September 2009

News from the PA Wilds

DCNR has announced a new partner to help complete the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette Township, Elk County. The project was launched as a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, or RMEF, who has now conveyed its share of the elk watching and conservation education facility—the largest of its kind in the eastern United States—to DCNR.

	Investing: Commonwealth Financing Authority Board awards loans Planning: Planning team convenes transportation officials Marketing: Autumn – no better time to fall into the PA Wilds Business Success: Businesses grow around new visitor center in Elk County Community Success: Johsonburg’s farmers market Rattlesnakes in the Pennsylvania Wilds: Watch Where You Walk, Know Where to Look

“The foundation has been a great partner in open space protection and restoring the elk herd in the Pennsylvania Wilds region, and we thank them for their help getting the Elk Center project started,” said John Quigley, Acting Secretary for DCNR. “This project would not have been possible without their early partnership with DCNR,” Quigley added.

DCNR reached out to a long-standing partner and well-respected conservation organization, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, to assist the department in completing the project. “We look forward to working with the DCNR through the Elk Country Visitor Center to reach out to new visitors, give them a wonderful outdoor experience and share the story of the conservation efforts that have restored many of the natural and wild areas in Pennsylvania,” said Marci Mowery, President of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.

The commonwealth is providing $5 million for construction of the center. The Richard King Mellon, Dominion, and Thoreson foundations; Safari Club International; Eastern Chapter Foundation for North American Wild Sheep; and many individual donors made contributions to RMEF for the center. Additionally, RMEF chapters across the country made special contributions to support the new facility. “This project worked much like our standard lands protection project—we facilitate and fundraise, then transfer the asset to a public agency better equipped to manage in perpetuity,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We’ve never applied this model to a conservation education facility before but we’re pleased with the outcome.”

RMEF has agreed to transfer ownership of the 245-acre property to DCNR. RMEF also will transfer donations received to support the center to PPFF, which will enter in to a contract to complete the fabrication and installation of exhibits and displays in time for an opening in the summer of 2010.

The 2009 Greenway Sojourn, held July 23-26, brought more than 250 bicyclists from 20 states to the Pine Creek Rail Trail. This year marked the seventh edition of the popular ride that has drawn thousands of cycling tourists of all ages to Pennsylvania and increased appreciation of the state’s robust and growing rail-trail system. Sponsored by DCNR and Fetzer Vineyards and coordinated by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, the 200 mile ride began and ended in Jersey Shore. Averaging 40 miles a day, riders camped overnight in the Pine Creek gorge and enjoyed a train ride into Wellsboro to highlight the potential connection of the trail to the train station and a rail-with-trail opportunity into the downtown. To read more about the Sojourn, go to www.railstotrails.org. A 2001 article in USA Today named the Pine Creek Rail Trail one of the “10 great places to take a bike tour in the world,” and in 2006 RTC estimated nearly 140,000 user visits per year on the trail.

A database of federal, state, regional and local grant programs available for community-type projects in the Pennsylvania Wilds region is now available on the PA Wilds Resource Center web site. The new database is designed to be a resource for communities or groups that may not have the funds to hire a full-time person to research and apply for grants for tourism-related community projects such as trails, festivals, signage and the like. Sam MacDonald, the new community outreach specialist for the PA Wilds, compiled the grant database. Included are grant writing tips and information on technical assistance workshops for those new to the grant process.

"While it can be a real challenge for small communities to gain access to these resources, it can be done," said MacDonald. "What communities really need is knowledge, and a little help. In my role as Outreach Specialist, I hope to connect people to the information they need and the people who can put that information to use. I hope this database will serve as a valuable tool in that regard."

To access the database, go to www.pawildsresources.org. Click on “Community Assistance” and then on “Funding.” For-profit businesses are not eligible for most grants in the database. The Resource Center has a separate database of programs for businesses. To find that that database, click on “Business Assistance” and then on “Programs Database.”

A story in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on August 23 highlighted the resurgence of the fisheries of the Clarion River. Through interviews with anglers and outfitters, writer Bob Frye shared accounts of increased smallmouth bass numbers and the abundance of other species. The story also alluded to the popularity of canoeing and kayaking the river and referenced the Clarion River Water Trail guide available through the PA Fish and Boat Commission at www.fish.state.pa.us/watertrails/clarion/clarion-trail.htm.

