For those anglers who like to walk on water, the long-awaited ice fishing season is somewhat underway. Despite four days of below freezing temperatures this week, the only hardwater action is on the northern, Pocono area lakes and ponds. Mike’s Bait and Tackle in Nazareth (610-759-205) said that Minsi Lake should have some ice but it’s unknown how much as Mike hasn’t had any reports from there. But he did get reports from Promised Land and Belmont lakes where anglers have been ice fishing there. Belmont reported to have 5 inches. Up in Luzerne County, Lake Lilly had a reported 10 inches while Lake Jean in Sullivan County had 4-5 inches. Tobyhanna had 2 inches by the shore, one inch farther out and Gouldsboro has three inches. Chris at Chris’s Outdoor Sports in Mertztown (610-682-4129) said Ontelaunee Reservoir in Berks County has some ice but it’s thin and not safe. Up at Leaser Lake it’s merely skim ice. He recommends the Pocono lakes like Promised Land reportedly has 4-5 inches while Brady’s had 2-3 inches of ice. Anglers may want to try IceShanty.com for updated reports. With the forecast for next week reporting warmer day time temperatures, it’s best to be patient and allow the ice to thicken before going out. According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), ice forms at different rates on each body of water depending upon the size and water depth. Once frozen, conditions change constantly and ice thickness can vary across the lake. Rocks, trees, docks or other things that poke through the ice will conduct heat and make the ice around it less stable. If the ice doesn’t look right, don’t go on it. In addition, a blanket of snow atop an ice-covered lake insulates the ice, slowing the growth of ice and hides the potential hazards or weak spots. Ice with a bluish color is safer than clear ice. But the PFBC says to avoid slushy or honey-combed ice and stay away from dark spots on the ice and where snow cover looks discolored. The PFBC offers these added ice fishing safety tips: *Keep in mind, no ice is 100 percent safe. *New ice is usually stronger than old ice. *Don’t go out alone and let someone know where you’re going and when you will return. *Check ice thickness as you go out as there could be pockets of thin ice or places where ice recently formed. *Avoid off-colored snow or ice as it’s usually a sign of weakness. *The insulating effect of snow slows the freezing process. And when you do go, take along some bare essentials like ice picks to help you crawl out if the ice breaks and you fall in, a floating safety rope, a whistle to call for help, extra dry clothes including a pair of gloves, and hand warmers. Veteran ice anglers know to wear ice cleats on their boots, take a plastic bucket to hold your small items like tip-ups, jigging rods, bait and other tackle, plus you can sit on top of it while jigging. Some anglers also use a sled to carry these tackle items and an ice drill/auger or spud bar onto the ice. And regarding bait, it’s mainly minnows and waxworms plus jigs. {Ed. Note} As of Saturday afternoon, there was a report of a scuba team arriving at Ontelaunee Reservoir for an angler falling through the ice. No further reports were received.
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It’s that time of year again when the largest outdoor show in America returns to the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. The Great American Outdoor Show kicks off Feb. 3-11 in Harrisburg and because of the location, was always referred to by local sportsmen as “The Harrisburg Show.” This nine-day extravaganza celebrates hunting, fishing and outdoor traditions. The show will feature over 1,000 exhibitors ranging from firearms manufacturers to outfitters, fishing boats, RVs, trucks, archery and outdoor art in the massive Farm Show Complex. Among the stage shows and competition, and new this year, is the Pennsylvania Lumberjack Competition. This is in addition to Dock Dogs Competition, the 3D Bowhunter Challenge. Kids Casting contest and loads more. On tap as well is the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Sportsman’s Auction, NRA’s Country Concert featuring country singer Warren Zeiders, and the very popular NRA Foundation’s Wall of Guns where showgoers can purchase a $10 ticket to win one of 40 firearms ranging from rifles, shotguns and handguns. For the kids, there’s the Eddie Eagle Kids Zone that will entertain them with wildlife identification, face painting, arts and crafts and more. Also for the kids will be the Airsoft Shooting Experience and the famous trout pond where the kids are almost guaranteed to catch a trout. The show will have 200 seminars hosted by an array of outdoor personalities such as Klint Molio on firearms, Jim Collins on predator hunting, Jeremy Critchfield showing culinary cooking, Eddie Salter veteran turkey hunting expert, the famed Barry Wensel on deer hunting, Chris Stefano on saltwater fishing and 33 other outdoor specialists. To avoid standing in long ticket lines, the show recommends purchasing admission tickets online before the show. Ticket prices are Adults, $15; 2-Day tickets, $26; Seniors 65 and over, $13; children 6-12, $9; Group of 10 or more, $13. Admission is free with the purchase of an NRA membership. Show hours are as follows: