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Pennsylvania Game Commission: Middle Creek Event to Mark National Hunting and Fishing Day; National Hunting and Fishing Day at State Capitol Set for Sept. 26

Posted on: Monday, 18 September 2006, 12:00 CDT

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you ever wanted to try outdoor recreational activities but never had the opportunity? Do you have an interest in the outdoors, wildlife, and conservation? If so, plan to visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, to help celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day.

"National Hunting and Fishing Day is designed to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of hunters and anglers in the conservation of Pennsylvania's diverse wildlife resources," said Jim Binder, Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area supervisor. "It also is an opportunity for people with no previous experience to learn about the values and enjoyment of outdoor pursuits."

Binder said planned events include hands-on activities for people of all ages. Also, several local outdoor groups will have food and refreshments for sale, as well as a free taste of "Pennsylvania surf and turf" (panfish and venison).

Activities include (* denotes hands-on activities): exhibits/displays from local sportsmen's organizations; birddog demonstrations; archery shoot*; muzzleloading rifles*; BB gun shoot*; fly rod casting instruction*; introduction to turkey calling*; fishing*; fly-tying instructions; trapping demonstrations; and wild game cooking instructions.

Bert Myers, Game Commission educational specialist, will present a program about the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area and wildlife-related videos will be shown in the auditorium throughout the day.

"Another highlight will be the laser SHOT system, available for kids of all ages to try," said Myers. "The SHOT system is a simulated hunting experience that will test your marksmanship and decision-making. It's an outstanding way to experience what hunting is all about and test your hunting skills."

National Hunting and Fishing Day is open to the public free of charge and will be held rain or shine. The Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is on Hopeland Road on the Lancaster/Lebanon county line, two miles south of Kleinfeltersville, Lebanon County. For more information, contact the management area at (717) 733-1512.

NATIONAL HUNTING AND FISHING DAY AT STATE CAPITOL SET FOR SEPT. 26

Representatives of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, along with several respected statewide sportsmen's organizations, will host a National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration on Tuesday, Sept. 26, in the East Wing Rotunda of the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

The event, which will feature a series of informational booths, will run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., and will include a noon news conference. The event will highlight the importance hunting, trapping, fishing and boating and the related activities supported by the two independent state agencies have had on and continue to provide to the state's cultural heritage, outdoors recreation and economy.

In addition to the Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission, organizations scheduled to have a booth at the event include the Governor's Youth Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation; the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs; the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation; the United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania; and the Ruffed Grouse Society.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

Founded in 1866, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) is one of the oldest and most effective conservation agencies in the nation. The Commission is an independent state government agency with responsibilities for protecting and managing Pennsylvania's fishery resources and regulating recreational fishing and boating on Pennsylvania waters. The PFBC's mission is "To provide fishing and boating opportunities through the protection and management of aquatic resources." The funds to accomplish this mission come primarily through the sale of fishing licenses and boat registrations. No General Fund tax dollars are used in the operations of the PFBC.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

CONTACT: Jerry Feaser of the Pennsylvania Game Commission,+1-717-705-6541 or PGCNEWS@state.pa.us

Web site: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/

Source: PRNewswire

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