HuntingNY-News

The volunteers, who use their own boats and gas, will use pyrotechnics paid for by the Oneida Lake Association to harass the birds, but will not be allowed to shoot and kill them. A total of 50 volunteers have stepped forward to help. The state Department of Environmental Conservation for the fourth year in a row is coordinating a volunteer effort to harass cormorants on Oneida Lake. A new group of volunteers were trained Tuesday at the Cornell Biological Field Station in Bridgeport. The DEC is also permitting any volunteers from the past two years to participate in the hazing efforts without having to be retrained. However, all volunteers need to get new authorization forms from the DEC to participate, according Matt Snyder, an Oneida Lake Association board member. The volunteers, who use their own boats and gas, will use pyrotechnics paid for by the Oneida Lake Association to harass the birds, but will not be allowed to shoot and kill them. A total of 50 volunteers have stepped forward to help, Snyder said. "Volunteer hazing will be permitted during the month of September. There is no limit to the number of volunteers who can participate, provided they are trained," said Lori Severino, a DEC spokeswoman. "We will consider holding a second training session if interest warrants it." Severino added that DEC Fish and Wildlife staff from Regions 6 and 7, along with environmental conservation officers from both regions are planning some limited harassment efforts in August and more intensive efforts in September. "September hazing efforts by DEC staff will occur twice per week and we will also conduct cormorant counts once per week from late August through mid-October," she said. "To reduce the burden of coordinating the volunteer effort, DEC is allowing trained volunteers to conduct hazing efforts anytime during daylight hours Monday through Thursday during the month of September (excluding Labor Day). "Because we plan to conduct cormorant counts on Fridays, we are not permitting volunteer hazing to ensure the most accurate assessment of their numbers." DEC officials, as they've done in the past, will kill some of the birds and check their stomachs as part of a dietary study. "From what I understand the DEC is increasing their involvement some 50 percent in time and effort compared to last year," Snyder said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

They currently carpet the bottom of large sections of Lake Ontario and Erie and aggressively strip the hooks of bait fishermen. They've been spotted in recent years in Onondaga Lake and Cross Lake and in the Seneca and Oneida rivers. The state Department of Environmental Conservation this weekend confirmed that round gobies, an invasive fish species, are now in Cayuga Lake in "fairly high abundance." "The DEC has had credible reports of round gobies being captured by anglers from Cayuga Lake since the fall of 2010," said Lori Severino, a DEC spokeswoman. "This year we've had numerous reports of gobies in Cayuga Lake from both anglers and one experienced diver and we verified that a picture of a fish caught from the southern end of Cayuga was indeed a round goby. According to DEC Fisheries staff, it is safe to say that they are present in the lake and in fairly high abundance." John Gaulke, a fishing guide on the Finger Lakes who frequently is out on Cayuga, has not seen any gobies in the stomachs of lake trout he and his clients have caught. "I heard, though, from a bait shop owner that fishermen have been catching them the past month around Myers and Taughannock points," he said. Gaulke added that he and a friend went out afterward trying to catchone and the friend did catch one with worm around the north side of Myers Point. The bug-eyed, minnow-sized fish are a native of Russia. Fisheries biologists believe they arrived in the Great Lakes more than a decade ago in the ballast water of freighters. They feed on just about anything, including the eggs of native fish and zebra mussels. They currently carpet the bottom of large sections of Lake Ontario and Erie and aggressively strip the hooks of bait fishermen. They've been spotted in recent years in Onondaga Lake and Cross Lake and in the Seneca and Oneida rivers. Officials have been expecting them to move into Oneida Lake through the Oneida River. To date, there's been no confirmed reports of them in the lake. Fishery biologists at the Cornell Biological Field Station at Bridgeport on Oneida Lake have asked anyone who catches what appears to be a round goby to take pictures of it (get a top and bottom view), bring it home and freeze it for latter examination by the Field Station staff. For further information, call 633-9243. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

And what happened to all those bass that were weighed in at last weekend's Bass Pro Shops Northern Open in the parking lot of the Fingerlakes Mall? Readers are constantly asking me questions concerning the outdoors. Questions this week involved bobcats, wolves in the Adirondacks and the bass that were weighed in at last week's Bass Pro Shops Open in the parking lot at the Fingerlakes Mall. The following questions came from Gabel Hood: A bobcat.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mr. Figura - Your article on bobcats caught my attention this morning. I have been meaning to contact you about a "cat" I saw on my property in the town of Marcellus in April. I was looking out my picture window into my back lot (about 2 acres) when out of the woods a cat of some sort came walking towards the house. It was about 75' into my lot by the time I realized it was not a dog. It walked slow like a cat but was much to large to be a house cat. I got my binoculars and looked at the cat in the face and it looked just like a bobcat (or mabe a lynx?). What I don't get is that when it turned to walk away it did not have a bobed tail. It had a long tail that was up in the air. Do bobcats have a normal tail when they are young or are they born with a bobbed tail? I would love your thoughts on what I saw. Answer: Hmm... interesting. Not sure without seeing a picture. Meanwhile, the DEC has a section on their website dedicated to bobcats. Check it out. This came from Ray Kozloski: A gray wolf. Hi Dave, I have contacted you before regarding things I have observed while out hiking. Last weekend I was hiking in the Adirondacks. On saturday, I was on my way back to camp after Hiking "Giant Mt." I was driving n route 9N heading north toward upper Jay when I saw this animal run out of the woods onto the shoulder, stopped quickly when I drove within 20 yards of it and then dashed back into the woods. The whole observation took 3 seconds. My wife, grandson and I had been to the syracuse zoo on wednesday and the animal I observed looked just like the grey wolf at the zoo but only larger. Back at camp that night (I was camping in a in a remote section near Wilmington, NY just north of Whiteface Mt), about dusk I heard what sounded like baying wolves. I have heard this many times while hiking and camping in Alaska, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming. What I heard sounded just like the wolf calls I have heard many times before. My question is, are there wolves in the Adirondacks? Have sitings and sounds been heard before? It was really exciting to see and hear them. Any verification? A red wolf at the