The Next Generation

As the sun climbed slowly over the hemlocks along East Sandy Creek, a sea of little orange t-shirts flooded into the grounds of Camp Coffman near Kossuth, PA. With over 400 participants and even more parents, volunteers, and industry representatives, it was the beginning of the largest Youth Field Day event this state has ever seen. Funded primarily by the Clarion County Sportsmen for Youth (CCSY), along with countless local and national sponsors, the event has become one of the largest efforts in our state to introduce young people to hunting, fishing, and other outdoor sports.

Click the video below for some great footage of this year's event.


I’ve enjoyed volunteering as an archery instructor for this event for many years and it’s something that ranks almost as high on my calendar as the opener of bow season. This year was no different, except that I attended as a PSP staff member along with Andy Traister and AJ Johnson. We had a lot of fun introducing the visitors to the PSP website as well as sharing stories of prior season’s hunts. However, the majority of my time that day was spent taking photos and shooting video footage of all of the events. And believe me, there was a lot to see!

Rather than try to explain all of the day’s activities, I think I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

Hoyt Pro Staff member Tony Tazza instructs several youngsters on archery safety and proper shooting techniques; A future archer takes careful aim at a foam deer target.

A member of the Redbank Rod and Gun Club gives some shooting tips for a first-time shot gunner, while the Rimersburg Rod and Gun Club provided a variety of wild game meats to sample.

Claire Clements, owner of Clem’s Taxidermy in Ninevah, PA, shows the youngsters a variety of animal species native to PA; The Clarion County Rod and Gun Club and the Hawthorn Rod and Gun Club hosted the .22-shooting station featuring balloons and egg targets.

The PA Game Commission set up an obstacle course that included both tomahawk and spear throwing stations.

John O’Hara, Summit Treestand safety instructor, explains the importance of fall-restraint harnesses while hunting from treestands; Participants in the event were also treated to a canoe trip along East Sandy Creek.

The PA Gun Owners Association organized a station devoted to muzzleloaders and black powder shooting.

The young anglers had very good luck enticing the freshly-stocked trout in the early morning hours; This young man proudly displays a fine palomino that he landed.

Ernie Kennendrelli with Quaker Boy Game Calls demonstrates turkey calling techniques with a box call; This lad was really getting into a cutting sequence!

Horton sponsored a new crossbow station, which was a big hit with the kids.

Local Boy Scout Troop 55 was also in attendance as well as the PA Trappers Association who displayed a variety of pelts and demonstrated trap setting methods.

One of the day’s feature events was a shooting demonstration by Benelli staff shooter Tim Bradley. Tim is a professional shooter, known nationally for his extraordinary skills with a shotgun. His shooting feats include shooting up to nine hand-thrown clay targets at a time. Tim lived up to his reputation and delivered a stellar performance that resulted in him getting mobbed and nearly trampled by youngsters seeking his autograph. To his credit, he stayed on-hand to sign every t-shirt and hat that was passed his direction. Well done Tim!

Tim Bradley, staff shooter for Benelli, provided an incredible shooting demonstration for the crowd in the afternoon.

Tim takes aim at a handful of clay targets; Tim treats the crowd to a patriotic series of red, white, and blue targets.

Tim’s demonstration ended with an “explosive” finale!

Click the video below to watch a short video clip Tim’s finale shots.

As in the past, a big part of the day’s events was the prize ceremony. However this year, the supporting sponsors stepped up in a big way. The CCSY, along with help from Savage Arms, purchased one hundred .22 rifles to be given away to the youngsters. As if that wasn’t enough, additional prizes included twelve compound bows, a Horton crossbow, a Summit treestand, a case of Federal ammunition, two mountain bikes, and much more. Each child who didn’t win a major prize received a custom-engraved Clarion County Youth Field Day turkey call produced by Quaker Boy Game Calls.

This young man was the proud owner of a new Summit treestand; All of the bows used at the archery station were awarded as prizes at the end of the day.

