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Mark Nale

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission plans $93 project to improve state fish hatcheries

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, National News, News, Pennsylvania /

New wild trout streams and Class A Wild Trout Waters seem to be identified and approved at almost every quarterly meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. This causes some anglers to wonder if the agency is abandoning or at least de-emphasizing stocked trout.
According to Tim Schaeffer, agency executive director, that is just not the case. He addressed a group of cooperative trout nursery operators at a Feb. 24 meeting in Moshannon.
“Stocked trout are still very important to the commission,” Schaeffer said. “In fact, we have just started on a $93 million hatchery capital improvement project, with completion likely in 2028.”

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission plans $93 project to improve state fish hatcheries Read More »

Mark Nale: Pennsylvania’s wealth of public land questioned

Blogs, Featured, Fishing, Hunting, National Fishing, National Hunting, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion, Pennsylvania /

I was troubled by a recent article in Pennsylvania Outdoor News, headlined “Senators: PGC owns enough game lands.” 
The story reported on comments made by Pennsylvania senators after Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans gave his annual report to the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee. Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R–Butler, Clarion, Erie, Forest, Venango and Warren counties) wanted to know if there was an upper limit to the acres of game lands that the Pennsylvania Game Commission should own.

Mark Nale: Pennsylvania’s wealth of public land questioned Read More »

Increasing number of unusual birds spotted in Pennsylvania lately

Blogs, Featured, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion, Pennsylvania /

Earlier this month I traveled to Cumberland County, Pa., hopefully to see and photograph an unusual bird – a limpkin. If you have never heard of a limpkin, you aren’t alone. Limpkins are native to Florida, Central and South America.
With the help of a local photographer and Facebook friend, I was able to locate the limpkin feeding along Conodoquinet Creek in suburban Mechanicsburg.

Increasing number of unusual birds spotted in Pennsylvania lately Read More »

Rule changes on Pennsylvania’s Raystown Lake upset bass anglers, tournament organizers

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, National News, News, Pennsylvania /

Tournament bass anglers and tournament organizers in Pennsylvania are upset about rule changes at Raystown Lake for 2024 that sharply reduce hours when events can occur.
A Jan. 16 news release from the Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asked fishing tournament directors to schedule the start and end times of their tournaments outside of peak capacity weekend hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, between Memorial Day and Labor Day holiday weekends, “when first-come, first-served boating traffic is heaviest.”

Rule changes on Pennsylvania’s Raystown Lake upset bass anglers, tournament organizers Read More »

Mark Nale: Open Fields Doctrine is important for the protection of Pennsylvania’s wildlife

Blogs, Featured, Hunting, Opinion, Pennsylvania /

When I read the reader commentary in the Dec. 22 issue of Pennsylvania Outdoor News, I thought, “Wow – this guy makes sense.”
Wayne Bush of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, was commenting about two Clearfield County hunting clubs’ efforts to circumvent the “Open Fields Doctrine,” — a law that allows law enforcement officers, including game wardens, access to undeveloped private property. The clubs lost in court and then appealed the ruling.

Mark Nale: Open Fields Doctrine is important for the protection of Pennsylvania’s wildlife Read More »

Pennsylvania bear hunters take fewer than 3,000 bruins for first time since 2007

Featured, Hunting, National Hunting, National News, News, Pennsylvania /

Preliminary bear harvest figures indicate that hunters in Pennsylvania harvested 2,906 bears during all seasons in 2023. This is the first time in 16 years that the harvest has dropped below 3,000 bears.
The harvest was below 3,000 in 2007 and also in 2002, but you have to go way back to 1999 to find harvests consistently below 3,000.

Pennsylvania bear hunters take fewer than 3,000 bruins for first time since 2007 Read More »

Mark Nale: Here’s my idea of a perfect Pennsylvania Game and/or Fish & Boat Commissioner

Blogs, Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Opinion, Pennsylvania /

A bill before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would give license buyers in specific districts a chance to select commissioners for both the Game Commission and Fish & Boat Commission. Currently, candidates are fielded by the Governor’s Council on Hunting, Fishing and Conservation, nominated by the governor, and then confirmed by the Senate.
License buyers — what should a candidate for commissioner look like? As a long-time purchaser of both hunting and fishing licenses, and also as someone who has attended numerous meetings held by both agencies, I will give you my take on the subject. 

Mark Nale: Here’s my idea of a perfect Pennsylvania Game and/or Fish & Boat Commissioner Read More »

Pennsylvania bear hunters do well in north-central and northeastern counties

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, National News, News, Pennsylvania /

Pennsylvania’s statewide regular firearms season for bears came to a close Nov. 21. Hunters in the traditional north-central and northeastern bear counties did well, but less so in non-traditional counties such as Huntingdon and Somerset.
Thus far this year, just 26 bears have been shot in Huntingdon County, and only 31 bears in Somerset County. These two counties have sometimes posted harvests of over 100 bears.

Pennsylvania bear hunters do well in north-central and northeastern counties Read More »

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