, art & nature activities, hiking, nature photography, bluebird box building, fishing activities and more. Throughout the weekend, organizations like Hawk Mountain, Wildlands Conservancy and Bear Mountain Butterfly Sanctuary also offer a great mix of presentations featuring live wildlife.                              
Families looking for unique experiences that tie art to the outdoors will want to check out the Banana Factory Arts Center’s tent, where kids work with the staff to create a nature-themed collage or make their own paintbrushes out of twigs, dried flowers and other materials. In addition, the Banana Factory is offering fee-based workshops both days including the opportunity to make a Kokedama moss-wrapped hanging plant or a Glass Jar Biosphere, filled with rocks, water plants and ghost shrimp. 

For more information on the festival, visit www.steelstacks.org/stepoutdoors.

FISH FOR FREE DAYS

In an attempt to lure folks and kids into the life-long sport of fishing, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission is allowing two Fish-for-Free Days. 

Sunday, May 28 and Tuesday, July 4, 2017 have been set as designated days when residents and nonresidents may fish without a fishing license. However, all other fishing regulations still apply as to fish size and creel limits. 

Willie from Marx’s Bait & Tackle in Cementon reports the Lehigh River is fishing good for trout. The river is a little high but water clarity is good. Locals are using spinners, fatheads and nightcrawlers for trout. One customer took a 20 incher, another nailed a 19 incher at the falls area while one regular customer landed a 24-incher in the Walnutport stretch of the river. Good large trout catches are coming from the Little Lehigh after last weekends junior/adult fishing contests held on the Lehigh Parkway stretch of the creek. Willlie is also receiving decent leftover trout reports from the Monocacy Creek. He also reminds trout anglers that Lehigh River Stocking Associations’ Lunkerfest postponed last week because of rain and high, fast water, is being held this weekend. Same place, time and rules as we listed in an earlier column. 

Willie says anglers are buying lots of big shiners for Leaser Lakes’ catch-and-release muskies. And up at Mauch Chunk Lake, he’s been hearing about good perch and pickerel catches.

If you want big fish, head to the Delaware River. According to Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia, stripers are being caught at the Burlington Bristol Bridge and above. Regular customer Dave picked 38 and 34-inchers with chunked bunker right below the turnpike bridge. Off Buoy One, a group of guys fishing eels, white perch and chunked bunker picked up 5 slot fish and 39 and 32-inch throwbacks. They also had 11 smaller fish with a ton of catfish. JR fishing above Trenton caught several nice 20 to 30-inch stripers on  bunker, clams and plugs. Further down-river, Pete had a great day fishing Petty’s Island with 32 stripers in 2 days but only 2 slot fish. The remainder were small. He did best with bloodworms and bunker. Down at the airport several slot fish have been caught with tons of smaller fish on bloodworms. Fishing up the Raccoon Creek one fisherman had three stripers 37,34 and 28 inches and some catfish 5 to 14 pounds. He did best with live eels but also had fish with bunker and shad strips. Down the river in Delaware state waters, there have been some 30 to 45-inch bass caught with live perch, eels and bunker heads. These fish are being caught from the Commodore Barry Bridge down to the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Above Trenton, the striper fishing has still been very good. At Lambertville one fisherman with top water plugs picked up six fish (24-31 inches) Tuesday evening with poppers and darters. At Upper Black Eddy area of the Delaware River, a fisherman picked up a 31-inch striper with a live minnow. At the Water Gap, Kevin said there have been fish 24 to 38 inches picked up with live eels and live trout. Kevin has still been crushing the shad in the evenings with small darts and spoons. Up at Narrowsburg to Callicoon, they have also been doing very good for shad fishing late in the days. Mr. D was up to Narrowsburg Tuesday catching 19 shad and a 19-inch walleye all with spoons. Jimmy up above Callicoon, had a couple great evenings with 15 to 25 shad each night all with fly rods. 

