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Human hunters are a most valuable tool

In the natural world, many species are predators. They attack from the sky above. The long, curved talons of a hawk lock onto the spine of a jumping mouse and carry it off. The mouse is also a predator. He preys on crickets and other insects. They also attack in the waters below. We think of killer whales in salt water and muskellunge in fresh water, but many other aquatic species devour prey species. You might be bass fishing and use an imitation of a frog to lure a predatory bass to your hook, but the living frog is a predator too, using his sticky tongue to catch flies for his ...

Tarp Skunks open season

Times Observer Photos by Scott Kindberg The Jamestown Tarp Skunks opened their 2026 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League season against Olean on Friday night before a large crowd (above) at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y. In photos below, from the left, Tarp Skunks shortstop Blake ...

Sumac trees are late bloomers

Over the course of spring, different tree species produce buds and leaves on a staggered schedule. This variation has benefits for not only the trees, but also the animals and forest as a whole system. One of the last trees to leaf out each spring is the sumac. There are several tree species ...

Briefly

Trap leagues Wednesday night in the Warren County Trap League, Tidioute outshot Sheffield 340-335, Pine Grove outgunned Kalbfus 337-312, Sugar Grove topped Corry 331-327 and Brokenstraw scored 317 for its bye week. Perfect 50s were shot by Tidioute’s Ken Anderson and Brian Mitchell, Sugar Grove’s Austin Anderson and Brokenstraw’s CJ Jones. Dominic Mangione of Kalbfus had his first 25 straight. Sheffield’s Lydia Covert was High Lady with a 48. Tidioute’s Carter Anderson was High Junior with a 48. Corry’s Tyler Coulter was High Sub Junior with a 46. Sheffield’s Ed ...

Cubs chase Skenes, sink Pirates 7-2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ian Happ homered for the second consecutive game and the Chicago Cubs handed Paul Skenes his third straight loss with a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. The win came one night after the Cubs ended a 10-game losing streak. Happ hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning of that game. Happ had three hits on Thursday, including a two-run homer in the eighth that pushed the Cubs' lead to 5-2. He has reached base safely in 41 games in the city where he grew up. Seiya Suzuki had two hits and two RBIs for Chicago. Skenes (6-5) lost his ...

Opening night

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League season opener is set for tonight at Diethrick Park. First pitch for the clash between the Jamestown Tarp Skunks and Olean Oilers is 6:30 p.m. The head coach for the 2026 Tarp Skunks is Joe Reitebach, who served as the pitching ...