 The Great American Outdoor Show is an all encompassing event that displays all aspects of the outdoors. Contributed photo Barring another major snowstorm, you may consider driving out to the Harrisburg Farm Show Complex this week for this year’s Great American Outdoor show hosted by the NRA. Billed as the largest outdoor show in the country, it kicked off this past Saturday (Feb. 7) and runs until Friday, Feb 15. It will feature over 1,000 exhibitors ranging from shooting manufacturers to outfitters, fishing gear, archery equipment, boats, RVs, trucks, taxidermy exhibits, deer skinning/butchering demonstrations, outdoor art, celebrities and country singers. There will be nine halls of the latest firearms, archery equipment that can be tried, tree stands, hunting blinds, air guns and lots more. This year will bring over 400 outfitters and boat captains from around the world to book hunting/fishing trips plus several fishing and hunting seminars and cooking demonstrations of wild game. On the competition area, there’s the Pennsylvania Lumberjack Championships, Elk Calling Championships, 3D Bowhunter Challenge, Spot Shooting, Hawg Tank for live fishing demonstrations, Dock Dog Competitions, and for the youngsters, there’s the Eddie Eagle Zone with interesting activities for the kids, Rock Climbing, live trout fishing, kids casting and face painting. Back again is the Wall of Guns, a large showcase that features the latest in firearms for which showgoers can purchase chances for the firearms when they’re auctioned during the last day of the show. Show tickets can be bought at the show or online at [email protected]. For added show information and show times call 800-672-4868. Ticket prices are Adults ($17); 2-Day ticket ($28); Children 6-12 ($10); Seniors 65 and over $14). The Farm Show Complex is located at 2300 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, 17110. WINTER PHEASANT STOCKING For the second year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission will be releasing approximately 8,400 pheasants, mostly hens, in the last two weeks of the pheasant hunting season, which runs through Feb. 28. The releases are planned to occur over a two-day window on Wed., Feb. 11 and Thursday, Fe. 12 at selected locations in each of the PGCs six regions. However, hunters should be aware that weather and logistical issues could result in last-minute changes to the planned schedule. Here in the Southeast Region only SGL 280 at Blue March Lake (Berks Co) will be stocked. Up state in the Northeast Region the following will get birds: SGL’s 36, 123, 219, 250 and 289 (Bradford Co.); SGL 40 and Beltzville area (Carbon Co.); SGLs 226 and 329 (Columbia Co.); SGL 187 and Nescopeck State Park (Luzerne Co.); SGLs 84 and 165 (Northumberland Co.). The PGC says that none of the pheasants released will be leg-banded, however hunters might harvest a banded bird that was released earlier in the season. These hens are being released as an insurance policy of sorts against any disease issues that might arise in the suppliers primary breeder flocks. With flocks presently healthy, it’s not feasible to hold onto these “backup” birds that were held to provide late-winter hunting opportunities, notes the PGC.
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 The Pennsylvania Game Commission is once again asking the public to help them find will turkey flocks for their ongoing research. While no turkeys will be fitted with transmitters this winter, their research project that were tracking turkeys to get an in-depth look into their survival, productivity and movement came to an end, males will continue to be banded in the winter to monitor harvest rates, says the PGC. They go on to explain that finding birds to trap is key to accomplishing the work and that’s where the public’s help comes in. And the PGC learned that many Pennsylvanians have a history of helping in this way. Reina Tyl, the Game Commission’s wild turkey biologist, said participation in Winter Turkey Sighting Survey has been extremely useful for locating trappable flocks over the past four winters. “The public has been so helpful. Some landowners who reported flocks on their property have also helped with monitoring flock activity and have participated in trapping,” Tyl said. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration this winter.” Volunteers for the Wild Turkey Sighting Survey are asked to provide the date of the sighting, the location and the type of land (public, private or unknown) where birds are seen. Sightings may be reported online through https://pgcforms.pa.gov/TurkeySightingSurvey or by calling 1-833-742-9453 from now through March 15. And with snow on the ground, turkeys should be easier to spot. Game Commission crews will access sites for the potential to trap turkeys. Just like the last six winters, the Game Commission will put leg bands on male turkeys statewide. Turkeys will not be moved, they’ll simply be leg-banded and released on site. Trapping turkeys during winter is part of the PGC’s ongoing population monitoring of this majestic bird. If hunters doing any late season snow goose, squirrel, rabbit, pheasant or coyote hunting, and come across a dead turkey, they are asked to report it and if a banded turkey the band number online or the above phone number. SPRING TROUT STOCKING For avid trout anglers, and weather permitting, the Pennsylvania Fish Commission will start their first local trout stocking Feb. 17. Anglers should check the commission’s website for locations if you’re interested in helping the stocking program.  