Burnett Zoo. Danielle Austen Answer: (I forwarded Ray's story to the state Department of Environmental Conservation). The response I got from DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino follows.... " It seems very likely what this person saw and heard were coyotes. As far as we know, we do not have wolves in NY, and consider them as extirpated from the state. "Coyotes in NY have been shown to contain a genetic component of red wolf, which they are thought to have picked up during their gradual eastern expansion into Ontario, Canada, and then south into northern NY. Thus the eastern coyote tends to be larger than the western coyote. However, genetically and behaviorally our animals are primarily coyotes, so we continue to call them that. There's a page on the DEC website that discusses coyotes that may be of use: "Roland Kays, formerly with the NYS Museum, investigated eastern coyotes a while ago. His findings were published in a popular article in the Pennsylvania Game News. That report is available from the NY State Museum's website." Finally, this question came from Judy Hyatt: Seth Felder, of Blooming, Minn., holds up a pair of nice bass at last weekend's Bass Pro Shops Northern Open.Scott Schild | [email protected] "Please tell me if the bass that were weighed at Bass Pro Shop in Auburn were returned to Oneida Lake or somewhere closer to Auburn." Answer: "Per Bassmaster rules, they were all returned alive back to Oneida Lake. Many of the anglers put ice in their livewells to keep the fish alive, in addition to chemical additives. After the weigh-in, the fish were put in a huge holding tank (it was located next to the stage) and transported back to the lake." See the bassmaster.com website for more on how they do it and the rules and regulations concerning keeping the fish alive. "Ask the Outdoors Guy" is an occasional column. Have a question you'd like answered about the outdoors? Send your queries to [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Even during the daytime," he added. Tom Bugaj, of DeWitt, said the deer activity in his backyard has been "pretty active" lately. "Even during the daytime," he added, submitting these three photos as proof. View full sizeTom Bugaj It looks like this guy might be interested in the upcoming "Urban Wildlife" panel discussion I've scheduled for this Thursday. Tom Bugaj View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The public is invited to the discussion, which will take place at the Media Group's new "Hub" There's no lions or tigers lurking in the wooded areas, fields and shrubs of Syracuse. Bears, though, are another story. They've been spotted in surrounding communities and as recently as this spring at Green Lakes State Park. In 2010, a 150-pound male appeared and was videotaped in the city's Valley neighborhood. In addition, the city has more than its share of deer, skunks, foxes, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, bats and Canada geese, among other animals. The Syracuse Media Group (Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard) is holding a panel discussion on the topic of "Urban Wildlife" from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Media Group's new "Hub" at 220 Warren Street in downtown Syracuse. The public is invited to attend. Panelists will include Steve Joule, the DEC's chief wildlife biologist from Region 7 and Al LaFrance, a nuisance wildlife removal specialist. The first half of the meeting will be dedicated to the subject of deer in the city, with the last half being dedicated to other animals. To attend, contact Janet Barone at 470-2275 or by email at [email protected]. Attendance will be limited to 40 persons. If you have a question for the panelists and are unable to attend, send your questions to [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

In recent months, the DEC has been conducting spot checks of campers transporting firewood and has burned more than a ton of confiscated wood. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has taken several extra steps recently to monitor and stop the spread of the emerald ash borer into Central New York. In recent months, the DEC has been conducting checks of campers transporting firewood and has burned more than a ton of confiscated wood. It hasn't worked. The local presence of the dime-sized, invasive species, which officials say has the potential to decimate ash tree populations, was confirmed last week in the town of Dewitt by an U.S. Department of Agriculture contractor. The contractor's field crews were checking the purple-colored, hanging traps in that area. It has since been found elsewhere in the county. For the past several years, one of the DEC's main strategies has been to try and stop the transportation of firewood from the 38 counties in generally the southern half and western half of the state where the the bug is known to exist to areas where it is not. In 2009, a regulation went into effect limiting the movement of untreated firewood (firewood that has not been heat-treated to kill pests) to no more than 50 miles from its source. An emerald ash borer trap.Dick Blume | [email protected] Untreated firewood from sources within state must be accompanied by a label, receipt or self-issued certificate stating its source. (The "Certificate of Source" form is on DEC's website.) In addition, untreated firewood cannot be moved into New York from other states. In late May and early June, DEC regional environmental conservation officers conducted details to check people transporting firewood from inside the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets quarantine area to areas outside. One detail was set up near the Pennsylvania border, and others in Onondaga, Oswego and Madison Counties, according to Wendy Rosenbach, a DEC regional citizen participation specialist. In addition to educating people on the transportation restrictions, 14 violations were found. In five instances, the sole violation was not having the self-issued source certificate. "In these cases, they were provided with a blank certificate and "educated on its use and allowed to fill it out and continue on their way, " Rosenbach said. In the remaining nine instances, the DEC "seized a little over 1.5 face cords of firewood because they were transporting ash from inside the quarantine area of areas outside. One ticket was issued and the rest received warnings. Of the confiscated firewood, Rosenbach said, "a little over a ton was incinerated at the Oswego County Energy Recovery Facility and a smaller portion was disposed of (chipped then composted) as the Onondaga County Green Waste plant in Jamesville." Rosenbach added that DEC seasonal Forest Health field crews are in the Syracuse area checking emerald ash borer traps put out by the DEC of a "targeted, high-risk community EAB survey" and checking around the city for signs of possible emerald ash borer attacks on ash trees. Signs include woodpecker damage to tree trunks, crown dieback and excessive sprouting. She concluded that in addition to the DEC, several other groups (SUNY ESF, the city of Syracuse, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Onondaga County Emerald Ash Borer Task Force are working on efforts to keep the buy at bay. According to a map on the DEC website, emerald ash borers have been found in traps in 38 counties in the state (none in the Adirondacks) and full-fledged infestations have been detected in 10. For more on the emerald ash borer, see DEC website at dec.ny.gov. Read what an expert says about what individual property owners can do. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

