Hunters who still have an unfilled buck or doe tag will get another shot, so to speak, when the extended season for deer and small game opens Dec. 26. At that time, a flintlock, bow or crossbow may be used to take a buck or doe up until January 9 statewide. In WMU’s 2B, 5C and 5D, the season runs until January 23. And if hunting in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, their Extended Firearms season runs until January 23.

In addition to deer, the pheasant, rabbit and squirrel season reopens Dec. 26 to Feb. 29. Snowshoe hare season is also included, but for a short Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 season. But in WMU’s 3B, 3C and 3D, it’s even shorter (Dec. 26-29). The reason for these short seasons is that snowshoe hare numbers aren’t what they used to be. And they only exist in the Pocono Mountain and northern tier areas of the state.

EAGLE CAM

ACTIVATED

For avid bird watchers and anyone else who gets a thrill watching our national bird, the PA Game Commission has again set up its Eagle Cam at a nest 750-feet high in a tree in Hanover, York County, adjacent to Codorus State Park. The PGC put it there again because eagles have nested there over the past 10 years and the pair has fledged young there many times, says the PGC.

Last year, the agency said that nearly 1.5 million viewers tuned in as a pair of adult eagles successfully raised a pair of eaglets that fledged from the nest this past June.

The PGC explains that not only are high-def cameras installed at the nest site, infrared technology will provide images 24 hours a day and with microphones within the units to capture all of the accompanying sounds.

They explained that the microphone on the lone camera installed at the nest stopped working after a squirrel chewed through an audio wire a few weeks into the season. Then, after one of the eggs hatched, an eaglet relieved itself on the camera lens, leaving viewers with an obstructed view for several weeks.

The agency installed this equipment now because once Jan. 1 rolls around, federal guidelines prohibit intrusions at eagle nests to ensure nesting birds are given the protection they need.

It’s also pointed out that this nest site may not necessarily see eaglets, but it looks promising because an adult pair of eagles has been hanging around it and adding material to this nest. And if the pair does nest there, there’s no guarantee it will hatch young.

Last season’s Eagle Cam was a hit as the PGC said viewers in many different countries tuning into it. Some folks said they spent hours watching the goings-on within the nest.

The agency credits the assistance of Comcast Business, whose technicians partnered with HDOnTap to provide a static IP address and coordinated the installation of 100 Mbps broadband service to an enclosure near the tree. HDOnTap has provided the camera as well as the live streaming services to viewers. They installed an additional HD Infra Red camera system plus two new audio microphones so viewers can also hear the wind or rain and any sounds the eagles make at the nest.

To view the Eagle Cam, go to www.pgc.state.pa.us and click on the eagle cam icon near the top of the homepage. Twitter and Facebook users also can share the Eagle Cam by tweeting #PGCeaglecam.