OHIO

OHIO
World skeet shoot
Members of the Sportsmens Shooting Center in Canton traveled to San Antonio, Texas, in mid-October to take part in the 2003 National Skeet Shooting Association World Championships.
Results included:
Referee event, 100 targets, Class D, first place, Harry Michelson, 90, Bolivar; 28 gauge Mini-World, 100 targets, Class AA, 7th, Charles Parks, 100, Bellvue; .410 bore Mini-World, 100 targets, ladies champion, 99, Susan Huzai, Parma Heights; HOA Mini-World, 400 targets, sub-senior class, 4th, Charles Parks, 394; doubles main event, 100 targets, runnerup and triple-sub champion, Fred Tschantz, Akron, both 100; ladies runnerup, 100 targets, Susan Huszai, 99; 2-man team class 2, first place, Fred Tschantz and Susan Huszai, 100 targets, 100 and 99 respectively; 12 gauge West, 125 targets, class AA third place, Charles Parks, 125; 12 gauge Main Event, 250 targets, triple-sub class 2 third place, Fred Tschantz, 249, subsenior class 2, second place, Charles Parks, 249, Ladies class 1, second place, Susan Huszai, 246, 2-man team class 2, second place, Fred Tschantz and Susan Huszai, 250 targets, 249 and 246, respectively; 20 gauge Main Event, 100 targets, ladies runnerup, Susan Huzai, 100, 2-man team class 1, second place, Fred Tschantz and Susan Huszai, 100 targets, 100 both; .410 bore Main Event, 100 targets, ladies champion, Susan Huszai, 99; Winchester 650, 650 targets, class AA, 8th place, 642; HOA 550 event, 550 targets, ladies third place, Susan Huszai, 543.
Of those who placed: Harry Michelson is more than 80 years old; Charlie Parks is a past manager of the Sportsmens Center and is a member of both the Ohio State Skeet Association and National Skeet Shooting Association halls of fame; Fred Tschantz takes office today as the 2004 OSSA president and is a corporal with the Franklin Township Police Department in Summit County; Susan Huszai has been shooting skeet for more than 20 years and learned to shoot from her dad at age 6. She owns the Music Workshop in Strongsville.
PENNSYLVANIA
State ponders increase in boating, fishing fees
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A set of fee increases for fishing licenses and boat registrations will be the subject of a public hearing before a state House of Representatives committee next month.
The state Fish and Boat Commission has proposed the price increases as a means of raising about $6.8 million in new revenue.
Among the requested increases are resident fishing licenses, from $16.25 to $20; nonresident fishing licenses, $34.25 to $50; two-year registrations for powerboats less than 16 feet long, $20 to $26; and new license fees for charter guides, $100 for state residents and $400 for nonresidents.
The House Game and Fisheries Committee has scheduled a Nov. 12 hearing in Harrisburg to examine the requested changes. The most recent set of increases took effect in 1996.
Bear changes, outlook
This year, the extended bear season in the Poconos will be held throughout all of Wildlife Management Unit 3D, rather than just Carbon, Monroe and Pike counties, from Dec. 1-6.
The special bear season, which will run concurrently with the first week of the firearms deer season, will now be held in Wildlife Management Unit 3D, which includes all or part of eight counties.
Over the past three years, Pennsylvania has recorded its three best bear seasons ever. If the weather cooperates during the upcoming three-day bear season, which begins Nov. 24, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials believe there's a great chance hunters will be participating in another season that will rank as one of the state's best ever.
Agency field officers south of Interstate 80 again this year are telling hunters that there are plenty of opportunities to hunt bears. Meanwhile, those officers north of I-80 are urging hunters to visit their counties to help reduce large bear populations that have led to increased bear complaints.
Hunters who harvest a bear in Pennsylvania must have it processed at one of the Game Commission's check stations within 24 hours. With certain exceptions, check stations will be in operation from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the Nov. 24-26 season. After 9 p.m. on Nov. 26, hunters with bears to be checked should contact any of the Game Commission's regional offices for assistance.
TURKEY HUNTING
Good in Pa., down in Ohio
Pennsylvania's fall turkey season opened Saturday and Pennsylvania Game Commission officials believe hunters will find good to excellent turkey hunting in most areas, despite some wet and cold weather.
The overall statewide spring turkey population increased six percent from 2002 to 2003, according to preliminary figures. Even though nesting was affected by wet spring weather in 2002, Pennsylvania's fall 2002 turkey population still sustained growth last year.
The wild turkey population estimate currently exceeds 363,000. It peaked in 2001 when the spring population estimate topped out at about 410,000. As recently as 1998, the statewide turkey population estimate was 270,000. But there still is room in several counties for turkeys to reclaim range they once occupied.
In Ohio, hunters harvested a preliminary total of 1,853 wild turkeys during Ohio's eighth annual fall turkey gun-hunting season that was open in 36 counties Oct. 11-26.
The preliminary figure is a nearly 14 percent decrease from last year's preliminary gun-season total of 2,145 birds.
The second year of archery-only wild turkey hunting began Oct.27 and will run through Nov. 30.
During the archery-only portion of the fall turkey hunt, hours are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. Hunters must have a fall turkey permit, as well as a 2003 Ohio hunting license, to participate in the fall season.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife says Ohio has approximately 200,000 wild turkeys statewide. Wild turkeys, absent in the state a half-century ago, now inhabit all of Ohio's 88 counties.