She caught the fish after hooking a sunfish on a worm and the bass went after and took the sunfish. Yuna Wheeler, 9, of Liverpool, proudly holds up an 18-inch largemouth bass she caught recently at the Skaneateles Conservation Area pond. She caught the fish after hooking a sunfish on a worm and the bass went after and took the sunfish, according to her grandfather, William Southern. The fish was released after this photo was taken. Submissions for "Catch (Trophy) of the Week" should be sent to [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<p> Cuomo also announced the 'Governor's Challenge,' a fishing competition featuring "the governor, elected officials from New York State and some of the biggest names in professional fishing" will be held at the same time. </p> <p>Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and B.A.S.S. today announced a Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament will be held next fall on one of the Finger Lakes.</p> <p>The lake and date of the tournament was not mentioned. B.A.S.S. officials could not be reached this morning to confirm Cuomo's statement, which came out in a press release from his office. The 2014 Elite Series schedule has not been released yet.. </p> <p>A likely location is Cayuga Lake, where B.A.S.S.-sponsored Northern Open competitions have been held as recently as last year.</p> <p><a href="http://www.bassmaster.com/blogs/2013-st-lawrence-river-live-blog/new-york-governor-stops-elite-event">The governor made the announcement today at the Bassmaster 2013 Elite Series Evan Williams Bourbon Showdown, which began today and finishes Sunday on the St. Lawrence River in Waddington.</a></p> <p>According to the governor's press release: "Under a partnership with B.A.S.S., the event will include the 'Governor's Challenge,' a fishing competition featuring the governor, elected officials from New York State, and some of the biggest names in professional fishing, to highlight and promote the state's many fishing and vacation opportunities.</p> <p>"The Governor's Challenge will be held next fall in the Finger Lakes to attract visitors to the Upstate region and boost the local economy," the release said. ""The event will feature a tournament, fishing demonstrations, and a banquet."</p> <p>The release stated:</p> <p>"In conjunction with the Governor's Challenge, B.A.S.S. will also hold a Bassmaster Elite Series event. As part of this partnership, B.A.S.S. will provide a promotional media campaign that will feature these two events as well as the many fishing opportunities and destinations all across New York State."<br /> <br />Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S., is quoted as saying, "B.A.S.S. is pleased to join with Governor Cuomo and the state of New York in promoting the great fisheries and vacation destinations all across the state. We have held numerous tournaments throughout our 43-year history and look forward to increasing our presence in the coming years. Our partnership with the governor is a great way to showcase all of what New York has to offer to anglers from around the world, and with this announcement, we invite them to join us next year for what will surely be an exciting event in the Empire State."</p> <p>According to the press release: "New York State is home to an estimated 1.88 million anglers, and New York's sport fishing industry generates an estimated $1.8 billion in economic activity annually, supporting nearly 17,000 jobs. </p> <p>"The tourism industry is the fifth largest employer in New York State. A recent report by Tourism Economics showed that in 2012, traveler spending generated $92 billion in business sales in New York - an increase of 6% from 2011. Tourism also supported more than 714,000 jobs with total income of $29 billion."<br /> </p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<p> A meeting is set for 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 27 at the refuge's visitor's center. </p> <p><br /><strong>The following is a press release:</strong></p> <p>In February 2013, the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge released its Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Refuge Hunt Program Environmental Assessment.</p> <p>These documents incorporated changes management plans to make to the refuge's hunt program. The refuge is part of the greater Montezuma Wetlands Complex-- a partnership between the refuge, the NYS DEC Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area, the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, Montezuma Audubon Center, Ducks Unlimited,</p> <p>The Nature Conservancy, and private landowners, working together to restore and manage historic wetlands, as well as grass, shrub and forest areas. Within the Complex, damage to wildlife habitat caused by deer is obvious and increasing; refuge biologists believe changes to the hunt program can allay some of that damage. </p> <p>"As we go forth to implement changes to our hunt program, we're looking for hunter input," says Visitor Services Manager, Andrea VanBeusichem, via an open meeting on Tuesday, August 27. </p> <p>The public, particularly the deer-hunting public, is invited to attend an information and brainstorming meeting with staff from the refuge, the DEC and the Montezuma Audubon Center from 7 on Tuesday, August 27, 7 -9 PM, at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 3395 U.S. Route 20 East, Seneca Falls, NY 13148. </p> <p>Advance registration is required by calling the refuge office at 315/568-5987 or email <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p> <p>To view the Final CCP, go to<a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Montezuma/what_we_do/finalccp.htm"> the refuge's website:</a></p> <p>Chapter 4, Hunting information starts on page 4-41. Appendix E is Refuge Hunt Program Environmental Assessment.</p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Afterward, he plans to go fishing with a guide on the river. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is scheduled to hold a press conference and make an announcement this morning at the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the St. Lawrence River in Waddington. The 10 a.m. press conference was set for Whittaker Park Boat Launch. Afterward, Cuomo planned to take the river with an unidentified guide to try his hand at fishing for bass. Cuomo was initially slated to fish with B.A.S.S. tournament director Chris Bowes, an angler with local roots who now lives in Florida. Bowes graduated from Westhill High School and was a member of the Salt City Bassmasters club. Plans for Bowes to take the governor out were scrapped for unexplained reasons late Wednesday morning. The Elite Series competition on the St. Lawrence River, which concludes Sunday, features 99 Elite Series bass fishing pros from across the country including the 14 who participated in last weekend's Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on Oneida Lake. The winner of the St. Lawrence River tournament will win $100,000. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The fees remain unchanged. The new license structure and fees (including fishing licenses being valid for one year from the day of purchase) that were approved earlier this year as part of the state budget will not take effect until Feb. 1, 2014. New hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for the 2013-2014 season go on sale across the state Monday. The current fees apply. The new license structure and fees (including fishing licenses being valid for one year from the day of purchase) approved earlier this year as part of the state budget will not take effect until Feb. 1, 2014. "Annual licenses purchased this fall (and those up to Feb. 1, 2014)," will be valid through Sept. 30, 2014," said Peter Constankas, acting director of public information for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. "Hunting and trapping licenses purchased on or after Feb. 1 will be valid until Aug. 31, 2014," he added. "Fishing licenses purchased on or after Feb. 1 will be valid for one year after date of purchase." Constantakes said sportsmen statewide last year purchased 507,801 hunting licenses, 823,478 fishing licenses and 33,873 trapping licenses. In the DEC's Region 7, there were 75,303 hunting licenses, 113,154 fishing licenses and 4,863 trapping licenses bought. He said these licenses will once again be available for purchase at this year's state fair. "Yes, every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Same as last year," he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Fishing continues to be slow this time of year on Salmon River. CNY FISHING REPORT LAKE ONTARIO The shifting wind direction has made the thermocline "jump around". One day it may be as shallow as 50 feet and then down to 70 feet the next day. Chinook salmon are being taken 60-80 feet down over 150-200 feet of water. Good baits continue to be spoons, flashers and cut-bait, flashers and whole alewives, and flashers and flies. Green and white are continuing to be productive colors. Anglers are getting baits down with variety of methods such as wire and Dipsey divers (about 250-300 feet back), copper (600 feet) and downriggers. Water fleas are still a nuisance so check lines often, try flea flicker line or a heavier pound test monofilament. The brown trout bite has slowed, but some are still being caught in 60-80 feet of water. SALMON RIVER Fishing is slow on the river, which is usual for this time of year. But, there are a few Atlantic salmon and Skamania strain steelhead being taken in the upper river. The lower river is yielding some smallmouth bass and rock bass. OSWEGO RIVER Walleye are hitting on stickbaits or night crawlers and smallmouth bass are biting crankbaits, minnows, crayfish and spinnerbaits. Catfish and sheephead (freshwater drum) are hitting on crayfish or night crawlers. ONEIDA LAKE Walleye fishing continues to be very good. Many are being caught in deep water (18-30 feet) around Buoys 121 to 130. Good baits have been black & purple bucktail jigs tipped with night crawler, blade baits and perch-colored stickbaits, along with Dixie spinners. Pickerel are being caught in good numbers on the lake. Bass fishing has been good, particularly for anglers using topwater lures and spinnerbaits. CAYUGA LAKE Weeds and water fleas continue to make trolling more difficult on the lake. Using flea flicker line or going to a heavier pound test line (25-30#) helps some with the fleas, as does using a trolling method where your line is running more horizontal than vertical. For example: using wire and Dipsey diver instead of a downrigger. Vertical jigging is also an option instead of trolling if fleas become to aggravating. Trolling down 70-100 feet over 80-120 feet of water with spoons or flasher and flies, fished off downriggers, copper wire, or Dipsey divers is still working for lake trout. Vertical jigging is also working for lake trout in 85-95 feet of water. Atlantic salmon and some brown trout are being taken on spoons fished 35-55 feet down over 60-120 feet of water. Bass and panfish are being caught on the north end in 10-15 feet of water. Round gobies are now being caught in the lake. This invasive species are bottom- orientated fish and can be distinguished from native species by their fused suction-cup like ventral fins. If fishing with live bait, like night crawlers, raise baits 18-24 inches off bottom to avoid the bait-steeling gobies. SENECA LAKE Water fleas and weed mats are still making trolling difficult (see Cayuga Lake above for suggestions on dealing with the fleas). Trolling down 50-65 feet with downriggers, or with wire and Dipsey divers is producing a mixed bag of brown and rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon and even some lake trout. Lake trout are also being taken 90-120 feet down over 120-250 feet of water on spoons and flasher and flies. Running Dipseys back 250-285 feet has been a good starting point. Vertical jigging in 95-115 feet of water with plastics is also working for the lake trout. OWASCO LAKE Fleas and weed mats are still making trolling more difficult on the lake (see Cayuga Lake above for suggestions on dealing with the fleas). Anglers trolling down 50-60 feet over 120-150 feet of water, with spoons or flasher and flies are getting some lake trout, along with an occasional rainbow trout. OTISCO LAKE Some walleye are still being taken by anglers trolling down 25-30 feet on crankbaits, stickbaits or worm harnesses. A few brown trout are also being taken by anglers trolling stickbaits or spoons at the same depths. Look for bass near shore and along the weed edges. A variety of baits should work this time of year from spinnerbaits, jigs, and plastics to topwaters. SKANEATELES LAKE Young of the year (YOY) yellow perch are getting large enough, around 3/4 inch, that trout and salmon are starting to feed on them. Fishing small spoons or stickbaits down 35-50 feet has been working for lake trout. Smallmouth bass are being taken on tube jigs, stick worms (Senko style baits) and drop-shot rigs in 5-25 feet of water. SANDY POND: Fishing has slowed down on the pond, but fishing early or late in the day is still producing some walleye, panfish and largemouth bass. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Bass continue to be caught in deeper water, getting as deep as 45 feet down. Best bait has been crayfish. Northern pike bite continues to be strong. Many successful anglers are using minnows, fishing in the weeds in 15 to 25 feet of water. SODUS BAY Panfish are being taken on small jigs, minnows and worms. Bass fishing has been good on Senko style baits and weed less frogs. A few northern pike are being taken on large minnows. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR The lake level has come down. The walleye bite had been good for anglers fishing worm harnesses, jigs and crankbaits. White crappie and smallmouth bass fishing has also been good. Try fishing small minnows and jigs for the crappies and crankbaits for the bass. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

