Enough said . . .

Check it out! looks like a great time...

too bad its to far away for me to go...

CNY FISHING REPORT

INLAND TROUT STREAMS: Many sections of area streams and lakes have been stocked. They include Cayuga County: North Brook, Owasco Inlet, Salmon Creek and Fall Creek; Cortland County: Otselic River; Cortland County: Little York Lake, Merrill Creek, East Br. Tioughnioga River, West Br. Tioughnioga River, Casterline Pond and the Otselic River; Madison County: Upper Lelands Pond, Stonemill Brook, Beaver Creek, Canastota Creek, Limestone Creek, Payne Brook, Chittenango Creek, Canaseraga Creek, Chenango River, Cowaselon Creek, Old Chenango Canal, Oneida Creek, Sangerfield River, and the Otselic River; Onondaga County: Nine Mile Creek, Onondaga Creek; West Br. Onondaga Creek, Tannery Creek, Spafford Brook, Furnace Brook, Fabius Brook, Limestone Creek, West Br. Limestone Creek, Geddes Brook, Carpenters Brook, Butternut Creek, and Skaneateles Creek. (Hotline number is (315) 689-0003); Oswego County: Black Creek, North Br. Salmon River, Rice Creek, Salmon River and West Br. Fish Creek; Tompkins County: Enfield Creek, Virgil Creek, Buttermilk Creek, Salmon Creek, Fall Creek and Sixmile Creek and Cayuga Lake.

LAKE ONTARIO
Fishing has been slow for brown trout and very slow for Chinook salmon. Brown trout continue to be scattered over a variety of depths. If you can find some off colored water try fishing stickbaits and small spoons in the area during the early morning. As the day gets brighter, moving to deeper water has been helping to extend the brown trout bite. Lake trout fishing has been more stable with fish being found in 100 to 200 feet of water.

SALMON RIVER
The river is down. Fishing has really slowed down on the river, which is usual for this time of year. Anglers are picking up smallmouth bass, brown trout and rock bass.

OSWEGO RIVER
The river is still quite high from the rains and water releases. No report on the shoreline fishing scene.
.
ONEIDA LAKE
Anglers are cashing in lately on the walleye, particularly those using sonar lures (blade baits). Other good bets have been black & purple bucktail jigs tipped with a night crawler and perch-colored stickbaits. As for the bass, most have finished spawning. Fishing near shore with stick worms (Senko style baits) is a good starting point and then working around inside or outside weed edges if not finding any fish in the shallows. (Just a reminder that you cannot fish for lake sturgeon, as they are on the threatened fishes list. If you accidentally hook one please do not fight it and release it quickly.)

CAYUGA LAKE
Fishing has been difficult with the current weather pattern. Trolling down 50 to 90 feet in 80 to 120 feet of water with spoons or flasher and flies, fished off downriggers, copper wire, or Dipsey divers is working for lake trout. Vertical jigging is also working for lake trout in 50 to 150 feet of water. Atlantic salmon are being taken on spoons fished 25 to 40 feet down.

SENECA LAKE
Fishing has been slow lately. Fish are being marked, but are being tight-lipped. Some brown trout and Atlantic salmon are hitting on spoons fished down 25 to 30 feet. Lake trout are hitting spoons and flasher and flies fished 60 to 150 feet down. Vertical jigging with plastics is also working in 50 to 135 feet of water.

OWASCO LAKE
Anglers trolling down 30 to 50 feet with spoons or flasher and flies are getting lake trout on the north end. Yellow perch are also being caught on the north end. I've heard one report of walleyes being taken after dark on stickbaits.

OTISCO LAKE
A few walleye are being taken by anglers trolling with stickbaits or spinner rigs during the day, and off the causeway after dark on stickbaits. Tiger muskie fishing continues to be good for anglers targeting them. Remember, the tigers must be 36 inches to be legal on Otisco Lake. Look for bass near shore and along the weed edges. A variety of baits should work this time of year from spinnerbaits, jigs, plastics to topwaters.

SKANEATELES LAKE
Fishing near shore with Senko worms, tube jigs, spinnerbaits or topwaters is a good starting point for the smallmouth bass. If not catching fish, move slightly deeper, and try drop-shot rigs or live bait such as minnows or crayfish. Rock bass are also being taken along the shore along with an occasional nice yellow perch.

SANDY POND:
A few walleye and northern pike are still being caught on the pond. Anglers are also getting bluegills and a few yellow perch.

SODUS BAY
Northern pike fishing continues to be good with pike hitting a variety of lures, with stickbaits and spoons being good bets. Panfish are being taken on small jigs, minnows and worms. Bass fishing has been good on bass jigs, plastics and topwaters.

St. LAWRENCE RIVER
A fair number of nice bass were caught during the opening weekend of the bass season, according to one bait shop owner. Many of the bass were still on their beds, he said.. Anglers were catching them in 12-14 feet of water using drop shot rigs, or live bait, such as a worm or a minnow. Pike can be found near the drop-offs or in the weeds. Nice-sized perch were being picked up in 35 to 40 feet of water "but you have to work for them," he said.
.
WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR
The walleye bite has been good for anglers fishing worm harnesses, jigs and crankbaits. White crappie fishing continues to be good with most of fish being found away from shore now. Smallmouth bass were hitting on crankbaits near shore.

I'm going to PA 10/26 - 11/2 to hunt deer with my crossbow.

Those that want to use rifles in Ontario County should be asking your state legislators to support these bills. Special attention should be taken by those Ontario County hunters who are represented by State Senator Ted O'Brien. I am not sure where he stands on this, but I do know that he cheerfully voted fot the NYS Safe gun-grab, so he may require a bit more arm twisting than most.

So once again we are trying to get this rifle approval. It has been a very sad comedy of errors, and I frankly have lost track of how many times this has been attempted and screwed up. Maybe this will be the successful attempt ..... lol.

Would you..? I'm pretty well set with my in-line ML.

