Pymatuning State Park’s annual Eagle Weekend is scheduled for March 22-24.

Register to be part of a guided tour of the greater Pymatuning area to see American bald eagles, eagle nests and other birds. Transportation and some meals are included. Cost is $65 per person or $120 per couple.

Events start March 22 at 6 p.m. and end March 24 at 1 p.m.

For information and to preregister, call the park office at (724) 932-3142.

Overnight accommodations are available in the Jamestown cabins for an extra fee; call 888-727-2757 to make reservations.

There’s less than a month until one of the highlights of the fall outdoors season, the 31st annual Ducks Unlimited Pymatuning Waterfowl & Outdoor Expo.

The event will run Sept. 15-16 at Conneaut High School, 302 W. School Drive, Linesville. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Day One and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Day Two.

Highlights Sept. 15 will include the goose blind drawing at 10 a.m. at the Pennsylvania Game Commision Management Building; a parade through downtown Linesville at 10 a.m.; the open carving contest at noon; the Ducks Unlimited auction; and the Pennsylvania Duck Stamp contest at 1 p.m.

The Sept. 16 highlight is the Pymatuning Regional Duck/Goose Calling Contests at 12:30 p.m. Registration will start at noon.

A bevy of vendors and sponsors also will be on hand throughout the event, and there will be demonstrations

Admission is $5 per person. Children 5 and under will be admitted free of charge.

Check out a gallery of photos from the 2011 Expo.

The Pymatuning Lake Association Kids Free Fishing Derby is scheduled for Aug. 4-5 at the association pavilion at the Espyville Boat Launch, Pymatuning State Park.

Registration runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 4 and 8-11 a.m. Aug. 5, or mail your form by July 30 to the address below. Entry is free. Each entrant will receive a starter bucket full of goodies during registration.

Prizes will be awarded Aug. 5 after 2 p.m. in seven categories: bass, crappie, perch, bluegill, walleye, carp and catfish. All fish must be checked in by 1 p.m. that day. There are divisions for children ages 2-5, 6-10 and 11-15.

For information, contact Chuck Lederer at (724) 927-9122, ledererchuck1@yahoo.com or by mail at 7664 S. Lake Road, Jamestown, PA 16134.

From largemouth bass to walleye, Pennsylvania anglers target and catch a grand variety of fish every year, and every year some of those anglers’ best catches end up on the list of Pennsylvania’s biggest fish.

Northwestern Pennsylvania, with its proximity to the great fishing in Lake Erie, Pymatuning, Shenango Lake and other prime waters, always is well represented on that list. That’s particularly true of the 2011 list that was recently published on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission web site.

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Whether you’re crazy for crappie or whacko for walleye, the Pymatuning Lake Association has a fishing tournament for you this year.

The crappie tournament is scheduled for May 5 and separate walleye tournaments are scheduled for May 19 and June 2.

An 80-team field will mean $1,000 for the winners. Teams are constituted of one or two anglers.

All three tournament are based out the Pymatuning Lake Association Pavilion, located on the southeast side of the causeway at the Espyville Boat Launch, Route 285 and South Lake Road, Espyville.

Tournament fishing starts at 6 a.m. and closes at 2:30 p.m., and anglers must be in the weigh-in line by 3:30 p.m.

Preregister at the Linesville Marina, 3293 W. Erie Street Ext.; in Espyville at Poff’s Place Bait & Tackle, 10672 Perry Drive, Lil’ Bit Restaurant, 1255 Route 285, or Espyville Outdoors, 1545 Route 285; at Richter’s Grocery/Chris’ Tackle Box, 2936 Williamsfield Road, Jamestown; and, in Andover, Ohio, at Gateway Bait & Tackle, 6517 Route 85, and Duck ‘n’ Drake, 7038 Pymatuning Lake Road.

Registration forms are also available in the Association’s magazine “Pymatuning Region Visitor’s Guide 2012” or can be downloaded at www.PymatuningLake.com. Preregistered anglers do not have to check-in at the pavilion before fishing.

Tournament-day registration will take place at the pavilion from 6-8 a.m. and will be subject to a late entry fee.

For information, e-mail PymaLakeAssoc@windstream.net or call (724) 927-9493.

