Beaver County Sportsmen's Conservation League

To promote and foster, the protection and conservation of our wildlife resources

Midland Sportsman’s Club Turkey Shoots 0ct 14 – N0v 18

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MIDLAND SPORTSMAN’S CLUB TURKEY SHOOTS

WHERE : EASTWOOD DRIVE INDUSTRY PA.15052

WHEN : 2PM -? EVERY SUNDAY OCTOBER 14, 2018 -NOV. 18, 2018

PUBLIC WELCOME

PRIZES-TURKEYS-HAMS-BACON PLUS MONEY SHOOTS

COST–$2.00 PER SHOT     MONEY SHOOTS $3.00

(AMMO SUPPLIED)

KITCHEN OPENBIG /SCREEN TV FOR FOOTBALL GAMES

BRING A FRIEND AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS FOR A DAY OF SHOOTING AND FUN. REGISTRATION STARTS AT1:30PM

PROUDLY : SPONSORED BY THE MIDLAND SPORTSMAN’S CLUB

FOR -INFORMATIONPLEASE CALL RANDY MORROW (724)-601-9953

OR PUNK SCARSELLA (724)-312-8024

WOBBLE TRAP SHOOTING WILL BE OPEN ALSO

RAIN OR SHINE SHOOTS WILL BE HELD   

(GREAT FUN FOR EVERYONE)

STATEWIDE ARCHERY SEASON BEGINS SEPTEMBER 29TH

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Pennsylvania Game Commission wishes bowhunters safe days afield.

Pennsylvania’s statewide archery deer season begins Saturday, Sept. 29, and its return is prompting the Pennsylvania Game Commission to issue some helpful reminders.

Archers statewide can hunt for antlered or antlerless deer from Sept. 29 to Nov. 12, and during the late archery deer season, which runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 12.

The statewide season was moved to end on a Monday this year so it could include the Veterans Day holiday.

At the time of the statewide opener, archery hunters in three urbanized areas of the state will have had a two-week head start to their seasons. An early season for antlered and antlerless deer in Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D kicked off on Sept. 15 and ends Nov. 24.

Properly licensed bowhunters in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D also may take antlered and antlerless deer during an extended late archery season, which runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 26.

Archery hunters may use long, recurve or compound bows, or crossbows. Bows must have a draw weight of at least 35 pounds; crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds.

The Game Commission encourages hunters to spend as much time as possible afield this fall prior to and during the hunting seasons to pattern deer movements and identify areas where fall foods are abundant. Food availability changes from year to year, and in areas where food is spotty, deer move to find it. Hotspots change from one year to the next, even from early to later weeks of the season, so tracking deer activity and their keying on food sources is important to success.

Bowhunters are urged to take only responsible shots at deer to ensure a quick, clean kill. Archery and crossbow hunters should take only broadside or quartering away shots at deer within their maximum effective shooting range – the farthest distance from which a hunter can consistently place arrows or bolts into a pie pan-sized target.

Hunters may use illuminated nocks for arrows and bolts; they aid in tracking or locating the arrow or bolt after being launched. However, transmitter-tracking arrows are illegal.

Tree stands and climbing devices that cause damage to trees are unlawful to use or occupy unless the user has written permission from the landowner. Tree stands – or tree steps – penetrating a tree’s cambium layer cause damage, and it is unlawful to build or occupy tree stands screwed or nailed to trees on state game lands, state forests or state parks.

Hunters are reminded portable hunting tree stands and blinds are not permitted on state game lands until two weeks before the opening of the archery deer season, and they must be removed no later than two weeks after the close of the flintlock and late archery deer seasons in the WMU being hunted.

Tree stands placed on state game lands also must be conspicuously marked with a durable identification tag that identifies the stand owner. Tags may include the owner’s name and address, the CID number that appears on the owner’s hunting license, or a unique identification number issued by the Game Commission. Identification numbers can be obtained at The Outdoor Shop on the Game Commission’s website.

