Pennsylvania Game News - January 2012 - 36

The PGC Bureau of Wildlife Protection recently had WCOs’ and LMOs’ vehicles lettered with CONSERVATION OFFICER and LAW ENFORCEMENT on the fenders and tailgates. When I drove my vehicle to the Food & Cover Corps headquarters in Venango County with the new lettering for the first time, my crew immediately stated, “Hey Mario, I think we’re going to have to change the S and the V around in Conservation Officer on your vehicle.” I think they were trying to tell me something. — LMO MaRiO L. piCCiRiLLi, LinesviLLe

Like to Talk, Eh?

Elk — It’s not uncommon for me to see a flock of turkeys while patrolling, and I frequently stop and do some lost birds calls from inside the vehicle to the hens with poults. Usually I can get both the hens and poults calling back to me. Sometimes the hens will even fan their tails out to make themselves easier for any lost poults to see, but I recently had a hen come right to the passenger side of my vehicle, where she jumped up on a tree limb level with the open window to look for the lost poult she was hearing. She sat there both looking and calling to me before she finally became convinced there wasn’t a lost poult in my vehicle. — WCO diCk BOdenhORn, RidgWay

Too Good

York — One day in September I received a call about an injured Canada goose. When I arrived at the location I was pleased to meet a young outdoorsman, Evan Landis, and his father. Evan was sure he had seen this goose before and explained that it was the “crossing guard” goose that made sure the other geese in the flock crossed the road safely. The goose apparently had been hit by a car and suffered an injury to its wing, but was still mobile on the ground and made it to a nearby pond. Evan thought that his story and me chasing the goose would make a great Field Note, so I promised him I’d write one. I also wanted Evan to know that the crossing guard goose seems to be doing just fine. — WCO kyLe JuRy, LeWisBeRRy
36

Needed An Orange Vest

I attended the annual North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and while there I met several officers who are now retired from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. I learned that these fellows were involved with helping Game Commission personnel gather bald eagle nestlings in Saskatchewan during our bald eagle recovery project in the early 1980s. They remembered our personnel, most of whom are now retired, and were quite pleased to learn how successful the program turned out to be. From two or three nests in all of Pennsylvania when the program began, this year we had at least 203 active nests that we know about. — LMO J.R. BindeR, MiddLe CReek

Down Memory Lane

PottEr — For the first time in years there were fruit on the apple trees in the southern part of the county. In fact, many trees broke under the weight of the bountiful fruit. Bears younger than four years old had probably never seen apples in their lifetime until then. — WCO MaRk s. FaiR, COudeRspORt
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Pennsylvania Game News - January 2012

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