Despite the last weeks warming temperatures and rain, ice fishing is still ongoing. And the rain and warmth didn’t affect ice conditions that much especially up north in the Pocono area according to Chris from Chris’s Bait & Tackle in Mertztown. Chris said Leaser Leaser Lake has 4-6 inches of good ice except near the dam where’s there’s open water. At Ontelaunee Reservoir, it has 4-6 inches of ice and most anglers are buying and using minnows, shiners and waxworms there. In fact, Chris said he’s sold over 15,000 waxworms since the season started. Also in Berks County, Chris said Antietam Lake has some ice. Up at Shohola Lake in the Poconos, there’s a good 7.5 inches while Francs Slocum has 6 inches and fishing good for bluegills and crappie on Gulp 2-inch minnows. Brady’s Lake has 7-8 inches while Mauch Chunk Lake had 7 inches but there was lots of open water there but launch No. 8 had decent ice. Upper Woods Lake had 7 inches. And lastly, Lackawanna State Park Lake had 8 inches with a few sizable largemouths and decent size perch hitting tip-ups. So the ice bite is still on and should get better in upcoming days when the weather cools. If you consider yourself a pretty good ice angler, you may want to ply your knowledge at Nanticoke Conservation Club’s 29th Annual Ice Fishing Derby at Francis Slocum State Park Lake. The derby is set for Saturday, Feb, 7 running from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Pre-registration can be done by emailing “[email protected].” Provide your name and phone number for each person attending and please provide the age of anyone 15 and younger. Cash prizes for the heaviest fish are in the following categories: Bass (15-inch minimum), perch, crappie, bluegill, pickerel and trout. A special prize for the heaviest fish of any the categories caught by anyone 15 and younger. Cash prizes are based on the number of participants. Weigh-in begins at 12:30 p.m. and failure to be at the weigh-in by 1 p.m. results in disqualification. Some of the prizes include 1st prize; a Ruger 10/22 semi-auto .22LR w/10 round rotary magazine and walnut stock; 2nd; Members Mark 4 Burner Griddle; 3rd; Walker’s Razor Xtreme Electronic Earmuff; 4th; 2-pack Muddy10,000 mAh Electronic Handwarmer/Powerbank; 5th; Humminbird ICE-45 Flasher; 6th; Cabela’s Pursuit Ground Blind and Chair, 7th: Frabill Universal Bait Station Cooler w/Aerator; 8th, Clam Drill Plate Pro; 9th, Outdoor Edge 6-pc Pro Game processing knife set; 10; NEBO LED Flashlight /Lantern/Headlamp Set and more. Derby entry costs for adults (16 and older), $10, Junior (10-15 years old), $5, Children 9 and younger are Free.
 As a sportsman we’ve all heard of piebald or albino whitetail deer, and on occasion have seen a piebald version. Most recently, there was a black or melanistic deer, spotted in Lehigh Township, Northampton County. But how many have seen or even heard of a silver deer yet alone a buck? Well two hunters in northwestern Wisconsin have a silver buck in their area, and they’re trying to protect it from hunters. According to the National Deer Association who featured this particular buck since it came to their attention as a silver buck or ghostly deer, learned it has been seen for three hunting seasons by Kevin O’Brien, his uncle and three cousins who all hunt in this area where the buck has been seen and photographed on trail cameras. This frosty whitetail doesn’t fit into any well-known color phase of deer. In 2024, Kevin contacted a Wisconsin DNR wildlife biologist about this buck who admitted it didn’t appear to be based on any previous known cases of such a deer. The silver buck was photographed on August 12, 2025 as a 2 1/2 -year old and on earlier sightings when it was younger. It first showed up in 2023 as a button buck, reappeared on trail cameras as a yearling and subsequently spotted from tree stands this fall. One Wisconsin biologist suggested it was a “gray phase” melanistic deer, but melanism involves a lot of dark, black hair over most of the body. And. Melanistic deer usually lack white patches of hair on the face and neck. But this silver deer, like most whitetails, has them. Even lighter cases of melanism are still very dark gray, not frosty silver, explains the biologist. In attempting to find someone who could identify this deer more definitely, Dave Osborn a Georgia DMAP biologist, a deer researcher at the University of Georgia Deer Lab, said this silver buck reminded him of a doe named Crystal that lived for 10 years at UGA Deer Lab that was born as a piebald fawn. “When Crystal molted into her adult pelage, she no longer was a piebald as she went from almost no white to no white at all. The rest of her life she had unique summer and winter colors. In summer, she couldn’t be distinguished from any other of 30-plus does in her pen, unless you got close to see her gray eyes. In winter, she was almost silver,” Osborn explained. Crystal stumped Osborn who admitted that he could not explain Crystal and why she was a piebald, not a piebald and why she was silver in winter and red in summer. “I have no understanding of this unique color phase.” He then reached out to Jim Heffelfinger