Country Bounty

It’s the difference between going on a week-long vacation and going on an afternoon picnic at the local park. You put a lot of time…

The race for the first tomato of the season begins now. For many of us obsessed with picking them as soon as possible, this is…

Pennsylvania waterfowl hunters have had it pretty good for a long, long time, at least in one sense. Whether that continues remains to be seen….

The outdoors arena isn’t being spared in this world gone crazy. The coronavirus pandemic that has people all over the world suddenly working from home,…

They’re a toothy, often aggressive and sometimes large exception to the rule. Saugeyes are a cross between a female walleye and a male sauger. Generally,…

Opening day of Pennsylvania’s 2020 trout season is going to be unlike any other. There will be trout aplenty at the start. More than any…

The garden has always been my safe place. For more than three decades of good times and bad, it’s a space to reflect and gain…

I couldn’t see the river from where I parked earlier in the day, and I couldn’t see the parking lot from where I was on…

The numbers vary from state to state. The high levels of enthusiasm they generate among at least some anglers do not. Spring is fast approaching…

The legend of the Lone Ranger is the stuff of “those thrilling days of yesteryear.” So, too, is the notion of camping without your pet….

The ebbs and flows of gardening parallel the fashion world. One year plant breeders turn everything lime green, and the next it’s deep red. Seed…

The clock is ticking for bobcats all across North America. Not in the sense that they’re in trouble. Far from it. Bobcats were scarce in…

Maybe you’ve seen it in the news lately. America is facing a potential French fry shortage because of a poor potato crop. Couch potatoes remain…

Michael Marriott is an organic gardener and says roses can easily be grown that way. The technical manager and senior rosarian has been growing roses…

Progress is being made, and a recent change in policy offers hope for more. But this is going to take more time that perhaps thought….

“It’s getting late early,” that’s what Yankees great Yogi Berra once said. The Hall of Fame catcher was talking baseball, not wildlife. But if you’re…

As the sun peers over the horizon a wren is happily singing away, already on the hunt for a mate, the days are getting longer….

Chances are, about one year ago, you made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or exercise more. Or both. So how’s that working out?…

The conversation was the same one we have every Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And New Year’s. I looked at my brother across the table. “So,” I…

The seeking of answers through science is often a process of eliminating variables. Consider this one checked off. Unlike with ruffed grouse and many species…

It’s almost inevitable. Chances are this Christmas season that someone – maybe even you – will give your children or grandchildren an electronic gift of…

There are a lot of questions the Thanksgiving hosts have to ask themselves. Cranberry sauce — fresh or canned? A side of carrots or corn?…

I never even got to say goodbye. My wife and I were hiking on a recent Sunday afternoon, following a trail through a state forest…

There was a moment of doubt, for sure. But it looks as if expanded Sunday hunting is coming to Pennsylvania in 2020. On Oct. 31,…

This is going to spawn a lot of lusty dreams between now and April. Of the angling kind, anyhow. Each year, the Pennsylvania Fish and…

Particular, that’s what ring-necked pheasants are. They don’t require a lot of space to survive. Not on an individual basis anyway. The average bird will…

You see it in the parking lots. Visit almost any public land at this time of year. The jumping off points for outdoor exploration that…

Nothing says “October” more than a beautiful, orange pumpkin, but this most beloved symbol of fall is hiding some fun little secrets. Think you know…

You might compare it to Christmas morning in a tropical jungle. Think thrilling, exciting, heart-pounding at times. Full of the kind of smiles that only…

Hunters are being asked to save the day regarding the future of white-tailed deer. Again. But this latest request comes with a Bizzaro World-type twist….

There’s an old saying that goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today.” Fall is…

Maybe nature is balancing itself out at Pymatuning Lake. Anglers can’t be blamed for hoping so. For years, biologists with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat…

Be warned: if heights set your knees to knocking, this is one hike that will involve plenty of trembling. After all, they don’t call it…

Many gardeners stand over their plot proudly this time of the year, basking in the glory of what they accomplished with a spring planting. They…

America has a hunger problem. Hunters are helping to solve it. And with hunting seasons across the country opening in just days or at most…

It’s been the summer of the snake for one man. We met a couple of weeks ago, via a business transaction. We got to talking…

So you want to catch some fish, huh? Well, here’s a tip. Start by casting your line where the fish are. Pretty sage stuff there,…

Like the old gray mare, my memory ain’t what she used to be. Oh, I packed the sleeping bags on our last camping trip. The…

You might never convince her. A cousin of mine loves to explore the outdoors. It’s a passion that’s grown in recent years especially, and taken…

It’s not who you think it is. Each year, park and forest rangers, volunteer firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other search and rescue personnel take…

The battle is not yet over. Pennsylvania state senators recently approved, by a 36-14 vote, an amended Senate Bill 147, which calls for allowing hunting…