Rebuilding efforts are ahead of schedule at two state game farms in Lycoming County that were heavily damaged by the September floods.
State game farms north of Montoursville were so wracked by flood waters that thousands of birds died or escaped.
Back in September, pheasants were on the loose after flood waters tore through the Loyalsock and Northcentral game farms north of Montoursville.
These days, workers at the Northcentral Game Farm are busy making repairs, rebuilding what the flood ripped away.
"It's thawing out and guys are able to build fences. Usually this time of year we're inside doing maintenance type of work on equipment," said Assistant Superintendent Brad Stine of the Northcentral Game Farm.
One of the biggest buildings at the Northcentral Game Farm north of Montoursville was destroyed by the flood waters from Loyalsock Creek.
"We've been able to work outside almost all of December. We started building new fences to higher ground," said Superintendent Tim Schriner of the Loyalsock Game Farm.
At the nearby Loyalsock Game Farm, Schriner said workers would normally be stuck inside this time of year. Even though September's flood waters wiped out a lot of the holding fields, the push is on to get back to full production by July.
"We got approval to hire nine part timers to help this Spring. They're all starting the middle of March, helping with fence work, rebuilding fences, pounding posts, putting netting up," added Schriner.
"The mild winter helped us out, got a lot done in the Winter time," said employee Ray Emick.
Emick and his fellow employees have been working full days outdoors, able to do more to repair the flood damage than they would if there were snow on the ground.
"A lot of work, we never would have dreamed it would be like this," said Emick.