CNY OUTDOORS CALENDAR

3-D archery shoot: Sign up from 8 to 10 a.m. Sunday, Pompey Rod and Gun Club, 2035 Swift Road, Pompey. Cost is $15 for adults. For more, call 656-8810.

Open house: Cornell Biological Field station, tours at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 900 Shackelton Point Road, Bridgeport. Learn about the history of the Field Station and its current research program. For more, call 315-633-9243 ext. 21.

3-D archery shoot: Sign up from 8 to 10 a.m. June 30, Cortland Field Archers, Route 41A, Cortland. Cost is $15 for adults. For more call, 685-7083.

SAFETY COURSES:

Bow: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 13, North Sportsmans Club, County Route 37, West Monroe. Register in person at the club from 6 to 8.m. Jul 11. For more, email Chris Nutter at crnutter@verizon.net.

Bow: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. July 24, 25 at the Nedrow Sportsman's Club, 3878 Cherry Valley Turnpike, Marietta. Pre-register. Call 432-8422, extension 11.

Bow: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 28, Stillbrook Fish and Game, 184 CC Road, Williamstown. Pre-register by calling 963-7530 or email walkman139@verizon.net.
Gun: 6 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 13, 14, 16, Nedrow Rod and Gun Club, Route 20 at Hogback Road, Navarino. Pre-register by calling 469-1820 or 469-4784.

Bow: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25, Albion Fish and Game, 2770 State Route 13, Altmar. Pre-register by calling 963-7530 or email walkman139@verizon.net.

A beaver swims on the flooded wetland area that's home to the great blue heron rookery up at the Sterling Nature Center in Sterling.Mike Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com 

Blink, and sun come out. Blink again, and it's raining -- even hailing.

I can't believe the weather we've had the past couple of weeks.

I traveled up to Black Lake late last week for a few, well-deserved days of fishing. The lake level was way up and the fishing was slow. Regardless, I had a great time. How'd everyone else make out on Saturday's opener of the bass fishing season?

Meanwhile, here's what I've been working on for this week:

- An interview with Dietland Muller-Schwarze, a retired SUNY ESF prof and nationally recognized expert on the subject of beavers. He's written two book about them and in 2007 was given a lifetime achievement award by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for his 25 years of research on the animal.

- The Canadians are back on Fish Creek (a tributary of Oneida Lake) this week putting lampricide in the water to kill the spawning sea lamprey and their larvae.

- Fishing the famed, but finicky Battenkill. I recount my recent fishing experience on this well-known trout stream northeast of Albany that begins in Vermont.

- A morning at the DEC's boot camp (my words) for new environmental conservation officers and forest rangers currently underway at the DEC's training facility up at Altmar.

- It's bug season. Myths and facts about what attracts the blood suckers and biters (ticks, black flies, horseflies, deerflies and mosquitoes) to human hosts.

- What's the right -sized or type of fishing rod to use for bass fishing. You'd be surprised and all the different sizes and types. The days of one rod fits all are long gone.

- A great CNY shoreline hot spot for fishing for those who don't have a boat. Know of others? Send your ideas to dfigura@syracuse.com

Also coming up
- The marked increase of memberships at local rod and gun clubs in the wake of the SAFE Act.

- A Cicero man who's dedicated to improving the population of purple martins in Central New York.

- A story on the :master set" of 4,938 downloadable bird sounds released by Cornell.

- A story on the unique emergency room at the Cornell vet school were wild and domestic animals are given special treatment.

THE FIGURA CHALLENGE

I laid out the "The Figura Challenge" over the Memorial Day weekend -- challenging readers to to check out 15 Central New York outdoors destinations during the summer. Several readers have already taken me up on it and I'm getting comments and pictures. It's not too late to get started!

Each Thursday on this blog through the summer, I'll give an update on reactions, stories and photos submitted by readers about their travels to these destinations.

Send your impressions and photos of the places you visit on the list to dfigura@syracuse.com,

Two new occasional features:

1). "Keeping Watch" a weekly or bi-weekly report from the Region 7 DEC office noting the fional dispositions of recent tickets issued by local conservation officers. Only ones where the defendant has pleaded guilty or is found guilty will be listed.

2). "Ask the Outdoors Guy" a weekly posting noting a question or questions from readers about the outdoors. If I can't provide an answer, I'll find someone who will. Send your questions to dfigura@syracuse.com.

ANYTHING ELSE READERS OF THIS REPORT WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME WRITE ABOUT?
The effectiveness of this report is two-fold. First, it lets readers know what's coming up story-wise. It also allows readers a chance to affect coverage and provide sources for upcoming stories. Bottom line: Keep in touch and give input. You could make a difference as to what appears week to week on the outdoors page! Email me at dfigura@syracuse.com or call 470-6066.

If you want to join The Post-Standard's Outdoors Group and get this emailed directly to you, subscribe here..

FIGURA ON FACEBOOK:
For those who are on Facebook, I also have a PS Outdoors page, which I check several times daily for feedback and story ideas. I also post personal fishing and hunting and other outdoors-related photos from time to time and I ask members to do the same. When you join, please be sure and hit the "like" button.

The following is a press release from the Finger Lakes Land Trust:

Ithaca, NY: The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced today that it has been awarded a federal grant to be applied toward the acquisition of 83 acres of wetlands and adjacent upland buffer that borders Fall Creek, the largest tributary to Cayuga Lake and the source of Cornell University's drinking water supply.

Located in the Town of Summerhill, Cayuga County, the property is adjacent to the Land Trust's Dorothy McIlroy Bird Sanctuary--a 198-acre natural area that is open to the public for hiking, bird watching and other forms of quiet recreation. The site is part of an Audubon-identified Important Bird Area (IBA) which encompasses 29,000 acres of wetlands, upland forest, agricultural and shrub lands and supports 125 probable nesting bird species, including 22 species of nesting warblers.

