Jan 13, 2018 5 min read

I guess it’s a bit late but I sat in my room the other evening and thought about the now defunct year of 2017. It has been said that the elderly look back while those who are still young and hopeful long for the future. So it often is that way.

The past year witnessed the bagging of a black bear in our own Greene County. On top of that, it was taken by a youngster. I know the place where it was shot and have hunted there myself. His shot was of at least 200 yards and that is not bad for a 17-year-old. It wouldn’t be bad for any adult under the circumstances. Of course, the young hunter was Steve Rogers, who lives near Ruff Creek. The bear weighed 215 pounds and Steve downed it with his fathers’ 270 Weatherby. This would be the first bear taken during the season in Greene County and a first will always be a first.

In Westmoreland County this past year, another hunter bagged a huge whitetail buck during the archery season. This buck, which measured at around 185 inches typical, is a state record and is awfully close to the record buck in the firearms category and easily makes not only Pope and Young but also Boone & Crockett.

We, who spend hours in local pastures staring through binoculars, had a disappointing summer. Groundhog hunting just isn’t what it used to be. Many holes in the fields lie unused and the resident has been made into Mr. Coyotes’ dinner. It is not etched in stone but there is a parallel between the growth in the coyote population and the downward spiral in the number of groundhogs. My hotspot for groundhog hunting this year was in Potter County. But now its residents say don’t bother to drive up because the coyotes have taken almost all of them.

Conditions on most farms lead one to believe it is indeed the coyote that is the cause in the decline of the groundhog. When the hogs are relocating to around rural houses and outbuildings from these fields it is to avoid their enemy the coyote. Coyotes will avoid these places unless extremely hungry. The areas less populated by humans, the fewer the groundhogs now.

Another milestone in 2017 was my semi-retirement as a Boone & Crockett scorer of big game. I was doing this for 30 years and it was time. I am now emeritus, which means I can still measure and my signature is still good. But now it’s only when I want to do so. Your new scorer is Matt Wentzel of Coal Center.

The hunting scene is declining in participants with the exception of archery. This can be seen in the decline in license sales and the bigger decline in firearms sales. The military look-alikes are selling well enough but that 30-06 deer rifle is languishing on the shelf.

There is one bright spot in big game rifle sales here this past year and that is the popularity of the fairly new 6.5 Creedmore cartridge. While the 6.5 Mauser and 260 Remington are very similar, they have suffered very slow sales. Suddenly, the Creedmore, which shoots the same bullets, becomes an instant success. Why? Perhaps it is the name. Or just the fact that some genius in a firearms company decided to throat the caliber with a longer throat than what is used by the others. This allows for more case capacity since the bullet itself wasn’t seated deeply taking up some of the total capacity. Simple idea, but it works. There is little doubt the 6.5 Creedmore is a very efficient cartridge and is a more sensible round for deer than many others. Maybe hunters and target shooters have become sensible in their choice of deer rifles.

The past year also was the first year of the George Block Conservation Scholarship award. The award along with a check will be given to a special youngster at the Crown Center Mall 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3. I hope the community comes out to meet this deserving conservationist. Thanks to persons such as Mike Weber, Kathy Ward, Chet Krcil and Denny Fredericks, things went well. We had a great group of entrants who even impressed me, and the program will continue through this year.

Also a big thanks to those who donated money in support of this valuable conservation fund: Jimmy Roberts, Taxidermy; Dormont Mt. Lebanon Sportsman’s Club; Johnson’s Sporting Goods; Raccoon Valley Sportsman’s’ Club; Henry Arms-Lesleh Precision; Lombardi Auto Body; and two anonymous donors. All money donated will be used for this project. Again, my thanks.

It’s not too late to visit the gun show going on today at the Arden Fairgrounds. The winter shows always attract more people and with that, more vendors. This is a big show and I should be there. Maybe I’ll see you.

George Block writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.