Indiana Gazette from Indiana, Pennsylvania • 14

Page 14 Tuesday, November 4, 2003 Black bear season ould be good 55" HARRISBURG Over ilie pasl three years, Pennsylvania has recorded its three best bear seasons ever, tf the weather cooperates during the upcoming three-day bear season, which begins Nov. 24, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials believe there's a great chance hunters will be participating in another season that will rank as one of the state's best ever. "Over the past three years, hunters have taken more than 8,800 black bears in Pennsylvania," said Vem Ross, Game Commission executive director. "That three-year harvest total represents more bears than were taken in the Commonwealth through the entire decades of the 1960s and 1970s and is indicative of our state's incredible black bear population. We truly have become one of the nation's top black bear hunting states.

"What's remarkable about our hlack bear population is that it has continued to grow, while our bear harvests have steadily increased. Right now. we believe the statewide population is about 15,000 bears," Agency Meld officers south of Interstate 80 again this year are telling hunters that there are plenty of opportunities to hunt bears. Meanwhile, officers north of 1-80 are urging.hunters to visit their counties to help reduce large bear populations that have led to increased bear complaints. "The bear population continues to increase and we need more hunters in this county," said Wildlife Conservation Officer Barry Seth in Armstrong County.

"If we had the hunting pressure, our bear harvest could double without any problem." For the second consecutive year, WCO Mike Doherty asked hunters to concentrate on the forested areas north of Har-risburg. "We have more bears than you can shake a stick at. You don't need to go upstate to hunt bears; come here to Dauphin County," he said. Of course, the situation is a little different in the state's northern tier. In Tioga County, WCO Bob Minnich said, "Bears are everywhere.

Almost everyone 1 talk to has seen a bear, or several, this year. Several large bears and cinnamon-phase bears are being seen. If we had the hunting pressure, we could have the highest kill in the state." Clearfield County WCO Dave Stewart said, "Based on sightings and the number of complaints this year, if I had one more bear in the district, 1 would have to add a room onto my house!" About two-thirds of the Game Com-, mission's wildlife conservation officers and land management group supervisors (LMGS), who are stationed in every county of the state, rate bear-hunting opportunities as good or excellent. Field officers reporting only fair or poor hunting prospects were mosdy in counties without bears or with small bear popu- Pennsylvania is one of the nation's top Executive Director Vern Ross. Game commission offers to Pennsylvania Game Commission tips Use the wind to your advantage.

If a bear gets a whiff of you, you're busted as a hunter. Bears have an outstanding sense of smell. They often let their noses lead the way as they travel. Always place yourself downwind of the bear when hunting on-stand or driving. Bears are cagey enough without giving them more advantages.

Stay focused and assume nothing. Black bears blend in well in forest settings at dawn and as dusk approaches. Blink or spend too much time looking one way and you can miss a bear. Even though bears are quite heavy, they often are surprisingly quiet moving through the forest. You may see a bear before you hear it coming.

Staying alert and remaining vigilant are critical Pennsylvania Game Commission the season "We're sure the bears are out there, and license sales indicate hunters arc buying bear licenses. We also believe food conditions are better Oiis year than in 2002. based on a fall foods survey of black bear bunting statesf according cially those bears holding out in thick cover. Develop plans to drive likely bear hideouts and follow them to the letter. A minor slip-up by a driver, flanker or stander is all any bear needs to elude even the best-laid plans.

As with any drive, it is important to know where each member of die drive is and that everyone keep safety first and foremost in mind. Regulations limit the size of organized drives to 25 people or less. Hunting on stand early and late in the day gives hunters a great chance to catch bears traveling to and from natural feeding and bedding areas. Hunt areas thai provide cover to traveling bears and. ensure there are either feeding or bedding areas near where you plan to hunt.

"Four factors will largely determine the size of this year's harvest," TerneiU said. They are bear abundance, natural food availability in fall, number of hunters and weather conditions during field personnel in the Game Commission and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The weather, of course, is still up in the air. "Weather can move the bear harvest in either direction. Cool temperatures and several inches of snow could set the stage for another record harvest.

Rain, fog or warm weather likely will reduce the harvest from the pace established in recent years." The Game Commission fall foods survey, now in its second year, is spearheaded by Te men l. "Apples, which are an important fall food for black bears, received the highest production rating of any food in the survey, so they'll be an important consideration during preseason Ternent said. "Almost all berry-producing plants had average or better crops this year, but acorns and beechnuts were rated only as average. "Rail is a critical time of year for bears because they are building fat reserves to sustain them through winter denning. If food supplies are reduced in fall, bears respond by traveling more to find what is available.

