Bob Marchio, For The Hanover Evening Sun 12:12 p.m. ET June 6, 2017

With warmer weather coming, here are five things to do at Codorus State Park to take advantage of the warmer months. Ty Lohr, The Evening Sun

While the horseshoe crab may look menacing, they are actually very gentle creatures and do not bite.(Photo: zTONY, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Visitors to the Maryland and New Jersey beaches during the month of June can expect to witness an event officials say has been taking place for at least 350 million years the annual migration of horseshoe crabs.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is asking beachgoers to help the creatures as they emerge from the Atlantic Ocean for their annual spawning pilgrimage. The event is believed to be the largest spawning event of horseshow crabs in the world.

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To ensure the horseshoe crab has a chance of survival, visitors can do their part in helping protect this valuable species. Anyone who spots a horseshoe crab flipped on its back is asked to gently flip the crab over so it can return to the wild. The best practice for flipping over a horseshoe crab is to pick the crab by its sides, not by its tail. While the horseshoe crab may look menacing, they are actually very gentle creatures and do not bite.

This ancient species isnt the most nimble creature, and their short legs dont do the best job of helping them right themselves, DNR biologist Steve Doctor, who conducts an annual survey of horseshoe crabs, said in a department news release.

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The species is important to the ecosystem. Horseshoe crab eggs are a vital source of food for millions of fauna, including migrating shore birds, blue crabs, white perch and striped bass. Also, adult horseshoe crab blood has been found to be a vital resource in medical products and research.

Anyone who spots a horseshoe crab flipped on its back is asked to gently flip the crab over so it can return to the wild.(Photo: waholmes, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The largest numbers of horseshoe crabs can likely be found on or around the full moon, which takes place Friday (June 9), or the new moon June 23. During this spawning period, an individual horseshoe crab could lay nearly 20,000 eggs on the beaches and shores.

BASS SEASON The promise of warmer and longer days has Pennsylvania anglers gearing up for the opening of a new bass season across the state on Saturday, June 17.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass, both species of black bass, are second only to trout in popularity among Pennsylvania anglers, says John Arway, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Arway reports that a large turnout is expected.

One of the main reasons bass is popular is because the Commonwealth has so many fantastic spots for anglers to catch smallmouth and largemouth bass, from creeks and rivers to large ponds and lakes, Arway said in an agency report. Our Commonwealth has over 86,000 miles of streams and rivers to fish and more than 4,000 lakes and reservoirs, most which contain bass.

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State parks are great family-friendly places to fish, particularly if you have young kids, he said. And this year the start of bass season falls on Fathers Day weekend. I cant think of a better way for grandfathers and fathers to spend their weekend than outside fishing with their sons, daughters and grandkids.

In most waters during bass season, anglers can keep a daily limit of six bass, which must be at least 12 inches in length. There are also lakes and rivers managed with higher length limits and lower creel limits. Anglers can consult the Summary of Fishing Regulations for more specific information.

Arway added that another option is to practice voluntary catch and release which provides another angler the opportunity to enjoy the same experience that you had catching that lunker bass!

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The PFBC reminds anglers that catch and immediate release no harvest regulations apply to smallmouth and largemouth bass on the lower sections of the Susquehanna River (below Sunbury) and Juniata River (below Port Royal) and into the rivers tributaries to points one-half river-mile upstream from the confluence.

Bob Marchio is outdoor writer for The Hanover Evening Sun. He may be reached at: bmarchio@embarqmail.com.

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Outdoors: Md., NJ beaches host ancient event - The Evening Sun