Breaking News

Outdoors

CWD rules now apply in Southeast Pa.

HARRISBURG — People who live and hunt deer within parts of Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks counties now need to comply with special rules intended to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease. The Pennsylvania Game Commission on Wednesday established Disease Management Area 4 in response to a CWD-positive deer recently detected at a captive deer farm in Lancaster County. DMA 4 encompasses 346 square miles in northeastern Lancaster County, southeastern Lebanon County and western Berks County. The northern part of DMA 4 runs roughly between the cities of Lebanon and Reading. The DMA ...

Pheasant permit may be required of junior hunters

HARRISBURG (AP) — This probably won’t be controversial. Free rarely is. Last year, Pennsylvania Game Commissioners created a $25 pheasant hunting permit and required it of adult hunters — all adult hunters — pursuing agency-stocked pheasants. That included senior lifetime license holders. That caused more than a bit of consternation. Seniors who thought the commission was breaking a contract with them complained to lawmakers, and at least one introduced a bill to exempt them from the pheasant permit. That hasn’t gone anywhere, and unless that changes, seniors will need ...

Game commission OKs semiautomatics

HARRISBURG — Semiautomatic centerfire shotguns that propel single-projectile ammunition soon could be approved for Pennsylvania hunters participating in most firearms deer, bear and elk seasons. The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave unanimous preliminary approval to regulatory changes that would permit the use of semiautomatic centerfire shotguns that propel single-projectile ammunition while hunting deer, bears or elk. For elk, the shotgun would need to be 12-gauge or larger. The Game Commission historically has permitted the use of semiautomatic shotguns for ...

Hunters split on use of powerful rifles

YORK (AP) — In 2017, Pennsylvania became the last state to legalize semi-automatic rifles — including AR-15s — for hunting. It looked like the guns might be allowed for furbearers, small game and big game, until something surprising happened: A survey showed hunters didn’t want them. Ahead of the March 2017 Board of Game Commissioners meeting, the Pennsylvania Game Commission sent out 4,000 surveys about semi-automatic guns. The responses showed there was support for using semi-automatic guns for furbearers and groundhogs, but not for big game. “Very many hunters who said ...

Fish and Boat Commission goes fishing for funding advice

HARRISBURG (AP) — The state Fish and Boat Commission has been tightening its belt for years, but most anglers haven’t felt the pinch. Staff continue to raise and stock 3.2 million trout per year, support co-op nurseries that raise additional trout, oversee industrial watershed impacts, study aquatic species and habitats, manage wildlife in Pennsylvania waterways, repair failing dams, administer boating permits and police the laws and regulations governing fishing and boating. The work is done by a staff that has lost one-fifth of its roster through attrition, working on a $52 ...

Outdoors calendar

Atkinson Mills Sportsmen’s Club ¯ Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The club is located at 55 Sportsmen Club Lane, McVeytown; email atkinsonmillssportsmensclub@gmail.com; online at http://atkinsonmills-sportsmensclub.weebly.com Blue Rock Sportsman Club ¯ Indoor .22 grocery matches will be held at 7 p.m. Saturdays through March 17. ¯ Indoor archery grocery matches will be held at 2 p.m. Sundays through March 25. ¯ Trap shoots will be held at 5 p.m. Sundays from April 8-Oct. 28. ¯ Outdoor .22 silhouette shoots will be held at 10 ...