Feb 3 and 10, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Feb. 4 and 11, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Feb. 5- 9, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. For information on seminars, competitions, stage shows and purchasing tickets, check GAOS@nrahq.org or call 800-672-4868. The complex is located at 2300 N Cameron Street, Harrisburg, 17110. As we draw closer to show time, we’ll add any new additions in a future column. AVIAN FLU HITS MARTZ’S HUNTING PRESERVE In a previous column we detailed how the Pennsylvania Game Commission cut back stocking of pheasants because of an avian flu outbreak at some PGC rearing pens. Well, right before Christmas, Martz’s Game Farm in Dalmatia, Pa, had to destroy 100,000 farm-raised gamebirds that included 85,000 pheasants plus chukars, Hungarian and French red-legged partridges. Martz is a popular and the largest game farm in the Mid-Atlantic. They raise and sell gamebirds to sportsmen’s clubs, shooting preserves and sportsmen take their hunting dogs there to train them to flush and point stocked pheasants on Martz’s property. Said Mike Martz, owner/manager of the preserve, “We don’t know how we got the flu as we follow strict bio-security procedures. We even disinfect tires and employees wear booties while in the pens. But you can’t control fly overs and we’ve had a lot of geese fly over and raptors visiting the pens for a meal.” Martz when on to say that their birds appeared healthy and the disease was confined to a single pen. But protocols dictate that the entire facility must be depopulated. Upland hunters looking forward to going afield for the late pheasant hunting season may be disappointed thanks to the recent detection of the highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) . The Pennsylvania Game Commission has discovered HPAI in a private Northumberland County game farm and has been forced to adjust its late season pheasant stocking program. The intent is to help safeguard the agency’s pheasant program to insure that it will continue next year for the 2024-25 small game hunting seasons. According to the PGC, in the next two weeks the agency will release fewer pheasants statewide than initially planned. And here in the eastern part of the state, pheasant releases will occur only this week, not next, with properties that receive normally birds during their final two releases, will be combined as one. These adjustments, say the PGC, will impact pheasant hunters and this is why. Last week, the state Department of Agriculture announced the recent detection of HPAI at Martz’s Game Farm in Northumberland County, a popular pay-to-hunt farm. While the pheasants released by the PGC originate from a different facility, Mahantongo Game Farm, where HPAI has not been detected nor suspected, that facility also is in Northumberland County. The proximity of HPAI to that facility represents a concern, the PGC explains. If there was an HPAI outbreak there, regulations would require euthanasia of many or all of the breeding pheasants that provide stock for the PGC’s stocking program, and could jeopardize the program’s future. As such, the PGC is taking measures by first holding onto all of the hen pheasants, and about five percent of roosters that were slated for release in the final two pheasant releases for the 2023-24 seasons. Then, if HPAI remains undetected through continued testing of birds at the Mahantongo Farm, pheasants there will be temporarily transferred to the PGC’s Loyalsock Game Farm. That’s why the counties served by Loyalsock will get their final two releases all at once this week. The pheasants to be released need to be cleared out to make room for those coming in. The Loyalsock facility serves the following counties to the stocked this week: Adams, Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Centre, Columbia, Cumberland, Franklin (State Game Lands 235 only), Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming. Monroe, Montgomery, Northumberland, Perry, Pike Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wayne, Wyoming and York. Pennsylvania’s remaining counties served by the Southwest Game Farm, will have rooster-only pheasant releases in those counties and will continue as scheduled in each of the next two weeks. According to Ian Gregg, Wildlife Operations Division Chief, “This wasn’t a decision we took lightly because we know that pheasant hunters have been looking forward to the late small game season pheasant releases. They will be inconvenienced by these adjustments on short notice. However, we believe this precautionary approach is the right thing to do because it will significantly reduce the risk of disease impacts that would be more devastating to pheasant hunting in the long run.” On a local note, pheasant hunters with hunting dogs traditionally look forward to this late season to have their dogs work the fields to sniff out and flush pheasants. The number of pheasants to be stocked locally in the Southeast that will receive a total of 6,900 males, and 1,340 females. Up in the Northeast, they’ll receive 8,060 males and 1,020 females. If you still have an unfilled buck and doe license, and have a muzzleloader license, the traditional post-Christmas flintlock deer hunting season gets underway