The easternmost portion of this IBA hosts several hundred acres of high quality wetlands located just east of Summerhill State Forest near the headwaters of Fall Creek. These lands are recognized as a priority for protection in New York State's Open Space Plan and are known for their productive wildlife habitat, outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, and distinctive wetland fens that host 18 native orchid species. Fall Creek also supports trout in this area.

The $49,450 grant was awarded on a competitive basis by the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Migratory Bird Conservation Commission through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). The funds will be used for the purchase of the property. The Land Trust continues to raise funds for the project, which has a total budget of $140,000 to cover acquisition and management costs.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act program is the only federal grants program dedicated to the conservation of wetland habitats for migratory birds. In this funding round, the panel approved $23.7 million in grants that will restore or enhance 89,000 acres of habitat for migratory birds in the US and Canada and will leverage $28.5 million in matching funds. More information about the grants program is available at http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Small/2013.shtm

The Finger Lakes Land Trust is a membership supported not for profit land conservation organization that is dedicated to protecting those lands that define the character of the Finger Lakes region. Since it was established in 1989, the Land Trust has worked with landowners and local communities to conserve more than 15,000 acres of the region's most cherished wetlands, forests, farmland, grassland and gorges.

Through a network of 30 nature preserves and conservation areas, the Land Trust hosts visitors to sites featuring undeveloped shoreline, scenic vistas, abundant wildlife, and miles of trails for hiking, bird watching and cross country skiing,

The Land Trust also holds over 100 conservation easements on lands that remain in private ownership and on the tax rolls. More information, see the Land Trust's website.

CENTRAL NY TRAP LEAGUE

Results of Week 10 (June 18)

Northern Division
South Shore (194) at Toad Harbor (199)
Central Square (189) at Pathfinder (198)
North Sportsman (bye)

Southern Division
Three Rivers (196) at Dewitt (194)
Skaneateles (196) at Camillus (192)
Pompey (200) at Bridgeport (195)

Standings North
Pathfinder 15 pts.
Toad Harbor 12 pts.
South Shore 8 pts.
Central Square 4 pts.
North Sportsman 1 pt.

Standings South
Pompey 17 pts.
Camillus 12 pts.
Three Rivers 12 pts.
Skaneateles 10 pts.
Bridgeport 9 pts.
Dewitt 0 pts.

The following shooters hit 25 out of 25 clays
(Where 75 or 50 are listed, that means the shooters hit 25 for 25 three and two weeks in a row, respectively). Where "1st" is listed, that's the shooters first 25 for 25 outing.

Bridgeport, Joe St. Pierre, Matt Carr, Andy Clark 1st

Camillus, None

Central Square, None

Dewitt, Dave Burleigh, Peter Catalano Sr., Jim Kenyon 1st

North Sportsman, Bye

Pathfinder, Vern Cole Sr., John Fish, Norm Nelson, Bob Weldin, Bill Chillson, Jessica Wirt 1st

Pompey, 50, Rob Zgardzinski,25s, Chatlie Jaworski 1st,Todd Way, Tom Bumpus, Troy Lesebvre, John Messbauer, Tim Wilcox, Joe Pistello, Preston Wiley, C.R. Haaf, Cliff Haaf, Josh Bobbett

Skaneateles, 50, Steve Schreiber, 25s, Tom Main, Pat Logan, Urb Wormer

South Shore, Ken Young, Joanna Bishop

Three Rivers, Dave Clement, Rick Liberty, Tim Wharton, Ray Burgett

Toad Harbor, 75, Bob Green, 50, Jason Mulligan, 25s, Joe Macewicz, Bobbie Pratt, Phil Maitland, Bob Howard, Jeff Keenan

* Results courtesy of Dick Masterpole

Bam

2002 Mercury 90hp 2 stroke......... 30mph

2001 Loadright galvanized trailer

Boat is setup to fish. 6 rod holders, cannon manual downrigger with swivel base. New Lowrance fish finder. Bimini top in good shape. Boat walls and vinyl could use replacement, though they function well there not astetically pleasing. Pontoons are aluminium and dont have a drop of water in them. Also included are ropes, bumpers, 4 life vests, and coleman portable grill.  Great family and fishing boat. 5500 or best offer.

Boat is docked on Oneida lake and can be test driven.

email or pm for more info

one reason why I'm changing cams.....

Looks like I'll be busy this fall...

http://huntervids.com/videos/bear-climbs-face-to-face-with-hunter/

I had the enjoyable outing last month fishing for trout on the famed, but finicky Battenkill.

I was in southern Washington County in Cambridge, which is northeast of Albany, participating in the annual Spring Safari of the New York State Outdoors Writers Association. The event brought outdoors writers from throughout the state to sample the area's numerous outdoor offerings.

I went turkey hunting (I real got close, but couldn't close the deal), attended a seminar given by officials from a local Quality Deer Management Association coop, heard a talk by New York State Museum consultant Howard Romack about the reptiles, amphibians and insects that call the area home - and fished the Battenkill, guided by Adriano Manocchia, a veteran trout angler and nationally known artist.

I was anxious to try my luck on the trout stream, particularly with the notoriety it has received over the past century with famous trout fisherman such as Lee Wulfe, John Atheron and Lew Oatmann having wet their lines on its waters. Oatmann devised nearly a dozen different streamers (minnow-like, baitfish imitations) for fishing the Battenkill, such as the silver darter and ghost shiner. Most, if not all of his creations are still used today, Manocchia said.

The river boasts four wooden, covered bridges - one on the Vermont side and three on the New York said. The one on the Vermont side, in West Arlington, was painted by Norman Rockwell several times, Manocchia said.

The picturesque waterway begins as a trickle up in hills of Vermont near Manchester and flows by the headquarters of the Orvis Corporation, located in that community. The spring-fed, river flows some 25 miles to the New York border, and then another 24 through Washington County and into the Hudson River.

