European mounts can be displayed in endless different ways

January 7, 2025

European mounts have been around since the first hunters kept the skull of a wooly mammoth to show their clan, but recent years have seen a resurgence. More and more hunters are choosing to forgo the traditional shoulder mounts in favor of simple skulls and antlers. But, as simple as they appear, European mounts involve more than clean bone on a wooden plaque. When I was growing up, European mounts, or Western mounts as they are known, were not art or home decor. They were nailed to barn doors and maybe hung in a cabin or camp. They were not considered a mount as much as a low-cost ...

Reflections in Nature: Mist nets now used for bird trapping instead of birdlime

January 7, 2025

In last week’s article about mistletoe I wrote how it was used in the making of birdlime. While attending the Ross Leffler School of Conservation — which is the Pennsylvania Game Commission Training School — I first became aware of birdlime in the trapping of birds. In 1969, I ...

Three PFBC meetings scheduled for Jan. 7 throughout day

January 1, 2025

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has upcoming meetings which are available to watch via Zoom. On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Game Commission has a boating meeting at 1 p.m. that can be attended at the link https://bit.ly/BoatingCte (Webinar number 2634 119 2133). The attendee password is “public.” The meeting will feature discussions on the 2025 boating facility grant round, overview of 2024 recreational boating fatalities, overview of livery regulation implementation planning and upcoming legislation. The Tuesday, Jan. 7, meeting begins with a fisheries and hatcheries ...

CHECKING IN: A winter finch report for 2024-25 as the year closes

December 31, 2024

It’s that time of year again. Fall migration is essentially over and, while we’ll miss most of the colorful bird species we enjoy in the spring and summer, there are a few arriving from northern latitudes and the boreal (northern) forest. These birds ought to get our attention and ...

Intersection of the legacy of lumber era, catastrophic floods

December 31, 2024

Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host an important presentation by Dr. Benjamin R. Hayes, Director of the Watershed Sciences and Engineering Program at Bucknell University. The presentation will be on how the legacy impacts of the lumber era and catastrophic floods in northcentral Pennsylvania initiated substantial landform changes and stream destabilization in our major stream floodplains and have significant implications on watershed management and planning. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Fellowship ...

Fish and Wildlife proposes hellbender as endangered species after push

December 31, 2024

The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Dec. 12, 2024, that it is proposing listing the Eastern hellbender as endangered nationally in response to a petition from several non-governmental organizations in an agency press release. "Our association's goal has been to give a voice to this vulnerable species, especially in a watershed where local experts suggest up to 95 percent of its natural habitat has been lost due to numerous factors," said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "The hellbender needs clean water to survive and despite it being in our waterways for a long ...