The lucky winner of a Savage .22 rifle excitedly ran back to show his parents his winning certificate; Jakeb and McKenzie Byerley each won a .22 from Savage.

Arianna Evans, who was born with spina bifida, was carried by her father Bill to receive her certificate for a new 7mm-08 rifle; This young man was all smiles holding one of the Savage .22 rifles given away as prizes.

I think it’s pretty easy to see from the photos how much this day means to the young people who participate in the event. As a volunteer, I consider it to be one of the most important activities I support throughout the year. And I can also tell you, it’s one of the most rewarding. The excitement and joy on the face of one youngster is enough to make it worthwhile, but when you witness it time and time again throughout the course of the day, it’s hard not to recall your own introduction to the outdoor sports and recognize the important place each of those early memories hold in your heart.

I think most folks are aware that in today’s society, our young people are in danger of growing up without being exposed to the sports that have been responsible for our outdoor heritage in rural America. Without motivated and coordinated efforts by individuals and organizations like those responsible for this event, I’m certain that the future of shooting sports and other outdoor pursuits would suffer a grave fate. I’d like to take this space to thank the following sponsors for their continued support of the Clarion County Youth Field Day. You are commended for playing a vital role in the preservation of our great sport, and the outdoor community is ever grateful!

Corporate Sponsors
Clarion County Rod & Gun Club
Sportsmen Outfitters
Swartfager Welding
Horton Crossbows
Summit Treestands
Hoyt
Quaker Boy Game Calls
PA Game Commission
PA Fish & Boat Commission
Savage Arms
Federal Ammunition
Walmart – Clarion
Benelli USA
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

General Sponsors
Franklin K-Mart
Hirsch’s Meats
Jay D. Stevens M.D.P.C.
Emlenton IGA
O’Neil Services
Pioneer Electric Supply
Vinyl Graphics Inc.
Lions Club of Hawthorn
Charles Tool & Supply
Ochs Building Supply Inc.
William Rupert Mortuary Inc.
Heeter Enterprises Inc.
Pine Hollow Rod & Gun Club
Jennifer Alden Wesner
Farmers National Bank
R.C. Best Traps
Clarion Boards Inc.
Joy Mining Machinery
New Bethlehem Moose Lodge 366
Hawthorn Rod & Gun Club
Rimersburg Rod & Gun Club
Smuckers of PA
Ida Wholesale
Maple Mountain Inc.
Tom’s Sales & Service
Ken Bell
Knox Ambulance
Knox Fire Police
Sligo Sportsmen & Archery Club
The Carriage Inn
Ritner Pools & Spas Inc.
Weaver Excavating
Heartbreak Hotel
Pennwest Homes
Wespen Audio Vision
Miller’s Sporting Goods

For new sponsors interested in supporting the Youth Field Day event in 2009, please contact Randy Culberson of Sportsmen Outfitters at (814) 797-5253.

Nature's Beautiful Bounty

Well even though this week was officially the beginning of summer…I was thinking of Fall. My hunting season starts the beginning of September with waterfowl season. So it isn’t too early to start getting ready. As all of you know I already have Drake being trained. When he comes home in July I will be adding his daily tune ups to my routine. I have been practicing some new calls I got in the off season and soon will be getting out all our decoys. Checking blinds and ordering our ammo. We actually order cases of ammo before season and we still usually run out!

This year will be especially special to me because it will be the first year my son Jimmy will be able to actually harvest waterfowl. Jimmy has been going along with us waterfowl hunting for the past 4 years. He can call a goose like the best of them! He always enjoyed our outings and after every trip afield he would make a comment on how many more years or seasons until he could shoot. Well this is the year! For the past 3 years we have helped the PA Game Commission with their waterfowl banding program in Blair, Bedford and Huntingdon Counties. We usually got a firsthand view then on what waterfowl populations were. This year they aren’t banding in this area, so one evening Jimmy and I decided to go and check out the local waterfowl situations. Now we know that the populations are not what they are closer to season, but it is nice to know if there are any off spring in the area. Last year I can say was quite disappointing. Our sightings of goslings and ducklings we felt were down drastically from the year before. So we were anxious to see what this year would bring. Our first stop was a local waterway known for harboring waterfowl. We parked and got out to check locations of previous nests we knew of. One goose nest from previous years was empty. Although all the geese were there, no eggs were on the nest. Last year we saw on her nest 4 eggs. A week later the eggs were there and all smashed. But we are hoping that perhaps this year it will be a late hatch.

