Pennsylvania’s limit for Lake Erie yellow perch will remain at 30 per day and the creel limit for walleye will still be six per day, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said today.

The allowable catch for walleye and yellow perch in Lake Erie has been set at lower totals than in 2012.

The Lake Erie Committee announced the total allowable catch after its meeting Thursday in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The committee includes fishery managers from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Ontario.

The recommended total allowable catch is 3.356 million walleye and 12.237 million pounds of yellow perch. Fishery managers said they decreased the TAC to “reflect fish hatches in recent years that have been weak.”

Total allowable catch represents the number or weight of fish recommended to be caught by sport and commercial fishers without putting the fisheries at risk.

The 2012 total allowable catch for walley was 3.487 million.

Ohio will be entitled to 1.715 million fish, Ontario to 1.445 million fish and Michigan 0.196 million fish. Limits in Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario are set separately by those jurisdictions because the majority of the walleye harvest occurs in western Lake Erie.

“Due to a series of poor year classes, the population in 2014 is expected to decliine, potentially leading to lower TACs in future years as the fish from the strong year classes age and the total size of the walleye stock decreases,” the Lake Erie Committee said in a news release. “The decreased TAC recommendation for 2013 reflects the committee’s goal to manage the lakewide fish stocks sustainably, recognizing stakeholder input.”

The yellow perch TAC is a 10 percent decrease from the 13.637 allocated in 2012. The committee said it believes “harvestable stocks are lower than last year; the TAC for 2013 reflects the committee’s consideration of the importance of relative stability of harvest.”

Pennsylvania will receive .949 million pounds of the allocation. Ontario will receive 5.969 million pounds, Ohio 4.896 million pounds, Michigan 0.164 million pounds and New York 0.259 million pounds.

The Lake Erie Committee works with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a Canadian and U.S. agency.

Evidence of the massive gizzard shad die-off in Presque Isle Bay is front and center after our recent ice-out.

Dead gizzard shad line the shoreline of Horseshoe Pond at Presque Isle State Park on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. MATT MARTIN/Contributed photo

A rind of dead shad 12-feet wide hugs the east shore of Horsehose Pond, with more dead fish washed up on shore.

Dead gizzard shad line the eastern shore of Horseshoe Pond. MATT MARTIN/Contributed photo

Dead gizzard shad line the eastern shore of Horseshoe Pond. MATT MARTIN/Contributed photo

Department of Environmental Protection officials said in early March that at least 1 million shad likely had perished in the die-off, with more to come. A kill of this magnitude might happen once in 10 or 15 years, officials said.

“They likely began dying under the ice several weeks ago,” Gary Clark, a DEP community relations coordinator based in Meadville, said in a March 1 Erie Times-News article. “Warmer temperatures melted the ice and exposed them.”

The DEP also said there would not be a cleanup effort.

“They will rot and recycle into the environment,” Jim Grazio, DEP’s Great Lakes biologist in Erie, told the Times-News. “It’s a nuisance in terms of people who go out there should expect a stinky spring.”

The fifth in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Julie Dell

Age: 61

Julie Dell.

Family: Husband and three grown sons; three grandchildren

Lives in: Franklin Township

Profession: Reference assistant at the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania library

Originally from: Erie

I got into birding ..: We moved to the country 34 years ago and there were birds here that I had never seen before. I was curious as to their names, so I bought a bird guide and resurrected an old set of binoculars. It grew from there to buying better binocs … putting up bluebird houses … feeding 600 pounds of seed all winter … taking the binocs when we would travel … taking trips JUST to bird … paying for birding classes … joining Audubon, etc. My latest venture is becoming a Purple Martin “landlord” this spring.

Spark bird: Bluebird

Favorite bird: Snowy Owl

Favorite place to bird in northwestern Pennsylvania: Presque Isle State Park

Strangest place I’ve gone birding: In Germany, while hiking up a hillside to view a historic grave site. I was not even thinking about “birding” but saw a “water dipper” working a stream. I had never seen this type of bird and was amazed. I had no idea what it was and tried to get an idea from a German couple. Needless to say, because I didn’t speak German and they didn’t speak English it was not too successful. We all had fun trying. They seemed pleased that I was excited about “their” bird.

