PGC & RMEF To Dedicate Woodring Farm September 13th

9x8 At Woodring Property Rut 2009

PRIME ELK HABITAT TO BE DEDICATED

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to dedicate 81 acres at Saturday ceremony.

Source: PA Game Commission News Advisory

The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation announce the dedication of 81 acres of prime elk habitat known as the Woodring Farm on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m.

Parcel Location
The land is located at 2702 Winslow Hill Road, Benezette Pa., 15821.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Since 1991, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) and its partners completed 301 conservation and hunting outreach projects in Pennsylvania with a combined value of more than $22.6 million. The RMEF has made 10 land-acquisition purchases that opened or secured public access to 8,465 acres. About 11,000 Pennsylvanians are RMEF members.

Directions
From state Route 555 in Benezette, turn onto Front Street, then turn right onto Winslow Hill Road. Follow Winslow Hill Road approximately 2.6 miles. The dedication will take place at the red house on the left. 

Former Maynard Woodring Residence

Calf Elk On Woodring Property

Sunset Over The Woodring Farm

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

PA Elk Rut Underway/PGC Announces Fall 2014 Schedule For Viewing Areas

Elk At Winslow Hill/Porcupine Run Viewing Area-September 2013

The Pennsylvania elk rut begins in late August and continues through October, with the peak activity being from mid-September into early October.  Elk Country Visitor Center provides an excellent starting point  for first time visitors, but much of the best elk viewing is on the State Game Lands on Winslow Hill.  The PGC maintains the Winslow Hill/ Porcupine Run and Dents Run Viewing Areas.  When driving up Winslow Hill, past the entrance to the Visitor Center, the Winslow Hill/Porcupine Run area is to the left at the intersection with Dewey Road.  This is perhaps the best for seeing elk at close distance to the road.

Bull Herding Cows At Winslow Hill/Porcupine Run 2013

 Many long time visitors to the elk range still call this ""The Gilbert Viewing Area" or "The Gilbert Farm" as Kenny Gilbert owned it for many years before selling to a consortium of conservation organizations

The Dents Run Viewing Area looks over a large meadow on a distant hillside.  It is picturesque, but most photo opportunities there are at long range.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is conducting activities at the viewing areas on the weekends  throughout September and early October. The public will have the opportunity to chat with representatives of the agency and special informational programs will be provided.

PGC Personnel  At 2013 Elk Expo

Fall Schedule

September 5

4:00 PM-Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

Saturday September 6

4:00 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

8:00 PM - Dark: Campfire (Dents Run Viewing Area)

8:30 PM - 9:00: Campfire Program “Coyotes” (Dents Run Viewing Area) … bring a camp chair if you have one

Friday September 12

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Dents Run Viewing Area)

Saturday September 13

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Dents Run Viewing Area)

7:30 PM - Dark: Campfire (Dents Run Viewing Area)

8:00 PM – 8:30: Campfire Program “Sounds of the night” (Dents Run Viewing Area) …

bring   a camp chair if you have one

 

Friday September 19

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Dents Run Viewing Area)

Saturday September 20

1:00 PM – PGC Program “Monarch Butterflies” (Elk Country Visitor’s Center0

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Dents Run Viewing Area)

Friday September 26

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Dents Run Viewing Area)

Saturday September 27

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

3:30 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Dents Run Viewing Area)

7:30 PM - Dark: Campfire (Dents Run Viewing Area)

8:00 PM – 8:30: Campfire Program “Into to Geocaching” (Dents Run Viewing Area) … bring a camp chair if you have one

Followed by an optional “Night Cache” filled with PGC Goodies

OCTOBER

Friday October 3

3:00 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

Saturday October 4

3:00 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

7:00 PM - Dark: Campfire (Dents Run Viewing Area)

7:30 PM – 8:00: Campfire Program “Pennsylvania Owls” (Dents Run Viewing Area)

Sunday October 5

11:00 AM: Pavillion Program “Wildlife Sign” (Dents Run Viewing Area)

Friday October 10

3:00 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

Saturday October 11

3:00 PM – Dark: Visit with the PGC (Winslow Hill Viewing Area)

            7:00 PM - Dark: Campfire (Dents Run Viewing Area)

7:30 PM – 8:00: Campfire Program “Pennsylvania Bats” (Dents Run Viewing Area)

Sunday October 12

1:00 – 4:00: Driving Tour of SGL 311 (Beginning at the bottom of Dewey Road at gate.