 

Safety tips for bowhunters

  • Make sure someone knows where you’re hunting and when you expect to return home. Leave a note or topographic map with your family or a friend. Pack a cellphone for emergencies.
  • Always use a fall-restraint device – preferably a full-body harness – when hunting from a tree stand. Wear the device from the moment you leave the ground until you return. Don’t climb dead, wet or icy trees. Stay on the ground on blustery days. Keep yourself in good physical condition. Fatigue can impact judgment, coordination and reaction time, as well as accuracy.
  • Always carry a whistle to signal passersby in the event you become immobile. A compass and matches or lighter and tinder also are essential survival gear items to have along. An extra flashlight bulb also can be helpful.
  • Use a hoist rope to lift your bow and backpack to your tree stand. Trying to climb with either will place you at unnecessary risk.
  • Don’t sleep in a tree stand! If you can’t stay awake, return to the ground.
  • Always carry broadhead-tipped arrows in a protective quiver.
  • If you use a mechanical release, always keep your index finger away from the trigger when drawing.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for all equipment and check your equipment before each use.
  • Practice climbing with your tree stand before dawn on the opening day of the season. Consider placing non-slip material on the deck of your tree stand if it’s not already there.
  • Avoid walking with a nocked, broadhead-tipped arrow or bolt.
  • Cocked crossbows should always be pointed in a safe direction.

 

Venison care

While hunting in October often offers pleasant days afield, the warm weather also presents challenges for successful deer hunters in assuring harvests result in high-quality venison.

Especially in warm weather, harvested deer should be field dressed quickly, then taken from the field and cooled down as soon as possible. While hanging a deer carcass in a shady area might be fine in cooler temperatures, if the air temperature is above 50 degrees, hunters should refrigerate the carcass as soon as possible.

Information on warm-weather venison care, as well as instructions on deer processing and other tips, are available on the white-tailed deer page on the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.pa.gov.

 

Hunting in Disease Management Areas

All who hunt and harvest deer within either of the state’s Disease Management Areas (DMAs) must comply with special rules aimed at slowing the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Pennsylvania.

The prion that causes CWD is concentrated in high-risk deer parts including the head and backbone, and these parts may not be transported outside the DMA.

It is legal to remove meat, without the backbone, from a DMA. The skull plate with attached antlers, also may be removed if no visible brain or spinal cord material is present.

Harvested deer can be taken to a cooperating taxidermist or deer processor associated with a DMA in which they’re taken, and the processed meat and/or finished taxidermy mounts may be removed from the DMA when ready.

Successful hunters who intend to do their own processing and who need to transport deer meat or other low-risk parts outside a DMA may stop by one of the many disposal sites established within the DMAs.

Several sites where hunters within DMAs can dispose of high-risk parts are established in public areas within DMAs.

Collection bins where hunters can drop off the heads of the deer they harvest to have their deer CWD-tested for free also will be set up at sites within the DMAs. The backbone and other deer parts may be deposited at high-risk parts dumpsters set up in some of the same locations.

An interactive map showing the location of all parts-collection sites is available on the CWD information page at www.pgc.pa.gov. Lists of cooperating processors and taxidermists also are available on that page.

CWD always is fatal to the deer and elk it infects. In Pennsylvania, it’s a growing threat to the state’s deer and elk, and its hunting tradition.

As part of the fight against CWD, successful hunters who harvest deer or other cervids anywhere in Maryland, Ohio, New York, West Virginia, or any of the 27 states and Canadian provinces where CWD is known to exist, are prohibited from bringing the high-risk parts of harvested animals into Pennsylvania.

Courtesy PA Game Commission

PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION RUFFED GROUSE FILM WINS BIG

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Short film showing the plight of the ruffed grouse in Pennsylvania wins seven awards. 

Between 2001 and 2005, the ruffed grouse population suffered a 63 percent decline in Pennsylvania. No one was sure why but in 2015 through 2016, Game Commission biologist Lisa Williams and her team confirmed their suspicions about Pennsylvania’s state bird being affected by the West Nile Virus (WNV).

Grouse chicks were hatched from eggs gathered in the wild, and then inoculated with WNV. Within the first week 40 percent of the chicks died. After two weeks, an additional 40 percent of the chicks showed so much organ damage that they probably could not have survived in their natural environment.

After the challenge study was completed, the laboratory findings were then tested on wild grouse in Pennsylvania by looking for WNV-positive antibodies in harvested grouse. This testing is the first of its kind where lab results were then tested in wild populations.

Williams rallied hundreds of hunters across the state to send in blood samples when they harvested a grouse during the hunting season. Game Commission pathologist Justin Brown and their research partners at Colorado State University and the University of Guelph then did the careful lab work to assess WNV exposure in wild grouse. By incorporating these findings into habitat management planning, the Game Commission and partners hope to direct habitat management efforts to areas where grouse populations have the best chance of responding.

Williams’ research then caught the ear of one of the Game Commission staff filmmakers.

Game Commission filmmaker Tracy Graziano, armed with her Canon C500 and Final Cut X editing program, set out to tell Williams’ story that continues to unfold even today. Graziano completed the 9-minute documentary in late January 2017 after 18 months of shooting and countless hours in the field. She has been with the agency for eight years but has been creating science and wildlife documentaries since 1999.

“The most rewarding thing I can hope for in any of my film projects is to help influence change for the benefit of wildlife and conservation,” said Graziano.

“With more than 27,000 YouTube views to date, I believe the ‘Ruffed Grouse’ film was critically important in raising awareness among hunters about the risk of WNV to grouse and is one of the reasons other state wildlife agencies started looking into WNV as a contributing cause of decreasing grouse populations,” Lisa Williams said.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans concurs.

“Lisa Williams’ research into the ruffed grouse population decline in Pennsylvania is cutting-edge science-based wildlife management,” Burhans said. “Documenting these important findings by using the latest technology by skilled filmmaker Tracy Graziano so others can learn and benefit exemplifies why the Pennsylvania Game Commission is at the forefront in modern wildlife management.”

 “Ruffed Grouse” won awards from the following:

  • The University of Idaho Fish & Wildlife Film Festival 2017, Idaho, “Natural History Documentary-Short” category
  • American Conservation Film Festival 2017, West Virginia, Official Selection “Conservation Film Short” category
  • Wildlife Conservation Film Festival 2017, New York, Official Selection “Wildlife Conservation” category
  • FIIN 2017, Portugal, Official Selection “Films of Nature” category
  • NatureTrack Film Festival 2018, California, Official Selection “Conservation” category
  • Outdoor Film Festival 2018, Utah, Official Selection “Categories by Species”

This past July, the “Ruffed Grouse” film was recognized with its most recent award at the Association for Conservation Information (ACI) conference in Springfield, Missouri. The film took third place in the 2018 “Video Long” category.

ACI is a professional organization that recognizes excellence in educational work completed by state and federal fish and wildlife agencies across North America. 

Courtesy PA Game Commission

Reminding Archers to Hunt Safely and to Wear a Harness

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Archery season in Pennsylvania opens statewide on Saturday, Sept. 29. In an effort to reduce the number of tree stand injuries this hunting season, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is reminding hunters to hunt safely and to wear a harness.

Unfortunately, hundreds of hunters in Pennsylvania have been seriously injured in tree stand-related accidents. Fall-arrest systems and full-body harnesses have the ability to save lives and are the best methods for keeping hunters from being hurt in a fall.

Here are some important safety tips to remember:

  • Make sure the harness is on before climbing the ladder.
  • Read the manufacturers’ warnings and instructions before using the stand. Call the manufacturer with any questions or concerns.
  • Practice climbing before the season begins and use all provided safety devices. The transitions in and out of the stand are the most dangerous times.
  • Plan to use a haul rope to pull gear, including unloaded firearms and bows, to the tree stand from the ground once safely and properly positioned.
  • Be prepared to self-rescue, should a fall occur. We recommend carrying a screw-in step or a relief strap so that you can hang comfortably until you are rescued, or so you can rescue yourself.
  • Hunters should let someone know where they’ll be hunting and when they plan to return home.

You may have recently passed one of our billboards, like the one in the image above, promoting this safety initiative. These grant-funded signs were created to promote awareness and encourage safe hunting across the Commonwealth.

 

We want every Pennsylvania hunter’s experience in the woods to be a positive and safe one. Wearing a harness and taking these safety precautions seriously can ensure that archers come home safely. Click here for more tree stand safety tips.