Rarest birds I’ve seen: Snowy plover and piping plover

Birding gear and equipment I take everywhere: Binocs, spotting scope, birding guide (book and most recently birding app with calls). Insect repellent. 

Favorite birding field guide or app: Peterson field guide. Got a mini iPad for Christmas and am looking forward to using the Sibley birding book I downloaded for it this spring. It has the bird calls on it so you can check them when you are in the field!

What I like most about birding: The beauty of the birds! Time spent outdoors.   Meeting people that love the birds as much as I do.

The best bird watching day I’ve ever had: I went to Arizona expressly to see hummingbirds. Southeastern Arizona is the “hummingbird flyway” for almost all species of hummingbirds found in the United States. I planned a trip with my sister-in-law, who lives in Scottsdale, to drive to Miller Canyon. We stayed at Beatty’s Miller Canyon Guest Ranch and had an amazing time! Hummingbirds like fairies in the trees, everywhere! So many different species at one time that people were calling out the ones they saw and it was hard to keep track or now where to look first! In one day I saw 12 different species of hummingbirds ! 

The worst birding day I’ve ever had: No such thing.

Dream birding destination: The Monterey California Audubon birding festival. Four days of guided hikes and boat tours! 

Best birding advice you ever got: Don’t always reach for the binocs first. Watch the behavior, flight pattern, body shape. Sometimes the bird is gone before you can get the binocs to your eyes!

Your advice to beginning birders: Get out there! Meet other people who are birding too! You will meet some great people and learn a lot. Take a field class if you can. There is nothing better than having someone who knows for sure what bird you are seeing.

Should a sighting be counted if you’ve only heard an identifiable bird call but not seen the bird itself?: That is an individual thing. Personally I won’t count a life bird for myself unless I see it. If you were participating a “big year” competition I would think that it would depend on the rules for that competition.

Do you keep a life list? Yes, I keep a life list … sort of. I am not obsessive about it, and probably have not recorded everything. Best count is 276. 

Do you approve of the idea of competitions such as a Big Year or Big Day?     Sure … people can bird and have fun any way they want!

Previous entries in the NWPA Outdoors Birder Bio series:

No. 1: Shawn Collins

No. 2: Bonnie Ginader

No. 3: Michele Rundquist-Franz

No. 4: Lee Ann Reiners

Interested in participating in the Birder Bio profiles series? E-mail matt.martin@timesnews.com for details.

The Festival of the Birds won’t go off this year as organizers decide where to take the event next, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a major birding event around Erie this spring.

Birds and Vines, based out of Pymatuning State Park, is scheduled for April 16-18. Participants will tour four state parks –  Pymatuning, Goddard, Oil Creek and Presque Isle – in a search for newly arrived migratory songbirds, waterfowl and raptors, and also will visit regional wineries, where there’s not only wine to be sampled but prime birding habitat to be explored.

All of the parks are Audubon Important Bird Areas. Tours will start at 6 a.m. each day, with stops at two parks and nearby wineries. Conneaut Cellars Winery, Wilhelm Winery and one or two Erie-area wineries to be determined are on the agenda.

Cost for the program is $65 per person or $120 per couple; it’s designed for adults only. Transportation and some meals are provided. Reservations are required and are limited; registration deadline is April 10.

Cabins at Pymatuning State Park will be available. Organizers recommend staying in cabins since the program will start so early each day. Cabin reservation costs are separate from registration fees. Cabins sleep 6-8 people each.

For information about the program, or to register, call the Pymatuning park office at (724) 932-3142.

Cabin reservations can be made by calling 888-727-2757.

Erie County figures prominently into the fish that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says were the largest reported caught in Pennsylvania in 2012.

Anglers from Erie County and other northwestern Pennsylvania counties caught the first-, second- or third-largest fish in 11 different species categories last year. Lake Erie figured into more trophy catches than any other water, but Kinzua Dam, Justus Lake, Blue Jay Creek and Conewango Creek also made the list.

Erie’s Robert Einodshofer doubled up; he caught the state’s biggest known rock bass and the No. 3 northern pike, both out of Lake Erie.

Listed are only the leading catches by Erie-area anglers, or by anglers from out of the area who fished in northwestern Pennsylvania waters; the full list is here. The Fish and Boat Commission issues the list each year based on entries to its Angler Award program.