a wildlife biologist with Arizona Game & Fish Department who recalls seeing a photo of a similar colored Sitka black-tailed deer from Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “The “glacier” black-tailed deer was sighted in 2012 on Baranof Island in the Alaska Panhandle and was running in a group of other normal-colored bucks and does and was described as “a very light, bluish gray,” he recounted. There was also a black bear who had a silver phase and was called a “glacier bear.” This color pattern was reported as a recessive gene like piebaldism and melanism. For now, the silver Wisconsin buck does not seem like a true piebald or true melanistic and it’s not an albino which is a complete lack of pigment – even eye color. It seems to be some kind of anomaly that is even more rare. The biologist concluded, “We simply do not know.”  So far Mother Nature has not allowed Lehigh Valley area ice fishermen to walk on water. Despite the recent freezing temperatures, down and up air temperatures will play havoc with ice conditions. As such, it’s never a good idea to walk onto a frozen lake or pond without following proper protocols and knowing how long it takes and what temperature must be hit, for that body of water to freeze, says the folks at US Swim School Association (USSSA). And not everyone has a friend nearby or carries an item such as an ice pick to help them out of the water if they should fall in on thin, worse yet, skim ice. As such, USSSA created a list of what to do if you should fall through the ice. They are as follows: * Brace Yourself: This may be difficult to do at first but due to the immediate change on body temperature and shock from the cold water, the body’s immediate reaction is going to be to gasp for air and hyperventilate. Breathing or inhaling freezing water increases the chances of drowning. * Keep Calm: Do not flail your arms; this will release more body heat. The body loses 32 times more heat in cold water than in cold air. Panicking will do nothing. Instead, keep your head above water and grab onto the ice in the direction you came from. This ice should be strong enough to help you out of the water. * Do Not Undress Winter Clothes: Keep winter clothing on while in the water, it will not drag you down. It will help keep in body heat and any air inside the clothing will help you float. * Get Horizontal: Once you’ve gotten most of your upper body out of the water, kick you legs as strongly as possible in hopes of getting yourself out of the water and onto the ice. * Roll Onto The Ice: Do not stand up. Roll over the ice once you’re out to help prevent more cracks in the ice and from falling in again. Always stay off ice that’s only 3 inches thick or less. * Retrace Your Steps: Once out and far enough away from the hole you made, trace your footsteps back to safety. Take is slow because your body is still dealing with the affects of the freezing water. * Throw, Don’t Go: Never enter the water to rescue someone. If someone is there to help you it’s safer for that person to throw a lifesaving device like a branch, coat or rope into the water. Wait until you grab hold and then tow you to safety. Otherwise you could both end up in the water. * Get Warm: Once out of the water, seek medical attention to bring body temperature back to normal. These smart tips could save you life, especially if caught alone with no help in sight. When temperatures remain below freezing, it’s usually the Pocono lakes that freeze first. Such spots are Lake Minisink, Shohola Lake, Promised Land Lake, Pecks Pond and Tobyhanna that are the initial ones that can offer some ice action. Early reports from recent NEPA Ice Fishing posts had 2-inches on Tobyhanna and 2.5 on White Oak.  For avid birders, December is the meaningful start of bird feeding season because it’s at this time when natural food is scarce and birds could use this supplemental feeding. It’s especially important during periods of extreme weather such as a heavy snow cover. Winter feeding is a great way to observe and learn about our year-round birds and perhaps some new arrivals that haven’t been seen during summer months. The Birding Wire suggests making a feeding mixture to maximize the number of species visiting your backyard feeders such as goldfinches, chickadees, siskins and nuthatches to eat. But larger birds like cardinals, woodpeckers and jays will also feast on them as they provide the highest level of food value or any seeds. Since black oil sunflower seed is a favorite of many birds, you may want to splurge a bit and get shelled sunflower kernels, which eliminates the mess of empty shells that are spread around the ground and pile up beneath feeders. They also eliminate the need to rake and shovel and bag the sunflower shells that accumulate around your feeder(s). The shelled version creates a mess so don’t buy them. Another advantage of the shelled version is that birds will eat every crumb of seeds contained in a bag of shelled seeds. And you’re not paying for the shells which saves you money says the Birding Wire as you don’t need to buy as many bags as shells take up a lot of space in a bag of sunflower seeds and they take up a lot of space in your feeder. This also means you don’t have to refill your feeder as often. You may also want to sprinkle in some safflower seeds as squirrels don’t like them if you don’t