by William Crisp “Come on! Let’s go…we’re gonna get in trouble,” My brother beckoned. I knew It was late…too late, especially when my brother wanted to quit fishing. He picked up his gear and started walking. A shiver of fear ran down my back; as his big brother I knew I would really be in […]
by Phil Burkhouse This week’s column is devoted to one of many anglers’ favorite insects, the hellgrammite. If you check out the picture of the hellgrammite that has transformed into an adult dobsonfly, several words might come to mind, such as fearsome and vicious. If you knew, as most anglers already know, that a pinch […]
by William Crisp Summer fishing is still an exciting venture here in the Big Woods. You can catch beautiful, and large trout. Even though they’ve had to work hard at it, our Walters boys have proven that without a doubt. The bass anglers are enjoying the Driftwood again and the Sinnemahoning and First […]
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking for experienced hunters and trappers who are interested in becoming volunteer instructors for the agency’s basic Hunter-Trapper Education (HTE), Successful Bowhunting, Successful Furtaking and the Successful Turkey Hunting courses, as well as future courses under consideration. (Full story in the Cameron County Echo on the news stand)
by Phil Burkhouse I am addicted to yard sales because it’s as close to prospecting for gold as I can get in the Big Woods—excluding searching for the Civil War mother lode in Dents Run. Like prospecting you never know what you might find; it’s a gamble. At a recent yard sale in Prospect […]
by William Crisp What a bright face and smile the boy had. My son and I were in the middle of a “two for one operation” picking worms for fishing while digging potatoes from the garden. Nick was holding up a worm in one hand and a potato in another, proudly displaying each […]
by Nelson Haas COYOTE SCHOOL You’ve probably noticed a lot of coyote drawings in my column. That’s because I’ve spent a lot of time with the beast and my DNA runs high on the Canine side. I’m even allowed up on the sofa now. I started coyote school in the winter snows of […]
by Phil Burkhouse The deadline for my column is Friday, but I discovered the paper is not actually laid out until Sunday evening. This fact, of course, indicated my deadline could actually be extended to Sunday evening, which allows me two more days to procrastinate. Procrastination, or what I prefer to categorize as delayed deep […]
by William Crisp Yet another study is being paid for to see if it is fiscally efficient to combine the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) with the Game Commission (PGC) or (PFGBC?)…again I say, “Yet another study paid for in order to save money”… I’m sorry this article is long, but I […]
by Phil Burkhouse When I use the term “woody” I am usually referring to our gorgeous feathered bird known as the wood duck. We also have another Big Woods’ creature classified as a reptile that could also go by the handle “woody”, the Wood Turtle.
by William Crisp Other than the debate on whether Independence Day brings us a day of freedom or if it means we can have it all year; July brings with it turtle season and target season. I have friends who look forward to the opening day of turtle season like we look forward to […]
by Phil Burkhouse You math whizzes should be able to figure the average of these three numbers very rapidly since the average and median for this group is the same: 22. The 22nd of June is also the day the three Walters’ boys each landed brown trout from our local streams that measured 21, 22, […]
by William Crisp A friend of mine sent me an article about hunters and hunting in Alaska. It was published in the Hamilton (Canada) Spectator then published on line in “thespec.com.” It was written by a gentleman named Jim McDonald, a citizen of Canada…(until he wants to quit working, then he may immigrate […]
by Nelson Haas Lensatic compass Also known as the Engineer’s Compass. According to its manufacturer: “This compass is known throughout the world for its precision, reliability, versatility and ruggedness. It has helped to save lives in times of war and provided many with recreational and commercial usefulness in times of peace.” (Full Story […]
Turtle Times by Phil Burkhouse This is the time of the year the holes begin appearing throughout our area. Groundhogs obviously dig holes for their dens, and skunks, God bless them, dig out bee nests in yards, but the holes I am presently seeing are not being dug by mammals. We presently have several reptiles […]
by William Crisp There are a few quiet moments in my yard that force me to think back to my youth with retrospection. I’m currently having one of those moments. I was one of many sons who spent much of my young life, when not grounded or in detention, playing in the woods. What boys […]
Throwing the Hawk by Phil Burkhouse I realize with my addiction to birds that many people will glance at this week’s title and think I am writing about our winged predators of the sky, but actually I am writing about a tomahawk that is winged through the air by people power. (Full Story available on […]
