Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2023 - 17

NOTES
Muddy Fourth of July
It was a hot, summer afternoon on
the West Branch of the Susquehanna
River, below the dam in Williamsport,
Lycoming County. I was with another
Waterways Conservation Officer
(WCO), and we were getting ready to
participate in a detail for the Fourth
of July fireworks on the river. The
fireworks display is an annual event
that draws hundreds of boats above and
below the dam. We arrived on the river
early to check anglers and boaters and
assess the scene in preparation for the
evening activities.
We navigated upriver toward the
dam, interacting with a few anglers
and boaters. As we continued upriver,
we noticed what appeared to be an
all-terrain vehicle (ATV) along the
river's edge on a large island. I steered
the boat toward the ATV. As we
approached, it became apparent that
the ATV was swamped in the bank
of the river past its wheels. The riders
had been riding in the riverbank
mud while the water level was down,
got the ATV stuck, cabled it to a tree
nearby, and left it sit. The other officer
and I decided to depart the boat to
investigate. I navigated the boat to
the shoreline. Enthusiastically, my
partner jumped off the bow of the boat
onto the shore. Upon landing on the
shoreline, the officer quickly realized
his mistake. The ground he assumed
was stable was actually liquid mud.
With both legs buried past his knees,
he was immobilized and embarrassed.
I could not help but laugh. With several
loud suction sounds and some effort,
he eventually freed himself from the
muddy entrapment. His uniform pants
and boots displayed full saturation past
his knees of Susquehanna River mud.
Fortunately, he was able to reboard the
boat physically unscathed, with just a
ding to the ego. He gave his legs a quick
cleaning in the river and back to patrol
we went.
Every day as a WCO provides
different experiences, with unique
challenges and lessons to be learned.
Tough skin, resourcefulness,
and humility are mandatory
requirements.-WCO Justin D.
Boatwright, Clinton and Western
Lycoming counties.
Good enough to fool
a great blue heron
In our daily WCO duties, we
have opportunities to observe a
variety of wildlife. On a patrol
day, I sat along the North Branch
of the Susquehanna River and
watched a great blue heron as
it worked to gather a meal. The
weather was subpar, so there were
no other people in the area. I
observed the heron work around
a gravel bar. The heron caught
several small minnows and
then worked on a small baitfish.
However, the small baitfish
seemed to get the better of the
heron, and the heron moved
on. When the heron was gone,
I went over to see what baitfish
the heron was interested in. I
was surprised to see that is was
a soft bait. If it's good enough to
fool a heron, you'll likely trick
a fish or two with the correct
presentation.-WCO Jeremy
L. Yohe, Western Bradford and
Sullivan counties.
This hen turkey was a random visitor spotted by staff
at the lobby entrance of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission Headquarters, Harrisburg, Dauphin County.
Lilah Feeney, age 6, drew this picture of her late grandfather, " Boppy " ,
catching a bass.
July/August 2023
17
drawing-Lilah Feeney
photo-LaChelle Brice
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2023