have a squirrel-proof feeder. Peanut halves or chips are another good option many birds prefer, but so do squirrels Suet is a premium year-round feeding station staple and there’s a brand that sells no-melt suet that squirrels and other mammals distain. And it’s offered as a Hot Pepper Suet blend that birds relish including woodpeckers, nuthatches, jays and ground feeding birds like juncos, native sparrows and other that feed on small pieces that fall below the suet feeder. You can also a crush-up a bit of suet into crumbs for the ground foraging birds. Don’t forget water. Fresh water attracts a greater variety of birds than any given food offered at a feeding station. Every bird needs water in some form. The sound of moving water will alert migrating birds to take a stopover break for water. However, with freezing winter temperatures, you’ll need a heated bird bath of some form. There’s even a solar-heated bird bath that eliminates the need for an AC plug and cord. Most of all, it’s recommended to keep the water fresh and don’t let your vessel to go dry. As winter sets in, and you’ve had you feeders filled, it’s time to sit back in the warmth of your home and watch the birds visiting. It’s an opportunity to identify new species, see that they prefer to eat and a way to learn more about the lives of birds around you. You may get to see some new, colorful surprises. And keep your bird identification book nearby. The much awaited and anticipated firearms deer hunting season gets underway Nov. 29 in Pa.11/21/2025  It could be called the holiday after the Thanksgiving holiday when Pennsylvania’s firearms deer hunting season opens statewide Saturday, Nov. 29 and runs through Dec. 13 that includes two Sundays, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. The Saturday firearms opener didn’t come without criticism as in the past it would always take place the Monday after Thanksgiving. A lot of hunters weren’t happy with the change for a variety of reasons. But the Saturday opener stands. At that time more than a half million orange-clad hunters take to the woodlands of Penn’s Woods in hope of bagging a buck, and in the least, at doe. Or maybe both for every WMU-specific antlerless license. No other single day on the state’s hunting calendar is as anticipated or busy, says the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). And it puts more hunters in the woods more often than any other species. Last year, across the 2024-25 deer seasons, hunters took an estimated 476,880 deer of which 175,280 were bucks and 301,600 were does. As always, the two-week firearms season accounted for the largest chunk of those 283,760 deer harvested as 86,530 were bucks and 197,230 were doe. Deer season is also a conservation method as hunters keep deer in balance with their habitat while feeding themselves and hungry neighbors. Last year’s harvest alone led to a record 283,789 pounds of healthy venison being donated to the Hunters Sharing the Harvest program. Hunters donate their venison at no cost to any one of more than 100 licensed butcher shops across 56 counties. The hunter pays for the cost of butchering and packaging and donates the meat through regional food banks with Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-free Pennsylvania program. According Hunters Sharing the Harvest Executive Director Randy Ferguson, last year’s donations equated to about 1.1 million servings of lean, nutritious venison for individuals and families. The National Deer Association (NDA), an advocacy group working to ensure the future of wild deer, released some interesting numbers. Their Deer Report has Pennsylvania ranked No. 1 in buck harvest per square mile and antlerless harvest per square mile, and No.2 in overall antlerless harvest and No. 3 in overall buck harvest and antlerless deer taken. And that’s no fluke says the NDA, as Pennsylvania has consistently ranked in the top five if not top three, in every category for more than a decade now. NDA goes on to report that once upon a time most of the antlered deer harvested in Pennsylvania were 18 months old or younger and carrying their first set of antlers. Now, with the antler-point restriction that limit hunters to harvest bucks with a minimum of points, about two of every three bucks now taken are 2.5 years or older. They’re not only bigger, but heavier sporting impressive headgear as well. EXTENDED BEAR SEASON While the firearms deer season is going on properly licensed hunters can take a bear in some WMUs. The extended bear season opens Nov.29 and continues on Sunday, Nov. 30, then Dec. 1-6 in WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 4C, 4E and 5A. The season also is held in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D when it opens Nov. 29 and continues on Sunday, Nov. 30, then again Dec. 1-13, including Sunday, Dec.7.  