If you were lucky to fill a buck or doe tag, or both, this past deer hunting season, there’s a good chance you field-dressed the deer using a Buck knife. If so, here’s some interesting information from Buck if your curious about the age of your knife. 

First off, Buck Knives has been global leader in the manufacturer of knives and has been since it started in business in 1902. And a question often received at company headquarters in Post Falls, Idaho, is “how old is my Buck knife. An easy way to determine the answer is by going to http://www.buckknives.com/about/behind-the-blade/how-old-is-my-knife/” There you’ll find a chart with 39 symbols which indicate date of manufacturing, and on the knife’s blade you’ll find one of the symbols on the pivot point where the knife blade opens from the handle. On the company’s website there are also details about the dots that could be discovered on a knife’s blade. Those many dots, and on which side of the blade the dots are placed, could help determine when the iconic 110 Folding Hunter and 112 Ranger knives were manufactured. There are also numerous details about the knives with the company’s trademarked anvil stamped into a blade to detail more manufacturing information. These symbols have been applied to blades since 1986.

Still have questions? Customers can inquire via email at [email protected] to obtain more details about a knife. When contacting the company historian via email, Buck asks to provide a few photos of the knife (and photos of the box if you still have it), as an aide in determining the knife’s age. Some models, says Buck, had little to no material changes for several years so a date range of production can possibly be made. 

If you have the iconic 110 Folding Hunter, there’s a website that’s loaded with precise information about all the different versions and variations – and the age ranges. Visit www.historyofthe110.com.

Buck also reminds Buck owners that their knives are covered under the company’s industry-leading Forever Warranty. Added details on the warranty, along with more than 200 knife models the company sells, can be found at www.buckknives.com. Or call, 800-735-2825.

ICE FISHING REPORT

So far, local ice fishing is thin. Chris from Chris’s Bait and Tackle in Mertztown said he received reports of 2-3 inches of ice at certain places around Ontelaunee Reservoir that was mostly void of water until the  recent rains that brought the lake up five feet. He added that Minsi Lake had some ice and Leaser Lake had only skim ice around the edges. Most anglers, he said, are going up to the Pocono’s especially Promised Land Lake that had 5 inches. 

Other reports emanate from Francis Slocum that had 3-4 inches, 4 inches at Lake Minisink in Pike County, Belmont Lake had 5-6 inches as did Stillwater Lake and lastly, Shohola Lake had decent ice. 

SNOW GEESE
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On Saturday there were a flock of snow geese on the cut cornfield on Schantz Road across from the new Parkland Elementary School. There was also huge flock seen putting down on the quarry behind Weis Market on MacArthur Road. So they’re back. 
While driving on a rural road on the outskirts of Topton, I saw some hunters with corn stalk blinds set mid-field with a bunch of decoys set out. There was also a mildly dense fog over the field. 

If you struck out during the recent archery and firearms deer hunting season, and have unfilled tags for either or both, you get another opportunity when the season reopens the day after Christmas. 

For antlerless deer the extended regular firearms season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D runs Dec. 26-Jan. 25 and in WMU 4A, 4D and 5A Jan. 2 – Jan. 20, 2025. 

If hunting with a flintlock, you may take an antlered or antlerless deer in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D from Dec. 26-Jan. 20, 2025. In WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B from Dec. 26-Jan. 20, 2025. 

You may hunt antlered and antlerless deer with a bow or crossbow in 2B, 5C and 5D from Dec. 26-Jan. 25, 2025. Statewide, the season runs Dec. 26-Jan. 20, 2025. 

Of course, you’re only allowed an antlerless deer with a required antlerless license. 

Deer hunting in this late season is tough. For starters, deer have been spooked, chased, shot at and harvested, leaving the crop somewhat thin, especially for bucks. This also goes for deer’s food sources as cornfields and soybean fields have been harvested leaving only spilled pieces of corn, beans and waste grain for deer to scratch up. 

During this late season and since these once abundant food sources are gone, the National Deer Association (NDA) suggests looking for red oak acorns as deer’s favorite white oak acorns are gone. NDA says that unlike white oak acorns, red oak acorns don’t germinate until the following spring, and  their higher tannin levels keep them from rotting as quickly as white oak acorns. 

The other food source is winter wheat or rye that many farmers have planted that also attract snow geese that can wipe out a small field when they arrive from the north country. 

NDA adds that if you examine a harvested late season deer’s stomach, you’ll likely find that their ingested browse will contain woody vegetation and buds at this time of year. 