Empty goose nest.

Female goose on her nest. Notice how thin she is. We then found one goose nest with the eggs on it and mama goose there protecting her brood. We also were able to find a freshly laid duck egg. Not to mention a couple dozen ducklings running around the pond. This is a great sight to any waterfowl hunter!

Mallard ducklings on right. Moving on to another part of the County we found other goslings out feeding with their parents. This was the case in all the local waterways that evening. Mallard and wood duck ducklings seemed to be thriving. A total of about 80+ goslings were counted. This is good news! Seeing waterfowl off spring is as great as seeing fawns. It assures us hunters that the generations are carrying on.

Those of us that are parents know how challenging it can be changing diapers and being awakened in the night by a baby wanting a bottle. So imagine trying to look after anywhere from four, six, eight or a dozen babies…all at once. In a world full of predators! Predators being anything from snapping turtles, pike, musky, cats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc. So you can only imagine how critical and daunting a task it is for waterfowl. Adult waterfowl provide their young with many types of care, and the care varies by species. When they hatch, for example, most waterfowl are unable to keep warm by automatically regulating their body temperature for several days and periodically require a parent (the hen, in most duck species; both parents in the case of geese and swans) to cover them with their body and wings to help maintain normal body temperature. This behavior, known as brooding, also protects young waterfowl from extreme precipitation (including rain, hail and snow), sunlight, wind and from predators. Another critical form of care is protection from predators. Most waterfowl give alarm calls at the first sign of approaching danger. Alarm calls will cause young birds to scatter or move closer to their parent(s), or freeze in place. Females of many duck species will also feign injury by acting like their wing is broken to draw predators away from their broods. Adult geese may actually attack intruders including humans who come too close to their offspring. Another important role parent birds play is ensuring undisturbed access to feeding areas. After the young birds hatch, the parent assists their young in finding suitable habitat with adequate food supplies.

Duck egg.

Mallard hen sitting on her nest.

The majority of male ducks usually invest little or no energy in rearing offspring. Geese, however, both parents are active participants in brood-rearing activities and may remain with their young until the following breeding season. Female geese are typically emaciated following incubation because they feed infrequently during this period and, if left alone to care for offspring, they may be unable to provide sufficient care for young and meet their own requirements. By helping with brood care, males actually enhance the survival of their offspring and mates. The presence of both parents in geese also helps fend off predators because most geese nest in areas with little cover for concealment. A pair of adult geese defending a brood is a formidable opponent for most predators. Ducks, on the other hand, males play little to no role in brood care. In fact, most male ducks abandon the female when she begins incubation or shortly after her eggs hatch. The bright plumage of the drakes may attract predators, so the male ducks rarely attend broods. Most female ducks usually remain with their broods until they are ready to fly.

Jimmy and I had a great evening which we felt was very promising for the upcoming season approaching so fast. As we drove home I thought about how I felt so lucky to have a great kid who could enjoy a night out taking a ride with his mom, photographing and counting waterfowl offspring. I then realized that raising offspring in this crazy world of ours is a struggle for any parent. Considering all the obstacles waterfowl face, I am extremely thankful for my child!

Family Vacation at Pymatuning Lake

Last weekend I had the opportunity to spend a long weekend at Pymatuning Lake in northwest PA with my wife, son, and in-laws.  This wasn’t a fishing trip but we did manage to get out fishing for a couple of hours on two days to try our luck with some panfish.  Pymatuning is the largest reservoir in the commonwealth.  I have only fished it a couple other times in my life.  I would have been fishing blind, if it wasn’t for a friend who drew me a map of the areas he has fished in the past.  Overall the weekend was a nice time, and we even managed to boat a few fish on our trip.

