HuntingNY-News

<p> Activities this weekend include a Glock pistol shooting competition, a birding/boating outing on the Seneca River and a 3-D archery competition. </p> <p><strong>CNY OUTDOORS CALENDAR</strong></p> <p><strong>Glock pistol shooting competition</strong>: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, at the Pathfinder Fish and Game Club, 116 Crescent Road, Fulton. Sponsored by the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation. Various competitions and categories, with cash prizes and Glock pistols awarded as prizes. The only requirement is one must compete with a Glock pistol. To more information or to register online, go to gssfonline.com/registration.cfm or see the club's website at pathfinderfishandgame.com/wordpress. The club number is 593-7281.</p> <p><strong>Birding/boating outing:</strong> 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Montezuma Audubon Center, 2295 State Route 88, Savannah. Join the Montezuma Audubon Center staff for a guided canoe/kayak paddle on the Seneca River. . Bring your own canoe/kayak or rent one from the center. Fee: $7.50/child without rental, $12.50/adult without rental, $25/solo kayak rental, $40/canoe rental (maximum 2 adults plus 1 child). Space is limited and registration is required. Call 315-365-3588 or email [email protected].</p> <p><strong>3-D archery shoot:</strong> sign up from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Clay Sportsmen's Club, Henry Clay Blvd., Clay. Open to the public . Cost is $15 for adults. Call 727-9898.</p> <p><strong>Summer biathlon race: </strong>Registration opens at 9 a.m. Wednesday, at Pratt's Falls County Park, 7671 Pratt's Falls Road, Manlius.. Race will be 5K run with four shooting stops. Cost is $20 per person, with 18 and under, $15. Must be 13 years or older to use a rifle. Club rifles will be available for beginners who want to try the sport out. Sign up for races as http://www.skireg.com/ and look for the Syracuse Biathlon race. You can pay online or day of the race. Enter through the main entrance and take your first left on to the service road. Parking will be in the service area. Registration will be at the range, or at the park office if raining.</p> <p><strong>Women's skeeting shooting clinic:</strong> 9 a.m. Aug. 17, Camillus Sportsmen's Club. Sponsored by Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmens' Clubs Women in Nature program. Open to female shooters 12 years and older. Priority will be given to first time participants and county residents. Lunch will be provided. Cost is $20. For more, call 487-7892 or email [email protected].</p> <p><strong>SAFETY COURSES:.<br />Bow</strong>: 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.</p> <p><strong>Bow:</strong> 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 [email protected].</p> <p><strong>Bow:</strong> 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 [email protected].<br /> <br /></p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Follow David Figura's daily activities and thoughts on Facebook. Check out "PS Outdoors" and hit "like." Make no mistake. Despite the constant rain, summer is indeed here. I was walking my dog after dark last night along the Charle Major Nature Trail along Skaneateles Creek and the fireflies were out in full force. I love when that happens. It's a sure sign of summer. Meanwhile, here's what I've been working on this week: - The 10th in a series of CNY shoreline fishing hot spots. I profiled the Baldwinsville bridge, which attracts a crowd almost daily.. and will get packed as the summer progresses. (I have a few others in mind, but I want to hear from readers on this. Send your suggestions to [email protected]) - The DEC's boot camp for new environmental conservation officers and forest rangers at the DEC's training facility in Altmar. I recently spent a morning up there. It's a lot tougher than one might think. - A new law that's awaiting Gov. Cuomo's signature concerning feral hogs (wild boars). It would make them illegal on private hunting preserves. In this 2010 photo, Joe Watkins stands next to a wild boar that he shot on Saturday near his home in the Cortland County town of Scott. The boar had one-inch tusks and weighed about 475 pounds. Itâs being held up by a backhoe. - A group of gritty, Syracuse area canoeists who had an impressive showing recently while competing in the world's longest competitive canoe race -- a 1,000-mile contest on the Yukon River in Canada/Alaska. - A new proposed fishing regulation that would establish a no-kill area along a two-mile stretch of Nine Mile Creek, one of the most heaviest stocked and fished streams in all of Central New York. Other stuff I'm working on: - The CNY triathlon culture. I was blown away recently covering the Ironman 70.3 Syracuse competition. 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 marked increase of memberships at local rod and gun clubs in the wake of the SAFE Act.. or.. the marked increase of attendance at such things as pistol shooting competitions. 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], 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 [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