Courtesy PA Game Commission

BRADYS RUN PARK TO HOLD CONTROLLED GOOSE HUNT

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Commissioners Approve Goose Hunting at Bradys Run Lake

 BEAVER (September 4, 2018) – The Board of Commissioners and the Beaver County Recreation & Tourism Department announce plans for a controlled goose hunt to take place at the Lake at Bradys Run Park.  The dates of the goose hunt are:  October 27, 29; November 2, 5, 9, 13 & 16, 2018.  Saturday, October 27 will be for Junior Hunters only and be monitored by members of the Beaver County Sportsmen’s Conservation League.  

            The areas of the park from the Lodge to Shelter 15 will be closed to park visitors until 11 am on the dates of the hunt for safety reasons, with signs posted.  The Beaver County Sheriff’s Department will monitor traffic through the Park on the dates of the hunt. 

            The Recreation Department will hold a drawing to determine those hunters who will be permitted to hunt.  Hunters may acquire an application at the Recreation Facility/Ice Arena at Bradys Run Park. 

Applications must be completed and submitted by Monday, October 1, to be considered eligible for the hunt. 

A drawing to select the hunters will be held on Friday, October 5 at 12 noon at the Bradys Run Recreation Center. Each hunter that is drawn for a Blind will be able to bring an additional 3 friends to share the Goose Blind. There will be a separate drawing for junior hunters who wish to hunt.  The County will erect the hunting blinds where the hunters will be assigned to hunt from on a daily basis.  There will be a maximum of four hunters per blind.  All hunters must be properly licensed and must show proof of such to receive an application.  

There will be a $5 charge per hunter for administrative costs.

Goose Hunt Application & Release

 

 

Basic Black Rifle Class September 9th 2018

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WHEN: Sunday, September 9, 2018 9 AM – 5 PM

WHERE: Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club  505 Constitution Blvd, Beaver Falls, PA 15010

COURSE CURRICULUM

Basic Black Rifle- Classroom  and Live Fire Training.

Students will learn about the history of the AR- 15 platform. Get an Understanding of the AR-15 breakdown and Rifle capabilities. Equipment setup and selection, nomenclature, disassembly / reassembly, mechanical operation, care & cleaning, preventive maintenance, zeroing iron sights & electronic sights, different types of operating systems, shooting positions.

CO-ED CLASS  18+ Years of Age

INCLUDED

NRA Certified Instructors

Range Time

Targets

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

Rifle with 2 Magazine

1 Magazine carrier

150 rounds of Ammunition

Long Pants, Knee and Elbow pads recommended

Ball cap, Ear & Eye Protection

Physical ability to maneuver with rifle

COST $150 Contact Us for Registration Form

CONTACT

724-600-2020

[email protected]

www.blueline-firearmstraining.com

Basic Rifle Class Flyer

 

Pistol 101 Class August 25th 2018

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WHEN: Friday January 19, 2018 6 PM – 10:30 PM

WHERE: Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club  505 Constitution Blvd, Beaver Falls, PA 15010

COURSE CURRICULUM

Basic Pistol Class- Classroom  and Live Fire Training.

Students learn the rules for safe gun handling, pistol parts and operation, ammunition components, shooting fundamentals, range rules, two-handled standing position, PA Law and continued opportunities for skill development.

CO-ED CLASS  21+ Years of Age

INCLUDED

NRA Certified Instructors

Range Time

Targets

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

Personal Protection (Eye & Ear Protection, Baseball Cap)

Firearm (Rentals are available)

100 Rounds of NON-Jacketed Ammunition

COST $99 / $75 for Club Members

CONTACT

724-600-2020

[email protected]

www.blueline-firearmstraining.com

8/25/18 Pistol 101 Registration Form

 

September 15, 2018 – Pro Second Amendment Sporting Clay Shoot & Steak Dinner

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$100 Ticket (Limited Available)

Includes Shoot, Steak Dinner, and a chance on

Smith & Wesson M&P Black 9mm Full size semi-auto 17 rounds

Smith & Wesson M&P Black 40 cal. Full size semi-auto 15 rounds

Smith & Wesson M&P Black 45 cal. Full size semi-auto 10 rounds

Smith & Wesson M&P Black 9mm Compact semi-auto

(All with Manual Safety – Standard sights and 2 magazines)

 Many additional Raffles will be held separately

$50 For dinner Ticket Only

 Registration @ 9:30 AM

Dinner will begin at 4:30 PM

Location Rochester Sportsmen’s Club  181 Sportsman Lane, Rochester, PA  15074

 REGISTRATION FOR SHOOT

9/15/18 SPORTING CLAY SHOOT FLYER

 

 

 

 

 

WILD TURKEY MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE AVAILABLE TO VIEW

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Public comment wanted to help guide wild turkey management over the next 10 years.

