Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2014 - 26

Exceptional
dedication

Every district has a handful
of sportsmen who selflessly
volunteer their time and effort to
the Commission without expecting
anything in return. I would like to
recognize one such individual in
Clearfield County-John Duck.
Any angler who has been present
at a local trout stocking during the
past 50 years would recognize his
face. He has provided continuity
to the stocking program through
the careers of three full-time
Waterways Conservation Officers
(WCOs). He has assisted the region
office with ensuring that trout
arrived where and when they were
supposed to when there was no
WCO in the Clearfield County
district. For several decades, he
worked overtime at his job and
took compensatory leave, so he
could have the entire season of
trout stocking off to assist the
Commission. He has never missed
a day and could always be relied
upon to lead the stocking truck
where it needed to go. He is not a
Commission employee nor even a
managed volunteer for the agency.
He is one of the finest sportsmen
that Clearfield County has ever
produced. I thank John every time
I see him, and I encourage every
angler in the county to do the
same.- WCO Robert V. Dunbar,
Clearfield County.

Joy on opening day

On opening day of trout season,
I ran into a family of smiling
anglers who had three full stringers
of trout. It was a father, son and
daughter team. The daughter
exclaimed that she had caught the

26

biggest fish. So, I got my measuring
tape and measured the trout. Both
siblings had Rainbow Trout over 21
inches. I would definitely say they had
a great opening day.-WCO Emmett M.
Kyler III, Lycoming County.

Swim safely

During a recent boat patrol, I noticed
movement in the water further down
the lake. At first, I thought it was small
flock of geese or other large birds trying
to take off in the middle of the lake. As
I got closer, I realized young kids were
swimming while wearing life jackets.
They weren't very visible, because they
were smaller individuals and their life
jackets were darkly colored.
Since they were not in an area
designated for swimming, I turned on
my blue light and came up beside them
while they were swimming towards
shore. I sternly informed them what they
were doing wrong and told them that
they were very hard to see in the water.
I informed them that they were taking a
very high risk of getting hit by a speeding
boat or jet ski. They already looked tired
from swimming and would have found it
difficult to avoid a collision.
What amazed me the most were the
two adult women who were sitting on
the shore watching the young swimmers.
I asked the two women if the kids were
with them. They acknowledged that
they were with them, and the women
stated that they didn't realize they
were in a no-swimming area. I told the
women the same thing I told the kids.
With all the boating activity in the area,
it was a poor idea for anyone to be out
there swimming.
Always swim in designated areas,
and be aware of your surroundings
for your protection. Recreate smartly,
not foolishly.-WCO David W. Decker,
Tioga County.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * March/April 2014

Clues don't lie

Here are some clues I uncovered
when checking an angler at Woodcock
Creek Lake, Crawford County, that
told me something fishy was going on.
Clue #1: When checking the
angler's license and asking for his
date of birth, he tells me his
name instead.
Clue #2: When asking him for his
date of birth a second time, he tells
me, "Whatever is on the license."
Clue #3: When looking closer at the
license, the height is listed as
6ʹ 0″ while the person is only 5ʹ 5″.
Clue #4: The angler rolls his eyes
and shakes his head and then finally
admits he borrowed the license.
Sometimes it is just too easy.-
WCO Terry J. Crecraft, Eastern
Crawford and Warren counties.

Fun and educational

The job of a Waterways
Conservation Officer (WCO) is
not just patrolling the waters of
the Commonwealth and writing
citations. Recently WCO David G.
Kaneski and I presented a reptile
and amphibian program to over 125
men, women and children at a gated
community in Wayne County.
Weeks and months prior to the
presentation WCO Kaneski and I
gathered frogs, snakes, salamanders
and turtles. The Bureau of Boating and
Outreach provided us with posters and
informative handouts.
The show, tell and touch program
was a huge success. The general
public was educated on the myths
and facts of amphibians and reptiles
that call northern Pennsylvania
their home.-WCO Walter A.
Buckman, Lackawanna, Wayne and
Susquehanna counties.

PFBC Facebook: PaFishandBoat
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2014