Manocchia, a native downstater who relocated with his wife to Cambridge 11 years ago, said the Battenkill, with all history, is not the trout stream it used to be.

"I tell people if you want to have a beautiful, peaceful day on a great trout stream, come to the Battenkill," he said. "If you want to catch a ton of fish real easily, go somewhere else."

The reason the stream is so challenging to anglers is multi-faceted. For starters, the Vermont side is no longer stocked, a decision made years ago to return it to a purely wild trout stream. The New York stretch, though, is stocked by the state Department of Environmental Conservation with 19,000 yearling brown trout. Its waters also hold wild brook and rainbow trout.

The New York side gets pressured not only by New York anglers, but by Vermont fishermen who cross over the state line to take advantage of the stocked areas, Manocchia said. In addition, the river in recent years has established a growing reputation among canoers and kayakers, particularly on weekends, who enjoy their sport, often in the prime fishing areas.

Manocchia took me to the river's "no-kill, artificial fly/lure only" area, which stretches more than four miles from the Vermont border down to the Eagleville covered bridge. That May morning was a sunny, relatively windless day with temperatures quickly climbing into the 80s. Manocchia led me to a number of stretches and holes that to my eye had trout written all over them. The water, though, was very clear.

The stream has its share of good insect hatches, including Hendricksons and caddises, among others, Manocchia said. However, nothing much was hatching that day.

I started off fishing with my fly rod, using weighted, wooly bugger streamers to get down deep, close to the bottom. Manocchia tried nymphs. At one point, I switched to my ultra-light spinning rod, casting a small, silver-bladed, Panther Martin lure. No luck.

Fellow outdoor writer Chris Kenyon from Wolcott, who accompanied us most of the way that morning, succeeded in catching a nice, 12-inch brown in a deep hole using a Rooster Tail lure.

I switched later on to casting a Panther Martin lure with my ultra-light rod.Adriano Manocchia 

Sue Bookhout, from Cazenovia, another association member, fished the river two mornings. The first, she caught a 12-inch brown on a tiny pheasant tail nymph (size 18 hook). The second day, she caught another fish about the same size. She used the same nymph, but that day tied another fly higher up on her line -- a large, beaded caddis -- to get her pheasant tail down deeper.

Kenyon and I roomed together that weekend in a small cabin at the Battenkill Riversports and Campground in Jackson, near Cambridge. Our cabin was located right on the river on a gorgeous stretch. The camp manager said someone had caught a 23-inch brown the week before on a spinner.

Undaunted, that evening I tried casting my Panther Marten lure on the river near our cabin and quickly caught two small, brown trout.

Just as it got dark, I saw a big splash about 40 yards upstream.

"Every once in a while you see some monster fish in there," Manocchia said. "However, they didn't get that size because they're dumb. It takes quite a bit of work to catch them."

Took the pics from the car

$100 Each ... buyer pays shipping

I enjoy the site and info it provides. Hopefully I'm able to make a contribution. Thanks for having me.

this guy appears to be way to calm!

I just wanted to drop in and leave some basic info and a general hello. I am 20, joined the Army Reserves in Febraury of 2012. I currently am a full time pre-med student in college and working two jobs to stay afloat. I primarily hunt in the tully/truxton area, Bville, and Marietta area. My dad was never a hunter and I was a odd child in the family who started hunting when I was 17 and struggled to afford the gear, guns and everything else. Luckily I have a good hunting buddy who has helped teach me what he knows in the woods. I think I've been a fast learner and am always in the woods scouting for the next season as I take all of my hobbies very seriously. I'm sure you will keep seeing me around, I sometimes try to make a joke but I am far from funny. Best of luck to you all and I hope to see some wall hangers posted on here this upcoming season!

Brett

Opened the door - first thing I saw? My washer touching the ceiling.

It's not been a fun 60 hours or so.

     I decided that I am going to purchase  my first muzzleloader, a CVA wolf 209 Magnum. and use .50 cal sabots. I wanted to get a consensis from people as to what powder/sabot gives the best groupings/ accuracy (which combimnation the gun "likes" the best). I will be deer hunting with it mainly and I think the pellets will suit my needs better in the field. Any suggestions on this and also a grain weight for the sabot? I will be shooting up to 100 yards max. I was alos thinki9ng of just using the fiber optics sights instead of mounting a scope. IDK why just to change it up I guess. I can always add the scope on later.

 

Brian Hanas, of Fayetteville, shot this big tom on May 18 with the help of Mickey O'Kane, of Jamesville.

O'Kane wrote: "This turkey ends a 5-year drought of unfilled turkey tags for Brian. The bird was taken in Onondaga County, and weighed 19 1/8 pounds, with a thick, 10-inch beard, and 3/4-inch spurs."

I also have a Natural gear Jacket for sale.  This jacket has the removable scent lock liner inside and is in good condition.  There is one button missing but besides that it is a great jacket. It also has a hood that folds up and buttons into the jacket and i believe this is somewhat waterproof. 50TYD

Thanks for looking!!!

John

The winners were Jack Barber from Eatonton, Ga. and Nyman Derr from Richland, N.Y. 

A walleye fishing tournament sponsored by the Oneida Lake Team Walleye Trail on June 9 featured 45, two-person teams. The contest was held out of Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton.

According to Alicia Stevens, the tournament director:

"We had another very successful tournament. The weather was great and there was a lot of fish caught! We gave out some great door prizes and the goody backs were greatly appreciated. The winners were Jack Barber from Eatonton, Ga. and Nyman Derr from Richland, N.Y.

The winners turned in five fish for a total weight of 13.55 pounds. They also won the big fish award with a walleye that weighed 3.55 pounds.

"The next tourney is July 14, also at Oneida Shores."

Here's the final results: 2013_fishing_results.xls

To register, see the Oneida Lake Team Walleye Trail website.

Cusano with his two big smallies. 

Mike Cusano, of Clay, holds up two impressive smallmouth bass he caught on opening day while fishing with buddy, Burnie Haney, of xxx, on Chaumont Bay on Lake Ontario.

