PENNSYLVANIA

PENNSYLVANIA
Stockings planned
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock more than 79,000 trout as part of its Late Winter Adult Trout Stocking Program, promising a flurry of fishing activity for anglers looking for some cold weather fun.
The stockings include 50 waters across 33 different counties. The stockings will begin the week of Dec. 31 and continue through the month of February. Rainbow trout comprise the bulk of the program, with 60,055 set for release. In addition, 11,375 brown trout and 7,720 brook trout will be included in the stockings.
All fish harvested from the affected waters are subject to Extended Trout Season rules. Trout must be a minimum of seven inches in length and no more than three per day may be taken. Anglers 16 years of age or older who wish to fish for trout must display on an outside garment both a valid fishing license and Trout/Salmon stamp attached to their license. The 2002 Pennsylvania Fishing Licenses and Trout/Salmon Stamps are now available at more than 1,700 issuing agents statewide.
Waters included in the program are also open for an additional month of trout fishing.
Deer program set
The Pennsylvania Game Commission and Penn State University recently launched one of the most extensive radio-telemetry studies of male deer dispersal and survival, and the effects of antler restrictions ever attempted in the United States.
Over the next three years, the joint research project intends to monitor 100 bucks per year on each of the two study areas: one in Armstrong County and one in Centre County.
The bucks will be captured and fitted with radio-transmitters by Game Commission biologists and Penn State graduate students. Deer will be captured using a variety of methods, including drop nets, walk-in traps, dart guns and helicopters. The helicopter capture method, which was demonstrated as part of today's briefing, is being conducted by Hawkins & amp; Powers Aviation Inc., based in Greybull, Wyoming. The company has been involved with other helicopter wildlife capture programs for moose, elk and wolves.
OHIO
Muzzleloader seasonto run Dec. 27-30
COLUMBUS -- Excellent deer hunting opportunities still exist for hunters planning to participate in Ohio's statewide primitive weapons deer season Dec. 27 - 30. A majority of hunters will be using muzzleloading rifles and shotguns, commonly referred to as blackpowder guns, but the primitive weapons season also includes longbows and crossbows.
Last year, hunters set a new record harvesting 18,398 deer during the statewide primitive weapons season.
A .38 caliber or larger muzzleloading rifle, or muzzleloading shotgun of 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 gauge using one ball per barrel are permitted during the special season.
Hunters may take either antlered or antlerless deer during the primitive season, but only one antlered deer (buck) may be taken per hunter, per year. Hunters who have taken a buck during one of the other deer hunting seasons may only take an antlerless deer.