Call of the Outdoors Episode 49: Leaving it Better Than We Found it: Updates for the 2024-25 Hunting Season

Call of the Outdoors Episode 49: Leaving it Better Than We Found it: Updates for the 2024-25 Hunting Season

Author: Pennsylvania Game Commission October 2, 2024 Duration: 52:55
Hunters are at the forefront of wildlife conservation — the Pennsylvania Game Commission depends on hunter harvest and input for the future of hunting in the Keystone State.   Heading into hunting season, Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to discuss key changes for this fall, tips for success in the field, and updates on hot-button issues like Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania.   Episode Highlights: Squirrel season insights and tips Legislative updates on the Sunday hunting issue and how to make your voice heard How the Game Commission invests back into wildlife, habitat, and hunters  The challenges of deer management and the importance of filling antlerless tags Early season archery tactics for hunting public land Bear season changes for better management and future hunting   Resources: Find a shooting range near you. Learn more about your role in healthy forests and healthy deer.  Review safe hunting tips. Contact the Game Commission with your feedback. Enter the Take Someone Hunting Photo Contest.

There’s a particular feeling that comes from swapping stories with good company under an open sky, and that’s the spirit we try to capture in every episode of Call of the Outdoors. Produced by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, this podcast brings together voices who live and breathe the state’s wild places. You’ll hear from biologists, wardens, hunters, and conservationists, all sharing their deep, firsthand knowledge. Conversations range from the intricate management of local habitats and the science behind tracking species, to the timeless traditions of hunting and the simple joys of noticing nature’s details. It’s not all serious talk-expect genuine laughter and personal anecdotes that remind you of a friendly chat around a campfire. Each installment offers a specific, grounded look at a piece of Pennsylvania’s natural world, whether it’s following the journey of a black bear, understanding the role of prescribed fires, or exploring how communities get involved in protecting their local environment. Tune in for thoughtful discussions that connect you to the ongoing story of wildlife and wilderness stewardship in the Keystone State.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Call of the Outdoors
Podcast Episodes
Episode 45: Offseason Scouting & Prep for Public Land Hunting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:26
Bowhunting big woods bucks isn’t just a fall hobby — it’s a year-round grind. Beau Martonik of East Meets West joins host Matt Morrett at the Total Archery Challenge in Seven Springs to discuss ways to improve your arche…
Episode 44: Antlerless Licenses Guaranteed for Most PA Residents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:34
With nearly a million passionate hunters in Pennsylvania, the new process for purchasing antlerless licenses led to high demand and longer-than-expected wait times last year. So the Game Commission made some key changes…
Episode 43: Introducing PGC’s New Executive Director Steve Smith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:50
The future is bright at the Pennsylvania Game Commission! New executive director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to provide Pennsylvanians with an update on the latest changes within the agency. Learn how 30 years of…
Episode 42: Fact or Fiction: Busting the Biggest Wildlife Myths [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:22
Have you heard whispers that the Pennsylvania Game Commission is in cahoots with car insurance companies to reduce the deer herd or the agency trades our turkeys to other states in exchange for coyotes? Captain Chad Eyle…
Episode 41: Nature Calls: Newborn Wildlife Tips with PGC Dispatch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:31
Available 24/7/365, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Centralized Dispatch Center received nearly 210,000 calls last year, from reports of game law violations to sasquatch sightings. Each spring, as animals are born and…
Episode 40: Igniting Change: Prescribed Fire for Wildlife Habitat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:20
Prescribed fire is nothing new — Native Americans used controlled burns to boost berry production and draw in wildlife for centuries. Chief Land Manager Dr. Scott Bearer and Land Management Supervisor Steve Ferreri join…
Episode 39: Sharp & Pointy Teeth: Black Bear Biology & Management [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:12
Did you know more than half of black bears in Pennsylvania den on top of the ground in a thicket that resembles a giant bird nest? Black Bear Program Manager Emily Carrollo joins host Matt Morrett to bust some common bea…
Episode 38: PA Game Laws & The Legislative Process [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:21
Did you know the Pennsylvania Game Commission is an independent agency tasked with managing the Commonwealth’s wildlife resource for both current and future generations? Legislative Liaison Josh Zimmerman and Executive D…
Episode 37: Behind the Scenes of Pennsylvania Game News [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:59
Pennsylvania Game News has been in print since 1929 and still boasts a circulation of 80,00 throughout the Keystone State nearly a century later! Editor Travis Lau and Senior Associate Editor Bob D’Angelo join host Matt…
Episode 36 Part 2: Healthy Forests, Healthy Deer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:37
Did you know that taking a single doe out of the deer population can have a ripple effect into future years? Deer Biologist David Stainbrook joins host Matt Morrett to discuss the history of deer management in Pennsylvan…