Dec. 26 and runs until Jan 15 in twenty Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). For those who hunt in WMU 2B, 5C and 5D, that season runs Dec. 26 and extends a bit longer to Jan 27. There’s also the Extended Regular Firearms for antlerless deer in 2B, 5C and 5D from Dec. 26 to Jn. 27. For you bowhunters, you may take an antlered and antlerless deer statewide from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15 and from Dec. 26 to Jan. 27 in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. While these big game seasons are ongoing, small game season restarts for squirrels and rabbits from Dec. 26 to Feb. 29. This is a good time to introduce a young hunter to the sport as hunting pressure for these species is virtually nil. And even better, there’s no lack of targets as squirrels are plentiful and seemingly everywhere. And they make good table fare as their meat is on the sweet side. As for rabbits, they are more of a challenge to find unless you have a good hunting dog that can flush them from their hiding haunts. If there’s any snow on the ground, they can be easier to spot. NATIONAL BOWHUNTER STUDY The Archery Trade Association (ATA) conducted a nationwide study on bowhunter participation in 2021 and came away with some interesting numbers, one of which that was Pennsylvania was number one in the country. ATA worked with state wildlife agencies and the National Deer Association to determine bowhunting participation for the 2021-22 hunting season. Through the study, ATA learned that there are 3,761,233 bowhunters in the United States. And the numbers reflect younger hunters coming into the sport, and part of that credit goes to the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) where youngsters 6-17 years of age made up 23 percent of all bowhunters. Hunters 65 and older saw an 8 percent average 3-year growth, and that’s likely due to easier to use crossbows. The top state was Pennsylvania who had 331,000 bowhunters followed by the following, all with six digits: Wisconsin, 307,450; Michigan, 306,278; NewYork, 244,226; Mississippi, 202,726; Illinois, 173,710; Ohio, 172,967; Texas, 168,301 and Arkansas with 128,810. The states that you would expect to have high numbers were surprisingly low such as Colorado, 11,963; Montana, 58,304 and Wyoming who had 4,063. The least expected state was Florida at 63,407 and the smallest number goes to Hawaii at 1,384. Since Thursday, December 21, marks the first day of winter, it also marks the official start of winter bird feeding season. Winter is when birds need supplemental food sources the most, especially for our year-round bird residents such as black capped chickadees, blue jays and winter visitors like evening and pine grosbeaks. As such, here are some basic bird feeding tips from our Outdoor Wire birding friends. *Make your own feeding mixture to maximize the number of species visiting your bird feeder. Black or oil sunflower seed is the favorite of many birds, but when mixed with thistle (or nyjer) seeds or cracked corn, you’ll be assured to attract a wide variety of species. And don’t forget suet to attract woodpeckers and even chickadees. *Mix up the type of feeders you use. Hopper feeders are great for large birds such as blue jays, while tube feeders are best for smaller birds. Elevated tray feeders will attract birds that are usually ground feeders including juncos and larger birds such as evening grosbeaks. Of course, you’ll also have to contend with squirrels who are habitual feeder robbers. You may also want to add a water source like a bird bath or simple tray but you’ll need to invest in a heated that can be purchased at local hardware or birding stores. *If possible, place feeders near natural habitat or add a habitat for birds to hide. A Christmas tree is a great addition to a backyard. Instead of throwing out your real Christmas tree when Christmas is over, put it close to your feeder(s) to provide quick cover for the birds. *Keep your feeders clean. Only put enough food for a day, and wash feeders every couple of weeks in a 10 percent bleach solution then let it dry to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease. *Feeding can expose birds to hazards they might otherwise avoid. The risks of predation are higher close to people, especially from domestic cats. In fact, we see a black feral cat sit by an evergreen bush across the street at a neighbors back yard that birds use for cover and to sleep at night. It will even hide beneath it to grab an unsuspecting bird. They are the leading cause of birds’ deaths in North America. So perhaps take the feeders down if predators become frequent visitors. *Don’t feed birds when bears are active. Most bears are in dens from Dec. 1 to April 1, but some will delay hibernation or re-emerge to feed during periods of warmer weather. Remove bird feeders immediately if you see signs of bears, or know if one is active in your area. *Once you’ve started feeding the birds, keep your feeders stocked as they’ll depend on and look forward to having food as it’s an easy food source. If you wish to stop feeding during winter months, gradually taper off the amount of food you provide rather than stopping abruptly. It gives the birds a chance to find other food sources. This is especially