Fish populations are also returning to the West Branch Susquehanna River. A July meeting at the Western Clinton Sportsmen’s Club hosted guest speakers, Dan Surra, DCNR’s Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Wilds, and Doug Austen, Executive Director of the PA Fish and Boat Commission, who described improving opportunities for anglers near Hyner and other locales. According to fishery surveys, both the number of fish and the number of species of fish are increasing.

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials recently reported four cases where elk have died of rumen acidosis, which is directly related to artificial feeding. If elk consume too much high-fermentable grain, such as corn, pH levels fall quickly and a shock-like syndrome can occur. Feeding elk is illegal. It habituates them to find food around homes and can be dangerous to those who attempt to feed them by hand. Citations have been issued in the illegal feeding incidents.

Be sure to check-out the new native plant garden at Chapman State Park containing a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses native to Pennsylvania and the PA Wilds region. Native plants are generally easier to grow and maintain plus they provide important habitat for birds and other wildlife. The plants selected for the Chapman garden prefer sunny-dry locations. The approximate design for the garden is available at www.iconservepa.org/plantnatives.html and can be replicated in the home landscape.

Work will soon begin on a biomass-fueled Combined Heat and Power facility in Smethport, according to a story in the Alternative Energy Report - a publication of the Pennsylvania Energy Resources Group, LLC. The story said that “the project is intended to demonstrate the use of waste wood as a sustainable alternative energy source for an entire community, serving as a unique model for Pennsylvania and the nation.” If successful, the project is expected to have multiple benefits on the local economy.

A new guide to the Pine Creek Rail Trail has been produced by Wellsboro-resident, Audrey Fox, as covered in a recent story in the Williamsport Sun Gazette. The trail enthusiast worked for more than two years on the 210- page publication. The detailed guide can be obtained online at www.pagrandcanyon.webs.com.

The Allegheny and Allegheny Northwoods Chapters of the Ruffed Grouse Society are hosting the inaugural “Upland Bird Hunt in the PA Wilds” on November 6th and 7th. Over 300 people are expected to participate!

Because it contains over two million acres of public land, the twelve county region of the Pennsylvania Wilds has always been a magnet for hunters and these large tracts of land provide abundant grouse, woodcock and pheasant hunting opportunities. The focal point for the event will be Elk County and the event organizers anticipate a very successful hunt.

The two days are full of activities that will give a true taste of all that the PA Wilds – in blazing autumn splendor - has to offer, including: a two day youth pheasant hunt; a winery tour; elk viewing at Winslow Hill; tours of an herb farm and a cottage industry farm that specializes in homemade breads, cheeses, jams and jellies, maple syrup, and goats’ milk. On Saturday night, the Upland Bird Hunt Grand Banquet and Awards Ceremony will be held at the Red Fern Banquet and Conference Center. The banquet features a live auction with original work of area wildlife and outdoor artists.

Pre-registration for all events is required. Lodging and camping is available in the St. Marys’ area. For more information, contact Mary Hosmer of the Allegheny Chapter of the Ruffed grouse Society at (814) 512-2101 or via e-mail at wlhab@windstream.net.

Enjoy a fall float on the Clarion River, October 24. The leisurely interpretive paddle meets at the Cook Forest State Park Office at 9:00 a.m. Participants must pre-register for the trip by calling (814)744-8407. A limited number of canoes and kayaks are available, but space is limited. Don’t miss this superb opportunity to soak-in the grandeur of the regions’ fall foliage.

Changes are coming to the Word on the Wilds. This will be the last issue until January 2010 when the newsletter will be published quarterly, instead of bi-monthly, with a new look. In the meantime, consider signing-up for the PA Wilds Resource Center’s E-Updates. The Resource Center is focused on helping communities revitalize through sustainable tourism development and their monthly electronic newsletter highlights the latest opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and others. Go to www.pawildsresources.org to subscribe

Investing in the PA Wilds:
Commonwealth Financing Authority Board awards loans

The commonwealth is committed to investing in the Pennsylvania Wilds in order to improve visitor experiences, help new and existing businesses grow and prosper, and create new opportunities for market growth.