At the shore, there’s been tons of bluefish up and down the coast. Mixed in have been some decent stripers. LBI has been one of the hot spots for bluefish. They have been hitting metal, poppers, bucktails, shad bodies and crankbaits the best. Most of these fish have been six to 15 pounds. Lew had a couple fish 10 to 15 pounds with chunked bunker. Frank picked up over 30 bluefish on Tuesday with 4 keeper stripers mixed in. Bunker heads, 3-ounce Gator spoons and 2 ounce white bucktails with 6-inch grubs were working best. Fred at Sea Isle, had a great day in the wind on Monday catching 17 bluefish and 6 small stripers all with bucktails and 2-ounce metal spoons and jigs. Russ at Brick, NJ, had a couple bluefish on Deadly Dick lures over the weekend. Frank fishing bait at Atlantic City had a few bluefish and a 26-pound striper Saturday morning. A few other guys in the back bay of Atlantic City with smaller metal jigs have been catching 10 to 20 bluefish a day. Most of these fish have been 3 to 8 pounds. If you’re looking strictly for stripers, the hot spot has been up in the Raritan Bay. These fish have been hitting a little bit of everything. The bait guys have been snagging and dropping bunker either to catch bluefish or stripers 20 to 40 pounds. The guys trolling have been using Mojo rigs, umbrella rigs and bunker spoons. These guys have been catching quite a mix of bluefish and stripers 15 to 30 pounds. There was a 50- plus pound fish caught late last week. Off the jetty at Long Beach Island, a few smaller bass were hitting live eels, bucktails with grubs or shad bodies and SP minnows. I even had some good reports of weakfish hitting flukes, saltshakers, bucktails and bloodworms. One fish I did see was 11 pounds caught off a jetty at Cape May point.

From the Fisherman Magazine comes word that New Jersey’s fluke season will get underway (barring any federal intervention) on May 25 with a three fish at 18-inch size limit running through September 5. In a unanimous vote by the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council on May 17 at Avalon Community Hall, New Jersey’s 2017 limits also provide a two fish at 16-inch bag limit for surfcasters at Island Beach State Park, while allowing three summer flounder at 17 inches for those fishing west of the COLREGS on Delaware Bay. The fluke drama isn’t over yet as there are plenty of bureaucratic moving parts that could still muddy the waters – but anglers, captains and tackle shops can mark Thursday the 25th on the calendar as the Memorial Day kickoff to the season as per state officials. Until next Thursday’s NJ flatfish opening (don’t forget Delaware is already underway at 17 inches, so is New York at 19 inches), big drum are hitting at the Coral Beds and off the Villas, tiderunner weakfish are running from Cape May up into the upper reaches of Barnegat Bay, big stripers are on clams and bunker chunks on the beaches while also whacking trolled baits out to the fence in Ocean and Monmouth County, and big “Dream Boat” bluefish can be found just about anywhere you look. 
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According to the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs the following bills that may become law, will be presented by two state representatives. The first of which would make veteran senior sportsmen happy.

SR Bryan Cutler says that his HCO1948 would allow any hunter who had purchased a lifetime resident hunting license prior to July 1, 2017, to continue hunting species that may require a permit, previously included under their current license without incurring the additional fee. This references, in particular, the passed license fee to hunt pheasants in the state.

Said Cutler, “In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation to amend Title 34 with regard to special licenses and permits, providing for permit exemptions for senior lifetime license holders.”

“As you may know, the PA Game Commission recently passed a regulation requiring pheasant hunters to obtain a $25 permit to hunt pheasants. It was brought to my attention by a senior resident in my district who had obtained a senior lifetime resident hunting license that he would now be required to pay additional fees to hunt pheasant, which had previously been included in the lifetime resident hunting license. This legislation will allow any hunter who had purchased a lifetime resident hunting license prior to July 1, 2017 to continue hunting
pheasant, or any other species that may require a permit, previously included under their current license without incurring the additional fee, as they had expected upon purchasing their license.