Describing the day, Cusano wrote:

"Lots of fun as always being on the water with the Big Dog. I got to enjoy some time on the back deck and just sit back and focus on the fishing (You guys who don't like being non-boaters are nutty!!)

"The 4.70 -pound smallmouth came on a Lucky Craft Pointer 100 (Citrus SHad) out of 8-9 feet of water, was using a Rapsody Hot Rod -- Worminator (I know it wasn't the best rod for the presentation, but I really wasn't planning on throwing a jerbait for any substantial time -- so I left the Grim Ripper at home). I was using a 12# XPS Fluorocarbon spooled on a BPS Pro Qualifier. Key as Burnie mentioned was the pause... most of the bites would come on an extended pause after a series of hard jerks. Much to my surprise, I only lost one fish all day using a worm rod Jerkbait fishing..I just backed off a touch on the drag so as not to rip the hooks out.

"The 4.55- pound smallmouth came on a drop shot rigged 4" green/brown senko, fished on a Rapsody Hot Rod Series -- Plastic Surgeon , BPS Extreme spinning Reel (20 series) with a 8 # Fireline Braid with a 8 # XPS Fluorocarbon leader. The Plastic Surgeon is an extremely versatile rod adn has been a staple for fishing with a wide range of soft plastic techniques. I used it to fish weightless wacky senkos, weightless Texas-rigged senko, spider grubs, weighted t-rigged senkos/tubes/beavers, split shot rig and a drop shot. That rod is an absolute bait-launcher and I really felt like the long casts were essential when the water was calm in the morning."

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/huntingseasons13.pdf

The BIDE rates, population and harvest estimates certainly support harvesting doves:

Current Population Estimate: 308 million doves in the United States

Annual Mortality: 58%

Juvenile Annual Mortality: 69%

Sustainable harvest (which considers replacement–level birth rates; natural mortality; and stochastic factors): 60 to 75 percent

2012 annual harvest:  5.5 percent of population or about 17 Million birds, of which 7 million from the Eastern Management Unit, which includes NY.

The 2012 harvest at 5.5% could be 69.5% higher without impacting the population, which would be equivalent to an additional 214 million birds harvested. This is not a suggestion that hunter satisfaction is low among those who hunt doves, as a matter of fact, surveys indicate the opposite is true. It does illustrate the mourning dove’s resilience to harvest and why it makes no sense whatsoever not to implement a dove hunting season in NY. It should also be pointed out that even if hunting occurred in all states, a harvest of 60 to 75 percent is possible only in theory, as hunter numbers, effort, and skill level preclude this, especially under contemporary regulations and the concept of fair chase.

A high reproductive rate and short generation time makes this species resistant to stochaticity as well. A significant form of natural mortality is the mouth-dwelling parasite Trichomonas gallinae. Mourning doves will sometimes host this parasite without symptoms, but in other individuals it will often cause yellowish growth in the mouth and esophagus that will eventually starve the host to death.

The manifesto of the Humane Society of the United States that mourning doves provide significant ecological services to the agriculture industry by consuming seeds of nuisance plants is not documented in the scientific literature or otherwise empirically demonstrated. To the contrary; birds are believed to have a role in seed dispersal; therefore it is possible that doves may actually facilitate the spread or abundance of nuisance plants, rather than reduce them. The HSUS, in addition to (unsuccessfully) opposing a dove season in Wisconsin, has made similar campaigns in that state to block the establishment of hunting seasons for woodchucks, sandhill cranes, gray wolves, and most remarkably, mute swans, a deleterious introduced species.

Mourning Doves are one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds - ranked eleventh among 251 species in relative abundance throughout a geographic distribution range covering 6.8 million square miles. It is also thee leading game bird, and the third ranked game species overall, after deer and slightly behind turkeys, with an average of 20 million birds harvested and enjoyed as table fare annually in the U.S.

I been doing this for many years...but I only had one field to go buy...now I have hundreds of acres around us being planted...So behind me is 35 acres..it borders half our back(S) line...15 corn...7-8 in timothy/alfalfa....3-4 in corn and 7-8 in oats/clover....

To my direct east 1/3 of our place now has 50 acres of oats /clover in it...the rest is woods on either side of that...then a 4 yr old logged timber to my north and swamp and to my west a last years logged timber/swamp

I am putting in a summer powerplant and my usual corn...and have increased my clover plantings...but I'm thinking I'd be smart to increase my radish and turnip plantings ...to get the deer here when the other stuff goes dormant...and perhaps add  Max attract for a fall planting seeing they will get use to oats this summer....Any thoughts?

PLEASE dont laugh at me!!!!!!

I went and weighed all my arrows and practice points his morn... and found that: All my arrows weigh between 429.3 grains and 498.6 grains... and all my practice points are between 123.1 grains and 144.5 grains...

(im shooting 4 diff brands of arrow, EASTON 2216-LITE XX75 CAMO HUNTER, 6 of em, BEAR CAMO 2117, 3 of em, NORTH AMERICAN HUNTER 2216, 2 of em, Tru-Flight CAMO 2117, 2 of em) does this affect my accuracy? needless to say I am NOT going to throw my arrows away or anything and i will still use them to practice but i need to be consistent for hunting... (Im shooting 100 grain Thunderhead Broadheads)

what are your opinions?

Karl L. Gasko, of Syracuse, holds up an impressive 29-inch bowfin caught by his son, Karl J. Gasko, on Oneida Lake, behind Castaways Restaurant.

The fish was caught on a minnow. According to a chart on the website of the Bowfin Anglers Group, the approximate weight was 8.5 pounds.

"One of New York's most unique fish, the bowfin is the sole living survivor of a group of fishes whose fossil representatives date back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth," according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation website.

"The features of today's bowfin differ very little from their fossil ancestors dating back 65 million years, so they offer a true glimpse into New York's prehistoric past."