One oddity: The state-record lake trout that Todd Young, of Nazareth, caught on Lake Erie in May 2012 is not included on the list of the year’s biggest lake trout.

Jack McGill tries his luck on the ice near Fry’s Landing on Misery Bay at Presque Isle State Park in Erie on Feb. 5. McGill, 60, of Fairview Township, caught the largest white perch in Pennsylvania in 2012. CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/Erie Times-News

Rock bass: No. 1 Robert Einodshofer, Erie, 1 pound 4 ounces, Lake Erie

Smallmouth bass: No. 2 Andrew Schell, Halifax, 7 pounds 9 ounces, Lake Erie

White bass: No. 1, Kathy Sisk, Warren, 2 pounds 9 ounces, Lake Erie

Bullhead catfish: No. 2, Ryan J. Norr, Guys Mills, 2 pounds 2 ounces, Justus Lake

Channel catfish: No. 2, David T. Bishoff, Erie, 17 pounds 7.5 ounces, Lake Erie

Freshwater drum: No. 1, Edward F. Sieminski, Youngsville, 14 pounds 2 ounces, Kinzua Dam tailwaters

Muskie: No. 1, Robert M. Sprankle, Mentcle, 44 pounds 4 ounces, Kinzua Dam

White perch: No. 1, Jack McGill, Fairview, 1 pound 11.5 ounces, Lake Erie

Yellow perch: No. 1, John B. Alexander, Erie, 2 pounds 8 ounces, Lake Erie

Northern pike: No. 3, Robert L. Einodshofer, Erie, 15 pounds, Lake Erie

Chinook salmon: No. 1, Gary Rohal, Verona, 14 pounds, Lake Erie

Coho salmon: No. 1, Mark D. Johnson, Hawk Run, 11 pounds, Lake Erie

Pink salmon: No. 1, Robert Schoeller, Erie, 4 pounds 8 ounces, Lake Erie

Steelhead: No. 1, Allan M. Povanda, Greensburg, 15 pounds 9 ounces, Lake Erie

Brook trout: No. 2, Scott Baldi, Erie, 4 pounds 2 ounces, Blue Jay Creek

Brown trout: No. 2, Melissa Rogowski, Erie, 14 pounds 5 ounces, Lake Erie

Golden palomino trout: No. 2, Cody Lyons, Bainbridge, 8 pounds 4 ounces, Conewango Creek

Lake trout: No. 1, Emma Pritchard, Rimersburg, 16 pounds 14 ounces, Lake Erie

Walleye: No. 3, Dennis M. Weaver, Nicktown, 11 pounds 12 ounces, Lake Erie

The third in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Michele Rundquist-Franz

Presque Isle Audubon Society President Michele Franz watches a cardinal feeding near the former Stull Interpretive Center at Presque Isle State Park in Erie on Jan. 25. GREG WOHLFORD/Erie Times-News

Age: 49

Family: married to Jim Franz; daughter, Tami, and 2 grandchildren, Emory, 5 and Kayleigh, 2

Lives in: Harborcreek Township

College: Bachelor of Arts in English, Mercyhurst; Master of Arts in Speech Language Pathology, Edinboro

Profession: Speech therapist with Aegis Therapies at Golden Living Center-Walnut Creek

Originally from: Erie

How I got into birding: I was primarily a backyard birder until I moved to Harborcreek and started seeing birds that were new and interesting to me. A friend of mine, Julie Leonard, introduced me to Jerry McWilliams, birding guru/mentor, and his bird identification classes and from there my interest took off.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hunters killed 30 fewer bears in 2012 than they did in 2011 in the Northwest Region, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission final harvest results released today.

There were 365 bears shot in the nine-county region including a high of 94 in Warren County. There were 395 bears killed in 2011 including 119 in Warren County.

Hunters killed seven bears in Erie County, the same number as in 2011. Clarion, Venango, Jefferson and Butler each had more reported kills in 2012 than a year earlier; Forest, Crawford and Mercer counties had fewer — 34 fewer in the Venango, which had 90 kills in 2011 and 56 this past year.

Robert A. Pitts, of Meadville, shot a 620-pound male Nov. 17 in Roulette Township,
Potter County, that is the fifth-largest harvested during the 2012 season.