SR Barry J. Jozwiak, former Berks County Sheriff, will try for a hunting license fee increase.
Jozwiak says, “In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation that would increase certain hunting license fees issued by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The legislation will provide for the following increases:
 
Adult resident hunting $19 to $29
Bear hunting resident $15 to $20
Bear hunting nonresident $35 to $40
Antlerless deer resident $5 to $10
Antlerless deer nonresident $25 to $40
Archery deer resident $15 to $20
Archery deer nonresident $25 to $40
Muzzleloader deer resident $10 to $20
Muzzleloader deer nonresident $20 to $40
Adult nonresident hunting $100 to $150
Seven-day nonresident small game $30 to $50
Adult resident furtaker $19 to $29
Adult nonresident furtaker $80 to $100
Migratory game bird resident $2 to $5
Migratory game bird nonresident $5 to $10
Special wild turkey resident $20 to $25
Special wild turkey nonresident $40 to $50
 
New categories of licenses:
Senior nonresident hunting $100
Senior nonresident furtaker $80
Senior nonresident combo hunting and furtaker $150
Ultimate outdoor combo (bear, archery, muzzleloader, furtaker, migratory game bird, special wild turkey) resident $110

It has been common knowledge among sportsmen that the Pennsylvania Game Commission is in need of a license fee increase to help fund their various programs one of which is the stocking of pheasants. So, if these bills are passed, it will be interesting to see if the latter license fee increase will be approved.

CABELA’S KAYAKING/BOWFISHING EVENT

Cabela’s Hamburg is hosting another event weekend on May 27 and 28 at their store. The following is on tap for the two-day learning experience:

Kayak Experience Weekend
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Lower parking lot at the pond.
If you have ever had the urge to try out a kayak and get involved with this family outdoor adventure you do not want to miss this weekend. Cabela’s Outfitters will be on hand all weekend to get you started on the right foot with a proper introduction to kayaking and what you will need to get started. Everything from the kayak and paddle to the proper PFD as well as the best method for transporting. You will be able to take a kayak for a "test drive" in Cabela’s on-site pond, the best way to see if kayaking is for you.

Bowfishing With Rich
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Front of store
It’s that time of the year to break out the bow and try your hand at bowfishing. Whether you are new to the sport or simply want to pick up some great tips and techniques this is a seminar you don’t want to miss. Join outdoorsman Rich Yoder, and receive hands on instruction with bowfishing in front of the store. Cabela’s will have a tank set up where you will be able to practice shoot at fish targets in the water. This takes in the water refractory situation on fish in the water.
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​This weekend (May 13 and 14) brings several trout fishing events that appears will require rain gear judging from the weekend weather forecast. 

On Saturday, May 13, the Lehigh County Fish & Game Association will hold its annual Junior Trout Derby on a stretch of the Little Lehigh Creek in Allentown’s Lehigh Parkway. Then Sunday, May 14, the derby will he held for adults in the same stretch of creek. 

For both contests, approximately 2,500 trout, including 100 trout that will be 18 inches or longer. The stream will be stocked from the Police Academy bridge downstream to the Robin Hood bridge. 

The Junior Derby is for kids ages 15 and under and will cast off at 10 a.m. and run until 5 p.m. The adult derby begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 14. 

Registration is $5 for juniors and $10 for adults. While registration can be done on site, pre-registration can also be done at Archery at the Glen on Auburn St., in Allentown. Prizes will be awarded for the largest trout caught. 

LEHIGH RIVER LUNKERFEST

The Lehigh River Stocking Association says they’re stocking 1,400 trout that range from 14-28 inches with more than a dozen exceeding 20 inches in the Lehigh River in the Bowmanstown stretch of the river. They will also stock ten, 26-inch trophy trout for this contest. 

Lunkerfest official boundaries run from the confluence of the Lehigh River and Lizard Creek to the bottom of the island just below the East Penn Boat Ramp. This section of the river is .9 miles long and contains exceptional trout water. LRSA extended the contest area two years ago to enable anglers to fish a wider variety of exceptional trout water. The organization will also stock a kids pond with trout for ages up to 12. LRSA memberships and raffle tickets will be available at sign-up. Food, drinks, and bait will be available for purchase. There are picnic tables and bathroom on site. But alcohol is not allowed. The LRSA plans to give away free prizes of rods, reels, fishing equipment, guided trips, art work, gift certificates and more. Sign-up for Lunkerfest begins at 7:00 a.m. Wristbands will be given to participants to wear during the contest. For safety reasons, the LRSA may postpone Lunkerfest if river flows are greater than 1700 CFS at Lehighton, as reported on the USGS website the day before the contest. Please check our Facebook page for any changes. As of now, high water date will be May 20. 