For more on this unique fish, see the DEC website.

Runners from the Corporate Challenge move down Onondaga Lake Parkway minutes after the start of the race in this 2011 photo.Mike Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com 

The Central New York running scene this week includes the annual J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge on Tuesday, a couple of road races on Saturday and a triathlon on Sunday.

1). 2013 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge, the 3.5-mile team run/walk begins at 6:25 p.m. Tuesday at Onondaga Lake Park. All entries must be part of a corporate team, with each team needing to register a minimum of four employees. There is no limit to the number of employees that can be on a company team. Individual cost to enter is $32. For more, see the race website at jpmorganchasecc.com/events.php?city_id=13&page=events032012.

2). Utica Roadrunners XC Run, begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at T.R. Proctor Park, Utica. Cost is $10. Includes 1.5 mile and 5K races on the E.J. Herrmann cross country course. This is a timed cross country run run. There will be no t-shirts or awards provided. For more or to register, see the events calendar at fleetfeetsyracuse.com.

3). Chittenango Lions Club's Yellow Brick Road Run. Check-in at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The 5-K walk begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by an 8K run at 9 a.m. Cost is $20 for pre-registration, and $25 on race day. Races start and end at the Chittenango Fire Hall For more, contact race director Steve White at waites@hotmail.com or go to chittenangolions.org and click on "fund raisers."

4). The Ironman 70.3 Syracuse is set for Sunday. The race begins at 7 a.m. at the beach at the Jamesville Beach Park, 3992 Apulia Road, Jamesville, where athletes will complete a 1.2-mile, single-loop swim. After that, competitors will ride a 56-mile bike course that winds through the Highland Forest recreational area, taking athletes through picturesque, rolling countryside of Onondaga, Madison, and Cortland counties. Athletes will finish with a 13.1-mile run, ending at the beach where they started. Cost is $275 for individual competitors; $375 for relay competitors. For more or to register, go to the event's website at ironmansyracuse.com.

Last weekend's results:

1). 1). The 34th annual Swamp Rat Runs were held Saturday at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton. The scheduled included mile run runs for girls and boys, followed by 5 K and 10 K races. For final results, see swampratrun.com.

Coupled with that, it looked like low turnout for the Albany rally this week, especially compared to earlier this year when the sting was fresh (I didn't go this week, but would've if I had any chance of getting out of work).

I'm starting to get pessimistic about the chances for getting this wreck of a law changed.

The last I knew, Tresmond has a fairly important court date today, maybe they'll be some information flowing from that to get me perked up again.

Anyone else starting to get the same feeling as me? If not, tell me to buck up or something!!

The following is a press release:

Onondaga Audubon has begun its series of summer field trips at Green Lakes State Park.

While most Central New Yorkers know about the parks' two glacial lakes, few may be aware that the park also preserves the largest stand of old-growth forest in Central New York as well as extensive grassland habitat.

In 2011, N.Y. State officials designated 1000 acres within the park as a Bird Conservation Area (BCA), devoted to sustaining wild bird populations and enhancing bird habitat. The park contains a relatively large tract of interior forest, including the old-growth stands; this area provides important breeding habitat for mature forest birds, such as Ovenbird and Wood Thrush.

The grasslands provide habitat for a number of regionally declining birds, including Grasshopper Sparrow (special concern) and Northern Harrier (threatened).

When the Green Lakes BCA plan is fully implemented, this area will be the largest area of preserved grassland within any state park.

Finally, the park's two lakes provide stopover and foraging sites for many birds dependent upon open water, including Bald Eagle, Osprey, and water birds including ducks, herons, and grebes.

We invite you to join one of Audubon's GLSP field trips to explore some of these unique avian habitats. Each hike takes from 3 to 5 hours (or more) depending on trail length and weather conditions.

It is highly recommended that participants bring their own water and insect repellant. Please contact the hike leader for details on specific times and meeting places.

Saturday, June 29th 
Trip Leader: Paul Richardson / 315-488-5022
Saturday, July 20th 
Trip Leader: Paul Richardson / 315-488-5022

Central New York Trap League

Results of week 9 (06/11/2013)

Northern Division
Central Square (183) at South Shore (200)
North Sportsman (195) at Pathfinder (196)
Toad Harbor (bye)

Southern Division
Pompey (197) at Skaneateles (195)
Dewitt (192) at Bridgeport (197)
Three Rivers (184) at Camillus (195)

Standings North
(Points, followed by total number of clays)

Pathfinder 13 pts., 1380
Toad Harbor 10 pts., 1385
South Shore 8 pts., 1373
Central Square 4 pts., 1329
North Sportsman 1 pts., 1322

Standings South
Pompey 15 pts., 1774
Camillus 12 pts., 1760
Three Rivers 10 pts., 1725
Bridgeport 9 pts. 1750
Skaneateles 8 pts., 1764
Dewitt 0 pts. 1684

Shooters who shot 25 out of 25. (Where 75s or 50s are noted, that means shooters shot 25 out of 25 three weeks or two weeks in a row, respectively. Where "1st" is indicated, that's the shooters first 25.y)

Bridgeport, Bob Gerace 1st, Vince Valois, Mike Raimondo,Ron Falkowski, Tom Crowell

Camillus, 75 Tim Corrente, 50 Bob Weigand,25's Tim Wylde,Len Kallfelz

Central Square, None

Dewitt, Rick Kenyon, Frank Kulas Jr.

North Sportsman, Shawn Denslow,Howard Taffel,Gary Rizzo

Pathfinder, 50 Jake Davies,25's Mark Cole,Joe Pietrowski,Dan Gregory

Pompey,50 Mike Latocha,25's Deb Bell,Jim St. Pierre,Ralph Baker,Rob Zdardzinski

Skaneateles, Rich Bobbett, Frank Bozeat,Steve Schrieber

South Shore, Marc R.Young,Bill Detore,John Pawlicki,Al Gutchess,Charlie Soulier,Dottie Wells,Ray Kubacki, Tim LaFrance 1st

Three Rivers, None

Toad Harbor, Bye

Results courtesy of Dick Masterpole.

