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The Christmas gun: A holiday tradition

Jim parked his car in the driveway and approached the old house. He climbed the steps and knocked on the door. Inside he heard a dog bark, and soon the door swung open. An old man stood in the doorway, with a tiny Jack Russell terrier at his feet. “He won’t bite,” said the old man. “He just thinks that everyone comes just to see him.” Jim introduced himself and the old man invited him in. “You Ted’s boy?” Jim smiled. At 40, it had been a while since anyone called him Ted’s boy. When Jim answered in the affirmative, the old man continued, “Knew your daddy. He was a ...

When fox season opens, it’s all about the chase

GLASGOW, Va. (AP) — A distant, deep woods howling sharpened into the baying and barking of hounds as riders gathered recently in the opening meet of the official fox hunting season, hosted by the Rockbridge Hunt, joined by the Glenmore Hunt. Several formally dressed riders encircled Rockbridge Hunt’s master of foxhounds Cindy Morton, astride C.J., her Irish draft horse, and the Rev. Philip Parker, who led the group in prayer to bless the hounds. This medieval tradition seeks protection for the hounds from disease and safety from harm during the hunt. Joe Manning, 58, is master ...

Veteran ranger heading to country’s first national park

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Sarah Davis has enjoyed her time in Tupelo and has nothing but praise for the people and environment. “The people are friendly, Tupelo is a great size town with a great location,” said Davis, the chief ranger for the Natchez Trace Parkway. “It’s five hours to the beach and four hours to the mountains. “I enjoy hunting and fishing, and this is a sportsman’s paradise.” Davis is heading to Yellowstone National Park, where she will become its first female chief ranger. Davis, a 20-year veteran of the National Park Service, came to Tupelo in 2012 ...

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, ...