Former NFL All-Pro Cole goes from pass rush to bass rush

Jul. 2—As a kid growing up in southern Ohio, Trent Cole Jr. and his siblings idolized legendary angler Jimmy Houston and imitated his techniques as they learned to fish for white bass and largemouth.

After spending 12 years playing in the NFL, the two-time All-Pro pass rusher for the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts is attempting to follow in Houston's shoes by qualifying for the "Super Bowl of Bass Fishing" through the St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Opens, presented by Mossy Oak Fishing.

"As a child, I always dreamed of fishing in the Bassmaster Classic," Cole said. "After my NFL career, fishing tournaments was on my bucket list and I was going to go hardcore at it. There is nothing like the Bassmasters. I have three chances this year to make the Bassmaster Classic."

Cole landed a limit on Day 1 of his first Northern Open of the season at the James River, but wasn't able to find a consistent pattern on the second day and landed in 144th place. It is all part of the learning process for him.

"I made some mistakes," he said. "I got stubborn."

Being an outdoorsman has always been part of Cole's DNA — from hunting to fishing around reservoirs and farm ponds in Xenia, Ohio. During his NFL career, Cole was never able to jump into the tournament scene but was always watching and keeping track of the anglers he was familiar with in New Jersey like current Bassmaster Elite Series pros Mike Iaconelli and Greg DiPalma.

After retiring in 2017, Cole began fishing tournaments while also filming a television show on Sportsman Channel called Blitz Outdoors. His mindset for fishing tournaments doesn't vary much from his approach to football.

"You have to do your homework and put in the time. I have definitely become a better fisherman," Cole said. "The way I approach the game is the same way I approach this fishing thing. Now, I have opponents and the biggest opponent is trying to catch one of those big ol' bass."

Playing football was second nature for Cole, who racked up 90.5 sacks during his career. In his next competitive career, he wants to develop the type of instincts his fishing idols compete with every day.

"The guys I'm fishing against are the guys I have watched," he said. "It is like me being a pass rusher. I don't think, I just do it. These guys out here, they know as soon as they see something it is a split-second decision on what to do. I'm trying to be better at another craft."

The one major difference Cole noted in fishing is the individual nature of the sport.

"Only you can make the mistakes. It is all on you. I'm the type of guy where there is no room for mistakes," he said. "I'm going to leave it all out on the water and do everything I have to do to be successful."

Cole's sole focus in the short term is to qualify for an Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. He will have two more attempts to do so in the 2022 Northern Opens. Cole has experience at both fisheries left on the schedule and he hopes that experience will pay off.

"I fished these because the schedule fit me," he said. "I know the Chesapeake and Oneida. I'm excited for the upcoming events."

Cole will take to the water again July 7-9 at the Bassmaster Northern Open on Oneida Lake.

Monday July 4 is 'Fish for

Free Day' in Pennsylvania

During the extended Independence Day weekend when many families and friends will be gathered to celebrate the holiday, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is pleased to offer a Fish-for-Free Day.

From 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 4, no fishing license is required to fish, however all other fishing regulations, including season and creel limits, apply. Complete fishing regulations can be viewed using the FishBoatPA mobile app or the PFBC website (Fishandboat.com).

Need to borrow a rod and reel? The PFBC offers a fishing tackle loaner program at dozens of locations across the Commonwealth, including many popular state parks. A map of fishing tackle loaner sites is available online.

During the holiday weekend, the PFBC reminds anglers who will be fishing from boats to follow a basic safety checklist before and during each boating adventure. Boaters should always wear a life jacket, have a float plan to let others know when and where they'll be boating, check the weather forecast, have proper registrations and launch permits, and never boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Game Commission seeks public

input in surveying wild turkeys

The Pennsylvania Game Commission again is seeking input from the public in surveying wild turkeys this summer.

The Pennsylvania Wild Turkey Sighting Survey opens July 1 and runs through Aug. 31.

Participation is important for turkey population management. Survey data allow the agency to determine total wild turkey productivity and compare long-term reproductive success within Pennsylvania and across states, as this is a standard methodology used across the country. Data also are used in the turkey population model to track population trends.

Turkey sightings can be reported through the Game Commission's website — https://pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/TurkeyBroodSurvey.

The mobile app is no longer available.

On the website, participants are requested to record the number of wild turkeys they see, along with the location, date and contact information if agency biologists have any questions. Viewers can also access results from previous years.

"The turkey survey enhances our agency's internal survey, which serves as a long-term index of turkey reproduction and is used in our turkey population model," said Game Commission Turkey Biologist Mary Jo Casalena. "Participants should report all turkeys seen, whether gobblers, hens with broods, or hens without broods."

Many factors, including spring weather, habitat, previous winter-food abundance, predation, and last fall's harvest affect wild-turkey productivity. Weather across Pennsylvania during late spring and summer 2021 were relatively warm and dry, but varied by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU), as well as the other factors that affect reproduction.

For example, WMUs that experienced the 17-year Brood X cicada hatch tended to have excellent recruitment. These included parts of WMU 2C, and WMUs 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B and 5C. Cicadas are an excellent source of protein for turkeys and predators that normally would prey on turkey poults.

