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PGC biologist Tom Hardisky said he expected relatively good fall populations of rabbits for the Oct. 30 small game season opening day. Small game hunters also will find ample ring-necked pheasant hunting opportunities on state game lands, state parks and other lands open to public hunting.
By the time the sun rises on opening day, more than 70,000 pheasants will have been stocked by the Game Commission throughout the state from an anticipated release of 200,000 throughout the hunting seasons. This year there will be three in-season stockings of pheasants, and birds will be released on the last three working days of the week. Releases will not occur more than once a week.
The year, the Game Commission made changes to its release program based on the recommendations of a pheasant band study report provided to the Commissioners in August. The report recommended that early release numbers should be reduced in order to increase the number of pheasants available to sportsmen immediately prior to and during the upcoming fall hunting season.
On the rabbit front, Hardisky said cottontails were forced to range farther for food during the drought, but that he didn’t see any evidence of increased mortality.
"Last year’s mild winter, coupled with this year’s dry spring and summer has set the stage for good rabbit hunting this fall," Hardisky said. His forecast is complimented by observations from conservation officers statewide. Of 120 reporting officers, 100 rated rabbit hunting prospects as good or excellent.
In McKean County, WCO Tom Sabolcik said, "Rabbits seem more abundant than most hunters can remember."
Crawford County WCO John McKellop III said, "Rabbit numbers are simply tremendous this year."
Uploaded: 10/22/1999
Uploaded: 10/22/1999