Citing a goal of adding to the ranks of hunters, the Pennsylvania Game Commission board of game commissioners has given preliminary approval to mentor-based program for first-time hunters 18 years old and older. Since 2006, the PGC has offered its Mentored Youth Hunting Program, which enables children younger than the age of 12 to obtain a permit and legally take select game species under the close supervision of a properly licensed adult mentor, and the new Mentored Adult Hunting Program would follow a similar model.

Adults obtaining a permit through the program would be able to take part in hunting activities without first needing to take the basic Hunter-Trapper Education course.This would be a limited-term opportunity available to adults, who could purchase a permit for no more than three consecutive license years, and at the end of which would have to take a basic Hunter-Trapper Education course and purchase an adult hunting license.There is expected to be a fee of $19.70 for a resident mentored adult permit, compared to the $20.70 cost of an adult general hunting license. Nonresident mentored adults would pay an expected $100.70 fee for their permit, compared to the $101.70 fee for a nonresident license.Mentored adults would be able to hunt only squirrels, ruffed grouse, rabbits, pheasants, bobwhite quail, hares, porcupines, woodchucks, crows, coyotes, antlerless deer and wild turkeys. Mentored adults could not take antlered deer.One antlerless deer could be taken by using a proper, transferred antlerless license or Deer Management Assistance Program permit. Antlerless licenses are valid within the wildlife management unit for which they were issued, and DMAP permits are valid on the specific properties for which they were issued.Mentored adults would need to hunt within eyesight of their adult mentor, and at a proximity close enough for verbal instruction and guidance to be easily understood. A final vote of the program will be taken at the April meeting of the board.**********First Frontier Militia muzzleloader club will hold its first shoot of the season, Sunday, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at Bowmanstown Rod and Gun Club, Gun Club Road, off Route 248. For information call Ken Milburn at 610-767-6222 or Dave Algard at 610-760-8333.**********Sunday's edition of "Experience The Outdoors," hosted by award-winning Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association member Doyle Dietz, at 7 a.m. on 1410-AM WLSH, at 9:30 a.m. on Magic 105.5-FM and on the Web at

www.wmgh.com by clicking the link to the program, features Tamaqua businessman Tom Banditelli, owner of Caiger's Resort in the 1000 Islands Region of the St. Lawrence River.**********Here is the schedule for upcoming outdoors sports shows:Lehigh Valley Sportsman Show: Friday, Feb. 28-Sunday, March 2, Agri-Plex, Allentown Fairgrounds, Allentown; for information, call (610) 395-5280 or access the website at

www.lehighvalleysportsmanshow.com. Hours: Friday, 1-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.**********Schuylkill Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will meet, Thursday, March 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at 633 Hancock St., McAdoo. For information, call Kevin Titus at 570-668-5903.**********"Tie One On II," a free event with experience fly tiers demonstrating a number of proven trout flies for fishing regional waters, will be held Saturday, March 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Deer Lake Pub and Restaurant, Route 61, Deer Lake. Hosted by outdoors writer and Pine Grove native Tyler Frantz, the event is sponsored by Natural Pursuit Outdoors and CRO Flies.Among the noted fly tiers is the legendary Bruce Schneck of Schuylkill County Trout Unlimited. Information on the event is available on Facebook at "Tie One On II."**********Schuylkill Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its Hunting Heritage Banquet, Saturday, March 8, beginning at 5 p.m., at the Community Fire Company, Landingville. For tickets and information call Jeff Post at 570-366-7783, or Mike Corbin at 570-929-1622.**********Seedling orders are available online from the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Howard Nursery. Most seedlings are sold in units of 25, but 100-seedling bundles also are available in mixes to benefit deer, game birds and songbirds, as well as to improve riparian and winter-thermal habitats.A wide selection of evergreens, shrubs and fruit- and nut-bearing trees are available, and most species are native to Pennsylvania and with the exception of black locust, all of the available hardwoods are grown from seed collected from Pennsylvania sources and processed by PGC personnel. Also available is a mixed-oak collection, which may contain some or all of northern red oak, white oak, chestnut oak, pin oak and black oak seedlings.Order forms and information about the seedlings for sale are available at the PGC website at

www.pgc.state.pa.us

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/ . Orders can also be placed by telephone by calling the Howard Nursery at (814) 355-4434, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.