Changes for hunting with mentored youth, why trees are falling into streams across Pa.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s board of commissioners made a good decision on Friday when it changed the rules for its mentored youth program.

The board approved having mentors to be able to hunt with more than just one youth.

The change will be helpful to those who have multiple young children or children who want their friends to be able to participate as well.

The change allows a mentor to have up to three additional hunters with them, whether they be mentored youth, junior hunters or mentored adults.

The challenge will now be for the mentor to decide who gets to shoot when that large buck steps out. The requirement that limits mentors and mentored youth from possessing only one sporting arm between them remains. The mentor must carry the sporting arm at all times while moving. Junior hunters and mentored adults may possess their own sporting arms while accompanied by a common mentor.

The program started in 2006 and has been a great way for young people to learn how to hunt in a specific one-on-one hunting situation. Having one gun forces the mentor to help the youth know what to do and how to respond in all the situations a seasoned hunter encounters.

This change will become effective in time for the fall hunting seasons.

I also have a few stories for you this week that are linked below:

• Do you know why people are cutting trees and letting them fall into streams? I spoke to five entities about why they are doing this in large tracts of forest land in Pennsylvania.
• I interviewed a kayaker who explains why you may see his unique litter removal vessel on Pennsylvania waterways.
• If you enjoy the public fish cleaning stations built by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, I have a story that questions why anglers need to leave a piece of fish skin on their filets.
• With just more than a month of the unofficial summer left, I’m resharing a story that should remind you to visit a state park. It’s a look at the top beaches and unique attractions that are waiting for you.

Have a good weekend.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him with questions about the outdoors or story ideas atbwhipkey@gannett.com or 814-444-5928. Follow him on Facebook@whipkeyoutdoors.