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ANF Book – A season on the Allegheny
I would like to make a recommendation on a book written by HPA’s own “grousechaser”. A GREAT winter read for anyone who enjoys the behind the scenes stories of hunting and conservation. But a FANTASTIC read for those of you with camps or who hunt, fish or vacation in or around the Allegheny National Forest in NW PA.
A short story first of how this small world gets smaller via HPA. Years ago before HPA became a priority in my life and took my available time , I was the founder and President of a Pheasants Forever Chapter here in Warren County. During that tenure I perhaps met the absolute and most dedicated people in the area for both hunting and conservation. One day I got a call from a writer down near Pittsburgh that heard about a pending pheasant project we and others were working on so he asked to come up on a Saturday in pheasant season , do a little tour and some pheasant hunting. Thrilled that we were getting some press outside of Warren County I of course said yes. Rob came up, we hunted as much as we could on a rough weather day but talked a lot while crushing brush and sipping coffee, and at day’s end we shook hands. We had a couple follow-up e-mails, then that was it.
About 2 months ago a member named “grousechaser” PMs me and asks my opinion on HPA members he could talk to concerning an article he is doing on antler restrictions…I tell him some names to talk with and he tells me his and it immediatley rings a bell. So I asked him if he is the guy I hunted birds up here years ago and sure enough he was. The e-mail I used back then has long been dead so we lost contact. A few days later I get a book in my mailbox, with an inscription of thanks by Rob. I always wondered if that day hit print and indeed it has.
I would be lying if I did not say Chapter 5 was my absolute favorite in the book
(along with the picture on page 120, LOL), but this book really hits home in all chapters with me as I have now spent more than half my life as a resident of the ANF. It also reminded me of a very passionate younger me (where the HPA ID "roosterbooster" originated by the way) and the dreams I had then and perhaps still have buried beneath a changed life and direction of today. That passion today is likely directed towards this site's membership and a particular 54 acre peice of land here whose deed bears my name, but if time was there to still do it all.....
Not to give away the plot but I am happy to mention that the project in that book has elvolved on the backs of many since the spark was struck on the minds of a few. In fact it looks better now that it likely has in its hallowed history, at least thru the eyes of a gamebird and upland hunter, so well in fact it just got a winter stocking of birds likely cause we are back to 200K released , and I believe “pheasants”,“RSB”, and others held a Veterans day pheasant hunt there this past Veterans day if I am not mistaken thru Wheelin Sportsmen. I know HPA habitat sponsor “pheasants” has planted the area with much success.
Anyway, I wish I would of thought to do this before the holidays as this book would have been a perfect under the tree gift for anyone who loves the Allegheny Valley, the forest and the whole Plateau and region that winds from NYS down thru NW PA towards the Burgh. But I want to make the recommendation NOW for winter reading. A season on the Allegheny will make you feel good about being a hunter, a conservationist or even just a lover of the Outdoors, even if Chapter 5 was omitted..LOL.
Thanks again Rob for the book, I am very happy our initial meeting has come back full circle, and that a question you asked on a HPA PM to a then stranger, crossed our paths again. As your inscription says…”See you on the forest”
BTW, a smart grouse hunter will always take a stranger to his best pheasant spots first
…so I hope we can meet up again, all be it my legs and knowledge for grouse are diminished since our first meeting..BE WELL!!
ENJOY the book folks!! YOU WILL I PROMISE..it will make you want to be at camp or in the forest like a good book will, I am not sure if it will help or add to cabin fever but I will add a 5 star rating much like those on Amazon did.
I would not plug it just to plug it...I KNOW you will enjoy it.
A season on the Allegheny - Get it here
I would like to make a recommendation on a book written by HPA’s own “grousechaser”. A GREAT winter read for anyone who enjoys the behind the scenes stories of hunting and conservation. But a FANTASTIC read for those of you with camps or who hunt, fish or vacation in or around the Allegheny National Forest in NW PA.
A short story first of how this small world gets smaller via HPA. Years ago before HPA became a priority in my life and took my available time , I was the founder and President of a Pheasants Forever Chapter here in Warren County. During that tenure I perhaps met the absolute and most dedicated people in the area for both hunting and conservation. One day I got a call from a writer down near Pittsburgh that heard about a pending pheasant project we and others were working on so he asked to come up on a Saturday in pheasant season , do a little tour and some pheasant hunting. Thrilled that we were getting some press outside of Warren County I of course said yes. Rob came up, we hunted as much as we could on a rough weather day but talked a lot while crushing brush and sipping coffee, and at day’s end we shook hands. We had a couple follow-up e-mails, then that was it.
About 2 months ago a member named “grousechaser” PMs me and asks my opinion on HPA members he could talk to concerning an article he is doing on antler restrictions…I tell him some names to talk with and he tells me his and it immediatley rings a bell. So I asked him if he is the guy I hunted birds up here years ago and sure enough he was. The e-mail I used back then has long been dead so we lost contact. A few days later I get a book in my mailbox, with an inscription of thanks by Rob. I always wondered if that day hit print and indeed it has.
I would be lying if I did not say Chapter 5 was my absolute favorite in the book

Not to give away the plot but I am happy to mention that the project in that book has elvolved on the backs of many since the spark was struck on the minds of a few. In fact it looks better now that it likely has in its hallowed history, at least thru the eyes of a gamebird and upland hunter, so well in fact it just got a winter stocking of birds likely cause we are back to 200K released , and I believe “pheasants”,“RSB”, and others held a Veterans day pheasant hunt there this past Veterans day if I am not mistaken thru Wheelin Sportsmen. I know HPA habitat sponsor “pheasants” has planted the area with much success.
Anyway, I wish I would of thought to do this before the holidays as this book would have been a perfect under the tree gift for anyone who loves the Allegheny Valley, the forest and the whole Plateau and region that winds from NYS down thru NW PA towards the Burgh. But I want to make the recommendation NOW for winter reading. A season on the Allegheny will make you feel good about being a hunter, a conservationist or even just a lover of the Outdoors, even if Chapter 5 was omitted..LOL.
Thanks again Rob for the book, I am very happy our initial meeting has come back full circle, and that a question you asked on a HPA PM to a then stranger, crossed our paths again. As your inscription says…”See you on the forest”
BTW, a smart grouse hunter will always take a stranger to his best pheasant spots first

ENJOY the book folks!! YOU WILL I PROMISE..it will make you want to be at camp or in the forest like a good book will, I am not sure if it will help or add to cabin fever but I will add a 5 star rating much like those on Amazon did.
I would not plug it just to plug it...I KNOW you will enjoy it.
A season on the Allegheny - Get it here