When I was growing up in Erie, my bedroom was also a family “trophy room” of sorts. Looming over the head of my bed on the wall was the large mounted head of a 12-point buck white-tailed deer which one of my older half-brothers had shot. On the wall right over my bed was the snarling ...

It’s a difficult economic time for many, but the state Fish and Boat Commission has announced an opportunity. It is recruiting the 23rd class of Waterways Conservation Officer Trainees. “WCOs protect, conserve, and enhance Pennsylvania’s aquatic resources through law enforcement, ...

Additional recreations sites on the Allegheny National Forest are reopening. Public Affairs Officer Christopher Warner told the Times Observer that several sites will open Friday, May 22, including Dewdrop, Kiasutha, Hearts Content campground, the Tidioute overlook and the lower loop at ...

There is both skill and art involved in taking natural materials and fashioning them into a useful object. Humans have done this in the past, harvesting plants and turning them in shelters, clothes, furniture and tools. I can’t help but wonder how they figured it out, and if they watched the ...

BROOKVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania man accused along with a youth of repeatedly kicking a wounded deer in the head and pulling off its antler has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cruelty to animals and four summary offenses, authorities said. WJAC-TV reported that 18-year-old ...

Pennsylvania Game Commission 2019-20 shooting-range permits will remain valid for an additional two months after their printed expiration date to make up for lost opportunity from the agency closing ranges in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. Permits for 2019-20 have a printed expiration ...

Photo submitted to Times Observer Braden Thomson, 11, shot his first turkey on April 25 in Warren. It had a three-inch beard and quarter-inch spurs.

This is Conservation District Week. The Times Observer is publishing a series of articles — this is the fourth of four — on the history of Conservation Districts and how they work today; the effect of Conservation Districts on agriculture; their role in dirt and gravel road projects, stream ...

The 16th Annual Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup had long been scheduled for May 9 when the coronavirus changed that. Over the years, the Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup and its cousin, the Allegheny River Cleanup, have made a real difference in the Allegheny Reservoir and River, both ecologically and ...

Vinnie Marold is Warren County Conservation District’s Forest Landowner of 2019. When he was young, Marold wanted to be a forester, according to a release from the conservation district. “Life took him in a different direction, but now he is returning to his dream.” He now owns 220 ...

This is Conservation District Week. The Times Observer is publishing a series of articles — this is the third of four — on the history of Conservation Districts and how they work today; the effect of Conservation Districts on agriculture; their role in dirt and gravel road projects, stream ...

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The number of hunting-related shooting fatalities in Pennsylvania went up in the past year, according to the state game commission. There were 26 hunting-related shooting injuries in Pennsylvania in 2019, four of which were fatal. The number of fatalities is up from ...

All pre-season and in-season trout stockings throughout Pennsylvania are expected to be completed by this weekend. That’s according to an update from Fish & Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer during Tuesday’s Commission meeting which was streamed on Facebook. Schaeffer ...

Many of us are looking for, or at least should be looking for, an enjoyable outdoors project. How about one that will do a world of good and last for decades? You can do this in your own yard if you have a lawn, or even a planter on the porch. There are acceptable ways it can be done on ...

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave final approval this month to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for the 2020-21 license year. Highlights include: * Expanding Sunday hunting opportunities on three days – Sunday, Nov. 15, for archery deer hunting, Sunday, Nov. 22, ...

PGC COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (www.pgc.pa.gov) In an effort to protect public health and to reduce the overall spread of COVID-19, all Pennsylvania Game Commission offices are currently closed to the public. Below are some frequently asked questions our agency has put together to ...

2020 marks the beginning of a new way forward in more ways than one. It’s the beginning of a new decade, one of which that is already filled with many uncertainties. The year is defined by Wikipedia as follows: “The 2020s (pronounced “twenty-twenties”) is the current decade in the ...

This year’s collective spring cleaning may turn into summer cleaning. The 16th annual Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup was scheduled for May 9. But, like so many other things, the cleanup has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. During a Friday conference call, organizers discussed their ...

It was one of those absolutely perfect early spring days with temperatures in the 60s, puffy clouds and rich blue sky that we have seen often this year. Jeri and I took a drive up Pleasant Drive and through the Allegheny National Forest to Endeavor, then up-river to Tidioute for take-out ...

The extension of cabin-fever brought on by the coronavirus blues has hunters across Pennsylvania looking forward to the start of spring turkey season. Hunting turkeys in Penn’s Woods will be different this year because of COVID-19, particularly during the youth spring turkey hunt on April ...