Contest fishing begins at 8:30 am and runs until 3:00 pm. All Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations apply. Wading and boat fishing is permitted. All legal baits, lures, and flies are allowed. Any fish, with or without a tag, caught during Lunkerfest within the contest boundaries is eligible for prize consideration. Each fish caught must be brought to the measuring table to be considered for a prize. Fish length determines prize categories. For example, the angler with the longest fish gets the first opportunity to choose from the prize selection. The angler with second longest fish gets to choose second, etc.. Ties in length will be decided by weight at the time of measurement. The LRSA will award fish prizes and announce raffle winners at 3:00 PM.

LEASER LAKE ADAPTIVE FISHING CLINIC

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation has partnered with the Leaser Lake Heritage Foundation in hosting an Adaptive Fishing Clinic at Leaser Lake on Sunday, May 14, Mothers Day. The event is free and open to persons with disabilities who are interested in learning about adaptive fishing techniques and equipment. 

Good Shepherd recreational therapists will be on hand to teach participants fishing techniques, equipment handling and knot tying.  

Bait and adaptive fishing equipment will be provided but patrons are encouraged to bring their own fishing poles. 

The event will be held at the westernmost parking lot where the docks, kayak launch and dam are located. For more information, call 888-447-3422. 

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Spring gobbler hunters beware. There’s a new rare, potentially deadly tick-borne disease that has been identified in Pennsylvania by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). And the agency says it could be worse than Lyme disease. 

CDC says the same tick that carries Lyme has caused Powassan, or POW for short. The agency says the virus can affect the nervous system, your memory, your thinking and your balance. 

So far the disease, says CDC, has killed one Minnesota woman after her brain swelled, which caused her death. To date, there has been but one case in Pennsylvania, 20 in Minnesota, 16 in New York, 15 in Wisconsin, 8 in Massachusetts, 3 in New Jersey, 2 in Maine, 1 in New Hampshire and 1 in Virginia. 

The disease is far spread. Most cases have been reported from northeastern states and Great Lakes, but has spread to Canada and as far as Russia. And most cases occur in late spring, early summer and mid-fall when ticks are most active. 

Signs and symptoms of this infection can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss, according to the CDC. Plus, long-term neurologic problems may occur. The agency says there is no specific treatment but people with severe POW often need to be hospitalized to receive respiratory support, intravenous fluids or medications to reduce swelling in the brain. 

With this mind, it pays now more than ever to guard against this disease by the usual methods such as spraying clothes with a good tick repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants which turkey hunters always do, and doing tick checks after spending time outdoors. The CDC says to avoid bushy and wooded areas, but that’s not possible when spring gobbler or coyote hunting. 

LEHIGH RIVER LUNKERFEST

The Lehigh River Stocking Association is once again holding their annual Lunkerfest this Saturday, May 13 at the East Penn Boat Launch in Bowmanstown. 

The LSRA says they’re stocking 1,400 trout that range from 14-28 inches with more than a dozen exceeding 20 inches. They will also stock ten, 26-inch trophy trout for this contest. 

Lunkerfest official boundaries run from the confluence of the Lehigh River and Lizard Creek to the bottom of the island just below the East Penn Boat Ramp. This section of the river is .9 miles long and contains exceptional trout water. LRSA extended the contest area two years ago to enable anglers to fish a wider variety of exceptional trout water. The organization will also stock a kids pond with trout for ages up to 12. LRSA memberships and raffle tickets will be available at sign-up. Food, drinks, and bait will be available for purchase. There are picnic tables and bathroom on site. But alcohol is not allowed. The LRSA plans to give away free prizes of rods, reels, fishing equipment, guided trips, art work, gift certificates and more. Sign-up for Lunkerfest begins at 7:00 a.m. Wristbands will be given to participants to wear during the contest. For safety reasons, the LRSA may postpone Lunkerfest if river flows are greater than 1700 CFS at Lehighton, as reported on the USGS website the day before the contest. Please check our Facebook page for any changes. As of now, high water date will be May 20.

