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This is a bear caught in the act foraging for food that might be in this trash can. Bears have the strength and dexterity to take the lid off of trash cans and dumpsters and may drag cans into the woods, making a mess as they go. Bears use scent to find food so a little ammonia in the trash may keep them away.

Bears awaken

From mid-December or so until now, we have been able to fill bird feeders and not have them pulled down or otherwise damaged by our big bruin friends. The bears seek their wintering places around … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 3/23/22

Opening day?

It’s difficult for me as a writer of fly-fishing stories and as a columnist for the River Reporter , not to have a few words about the opening day of trout season on April 1. I’ve had a … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 3/23/22

In a pinch, you can use your own footprint to establish a reference for the size of an animal track you’ve found.

Telltale traces

As the end of winter approaches and the final snows fly, there are still opportunities to explore the goings and doings of our fellow animal inhabitants in the Upper Delaware River … more

By SANDY LONG | 3/16/22

I like to tell my wife that she is the syrup to my waffles; that is, she is sweet and I’m chock-full of carbs.

Making maple memories

Steam filled the air, swirling and wafting away as it plumed upwards from the wide stainless pan in our grandfather’s driveway. Sap dripped steadily into the top of the pan, slowly filling it. … more

By HUNTER HILL | 3/16/22

The brown marmorated stink bug, shown here feeding on an apple, is a major economic threat to fruit crops, garden vegetables and many ornamentals.

Bug out

NORTH AMERICA — A tiny wasp may be the solution for managing an agricultural pest that has caused major economic damage to fruit, vegetable and field crops in North America and … more

3/11/22

This is the “ball in the tree,” a porcupine seemingly resting during a winter day in a hemlock tree. It didn’t seem to be doing any feeding; I could spot no scraps of bark or needles at the tree base. ..Porcupines also rest in their dens during the day. The den can be a medium-sized crevice or an overhang on a rock ledge.

The ball in a tree

A few days ago, a person somewhere on social media had mentioned seeing a ball in a tree. I almost knew what the person was talking about without reading the rest of the story. A few years ago, … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 3/9/22

Fishing the home pool

A river can be a strange, yet beguiling, mistress, drawing us in with its charm and potential reward, much like a beautiful woman. A river can be elusive one day and generous the next. A river can … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 3/9/22

Didymo, or "rock snot," is a species of algae that can thickly cover stream- and riverbeds, blocking sunlight from reaching the beds and fish. It only takes one cell to start a colony, according to the National Park Service.

Stop rock snot, the starry stonewort and the spiny waterflea

NEW YORK STATE — Public comment is being sought until Saturday, April 2 on changes to a state-level management plan that affect campgrounds and day-use area generic units. The amendments … more

By A DEC SPOKESPERSON, with an assist by ANNEMARIE SCHUETZ | 3/3/22

The Barbara Yeaman Eagle Observation Area along Route 97 in Minisink Ford, NY, provides ramp access that enables all to view wintering eagles along the Delaware River. Visit https://delawarehighlands.org/eagles/wintering-eagles/ for additional access sites.

Outdoor engagement

When I want to reap the many benefits of being outside, immersed in the energizing forces of the natural world, I’m able do so simply by hiking the nearest woodland trail, paddling a local … more

By SANDY LONG | 3/2/22

It was a sunny day full of smiles when the family got to enjoy our new old tractor for the first time.

Our first tractor

Some purchases are unique; chicken feed and fertilizer don’t exactly fit this bill. No, I’m talking about much more rare opportunities. The kind you normally spend years window-shopping … more

By HUNTER HILL | 3/2/22

This one-year-old eagle was found on the ground and unable to fly; tests confirmed lead toxicity. After care and treatment by the Delaware Valley Raptor Center, it recovered and was able to be released back into the wild; it is shown here just before being released. This was one of the lucky eagles; many eagles are found that cannot recover from lead toxicity and must be euthanized. Many more affected eagles are never found.

Lead hinders eagle recovery efforts

Those of us who have lived in the area long enough probably remember that once there were not as many bald eagles seen here as there are now. We may have seen some wintering eagles from Canada and … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 2/23/22

The Maclay Bridge, Bitterroot River, where I caught my first Montana trout.

Fate and a first Montana trout

To say I was a poor student is giving credit where no credit is due. On Memorial Day weekend, during my senior year in high school, I contracted a debilitating virus while camping and fishing in … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 2/23/22

“You have to pick the places you don’t walk away from,” wrote Joan Didion in “A Book of Common Prayer.” For me, that place is the Upper Delaware River region. Here, the iconic river appears in the background against this selfie silhouette on the screen during my exhibit, “Impermanence,” last fall.

A prescription for healing

For the past several months, in support of two beloved family members, I have spent what feels like an eternity in three hospitals and their nightmarish emergency departments, multiple doctors’ … more

By SANDY LONG | 2/16/22

My son, diligently fishing, convinced that his bait was a “HUGE FISH.”

Nice ice

With Groundhog’s Day in the rearview mirror and six more weeks of winter upon us, I find the winter speeding by rather quickly this year. Perhaps it’s because of all the spring planning … more

By HUNTER HILL | 2/16/22

This aerial photo looks downstream and shows the Shohola rapids—or Shohola rift as denoted on some maps—just below the Shohola-Barryville bridge. Halfway Brook is just past the bridge and the river on the left, on the New York side. Some sheet ice is evident on both shores; it looks solid, but several thin spots can be seen.

The Delaware River ice show

After a relatively mild first part of January, the month’s weather during the last two weeks or so turned more seasonable. Temperatures have been below zero in most of the region for at least a … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 2/9/22

The Hendrickson mayfly, female of E. subvaria.

The last Hendrickson hatch

It was about 9 p.m. on a late April evening when the Old Man called. Ginger, my Brittany spaniel, was snoozing on the rug by my feet. Every time the Old Man’s number appeared on my caller … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 2/9/22

It’s easy to see why window frost is also referred to as fern frost, or ice flowers, in the magnified view of this ephemeral winter wonder.

A frosty fantasia

I climbed into my car one nippy winter morning and found myself instantly enclosed in a capsule of crystalline feathers, ferns and flowers. This unexpected enchantment felt like I fell away from … more

By SANDY LONG | 2/2/22

While beautiful, nature’s dignitaries are not without their ruthlessness.

From flight to sight

Stark was the canvas upon which I stumbled. The snow was a sheer white contrast to the sprawling chaos of feather and bone left scattered at the feet of the one who created the scene. I … more

By HUNTER HILL | 2/2/22

This flock of turkeys was in the parking lot of the NPS ranger station at Milanville, PA. A couple other turkeys were out of frame. Some local flocks may be 50 or more birds. If seen in the woods, you may not see all the birds, especially where sight distance is limited. These turkeys may be trying to find gravel for their gizzards. A turkey’s gizzard, working in concert with the gravel ingested, is used to grind down food in the digestion process.

A winter turkey survey project for PA

On January 13, the PA Game Commission (PGC) asked for public assistance in finding turkey flocks in Pennsylvania for an upcoming trapping and banding project. Turkeys will be trapped, processed … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 1/26/22

The Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park.

Fly fishing the Yellowstone River

The Yellowstone River begins as a tributary to Yellowstone Lake, southwest of the Absaroka mountain range in Yellowstone National Park. Upon leaving Yellowstone Lake, the river joins the Missouri … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 1/26/22

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Currently viewing stories posted within the past 2 years.
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