Pennsylvania Game News - October 2010 - 37

Technologically Advanced
The students from Highland Elementary School visited the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area for their field trip. As part of their visit, I presented a program on Pennsylvania’s mammals. At one point, while trying to elaborate on the adaptations of bats, I asked if the students could provide the word that describes how bats locate their food. Looking for the term echo-location, and telling the students that the term began with an “e,” one student’s hand shot into the air. When I called on him and asked what the term was he responded enthusiastically with “e-mail.” Now, bats have a wide variety of adaptations, but I don’t think computer literacy is one of them. — PGC ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SPECIALIST BERT MYERS, YORK

Survival of the Fittest
ADAMS — Richard Shealer told me that he watched a red fox in a field leap into the air, which he figured was pouncing on a rodent. When he saw it leap very high into the air a second time, he thought something might be wrong and went to investigate. He spotted a black rat snake tightly wrapped around the fox’s neck, with the fox trying to get it off. We figured that the fox was most likely trying to prey upon the snake, but that the snake had other ideas. — WCO DARREN DAVID, YORK SPRINGS

What are the Odds?
WARREN — After calling a gobbler his way, Doug Pappas set his call on the ground next to him. A red squirrel then ran into the box call, causing it to make all kinds of squeaks and squawks that caused the gobbler to run in the opposite direction. — WCO DAVID W. DONACHY, RUSSELL

Learner’s Permit?
POTTER — I was processing a nuisance bear when another bear circled within 20 yards and tried to get into my vehicle. — WCO MARK S. FAIR, COUDERSPORT

Thanks for Tagging Along
MIFFLIN — My neighbor, Bill, often gave me a hard time about working for the Game Commission. He’d say, “It must be nice to walk around on Game Lands all day.” Then, with the economic downturn, Bill got laid off from his job, so I invited him to tag along with me for a day of “walking around on the Game Lands.” He was eager to accompany me, and after obtaining approval and filling out the paperwork, Bill and I went to a nearby Game Lands to do some cover mapping for future habitat improvement projects. We had to hike in to some really remote areas, and I often had to slow down so Bill could catch up. “I don’t know how you keep going,” he said at one point. On the way home, Bill mentioned having a newfound appreciation for Game Commission personnel. Later that evening, he informed me that he also had a newfound appreciation for soreness. — PGC FORESTER ROY BUCHER, REEDSVILLE
OCTOBER 2010

“Bug” with a Big Bite
H UNTINGDON — We were pruning around some red pine trees in June when one of our interns said he heard a cicada buzzing under a tree. Knowing that the cicada hatch occurred just two years ago, and it being a rare occurrence to have one hatch out of the 17-year cycle, I checked it out. The cicada ended up being a timber rattlesnake. Good thing the intern didn’t decide to pick up the “little bug.” — PGC FORESTER BRENT MCNEAL, HUNTINGDON
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Pennsylvania Game News - October 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - October 2010