Home Ph. 963-8974

Mary Kate Hartmann  

(Editor's note: The following email came too late to include in my wrapup that ran in Sunday's newspaper of readers' comments about how their father influenced their love for the outdoors. However, I was touched by it and decided to share it with readers.)

The following was written by Mary Kate Hartmann, executive director at Baltimore Woods Nature Center:

"I should start off by saying that I've never been camping. I've never even owned a tent or built a lean-to for fun. My Dad isn't that kind of outdoors man, however, even though that wasn't his thing, he's had a profound influence on my love of the outdoors.

"My Dad taught me to love to play outside. Snow, wind, rain, 90 degree days, I can't remember a time growing up when he didn't take us outside to play soccer, catch, football, go sledding or for bike rides. He made being outside fun for us, something that we did together.

"Time spent outdoors with my Dad resulted in me learning lessons about how practicing your sport could yield more playing time during games, that no matter how tough climbing that hill on your bike was reaching the top was always the reward and that pulling your kid up the hill in a sled because they were too tired to walk in the snow is just part of being a loving parent.

"In the summer we'd go for walks as a family after dinner with the intention of going all around the neighborhood, but would usually make it 2 blocks before running into neighbors, the result of which would be us kids going off to play until the street lamps would come on while the parents sat outside on the porch visiting. Those walks are some of my favorite memories that I share with long time family friends as we remember a childhood spent outdoors rather than in front of a TV or computer screen. Now, us kids are all adults and we take our kids for walks together. Had we not taken all those walks and invested the time in visiting, would those life long friendships still be the same?

"Sunsets and views. My mom likes to say that she never really stopped to watch the sun set until she met my Dad, so I can attribute my love of taking 10 minutes to watching the sun set to both of them I guess. Many times in the Summer and Fall we'd pile into the car for a little road trip after dinner and after a 20 minute ride end up finding a spot to watch the sun set with an ice cream cone. I think that might be the only time growing up that my siblings and I would sit still together for more than 5 minutes. My favorite time of day to drive is at sunset and as I've watched many gorgeous CNY sunsets on my drive home I can't help but remember all of those fun times with my family.

"So while my Dad may not have taken me camping, taught me how to build a fire (outside of the fire pit in our driveway) or to fish, it's the other moments that he spent with me outdoors and the memories he's given me through those experiences that makes me love being outdoors as much as I do."

Mary Kate Hartmann
Executive Director
Baltimore Woods Nature Center
4007 Bishop Hill Road - P.O. Box 133
Marcellus, NY 13108-0133

Any ideas??

Take care
Dave

I'm aware of the posted signs obviously but what if there are none?  I found a great spot (or at least I'm hoping so) for waterfowl hunting in my area but I'm not trying to piss anyone off by trespassing.

The swamp I have my eye on has about 3 duck nests spread out through it so I think it's a good spot to hunt.  

Here are some photos of the area to give you guys a better idea of what I'm talking about:

Photos 1 & 2 - the swamp

Photos 3 & 4 - an old hunting post with a ladder that's inaccessible due to age (looks like hunters once used this land at some point)

Photos 5 & 6 - an inaccessible (logging?) trail that's very overgrown with brush/fallen trees/moss

***It certainly looks like this location was once used but no longer anymore.  Is this a good sign?  Or can I expect trouble?  

Any input is really appreciated, as I'd like to get some spots marked down on my map for this season.

Yesterday, I just began researching the idea of hunting for food, not sport. I was hoping to get some feedback as how viable an option this is to other food hunters out there. I'm currently in a rural area (in Rensselaer county with quite a few hunting preserves around me), so I wouldn't need to travel too far to start. Obviously I would need the basic equipment, but I'm wondering how "easy" is to to successfully hunt? Do food hunters often find that the time spent isn't worth the pay off? Or, can it be worth it if you're not picky about what game (small vs large) you choose, process the meat yourself, and use decoy's etc? 

Anyway, I have two dogs right now that are on the raw diet. Also, for varying reasons at the moment, I need to stay on an extremely high animal protein organic only diet.

So, I was looking into this as another way to obtain organic meat at a possibly more cost effective means while also having a larger variety than what I can obtain at my local supermarket.

Any insight is appreciated! :-P 

John

Mother Nature never disappoints - particularly in Upstate New York.

There were a number of eye-opening entries for the 6th annual Wildlife Photography Contest. It was a tough call, but three stood out from the nearly 70 photos submitted by readers.

This year's winner is "Heron sunset," a stunning photo of a great blue heron sitting on top of a tree in a swampy area at the Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area in Baldwinsville.

"I was out shooting photos of cedar waxwings that evening, when suddenly I noticed the great sunset...and then the heron on top of the tree nearly 100 yards away," said Tony Carapella, of Baldwinsville. "I put on a telephoto lens, ran about 40 yards to center the bird in the sunset and was just able to snap just four photos before it flew away.

"I called my wife on the way home and told her I just got the shot of the century. I was stoked."

Second place this year went to Robert F. Cook, of Earlville, for his shot, "Who goes there?" Cook captured on film two Eastern screech owls peeking out of a hole on the side of a barn.

"A neighbor called me and said he had these two owls in his barn," Cook said. "I just sat across the road on his front porch about 50 yards away with my long, telephoto lens and just shot away. It was just down the road from my house. It was a lucky thing. I never see owls."

Cook also took third place honors with his "Playful coyotes" shot.

