The sun came up on a new deer season, a new attitude, and a new opportunity last Saturday.
I was lucky in that we enjoyed our Thanksgiving nearby and so there was no hurried holiday, or Friday cut short to make it to camp upstate in time for the first day.
Watching a new scene and a change of pace location uncertainty and unknown that comes with it.
At 7 a.m., the sound of shots rolled down from the mountain and there weren’t many others after the initial burst. There was also no action close by, which was new and refreshing for me.
With a seven-point buck already in the freezer after some good luck in the archery season, there was less pressure to put meat in the freezer.
Still, with an unfilled antlerless tag and enjoying the new crossbow experience, there were anxious moments.
It was an exciting morning for this old dog, venturing from hunting ground that had been successful to learn new tricks, and make new tracks in the dawn frost.
I had captured enough images of deer on scattered trail cameras in this new arena to feel that something could go down.
In the day’s unrelenting winds, conditions when I feel deer would prefer to hold tight for losing their scent and hearing advantages, unless they are pushed and there were no other hunters around to push them, hope waned. But just slightly.
The only deer I saw was the button buck that came quietly trotting through, 20 feet from me, while I was checking a trail camera.
At some point, time spent walking and investigating stream, ravine, woods, and field will pay off. Considering this new challenge, I’m good with it being this season or next, or the one after that.
In the meantime, I’ve enjoyed photos of hunters of all ages with bucks of all calibers within the Facebook group of hunters in Wildlife Management Unit 5A. In one particular photo, the harvest tags on does were attached to their ears by clothespins.
Tomorrow is another Saturday, and I will be back out there. There will be less wind than on the first day, and a sunrise just as spectacular.
‘22 FISHING LICENSES,
PERMITS FOR SALE
If you prefer to think of warmer outdoor sports with family that do not include soccer balls or baseballs, know that fishing licenses and permits went on sale Wednesday.
Permits and licenses for the 2022 season are available through the HuntFishPA online portal on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) website, on a smartphone using the FishBoatPA mobile app, or by visiting one of nearly 700 retail license issuing agents.
“While anglers will be happy to know the price of a fishing license is the same this year as it was last year, you really get the most value for your dollar when you buy early. That way, you’ll be covered for every fishing season for the rest of this year and next year,” PFBC Executive Director Tim Schaeffer says.
Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will be March 26, 2022, followed by Statewide Opening Day of Trout Season, April 2, 2022.
Vouchers can also be purchased and given as gifts to be redeemed by recipients.
The price of an annual resident fishing license in 2022 is still $22.97. Multi-year options are also available in 3, 5, and 10-year increments. The most popular add-ons, a trout permit and a Lake Erie permit cost $9.97 each, or $15.97 for a combination permit which includes both privileges.
Once again for the 2022 license year, customers can purchase a collectible fishing license button for $11.97. This year’s button features a vintage design with a blue and yellow PFBC logo. Unlike previous offerings, fishing license buttons ordered in 2022 will not be customized with the angler’s individual license number. Instead, a limited-edition production of 10,000 buttons will be produced, and customers will receive a randomly numbered button between 00001-10000. Buttons will be mailed to the buyer.
Anglers can support their favorite PFBC programs by purchasing voluntary permits for Bass, Musky, Wild Trout/Enhanced Waters, and Habitat/Waterways Conservation. These permits are not required for fishing and carry no additional privileges, but all funds generated through them are reinvested into their respective programs.
The PFBC has invested more than $418,000 into special projects funded by the sale of voluntary permits since 2019.
While youth anglers under age 16 do not require a fishing license, they must have either a Voluntary Youth Fishing License ($2.97) or a free Mentored Youth Fishing Permit to participate in any special youth opportunities throughout the 2022 season. This includes the statewide Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day.
BULLET POINTS
• Applications for the 27th Annual Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp are being accepted. The camp, sponsored by the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, will be at Messiah University in Grantham, June 19-24, 2022. For more information, a camp brochure, or to apply, visit the camp website at www.riverscamp.com. If a local student is selected, the Adams County Chapter of Trout Unlimited will pay the attendance fee.
Send your wild thoughts, hunting tales, and photos to bjsmall@comcast.net.
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