Outdoors category, Page 14

Preliminary data is showing that Pennsylvania is on track for its third year of declining incidents of Lyme disease, but an estimated 8,500 cases in 2019 still puts the state among the top five nationwide. As tick season ramps up to its peak in July, state health officials urge residents...

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday updated guidelines on the types of outdoor recreation that businesses may offer during the yellow and green phases of the state’s reopening plan. Wolf’s new guidance will permit additional outdoor recreational activities in counties that are in the yellow phase. These activities include mountain biking,...

When Lancaster County angler Jeff Bonawitz, 54, of East Lampeter Township reeled in a state record 50-pound, 7-ounce flathead catfish on the Susquehanna River in April 2019, he said, “I have a feeling this record may not last very long.” Bonawitz was right. His record ended up lasting a little...

Will Carnevale has been fishing off his family’s dock in Allegheny Township off the Allegheny River for quite some time, but this past weekend he received quite the surprise … twice. After casting his line Friday night, the Fox Chapel senior said he walked into the house for a few...

Young black bears are on the move in Western Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reports that bear sightings are up this year, thanks in part to cooler-than-usual temperatures in May that brought more bears out during the daytime and also because more people have been staying home because of the...

Kayakers, the wait is almost over. Kayak Pittsburgh, with rental sites in North Shore, North Park and Aspinwall, has announced its opening dates for the season. “Thank you for your continued support during this time. We are working diligently to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all participants as we...

Mallory McRae already accomplished something her dad didn’t while hunting: kill a bear. But the Penn-Trafford freshman recently achieved a rarity: She killed a bear, a buck and a turkey in the same license year. McRae, 14, achieved the “Triple Trophy” honor after getting her turkey earlier this month in...

What’s better than two days a year of free fishing without a license? Four days of free fishing. State Rep. Bill Kortz, D- Dravosburg, wants to double the number of free fishing days in the state from two to four. As it stands now, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission...

Fish that were raised at Chatham University’s Eden Hall will be harvested today and Saturday to feed people across the Lower Valley. The coronavirus pandemic canceled usual operations at the Aquaculture Center in Richland Township, where fish are raised to feed students and fulfill other projects at the campus along...

When Lower Burrell native Austin Aikins started fishing, he never could have imagined how his future would pan out. But the Central Catholic senior is ecstatic with how it has. While some high school athletes are looking for a college scholarship in sports such as football, baseball or basketball, Aikins...

The Pennsylvania Game Commission on Friday will reopen public rifle, shotgun, pistol and archery ranges in counties the state has moved into the “yellow” phase of coronavirus mitigation efforts. Ranges in red-phase counties, including Allegheny, Westmoreland and the rest of Southwestern Pennsylvania, will remain closed. The shooting ranges on state...

A fatally injured osprey discovered April 28 in rural Indiana County, north of Blairsville, was shot, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. “We just received the necropsy report and the osprey was indeed shot by an unknown individual. We’re still looking for any and all information from the public to...

The state Game Commission is investigating how an osprey was fatally injured this week in rural Indiana County, north of Blairsville. Game commission Officer Chris Reidmiller said the eagle-like hawk was discovered Tuesday by area residents in a farm field in Blacklick Township with a severe injury to one of...

Pennsylvania’s turkey hunters enjoyed a record-setting spring season in 2019. No, we’re not talking about the number of turkeys harvested. We’re talking about hunter safety. For the first time in history, not a single hunting-related shooting incident was recorded during the state spring turkey season, according to the Pennsylvania Game...

Golf courses, marinas and some campgrounds will be permitted to open Friday as Pennsylvania officials move toward a gradual reopening of a state economy halted by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to private campgrounds, guided fishing trips will be allowed to resume Friday. All of those businesses must follow life-sustaining...

Country music star Blake Shelton and Outdoor Channel’s “Bone Collector” founder Michael Waddell are making guest appearances in the new Pennsylvania Game Commission podcast series, “Call of the Outdoors.” The series, hosted by Game Commission marketing director and world turkey-calling champion Matt Morrett, will highlight wildlife, hunting, habitat and conservation...

Try your luck catching a trout, but do it close to home. That was the message Thursday from state officials, who reminded residents that, no matter what outdoor recreation or exercise you choose, keep your distance from others. “People should recreate close to home. There’s a high interest right now...

The state Game Commission is looking for information related to the illegal shooting of several deer in the Jenner Township area of Somerset County, between Boswell and Acosta. Based on an investigation into the shootings, the Game Commission said in a statement that it believes the deer were shot last...

OAK PARK, Ill. — It was a sunny day, the first in about a week when temperatures had climbed past the 50-degree mark, and people in Chicago did what they always do on such a day: They flocked to the shores of Lake Michigan. Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not consider...

Parks across Western Pennsylvania have seen a surge in visitors during the coronavirus pandemic, and at several Allegheny County parks that’s been particularly evident. More people in the parks has translated into a greater need for portable toilets. Allegheny County officials asked vendors to provide more of the toilets and...

Facilities at Pennsylvania’s parks and forests will be closed until the end of April in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday that an initial 14-day closure instituted on March 17 will be extended until April 30. Trails,...