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Fall is perfect time to catch some crappies

Leaves are showing a peek of color, temperatures are cooling and fall is approaching. This means that deer, turkey and waterfowl are on my mind, but some fishing still needs to be done. While it may surprise you, crappie is one of my favorite fall species. Crappies are usually associated with spring fishing and with good reason. The spawn draws them to shallow waters. After thinning during a long winter, feeding is one of the top things on their mind. The bite is heavy, and the action is hot. But many of these same traits can make the fall a perfect time for a second bite at the ...

Reflections in Nature: Plenty of signs that fall is approaching

Although fall does not appear on the calendar until Sept. 22, at 8:44 a.m., I have been seeing and hearing signs of fall creeping into the countryside. With the first week of September having fall-like temperatures, a tinge of color began to show on the hillsides. However, after checking several diaries from years past, it appears as if fall is right on schedule. I have noticed that the leaves of the sumac trees are starting to change, especially those growing along our roadsides, which is common for the sumac. In years past, I always thought that the highway department had sprayed ...

Outdoor community calendar for week of Sept. 17

FALL BIRDING WHERE: Hyner Run State Park and Little Pine State Park WHEN: Friday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. (Little Pine) and 6 p.m. (Hyner Run). NOTES: Join the naturalist for some fall birding at Hyner Run and/or Little Pine State Park. Topics will include the different birds that live at Hyner Run and also how to identify them. Please bring your own binoculars and other birding gear. All children must be accompanied by an adult in order to participate. The program may be modified or canceled in the event of severe weather or new state or community guidelines. Those interested in the ...

Just 3 floating classroom programs for this year

Just three more floating classroom programs are scheduled for this year aboard the Hiawatha in Williamsport with the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. Today marks the first of the three remaining. From 10-11 a.m today, the floating classroom consists of “Casting, fish ID and ...

Second wave of archery season to start Sept. 14

Elk hunting in Pennsylvania gets underway sooner than many might realize. The recipients of the two licenses awarded either by auction or raffle were able to get started as soon as last week. However, the next wave appears from Saturday, Sept. 14 through Saturday, Sept. 28, when the 27 hunters drawn for archery elk licenses will be hunting in their designated Elk Hunt Zones across several counties in northcentral Pennsylvania. Later in the year (from Nov. 4-9) — a period when a lot of other hunters might be sharing the woods — the 68 hunters drawn for a general elk license will ...

Reflections in Nature: Colorful arrays of flowers

Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the plant world has treated us to a colorful array of flowers. In March, the flowers of the skunk cabbage were the first to bloom, and now, we have the fall asters blooming until the hard frosts of October. We have had an almost perfect year for wildflowers. Although the beauty of the wildflowers gives us much enjoyment, the flowers also have the job of starting the seed development that will insure the future of the plant itself. Each seed contains a plant that is ready to start a new generation next year. These seeds come in all sizes and ...