- I'm holding an hour-long panel discussion on Aug. 15 with a DEC, SUNY ESF and a nuisance wildlife specialist at the newspaper on the subject of "Urban Wildlife." Stay tuned for more information. The summer is flying by. New York State on Monday will begin selling hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for the the 2013-2014 season. I'm also working this week and the next on the following: - A village in Westchester County is planning a different approach to controlling the explosive white-tailed deer population. Rather than declare open season on the animals, Highwater-on-Hudson intends to capture and inject female white-tailed deer with a contraceptive made from pigs' ovaries. Urban deer continue to be a problem locally and sterilization is often brought up as an option by those who oppose hunting or other lethal approaches to the problem. What has been the track record of other sterilization efforts across the state? - I'm holding an hour-long panel discussion on Aug. 15 with a DEC, SUNY ESF and a nuisance wildlife specialist at the newspaper on the subject of "Urban Wildlife." Half of the discussion will be dedicated to deer .....the other half to other animals (skunks, possums, bats, coyotes, etc..). More information to come. Other subjects: - CNY shoreline fishing hot spots . Thinking about doing a piece on public piers that stretch out into the Fingerlakes (Ones at Skaneateles, Owasco and Seneca lakes.. are there any on Cayuga?) - Great CNY canoeing/kayaking stretches - Panfish lesson: How do tell a sunny, from a bluegill, from a pumpkinseed? - High-quality,high-comfort camping for those who don't like to rough it. - The CNY triathlon culture. Triathlons, and the people who do them, are a big thing and more and more people are getting into them. - An update on the Cornell Ornithology lab and its most recent compilation of recordings of more than 4,000 bird calls from across the world. - Which fishing rod do you use for bass fishing? The choices today are numerous and ever-growing. - The Cornell Vet School emergency room, and all the strange cases of domestic and wild animals that it deals with on a daily basis. 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected] 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. - - View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He caught it on a rubber worm while drift fishing. Marty Brunner, of Syracuse, caught this 19-inch smallmouth bass while fishing in the St. Lawrence river near Cape Vincent. He caught it on a rubber worm while drift fishing. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Pathfinder continues to lead the Northern Division. Pompey is at the top of the Southern Division. CENTRAL NEW YORK TRAP LEAGUE Results from Week 17 (Aug. 6.) NORTHERN DIVISION TOAD HARBOR (200) AT NORTH SPORTSMAN (188) SOUTH SHORE (199) AT PATHFINDER (200) CENTRAL SQUARE (bye) SOUTHERN DIVISION THREE RIVERS (191) AT POMPEY (200) CAMILLUS (193) AT DEWITT (191) SKANEATELES (200) AT BRIDGEPORT (200) NORTH DIVISION STANDINGS PATHFINDER 24 points, 2577 clays TOAD HARBOR 23 points, 2777 clays SOUTH SHORE 14 points, 2748 clays CENTRAL SQUARE 6 points, 2543 clays NORTH SPORTSMAN 1 point 2439 clays SOUTH DIVISION STANDINGS POMPEY 26 points, 3324 clays CAMILLUS 25 points, 3335 clays SKANEATELES 21 points, 3349 clays THREE RIVERS 18 points, 3269 clays BRIDGEPORT 12 points, 3306 clays DEWITT 0 points, 3205 clays 25s (Shooters who hit 25 out of 25 clays. Where 100s and 50s are indicated, that means the shooter hit 25 out of 25 on four and two weeks in a row, respectively.) BRIDGEPORT 25'S VINCE VALOIS, MIKE BLOSS, CATHY BARNEY, DOUG CARR, DAVE FARKAS, JOE ST. PIERRE, CHUCK LADUE CAMILLUS 50'S LEN KALLFELZ CENTRAL SQUARE BYE DEWITT 25'S MARTY DIAMOND, PETER CATALANO JR. , RICK KENYON NORTH SPORTSMAN 75'S GARY RIZZO, 25'S GREG JONES PATHFINDER 25'S DAVE KILMARTIN, CLAUDIA JENKS, DAN GREGORY, DON MATTISON, TODD LUND, PAUL CLARKE, DENNIS CHILLSON, KRIS KIMBALL POMPEY 50'S RALPH BARKER, WAYNE WILCOX, 25'S TODD WAY, JEFF CAIN, MARSH TALOR, ERIC STROUP, DAVE NAVIN, MARV JILLSON,ROB ZGARDZINSKI, RICK MARCY, MIKE LATOCHA, ED BAKER SKANEATELES 100 DAVE BEAN, 25'S BRIAN PERKINS,JIM FELLOWS, TED KOCHANEK, RODGER ELLIOTT, DAVE BARRON, SKY GRAHAM, TOM MAIN SOUTH SHORE 50'S DICK MARTIN, 25'S MARC W. YOUNG, DON WELLS, JOANNA BISHOP, RICH ASHLEY, DENISE MINTURN, ADAM VANHOSSEN THREE RIVERS NONE TOAD HARBOR 100 CRAIG CHESBRO, 50'S BOB TARCZA, NICK RANALL, DON SADUE, 25'S PHIL MAITLAND, RICH KISSEISTEIN, MIKE HEAPHY, GLENN ADAMS, JOE MACEWICZ, GEORGE BACKAS, KIETH CHESBRO, ANDREW DITCH, JAROD GIBBS Results courtesy of Dick Masterpole View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

She caught it on a worm. Mersadiz Hayes, 17, of Syracuse. is all smiles as she holds up a 16-inch yellow perch she caught recently while fishing on Skaneateles Lake. She caught it on a worm and released it after the photo was taken. Hayes was fishing at the time with her friend, Nicole DeAngelis and her father, Mark, both of Syracuse. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The Great Race takes place Sunday morning at Emerson Park, at the northern end of Owasco Lake. The highlight of this weekend's events is the annual Great Race, a team-triathlon event that takes place Sunday morning at Emerson Park on the northern end of Owasco Lake. Runners and triathletes can also take their pick of 4 and 5K races on Saturday, along with a sprint triathlon and aquabike (bike and swim) event in Cazenovia. This weekend's races 1). Third Annual Camillus Rotary "Mule Skinner" 5K run at Towpath Days. Race begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Camillus Firehouse on Newport Road. For more, see csgrotary.org . 2). The Valley Nature in the City Run/Walk. Begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Meachem Field, West Seneca Turnpike in Syracuse. This 4-mile run takes you through the Valley neighborhood and includes a unique 1-mile portion of trails through an urban forest known as the Rand Tract. Includes a separate, 2-mile, family fun walk. For more information or to register, see register.finishright.com. 3). The Great Race XXXVI, begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Emerson Park, on Route 34B, in Owasco, at the northern end of Owasco Lake. This popular, team triathlon relay event features races for four-person teams (runner, cyclist and two canoeists), three-person teams (runner, cyclist and kayaker) and tandem teams (runner, cyclist and then both competitors canoe). For more, see great-race.com. 4). Cazenovoia Triathlon and Aquabike. The action begins at 7 a.m. Sunday at Lakeside Park on East Lake Road (about ½ mile north of Route 20 in Cazenovia). The event will include both sprint & intermediate triathlon & aquabike (just bike and swim) distances. Registration deadline is 11:59 p.m. Thursday. The races start at 7 a.m. Sunday. For more, see cnytriathlon.org. Last weekend's results 1). Manlius Mile and Bryan's "Grizzly" 5K. Races were held Saturday at Mill Run Park, Manlius. For results of the Manlius Mile and 5K races, see leonetiming.com. 5). Athleta Iron Girl Syracuse Triathlon. Held Sunday at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton. For final results, see irongirl.com. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The victory was sealed with an 11th hour flurry of catches. Rochester area angler Jim Bianchi nailed down a victory today in the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on Oneida Lake with an 11th hour flurry of catches. Bianchi's victory came together thanks to three good days of catches, topped off by today's 5-fish bag that weighed 17 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned him $6,400, plus a Skeeter boat, Yamaha motor package and trailer, worth more than $40,000.The awards ceremony was held this afternoon in the parking lot in front of the Bass Pro Shops store at the Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius. Tracy Adams, of Wilkesboro, N.C., took second, with a total weight of 49 pounds, 4 ounces, followed by Jacob Powroznik, of Prince Grove, Va., was third with 48 pounds, 6 ounces. Bianchi, who lives in Rush, said one of his hot spots was discovered when he boated a big bass with "a bunch of weeds attached to it. View full sizeJim Bianchi, of Rush, winner of the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open, holds up a nice smallmouth bass and largemouth bass that he boated during today's final day on Oneida Lake.David Figura | [email protected] "In those weeds were thousand of tiny crayfish as soon as I saw that, I knew there were bass in there. Either the crayfish had just spawned and the bass were feeding on (the parents), or the bait fish were feeding on the small crayfish. It was very isolated, a very small area and there were a pile of fish there - 90 percent largemouth," he said. It was at that spot he boated the majority of fish on Day 2, he said. His 19- pound, four- ounce bag - the largest turned in by an angler in the three-day tournament -- propelled him into the lead that day. Bianchi said he had a couple of other favorite areas and saved one for the remaining two hours of the competition today. He said he didn't hit it Day 1 or Day 2. "About noon and 1 a.m., that's when the smallmouth get going. I told my partner we need to go to this area," he said. " We went there and I pulled in a 4-pound smallie, a 4 ½ pound largemouth and a 3- pound smallie at the end of the day. "Before I had those three I figured I had a shot at it. When I boated those three I knew I had it." He said his two key baits were " a jig and finesse rig, drop shot. " The largest fish of the tournament was a 5-pound, six pound largemouth caught on Friday by Kenny Garippa, of Tobyhanna, Pa. He landed the lunker on a green, pumpkin seed-colored Senko worm with black flake. Garippa, who turned in an impressive bag of all largemouths that same day, weighing a total of 19 pounds, three ounces. However, he did not qualify for Saturday's final after a poor showing on the first day. Tom Hill, of Lexington, Ky., won the co-anglers division, in addition to catching the biggest fish in that division.David Figura | [email protected] Tom Hill of Lexington, Ky, grabbed the co-angler title, combining a total weight of 27 pounds, 12 ounces over the three days. (The pros were allowed to weight five fish each day; the co-anglers, three.) With his victory, Hill won a Nitro bass boat, powered by a Mercury motor, along with a trailer. Christopher Hill, of Clarks Summit, Pa., finished second behind Hall, with a total of 27 pounds, 4 ounces, followed by Jason Shipton, of Muncey, Pa. with 27 pounds, 3 ounces. Hill also won the Carhardtt Big Bass award for his division -- a 4 pound, 11-ounce largemouth that he caught on the second day. The fish earned him an additional $500. The bait? "A Texas- rigged, green pumpkin- colored brush hog," he said. Liverpool's Brian Kelly led the co-angler division after Day 1, turned in the heaviest bag among the co-anglers (10 pounds, seven ounces) and made today's final. However, he had a bad day today and got skunked. He finished 11th overall. "As a co-angler, you have to adjust to who you're fishing with and today we were fishing for largemouth," he said. "I only had one largemouth bite and it popped off." The tournament started Thursday morning with 162 boats containing two angler each - a pro and a co-angler. The field was trimmed to the top 12 in each division for today's final. In total, about $250,000 in cash and prizes were handed out. For final results from Day 3, see syracuse.com/outdoors. For more, see bassmaster.com. PRO ANGLERS (Winning totals include cash and equipment) 1. Jim Bianchi, Rush, NY , 52-07, $47,412 2. Tracy Adams, Wilkesboro, NC, 49-04, $16,416 3. Jacob Powroznik, Prince Grove, VA, 48-06, $12,312 4. Jamey Caldwell , Carthage, NC, 48-01, $11,016 5. Mike Morrin, Seneca Falls, NY, 47-1, $9,612 6. Michael Iaconelli, Pitts Grove, NJ, 46-14, $8,208. 7. Paul Malone, Pleasant Valley, IA, 46-08, $6,912 8. Chris Daves, Hopewell, VA, 45-14, $5,508 9. Eddie Levin, Westerville, OH, 45-07, $4,104 10. Seth Feider, Bloomington, MN, 42-09, $3,780 11. Scott Canterbury, Springville, AL, 41-15, $3,456 12. James Niggemeyer , Van, TX, 41-02, 3,240 CO-ANGLERS (Winning totals include cash and equipment) 1. Tom Hill, Lexington, KY, 27-12, $25,500 2. Christopher Hall, Clarks Summit, PA, 27-04, $5,292 3. Jason Shipton , Muncy, PA, 27-03, $3,996 4. Vince Lawyer , Webster, NY, 26-01, $2,700 5. Shawn Phipps, Fredericksburg, VA, 25-09, $2,484 6. Destin Demarion, Grove City, PA, 24-06, $2,376 7. Kenny Woods , Oneida, KY, 24-05, 2,268 8. Thomas Hajjar, Philadelphia, PA, 21-07, $2,160 9. Stephen Collins, Hastings CANADA , 21-03, $2,052 10. Joesph Simko, Swoyersville, PA , 20-15, $1,836 11. Brian Kelly, Liverpool, NY, 19-05, $1,870 12. Chad Valentine, Rome, NY, 19-01, $1,512 View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<p> More than 50 competitors, ages 3 to 17 from across the state, are competing in the day-long event with their dogs. </p> <div id="asset-13188158" class="entry_widget_large entry_widget_right"><span class="adv-photo-large"><img src="/static/common/img/blank.gif" class="lazy" data-original="http://media.syracuse.com/outdoors/photo/13188158-large.jpg" class="adv-photo" alt="coongood.jpg" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption">Bella Hillman, 7, of Oswego, with her coonhound, PR Bella's Rockstar.</span><span class="byline">David Figura | [email protected]</span></span></span> </div> <p>The sound of baying coonhounds filled the air this morning at the Redfield Fish and Game Club in Redfield.</p> <p>It was the New York State United Kennel Club's Youth Championships. More than 50 competitors, ages 3 to 17 from across the state, are competing in the day-long event with their dogs.</p> <p>"It's not like going to the Westminster Dog Show, which consists of just parading dogs around and making them look pretty," said Don Hillman, of Oswego, chairman of the event and board member at the club. "There's a saying the UKC has, 'Real dogs for real people."</p> <p>The UKC recognizes 17 different breeds of coonhounds, Hillman said. Many were represented at Saturday's event. The competition today features field trials, a swim race, a bench show and a full-fledged night hunt.</p> <p>The first event is the field trials, which consisted of dropping three to four competitors at a time and their dogs one third of a mile away. The hounds were released and timed as they followed a scent trial laid down by event staff dragging a raccoon urine-soaked shirt on a rope on the ground. At the end of the trail was a caged, scented fake raccoon in a tree. </p> <p>The bench trials consisted of showing the dogs. The swim race provided a lot of action, pitting the dogs against each other on the fish and game club's small pond. The dogs were required to swim the length of the pond, pursuing a caged, fake and scented raccoon hanging from a rope.</p> <p>The final scheduled event of the day is the night hunt, with dogs being judged by their ability get on the track and tree a real live raccoon at night. Miller said the young competitors would be taken to locations throughout Oswego and Jefferson counties beginning at 7 p.m.