Bluebird Nest Boxes Help Connect With Wildlife
It’s time to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Howard Nursery wants to help you “spring” into the season and connect with wildlife in your backyard.
Bluebird nesting boxes built by staff at Howard Nursery are available for sale at the nursery office, as well as the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters, region offices, and the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Nesting-box kits also are available.
Nursery staff build bluebird and other nesting boxes during the winter for annual sales to the public. A single box sells for $11.66, including sales tax. When purchasing two or more boxes, the cost is $10.60 each, including sales tax.
CWD Disease Management Area To Expand Into Elk Range
Diseased animal detected at captive deer farm in Clearfield County will require DMA 3 expansion.
A captive deer that has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) will require Disease Management Area 3 (DMA 3) to expand into Pennsylvania’s elk range.
The exact adjusted boundary of DMA 3 and all other DMAs that could expand due to newly detected CWD-positive deer will be announced in coming weeks, after all samples collected from 2018 hunter-harvested deer are tested. About 3,000 of 6,309 samples from hunter-harvested deer remain to be tested.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture last week announced a buck on a hunting preserve near Curwensville in Clearfield County tested positive for CWD.
The CWD-positive buck had been brought to the Clearfield County hunting preserve from a Fulton County captive-deer facility, where it was born and raised. The state Department of Agriculture placed the Clearfield County hunting preserve and the Fulton County captive-deer facility under quarantine and they are to remain under quarantine for five years.
Read more: CWD Disease Management Area To Expand Into Elk Range
Help Sought To Assess Risk Around New CWD-Positives
Isolated cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) recently have been found in parts of Clearfield, Jefferson, and Franklin counties. Hoping to stamp out these new CWD infections, the Game Commission as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services (USDA-WS) will be contacting landowners for permission to conduct targeted removals or small-scale deer reductions within 1 to 2 miles of these isolated cases.
The number of deer to be removed in each area will vary and is based on the local deer population. The goal is to remove and test enough deer to determine if CWD has established itself in the area. On average 100 to 200 deer will need to be removed to reach this objective.
The venison from those deer that does not test positive for CWD will be donated to participating landowners or cooperating food banks
Read more: Help Sought To Assess Risk Around New CWD-Positives
Game Warden Ranks Replenished
Ross Leffler School of Conservation graduates 31st Class.
Twenty-seven new game wardens are on the job in Pennsylvania.
Following 51 weeks of intensive training, the 31st Class of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Ross Leffler School of Conservation graduated Saturday during a ceremony at Susquehanna Township Middle School.
This is the first class of graduates to enter the field with the official title of State Game Warden. While Game Commission conservation officers have been called game wardens for years, the title didn’t become official until 2018.
Graduates on Saturday were commissioned as officers, and have been assigned to their new districts.
During the ceremony, graduates were recognized for achievements in the areas of academics,
marksmanship, physical fitness, driving skills and leadership.
Graduate Andrew Hueser received the class award for academics, with a score of 97.9 percent. Graduate Daniel Carl was honored with the marksmanship award, scoring 571 out of a possible 700 points.
Pennsylvania Fish And Boat Commission To Recruit New Class Of Waterways Conservation Officer Trainees
HARRISBURG, Pa. (January 25) — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is recruiting the 22nd class of Waterways Conservation Officer (WCO) Trainees at its H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety.
The State Civil Service Commission (SCSC) will begin accepting applications January 30 until February 19, 2019.
The class of up to 20 trainees is expected to report for training in the summer of 2019 and graduate in the summer of 2020. The most recent previous academy was held in 2015-2016.
Trainees will undergo an extensive 52-week training program encompassing all aspects of conservation law enforcement. Following civil service testing and selection, trainees will first complete a 22-week Municipal Police Officers Basic Training conducted by Pennsylvania State Police at its Northwest Training Center in Meadville, Crawford County. An additional 30 weeks of training is conducted at the Stackhouse school located in Bellefonte, Centre County and includes field training alongside seasoned WCOs. Trainees will assist with investigations, patrol regions, participate in public outreach events and stock waterways.
Lackawanna County Man Charged For Poaching Deer
Two juveniles also are charged in a sweeping probe of deer poaching.
DALLAS – Nicholas A. Rosencrance, 19, of Scott Township, faces multiple game law charges resulting from a deer-killing spree that occurred in late January 2018, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission officials.
Charges against Rosencrance today were filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge Paul Keeler, Chinchilla.
A disturbing video posted on Facebook, showing a male juvenile kicking and stabbing a paralyzed white-tailed deer, was provided to the Game Commission in October. Lackawanna County State Game Warden Kevin Moran and other game wardens conducted multiple suspect interviews and collected forensic evidence that led to charges against Rosencrance and two juveniles.
The Game Commission alleges Rosencrance participated in killing or shooting at four deer in North Abington and Scott townships in January 2018 and that he provided the rifle, vehicle and spotlight. Game wardens executed a search warrant at his residence in Scott Township on Nov. 9 and confiscated a rifle, deer parts, drug paraphernalia and electronic evidence.
Seedling Sales To Begin
While it might be winter, landowners can begin making plans to help wildlife this spring – and beyond – by planting tree and shrub seedlings offered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Howard Nursery.
The 2019 seedling order form is available online, and sales are set to begin Jan. 7 at 7 a.m.
The Howard Nursery grows tree and shrub seedlings for state game lands, participating Hunter Access cooperators, the Seedlings for Schools program and the Game Commission’s conservation partners. Any remaining surplus is available to Pennsylvania residents for purchase for wildlife food and cover, watershed protection, soil-erosion control, and for reclamation of disturbed areas, such as surface mine sites and utility rights-of-way.
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