Most recently, the Commonwealth Financing Authority Board, at its July 14, 2009 meeting, awarded the following loans to the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Under the First Industries Small Business Loans, a loan program aimed at strengthening Pennsylvania’s agriculture and tourism industries:

• FIF - Tourism SBF, The Progress Fund, $32,500 to Flickerwood Wine Cellars, McKean County
• FIF - Agriculture SBF, Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission, $200,000 to Drew and Lisa Remley, Tioga County
• FIF - Agriculture SEDA Council of Governments, $200,000 to Jeffrey L. and Sandra K. Krape, Clinton County.

Planning in the PA Wilds:
Planning team convenes transportation officials

On August 27, the Pennsylvania Wilds Planning Team called together those involved in transportation planning and implementation in the region to present the transportation-related findings of the team's Planning Study and engage in a discussion of priorities and next steps.  Those participating included representatives from the PennDOT district offices (including county maintenance staff) as well as members of the five regional planning organizations who are responsible for developing the annual Transportation Improvement Project (TIP) list.  The ensuing dialogue was informative and participants were afforded an opportunity to discuss their concerns and share critical information.  “Outcomes generated from this meeting will direct future data collection efforts, build consensus for priority projects, improve cooperation, and enhance communication across county and agency jurisdictions,” said Joy (Wilhelm) Ruff, a Community Planner with PA DCED and Transportation Committee Chair for the PA Wilds Planning Team. “We believe that this is just the beginning of a regular dialogue with our transportation partners,” Ruff added.

Marketing in the PA Wilds:
Autumn – no better time to fall into the PA Wilds

The Pennsylvania Wilds is the home of the most spectacular, untouched and undisturbed wild lands east of the Mississippi. The bio-diversity of the hardwood forests insures a full spectrum of color. Rich burgundy, flaming orange and brilliant yellows will cover the hillsides like a patchwork quilt starting the last two weeks of September in the northern counties, continuing into late October in the southern counties. The beauty is only one aspect – there are also endless outdoor recreational activities.

The PA Wilds includes 29 state parks, eight state forests, state game lands and Pennsylvania’s only National Forest, the Allegheny. Fall is the perfect time to enjoy an outdoor hike or weekend camping excursion.

• The Allegheny National Forest, Elk, Warren, Forest and McKean counties, offers 16 campgrounds and more than 600 camp sites, many with water vistas.
• Route 66, a beautiful drive north from Interstate 80 through the Allegheny National Forest, brings the traveler into McKean County and the village of Kane. Kane, the black cherry capital of the world, provides a perfect central location for auto touring to see fall foliage along the Longhouse National Scenic Byway or the Kinzua Bridge Scenic Byway.
• For more adventuresome souls, Freefall Oz Skydiving Center in Ceres offers tandem sky diving. The Tour de Forest is set for Oct. 2-4 in Marienville for ATV enthusiasts to have an opportunity to travel through the Allegheny National Forest.
• There’s also elk watching in Benezette, the home of the largest, free-roaming elk herd east of the Mississippi. For extended viewing, take the Elk Scenic Drive - a 127-mile jaunt renowned for its natural beauty and fall foliage (a photographer’s dream). The route is just off I-80, so you can start your trip from the west at PA Route 153 or from the east at PA Route 144.
• Nature Quest Inc. offers Elk Tours in Wykoff Run. A premier wildlife watching experience, you can learn about the history of elk in Pennsylvania, elk habitat, and the other animals that live in the Pennsylvania Wilds from an experienced guide. Tours can be arranged for groups of up to 12, from two to five days by calling 866-376-5068.
• Clearfield County is the place for anyone who wants to get outdoors and have some fun. Bilger’s Rocks Haunted Hayrides will be held in October.
• For bed, breakfast and biking, the Christopher Kratzer House in Clearfield offers a package which includes a gourmet breakfast and bikes for a day of scenic riding all for $90 a night.
• The Groundhog Wine Trail, provides tours and tastes at several wineries. Weather lovers can visit the Weather Discovery Center and then stop by the library and visit the great prognosticator himself, Punxsutawney Phil.
• The Borrowing Freedom Trails offers horseback riding at $20 per person, per hour and canoe/kayak rentals at $25 per day.
• Other fall foliage sites to visit within the Pennsylvania Wilds include Cherry Springs State Park, Kinzua Bridge State Park, and Chapman State Park. The Pine Creek Trail, a 62-mile trek, takes visitors along a trail through the Pine Creek Gorge.

