Pennsylvania Game Commission- Southeast Region

09/03/2026

Poachers are thieves, help us catch them!

Operation Game Thief (OGT), created in 2015, is a silent witness, anti-poaching program that encourages the public to report any suspicious activity or knowledge about a poaching violation.

How do I report a wildlife crime?
You can report information about a wildlife crime, by calling the OGT hotline — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year — at 1-888-PGC-8001 or report online at http://bit.ly/PGCOGT.

What should I report?
Wildlife crimes would include activities like illegal shooting or taking of big game or protected, endangered, or threatened species or any crime against those species.

Other violations like illegal use of state game lands, illegal dumping, etc. can also be reported.

What information do I need?
When reporting, try to provide as many details as possible. Even small details prove helpful in some cases. If possible, note:

- Description of what you saw and the wildlife involved
- Date and time of the incident
- Location or address
- Description of the person(s) including height, weight, hair color, eye color, approximate age, tattoo or other distinguishing feature, clothing, fi****ms/ weapons involved, etc.
- Description of the vehicle(s) including color, make, model, dents, decals, bumper stickers, license plate number and state, road/route, direction of travel

Thank you in advance for your assistance in helping to protect Pennsylvania wildlife!

09/02/2026

Fall is in the air, and that means it’s almost time to hit the woods, and the fields.

As outdoorsmen and women, we cherish those days afield and celebrate our passions for the outdoors and what better way to celebrate that outdoor drive than National Hunting and Fishing Day!

Join us on Sunday, September 27 at Middle Creek Visitors Center in Stevens for our annual National Hunting and Fishing Day event. This family-friendly event is FREE to attend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year’s event is JAMMED PACKED full of new events including artistic fly tying, NASP archery shooting, K9 demonstrations, pellet gun shooting, and PLENTY more. You’ll also find various stations from the Game Commission, as well as the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Lancaster Archery Supply.

The Schoeneck Area Lions Club will be on hand for food AND PA Dairymen's Association with their famous ‘farm show milkshakes’ too!

We hope to see you there!

09/01/2026

Will we see YOU at Bake Oven K**b this fall?

This year’s Hawk Watch event takes place on Saturday, September 12, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

It is free and open to the public, but registration is requested at: https://bit.ly/BakeOvenK**bHW.

High atop the Kittatinny Ridge is a rocky outcrop where THOUSANDS of birds migrate by each year.

This area invites all, from avid birders to nature lovers, to experience the marvel of fall bird migration.

The Game Commission, together with Lehigh Gap Nature Center, invites you to join us at the Bake Oven K**b Hawk Watch this fall. For more than 65 years, LGNC and its members have been counted migrating birds of prey at Bake Oven K**b — more than 850,000 to be exact.

This year’s event takes place on Saturday, September 12, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Hawk Watch is free and open to the public, but registration is requested at: https://bit.ly/BakeOvenK**bHW.

For additional information and directions to Bake Oven K**b, visit the link above.

We hope to see you on the mountain!

08/19/2026

In addition to our Philadelphia mentored hunts, we are also featuring hunts at Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Stroudsburg.

Just a short drive from the southeastern region, you can find more opportunities to experience hunting for the first time!

For more information, visit the link in the post below, or you can apply today, by visiting https://bit.ly/4w8hGvh

You always hear people talk about the “thrill of the hunt,” but what if you were never given the opportunity to experience that?

Maybe no friends or family ever shared the experience, or you lived in an area that didn’t really accommodate hunting, or maybe you just never really thought it was for you… until now.

Whatever the reason, the Game Commission, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is offering Pennsylvanians the opportunity to experience that thrill for the first time through our mentored hunting programs.

The mentored hunting programs are designed to give new hunters, ages 12 and up, with little to no hunting experience, the opportunity to participate in managed deer hunts while accompanied by an experienced hunter.

New hunters will be provided with all necessary equipment and matched with a mentor for the hunts. Each hunt requires a mandatory orientation day to become familiar with the process. Minors must have a parent or guardian present for all orientation and hunt days.