Me with a decent crappie

I hauled my boat to the cabin, hoping we would get the opportunity to fish.  There were six of us and everyone wanted to go out on the lake the first afternoon so we decided to rent a pontoon boat.  I really enjoyed the outing because this was the first opportunity I had to fish with my in-laws.  Paul and Nancy (mother and father in-law) didn’t have fishing licenses so Paul was the captain of our boat, driving us to likely fishing spots and Nancy was enjoying the sun on a picnic table in the front our boat.  Chrissy, Nathan, Poss (grandfather in-law) and I were all going to try our luck at pulling some fish out of this lake.  For only fishing a couple hours, we caught our fair share, and as someone pointed out on the boat, it was great to see 4 generations enjoying time outdoors together.

On the last evening at the cabin, Chrissy, Poss and I decided we would take my boat out to try our luck for the last time on this trip.  We launched in the early evening and fished until dusk.  Fishing with my wife and Poss was a great experience.  Poss was an avid fisherman back in his day, and it was fun to sit back and listen to stories of his experiences through his many years fishing.  He is a great storyteller and kept us laughing throughout the evening. The fishing didn’t end up to bad either.  We were fishing for panfish once again, and boated close to 20 fish, keeping about a dozen nice perch, crappie and bluegill.  There was also the typical story of the one that got away:  Poss hooked a nice fish and as it came up to the side of the boat, I could see it was a very nice walleye.  I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me to get the net and as he tried to pull the walleye into the boat. The hooked popped and the fish lived to swim another day.

Cabin For The Weekend

Although this wasn’t a typical fishing trip, it was a nice opportunity for all of us to enjoy the outdoors as a family.  Below are pictures from our family outing.

Nate helping me clean our catch

Nate with a perch (1st fish of the day), Paul and Poss looking on

Paul our chauffer with Nancy in the background

Poss with a perch

Heading out for the evening

Nate Taking A Dip

Nate looking through his binos

Pony Ride

Huge Reindeer

Deer park feeding deer

Drake Is Back!

On Monday, July 14, 2008 we went down to Pat Nolan’s to pick up Drake and get a little training myself.

Let me say that actually these past three and a half months have gone by a lot faster than I thought. Jimmy and I were very excited to be getting Drake home though. We really looked forward to having his welcoming every time we arrived home and his companionship.

We arrived bright and early down at the ponds where Pat trains. Drake was as usual glad to see us and ready to go. Before we took Drake down to Pat, and even at first when he first got there, he had no interest in retrieving bumpers. Oh he may do it once but to get him to retrieve a bumper twice he found it totally boring. Now a live bird was another story. But this time was totally different. Drake WANTED to retrieve a bumper, a bird, anything…..just give him something out there to bring back!

One of Pat’s helpers out in a John boat throwing bumpers out for the dogs.

Pat started off with showing us the electronic collar we were getting for Drake. Pat uses these collars at his kennels, the dogtra e collar. He explained that the collars are not used to correct the dog in something they are doing wrong. Rather he uses the collar to teach the dog. In his words,” it’s like using a leash.” A little nick is like giving the dog a tug on a leash to show them what it is they are to do. In turn by the dog realizing “Oh this is what I am supposed to do…and I can do this!” actually brings out his natural God given talent what they were born to do. RETRIEVE! I haven’t seen a dog down at his place yet that doesn’t come out of the truck or someone’s vehicle that isn’t just looking to go retrieve something. Pat has a kind, patient, calming demeanor that works so well with these dogs. And best of all he explains things to you on your level. I am by no means on an advanced level in training dogs. So he always explains so easily in “my terms” and believe me it’s easy to take in the information that way! Jimmy and I had a lesson with Pat showing the proper time to use the collar. How Drake was trained and how to work with him on the Force Fetch, simple commands and the retrieve. Jimmy has it memorized like a book!

Drake working a retrieve.

