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Cave offers unique outdoor adventure, indoors

SPRING MILLS — Few outdoors attractions in Pennsylvania appeal to such a wide range of interests as historic Penn’s Cave, located in the heart of Centre County. Of course, to fully appreciate a visit one must leave the outdoors, board a boat and travel on a unique trip through the only full-water limestone cavern in America, beneath more than 1,600 acres. Above ground is a game preserve, an airfield, visitor center, picnic area, farm and the Penn’s Cave House, which became a private residence after the visitor center was built in 1980, but is used for special events and private ...

Plan ahead for turkey trophy

The hunt is over and it’s time to preserve that trophy. A few things are to be remembered before a hunter heads to their taxidermist. Fifteen-year member of the National Wild Turkey Federation John Hoover of Forksville, an active turkey hunter and part-time taxidermist of Kings Creek Taxidermy, took some time out from hunting and work to give some tips on what to do and not to do after the harvest “I really appreciate what the NWTF stands for, and what they do for the wild turkeys, and the habitat in the state of Pa., and around the country,” he said. He said it starts in the ...

Western Pennsylvania range provides ‘thrill’ of renting machine guns

DONEGAL (AP) — The 99 signs he has posted throughout the region — each including a phone number, the silhouette of a Rambo-style M60 machine gun and an advertisement for “Washington County Machine Gun Rentals” — has generated many a phone call to Tredd Barton. Some people are angry. Others are curious. Yet others are amazed over the opportunity to fire a fully automatic machine gun — an MP5, Tommy Gun, AK-47, or M16, among many others — for a price. Barton calmly answers the phone and sometimes encounters less than calm questions about his operations. He explains that ...

PGC strengthens public requirement in permits

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners at its meeting in July gave preliminary approval to a measure that will strengthen the public hunting component for deer-control permits the Game Commission issues for deer problems on private and public properties, often within suburban and urban areas. The goal of this permit revision is to improve the use and prominence of public hunting without unduly restricting the effectiveness of a deer-control permit. Permit criteria always had stipulated that lawful hunting be allowed on public lands seeking deer-control permits, ...

‘Research and development’ on Juniata a success

MILLERSTOWN — To a recreational angler an evening on the Juniata River is likely viewed as a time for relaxation and escaping the daily grind. For two outdoors writers, however, their outing was all business (wink, wink). They were on a mission of “research and development” — as in researching how many smallmouth bass could be boated and developing an appearance of “working” for any onlookers. Serving as guide and captain of his Fisher 1700 18-foot aluminum river boat powered by a Honda jet 40 hp outboard was Jeff Woleslagle. In the 9-to-5 world, on most days he makes the ...

Expanded opportunity for ‘webless’ birds

HARRISBURG — The 2018-19 waterfowl seasons are similar to the previous year, although hunters will enjoy longer seasons for doves, woodcock, and other “webless” migratory game bird species this year. Annual migratory game bird seasons are selected by states from frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Game Commission selections were made after reviewing last year’s season results, population survey data, and input gathered from hunters and the public. Game Commission biologist Jeremy Stempka noted that the goose season restrictions enacted in ...