Two American bald eagles were released into the wild Wednesday in Crawford County after rehabilitation from injuries at the Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission oversaw release of the female eagles at the Pymatuning Wildlife Management Area, State Game Lands 214. Pymatuning was selected as the release site because of its abundant eagle habitat.

A 20-year-old mature eagle, first banded in 1992 near Vernon, Ohio, was captured April 16, 2011, near Union City by Erie County Wildlife Conservation Offcer Larry Smith. The eagle showed wing injures, missing tail feathers, emaciation and dehydration. It had suffered pellet wounds from a gunshot. Recurring infections required a long healing period at Tamarack.

Smith also picked up the immature eagle July 17, 2011, near Six Mile Creek east of Erie. The bird is believed to have suffered from West Nile Virus, which caused its feathers to become deformed during development, prohibiting flight. Rehab workers waited and watched as the eagle’s feathers were naturally restored during molting.

“Tamarack is an excellent facility that we have worked with on numerous occasions, and they have proven themselves to be especially skilled when dealing with raptors including bald eagles,” said Keith Harbaugh, Game Commission Northwest Region director. “Sue DeArment and her team at Tamarack are to be commended for their caring and compassionate work rehabilitating these eagles. We would not be here today to return these birds back to the wild if it were not for their investment of time, skill, energy, and money.”

The Game Commission said the mature female eagle was not returned to the Union City area, where she was an established breeder, because her mate successfully paired up with another eagle during her rehabilitation.

The Conneaut Lake Park Volunteer Fire Department’s first Fishing Contest on Pymatuning Lake is scheduled for May 26 from 6 a.m. to noon. Fish will be measured at the Linesville boat launch.

Pre-register or sign up May 25 from 6-10 p.m. at the department’s truck room, 11965 Route 618, Conneaut Lake. Registration and check-in on the day of the contest is from 5-6 a.m. at the Linesville boat boat launch. Entry fee must be paid by start time.

Entry fee is for the three-division tournament is $10 for anglers 16 and older, $5 for those 13-15 and free for anglers 12 and younger.

Fish must be measured or in line for measuring by 12:15 p.m. in order to count.

Payout is 20 percent of the purse for the longest musky; 20 percent for longest walleye; 20 percent for longest bass; 15 percent for longest carp or catfish; 10 percent for longest perch; 10 percent for longest crappie or white bass; and 5 percent for the longest sunfish or bluegill. If a particular species isn’t entered, the purse will be integrated into the remaining species categories.

Pennsylvania and Ohio fishing rules for Pymatuning apply. Fishing is permitted from shore and boat; all persons in a boat must be entered in the contest.

For information, visit the website, call (814) 382-5349 or e-mail clpvfd@zoominternet

The Pennsylvania Game Commission habitat improvement project on Ford Island is under way again.

Ford Island is just off Linesville Hartstown Road and houses the Game Commission’s Pymatuning Wildlife Learning Center.

“Natural forest regeneration had been almost nonexistent at this site due to competition with invasive species, such as tartarian honeysuckle, multi-flora rose, bittersweet and grapes,” said Jerry Bish, the land management group supervisor who is overseeing the initiative. “The project resulted in removal of these species followed by herbicide treatment to retard regrowth. The effect was immediate and highly visible, with dead and brown vegetation last fall. Deer deterrent fence will be installed to protect the newly regenerating forest. The result will be a very open understory with newly emerging undergrowth in 2012.”

This project is funded in part by Pittman Robertson funds, which come from a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition.

“Wildlife responds best to a diverse mixture of trees and shrubs,” Bish said. “This area will begin to see a significant response to this management technique as early as 2013.”

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will host a Family Fishing Festival Sept. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pymatuning State Park, Crawford County.

The free educational event is designed for families with little or no fishing experience.
Fishing licenses are not required, and the program is open to all ages, though it designed for those 5 and older. Equipment, bait and tackle will be provided.

Space is limited. Make mandatory preregistration arrangements by Aug. 31.

Check out this angler’s’ first-ever muskie, 42 3/4-inch fish that weighed 27 pounds 2 ounces. He caught it at the Pymatuning Causeway, and Espyville Outdoors submitted the photo.

Erik’s FIRST muskie!!!!

You can submit your fishing and hunting photos any time. Into wildlife but not hooks and bullets? Upload your photos to the wildlife gallery. And Presque Isle State Park gets a gallery all its own.