Oct 31, 2015 3 min read

As I drove on one of the local highways last week, I couldn’t help but notice the large number of dead deer on the berm.

It led me to one thought: The deer appear to be in full rut.

That’s not a surprise. The weather is starting to turn and you can see other animals, such as squirrels, in full get-ready-for-winter mode.

But the large number of deer on the side of the road does lead to a word of caution. Be careful when driving, especially in the early morning and at dusk. Not only are deer more active feeding, but this is the time of year when crazed bucks will start chasing doe.

And that’s when more accidents occur.

I’m hearing some good things regarding the local deer herd and some deer of decent size being taken already in archery season.

As a reminder, we don’t take deer kills over the phone at the Observer-Reporter and have not for more than 20 years. But harvests can be sent via mail on the report card included on this page. It will run every Sunday from now into January.

Successful harvests also can be reported via e-mail at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.

Please include all pertinent information that is on the report card: Name of the hunter, hometown, where the deer was killed, if it was a buck or doe, how many points if it was a buck and the date of the harvest.

Also, if e-mailing, please put in the subject line that it is a deer kill.

• The recent heavy rains that hit Western Pennsylvania are good news for those who head to Erie for the steelhead runs.

The water levels in the Lake Erie tributaries were very low for much of the fall, but just this week water levels in Walnut Creek, for example, raised nearly two feet at midweek.

It was holding steady at just below 3 ½ feet and rose to just over 5 feet by Tuesday night. It has since fallen back down to 4 feet, but the higher water levels should signal the start of the steelhead run.

According to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission reports, there are a lot of leaves in some of the tributaries, which will make conditions tough early on, but as we continue to get more rain, many of those will wash out and the fishing should improve.

If you’re looking for some fishing a little closer to home, trout and bass are still reportedly hitting in Dunlap Lake just east of Brownsville off of Route 40 and there are reports of walleye and sauger hitting below the dams on the Monongahela River.

Canonsburg Lake also received a stocking of trout, as has Raccoon Lake in southern Beaver County.

• Fall turkey season kicked in Saturday and the Pennsylvania Game Commission would like to remind successful hunters to fill out their harvest cards – the same goes for deer hunters.

This is one way the commission manages its turkey and deer herds. If you don’t participate by sending in your harvest card, you lose a little bit of the ability to complain about the commission’s management.

Outdoors Editor F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.