Pennsylvania Elk Harvest Report

For the past two years the Pennsylvania Game Commission elk check station has been located at the Food and Cover Corps maintenance building along the Quehanna Highway near Karthaus. All successful hunters are required to bring harvested animals to the station so that biological and other data may be gathered.

PGC Elk Check Station Quehanna Highway:Photo by W.Hill

The following statistics are what were posted on the informational board outside the maintenance as of late morning on Thursday November 5, 2010.

Bulls: 15   Cows: 16.  This is from a total allocation of 17 bulls for the November season and 33 cows.  Counting the Special Conservation Tag bull taken earlier, the total number of bulls taken as of late Thursday morning was 16.

The bulls broken down by Hunt Zone and points are: Zone 2: 7x7, 5x6, Zone 3: 7x6, 5x6, Zone 4: 6x6, Zone 7:  9x7, Zone 8: Hunter had tag for Zone 8 but filled it in Zone 11, Zone 9: 7x7, 6x6, Hunter had tag for Zone 9 but filled it in Zone 11, Zone 10: 8x9, 7x7, Zone 11: 7x6, 7x7, 7x7. I asked for clarification above the Zone 11 situation  and was told that anyone with a tag could fill it either in their designated unit or in Zone 11.  I asked no further questions as I assumed that this Zone would be shown in the Hunting Digest, but it is not in my copy of it, so at this point it is unclear just what area Zone 11 encompasses. 

PGC Personnel Process Elk: Photo by W.Hill

While the regular elk season ends on Saturday, there is a week long season outside of the Elk Management Area, which runs from November 8-13, 2010.It requires a valid Elk Hunting License with an unfilled tag and a limit of one antlered or one antlerless elk, depending on what license the hunter originally obtained. At this point it appears likely that there will be several unfilled cow licenses, but there should be few if any bull hunters still qualified to hunt during this season. One guide pointed out that there is a discrepancy in the hunting license digest between the map of the area which is off limits to hunting during this season and the text describing the same situation. Giving accurate advice on this situation is beyond the scope of this article, but hunters would be well advised to obtain accurate information as to where hunting is permitted before venturing into a questionable area.

Sitting Alone In The Moonlight-A Chilling Serenade

2:00 A.M. and the moon hangs low in the western sky, shining through thin clouds and tree branches, bathing the countryside in an eerie glow.  Far from any major road, total silence hangs in the air like a heavy blanket. Wildlife, game wardens, and poachers rule the night in the remote Pennsylvania wilderness.

The old man sits alone in the moonlight, his thoughts wandering back over the years.  Long ago when he was a young game warden, such times were spent anticipating what the future might hold in store, and he felt a longing for exciting action, but now many years worth of memories keep him company, and he no longer feels the need for adventure. He would rather be home sleeping, but he is here because of wildlife criminals that roam the backcountry roads, locating deer with spotlights, shooting them with small caliber rifles, and letting the animals to lie and rot.

Suddenly the silence is broken by the shrill barking of a fox and the wild, wailing voice of a coyote joins in- creating a harmony that makes the chills run down the spine. No music on earth can sound better.

The poachers do not come this night, but the old man will never forget the wildness of that moment in the moonlight when the fox and coyote made the hills and hollows ring with their chilling serenade.

Camera Critters: Photos From Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area

Here are a few photos from a trip to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area near Klinefeltersville, Pennsylvania, which were taken recently on a beautiful autumn morning.

The first two photos are of a Great Blue Heron, which was taken at long range with the 500mmF4 and the 2x extender.

Great Blue Heron Fishing

The heron alternated between periods of standing still looking for fish swimming nearby, and stalking slowly along the pond bank.  At time he tried to spear his prey with his long bill.   I was able to film this activity, but did not get a still photograph of him attacking.

Wading In Search Of Prey

It was a special treat to sight three River Otters, but unfortunately I was not able to get close-up photographs of them.  Still, I was thrilled as this is the first I have photographed or filmed them except I did film the release of River Otters when they were re-introduced into the Juniata River near Everett, Pennsylvania in 2002, whileI was working for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

A Rare Sighting Of River Otters

For more Camera Critters photos, click Here!

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Pennsylvania Elk Season Nears-Special Conservation Tag Hunt Ends

Pennsylvania's elk season will be held from Monday November 1 to Saturday November 6th, with an extended season being held the following week. Hunters in possession of a valid elk license with an unfilled antlered or antlerless tag will be permitted to hunt in any area outside of the Elk Management Area. This is to help prevent the spreading of the elk herd into areas where the PGC believes the potential for significant elk-human conflict may occur. Seventeen bull tags were issued, plus the Special Conservation tag for a total of 18 bull tags and 33 antlerless tags

Acclimated Bull Elk Near Hunt Zone 2 Boundary

The last day for the Special Conservation Tag Hunt is November 6th, but it appears that the hunter was successful and as there is only one Special Conservation Tag issued per year, that season is effectively over. According to an unconfirmed report, "the gentleman with the Governor tag allegedly wounded a extremely large bull last week and they hunted for it for two days and did not find it-so he shot a 6x6 that scored about 340 inches." At the time that we saw the Conservation Tag hunter, he was hunting with a bow, but we have received no information as to what weapon or weapons he was using in the incidents related above.

As a follow up to the story "An Unpleasant Encounter In Pennsylvania Elk Country", sometime after our encounter with the hunter and guide on Wednesday morning September 29th, I spoke to a gentleman who was in the same area on the previous evening (Tuesday Sept. 28) He was walking along the brow of the hill looking for elk when he noticed a strange colored object on the hillside below him and glassed the area with his binoculars. He found himself looking at two persons, one of which was armed with a bow. They were wearing camouflage clothing, but the colored fletching on the arrows in the bow quiver had attracted his attention. He approached them and asked if they were the Governor's Conservation Tag hunting party and they indicated they were. According to this person, the hunter had just passed up a shot at a large bull because conditions were too windy for accurate archery shooting under the circumstances.

My party was nearby at the time and  we were headed for the spot on the pond bank where the confrontation was to occur on the next day, but we saw a large bull come from that area and cross the top of the hill in front of us.  It seems likely that this is the bull the person was talking about.

Mature Bull Crossing Reclaimed Area: Photo by W.Hill

View Of Area Where Encounters Occurred From Winslow Hill Road: Photo by W.Hill

After photographing and filming the animal, we decided to go in another direction as there was no bugling coming from the area of the pond. As it turned out the large bull we saw went to the Gilbert Viewing Area as did most of the elk in the area that evening, while we went into another back country area and found no elk until we returned to the parking lot near the Gilbert Viewing Area.

This leaves one to ponder why the hunting party did not take exception to the other person walking up to them and talking on Tuesday evening, when it was unacceptable for us to be in the area on the following morning.  Also had we gone where we originally intended on Tuesday evening, would a confrontation have occurred then?

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill