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CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) — Tim Wirtz Jr. slowly spun the reel, tracking the retrieval of a plastic worm, when two shapes moved into his peripheral vision. The teen’s eyes gleamed as he peered through the crystal clear water at a pair of beefy rainbow trout cruising parallel to the shore. Wirtz sped his spin, moved around a strand of trees and gently flicked the lure just beyond the lunkers, hoping to entice a strike. No luck. The trout, familiar perhaps with the fishermen and their assortment of faux fish and frogs, swam right past the imitation earthworm with barely a glance. A ...

PA Game Commission set to reopen state shooting ranges

From staff reports HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Game Commission today announced that, on Friday, May 8, it will reopen to the public its Northwest and Northcentral Region Offices, and reopen shooting ranges on state game lands in counties to be upgraded to the yellow phase in the state’s three-phase matrix to ease COVID-19 restrictions. Those counties include: Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango and ...

National parks balancing the demand for cell service, silence

PHOENIX (AP) — Musetta Vander has been to several of the most iconic national parks and landscapes in the U.S., capturing herself doing a yoga pose among the Joshua trees, driving on a tree-lined highway framed by Yosemite's towering rock formations and sitting at the edge of a cliff overlooking a horseshoe-shaped bend in the Colorado River. “Sometimes it’s so beautiful you want to share it with the world immediately,” said Vander of West Hollywood, California. “However, I feel that you miss out on the magical experience nature provides you when you don’t let go of social ...

Hunter safety hits new highs

From staff reports With the statewide spring turkey season about to begin, the state’s hunters have a record performance to match. In 2019, Pennsylvania’s spring turkey season hit an all-time high for hunter safety. For the first time in history, not a single hunting-related shooting incident was recorded during the season. “Hunter safety has been at the forefront of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s thinking for decades upon decades, and through effective requirements and programs to educate our hunters, incredible improvements have been made over the years,” said Game ...

Spring turkey season ready to begin

From staff reports Pennsylvania’s statewide spring turkey season opens Saturday, May 2 and runs through May 30. Only bearded birds may be harvested. Each hunter is provided a spring turkey harvest tag with his or her general license, and each license buyer, prior to the start of the season, also may purchase a special spring turkey license that permits the harvest of a second bearded turkey. Special spring turkey licenses cost $21.90 for residents and $41.90 for nonresidents and can be purchased from any license issuing agent, a list of which is available at www.pgc.pa.gov. ...