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October offers many opportunities for sportsmen in Pennsylvania

Saturday (Sept. 28) may have been the official National Hunting and Fishing Day, but for Pennsylvania sportsmen, October is Outdoor Month. Not because anyone has officially proclaimed it as such, however. No, it is because October is not only the recognized start of hunting season but also offers many opportunities for sportsmen. If it has fins, fur or feathers, there is a good chance you can hunt it at some time and in some method during October. Come October, most outdoors people start looking towards hunting, but more about that later because there is still fishing to be done. ...

Reflections in Nature: Latest harvest moon was also a supermoon

The full harvest moon that rose in the east on Sept. 17-18 was also a supermoon, which meant that it was slightly larger and brighter than an average moon. This moon appeared full for approximately three days, from Monday evening through Thursday morning. Also on the night of the full moon, there was a partial lunar eclipse that added to the skywatching delight. The harvest moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox, which occurred on Sept. 22. This full moon reminded me of something that had occurred many, many years ago. It was a cold but clear fall day in ...

A look at how we can help birds throughout seasons

Yikes, the number of songbirds in North America has declined from 10 billion to 7 billion in the last 50 years. And, so far, the overall rate of decline isn’t slowing down, according to National Audubon Society data. This article identifies several specific actions that families can take ...

Highlights from latest PGC commissioner’s meeting in Harrisburg

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners met at the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters, hearing public comment and conducting official business. Highlights from today’s meeting follow. MINIMUM AGE FOR FALCONERS DECREASED Pennsylvania falconers will be able to get their start at a slightly younger age, thanks to a vote by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners. The commissioners voted to decrease the minimum age for a general class falconry permit from 18 years old to 16 years old, which is the minimum age established by federal regulations. The change ...

Boaters urged to avoid Susquehanna below Selinsgrove

A large 20-inch sewage line rupture near the East Snyder County Sewage Treatment Facility on the south end of Selinsgrove in Snyder County, is spilling raw sewage into the Penns Creek, lower Middle Creek and then flowing into the Susquehanna River just above the Hoover Island boat launch ...

Reflections in Nature: A sign fall is near? The yellow-shafted flicker

During this month of September, I saw my first yellow-shafted flicker. Along with the leaves changing colors, a yellow-shafted flicker sighting is an indication that fall is near. The yellow-shafted flicker is referred to as the northern flicker. Its scientific name is Colaptes auratus. Colaptes comes from the Latin word kolapter, which means a hammer or a chisel and from the Greek word kolapto, which means to peck with a bill. The species name auratus is Latin and means gilded, ornamented with gold, in reference to the yellow linings of the bird’s wings and tail. Auratus is now ...