Outdoors

Now is the time for smallmouth activity

As river temperatures rise, so does the smallmouth activity. Now is the time to hit the water and catch some of the biggest, most aggressive bronze backs of the year. When water temperature increases, it signals to smallmouth bass that it is time to feed, defend their territory and breed. This trifecta of instincts makes smallmouths devote all their energy to achieving these three goals: they feed more, strike more and fight more. It is difficult to predict a date for the action; it’s determined by water temperature, not calendar dates. At 50 degrees, fish will move out of their deep ...

Spring turkey

Nice catch!

Eagle’s nest

Storing ammunition: What every gun owner needs to know

Ammunition is as much an investment as the firearms in which it is used. Whether you spend a few dollars on target rounds or hundreds on specialty hunting loads, that is money you do not want to lose to poor handling. Sadly, many gun owners care for even their cheapest firearm but then toss their ammo supply behind a truck seat, in an unused closet or behind the workbench in the garage. The result is useless ammo and lost money. Some advice will help you avoid that. The guidance—dark, dry, and cool—is a long-held standard for ammunition storage. Each rule made sense in the era of ...

Built to survive: Conway explains fierce adaptability of Pennsylvania’s bobcats

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series from the Towpath Naturalist Society meeting on March 11 about “Prowler of the Pines,” which featured Jimmy Conway of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. LEWISTOWN — Bobcats are among Pennsylvania’s most elusive predators, but on ...