Properly licensed Pennsylvania bear hunters who failed to fill their tag during the statewide regular firearms season, which ended Wednesday, will have another opportunity during all or portions of the upcoming two-week statewide firearms deer season, which opens Monday, Dec. 1.

Here are the dates of extended bear seasons that will be held in various wildlife management units:Monday, Dec. 1-Saturday, Dec. 13 WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D; Monday, Dec. 1-Saturday, Dec. 6 WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D; Wednesday, Dec. 3-Saturday, Dec. 6 WMUs 2C, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E.*******Final preparation is being made by the Pennsylvania Game Commission to offer its Hunter-Trapper Education courses online. Preliminary approval has been give to a measure by the PGC board of game commissioners that would allow for the development and implementation of a new Hunter-Trapper Education course to be offered wholly online, however, traditional instructor-led Hunter-Trapper Education courses would continue unaltered if the measure gains final approval and the new course is developed.As it is now, nearly 1,000 traditional Hunter-Trapper Education courses are taught each year in Pennsylvania by a dedicated team of volunteer instructors. Nearly a decade ago, the PGC also implemented an independent-study course, the majority of which can be completed online.Those enrolled in the independent-study course, however, must arrange to take the test in person after finishing their online study. With the fully online course, students could start and finish the test at home, and there could be a cost associated with the online course.Many states offer similar online hunter-education courses, and the vendors that develop and manage the courses typically charge a user fee to recover ongoing costs associated with the programs. The measure approved by the BOC directs that any vendor fees that could be incurred through an online program be assessed.A legislative mandate requires Hunter-Trapper Education courses be offered free of charge, and all traditional courses would continue to be offered free of charge, regardless of whether the online course receives final approval. Hunter-Trapper Education is a requirement for first-time buyers of hunting or furtaker licenses in Pennsylvania.It is expected that many no doubt will continue to prefer the traditional Hunter-Trapper Education courses and that the online courses will be more convenient for some and removes a barrier for students who might not be able to take a traditional class. Those who pass the course must then buy a license to hunt or trap.*******Sunday's edition of "Experience The Outdoors," winner of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association's best outdoors radio program award hosted by award-winning POWA 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 outdoors writer and author Tyler Frantz.*******Schuylkill Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets Thursday, Dec. 4, beginning at 7 p.m., at West Penn Rod and Gun Club, 1047 Clamtown Road, Tamaqua. For information, call Jeff Thomas at 570-622-6179, Jeff Post at 570-366-7783 or Mike Corbin at 570-929-1622.