Added to this, and with shorter days, deer will remain bedded until dusk or night, and always after legal hunting hours. Then they’ll venture out to a food source and feed there for 12 hours then walk back to bed down. 

NDA says that there’s also the late rut at the tail end of December when a doe comes into heat and a time when some fawns are bred. But don’t count on this as the action will never be like it was during the early, primary rut. 

One point about the late flintlock season, it’s been thought that greater range inline muzzleloaders have should be allowed as it’s tough getting close to a deer at this time of year which is the typical range of a flintlock. Good point for the PGC to consider during their upcoming board meeting. 
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With most area corn and soybean fields now harvested, they’re prime feeding fields for geese and ducks. And recently, large flocks have been putting down in the harvested corn fields in the area of Mechanicsville and Ringer roads in Whitehall Township. Further north, the corn fields near Leaser Lake are enticing geese from the lake and small farm ponds nearby. 

So far, hunting pressure seems to be low to non-existent despite having four hunting segments. 

The third of the four seasons for them gets underway Dec. 16 and and runs until Jan. 18. It’s followed by the final segment from Jan. 31-Feb. 22.
 
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who monitors Canada geese populations, they estimate the number of Canada geese in the U.S. is around 3.2 million with a North American population of over 4.3 million. The population has increased dramatically during the past several decades. Resident Canada goose population exceeds one million in the Atlantic Flyway and 1.6 million in the Mississippi Flyway. Populations in these two flyways has increased an average of one and five percent per year respectively over the last 10 years. The population of resident Canada geese in the Central Flyway is close to one million birds. 

Why have they grown so much you may ask? 

Their increase has been attributed to Canada geese that live in mild climates with stable breeding habitat conditions. They’ve adapted to living in habitats found in suburban and urban developments and they fly short distances to winter compared with other Canada goose populations, said the USFWS. This along with high annual production and survival, the absence of predators and waterfowl hunting in urban areas, also increases survival rates. Given these characteristics, most resident Canada goose populations are continuing to increase in both rural and urban areas. 

This also brings up the problems they create such as denuding grassy areas like parks, pastures, golf courses, lawns and other areas where grass is kept short and where there are ponds, lakes and other bodies of water nearby. 

Goose droppings are also a health concern and have often contributed to temporary closure of public beaches plus degraded water quality. It’s easy to find these areas locally such as the parking lots at Leaser Lake, the walkways at Lake Muhlenberg in Allentown. They’ll also do their duty on high school football and soccer fields where players have to practice and play their games and of course, golf courses. . 

To hunt geese takes an investment in decoys to lure them down near you plus the time needed to scout fields they’ve been hitting to feed. 

As for ducks, their numbers are much lower. They too have a lengthy season as the North Zone season runs Nov. 19-Jan. 11. In the South Zone it’s Nov. 19-Jan. 18. 

FREE FLY-TYING COURSE OFFERED
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Hokendauqua Trout Unlimited organization is offering a fly-tying course beginning Jan. 4. It will run for eight consecutive Saturdays at Northampton Middle School. All materials and tools will be provided. The course is free and open to the public. For more information and to register contact Dale Ott at 610-7598 or check the organizations website at Fly Tying Course/Hokendauqua Chapter #535. 

While we’re still in hunting seasons, and freshwater fishing is virtually tough because of low water conditions, and ice fishing is still not available locally, the only viable fishing action is occurring at the Jersey shore. 

As reported by On the Water Magazine, striper fishing at the shore remains red hot despite the freezing temperatures. Boats are having no trouble getting limits and bonus fish while surfcasters continue to pick bass all along the coast. Same goes for bluefin tuna. Blackfishing has improved at the inlets and on the wrecks, reefs and rock piles. More keepers and limits have been reported including a 17-pound tog caught last week on the Sea Owl charter. 

Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet, said stripers are still the story with an epic bite going on right now in the ocean with Diamond jigs being the hot lures. He also checked in very big bluefish. Anglers are picking fish off the beaches of Sandy Hook with big hickory shad in the mix. Sciortino added that big bluefin tuna are around as well with NLBN straight tails accounting for some fish. Blackfishing is on the upswing with good reports coming from the Rattlesnake and 17 Fathom. 

Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait & Tackle in Sea Bright, reported that bass are on the beach in Long Branch and there’s loads of bass in the area. Peanut and adult bunker are keeping them around. 

Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch, reported striper fishing is still going strong with bass being caught off the beach there. If fishing from a boat, you can’t miss them. They’re hitting sand eels and peanut bunker plus adult bunker, all along the coast. There’s also plenty of bluefin tuna as he and friends boated a 70-incher last week and had another pull a hook. Stripers are a bit out of casting range in Ocean Grove, but they were taking sand eels. Blind casting is hooking fish on Avas and on sand eels. 

Tim Rizzuto at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar, said some anglers are picking off some winter flounder in Shark River. As for stripers on the beach, it’s a matter of being at the right place at the right time. Boats, however, are having no trouble finding bass offshore. 

Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park, said there are plenty of stripers around and blackfishing is getting better. He fished aboard the Hyper Striper out of the Highlands last week and the crew got their limit of bass, plus they landed more than 25 keeper tog. 

ICE FISHING 

With below freezing temperatures last week, this week’s warm-up won’t help ice fishing conditions. The only reports posted are from some small lakes and ponds in the Pocono’s, but better conditions are being reported in New York state, if you don’t mind the drive. 

Locally, the prime ice fishing spot has traditionally been Ontelaunee Reservoir in upper Berks County. But because of the drought we experienced, much of the lake is void of water. Anglers have posted photos of Ontelaunee showing large tracts of rocky lake bottom. 
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As for Leaser Lake, it seems to take a long time for it to produce safe ice for ice fishing. It will take extended weeks of sub-freezing temperatures to freeze Leaser. We’ll keep you posted. 

​With night temperatures forecasted to be in 20s this week, it’s the ideal weather for ski areas to begin their snowmaking operations. 
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Foremost of the most popular ones are Camelback in the Pocono’s, who are planning on opening Friday, December 13. And for the upcoming season, Camelback Resort is in partnership with local Blue Mount Resort in Palmerton in offering unlimited skiing and lift access at both resorts through their value-packed Peak-to-Peak Poconos Pass. With this, passholders will get exclusive perks and discounts at both destinations with no blackout dates or restrictions. 
New for Camelbacks 2024-25 season are new Adult, Senior and Youth Classes for teaching ski lessons to all age groups by introducing new adult, senior and youth classes at its Ski & Ride Academy. For adults 18 and over with a skill level of advanced beginner and up, two-hour group lessons are available which will allow participants to build or refine skills in a group with similar abilities. These customized classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. during January and February 2025. 

Special two-hour Senior Clinics are offered on Wednesdays in January and February. For younger skiers, an After-School Program for ages 9 to 18 provide one-hour lessons over three consecutive weeks. The Ski & Ride Academy also offers extended private lessons, including options for children, family and friends, as well as a mid-week, half day program. 

For those who prefer snow tubing, Camelback features one of the largest snow tubing parks in the country, according to Marguarite Clark, Camelback Public Relations Manager. The resort offers over 40 snow tubing lanes for daytime and nighttime tubing. The lighted lanes are serviced by two magic carpet lifts.

Camelback offers 14 lifts serving 19 trails for skiers and boarders and new this season is the Black Bear 6. Introduced in 2022 as a high-speed, six-person enclosed lift, it replaced the smaller Sullivan Express and Sunflower Express lifts built in 2022. 

Also new on Black Bear 6 is a digital screen that displays a trail map, lift updates and other updated ski information. 

Snow lovers are offered Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology that allows guests an easy shopping opportunity at the resort’s Big Pocono On The Go spot, that provides a collection of grab-and-go purchase possibilities. Camelback is the first ski resort in the country to offer Just Walk Out technology by utilizing only a credit card, the Amazon app or Camelback app at the entry gate.

At Blue Mountain Resort, they plan to open for skiing and snowboarding Friday, Dec. 6 and for tubing, Saturday Dec. 7. 

New at the Blue for this season is enhanced snowmaking technology and a new snow groomer. 
For the opener, visitors will be treated to early and quick snowmaking thanks to 132 new type stick snow guns and six fan guns across the entire mountain. This gives the Blue a 17.5 percent increase in snowmaking for opening day, as compared to last year. This investment included updated automated software to make snowmaking more efficient and better timing control. 

Expanded trails for this season include Come Around, Lower Lazy, Falls and Lower Sidewinder. Additionally, a new 2024 Prinoth Bison X Cat snow groomer will be operational. 
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As of press time, Bear Creek Resort in Macungie did not respond to several inquiries regarding their 2024-25 season.