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Outdoors

PGC offers season changes

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners preliminarily approved hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for the 2018-19 license year. Modifications proposed for the 2018-19 seasons include: eliminating the hen pheasant restriction in some Wildlife Management Units; implementing a new four-day extended black bear firearms season in two WMUs; increasing from four days to six days the length of the extended black bear firearms season in WMU 3A; extending hunting hours for mourning doves from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset in all season segments; and ...

Jeep in hot water over SUV ad

RENO, Nev. (AP) — The head of one of the nation’s largest fish conservation groups says Fiat Chrysler’s Super Bowl ads “glorified” the destruction of aquatic habitat in an apparent attempt to appeal to off-road thrill-seekers. It’s the second time ads by the automaker have drawn complaints since the Feb. 4 game. Trout Unlimited President and CEO Chris Wood said Wednesday that one ad gave the impression a Jeep Cherokee was splashing down the middle of a wild streambed. Fiat Chrysler is defending the ads but says there are no plans to run them again. It says the spot with ...

Veteran trapper leads the way to his first fisher

My son and I catch a few raccoons each year, but we are definitely not what most would consider seasoned trappers. When I have questions or want advice, I usually consult my friend Nelson Hosler. Calling him a seasoned trapper is an understatement. The veteran furtaker has traveled throughout ...

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 ...