The overall state harvest was 3,632 bears, the third-most in Pennsylvania history. The record is 4,350 in 2011.

Wildlife Management Unit 1B had 38 recorded kills, or 26 fewer than in 2011. WMU 1B includes all of Erie County, most of Crawford County and parts of Warren and Venango counties.

The final bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with final 2011 figures in parentheses): WMU 1A, 4 (13); WMU 1B, 38 (64); WMU 2B, 6 (1): WMU 2C, 268 (226); WMU 2D, 162 (150); WMU 2E, 50 (79); WMU 2F, 285 (345); WMU 2G, 829 (1,086); WMU 3A, 342 (564); WMU 3B, 279 (479); WMU 3C, 146 (299); WMU 3D, 305 (318); WMU 4A, 139 (72); WMU 4B, 84 (70); WMU 4C, 163 (148); WMU 4D, 403 (355); WMU 4E, 110 (79); WMU 5A, 1 (1); WMU 5B, 2 (0); and WMU 5C, 16 (1).

Final county harvests by region (with 2011 figures in parentheses):

Northwest: Warren, 94 (119); Clarion, 77 (47); Venango, 62 (56); Forest, 56 (90); Jefferson, 51 (45); Butler, 11 (9); Erie, 7 (7); Crawford, 6 (16); and Mercer, 1 (6).

Southwest: Somerset, 94 (75); Fayette, 79 (67); Westmoreland, 37 (24); Armstrong, 35 (66); Indiana, 24 (33); Cambria, 11 (35); and Allegheny, 4 (1).

Northcentral: Lycoming, 341 (336); Clinton, 265 (205); Tioga, 227 (381); Potter 179 (399); Centre, 143 (129); McKean, 134 (258); Clearfield, 102 (154); Union, 82 (49); Elk, 76 (153); and Cameron, 67 (100).

Southcentral: Huntingdon, 125 (73); Bedford, 86 (44); Mifflin, 62 (48); Blair, 50 (32); Juniata, 37 (33); Perry, 32 (13); Fulton, 25 (15); Franklin, 14 (13); Snyder, 14 (29); Adams, 2 (0); and Cumberland, 2 (4).

Northeast: Pike, 108 (116); Monroe, 102 (88); Luzerne, 100 (99); Bradford, 86 (126); Wayne, 73 (208); Carbon, 67 (45); Sullivan, 60 (180); Wyoming, 57 (57); Susquehanna, 41 (92); Lackawanna, 37 (25); Columbia, 36 (26); Northumberland, 26 (11); and Montour, 3 (0).

Southeast: Dauphin, 48 (46); Schuylkill, 39 (34); Northampton, 21 (4); Lehigh 3 (3); Berks, 7 (2); and Lebanon, 4 (13).

The lucky number in the first NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year contest is 17.

That’s how many points each of the winners’ bucks had: Rob Potter’s Clarion County trophy and Bill Wiltse’s Crawford County non-typical.

Potter, of Erie, received the most votes in online balloting from Dec. 12-31 and earned inaugural Deer of the Year honors in the Erie Times-News/GoErie.com-sponsored contest. He wins a prize pack including a 145-pound Camo Poly Rope by SecureLine; “Steelheader’s Journal,” signed by author John Nagy; four GoErie.com camp mugs; a GoErie.com bottle opener; and a game tag protector donated by James Wolfgang, owner of Wolfgang Products in Saegertown and a contest entrant.

Wiltse, also of Erie, was named the Editor’s Choice winner after a review of the entries. He wins a prize pack including a 110-pound Camo Poly Rope by SecureLine; “Beyond Catch & Release: Exploring the Future of Fly Fishing,” by Paul Guernsey; four GoErie.com camp mugs; a GoErie.com bottle opener; and a Wolfgang game tag protector.

There were 28 photos uploaded, and 98 people registered to vote. The photos were viewed more than 80,000 times during the duration of the contest, and are still available at GoErie.com/deeroftheyear.

For even more images of successful hunters, visit the NWPA Outdoors Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Bob Lewis, of West Springfield, shot a 10-point near his home. The deer was the largest in his 48 years of hunting; it had a 17 1/2-inch and 20-inch outside spread, and the rack was more than 15 inches high.