</p> <p>Some of the entrants wouldn't be finished for the day until after midnight, Miller said. </p> <p>Every competitor, he added, will get a door prize and a trophy "to make sure everyone gets something to take home with them." The top 10 finishers in points will qualify to the UKC's national coonhound competition next year.</p> <p>Bella Hillman, 7, who is Don Hillman's granddaughter, has been competing in these types of competitions for four years. She came today with her plott hound, PR Bella's Rockstar.</p> <p>"She named that dog before it was born," the grandfather said.</p> <p>Tyler Coonrod, 6, of Rome, was at the championships with his English coonhound, Winchester's Macks.</p> <p>"I like seeing my dog tree a coon," he said.</p> <p>Hillman said once that happens, the sound a coonhound makes is unmistakable.</p> <p>"Once a dog is on a tree, it will bark 120 to 130 times a minute," he said. "They get into a good chop and it sounds like a machine gun going off."<br /></p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The field today was reduced to 12 pro and 12 co-anglers for the final day of fishing on Saturday. The final weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at the Bass Pro Shops store in the Fingerlakes Mall. The second day of the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open bass fishing tournament on Oneida Lake saw two Upstate New Yorkers rise to first and second in the overall standings. It also saw the overall field, which started off Thursday morning with 162 boats carrying two anglers each, reduced to the top 12 pros and co-anglers for the final day of competition on Saturday. Jim Bianchi, of Rush (near Rochester), turned in an impressive, five-fish bag of all largemouths weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces to take over the top spot in the pro standings. His total overall weight is 35 pounds. In second is Mike Morrin, of Seneca Falls, whose five-fish bag today weighed 16 pounds, 7 ounces. He's slightly more then two pounds off the lead with a total of 32 pounds, 15 ounces. Tracy Adams, of Wilkesboro, N.C., who was in second after the first day, dropped to third with a total weight on 32 pounds, 7 ounces. Tied for third with the same weight is Jacob Powroznik, of Prince Grove, Va. Elite Series pro Mike Iaconelli, of Pitts Grove, NJ, is concentrating on catching smallmouth bass in this tournament.David Figura | [email protected] Bianchi's second day showing was an eye-opener, as many anglers, including Elite Series Pro Mike Iaconelli, of Pitts Grove, NJ, who finished Day 2 in eighth place, were talking down the largemouth bite on the lake for this tournament. The lake's ever-shifting alge bloom has messed up many prime fishing areas in the shallow waters off shore. Many anglers said they were concentrating on the deeper waters. "The largemouth (fishing) seems real funky to me," Iaconelli said. "The first day I tried fishing three straight hours for largemouths and didn't get a fish, and then switched to fishing exclusively for smallmouths. He predicted "this will be won with all smallmouths." Bianchi begs to differ. He said he caught his 5-fish bag before 10 a.m. and then backed off the area where he caught them, saving it for Saturday's final. He declined to say what he was using, other than he was fishing in 11-15 feet of water and "flipping." The largest fish of the day, and the tournament for that matter, is a 5-pound, six pound largemouth caught today by, Kenny Garippa, of Tobyhanna, Pa. He landed the lunker on a green, pumpkin seed-colored Senko worm with black flake. Garippa, who turned in a nice bag of all largemouths weighing a total of 19 pounds, three ounces, however, did not qualify for Saturday's final after a poor showing on the first day. The pros are allowed to weigh five fish each day; the co-anglers, three On the co-angler side today, Kenny Woods, of Oneida, Ky., took the lead with a total weight of 19 pounds, 7 ounces. Following close behind In second is Brian Kelly, of Liverpool, with 19 pounds, 5 ounces. Tied for third is Tom Hill, of Lexington, Ky., and Thomas Hajjar, of Philadelphia, Pa., both with a total weight of 19 pounds, 2 ounces. The action picks up again on Oneida, with the final weigh-in scheduled for 3 p.m. in the parking lot in front of the Bass Pro Shops store in the Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius. The winning pro angler will get $6,400 plus a Skeeter boat and a Yamaha motor package, plus a trailer, worth more than $40,000. The winning co-angler will get a Nito boat, powered by a Mercury motor, along with a trailer. For more on the tournament, including complete results, a blog featuring photos and comments from participating anglers, see bassmaster.com. Below is a list of the those anglers who qualified for Saturday's final: PRO ANGLERS 1. Jim Bianchi, Rush, NY, 35-00 2. Mike Morrin, Seneca Falls, 32-15 3. Tracy Adams , Wilkesboro, NC, 32-07 4. Jacob Powroznik, Prince Grove, Va., 32-07 5. Jamey Caldwell, Carthage, NC , 32-05 6. Chris Daves, Hopewell, Va., 31-11 7. Paul Malone, Pleasant Valley, IA, 31-03 8. Michael Iaconelli, Pitts Grove, NJ, 31-03 9. Eddie Levin, Westerville, OH, 30-13 10. Seth Feider, Bloomington, Minn., 30-09 11. Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 30-08 12. James Niggemeyer, Van, TX , 30-03 CO-ANGLERS 1. Kenny Woods, Oneida, Ky, 19-07 2. Brian Kelly , Liverpool, NY, 19-05 3. Tom Hill, Lexington, KY, 19-02 4. Thomas Hajjar, Philadelphia, PA., 19-02 5. Chad Valentine, Rome, NY , 19-01 6. Shawn Phipps, Fredericksburg, Va., 18-11 6. Jason Shipton, Muncy, PA., 18-11 8. Joseph Simko, Swoyersville, Pa., 18-07 9. Destin Demarion, Grove City, PA , 18-06 10. Christopher Hall, Clarks Summit, PA, 18-05 11. Stephen Collins, Hastings, Canada, 18-00 12. Vince Lawyer, Webster, NY, 17-15 View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Bobcats are usually illusive animals and many Central New York residents have never seen one. State Department of Environmental Conservation officials recently investigated an incident involving a rabid bobcat in the town of Nichols in Tioga County. According to Linda Vera, a DEC spokeswoman, the DEC was first made aware of the situation on July 25. On the previous day, Darryl Seward, 65, was reportedly bitten by the animal. The next day, Vera said, the animal attacked a dog owned by Douglas Cornell, 51, and Cornell ended up shooting and killing the bobcat. Vera said an environmental conservation officer was called to the scene and confiscated the carcass. DEC staff made arrangements "to have the animal tested by our Wildlife Health Program partners at Cornell University's Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory. In addition to testing for rabies, Wildlife Health Program staff typically conduct a full analysis of the specimen." In addition to testing positive for rabies, the bobcat had "several porcupine quills protruding from the face," Vera said. Bobcats are usually illusive animals and many Central New York residents have never seen one. According to the DEC website, bobcats are about twice the sized of a domestic cat and usually smaller than the Canadian lynx. "Their fur is dense, short, and soft and is generally shorter and more reddish in the summer and longer and more gray in the winter. Spotting occurs in some bobcats and