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March 2019 | Return to Park Highlights | |||||
Elk Have Antlers; Now Antenna Too | ||||||
Information Radio Service for Elk Enthusiasts "Herd" on AM 1620 in Pennsylvania | ||||||
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BENEZETTE, PA: Elk don’t listen to the radio, as far as we know. But elk enthusiasts? That might be a different story. At least that’s the hope of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, whose Winslow Hill Elk Viewing Area in Northcentral Pennsylvania has become uber-popular. “We’re in a very remote area with little to no cell coverage,” states spokesperson Mandy Marconi. “We have a lot of important information that we want to get out to visitors, 24 hours, round-the-clock.” That is especially the case during the fall "rutting" season, when thousands of elk fans from all over the world clamor to the two-lane roads just north of tiny Benezette, Pennsylvania, to experience elk up close. The medium of radio provides a convenient means of reaching them effectively. “A lot of people pull into our viewing areas and want to view the animals right from their cars,” which is especially the case on cold days or if they have difficulty with mobility. The broadcast also allows them to listen as they drive the local roads in search of viewing opportunities. She says if visitors do get out of their cars, it often is toposition themselves to get a beetter view of wildlife. Consequently, they are likely to walk right by kiosks and signs. “But, almost everyone has a radio in their car, though; so that's a natural way to reach them.” ![]() The fifteen minute , multi-voice broadcast message is broadcast on an Information Station Specialists’ “Information Station IP” system that was installed in the fall of 2018 at the Winslow Hill viewing area (hear sample). The signal range on AM frequency 1620 is sufficient to blanket the three viewing areas, the connecting roads and the Elk County Visitor Center which is operated by the Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KICA). According to Mandy Marconi, the Elk Viewing Area learned about the technology after the success of a similar system installed in 2017 at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management area near Harrisburg, which is also managed by the Commission. | ||||||
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