 

Management of the wild turkey in Pennsylvania has made great strides over the last two decades, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking public input on the agency’s third turkey management plan, which strives to effectively manage this popular big-game species through 2027.

During the first wild turkey management plan from 1999 to 2005, the Game Commission completed wild turkey restoration and built partnerships with other groups, agencies and organizations.

The 2006-2017 plan focused on acquiring more-detailed harvest data; minimizing and abating human-turkey conflicts; quantifying, enhancing and acquiring turkey habitat throughout the Commonwealth; developing a habitat suitability model; assisting and educating landowners about turkey populations and habitat management; and improving hunter safety through increased education, said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission turkey biologist.

“The new plan uses the information gained during the two previous plans and focuses on developing turkey population models for each wildlife management unit (WMU) in the Commonwealth,” Casalena said.

The models will predict turkey population responses to changes in harvest regulations, and will help the Game Commission identify optimal harvest regulations that maximize both turkey populations and hunting opportunities for Pennsylvania’s 200,000 fall turkey hunters and nearly 230,000 spring turkey hunters. Once finalized, the models will be appended into this plan.

Other strategies under the population objective include beginning turkey harvest rate monitoring for each WMU, and assessing turkey diseases and how they may relate to population management. The Game Commission also will determine priority areas for habitat management/improvements at the WMU and state game lands levels, update the habitat suitability model for each WMU to integrate strategies for management of habitat and harvest, and increase habitat management acreages through prescribed burns.

Additionally, the agency will develop a more precise method of annually determining participation rates of the various age segments of turkey hunters to recommend ways to increase hunter participation, retention, recruitment and reactivation; maintain or improve turkey hunter safety and compliance with regulations; increase public awareness of wild turkeys and their management; and enhance important partnerships.

“This new wild turkey management plan comprehensively involves all aspects of wild turkey management,” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “Implementation of its strategies involves the entire agency and is a team effort. Before finalizing the plan, we are seeking public comment to ensure that it considers the thoughts and concerns of Pennsylvanians about this species.”

The draft plan can be viewed on the agency’s website at www.pgc.pa.gov on the wild turkey page. Hover over the Hunt & Trap tab in the top menu, select Hunting. Scroll down to click the Wild Turkey link in the Big Game section.   

Comments from the public will be accepted through Aug. 31, 2018, and can be emailed to [email protected], or sent by mail to: Turkey Management Plan, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg PA.

A summary of public comments received, and any changes made in response to the comments, will be included in the final version of the draft 2018-2027 Wild Turkey Management Plan, which will be presented to the Game Commission Board of Commissioners for approval at the Board’s meeting on Sept. 25, 2018.

 

COMMISSIONERS TO MEET IN HARRISBURG

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The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners is scheduled to meet Monday, July 30 and Tuesday, July 31 at the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.

Both meetings begin at 8:30 a.m., with doors opening at 7:45 a.m.

Individuals interested in offering public testimony – limited to five minutes – can do so at the July 30 meeting, and may register on a first-come, first-to-speak basis. PowerPoint presentations are not permitted during public comment periods.

On Tuesday, July 31, the board will take up its prepared agenda.

The Game Commission’s headquarters is located at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Those unable to attend the meeting can watch much of it from home.

The meeting is scheduled to be live-streamed beginning Monday morning, immediately following the conclusion of public comments. The livestream can be accessed through the agency’s website, www.pgc.pa.gov, though viewers may need to log in to a free account to access the stream. In addition, the full board meeting on Tuesday is to be live-streamed beginning at 8:30 a.m.