Hunts are available at four locations this fall including John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and Benjamin Rush State Park, both in Philadelphia, Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Stroudsburg, and Marsh Creek State Park in Downingtown.

Full lists of dates, types of opportunities, and how to apply can be found at: https://bit.ly/StartHuntingPA.

Take a step to try something new this fall and experience that thrill with us.

08/12/2026

Lace up those running shoes, it’s time for the Wild Goose Chase!

The Middle Creek Wild Goose Chase 5K Run/Walk and Kids Race is almost here, but you still have time to register!

This year’s event is happening on Saturday, August 29, starting at 9 a.m. on the Wildlife Drive at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Kleinsfeltersville.

REMINDER: Online registration is only open through Wednesday, August 27. Participants can also register on race day in person starting at 7:30 a.m.

Register now at: https://bit.ly/wildgoose5k

Winners will receive a framed wildlife art print (top overall male and female), plus medals and awards for top finishers in each age group.

Your participation supports wildlife education and habitat management at Middle Creek. Don't miss this fun event. See you at the starting line!

08/07/2026

High atop the Kittatinny Ridge is a rocky outcrop where THOUSANDS of birds migrate by each year.

This area invites all, from avid birders to nature lovers, to experience the marvel of fall bird migration.

The Game Commission, together with Lehigh Gap Nature Center, invites you to join us at the Bake Oven K**b Hawk Watch this fall. For more than 65 years, LGNC and its members have been counted migrating birds of prey at Bake Oven K**b — more than 850,000 to be exact.

This year’s event takes place on Saturday, September 12, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Hawk Watch is free and open to the public, but registration is requested at: https://bit.ly/BakeOvenK**bHW.

For additional information and directions to Bake Oven K**b, visit the link above.

We hope to see you on the mountain!

08/06/2026

There is no such thing as a “normal” day for a state game warden. But when an animal rescue is part of your day, things start to get interesting. When that animal is a bald eagle, it REALLY gets good.

In April, State Game Warden Ellyn Henry and Deputy State Game Warden Joe Magobet rescued a bald eagle that was found floating in the middle of a lake in lower Bucks County. Wading in to retrieve the bird, they quickly realized that the eagle had a wing injury and had become very waterlogged preventing it from taking off.

The bald eagle was immediately transported to Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Chalfont, Bucks County.

Upon arrival, the eagle was tested for lead and ended up having an elevated level of poisoning but was still treatable by the rehabilitators. This level of lead poisoning could have also impaired the eagle’s ability to take flight.

After a few months of care, the eagle was rehabbed and eventually released, lead-free.

But what does this all mean to you?

Eagles and other birds of prey are naturally scavengers. Whether it is a discarded fish that may have swallowed a hook or field dressing remains from a deer harvest, it’s a free meal. Unfortunately, these free meals can be costly if they contain lead hooks, weights or sinkers, or even bullet fragments, that can result to lead exposure or poisoning.

As a sportsman or woman, small steps can make your enjoying your outdoor activities safer and potentially lead-free for wildlife.

- Swap lead fishing tackle for steel, tin, or tungsten replacements.
- Switch to non-lead alternative ammunition like copper, copper alloy, or tungsten.
- Bury, pack out, or completely remove field remains after harvest.

While not entirely preventable, these steps can help raptors and other birds from digesting or being exposed to lead in nature.

Photo credits: Jo Gryniewicz

08/04/2026

Recognizing that recreational shooting sports provide a significant portion of the Pittman-Robertson funds to state wildlife agencies, the Game Commission created the Shooting Range Improvement Program in 2024.

Designed to work with Pennsylvania sportsmen’s clubs to increase opportunity and access, this grant-based program is available to clubs to update aging infrastructure, construct new facilities, and enhance safety features.

As part of qualification for this program, the clubs must demonstrate public use of current facilities by way of public range times, educational outreach/trainings, or organized shooting competitions.

While the 2026 recipients have not yet been announced, our 2025 clubs are completing their projects, and we celebrated side-by-side with them with grant presentations.