This above-average reproductive success last summer (3.1 poults per hen), coupled with more conservative fall 2021 turkey hunting seasons (shorter seasons in most WMUs and elimination of rifles) allowed for higher turkey survival into the 2022 spring breeding season.

At the WMU level, reproductive success in 2021 improved in 15 of 23 WMUs compared to the previous three-year average. It was similar to the previous three-year average in two WMUs (2F and 4E) and declined to below average in only six WMUs (compared to declining in 11 WMUs in 2021). Units that declined were WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 4C and 5D, with a slight decline in 2D.

Reproductive success in surrounding states for 2021 was less than 3.0 poults per hen in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, but 3.0 or higher in New Jersey and New York.

"Thanks to the popularity of this survey in Pennsylvania, we have high confidence in our estimates," Casalena emphasized. "Let's maintain these results in 2022 and even increase participation."

NE Game Commission office

will open on Saturday July 9

Pennsylvania Game Commission Northeast Region Director Daniel Figured announces the Northeast Region Office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, to accommodate persons wishing to purchase a hunting license.

"There is an annual rush to purchase general hunting licenses just prior to the initial sale of antlerless deer licenses," Figured said. "We try to accommodate the increase in demand by offering additional office hours for license sales."

On Monday, July 11, county treasurers will begin accepting antlerless license applications by mail from residents only, one per person, statewide.

Also, the Pennsylvania Game Commissions "Operation Game Thief" trailer will be on site July 9. Wardens will be manning the OGT display and answer any questions concerning the program, along with any other law enforcement or general game commission inquiries.

Normal business hours of the Game Commission Northeast Region Office are from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office is located at 3917 Memorial Highway in Dallas. The office phone number is (570) 675-1143.

Greater WV Audubon Society to

hold 'Acoustic Survey of Bats'

The Greater Wyoming Valley Audubon Society will hold an "Acoustic Survey of Bats" on Friday, July 15, at 8:30 p.m. at Moon Lake Recreation Area.

Garrett Barr will lead the evening event.

For more information, contact Sandy Goodwin, 570-639-5785, chickadd@ptd.net.

After a brief introduction to bats and acoustic survey techniques, there will be the use of stationary and mobile recording devices to survey bats at Moon Lake Recreation Area. Using the mobile device, the group will take a leisurely walk along roads and trails for about an hour before returning to the parking lot to view sonograms of the bats' calls that were recorded.

The program should end around 10:30 p.m. (moonrise) and is weather dependent. The group will meet at the first parking lot near the Atherton Road (main) entrance.

Board of Game Commissioners

meet July 8-9 in Harrisburg

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will meet July 8 and 9 at the agency's Harrisburg headquarters.

The meeting on Friday, July 8 begins at 1 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is for the board to hear reports from staff. Public comment will not be accepted at this meeting.

Public comment — limited to five minutes — will be accepted at the Saturday, July 9, meeting on a first-to-register/first-to-speak basis. Registration begins when doors to the Harrisburg headquarters open at 7:45 a.m. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. PowerPoint presentations are not permitted during public comment periods.

Following the conclusion of public comment, the board will take up its regular agenda, then will discuss new business.

The agenda for the July meeting is available at the Game Commission's website — www.pgc.pa.gov. Under "About Us," on the right side of the homepage, select "Events & Board Meetings," then click the "July 9, "2022 Draft Agenda" link.

The Game Commission's headquarters is located at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit off Interstate 81 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Those unable to attend the meeting can watch much of it from home.

The meeting is scheduled to be live-streamed Friday and again on Saturday, following the conclusion of public comments. The livestream can be viewed on the agency's YouTube channel.

PSU webinar to focus on urban tree

systems, building community forests

Penn State Extension will hold a webinar titled "Understanding Urban Tree System Benefits, Costs and Interactions" from noon to 1 p.m. pn Tuesday, July 26.

The event is designed for public tree, landscape and environmental board members; municipal managers and arborists; and others interested in urban and community forestry.

Instructors will discuss a range of tree services and disruptions that urban forest decision-makers encounter. This event is aimed at helping participants consider stakeholder needs to prepare a useful community forest. Participants will learn to consider the complexities of tree system and neighbor interrelationships.

Penn State Extension offers this event at no charge to participants. However, if participants seek continuing education credits, there may be a fee. Credits are available from the International Society of Arboriculture and the Society of American Foresters. Certificates of attendance are available upon request for Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, other volunteer peers and other professionals to self-report.

Organizers note that participants should select the credits they wish to apply for during registration. Participants must attend the full live webinar session and respond to a follow-up survey to affirm participation and receive credits.

In creating the webinar, instructors partnered with the U.S. Forest Service, State and Private Forestry program; Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry; and Pennsylvania TreeVitalize Program, Pennsylvania Community Trees.

Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinar. Registrants also will receive access to the webinar recording.

The registration deadline is 1 p.m. July 26. More information is available on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/understanding-urban-tree-system-benefits-costs-and-interactions.