OHIO
OHIO
Bald-eagle viewing sites
There are several areas in northeastern Ohio where eagle activity can be viewed:
Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area, Trumbull County: There are two eagle nests in the wildlife area, and both are visible from the beaver marsh on Park Avenue. Best viewing locations are Wood Duck Marsh south of state Route 87 at intersection with County Road 297; along Park Avenue (County Road 263), one mile south of area office at beaver marsh; and Mallard Pond north side of Township Road 240, a quarter of a mile west of County Road 203.
Shenango Wildlife Area, Trumbull County: There are three eagle nests on this wildlife area, although two of these nests are only visible when boating down the creek. The third nest is visible early in the nesting season from this bridge location. The bridge is on state Route 87 crossing Pymatuning Creek.
Mill Creek: Mahoning County eagles are seen in the vicinity of the public roadways mid-February through July in Mahoning County in Beaver Township where Calla Road dead-ends East of Paradise, overlooking Mill Creek watershed. Parking is not convenient at this site but the nest is visible with binoculars or viewing scopes from a public roadway.
Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, Wayne County: The only nest on this wildlife area is visible looking south into the refuge from Force Road west of Killbuck Creek and east of the Shreve Creek Bridge. There is a small parking lot at the end of Force Road.
Beach City Wildlife Area: Tuscarawas County eagle viewing is best from the dam north of state Route 250 during nesting season or when the reservoir is not frozen in winter.
LaDue Reservoir, Geauga County: Eagles are nesting south of the causeway along the east shore of the reservoir. Birds are frequently seen flying over the reservoir throughout the year or feeding on the ice during winter north and south of the U.S. 422 causeway.
Vermilion area, Lorain County: Eagles are seen in the vicinity of the public roadways mid-February through July in Lorain County off Bank Street (Township Road 177) in Brownhelm Township. Parking is not convenient at this site but the nest is visible with binoculars or viewing scopes from a public roadway.
Education information
Educators across Ohio using Project WET, Project WILD and Project Learning Tree concepts in their classrooms will soon be able to access a database of activities that meet the new state science standards.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently received a $45,960 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to identify 450 activities from the three programs and develop a database from which teachers and others can create lesson plans and projects that meet state-mandated science standards. ODNR and project volunteers matched the grant with $54,000 in order to complete the effort, which will take nearly a year.
Project WET, Project WILD and Project Learning Tree are national environmental education programs recognized for their value in applying practical, hands-on activities not only to the study of water, wildlife and forestry resources, but also to traditional subjects, in an enjoyable way.
Ashtabula Co. leads statein spring turkey harvest
Hunters checked in 16,118 wild turkeys during Ohio's four-week, statewide spring turkey hunting season that opened April 26 and ended May 23.
For the fifth straight year, Ashtabula County led the state with the most turkeys killed with 648. Ashtabula was followed by the following counties: Coshocton (540), Harrison (529), Guernsey (497), Knox (445), Jefferson (441), Belmont (439), Columbiana (427), Trumbull (411), Monroe (407). Other area counties and their totals this year and in 2003 are: Geauga, 290, 343; Mahoning, 176, 217; Portage, 92, 91; Stark, 234, 297; Summit, 45, 54.
Last year's preliminary number of gobblers was 20,031.
PENNSYLVANIA
DMAP application news
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is accepting Deer Management Assistance Program applications.
Complete landowner applications must be submitted to the appropriate Game Commission Regional Office by July 1.
DMAP eligible lands are publicly owned lands or private property where no fee is charged to hunt, as well as private and public land hunting clubs with more than 1,000 contiguous acres that were established before Jan. 1, 2000.
More information and applications are available at www.pgc.state.pa.us.
Women's programs
As part of its role of promoting the state's rich hunting and trapping heritage, the Pennsylvania Game Commission will be holding several Becoming an Outdoors-Woman programs this year.
For registration forms and information on specific BOW programs, visit the Game Commission's Web site www.pgc.state.pa.us.