Outdoors category, Page 17

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week There’s a reason winter tires exist. They’re specially designed to provide extra grip and traction in seasonal conditions, especially snow. Well, snowflake baskets for trekking poles do the...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported the state’s highest bear harvest ever this year as the agency tries to slow a growing bear population. Locally, hunters took the most bears in Armstrong and Butler counties, with numbers in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties holding steady. Expanded hunting opportunities doubled the number of...

For Ryan Johnson, Pennsylvania’s white-tailed deer are more than just a potentially dangerous nuisance. “Deer in Pennsylvania are playing a huge part in ruining lives and costing people major money through accidents and disease,” said Johnson, of Norvelt. “Lyme disease is a big deal and doesn’t get the attention it...

Outdoors SHOOTS ON TAP • California Hill Gun Club holds sporting clays and five-stand shoots Sundays from 9 a.m.-noon. All are open to the public. Call 724-938-3480. • Sporting clays is closed for the winter at West Penn Sportsmen’s Club, but five stand is open Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. and...

In some houses Christmas sounds like carols or laughter or wrapping paper tearing. Then there are fishing households. In those places, you’re as apt to hear phrases like “be careful casting that in here,” “please don’t hook yourself” and “now I know why they call it stinkbait” as anything else....

The conversation was the same one we have every Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And New Year’s. I looked at my brother across the table. “So,” I said, “what time should I pick you up?” “Pick me up? For what?” he asked. “For hiking. It gets dark sooner now than before, but...

A video showing two teens torturing an injured deer has rocked a small Western Pennsylvania community while generating outrage far and wide, including online where nearly 600,000 people have signed a petition calling for criminal charges. As of midday Wednesday, authorities had not charged the teens, who can be seen...

It’s Pennsylvania’s biggest youth fishing outreach program, one that appears popular with its target audience. And yet a small but vocal minority would kill it. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission makes available two mentored youth trout fishing days annually. One is the Saturday before the regional opening day of...

Truly scientific polls are conducted at random. This does not appear to be that, so the results have to be considered in that context. But it’s interesting nonetheless. The survey The American Hunting Lease Association is an organization that connects hunters and landowners, sells lease insurance and generally serves as...

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week Enjoying a winter outdoor adventure starts with being able to get where you’re going and, just as importantly, get back home again. That can be difficult when snow...

Outdoors SHOOTS ON TAP • California Hill Gun Club holds sporting clays and five-stand shoots Sundays from 9 a.m.-noon. All are open to the public. Call 724-938-3480. • Sporting clays is closed for the winter at West Penn Sportsmen’s Club, but five stand is open Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. and...

This is not the game you might think it is. Mention squirrels to the average hunter, and he or she probably recalls early October days afield, likely as a young hunter, spent sitting under an oak with dad’s old hand-me-down shotgun. Memories of warm sun, bright leaves and almost foolishly...

Seeking answers through science is often a process of eliminating variables. Consider this one checked off. Unlike with ruffed grouse and many species of song birds, West Nile Virus is not hurting wild turkey populations. Some first-of-its-kind work begun in Pennsylvania recently revealed that. Biologists with the state’s Game Commission...

It’s undoubtedly true many campers enjoy setting up near the water. But how about under it? In an aquarium-like cabin, where they’re the ones on the inside looking out? Accessible by an underwater hiking trail? That’s one possible future for camping outlined in the “KOA Campground of the Future Project.”...

There’s nothing better than getting outdoors. But, as second choices go, getting to unwrap a new toy that you’ll use outside later isn’t all that bad. So, here’s a chance to treat yourself or be a hero to someone else. We take a look at some new tools sure to...

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week Walking quietly in the woods is a skill that can be learned. How to do it? Take smaller steps and, most importantly, move using what’s known as the...

Even with the new Saturday start to deer rifle season, Monday still felt like opening day to a lot of area hunters. Old traditions die hard. Glen Stott of Latrobe went out Saturday, but he also went out Monday because he had previously asked for the day off. By 9...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is investigating a viral Facebook video that shows two men assaulting an injured deer. Chip Brunst, Information & Education supervisor for the commission’s Northwest Region, said the commission was made aware of the video over the weekend and immediately began investigating it. “(There are) not a...

If this is ultimately to be a tidal wave, it’s still far from cresting. But maybe that’s how things work. Head into the woods during a big-game hunting season these days and, in more places than not, you’ll see men and women sporting orange clothing. At least 40 states require...

It’s almost inevitable. Chances are this Christmas season someone — maybe even you — will give your children or grandchildren an electronic gift of some kind. And they most likely will love it. But it most likely will keep them inside. That’s OK, to a point. However, if you love...

In fashion circles, they might explain this by saying purple is the new yellow. Or orange. Or white. Hunters, hikers, paddlers and adventurers of all sorts across the country have long known to look for posted signs before venturing onto what might be private property. Those signs are familiar, colorful...

Outdoors SHOOTS ON TAP • California Hill Gun Club holds sporting clays and five-stand shoots Sundays from 9 a.m.-noon. All are open to the public. Call 724-938-3480. • Sporting clays is closed for the winter at West Penn Sportsmen’s Club, but five stand is open Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. and...

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more. Tip of the week It’s a simple thing that can make a big difference. If you’re hunting deer from the ground this season, standing at the base of a tree, take a...

They were stumped. The first Christmas after my love of the outdoors took root, my nonsporting parents asked what I wanted under the tree. “Hunting and fishing stuff,” I said. That did nothing to clear things up for them. Maybe you’re in the same situation, unsure what to buy the...