If you haven't encountered any ticks yet, you probably haven't been outdoors much.
The Lyme disease-carrying insects seem to be everywhere this year. Pennsylvania Game Commission officer Christopher Deal in Butler County said the onslaught has “turned the hunter into the hunted.”
That's not surprising. Pennsylvania has led the nation in confirmed cases of Lyme disease for three consecutive years, and it's been confirmed in all 67 counties. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,981 cases of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available.
With that in mind, the commission is offering outdoorsmen some advice.
For starters, it said, learn to recognize Lyme symptoms: fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and joint pain, and in about 85 percent of cases, a bull's-eye rash around the bite.
To avoid ticks, the commission said, outdoorsmen and women should use insect repellent, preferably one containing DEET. Tuck in shirts and pant legs, or wear pants with leg tie-offs. Wearing light-colored clothing also makes it easier to spot ticks.
If you find a tick, remove it with fine-tipped tweezers, then thoroughly disinfect the bite and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. Pay attention to the area of the bite for a month or so, and if a rash develops, consult a physician, the commission suggests.
Legislation
Pennsylvania's Senate game and fisheries committee recently unanimously approved three bills.
Two already had passed the full House of Representatives: House Bill 455 would do away with the rule requiring anyone being questioned in regards to a wildlife violation to answer questions, and House Bill 263 would remove the prohibition on hunting with air rifles.
The other bill is new to the Senate.
Senate Bill 77, sponsored by Sen. Rich Alloway of Adams County, would change the rules regarding dog training areas, eliminating or easing some of the requirements for hosting beagle field trails and rabbit hunting events. It's since passed the full Senate and gone to the House game and fisheries committee for review.
Not so smart
The traitor? He's in the mirror.
That's what one man must be thinking these days.
Jeremy Febinger, a wildlife conservation officer with the Pennsylvania Game Commission in Greene County, charged a man with unlawful taking of game for killing a bobcat out of season — after he boasted about it online.
“Not only did his posting lead us to finding him, but the captions he posted below the photograph provided all the details of the killing,” Febinger said.
Park deal
It's official: the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has transferred management of its Somerset Lake property to Somerset County, which will operate it as Somerset Lake Nature Park.
The commission will retain management of the lake and fishery, as well as ownership of its regional office. The county will create a hiking trail and eventually add picnic tables, pavilions, grills, restrooms, a handicapped-accessible covered fishing pier and a boat rental concession.
New director
The Keystone Trails Association has a new executive director, and he's a former Pennsylvania Game Commission employee.
Joe Neville took over the group's top post, replacing the retired Curt Ashenfelter.
Neville was until late last year director of the commission's bureau of information and education. He previously had worked for the Girl Scouts and the PA Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.
Bob Frye is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobfryeoutdoors.