"When food supplies are poor, at some point bears give up searching for food and enter dens earlier than usual Early denning almost always triggers a reduced bear harvest We don't, however, anticipate widespread early denning this year based on food survey results." Hunters are advised that the availability of fall foods varies from county to county even from township to township. Preseason scouting for food sources and bear sign is the surest ways to ensure your hunting efforts are targeting the right area. Hunters interested in taking a record-book bear in the Commonwealth have reason to hope, according toTement. "Lastycar41 bears were taken with estimated live weights exceeding 500 pounds and 21 counties had at least one bear taken that was that size or larger. Bears weighing more than 700 pounds exist in Pennsylvania, but they are uncommon." In 2002, bears were harvested in 49 of the state's 67 counties.

During the regular three-day bear season, Lycoming led the state with a bear harvest of 224, followed by Clinton, 179; Pike 143 (excluding 82 additional bears taken in a six-day season extension); Centre, 114; Tioga. 109; and McKean, 108. Last year, a record 122,046 hunters purchased bear licenses. In 2001, 109,250 hunters bought bear licenses. The premiere 'of Pennsylvania's extended six-day bear season in Carbon, Monroe and'Pike counties, which ran concurrently with (he first week of the firearms deer season, is believed to have prompted the increase in bear license sales.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Briefs Todd Bird Club HN EST The Todd Bird Club will meet today at 7:30 p.m. in the Blue Spruce Lodge at Blue Spruce County Park near Ernest. Bob Mulvihill will present "The Next Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas Project We're Looking for a Second Brood of Volunteers." Mulvihill, of the Powdermill Nature Reserve, is the project coordinator for the second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas. Employed as a full-time bird bander at Powdermill. Mulvihill holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Refreshments will be provided. The public is welcome. Fall Gun Bash BLACK LICK The Black Lick Fire Department will hold a Fall Gun Bash Saturday, at the fire hall. Doors open at noon. The bash will be held from 1 to 6 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased from a firemen or member of the Ladies Auxiliary. Call (724) 248-7340. dren under 16 from dangerous adult-size ATVs hy prohibiting the sale of these ATVs for use by children. This standard would provide a minimum level of protection for every child, give CPSC a strong enforcement tool to hold ATV dealers accountable, and send a powerful message to parents about how dangerous adult-size ATVs are for children under 16. The release of the 2002 Injury data comes just one week before CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton will hold a public hearing on ATV safety in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This hearing, which is slated for Thursday, will be the third by the chairman or the full commission this year. These hearings have been prompted in part by a petition from Consumer Federation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other medical and conservation groups calling for the national safety standard described above. Steelhead fishing at peak Scouting is important. Natural foods appear to be scarce in some areas this fall, so scout far areas where there's plenty of food such as acorns, beechnuts or field corn. There's a good chance bears will remain in that area.

When scouting, look for tracks, droppings, bedding areas (scratched-put depressions usually at the base of a log or tree) and active trails. Look for bears in the thickest cover you can find, such as swamps and bogs; mountain laurel rhododendron thickets; north-facing slopes; and some river bottoms. Bigger bears are notorious for holding in thick cover even when hunters pass nearby. Organized- drives are effective. Hunters working together often increase their odds of taking bears, espe lations.

Mark Terncnt, Game Commission bear biologist, said a harvest of 2.500 to 3,000 would be typical for the upcoming season. works to fight pollution and protect the earth's ecosystems. This new data follows the release of a report in August by Consumer Federation of America, Natural Trails and Waters Coalition, Bluewater Network and doctors documenting how the ATV industry's voluntary approach to safety is failing to reduce serious injuries or protect children under 16 from the dangers posed by adult-size ATVs. This report, ATV Safety Crisis: Americas Children STILL At Risk." also describes and challenges the industry's proposal to abolish age recommendations and put some children on bigger, faster ATVs made specifically for adults. (The report may be viewed at www.con-sumcrfed.org or www.naturaltrails.org) "Five years after the industry assumed its voluntary approach to safety, serious injuries and deaths caused by ATVs con onue to break records," said Scott Ko- Steelhead Waters on although clear catching them The Manchester have been surprising of the wall at Boaters have shore when the A variety of for the boaters.