"There were four pups in my yard for about six week, eating berries off my mulberry tree," he said. "Nearly every day, I set up a blind from 6 to 9 a.m. and watched them play and run around. I took more than 1,000 photos. "

Other photos of note:

4). "Tired buck," shot by Tom Reimers of Ithaca

5). "Sitting still -- for now," shot by Laurel Butkins of Truxton

6). "Easy does it," by Lynn Cleveland of Frankfort Center, near Utica

7). "Albino squirrel," by Tom Bausterton of Rome

8). "Looking for lunch," by Laurel Butkins

9). "Alert coyote" by Robert F. Cook

10). "Gotcha ya!" by David Scheider of Liverpool

11). "Energetic ermine," by Lynn Cleveland

12). "You talking to me?" by Tom Baustert

13)."Big eyes," by Colby Bowman

14). "Listen up," by Clifford Hopkins

Congratulations to everyone whose photo was chosen and thanks to all who entered

-- David Figura

8).

http://huntervids.com/videos/young-whitetail-buck-surprise-visit/

First sighting (photo) for this year. Okay, I'm going to adjust the date stamp. Should read 06-05-13.

Thought a few of you might enjoy this

1st place: Bushnell 8 MP Trophy Cam Trail Camera

2nd place: $50 Credit for the HuntingNY.com store for HNY apparel.

3rd place: RealBullet.com 50 Caliber Pen, and 50 Caliber Bottle Opener

Geno’s Cabin Fever thread got me checking my tail camera photos and thinking about throwing up a quick contest pretty much anyone can enter. The 2013 Deer season is coming up fast, it will be here sooner than you think.  What is better than a brand spanking new Trail Camera to get out in the woods to get you in the mood along with some other great items.

Rules:  Post a reply on this thread below. ONE post per person. The post must include a picture of a deer you have either shot / harvested with a short blurb of the story behind it AND / OR a trail camera picture of a deer you saw, missed, wanted in the last few years with a short blurb of the story behind it.  As far as the short story, it can be a simple two sentence thing, or feel free to go into detail.

Can’t get any simpler than that.  Entries will be accepted up until Friday May 31st, 2013 at 11:59 ET.  The contest list will then be posted with all contestants along with a unique number assigned to each contestant. The winner will be picked LIVE via live stream (and recorded) during the first week in June, the numbers will be picked via a random number generator. (Thanks jessie.james for the idea) Every single member (and new member) is eligible (except me) as long as you follow the rules above and get that post in by the deadline!

Recap of prizes

1st Place:

Bushnell 8 MP Trophy Cam Trail Camera

The Bushnell 8 MP Trophy Cam Trail Camera (Brown Case) is water- and snow-resistant, functions quite well even in extreme temperatures (-5 to 140deg. F) and is ideal for shooting game and wild life. It can be quickly mounted on tree trunks, posts and other supports using the adjustable web belt provided. Recording high-quality still images at 8 MP with 1-second trigger speed, the trail camera also features Field Scan, a time lapse feature that clicks images at pre-set intervals ranging from 1 minute to 60 minutes.

Field Scan is not triggered by game and covers a long range (which may be out of the PIR range) and a large area as well. The adjustable PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor is motion-activated by movement of game at a distance of up to 45' (13.7 m). The camera simultaneously captures Field Scan images along with Live Trigger images and in multi-image mode it clicks up to 3 images per trigger. If you are looking for video, the Trophy Cam shoots Widescreen, VGA and QVGA clips, with audio capture making the experience vivid.

Night vision ability is up to 45' (13.7 m) and the 32 Black LEDs acting as an invisible flash prove their worth when visible flash is a game deterrent. The trophy cam shoots color videos during the day and B&W during the night. The B&W text LCD is meant for only displaying the menu text to help you with the setting and programming. Connect the trophy cam to an external monitor and you can watch several days of video footage in minutes using the variable speed playback feature.

Key Features and Specifications:

• Black and white text LCD display

• High-quality, 8-megapixel full-color image resolution

• Invisible nighttime flash with 32 LEDs

• Motion activated day/night PIR auto-sensor

• 45-foot flash and sensor range

• Adjustable PIR (Low/Medium/High)

• One second trigger speed

• Programmable trigger interval: one second to 60 minutes

• Multi-image mode: one to three images per trigger

• Widescreen, VGA, QVGA video resolution with audio

• Video length: programmable from one to 60 seconds

• Field Scan Time Lapse Mode with Simultaneous Live Trigger: takes images at pre-set intervals of one minute to 60 minutes, within the hours of your choice--at the same time as using the motion activated sensor.

• Weatherproof construction prevents rain from soaking in

• Temperature range: -5 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit

• Mounts with adjustable web belt and 1/4-20 socket

• SD card slot supports up to 32GB

• Power: 4 to 8 AA batteries (not included); external power compatible

• Battery Life: up to one year per batteries set

2nd Place:

$50 Credit to http://HuntingNY.com/store/ for use with all HuntingNY apparel -  hats, t-shirts, etc.

3rd Place:

RealBullet.com 50 Caliber Pen - > http://realbullet.com/pen/bullet-pen

Made from a real US Military 50 caliber BMG (Browning Machine Gun) bullet, this pen is just plain awesome. Takes standard BIC STIC disposable pen refill.

We are the direct manufacturers, all of our 50 caliber bullets are expertly polished. Please look for the REAL BULLET brand and be aware of low grade unpolished, poorly made imitations on the market.

and 50 Caliber Bottle Opener - > http://realbullet.com/bottle-openers/bullet-bottle-opener

A decommissioned real 50 caliber machine gun bullet (.50 BMG) with a sleek cut out for opening bottles. Made in USA by Real Bullet. Real Bullet brand ‘dummy’ or ‘decommissioned’ bullets are made from real bullet components but do not contain gun powder or an active primer. Real Bullet items are Safe, they will not explode and cannot be used in a firearm. Real Bullet items resemble live ammunition, so be aware and do not take them where live ammunition would not be permitted (school, airplane, etc.).

Make sure you check out Real Bullets website - > http://realbullet.com, they have some pretty neat stuff in addition to the items listed above.

Lets see some harvest pics or trail camera pictures along with a short story behind it! Reply to this thread with the attachment.