by WilliamCrisp I enjoy hunting deer in PA and enjoy success or opportunities for success every year. Annually, the Pennsylvania Deer Wars fascinate me. Like the Civil War, the topic pits brother against brother and even father against son, if not man against dog. For decades I felt compelled to pick a side but […]
Wandering Thru May by Phil Burkhouse The 2013 Spring Turkey Season expired last Friday and not a moment too soon. Big Jake and I hunted several days a week throughout the month long season including a morning hunt on the last day, but he will have to let his gobbler grow until this fall. I […]
by William Crisp Some of the best times I’ve ever had were while drifting down a river. This is the time of year when you can really enjoy spending a day at nature’s pace; mostly because during the other times of the year you’ll freeze too fast. (Full Story available on the newsstands, […]
The Quehanna Industrial Development Corporation (QIDC) held its regular monthly meeting, May 20. It was a very busy meeting, with many subjects covered, including the coal industry. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
Crazy As A Loon by Phil Burkhouse The call came from Ted and the two crazed fishing fanatics we fondly refer to as Big Jake and Little Bear; they had sighted the “Spirit of Northern Waters” at the Y where the Driftwood Branch and the Portage collide. For those of you not familiar with “Spirit […]
During the last week of turkey season one of my hunting buddies, Muddy, who annually visits here from the great Northwest to kill the deer we say aren’t here and catch the fish we don’t stock, was back for the turkeys that we don’t complain too much about. He’s been successfully raiding Pennsylvania for a […]
After more than a decade of success, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is working to expand its Junior Pheasant Hunt Program and is seeking partners to do so. The commission is asking sportsmen’s clubs and other conservation organizations to meet an increasing demand created by the youngsters who want to participate in the program. […]
Fraser Who For Christmas? Christmas 2013 is about seven months away, but I am presently thinking about Christmas 2020 because that is approximately when the seedlings I have been planting will be ready to harvest for Christmas trees. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by William Crisp A lot of controversy has arisen out of an incident that occurred last September in a little town in Libya called Benghazi. An American consulate building and CIA annex was attacked by terrorists. In the ensuing hours of fighting, four Americans were killed, including the US Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens. While there […]
by Nelson Haas In 2011, the Pennsylvania Game Commission finally realized that Gary Alt’s deer management program was a resounding failure in Wildlife Management Unit 2-G, which lies in the center of the traditional deer hunting capital of Pennsylvania; the large wooded ridges of the Alleghany Plateau, where for years, hunters have flocked […]
by Phil Burkhouse Mary handed me the phone saying, “It’s your oldest grandson, and he wants to talk with you.” I said, “Hello Jake,” and tried to decipher a coded message delivered in a high pitched voice with extreme velocity and vibrating with excitement. I said, “Jake, slow down; I can’t make out what you […]
by William Crisp Last week the most publicized and latest Senate gun control bill (one of over fifteen) H.R. 1565 or the “Public Safety and Second Amendment Protection Act” in a rare, real, bipartisan effort was defeated. This defeat brought some real outrage from the anti-gun community and the Administration. (Full Story available on the […]
A Little Bear and A Turkey The 2013 Youth Spring Gobbler hunt was slated for last Saturday, April 20th. Big Jake and the Little Bear Wes were rearing to go; Isaac, at age 5, was still reluctant about shooting the scattergun and decided to wait for 2014. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this […]
by William Crisp We’ve been getting our April Showers lately. I think it has been enough to bring our May flowers. I like showers and flowers. I once made the mistake of telling that to a psychologist (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
Bucktail Rod and Gun Club trap field is open for shooting Mondays from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $3.00 per round for members only, please. Applications available. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Phil Burkhouse It is amazing how our stream levels fluctuate over a short period of time. The weekend of the canoe race levels in the Driftwood Branch were approaching the marginal level for canoeing and were perfect for fishing. Several inches of rain during last week brought on a Flood Watch […]
by William Crisp In the past, one of my typical fishing tips has been the suggestion of wearing dark or camouflaged clothes rather than bright colors while fishing. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Phil Burkhouse During the fall of 2010 and 2011, I had the opportunity to spend seven weeks working with award winning nature photographers from all over the globe. I served as guide/equipment bearer for photographers from Africa, Scotland, England, and the United States. I had a great time and got paid for […]
by Bill Crisp The second Saturday of April in Pennsylvania, officially, is the beginning of the season without an end; fishing season. The Big Woods is a target of many weekenders’ migrations to pursue trout placed and grown in our pristine waters. I’ve heard many a comment that resources generated from fishing should be focused […]
The cool spring so far throughout much of Pennsylvania may lead to increased gobbling for hunters planning to take part in the state’s spring wild turkey season. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Phil Burkhouse Mid-March marks the peak of March Madness: the elk horn hunting season. A few of the older bulls will drop in late February, and many mature bulls will have shed by March 10th, but the Ides of March through the end of the month marks the optimum time to be in the […]
by William Crisp It’s March again. The best thing about March is that it is only a month away from April, two months from May and six months until hunting season. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Nelson Haas TURKEY VULTURE Cathartes aura There is no bird soaring over the Americas so aptly named as the Turkey Vulture. Its first name, Cathartes comes from the Greek word: kathartes, meaning “the purifier” and aura, from the Native Mexican name for the bird: Auroura. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in […]
by Phil Burkhouse Jake mentioned several weeks ago that he had not found an elk horn in two years and that he was determined to find one this year. He said he was going to work really hard at it, and he knew it was going to pay off. I looked at the “little guy,” […]
by William Crisp Individuals among your friends, family, strangers or neighbors may have cooed in your concerned ear, too. “They’re not going to take your guns.” (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
Utah CCW Permit by Phil Burkhouse The National Park System has always stressed that when you are in grizzly bear country, hikers should do the following: wear small metal bells that attach to your shoes so they jingle while you walk, carry pepper spray that comes in an aerosol can, and talk as much and […]
If We Don’t Change by William Crisp I have over twenty-one years of service in conservation jobs with one agency or another as of this year. Every day there are reminders of what has changed in the past five and ten years, let alone in the last twenty. (Full Story available on the newsstands, […]
Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced the agency again will be helping Commonwealth school students learn about the vital role of trees in the environment through its “Seedlings for Schools” program, through which students plant a variety of tree seedlings at home, on school grounds or in their communities. (Full Story […]
by Phil Burkhouse I was sitting in a Spit and Argue chair, not one of the original ones near Henry’s Hardware, discussing the gun control issue with several friends. Naturally, there was much agreement in our thoughts on the subject, but one fellow said something that caught me off guard, and he was exactly right. […]
by William Crisp The news of the PA Fish and Boat Commission closing hatcheries came as a big shock to everyone. As the old saying goes, ‘Nothing is closer to immortality than a government program.” (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Nelson Haas EXTERNAL FRAME PACK If I were to choose a pack for carrying heavy loads over long distances, it would be the external frame pack. Here’s why: (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Rich Summers Cameron County Echo The Cameron County High School Red Raider Baguba varsity wrestling team completed their dual meet season last Tuesday in Curwensville against the Golden Tide. Despite pins by Rusty Setzer, Tony Olivett, Jack Karsten, and Hunter Azzato, Curwensville prevailed by a score of 36-27. (Full Story available […]
by Phil Burkhouse It was 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 10th, and the thermometer in the car read 2 degrees. I had packed a pair of shorts and was wearing blue jeans; we were headed toward the equator, so our Cameron County clothes we layered with during the winter were left behind. (Full Story available […]
by William Crisp On the eve of the major holiday called Valentine’s Day and right before the weekend of the big coyote hunt, my wife and I lay tucked in our bed ready for a long winter’s nap. However, as it turned out, we would not get much sleep that night. (Full Story […]
by Nelson Haas The Pennsylvania Game Commission has proposed the elimination of all feral hogs in the commonwealth; both wild and penned. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
Ice Fishers by Phil Burkhouse Last Saturday marked a gathering of ice fishing fanatics eager to share their love of the sport with young fishers, which was good since the truckloads of eager young fishers were quick to arrive! The ice was checked throughout the week, and when Saturday morning arrived, Bucktail Lake in Sizer […]