Elk Creek from lately. The last Creek. Crooked less crowded ing the week. baits, although now. Lake Erie was 53 degrees.

Parking has along the Road near Trout Local media, along with our anglers have resulted Simply put, arc no different than any other area of the Commonwealth. Blocking roadways, parking on private property without permission, parking in posted or no parking areas, and parking in handicapped spots without proper identification are violations subject to penalties and possible removal by state and local law enforcement Law enforcement Erie PFBC officers have been busy with the large crowds. The most common violations have recently included snagging, fishing without a valid License, keeping fish in excess of the legal limit and netting fish from the Trout Run Nursery waters. There have been numerous complaints from area residents along Walnut Creek regarding anglers not respecting their property rights. If the land or water is posted move on through, you as the angler, have absolutely no right to be there.

PSP and the PFBC have been responding and explaining to these inconsiderate people that they must move on. This will cease and desist and citations will now be issued instead of asking those individuals to move on. We will not allow a few stubborn anglers to jeopardize precious tributary access for the majority. Reported Oct. 29 by WCO Brook Tolbert and DWCO Randy Leighton Vie full text of these reports, complete with photo-graphs, can be found at www.fish.state.

pa.us. Conditions fishing is at a peak right now. The Project Walnut Creek continue to hold fish, and crowded conditions have made a challenge. Hole is loaded with fish. Wall anglers doing fair to good on the wall and a number of fish have been taken just east the mouth of Walnut Creek.

been doing very well trolling just off Lake is cooperating. spoons have been the bail of choice the mouth to Route 5 has been hot rainfall triggered a decent run on Elk Creek is producing well and is usually than Elk or Walnut, especially dur- Anglers are doing well on a variety of minnows seem to be popular right water temperature as of this writing Parking been a real problem in many areas tributaries and in particular along Avonia Run. both newspaper and television, weekly reports have repeatedly advised that careless parking habits can and in traffic tickets and towing. parking regulations in the Erie area HUNTING SUCCESS Nathan McDivitt, 25, of Clarksburg, used a P5E compound bow to nab this eight-point buck on Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m.

in (he Clarksburg area. The buck, which hod a 1 9-inch spread, was token while McDivitt was hunting over a scrape. The buck field-dressed at 225 pounds. It was the largest buck McDivitt has taken with a bow. 2002 record-breaking year for serious ATV injuries, deaths WASHINGTON.

A report released last week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) caused 113,900 injuries requiring emergency room treatment in 2002 breaking a record set in 2001. This increase in injuries continues a trend dating to 1993. The CPSC also estimates that ATV-related deaths were the highest ever, rising from 569 in 2000 to a minimum of 634 in 2001. "It's time for the ATV carnage to end.

The CPSC data clearly shows industry-sponsored solutions such as self-regulation have failed," said Scan Smith, Blue-water Network's public lands director. "Bluewater Network calls upon the federal government to enact strong regulations before more citizens are maimed killed on these contraptions." Bluewater Network is an international, 'non-profit environmental organization varovics. Director of the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition. "Irtlight of the fact thai ATVs sent more than 37,000 children to the emergency room in 2002, it defies explanation that the industry would work to abolish age recommendations and put some children on bigger, faster ATVs Major findings of the CPSC 2002 Annual Report on All-Terrain Vehicle-Related Deaths and Injuries include: Serious injuries requiring emergency room treatment increased from 110,100 in 2001 to 113,900 in 2002. The estimated number of A'lV-related fatalities increased 1 1 percent from 569 in 2000 to 634 in 2001.

Children under 16 suffered 37,100 injuries In 2002 up from 34.300 in 2001. This age group received more serious injuries than any other. Between 1985 and 2002, children under 16 accounted for 37 percent of all injuries and 33 percent of all deaths. The CPSC continues to make clear thai the increase in injuries is not explained by rising ATV sales. The CPSC provides fatality data by state California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Michigan, New York, West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina are listed in order from one to 10 based on reported deaths between 1982 and 2002.

(A copy of the full CPSC report is available at www. consumer fed.org.) Pennsylvania is second only to California in the number of deaths attributed to ATV's from 1982 to 2002. There were 305 ATV-rclatcd deaths in California and 287 in Pennsylvania during that time period. The report from Consumer Federation, Natural Trails, Bluewater Network and doctors calls on CPSC to take a leadership role by issuing a national safety standard that would help protect chil.