Bob Frye stories, Page 2

Maybe you’ve seen it in the news lately. America is facing a potential french fry shortage because of a poor potato crop. Couch potatoes remain plentiful, though. In fact, some new data suggests that — for the first time in years — while participation in outdoor recreation remains high, the...

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a fishing lure and more: Tip of the week Anyone who camps, especially off the beaten path, has heard it: practice “leave no trace” principles. That implies getting to a spot, doing your thing, then leaving in such a...

The feeling probably is comparable to that of a prospector who discovers a gold nugget at the bottom of his pan. You’re at a flea market, perhaps, or an estate sale. Wandering among old furniture, tools and the odds and ends of a life not your own, you stumble upon...

Another Saturday opener, the Sunday following and two weeks of concurrent buck and doe hunting. Those are just a few of the highlights that could define Pennsylvania’s statewide firearms deer season this fall. And that’s not all. Additional changes could be coming to bear, archery deer, turkey, raccoon and squirrel...

Moving opening day of Pennsylvania’s statewide firearms deer season for the first time in 60 years helped the Game Commission sell more licenses in 2019 than in ’18. The question is whether that’s enough. For decades, opening day always fell on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Last year, commissioners bumped the...

Hitting rock bottom generally is considered a bad thing. But not always in Dean Cushman’s world. He’s a Michigan-based guide with Hardcore Charters and an instructor with teachinfishin.com. When he’s not on the water fishing, he’s traveling the country educating others on how to do it. And jig fishing the...

Looking for ways to increase your stress levels, raise your blood pressure and put a real shine on your cursing skills? There’s an easy way to do it Starting this spring, go fishing. Pursue a species that likes to thrash — I mean really go wild — at the side...

This, I’m finding, is how the other half lives. No, we’re not talking finances. My wife and I haven’t suddenly come into any wealth. But space, well, that’s another matter. We married relatively young and had two sons in short order. As a result, we went from renting an apartment...

Don’t let the naysayers fool you. Gun ownership is mainstream, with more Americans from more backgrounds shooting now than at any time in the past decade. Responsive Management, an independent research firm specializing in outdoor topics, examined shooting trends between 2009 and ’18. It did the work for the National...

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week There’s a lot to be said for snowshoeing your way through fields and forests at this time of year. The bugs are gone, the landscape seems fresh and...

There was no escape. Once, back in the olden days, some friends and I went camping in winter. We were young and invincible, meaning occasionally foolhardy, and this was our first experience with tenting in snow. That first day was busy. We were active, pitching tents, arranging our primitive camp...

From poet Henry David Thoreau to novelist Jack London, from presidents Chester Arthur to Jimmy Carter, the great outdoors inspires nearly everyone. Here are some of the best quotes on the outdoors — hiking, fishing, hunting, conservation, the wilderness and everything in between. Edward Abbey • “Wilderness is not a...

One’s this weekend. The other is about a month away. But two outdoor shows are coming to Western Pennsylvania. Here’s a look. Tri-County Trout Club Flea Market This one’s set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at Arnold Volunteer Engine Co. #2 social hall in Arnold. Vendors will...

Progress is being made, and a recent change in policy offers hope for more. But this is going to take more time that perhaps thought. Wildlife managers kicked off an effort to restore bobwhite quail populations nationwide 25 years ago. The National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, a strategic plan for meeting...

There’s no need to do an internet search. It’s safe to assume the runner-up in the most recent Miss Universe pageant is an attractive woman. It’s also a pretty good guess relatively few know her name or ever will. Such is the price of finishing second. That’s the plight of...

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a fishing lure and more: Tip of the week This is the age of self-driving cars and voice-activated home assistants. So the zipper might not seem like much of a marvel, at least not compared to when it debuted...

As New York Yankees great Yogi Berra once said, “It’s getting late early.” The Hall of Fame catcher was talking baseball, not wildlife. But if you’re thinking about offering food and cover for your favorite species, the words still apply. In short, it’s time to think about planting for the...

Over the past few years, Pennsylvania’s wildlife managers devoted a lot of time to getting a handle on the state’s burgeoning black bear population. They plan to spend the next few getting a handle on that handle. The Pennsylvania Game Commission estimated bear numbers going into this past fall at...

Cabin fever, schmabin fever. Brother, if you can’t get your outdoor fix over the next three months, you just ain’t tryin. Yes, it’s true the most popular hunting seasons are over. And yes, the most popular fishing ones are a ways off. We even admit the weather this time of...

The timing was right, even if the results weren’t. Going into fall, Pennsylvania adopted its first muzzleloader season for black bears. It overlapped with an antlerless deer season in mid-October, a wonderful time to be in the woods because of the weather, the color and the peace, relative to the...

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week If you got a new rifle, scope or ammunition for Christmas, or maybe even all three, it’s time to hit the range and get sighted in. But start...

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are hoping a little change will have some impact. The agency — responsible for managing Keystone State wildlife for all residents, yet funded solely by hunters, trappers and shooters — is tweaking the names of its state game lands. Signs on the properties still will identify...

Trout were rarely on the menu when Eric Davis grew up fishing in southwestern Pennsylvania’s Greene County. It’s not that he didn’t like the fish. But they were scarce. There’s just not a lot of the cold-water habitat they need in the rolling coal-country hills bordering the West Virginia panhandle....

Take a quick look around the outdoors world with a tip, a new piece of gear and more: Tip of the week Suggest a winter camping trip to an uninitiated friend, and the reaction often is muted at best. But winter can be a really fun season for camping, provided...

Mention rebirth and wildlife babies and new beginnings, and most people probably think of spring. And mid-to-late spring at that. That’s with good reason. Few species, though they mate in fall, give birth before then. Think white-tailed deer, for example. The rut, or breeding season, starts in October, hits its...