A PA Wilds Business Success Story:
Businesses grow around new visitor center in Elk County

by Tataboline Brant

Construction on one of the major new visitor centers slated for the Pennsylvania Wilds region is underway in Elk County, and the project is helping create jobs and business opportunities.

The Elk Country Visitor Center broke ground this spring and is slated to open in summer 2010. The 7,000-square foot center is being billed as “a premier elk watching and conservation facility” and is eventually expected to attract some 160,000 visitors annually.

Already the project is having an economic impact on the region. Three area contractors—from State College, DuBois and Emporium—were recently awarded $4.5 million to build the new facility.

“This influx of moneys will benefit not only the contracting businesses and their employees, but also local suppliers, sub-contractors and other area businesses supported by those contractors,” said Michael Wennin, who works on economic development and revitalization issues in the PA Wilds through his work as executive director of the Lumber Heritage Region. Wennin commended the Commonwealth for giving a “significant boost” to the region by building the new center.

The visitor center is being built on a 245-acre site atop Winslow Hill in Benezette Township. About 250 people live in area, but that population swells dramatically when the elk go into rut in the fall. Benezette is home to the largest elk herd in the Northeastern United States and people come from around the world to see them.

Brothers Cody and Jes Cogan, 20 and 17, grew up just down the road, in Weedville, and remember as kids seeing cars clog the roads during the elk mating season. Interest has only grown since then, but with the Pennsylvania Wilds Initiative came the Elk Scenic Drive and dedicated overlooks, which has helped diffuse the visitor pressure. “Which is good,” Cody said.

Like others in the community, the Cogan brothers are excited about the new elk center. Not just because it will help with conservation efforts (both brothers are active in the local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation chapter), but also for the opportunities it is helping create for them and others in the community.

The Cogan brothers recently launched Tall Pines Belgian Adventures. For less than $15, visitors to Benezette can now take a 45-minute wagon ride through elk habitat on the Cogans’ longtime family homestead on Winslow Hill. Doc and Hank, two full-blooded Belgians, pull a handcrafted wagon (made by a local chainsaw carving artist), while one of the Cogan brothers interprets the area’s history and natural surroundings.

Cody, a junior at Penn State, said he and his brother, a senior at St. Marys High School, started to seriously consider launching the wagon ride business when they couldn’t find summer jobs and needed money to help with college. (Elk County has seen record unemployment in recent months; its manufacturing industry was hit hard by the recession.)

“I couldn’t afford to not get paid all summer,” Cody said.

With the support of their family, they jumped in. They had most of what was needed for the business—the land, the horses and perhaps most important: the knowledge that comes from growing up in the area and around a dad who worked for years in the field as an elk biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission (and who now works for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, an organization that played an instrumental role in the development stages of the new visitor center).

One major hurdle that remained was upgrading the trail that ran through the family homestead to make it suitable for wagon rides. Rain set the brothers back several times but by early July they were close to done. Before opening, they walked the trail with a visitor and pointed out various animal tracks. It was quiet and cool beneath the tall pines.

“It’s not uncommon we come up to the camp and there’s an elk, a deer and a turkey all in the same spot,” Cody said.

The Cogan brothers are teaming up with several local businesses—the Elk View Diner, Wapiti Woods cabins—to promote the tours and try to make the new venture a winning one for all involved. Tall Pines does not have a website, but Cody and Jes said anyone who is interested in a tour can stop by the Elk View Diner to book one. That’s where the tours begin. If the weather cooperates, the brothers expect to run roughly six tours a day—three in the morning and three in the evening, when the animals are most active—until about mid-October.

Over at the Benezette Hotel (www.benezettehotel.com), new owner Brian Kunes is also happy construction on the new elk center has begun.

Kunes grew up in Elk County. He moved away after high school and was living in the Washington, D.C. area working as an electrical engineer for the U.S. Navy when he came home to visit. With tourism growing in the area, he thought the Benezette Hotel had real potential. He worked with the Small Business Development Center on a business plan. A year later, in 2006, he and partner Matt Castle bought the place.

They played it safe at first and kept their day jobs, commuting from Maryland to Pennsylvania several times a month. They expanded the hotel’s hours, from 3 to 4 days a week to 7, and added items to the menu. They did some minor remodeling inside and added a patio with outdoor seating. Each year the business grew stronger and this summer, Kunes quit his job of 18 years and relocated back to Elk County along with Castle to run the hotel full time.

Kunes has high hopes for the new elk center. In the short term, it’s helped fill rooms and tables as various people working on the project have needed a place to eat or sleep. In the long term, he hopes it will help make the hotel more of a true year-round operation.

The hotel is already open year round. Summers are steady. From Labor Day to the end of hunting season in December things are “absolutely crazy.” Then “it’s like a light switch,” Kunes said—nothing.

“People don’t Christmas shop in Benezette,” he laughed.

Many if not most tourism businesses around the region go through similar dry spells in their off season. Ask how they’re doing in winter or early spring and the owners will quip “we’re alive” or “we survived.”

The new elk center will no doubt help even out visitation, Kunes said. “I think it’s going to make us more full year-round.”

If business goes well, Kunes said he’d one day like to remodel his hotel rooms so they each have their own bathrooms and also reside the building with wood “to give it more of a rustic look.”

In the meantime, Kunes said he’s got no regrets. He said before he bought the hotel a friend tried to talk him out of it, telling him he’d have to be there 24-7. “She was so right,” he laughed. “We’re going to be married to this place for 10 years to get it where we want it.”

But Kunes said he’d do it all again. “For the most part the customers are awesome -- the locals and the tourists. And I love the area and I have great employees. I just enjoy it.”

Tataboline Brant is the PA Wilds Small Business Ombudsman.

A PA Wilds Community Success Story:
Johsonburg’s farmers market

by Sam McDonald

Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, is not the first place that comes to mind when you think of the word “agriculture.” Located on the banks of the Clarion River, the steep hills and rocky soil seem more suited to growing hardwood timber than heirloom tomatoes. And then there’s the paper mill, a gargantuan industrial presence that straddles the river and the main road through town, literally casting a shadow on the small business district.

Drive through Johnsonburg on any given Wednesday, however, and you will encounter an incredibly successful farmers market, founded by lifelong resident Stephanie Distler in 2007. “Johnsonburg needed a farmer's market to build a sense of community and perhaps attract more shops and interest in our downtown,” she said. “The response has been very positive.”

Distler is the owner and operator of the Flemish House Art Gallery (www.flemishhouseartgallery.blogspot.com), located in the historic Johnsonburg Community Center. She sees a strong connection between her interests in art and agriculture. “Art is in everything from what we see, hear and even what we eat,” she said. “Beauty is in something as small as a single berry or heirloom tomato.  The masters through the ages painted many a still life using food as the focus. How lovely is that bouquet of sunflowers, platter of artisan cheeses, bowl of fruit? I try and capture this in my camera lens with the farmers at the market; their offerings are very much works of art.”

It seems that the people of Johnsonburg are equally passionate. Due to construction, the market moved from downtown to a spot just outside of town. Despite the move, the market still draws large crowds. On a recent Wednesday, farmer Mike Pavlock, a first-time vendor, brought 23-dozen ears of fresh corn. He sold out in an hour. Other vendors were similarly depleted by the end of the day.

Distler is pleased with the results, but hardly surprised. She pointed out that Johnsonburg has a long history of self-reliance. “Historically,” she said, “the men in Johnsonburg worked at the mill. You’ll see a lot of modest homes on small lots. Many families rented plots up on Dill Hill. They tended their gardens on weekends and after work. They had sheds for their tools. It turned into a real community gathering place. That’s the kind of thing I was hoping to capture.”