important during when food is scarce in winter and during periods of extreme weather. *Finally, report your observations such as during the recent Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count that got underway Dec. 14 and runs to Jan. 5. Your observations can help provide important information for an understanding on local bird populations. Check for a count location in the area by checking the Audubon’s website. Since local freshwater fishing is essentially over for now, but if you don’t mind bundling-up and heading to the New Jersey shore you can get into some big, good eating, bluefin tuna and striped bass fishing. According to our fishing reporters from On the Water Magazine, striped bass fishing remains red hot. Fish of all sizes are hitting shads, flutter spoons and topwater baits from Sandy Hook down to Island Beach State Park. The bluefin bite is also excellent with giants and regulation-size fish reportedly caught within just a few miles from shore. Rick Hebert, at Tackle World in Rochelle Park, said the bluefin bite has been on fire. The hot spots are down south. Hebert goes on to say stripers are all over the place, north and south, with boats getting the best action. Danny Stolba, at Fish Tail Bait and Tackle in Carteret, said anglers are still catching stripers in the Arthur Kill and have switched to frozen bunker as fresh has been hard to come by. But, he adds, the bass don’t seem too picky with the best bite occurring when the tide switches to incoming. My ole buddy Phil Sciortino, at the Tackle Box in Hazlet, said they’re seeing some of the best striper action of the year right now. Fishing with his son last week he witnessed miles and piles of stripers about a half mile off Sandy Hook. Bass of all sizes, with the biggest up to 25 pounds, were hitting flutter spoons, shads and topwater lures. The fish were stacked from the surface down to 60 feet with spoons getting hit long before they reached the bottom. Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch, reported it’s been a pick of bass on the beaches using Avas and teasers. The night bite too has been improving. He was out chasing bluefin and said striper readings under the boat were remarkable. Ted Imfeld, at The Reel Seat in Brielle, said bluefin are two to six miles offshore and are all over Barnegat Ridge, the Shark River Reef and in the shipping lanes. Stripers too are all over the place with boaters getting the most action. There were also bass on the beach to the south of the Manasquan Inlet that are falling for Ava teasers and topwater lures. Scott Thomas, at Grump’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park, reported plenty of stripers in the surf that are hitting sand eel imitations from Tsunami, Joe Biggs and Bill Hurley Avas. with teasers and needlefish are also working. Fish are of mix sizes up to 20 pounds. He also had excellent bluefin tuna reports with the Shark River Reef a current hot spot. Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar, said striper fishing keeps getting better. High hook last Wednesday was 27 stripers with everyone getting their limit. He added that bluefin have been blowing-up alongside the bass as well. He’s fishing north and south of the Shark River Inlet. So if you have some venison in the freezer and could use some bass or tuna in there as well, the fishing will be cold temperature wise, but the fishing should be hot.
With deer on the move during the rut, motorists need to be vigilant to prevent costly collisions11/4/2023 As veteran deer hunters know, November signals the start of the deer rut in Pennsylvania when male deer begin chasing female deer to mate. This means deer will be on the move and active. Plus, daylight-saving time, that occurred this weekend, will put more vehicles on the road during the hours when deer move the most meaning during dusk and dawn. As such, the Pennsylvania Game Commission advises motorists to slow down and stay alert as this is the time most vehicle-deer collisions occur. This is the period, says the PGC, when yearling bucks disperse from the areas in which they were born and travel, sometimes several miles to find new ranges. At the same time, adult bucks are cruising their home ranges in search of does, and will chase the does they encounter resulting in more deer crossing roads. According to the PGC, data from around the country indicates Pennsylvania drivers face some of the highest risks of a vehicle collision with a deer or other large animal. A recent report shows Pennsylvania led the country in animal-collision insurance claims in the fiscal year 2022-23. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania drivers, according to the report, have a 1-in-59 chance of a vehicular accident involving a big game animal – one of the highest rates nationwide. The PGC says that drivers can reduce their chances of collisions with deer by staying alert and attempt to understand deer behavior. Paying attention while driving on stretches marked “Deer Crossing” signs can make a difference as that’s the location of most deer accidents. Deer often travel in groups and walk single file. So even if one deer crosses the road in front of you, it doesn’t necessarily mean the threat is over. Another one or more could be right behind it. This is especially true now as there’s still amount of standing corn where deer could pop out and not be seen until they’re on the roadway. Last year at this time a doe followed by a buck ran out in front of my car as they emerged from the edge of standing corn on Rural Road, down from Lazarus’s Market located off Mauch Chunk Road. Later that week on Mauch Chunk a farmer was taking down the corn on the east side of road when a nice buck ran across the highway and into standing corn on the other side of the road and on land owned by GES Chemicals (former Trojan Powder Co.). And this was at 9:30 a.m. A driver who hits a deer with a vehicle is not required to report the accident to the PGC. If the deer dies, only Pennsylvania residents may claim the carcass as there probably is some edible venison remaining. If it’s a buck, you may not keep the antlers that must be turned into the PGC. To do so, you can call the PGC (833-PGC-HUNT or 833-PGC-Wild and a dispatcher will collect the information needed to provide a free permit number that is needed to claim the carcass. Residents must call within 24 hours of taking possession. A passing motorist may also claim the deer if the person whose vehicle hit it doesn’t want it. If a deer is struck and is not killed, drivers are urged to maintain their distance because some deer may recover and move on. If it’s a buck, it could charge and gore you. Drivers should call the PGC or local law enforcement and they’ll deal with it. To report a dead deer for removal from state roads, motorists can call PennDOT (800-FIX-Road), and they’ll pick it up. The fall turkey hunting season kicked off this past Saturday (Oct. 28) in 19 of Pennsylvania’s 22 Wildlife Management Units (WMU). Unfortunately, it’s not open locally in WMU 5C, 5D and 5A as the turkey population is not sufficient to allow spring and fall hunts in these units. During the fall season, any turkey can be harvested, and female turkeys make up over 50 percent of the fall harvest. When turkey populations are below goal in a WMU, the fall season structure is reduced to allow more female turkeys to survive to nest, explains the PGC. As for the season outlook, turkey reproduction in 2023, as measured by the number of poults observed, was lower than in 2021 and 2022. But it was greater this year than in 2019 and 2020 across many WMUs, says the PGC. According to Mary Jo Casalena, PGC wild turkey biologist, “Although fall flock sizes may be smaller this year, there may be more flocks due to the above-average reproduction the previous two years. Hunters should expect to find flocks concentrated on available food sources, such as areas with acorn production or agricultural areas.” Casalena encourages hunters to cover a lot of ground in areas where acorn or beechnut production is abundant because flocks are not constrained by limited food. “Where food is abundant, determining turkey movement patterns around that food will improve hunting success,” Casalena opines. During the 2022 season, the fall harvest (7,600 turkeys) was 12 percent greater than in 2021 (6,800 turkeys). Statewide fall hunter participation (70,500 hunters) was 14 percent less in 2022 than in 2021 (81,500 hunters). Fall hunter success of 10.8 percent was 29 percent greater than the 8.4 percent in 2021 per the PGC. Successful turkey hunters are reminded that they must tag their birds immediately after harvest and file a turkey harvest report within 10 days of harvest. That can be done by going online to the PGC’s website (www.pgc.pa.gov.), by calling toll free (800-838-4431), or by mailing in a prepaid post card. When doing so, hunters are asked to identify the WMU, county, and township where the bird was taken. If hunters harvest a leg-banded turkey, or has a transmitter attached, follow the instructions on the band or transmitter as last winter the PGC leg-banded more than 900 turkeys that include backpack style transmitters on more than 260 turkeys. The effort was to help track turkey populations. Also keep in mind that while it’s not required to wear fluorescent orange, the PGC highly recommends wearing some while moving through the woods. Since 2021, there have been one or fewer turkey-hunting related shooting incidents each year, and 2022 marked the sixth year with no incidents. The other years with no incidents were 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Incidents can be avoided by positively identifying the target before shooting. FALL TURKEY HUNTING MYTHS According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, here are two myths about fall turkeys. MYTH: You can’t call fall longbeards - Not unless you try. Fall longbeard hunters know a post-scatter wait can take time. But the birds can come back gobbling, yelping, even strutting after a flock break. Sometimes it happens quickly, often it takes longer if at all. Be persistent. MYTH: Fall gobblers don’t strut or gobble - Fall turkeys roost-gobble, ground-gobble and gobble after an intentional flock break as they regroup during your effort to call them back. Fall gobblers strut too. |
AuthorNick Hromiak has been an outdoors and automotive writer for over 30 years. He's been published in numerous national and state-wide outdoor magazines and newspapers.
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