A special thanks to PGC Northcentral Region Information & Educations Supervisor Doty McDowell for providing the information.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

RED

More About Winslow Viewing Area Changes

I have learned a bit more about the coming changes to the Porcupine Run? Winslow Hill Viewing Area. First I took more pictures of the design.  This one does not show as much of the area, but is a closer view of the segment of the drawing next to Winslow Hill Road and it shows faintly where the current  Dewey Road is in relation to things.

Old Dewey Road is along tree line

Fellow photographer, Tom Dorsey superimposed the above information on a Google Map and also put in where the current location of things are.  Tom has posted this on Facebook and he was gracious enough to share it  with us.

 Tom writes,"I have color coded my image to better explain":

The yellow dots show the new road that will come off of Winslow Hill Rd and turn left just before the current viewing area pull-off. This will then connect to the lower part of Dewey Rd just above the old Gilbert Farm and will allow access to the rest of Dewey Rd.

The large Gray area is the new parking area that looks to be at least double the size of the current one. To get into that parking area you will need to follow the new access road also dotted with Yellow.
The Orange dots show the current Dewey road and parking area that will no longer exist".

The photo below is likely the the general location of the first viewing area , while the second or lower viewing area would be just beyond the end of the row of tall trees to the right.

Likely location of upper viewing area and with restroom facilities closeby

Here is a view of the area the second viewing area will cover taken from the hillside in the distance in the photo above, which is known as "The Saddle".

Lower viewing area is likely somewhat past where road emerges from tree line

As of yet we do not know if there will be a pull-off area along Dewey Road from the point where the new roadway rejoins the old so that one can photograph from that area. If stopping or parking is forbidden it still seems likely that one could stand along the roadway.  If there is no provision for this, much of the photography in this area will be at long range.

I have also been told that work on this is to begin in Mid-October.  Also it seems likely the PGC will take a much more active role in the tourism aspect of the elk program. There is a strong possibility  that a  maintenance crew headquarters will be established on Winslow Hill with the crew concentrating on maintaining the wildlife habitat and facilities in the area.

 I must emphasize that this is my interpretation of what I have seen in writing and what I have been told. There is room for error or the plan may be fine-tuned and changed somewhat as it goes along.

A special thanks to Tom Dorsey of Tom Dorsey Imagery for contributing to today's post!

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Major Changes Coming To Winslow Hill Viewing Area

The attention of elk photographers is mostly focused now on the shedding of the velvet which takes place in a time slot ranging from slightly before the middle of August to the end of the month.  In fact most bulls have shed by now,  but it was still possible to find one still shedding on Tuesday morning.

5x5 Shedding Velvet

During a break in the filming I checked the signs on the bulletin board at the Porcupine Run/ Winslow Hill Viewing Area and was amazed to find that major changes are in store for this favorite destination of elk watchers According to the sign several changes will be implemented beginning in 2014 including the relocation of Dewey Road, the construction of a large parking lot, a tour bus drop-off area and hiking trails and observation areas.

Below is a photo of the Master Plan for the viewing area which was prepared by Larson Design Group.

I you are coming up Winslow Hill from the Elk Country Visitor Center, it appears that the new, relocated section of Dewey Road will turn off of Winslow Hill before where the parking lot is  now and curve around the hill to rejoin the existing portion of Dewey Road before one gets to the access road to the property that used to belong to Claude "Dr. Perk" Nye or before you reach where the Gilbert farm buildings used to be located.

The current parking lot is to be replaced with a large lot that is accessible  only by a connecting road from Winslow Hill Road. This will likely mean no more pulling off of Winslow Hill Road along the road frontage so as to minimize the chance for congestion and accidents.  In addition, provisions will be made to gate the parking lot when officials desire.

I looks as though the area where Dewey Road now intersects Winslow Hill Road  will be the approximate location of the bus drop-off.  That section of the old road will either be re-landscaped into wildlife habitat or may be made into a portion of the access trails.

Old Dewey Road in Foreground should be joined by new section before old barn and garage

(this photo was taken before the buildings were razed)

It appears that what is labeled the upper viewing area may be about where roadside parking currently begins along Dewey Road. The second  viewing  area seems to be along a tree line and only about half-way from Winslow Hill Road to the Nye lane. The plan document that is posted seems to be a combination of drawing, satellite photo, and topographic map and even standing on the spot, it is a bit hard to understand exactly how things will be.  It is possible that this area could overlook the hollow to the north of the Gilbert Field.  I do not know at this point.

I wish to emphasize that this is only how I interpret this information based on the knowledge I now have. I will inform blog readers as more information becomes available.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.