Ben Moyer

Pennsylvania's bear season opened Nov. 18, and the firearms deer season opens Saturday. These seasons draw the highest participation and density of hunters in the state's hunting year, and the greatest potential for accidental tragedy.

An overlooked book on the columnist’s shelves states that as recently as 1968, the New Hampshire State Legislature set all hunting seasons and bag limits there, sidelining the Fish and Game Department and its awakening knowledge in scientific management. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

Fishing guide Rob Walters with a Youghiogheny River brown trout. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

It's been a rainy spring. And while rained-out schedules are a downer, all the dampness has its upside. Many folks in this region report — or is brag a better word? — it's been a good spring for morels.

A paper by researchers from Cornell and the University of Wisconsin warns that future recreational hunting will not be capable of keeping pace with deer populations. It recommends national cooperation to reach solutions. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

While participation in some outdoor activities has dropped in recent years, fly-fishing has enjoyed booming popularity. At gatherings or parties, if the topic of fishing comes up in conversation, invariably someone will share their desire to learn to fly-fish.

A creative partnership is reducing the scourge of invasive species in the Laurel Highlands. On Tuesday, June 25, the group worked to protect eastern hemlock trees, Pennsylvania's official state tree and a critical component of the region's forests.

In response to recreational trends and a need for Bureau of Forestry presence in the southern zone of Michaux State Forest, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has elected to build a visitor center and restore habitats on the 47-acre South Mountain Golf Club. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s Sgt. Bryan Bendock prepares to do the touchdown test on writer Tyler Frantz’s lifejacket. Waterways Conservation Officer Jeremy Yohe is at right. The officers presented a safe boating seminar at the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association conference in Luzerne County earlier this year. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

You've heard of skeet, and probably trap. In each, shooters attempt to break flying clay discs with a shotgun. Both sports are shot on a standardized course, where every shot is much the same.