It is interesting, then, to see the way that the market has become a regional gathering place. Regular vendors include Merv Kemmer, a farmer from Kersey who runs the Ridgway farmers market, Marty Riddle, who runs the St. Mary’s farmers market, and Cliff and Jeanette Stump, who run a small goat farm and bakery between Ridgway and Johnsonburg. Many of the vendors participate in markets throughout the area.

“The farmers need to move their produce and products,” Distler said. “They do not pick once a week. They want to give their customers the freshest available and going to each other’s markets is a perfect solution.”

Merv Kemmer, who founded the St. Mary’s farmers market in the 1970s, agreed. “Niinety-five percent of what I have here was picked this morning,” he said. “Stuff doesn’t stay around long.”

Kemmer attributes the popularity of the markets to this kind of quality. “I guess as a society we might have gotten away from buying local for a while,” he said. “But people are realizing that you can get some really great stuff at a market like this.”

To make it work, Distler said that she has taken advantage of resources at many levels. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has established the farmers Market Nutrition Program, which allows WIC recipients to buy produce from local markets. She uses the Internet to advertise the market on a blog, and spots such as Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org). When asked how she determined the correct number of vendors to invite, how much to charge them for a spot, and how to address issues such as insurance and parking, Distler goes back to the idea of community: “Basically, I ask someone like Merv Kemmer or Marty Riddle. They have been doing this for years. We have the knowledge base here. It’s really just a question of working hard and getting people involved.”

For instance, when she realized that she needed to move the market out of its original location, she convinced a local business to let her use a small plot of land. “The business is Pasi Partners, based in Ridgway,” she said. “The owners are Jerry Caribardi, Bart Nelson, Kyle Nelson, Joe Martonik, and Don Frank. They are actually all from Johnsonburg. I went to school the same year as Kyle Nelson and Joe Martonik.”

More broadly, Distler said she is pleased with the popularity of the fledgling market. “I started the market in hopes of creating a togetherness through community sustainable agriculture. This is not a new idea for small communities, but sometimes we forget the simplicity that sustains us both spiritually and physically.”

The Johnsonburg Farmers Market operates every Wednesday from 3-5 pm, across from the Mike's Shur Save and Northwest Bank next to the carwash along the Clarion.

If you plan to visit the Johnsonburg Farmers Market, be sure to bring your fishing gear too. Trophy trout fishing is available in the Catch and Release All-Tackle section of the Clarion River that begins at Johnsonburg and extends to Ridgway. To enhance fishing and boating opportunities, Johnsonburg is developing a master site plan for a Visitor Center that includes fishing access at the confluence of the West and East Branches of the Clarion, as well as a fishing access site at the Grant Street Bridge.

For more information about the Farmers Market or other efforts in Johnsonburg, contact Stephanie Distler or Matt Marusiak (mmarusiak@exchange.ncentral.com), Community Planner for Northcentral Regional Planning Commission who has been helping Johnsonburg with their revitalization efforts.

Sam McDonald is a PA Wilds Outreach Specialist.

Rattlesnakes in the Pennsylvania Wilds: Watch Where You Walk, Know Where to Look

By Jim Hyland

In sharp contrast with my flatlander, church-going roots, last Sunday morning I was scrambling up another steep, boulder strewn ridge in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Four other regular members of our hiking group, plus one new member, were behind me as I was trying to pick a route up and across a several hundred-acre boulder field on Bald Eagle Ridge in Clinton County. This particular boulder field, similar to the one at Hickory Run State Park (only sloped instead of flat) contains an astounding jumble of glistening white quartzite boulders. Anywhere from basketball to Buick-sized, the boulders are thought to have been formed via the intense freeze and thaw action associated with the ice age of some 15,000 years ago, but that’s not what was on my mind as I cautiously hopped across.

“What are you looking for?” the new guy said. “Oh, I’m trying not to jump onto a rattler”, I explained calmly. His face showed a new concern (other than how much it would hurt if he lost his footing and fell). “This is a really snaky-looking place,” I said, “and the weather is just right for them to be out sunning on the rocks”. “Ya know,” he replied, I’ve lived in this area my whole life and have never seen one. I guess I just don’t know where to look.”