Congratulations to the Southern Chester County Sportsmen’s and Farmers’ Association in the Southeast Region for receiving $50,000 towards their improvement programs.

With their funding, the club has installed new safety baffles on four of their shooting ranges, improving safety and shooting conditions for more than 5,200 members and guests these ranges see annually. These safety baffles eliminate the ‘blue sky’ visuals on the 25-, 50-, 75-, and 100-yard ranges and creating a safer shooting area for shooters, spectators, and club visitors.

Congratulations SCCSFA and thank you for supporting shooting sports in Pennsylvania!

08/02/2026

Hit the sirens and flash those lights, it’s almost time for National Night Out! 🚓

Join the Southeast Region staff for one of many National Night Out events across our region happening soon.

This nationwide special event is all about building safer, stronger, more connected communities, and having a blast while doing it! They are family-friendly and high-energy, where local neighborhoods come alive with festivities highlighting local law enforcement — including your local state game wardens.

Mark your calendars now for these events happening across the Southeast Region. Let’s come together, show our community pride, and make this night unforgettable!

🚨Monday, August 3:
Montgomery Co.- Abington Town Center [1495 Old York Rd. Abington] from 5 to 8 p.m.

🚨Tuesday, August 4:
Berks Co.- Mt Aetna Rescue Fire Co. [105 West Tanner St, Mt Aetna] from 5 to 8 p.m.
Berks Co.- Caernarvon Friendship Park [3287 North Street, Morgantown] from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Bucks Co.- Middletown TWP Police Department [5 Municipal Way, Langhorne] from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Bucks Co.- Doylestown Central Park [425 Wells Rd. Doylestown] from 4 to 8 p.m.
Dauphin Co.- Hoffer Park [200 Mill St, Middletown] from 6 to 8 p.m.
Delaware Co.- Cardinal O’Hara HS [1701 S Sproul Road, Springfield] from 5 to 8 p.m.
Lancaster Co.- Leisure Lanes [3440 Columbia Avenue, Lancaster] from 6 to 8 p.m.
Lancaster Co.- West Lampeter TWP Building [852 Village Rd, Lancaster] from 6 to 9 p.m.
Lebanon Co.- The Park at Cornwall Center/ Near Cornwall Elementary School [Rt 419/ Freeman Dr, Cornwall] from 6 to 8 p.m.
Lehigh Co.- Grange Park [360 Grange Rd, Allentown] from 5 to 8 p.m.
Montgomery Co.- Landsdale Borough Hall [1 Vine St, Lansdale] from 6 to 8 p.m.
Northampton Co.- Bushkill Twp. Fire Co. [155 Firehouse Dr. Nazareth] from 5 to 8 p.m.

🚨Thursday, August 6:
Chester Co.- Phoenixville Recreation Center [501 Franklin Ave, Phoenixville] from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

🚨Friday, August 7:
Chester Co.- Honey Brook Elementary Center [1530 W Walnut Rd, Honey Brook] from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

🚨 Thursday, August 20:
Montgomery Co.- Old Timers Field/ Township Building [980 Grosstown Rd, Stowe] from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

07/31/2026

It’s here! The Middle Creek Wildlife Art Show starts TODAY!

This exciting annual event brings together artists from across Pennsylvania, sharing their incredible talents with items available for purchase. From paintings, carvings, and mixed mediums, there is surely something for everyone.

The Middle Creek Wildlife Art Show will run:
Friday, July 31 - 12 to 5 p.m.
Saturday, August 1 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Aug 2 - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. You can also find our Wildlife Art Show Raffle with prizes including a one-of-a-kind canvas by Jennifer Lynn Becker, featured artist of the year. Be sure to check out our full listing of artists in the comments too!

There will also be The Messy Pig BBQ Catering Company food truck on-site for the event. As a reminder, this event is being held at the Middle Creek Visitors Center, located at 100 Museum Rd, Stevens, PA.

And for those visiting today, don’t mind the clutter as many of our vendors are moving in and setting up! During the art show, the Visitors Center will remain open, however some of our displays and exhibits may be unavailable.

We look forward to seeing you!