​Contest fishing begins at 8:30 am and runs until 3:00 pm. All Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations apply. Wading and boat fishing is permitted. All legal baits, lures, and flies are allowed. Any fish, with or without a tag, caught during Lunkerfest within the contest boundaries is eligible for prize consideration. Each fish caught must be brought to the measuring table to be considered for a prize. Fish length determines prize categories. For example, the angler with the longest fish gets the first opportunity to choose from the prize selection. The angler with second longest fish gets to choose second, etc.. Ties in length will be decided by weight at the time of measurement. The LRSA will award fish prizes and announce raffle winners at 3:00 PM.

At their recent meeting, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners adopted the deer hunting seasons for 2017-18. They proposed a split five-day antlered deer season (Nov. 27-Dec. 1), a seven-day concurrent season (Dec. 2-9) in 20 Wildlife Management Units and retained the two-week (Nov. 27-Dec. 9) concurrent antlered and antlerless deer season in WMU’s 2B, 5C and 5D. DMAP permit holders will continue to be able to harvest antlerless deer from Nov. 27-Dec. 9 in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A/C/D/F/G/H, 3A/B/C. 4A/B/C/D/E. 5A and 5B. Fees for DMAP permits are $10.90 for residents and $35,90 for nonresidents. 

Antler restrictions will remain the same this season for adult and senior license holders with the “three-up” on one side (not counting a brow tine) ruling in WMUs 1A/B, 2A/B/D, and three points on one side in all other WMUs. Exempt from these restrictions are mentored youth hunters, junior license holders, disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind and resident active-duty military on leave. 

Modifications include moving the statewide archery bear season to the next-to-the-last-week of the archery deer season; changing the firearms deer season in WMUs 5A and 5B to bucks-only from the opening day through the first Friday; opening a conservative mid-week fall turkey season in WMU 5B; reducing the season length in WMUs 4A/B/E; eliminating the post-Christmas segment of the ruffed grouse season to improve adult survival due to recent population declines; restoring an extended black-bear in WMU 3A; opening of the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Pheasant Recovery Area to a youth-only pheasant hunting season; opening WMU 5A to put-and-take bobwhite quail hunting given the lack of wild quail in the area and the low likelihood of quail reintroduction being initiated there soon. 

In addition, the PGC Board approved a statewide allocation of 804,000 antlerless deer licenses, up from 748,000 licenses in 2016. The following allocations are for the more popular local WMUs Lehigh Valley hunters travel to. Allocations from the previous license year are in parenthesis:

WMU 3B: 30,000 (28,000); WMU 3C: 42,000 (36,000); WMU 3D: 25,000 (25,000); WMU 4C: 29,000 (25,000); WMU 4E: 27,500 (25,000); WMU 5B: 57,000 (50,000); WMU 5C: 70,000 (70,000); and WMU 5D: 30,000 (30,000). 

If you would like to apply for an elk tag, the board issued 118 elk licenses (25 antlered and 93 antlerless) for the 2017 hunt. As customary, the licenses will be awarded by lottery so you must enter the drawing by July 31. Elk applications are $10.90 and only one application may be submitted each license year. 

For those sportsmen who plan their vacations around the big game hunting seasons, the antlered/antlerless archery deer season in 2B, 5C and 5D is Sept. 16-Nov. 25 and Dec 26-Jan. 27 2018; statewide the same runs Sept. 30-Nov. 11 and Dec. 26-Jan, 13; Deer (antlered/antlerless rifle) WMUs 2B, 5C, and 5D, Nov. 27-Dec. 9; antlered only (rifle) in all other WMUs is Nov. 27-Dec. 1.

Black bear (WMU 5B archery) Sept. 30-Nov. 11; WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D (for muzzleloader) Oct. 14-21; WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D (special firearms) Oct. 19-21 for junior/senior/disabled license holders the latter who have a permit to use a vehicle as a blind, active duty military; (rifle) WMU  1B, 2C, 3A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E, Nov. 29-Dec. 2.



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