He’s not the only one. Rattlesnakes are shy creatures and they don’t like to broadcast their whereabouts, but they thrive on the rugged ridges of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Many of our popular state forest hiking trails in the region - the Golden Eagle, Black Forest, Mid State, West Rim, Allegheny Front, Chuck Keiper, and others - traverse some of the best timber rattlesnake habitat found anywhere. Be prepared for close encounters.

In Pennsylvania, timber rattlers begin to poke their heads out of their winter dens on warm days in April and May. After six months of life in a subterranean den called a hibernaculum, they need a little time to “shake off the cold”. So they hang around outside the den for a few days to a few weeks, making the best of any period of sunshine to warm their chilly blood. Then they take the show on the road.

They begin a summer journey that takes them on a loop through the surrounding forest, with the furthest point being about a mile out. Along the way, they stop for a few days here and there to feed, or bask, like in the middle of a boulder field. The snakes don’t have a rigid schedule, but can usually be spotted in areas with certain characteristics. Rocky mountainside outcrops with a southern exposure or otherwise sunny spots are a favorite. There are no rigid rules, just tendencies. Bob Webber, of Slate Run, is a 70-plus year-old backwoodsman who single-handedly maintains the Black Forest and Golden Eagle Trails. I recently asked him when, where, and how often he finds rattlesnakes. “I encounter about 40 per season,” he said with a broad smile, “but have only been struck once in 50 years of working in the woods.” He added that the best times to observe rattlers out in the open are on cool, sunny days in spring and fall and overcast warm, muggy days in the mid-summer months. Except for the renegade in a low-lying, shady hollow, you almost never find rattlesnakes on hot, sunny days according to Webber.

Come mating season in July and August, mature males will travel up to six miles in search of a female. Consequently, that’s when humans come in contact with them the most, and when we begin to hear the myth, “the snakes are comin’ down for water.” After overwintering in their dens, females that become pregnant the previous summer will return to the den in June and prepare to give birth to their young in August. Mom and the kids stick around the general area of the den (mom snakes don’t tend to their young like mammals), then the whole slew of snakes join each other in the den around October and get ready to hibernate. Of course, some of the snakes are squashed on the road, eaten by birds, or picked up by humans who play with them and put them back in a different spot. It’s not easy being a rattlesnake.

On the bright side, timber rattlers come in two color phases, yellow and black, and can live over 40 years in the wild. They are one of the earth’s most specialized and fascinating organisms. Witness a concerned specimen: the buzzing tail, the twisting coils, and the lightning-quick strike – such an unnerving, but beautiful display.

Luckily, we’ve moved beyond the days of “rattlesnake roundups”, where snakes were captured and killed for sport, the more the better. Unfortunately, some folks still insist on killing every one they see. Others acquire an annual license from the PA Fish Commission so they can “kill just one.” I’ve had folks ask me where rattlesnake dens are with an intention to catch the snakes, paint them orange, and put them back unharmed. Perhaps they were worried about the safety of the snakes during deer hunting season?

Our state forestlands constitute the largest contiguous timber rattlesnake range in the Northeastern United States. What’s more, rattlesnakes don’t exist anywhere else on the planet but in the Americas! In Pennsylvania, they are one of the last remaining species to represent wilderness. Man, in his fear, has all but eliminated animals perceived to threaten him. Long gone from Pennsylvania are the wolves, wolverines, mountain lions, and Canadian lynx. Hopefully, with enhanced understanding and appreciation of the ecological services rattlesnakes provide, Crotalus horridus will be with us a long, long time.

We never did encounter a rattler in the boulder field last Sunday, but sure enough, we met a couple of women on the trail who had come really close to stepping on one the previous week. “We didn’t know that they liked those rocks,” they said.

Now they, and you, know that they do. Enjoy your next expedition afoot in the Pennsylvania Wilds, but keep a keen eye out for what slithers about. Maybe a respectful glimpse of this natural treasure awaits. For more information about timber rattlesnakes, go to the website of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission at www.fish.state.pa.us and type timber rattlesnakes in the search box.

Jim Hyland is a DCNR Forest Program Specialist.

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