Outdoors-related clubs and organizations can submit items to be considered for publication in “Outdoors Briefs” by emailing to outdoors@republicanherald.com.
PFBC discounts
gift vouchers,
fishing licenses
Fishing licenses for 2015 and optional alternate display annual license buttons are now on sale by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, at its more than 900 licensing agents and online at www.gonefishingpa.com.
For the first time in PFBC history, the prices of fishing licenses are being reduced throughout the month of December. Anglers who buy a 3- or 5-year multi-year fishing license will receive discounts of $3 and $5, respectively, and these same discounts apply to fishing license gift vouchers.
Anglers will receive $1 off on resident, non-resident and senior resident annual licenses purchased anytime during the 2015 season, which begins Thursday, Jan. 1. Optional annual buttons are available to current adult and youth holders of a valid Pennsylvania fishing license.
Lifetime senior license, multi-year license holders and voluntary youth license holders may also purchase the buttons. Buttons are not required by law and are an optional purchase in addition to a license.
Hunters asked
to report banded migratory birds
Migratory game bird hunters are encouraged to report banded ducks, geese, doves and woodcock they take online at www.reportband.gov or by using the toll-free number (800) 327-BAND.
Hunters will be asked to provide information on where, when and what species of migratory birds were taken, in addition to the band number. This information is crucial to the successful management of migratory birds.
Pennsylvania Game Commission waterfowl biologist Kevin Jacobs said that reporting leg bands helps the agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service learn more about migratory bird movements and survival and harvest rates, which are critical to population management and setting of hunting regulations. Each year, nearly 380,000 ducks and geese and 30,000 mourning doves are banded across the United States and Canada, of which nearly 8,000 migratory game birds were banded in Pennsylvania.
Under the old reporting system, utilized until the mid-1990s, only about one-third of recovered banded birds were reported by hunters. Now, with the option of using online or toll-free methods, band reporting rates have improved to more than 70 percent and improved greatly migratory bird management while reducing monitoring costs.
Longhunter chair
radio show guest
National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association Longhunter Society chairman Dave Ehrig is today’s guest of Republican-Herald/News-Item outdoors editor Doyle Dietz on “Experience The Outdoors,” from 7-7:30 a.m. on WLSH 1410-AM, 9:30-10 a.m. on WMGH, Magic 105.5-FM and on the Web at www.wmgh.com by clicking the “Experience The Outdoors” link.
Today’s events
Sporting clays, 9 a.m., Friedensburg Fish and Game, 169 Stone Mountain Road, Pine Grove; for information, call (610) 763-4925. National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association flintlock program, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cabela’s, Hamburg. Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays seminars, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cabela’s, Hamburg.
Banquets
Friday, Feb. 6: Deer Hunters Banquet, 5 p.m., Hamburg Field House, 123-127 South 4th St., Hamburg, featuring Outdoor Channel personalities Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo; for information and tickets, call Kimmel’s Church at (570) 943-2759, or email
admin@kimmelschurch.org.
— Compiled by Doyle Dietz