With the Pocono’s, down to Palmerton, getting a smattering of light snow last week, it’s the first sign of winter. And for snow lovers, local Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton and Camelback in the Pocono’s needed this incentive to crank up their snow guns and began snowmaking for the upcoming snow sports season. Blue Mountain made a host of enhancements for this season that includes new TechnoAlpin tower-mounted snow guns at the base area and two mobile, fully automated fan guns, all to deliver faster, more efficient snow coverage. Snow making was also upgraded with underground piping on Shuttle, Frontier Alley, Lower Sidewinder, Lower Lazy trails and Tubing Hill 3 that will boost water flow for greater snowmaking capacity. For those who can only ski during night-time hours, 380 trail lights have been upgraded with energy-efficient LED’s to brighten the most popular Challenge, Razors’ Edge, Main Street, Chute, Midway, Nightmare, Dreamweaver and Switchback runs. For your dining pleasure, Blue Mountain has introduced a Spud Truck, a new mobile eatery featuring loaded fries and stuffed baked potatoes with tantalizing toppings. Up at Camelback, snow making got a serious boost with high-pressure feed and summit supply lines that now power Margie’s Delight and Sullivan trails for added snow coverage. Also added were 32 auto hydrants and Impulse stick guns for consistent snow quality across the entire mountain. To whisk skiers/boarders up the mountain, the high-speed Stevenson lift was enhanced for a smoother, more reliable ride. Season passes are offered online for both resorts at www.skibluemt.com and www.camelbackresort.com. According to Marguarite Clark, media relations for both resorts, Blue Mountain is set to open November 28 followed by Camelback’s winter debut on December 12. Bear Creek Resort, in upper Berks County, also made enhancements for the upcoming season. According to Gary Kline, Marketing Director at Bear, more than 4,500 feet of snowmaking pipe, which increases Bear Creek’s to cover the mountain more quickly and efficiently, was added. In addition, 10 new fully automated snowguns were installed that adjust automatically to weather conditions to maximize snow production when temperatures drop. This covers more terrain earlier in the season and longer-lasting snowpack for late winter turns. Bear Creek now offers some new food and beverage options this season. The Snack Shack at Kodiak and Black Bear trails, located where the two slopes meet, is a mid-mountain location for a quick bite between runs. The Coffee and Hot Chocolate Stand, former home of the Polar Bar space, is being reimagined as a cozy coffee and hot chocolate stand. Guests can start their day with a steaming cup of coffee or warm-up with a decadent hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. Back by popular demand, the Waffle Cabin returns featuring Belgian waffles drizzled with chocolate or maple syrup. There’s also entertainment at Bear Creek both on the outdoor deck and inside the lodge. Season passes are available at bcmr.com. With deer becoming increasingly active due to their current rut season, a time when bucks are chasing does to breed and daylight-saving time puts more vehicles on the road during times and when deer move most, it’s the period when most deer-vehicle accidents occur. As such, the Pennsylvania Game Commission advises motorists to stay alert and slow down, especially when driving past wooded tracts on either side of the roadways, especially at dusk and dawn – the peak hours for deer activity. Data from around the country indicate Pennsylvania drivers face some of the highest risks of a vehicle collision with deer or other large animals like coyotes, even a bear. A recent report shows Pennsylvania leads the nation in animal-collision insurance claims in fiscal year 2024-25. According to the PGC, the national average for animal collisions is 1-in-139, while Pennsylvania drivers have a 1-in-62 chance. Drivers in only West Virginia (1-in-40), Montana (1-in-54), and Michigan (1-in-59), Wisconsin (1-in-63), strike big game animals with greater frequency. Another serious fact is that deer-vehicle collisions cause 59,000 injuries annually and 440 human deaths across the country. Keep in mind that if you encounter one deer crossing the road in front of you, there could be others behind it as deer often travel in groups and walk single file. So it doesn’t mean the threat is over as other ones could be right behind the lead deer. A few weeks ago, I was driving down Columbia Street in Stiles when a large doe popped out from a wooded section on my left and momentarily behind it were two fawns that followed her to a soybean field on the other side of the road. Fortunately, I was able to quickly hit the brakes as I watched the trio run a car length distance past me. It’s also important to pay attention to “Deer Crossing” signs as that area has a high probability of deer encounters. A driver who hits a deer with their vehicle is not required to report the accident to the PGC (only to your insurance carrier). If the deer dies, Pennsylvania residents may claim the carcass. To do so, they can call the PGC (within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer) at 833-PGC-HUNT or 833-PGC-WILD and an agency dispatcher will collect the information needed to provide a free permit number, which the caller should write down. A passing resident motorist also may claim the deer and reporting it with the same procedure. As a precaution, the PGC says that if a deer is struck but not killed, drivers should maintain their distance because some deer might recover and move on, or attack you especially if it’s a buck that could gore you with its antlers. To report a dead deer for removal from state roads, motorists can all PennDOT at 800-FIX-ROAD. |
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