is faded in others. The face has notable long hairs along the cheeks and black tufts at the tops of each ear," the website said. On the average, the males are roughly one-third larger than the females and both sexes can weigh more than 30 pounds. Vera said although reports of rabid bobcats are rare, a handful of such cases have been reported to Region 7. Based on all available information, the bobcat population "is healthy and expanding" in Region 7. Late last year, the DEC completed a 5-year, statewide bobcat management plan. The plan provides "direction and oversight for sustaining or enhancing the abundance of utilization of bobcats throughout the state. The plan calls for continued trapping and hunting of bobcats, and proposes new or expanded seasons in some areas, while also improving monitoring programs to ensure that the population remains at or above its current level in the state." For more, see dec.ny.gov. Although reports of rabid bobcats are rare, a handful of such cases have been reported to Region 7, Vera said. Based on all available information, the bobcat population is "healthy and expanding" in Region 7. As for rabid animals, Vera said indicators include "unusual aggressiveness or tameness. Excessive drooling (foaming at the mouth) or dragging the hind legs or other mobility problems." Vera recommended staying away from "any animal that's acting strangely, and let your neighbors know about its presence in the area. "Sometimes your local police will come out and shoot the animal. However, even a sick animal will often wander off by the time outside help can get there," she said. "We do not recommend approaching the animal with a baseball bat or other club because that would require close contact." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The idea is to give readers insight to the final disposition of tickets issued by our local environmental conservation officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Thanks to the help of Capt. Matt Revenaugh, who heads the state Department of Environmental Conservation's Region 7 law enforcement team headquartered in Syracuse, I'm offering the latest in an on-going series entitled, "Keeping Watch." The idea is to give readers insight to the final disposition of tickets issued by our local environmental conservation officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The cases that appear here are cases where the defendant has either pleaded guilty or found guilty after trial. This is not intended to be all-inclusive list of cases handled, but is representative of dispositions received by the Region 7 law enforcement office. Click on the link below to see the most recent cases: R7 Fine 8-1-13.pdf View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The fish was caught on an avacado-colored Twister Tail. Robert Benetti, Sr., of Victor, holds up a nice, 4 pound, 4 ounce smallmouth bass he caught while fishing recently on Flynn Bay in the St. Lawrence River. The photo was submitted by his son, Robert Benetti, of Warners, who is general manager of the Genesee Grande Hotel in Syracuse and who was fishing with him at the time. The fish was caught on an avacado-colored Twister Tail. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

She was fishing on a charter boat near the shore of Oswego. Erin Stoddard,19, of Cicero holds up a nice, 21-pound, chinook salmon she caught while fishing on Lake Ontario. She was fishing on a charter near the shore of Oswego. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The start of the three-day competition was marked by cloudy skies and some rain, waves that approached three to four high at times and a huge algae bloom on the lake that many said affected their fishing. The action resumes Friday morning at 5:45 a.m. at Oneida Shores Watch video The start of the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on Oneida Lake today was marked by cloudy skies and some rain, waves that approached three to four high at times and a huge algae bloom on the lake that many said affected their fishing. Chris Daves, of Hopewell, Va., was the leader following the afternoon weigh-in at Oneida Shores Park, with a 5-fish bag that weighed 17-2 ounces.David Figura | [email protected] Chris Daves, of Hopewell, Va., was the leader after the afternoon weigh-in at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton, turning in five smallmouth bass that weighed a total of 17 pounds, 2 ounces. "I caught them schooling - deep," he said, declining to reveal what lure he used. Daves said the lake's waves didn't bother him, though the algae "messed up some places I've been fishing in practice. "With smallmouth, you want some waves. It makes them feed and key in on your bait," he said. Tracy Adams, of Wilkesboro, Pa., was in second with his five fish bag (three smallmouth and two largemouths) weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounces. Terry Baksay, of Eastern Conn., was in third with his all-smallmouth bag that weighed 16 pounds, 10 ounces. Asked about the algae bloom on the lake, he and others said it has been moving around all week, depending on the direction of the wind. There were a number of areas around the lake were it was absent. Often, it was around the shorelines affecting those who were fishing the low water for largemouths. "Fish still bite in it, but not as good," Adams said. The biggest fish of the day was reeled in by pro angler Tony Dorman, of West Pittson, Pa. - a 5- pound, 2- ounce largemouth bass. "I caught him within the first 15 minutes on the water on a spinnerbait," he said. The competition featured 162 boats. Each boat had a boater/pro angler who controlled where and when each craft went. There was also a co-angler who fished and rode in the back. The pros were allowed to keep five fish for weighing each day; the co-anglers, three. Brian Kelly, of Liverpool, was the leading co-angler after Day 1, with his three fish bag weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces. Kelly's bag contained all smallmouth bass, the biggest one weighing 3 ½ pounds. He said he caught them all on tube jigs. In second place was Ben Markley, of Port Byron, whose three smallmouth weighed 10 pounds, three ounces. In third was Corey Horelick, of Mottville, Conn., whose three-fish bag weighed 10 pounds. Co-angler Richard French, of Newfield turned in a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass, the biggest for that division. One the lighter moments of the day involved aspiring Texas pro Trait Crist, who slipped and fell off her boat in shallow water while trying to deal with her trolling motor. A camera man, who was nearby filming, helped pull her out of the water. The competition picks up again today at 5:45 a.m. at Oneida Shores Park, with the weigh-in again set for 2 p.m. After today, the field will be trimmed to the top 12 pros and co-anglers for Saturday's final. The weigh-in Saturday will be in the parking lot at Bass Pro Shops, starting at 3 p.m. The winning pro angler will get $6,400 plus a Skeeter boat and a Yamaha motor package, plus a trailer, worth more than $40,000. The winning co-angler will get a Nito boat, powered by a Mercury motor, along with a trailer. For more on the tournament, including complete results, a blog featuring photos and comments from participating anglers, see bassmaster.com. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog