It was in 1900 that the very first federal law to protect game, The Lacey Act, was passed, and in 1929, the Migratory Bird Conservation Act was passed, furthering efforts to protect wildlife. While both of these laws were beneficial to wildlife, neither addressed the issue of funding conservation efforts. Finally, in 1937, the Pittman-Robertson
READ MORELook over here and say “Cheeeeeeese!” Let’s see those chompers, those pearly-whites. How ’bout a big grin, ear to ear. You’ve got a full set of gorgeous teeth, why not show them off? Smile – especially if, as in the new book “Big Meg” by Tim Flannery & Emma Flannery, one tooth is as big
READ MOREI’ll be honest: when I was a kid growing up, my parents had little or no interest in the outdoors, including hunting, fishing, and viewing wildlife, so how on earth did I end up so deeply involved in that scene today? No doubt, where we lived must have contributed to my outdoor interests in the
READ MOREAs a kid growing up in the western part of the state, seeing an elk was a pretty rare sighting; sure, we had a small number roaming around not far from DuBois, but I’m sure most of us never expected to see what’s now roaming northern Pennsylvania today. Years ago, there was no such thing
READ MOREIt becomes increasingly apparent with each passing day that anti-hunters will do whatever it takes to stop all hunting everywhere and forever. Their efforts are relentless and will only increase over time. They are definitely in it for the long haul. Examples of their efforts are cropping up all across the nation, and while one
READ MOREFirst and foremost, always stress the four universal rules of firearm safety: – Treat any firearm as if it is loaded. – Practice muzzle control. – Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. – Always be sure of your target and the area around and beyond it. These are the critical rules
READ MOREAny long-time hunter or gun owner has an inherent obligation to pass on his knowledge to an upcoming hunter or firearm enthusiast — whether they are a young person such as a son, daughter, grandchild, or neighborhood acquaintance or perhaps an adult who has become interested in hunting or gun ownership. It is critical to
READ MOREIt seems like the subject of invasive species, be they land-based species, aquatic plants, or animals, comes up more frequently these days. As a fisherman, I have noticed several new threats to our waterways, including invasive crayfish, zebra mussels, and the northern snakehead. Other species of fish, like the silver and bighead carp, while not
READ MOREI have, and while it occurred more than 25 years ago, I can still visualize the sighting as if it were yesterday. Fresh snow had fallen the night before, and I was hiking a logging road in the deep woods of Lycoming County. The newly fallen snow was ideal for picking out and following any
READ MOREIt’s official. We are at a pretty dreary time of year. The weather ain’t great. I’m fairly sure it rained for 27 hours straight last week. It’s cold, it’s dark, the post-holiday blues are rearing their ugly heads. I know the last thing you probably want to do is go outside. But the best way
READ MOREThis is easily my favorite issue of the year, it’s hard not to get a little choked up thinking about all the fantastic organizations that my co-workers and I get to support this week, from furbabies to farm babies to families and vets and the great outdoors! This week’s issue is just one of the
READ MOREThis week’s Weird Words continues its holiday theme with another dozen terms we rarely use at other times of year. Our previous installment focused on religious vocab like manger, noel and Kris Kringle; here are 12 more, with a slightly secular slant. (Remember, in this space we’re concerned not so much with traditions as with
READ MOREWhile driving to go to look at Christmas lights, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer came on the radio, and Kenzy started to sing, but not the correct words. She sang, Oh, my momma, she is famous She does work from her computer! It goes in the paper, and people love her She gets lots of
READ MORESo, which do you believe — The Farmer’s Almanac, the Weather Channel, or some good old-fashioned indications from nature — to predict what this coming winter weather will be? Snow is beginning to accumulate from the Great Lakes effect, and snow showers have been intermittently falling lately. Some predictions indicate that we may be in
READ MOREMeagan Murray has always been interested in helping others and improving their lives. It was with that in mind that at the age of 15, she used her birthday money, and money collected in yard sales she held that year, to purchase and collect 36 gifts to give to the women and children who would
READ MOREOver the last month or two, Webb’s Weird Words has taken a largely thematic approach, with columns on animals, etymology, alcohol and a little-known linguistic item called a doublet. So now, let’s get back to our eccentric English exploration: plain old-fashioned oddball words. Here are 12, with another dozen forthcoming next week: Assegai (noun, ASS-uh-guy)
READ MOREHappy Thanksgiving Y’all! It’s that time of year again. My list of everything I am thankful for this year! As you join friends and family this Thanksgiving, take a moment to remember all the things you have to be thankful for this year. Times get tough, but there is always a bright side and listing
READ MOREEver notice that English seems to have too many words for stuff? Think of all the synonyms for angry … or fool … or great … and the 2000-plus terms for drunk, some of which we covered in our last installment of “Weird Words.” One reason for this is that English is a melting-pot of
READ MOREMontoursville held their 31st annual Ag Day on Thursday, October 12th at Mr. Hepburn’s farm. Future Farmers of America (FFA) members got to teach our fourth graders and Loyalsock’s and Montgomery’s first graders about agriculture and various topics. Montgomery’s FFA students also joined with them in their groups. EQT sponsored the Ag Day and gave
READ MORE2023 marks a mathematically tidy triple anniversary for War of the Worlds. First published as a book in 1898, H. G. Wells’s classic is now 125 years old. Exactly four decades later, the American filmmaker and radio personality Orson Welles aired his famous on-air adaptation, terrifying the East Coast with fears of an actual Martian
READ MOREAs Webb Weekly’s “World of Weird Words” nears its 20th installment, we’ve been on an etymology bender — examining odd and unusual word origins. When I first gathered up my favorite etymologies for these columns, I couldn’t help noticing how many were related to animals. We looked at some of those beastly beauties last week.
READ MOREChronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first noted in 1967 in research on mule deer herds in Colorado. By the late 1970s, it was recognized in captive facilities in Colorado and Wyoming in mule deer, black-tailed deer, and elk. In 1981, the disease was first identified in the wild in elk in Colorado, followed by mule
READ MOREIt is that time of year that bow hunters have been daydreaming of and planning for all summer. Cool, crisp temperatures continue throughout the day, splashes of fall colors begin to appear in the hardwood forests, acorns are dropping, and soon, farmers will be harvesting field corn — all great indicators that the archery deer
READ MOREProtecting Pennsylvania’s deer and elk from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) remains a priority, now as ever. That hasn’t changed. But the rules for hunters who harvest those or any other cervids outside of Pennsylvania or within parts of it have. Previously, hunters were prohibited from bringing “high-risk” carcass parts from such animals taken in other
READ MOREWhat happens when a horse or other large animal is abused, or the owner can no longer take care of it? What happens in the event a traveler is transporting large animals, and the trailer or towing vehicle is disabled? The answer most often lies with the folks at Appalachian Horse Help Rescue at 1201
READ MOREPlanning, preparing, serving and cleaning up after mealtimes are skills that can be beneficial to everyone. Yet when it comes to meal prep, many families find it easier to tell children to go play rather than bringing them into the kitchen to help create meals. “One of the best ways to encourage children to try
READ MOREIn one recent session of the adult Sunday school class I teach at a local church, I made the mistake of asserting that “few things in life are more interesting than etymology.” Now I meant to say “few things in language”; but I was distracted and misspoke while looking up a Bible-word online to aid
READ MOREUnfortunately, CWD has not gone away, and in fact, it continues to expand its boundaries in our state. Prions, the infectious agent that causes a neurological disease, is always fatal. Prions are shed through saliva, urine, and feces. What’s a little unsettling is the fact that animals with CWD may not show any clinical signs
READ MOREFor some unknown reason, I have always been captivated by things that crawl, swim and slither. None of my siblings seem to have been smitten with my affection for such critters, and my interest has not waned over the years. It seems that my grandchildren, however, have inherited some of my curiosity with a number
READ MOREBy now, regular readers of Weird Words have probably figured out that I like to have a theme. We’ve done long words, short words, 10-letter words, words from a single book — and even, last week, a separate piece on dictionaries. This is my 12th installment, but I don’t have a lot of 12-letter words
READ MOREAerial artists, performing animals, and clowns take over for ballplayers today at Bowman Field as the world’s largest outdoor circus moves in for two performances. Tom Packs’ Police Circus which performs without the usual big top, will show at 2:30 and 8:30 at the West End ballfield. This is the third consecutive year the circus
READ MOREFor anyone about to spend an increasing amount of time in the out of doors in the upcoming months, it is only a matter of time until you come in contact with ticks. Whether you are fishing at your favorite mountain stream, preseason scouting for this coming fall, or working on food plots according to
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