As I explained in my previous Journals about what lead me to taking Drake to Pat in the first place…Drake gets distracted after he brings the retrieve back. So he would drop the bird and go smell something or go greet someone, etc. Well I am so happy to say that Pat and his crew have Drake retrieving to hand. Just like he should. Pat did say that he won’t be perfect because he doesn’t know of too many dogs that are ever perfect all the time. Drake does need to be reminded from time to time with a “nick” on the collar but he showed me when and how. After Pat helped me with working Drake on some simple force fetch exercises and retrieves. I felt very comfortable with using the collar the right way. So we headed home with Drake.

Drake watching another dog on retrieve.

I am pleased to say that Drake has been doing great even after we are home. He realizes that “Ok Pat and Linda and Annie made me do what is right…but so does Mom, Dad and Jimmy. So this is how it’s to be.” Drake will literally pick up anything I ask him to “fetch” and he is happy doing it.

We took Drake for a photo shoot on Tuesday by a pond with LOTS of distractions and I am so pleased to say that he behaved like a dream. He came when called, sat when told, fetched and worked in the water and on land just like he was meant to. As a reward for his good behavior during the shoot he got to retrieve in a field and on the water. He loved it!

I am hoping to be able to get a day off soon so Drake and I can return for a day with Pat. He is going to show us some casting drills to enhance Drake’s training. In fact I hope to return to Pat from time to time and possibly send Drake for a “tune-up” before we head off to our snow goose hunt in Missouri next March.

He is happy to be home and we are happy to have him back. He seems like he just knows what he is all about now. Everything makes sense to him. He looks great and I couldn’t be more pleased. Special thanks to Pat and the crew at Ponderosa Kennels for taking such good care of our boy Drake.

Well we will be continuing the training and putting it all together here the next month to get ready for opening day of PA Resident Goose season. Be sure to stay tuned on how Jimmy does his first waterfowl season and how Drake does retrieving all our downed birds. Until next time!

Teresa

Our Vacation In Elk County

Last year we decided to take a relaxing vacation not far from home in Benezette, Elk County. We wanted to try something different. We stayed at the Elk Country Hideaway located in a very serene, secluded lane not far from Winslow Hill the main Elk viewing area. It was so wonderful that before we left we decided we were going to be back. That is exactly where we headed to this year.

The Elk Country Hideaway is a home away from home. Ginny has anything and everything you could think of there at the house. It is modern accommodations, big screen TV, A/C, dishwasher, washer dryer, hot tub, and wrap around deck. All you need to take are your toiletries, food and clothes. But the best part is the wildlife that is on parade here at the house at all times. Deer, bears, turkeys, foxes, raccoons, and of course the Elk. There is even a journal that they ask you to write in while staying to tell about what you saw during your visit. The book is full of elk and wildlife sightings.

Don had to work Thursday and Friday so Jimmy and I headed up to Benezette. Once arriving we put out my trail camera near a tree where Ginny puts out bird seed for the squirrels, birds, deer and whatever else wants to dine. We figure this would be a good way to see what we miss when out riding around looking for elk, or at night when we are sleeping. Jimmy and I weren’t at the house and hour; we just got settled in and were sitting on the deck, when we saw 2 gobblers walking up the path by the house. Shortly after some deer arrived in the yard. We took a short ride and saw one cow elk down the road from the house.

The next morning we awoke and I went out and changed SD cards in the trail camera. We had over 140 pictures and to our surprise…just minutes after we went to bed, we had a huge black bear at the bird feeder.

The rest of the pictures were deer and raccoons and a pesky skunk. Jimmy and I decided to eat our breakfast out on the table on the deck. So after cooking up a hearty breakfast I delivered Jimmy’s plate and walked back inside. A few seconds later I hear Jimmy in a loud whisper, “MOM, MOM” Upon looking outside I see a black bear approaching the yard on one of the paths. So I told Jimmy it may be best we eat inside buddy. He came in and we watched a smaller black bear different than the one that was on the trail camera the night before, come in and eat at the bird feeder and walk around the yard.

The rest of the day was spent playing cards, watching a movie, time in the hot tub and taking a ride to the local shops.

Jimmy relaxing watching a movie.

Jimmy and I saw a young elk feeding right beside the road right in front of a house.

Later in the evening when Don arrived we took a ride and saw over 30 elk in a field near by. We also saw a few cows and calves in a field with a beautiful sunset behind them.

Upon returning to the house we pulled up to see deer in the yard. Two small bucks and a doe. Then shortly after a gray fox came in to join them. Not long again appeared the bear. Needless to say the other wildlife scattered. About an hour later he left and then shortly after a whole family of raccoons visited. This is one of the reasons we love this place so much. The never ending wildlife sightings right out the kitchen window.
Saturday was spent again just relaxing, watching wildlife and our evening ride. We took a different Route towards Hicks Run and saw plenty of deer and elk feeding. We even were fortunate enough to witness right alongside the road a doe nursing a fawn. Upon driving back to the house 15 yards off the road was a majestic trophy 7 by 6 bull elk. He was awesome! Another 6 by 6 Bull was down the road from the house with a few cows feeding in a field.

Unfortunately this year we did not see any elk in our yard as we did last year. I think it may have been because of the all too frequent visits from the bear, but we saw plenty of elk and wildlife. The vacation was so peaceful and relaxing. My kind of vacation, no phones, no interruptions, just family and nature. Every year Jimmy says when leaving, “I can’t wait until we come back.” We always hate to leave and while driving home we are planning when we can come back again. I know this is a true vacation that I hope we can make for many years to come!

Teresa

Don and Jimmy enjoying the campfire.

Holiday Weekend Susquehanna Smallmouth

This has been a disappointing fishing season for us so far. It seems like every chance we are able to wet a line mother nature dealt us a bad hand. We always attempt to fish the Susquehanna the weekend of the 4th of July. This is how we celebrate the holiday, with a tight line and pulsating biceps.

After checking our web site, “SUSQUEHANNA WATER CONDITIONS” and monitoring the water level all week, we felt the water was right where it needed to be to fish. Saturday, July 5th we were awakened by the pelting of rain at 5:30 AM against the window. The weather channel said storms and rain were to hit in the afternoon. We decided to head down to Harrisburg and fish hoping we would be able to get a few hours in. We arrived at our location around 7:30 AM and the rain had not started there yet. So we quickly started our trek up the river to a ledge of rocks that always holds a few bronze backs.

The bite was slow, however, the water was clear and low. A little colder water temperature than we like to see for this time of the year, but we would take what we could get. Instantly we were into a few fish. Don decided to take me over to a spot he and his brother fished last October with much success. Although it wasn’t like October’s outing but it proved to be a good choice. My first cast out it was fish on. I caught my first walleye ever and landed a few of the mighty fighting smallies. A couple of times the hit was so fierce I literally almost lost my rod.

The area we were fishing was very swift water and that made the fight even more intense. Not that a smallmouth needs any help with it’s fight game. From acrobatic tail walking to their pounding surges, they are pound for pound one of the toughest fresh water fish. I know smallies are my favorite fish to catch. I love their fight.

We fished hard and even though the bite was slower than we were used to, we landed a total of 30 smallmouth. Majority of them were 18 inches and up. We had a few get away. Then after taking a few pictures with our throw away camera we noticed….it was not a waterproof camera…and thanks to Don going in head first…the pictures on the water didn’t turn out to say the least. We had to take pictures back on land of the few we kept.

We took back a few of the catch for the fish fry. The day ended with a couple walleye, 2 channel cats, and some fine looking smallmouth. When we arrived home Don and Pap Ott filleted up the catch with Pap’s new birthday gift. A MISTER TWISTER Fillet Knife. (By the way…Pap got his new knife thanks to Mike’s great review on it!) Then it was into the frying pan for beer batter fish.

Another great day in the field spent with family and friends and ended up the rain never came. Actually the sun came out. Rain or shine it was a great day!

Our combined take home catch.