Outdoors calendar
TRAP SHOOTS — Nixon Gun Club’s weekly Trap Shoots will be held every Monday at 6 p.m. until further notice.
SPORTING CLAY SHOOTS — The Fairbank Rod & Gun Club will hold sporting clay shoots every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
FLY-TYING — The Greene County Department of Recreation will offer its series of four fly-tying courses for beginners, starting on Tuesday, Dec. 3, on the upper level of the 4-H Building at the Greene County Fairgrounds. Each three-week course in the series costs $20 and class is limited to 20 students.
The beginner’s course is designed for adults 18 and older, and classes run from 7-8:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday through Dec. 19. Preregistration deadline for the beginner’s course is Friday, Nov. 29.
The beginner’s course focuses on the basics, including threading a hook, adding the basic body parts of a fly, adding the hackle and tying off the fly.
The intermediate course will be offered Jan. 7-23, and the beginner’s course is a prerequisite. Deadline for registration is Friday, Jan. 3.
A course combining fly tying and lure making will be offered from Jan. 28-Feb. 13. Deadline for registration is Jan. 24. The final course of the series is an advanced class for making dry flies, wet flies and copies of insects found in streams, and will be held Feb. 18-March 6. Deadline for registration is Feb. 14.
For more information, or to preregister for the beginner’s course, contact the Department of Registration at (724) 852-5323.
SUCCESSFUL BOWHUNTER-ED CLASSES
Note: All the online Pennsylvania Bowhunter Education Course must be completed before registering for Successful Bowhunting. The online bowhunter education course (Pennsylvania Bowhunter Education Course) and Successful Bowhunting field day to complete the requirements for Pennsylvania bowhunter education. Online registration only.
HUNTER-TRAPPER INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSE
Note: Must be 11 years old to register. Students must attend the 2-3 hour class to be tested and certified. Students must study entire course content on own online, taking about 8-10 hours to complete.
HUNTER-TRAPPER ED CLASSES
NOTE: All hunter-trapper education students must now register online. To register go to the Game Commission’s website at http://www.pgc.state.pa.us and look for Hunter-Trapper Education. Click on the photo and it will open the link to the registration page. The instructions on how to register are easy to follow. Must be 11 years old to attend class.
A listing of most 2013-2014 seasons and daily bag limits:
SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Oct. 19-Nov. 30; Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 22 (6 daily).
RUFFED GROUSE: Oct. 19-Nov. 30, Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 25 (2 daily).
RABBIT (Cottontail): Oct. 26-Nov. 30, Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 22 (4 daily).
PHEASANT: Male only in WMUs 2A, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B — Oct. 26-Nov. 30, Dec 16-24 and Dec. 26-Feb 22. Male and female may be taken in all other WMUs – Oct. 26-Nov. 30, Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 22 (2 daily). No open season for pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas.
BOBWHITE QUAIL: Oct. 26-Nov. 30 (4 daily). (Closed in WMUs 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D.)
HARES (SNOWSHOE RABBITS) OR VARYING HARES: Dec. 26-Jan. 1, in all WMUs except WMUs 3B, 3C and 3D, where season will run from Dec. 26-28 (1 daily).
WOODCHUCKS (GROUNDHOGS): No closed season, except on Sundays and during the regular firearms deer seasons. No limit.
PORCUPINES: Sept. 1-Mar. 31 (3 daily with a season limit of 10). Closed during the overlap with the regular firearms deer seasons.
CROWS: July 5-April 6, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. No limit.
WILD TURKEY (Male or Female): WMU 1B — Nov. 28-30; WMU 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow) — Nov. 28-30; WMUs 1A, 2A and 2D — Nov. 28-30; WMUs 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B and 4D — Nov. 28-30; WMUs 2F, 2G and 2H — Nov. 28-30; WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C and 4E — Nov. 28-30; WMUs 5B, 5C and 5D — CLOSED TO FALL TURKEY HUNTING.
SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with required license, and mentored youth — April 26, 2014. Only 1 spring gobbler may be taken during this hunt.
SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): May 3-31, 2014. Daily/season limit is 1; season limit may be expanded to 2 by persons who possess a valid special wild turkey license. From May 3-17, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon; from May 19-31, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
BLACK BEAR (Statewide): Nov. 23-27. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
BLACK BEAR (WMUs 4C, 4D and 4E): Dec. 4-7. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D): Dec. 2-14. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
BLACK BEAR (WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D): Dec. 2-7. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.
DEER, ARCHERY (Antlerless Only) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Nov. 18-30. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Jan. 13-25. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Oct. 5-Nov. 16 and Dec. 26-Jan. 11. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4C, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D: Dec. 2-14. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER (Antlered Only) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E: Dec. 2-6. One antlered deer per hunting license year. (Holders of valid DMAP antlerless deer permits may harvest antlerless deer on DMAP properties during this period.)
DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E: Dec. 7-14. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide): Dec. 26-Jan. 11. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D): Dec. 26-Jan. 25. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
DEER, ANTLERLESS EXTENDED REGULAR FIREARMS: (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties): Dec. 26-Jan. 25. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
COYOTES: No closed season. Unlimited. Outside of any big game season (deer, bear, elk and turkey), coyotes may be taken with a hunting license or a furtaker license, and without wearing orange. During any big game season, coyotes may be taken while lawfully hunting big game or with a furtakers license.
RACCOON and FOXES: Oct. 26-Feb. 22, unlimited.
OPOSSUM, SKUNKS and WEASELS: No closed season, except Sundays. No limits.
BOBCAT (WMUs 2A, 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4C, 4D and 4E): Jan. 21-Feb. 11. One bobcat per license year, but all licensed furtakers may obtain one permit.
2013-14 TRAPPING SEASONS
MINK and MUSKRAT: Nov. 23-Jan. 5. Unlimited.
COYOTE, FOXES, OPOSSUM, RACCOON, SKUNKS and WEASELS: Oct. 27-Feb. 23. No limit.
COYOTE and FOXES (Statewide) Cable Restraints: Dec. 26-Feb. 23. No limit. Participants must pass cable restraint certification course.
BEAVER (Statewide): Dec. 26-March 31 (Limits vary depending on WMU).
BOBCAT (WMUs 2A, 2C, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4C, 4D and 4E): Dec. 21-Jan. 12. One bobcat per license year, and all licensed furtakers may obtain one permit.
FISHER (WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3D, 4D and 4E): Dec. 21-26. One fisher per license year, and all licensed furtakers may obtain one permit.
TROUT STOCKINGS
The Fish and Boat Commission no longer lists the number of trout to be stocked.