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Outdoors

It has never been easier for mentors to recruit

WEST CHESTER — Derek Stoner congratulated everyone in the room who had served at least once as a mentor in the Pennsylvania Game Commission Mentored Youth Hunting Program that allows youth younger than 12 years of age to hunt squirrels, rabbits, doves, woodchucks, coyotes, deer and turkeys under the immediate supervision of a licensed adult hunter. Mentored youth younger than age 7 are not issued a big-game harvest tags with their Mentored Youth permit, but may take a deer or turkey when an adult mentor transfers their tag. Also, the mentor and mentored youth may possess just one ...

Less packing time equals more hunting

How many hunting stories, or tall tales. begin with, “I know a guy?” Do they really know “a guy”? I’m sure they do — I know I do. The guy I know is probably in his late 50s or early 60s and he’s a diehard hunter. He’s the kind of hunter that year after year, no matter the circumstances in weather, manages to kill a nice mature buck with either a bow or a gun. He also tags his fair share of spring gobblers as well. Now, I’m not talking a streak of five or six years of success, I’m talking about nearly three decades of one successful harvest after another. I’ve ...

Enter your buck in The Sentinel’s annual contest

LEWISTOWN — The Sentinel’s annual Big Buck Contest welcomes entries from hunters who take a deer in Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Snyder or Huntingdon counties, or by residents of those counties hunting anywhere in Pennsylvania. Bucks shot in other states may not be entered. To enter, we prefer you bring the whole deer — properly tagged — but the cape (head and hide) are acceptable as long as the tag is correctly attached. All deer must have been killed legally according to the Pennsylvania Wildlife Code. Deer must be presented at The Sentinel, 352 Sixth St., Pleasant Acres, ...

Animal warden still has a soft spot after 35 years

DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — The job of an animal control warden isn’t often glorified. According to the job description, the officers’ duties include investigating animal humane violations, animal bite incidents and removing and disposing of dead animals. They may also have to impound, and eventually euthanize, stray animals, all while resisting the urge to take them home. After 35 years, Paulette Smith has learned how to handle herself around Fluffy, Fido and their families. “It is stressful,” she said. “But I love to take care of the animals. And I love the people I work ...

Fall hunting season looking up for turkey hunters

From staff reports HARRISBURG — Two consecutive light fall wild turkey harvests and a substantial statewide turkey population of 212,000 birds should provide plenty of action in the fall turkey hunting season, which opened Saturday in most Wildlife Management Units. Turkey season openers and season lengths vary by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU), and fall-turkey hunting is closed in some WMUs. Locally, turkey season runs until Nov. 16, and again Nov. 28-29. The Game Commission has eliminated the requirement for fall turkey hunters to wear fluorescent orange material. It also ...

If passed, Sunday hunting can’t happen until next year

HARRISBURG — Passing the state House of Representatives Oct. 29 by a 144-54 vote, legislation that would provide expanded Sunday hunting opportunities in Pennsylvania appears likely to become law soon. But the Pennsylvania Game Commission wants hunters to know Senate Bill 147 has not been passed in final form yet, and even if it passes the state Senate a second time and is signed into law, it will not take effect until 90 days after passage. That means the bill, which would permit hunting on three Sundays — one within the archery deer season, one within the firearms deer season, ...