by William Crisp Cable television brings a lot of different outdoor stuff to watch with it these days. Besides the hunting and fishing shows, there are The Animal Planet and the Weather Channel. My kids love all those shows and our youngest particularly loves the Weather Channel. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this […]
by Nelson Haas I followed the track into a stand of open second-growth with some scattered laurel. On the upper side of a clump of brush, the cat climbed a slanted log overlooking a small clearing. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Phil Burkhouse This Saturday, February 9th, the Bucktail Road and Gun Club and CCOYA are planning a youth ice fishing program for fishers seventeen and under. The event will be held at Bucktail Lake in Sizer Run from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. To reach Bucktail Lake, take Route 155 north out of Emporium, […]
by William Crisp This week I decided to take a lighter look at the gun control debate. In all outdoor news there is no topic less important or serious than gun control. Gun ownership is a huge part of being a sportsman and so it is a topic that probably needs discussed more often, […]
The public is invited to attend an informational meeting for the newly formed North Central Whitetails chapter of Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA). The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 12th at the Emporium Water Company. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Phil Burkhouse I first heard the rumor early last week; the nation’s largest sports and outdoor show, scheduled for February 2-10 in Harrisburg, had developed a major snag. I was talking via telephone with the first Pennsylvania elk hunter I had guided who faithfully attends the “Show” with many of his friends. They live […]
by William Crisp Causing panic is the quickest way to get a group to move. That’s how the latest gun legislation has gotten its traction; taking advantage of emotion. The trouble with emotionally driven action is that it eliminates the ability to intellectually argue to the group and explain that they are about to […]
Christmas Bird Counts, Elk, and Flailing Around by Phil Burkhouse This week I am going to give you a synopsis of the two Christmas Bird Counts recently completed in our area. The Emporium Count was held on Sunday, December 23rd, and marked our 24th consecutive Christmas Bird Count. A circle with a radius of […]
The Bucktail Watershed Association had a very busy and productive year in 2012, educating folks about the watershed, working to control invasive species and improving watershed health. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by Phil Burkhouse Our Christmas week storms piled a considerable amount of snow on our hills and brought many guests from the far north winging into our area, and I don’t mean on planes. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by William Crisp As the ringing in my old ears has finally subsided from the ringing in of the New Year, I’m reminded of a relative of mine, who is a musician. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
Huston Hill Continued by Phil Burkhouse Last week’s article was taken from the “Memories and Notes” of Blanche Jordan Mendenhall who grew up on Huston Hill in the early 1900s (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
by William Crisp January’s hunting season brings trapping and small game. For the dedicated and/or unlucky but hardy hunters it also brings late deer season with flintlock and winter archery. I prefer to participate in the late small game season. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County Echo)
While it may be winter, now is the time for landowners to begin making plans to help wildlife by to planting tree and shrub seedlings offered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Howard Nursery, which will begin Jan. 7 through April 19. (Full Story available on the newsstands, in this week’s Cameron County […]
The Headwaters Charitable Trust is pleased to announce a special, year-end donation of $4,000 from the Northwest Charitable Foundation, based in Warren, Pennsylvania, in support of the Headwaters Conservation Partnership (HCP) program. The Foundation is affiliated with Northwest Savings Bank which was the founding partner of the Headwaters Conservation Partnership in April of […]
by Phil Burkhouse It was late October, and Mary and I along with the two little Grovanz grandkids had been cutting some firewood on family land. We finished cutting and were heading home; it was around 1 p.m. on a beautiful Indian summer day. I rounded a corner on the dirt road and saw […]
by William Crisp Starting in August, I start humming the Andy Williams Christmas Carol, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” I hum and sing it to myself almost all the way to Christmas. I love the holiday but my poorly carried tune is not just for Christmas, I’m referring to hunting […]