Outdoors people have plenty to be thankful for this holiday in Pennsylvania

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who enjoys the outdoors of Pennsylvania.

If you are able to spend time in the woods or along the water in this commonwealth, you are a fortunate person.

Pennsylvania is second only to Alaska in the number of miles of streams and waterways that are available to anglers and boaters alike. In addition, there are numerous types of fish in most rivers and lakes to provide endless opportunities.

For hunters, the state has some of the largest black bear in the country, and the bucks appear to be growing larger antlers than in previous years.

These public resources didn't just happen. Pennsylvanians make a concerted effort to protect and improve opportunities for everyone's enjoyment. For instance, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources manages 121 state parks that don't have an admission charge for you to explore. There are also 19 national parks all waiting for your next adventure.

We also have the Fish and Boat Commission whose staff focuses on protecting natural resources for future generations. While providing fish such as trout, steelhead, walleye, muskellunge and others, they are also working on improvements to make the lakes and streams safe for the next generation of fishermen. There are more than a dozen waterway improvements underway as we speak.

On Tuesday, the agency broke ground on the Lower Woods Pond rehabilitation project in Lebanon Township, Wayne County, and the breast replacement project has just been completed at Somerset Lake in Somerset County.

With rifle deer season beginning statewide on Saturday, we have to thank the Game Commission for regulating the number of wild animals in Pennsylvania. The staff has to balance the number of deer, bear, elk, turkey and other animals with what the habitat and human population can handle.

While most people enjoy seeing wildlife, we can't have large populations of animals near the highways or deforesting woodlots and agricultural areas.

In addition, across Pennsylvania there are more than 1.5 million acres of State Game Lands that are open to hunters and nature enthusiasts.

Looking to this week's outdoor stories, I've been busy working on content for big game hunters.

I spent some time talking to successful bear hunters and recorded a video with a Game Commission land management officer who explains how the bear harvest works to meet their management goals.

If you are having trouble finding ammunition this fall, you're not alone. I spoke with sport shops across the state about how they are dealing with a national shortage of rifle and shotgun shells.

If you didn't sight-in your rifle yet, I have a column with some advice on how to get you on target with two shells. It's a quick way to dial in your scope while saving you some money on bullets.

Now that your gun is ready, I put together a story to remind people about safety in the woods. A lot of what a hunter needs to do is based on protecting others. From wearing your orange clothing to be seen by fellow hunters to making sure you always keep your rifle's muzzle pointed in a safe direction, there are several basic things you can do to make sure you and your hunting partners have a safe time in the woods.

Please keep in mind I'm always looking for a good story idea. If you have something you would like to share, please give me a call or text at 814-444-5928. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and a safe and fruitful deer season as well.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoor columnist for USA Today Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Outdoors Newsletter email on your website's homepage under your login name.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Outdoors people have plenty to be thankful for this holiday