Tragically, every year, as the hunting season gets underway and the “army” of Pennsylvania hunters hits the woods, unpleasant discoveries are made. As these hunters travel deeper into the woods than normal in pursuit of small or big game, the chances are all too real that they may come across a hiker or camper who
It was over 70 years ago that I first set foot in the woods of Northcentral Pennsylvania and began a lifelong pursuit of hunting everything our state had to offer — from grouse and squirrels to black bears and whitetail deer. In the 1950s, the generally accepted philosophy when it came to harvesting does was
If you did a survey, particularly of older hunters, I bet most began their hunting days by tramping the woods in search of squirrels. They were certainly an upland game that I targeted in my early days of hunting. Today, there seems to be less interest in spending time hunting squirrels, yet there remain many
For several years, on a nearby property, I have been observing an increasing spread of milkweeds and goldenrods in fields that have been placed in the CREP Program. Some songbirds nest in these fields, deer will occasionally feed through them in search of certain plants that they like, and rodents, such as mice and moles,
We all know it’s not a good idea to procrastinate. In fact, there are rarely any occasions when it is a good idea to wait until the very last minute to do what you know simply has to be done. The benefits of accomplishing tasks early far outweigh any poor excuses for delaying the tasks
Your Habitat Management Plan should include an inventory of current desirable and undesirable trees, shrubs, and vines on your property. Additionally, include a listing of those new trees, shrubs, and vines you would like to add — including how and where you want to plant them. In a well-balanced plan, it is not just a
