Chemung teen scores during youth deer hunt
Jeff Murray
jmurray@stargazette.com | @SGJeffMurray
With apologies to the late, great Yogi Berra, it's like deja vu all over again.
I asked for readers to send me success stories from the Columbus Day weekend youth deer hunt and I got several responses, some of which I have already highlighted in this space.
One of the names I saw rang a few bells.
That's because I've written about Marcella Benjamin, of Chemung, before. The first time was last year, when she shot her first buck during the October youth hunt. This past April, Marcella busted a big gobbler during the youth turkey hunting weekend.
The savvy teen is at it again. With the help of her father, Mark Benjamin, Marcella scored again during the most recent youth deer hunt, with a 5-point buck tagged Oct. 11.
"The day of the hunt my dad Mark Benjamin and I went out to the blind about 3 that afternoon. We sat there about 45 to 50 minutes before I heard something coming towards us and then I saw a buck standing behind bushes," said Marcella, 15. "I couldn't get a good shot at the time so I waited before he came out from behind the trees before I took the shot of a lifetime, right in the lungs with my .243. He might not be a monster but he's good enough."
Marcella will be too old to take part in the youth hunt next year but I have a feeling she will do fine in the regular season. Speaking of which, I expect to hear from some successful adult hunters in the coming weeks. If you've got an interesting deer hunting story and photos to brag about, please feel free to share with us. See my contact information at the end of this column.
Pa. deer season
Pennsylvania hunters will take to the woods for the Keystone State's rifle season for deer starting Nov. 30. In some wildlife management units, hunters can only harvest antlered deer during the first week.
This year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is helping guide hunters to some of the best whitetail habitat on state game lands.
Sections of game lands posted as Deer Hunter Focus Areas recently have undergone timber harvests or other habitat modifications that typically cause deer to concentrate because of an abundance of newly available food. Many of these areas are off the beaten path, and have been posted to alert hunters to their presence and the potential they hold.
Signs identifying Deer Hunter Focus Areas contain a yellow keystone, surrounded by a green background with images of deer silhouettes in all four corners.
For more information on deer hunting in Pennsylvania, including maps of state game lands with sections posted as Deer Hunter Focus Areas, go to pgc.state.pa.us.
Pa. fishing licenses
If you are a Northern Tier angler or live in the Southern Tier but like to cross over the line to fish, fishing licenses for 2016 will go on sale Dec. 1.
Anglers can buy a license in person at any of the 900 license-issuing agents throughout the state, online with a credit card or by mail.
A resident fishing license, required for anyone 16 and older, is $21.50 for one year, but if you are over 64, you qualify for a senior license for only $10.70. A nonresident license is $51.50 for the year. If you're visiting for a few days, you can get a 7-day nonresident license for $34.70 or a 3-day license for $26.70.
For more information, go to fishandboat.state.pa.us/license.htm.
Reach Jeff Murray at 271-8251 or jmurray@stargazette.com. Follow Jeff online at stargazette.com/outdoornotebook, and on Twitter @SGJeffMurray.