BIRDING

BIRDING
101st Christmas count set
The 101st Christmas bird count in the Mahoning Valley area will be held Dec. 18. To participate call Gary Meiter (330) 337-9236 or email him at gmeiter@earthlink.net.
PENNSYLVANIA
Good bear harvest
HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported hunters took a preliminary harvest of 493 black bears during the six-day bear season that ran concurrently with the first week of the white-tailed deer firearms season (Nov. 29-Dec. 4). When combined with the earlier preliminary harvest of 2,419 bears during the three-day statewide bear season, the state's total preliminary black bear harvest totaled 2,912.
Once a final review of all bear harvest reports is conducted, the agency will release the final harvest results. In 2003, hunters killed 3,000 black bears during the state's bear seasons. The best bear harvest in state history occurred in 2000, when hunters took 3,075 bears. The 2001 bear harvest closely followed the state's best year when hunters took 3,063.
Based on preliminary reports for the six-day extended season, Wayne County led all others with 78 bears. Other county harvests during the extended season were: Luzerne, 67; Pike, 59; Susquehanna, 42; Monroe, 36; Carbon, 33; Schuylkill, 30; Lycoming, 23; Wyoming, 23; Dauphin, 21; Lackawanna, 21; Columbia, 20; Berks, 10; Northampton, 10; Lebanon, 9; Sullivan, 7; Lehigh, 3; and Elk, 1.
Statewide, the top five counties were: Lycoming, 229; Clinton, 215; Pike, 154; Luzerne, 131; and Wayne, 129.
One bear exceeded 800 pounds during the state's bear seasons. It was an 834-pound (estimated live weight) male taken by 17-year-old Jeremy B. Kresge of Blakeslee at 4:15 p.m. Nov. 23, in Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County. Other top bears taken in the harvest included a 671-pounder taken by Ray H. Reed of Howard at 7 a.m. Nov. 22, in Howard Township, Centre County; a 660-pounder taken at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 22, in Goshen Township, Clearfield County, by Ritchie L. Kitchen of Clearfield; and a 660-pounder taken at 8 a.m. Nov. 22, in Black Creek Township, Luzerne County, by David A. Benjamin Sr. of Weston. Two exceptionally large bears also were taken in the extended season. The largest was a 658-pounder taken at 11 a.m. Nov. 29 in Kidder Township, Carbon County, by David R. Horvath of Springtown. Another large bear, a 631-pounder, taken 7:45 a.m. Nov. 30 in Cold Spring Township, Lebanon County by Irvin L. Horst of Myerstown.
OHIO
Sauger study started
ATHENS -- Fisheries biologists along the Ohio River have begun a two-year study of sauger movement and angler catch on the Ohio River.
Participating states include Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. Cooperating biologists from these five states organized as the Ohio River Fish Management Team in 1990 to facilitate inter-jurisdictional fisheries management.
As part of the two-year sauger study, biologists began in November of this year placing colored tags at the base of the dorsal fin of Ohio River saugers. Each tag is numbered and includes the address for the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, because biologists in that state have agreed to coordinate summarizing tag return data. Funding for this study is provided through Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration.
Anglers catching a tagged sauger are asked to provide the tag or tag number, the date caught, and exact location of the catch, as well as whether the fish was kept or released. The information can be mailed to WVDNR, 2311 Ohio Ave., Parkersburg, WV 26101. If the angler would rather call in the information, the telephone number is (304) 420-4550, or it may be e-mailed to fishtags@wvdnr.gov.
According to Scott Schell, aquatic research biologist for ODNR Division of Wildlife and Ohio project leader of the study, information collected in this river-wide study will provide Ohio River biologists with an extensive understanding of movement patterns and passage through locks and dams of these important sport fishes.