"Hopefully the bluebirds will return next year." Chris Strang, of Manlius, sent in this interesting photo he took of a pair of bluebirds he photographed at a bird house he recently put up. He wrote: " We live in Manlius a little west of the village. "When we saw a male bluebird in the yard we quickly put up a bluebird house. We were very excited to see a nesting pair of bluebirds checking out the new birdhouse, but unfortunately a pair of wrens chased the would-be new neighbors away. "Hopefully the bluebirds will return next year." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"I caught three on Saturday and one today, all between 9 and 11 a.m.," he said. Joe Selover, of Marcellus, holds up a nice carp he caught recently while fishing in the Erie Canal in Camillus across from Sims store. He wrote: "I caught three on Saturday and one today, all between 9 and 11 a.m. "All on corn with a salmon/steelhead rod w/a 15lb. test (line) & a No. 6 (sized) hook." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"You guys have a scale? I caught a carp out of here once that weighed 41 pounds, and this one is definitely bigger than that," he said. On warm summer nights there can be a shoulder-to-shoulder fishermen here. For good reason. The bridge that spans the Seneca River in Baldwinsville is definitely a fishing hot spot. The river splits around Paper Mill Island. There's a lock on the southern side of the islands. The anglers gravitate to the bridge on the northern side. The reason is simple. There's a dam and two hydro plant turbines on either side, which grind up small fish and whatever else passes through. That produces a near endless supply of food for the fish that gather near the dam, down to the bridge and slightly beyond. "I try to get here every day. I've been here ever since I learned to fish. You see all sorts of people," said Dustin Gardner, 18, of Baldwinsville, who was casting a white marabou jig Monday evening. "I've caught carp, bullhead, rock bass, sunfish, large and smallmouth bass ... and two gar pike in my lifetime," he said. The anglers exhibit all levels of fishing expertise and techniques. One recent evening, a man was casting out a net from the bridge, hoping to catch fish. The technique is illegal. Monday evening, Bizimana Gabriel, 45, was using plain dough balls on a hook, with a small plastic bag full of small rocks as a sinker. He had three spinning rods at various locations on the bridge. One had 80-pound test, braided line. Gabriel said he began fishing off the bridge this past June and initially caught "a lot of fish using worms." He works as a "houseman" cleaning up rooms and changing sheets and towels at a local hotel. He said he comes to the bridge to fish every Monday and Tuesday, which are his days off. "The big fish (carp) only hit the dough balls," he said, noting that he has to keep putting a new one on every 10 minutes or so because the water dissolves them. What's he do with the carp he catches? "I eat them. I fry them with oil, adding onion, salt and tomatoes," he said, noting the ones he usually catches average about 10 to 15 pounds. As he was talking, one of his three poles started bobbing, indicating he had a fish on. He played it for about five minutes, but lost it when the line got tangled with something underneath the bridge. At first, Rana Tek, a native of Bhutan, thought he had a fish but soon realized his fishing line was snagged in the Seneca River while fishing from the Baldwinsville bridge Sunday evening. Mike Greenlar | [email protected] Gardner said as the summer progresses the crowds that fish off the bridge will grow. Sometimes they'll be so many anglers it's difficult to cast, he said.Monday night he caught about a 3-pound sheepshead (drum), which he gave to Gabriel, who tossed it into a cooler in the back of his SUV. At the far end of the bridge, Jacob Neely, a passerby, had noticed that Gabriel's unattended rod with the 80-pound test line was about to get pulled over the bridge's railing. "You got a big fish on," he yelled as he grabbed the rod and and began reeling the fish in. Gabriel's friend, Lemi Nsengiyumva, ran to Neely's side, while Gabriel ran back to his SUV to fetch a primitive net - a wash tub with a hole in the bottom that allows it to sink and a rope tied to its handle to its handle. Nseengiyumva lowered the wash tub from the bridge into the river. "Try to get it near its head," said an excited Neely as the fish, a huge carp, put up a good fight. Neeley holds up the big carp he reeled in and landed on Gabriel's pole.David Figura | [email protected] After repeated failed tries of attempting to lift the carp out of the water with the wash tub, Neely went to Plan B. He handed the rod to Gabriel and hopped over a fence at the bridge's end, grabbed on to a pipe and slid down a 12-foot high wall. Gabriel then handed him the rod once he was down. Neeley walked along a ledge underneath the bridge and disappeared for a couple of minutes. The shirtless, 23-year-old Baldwinsville resident soon emerged on the other side of the street, holding Gabriel's rod and the huge carp by the gills - a fish that he estimated weighed more than 40 pounds. "You guys have a scale? I caught a carp out of here once that weighed 41 pounds, and this one is definitely bigger than that," he said. After pictures were taken with Neely holding the fish, Gabriel took the carp and walked it back to his vehicle. Neeley stood, shaking his head in disbelief. "You see what those guys are using for sinkers? Rocks wrapped in a small plastic bag. Unbelievable," he said. "To think I just stepped out here to smoke a cigarette. That made my night." SUGGESTIONS NEEDED: I've profiled 10 CNY shoreline hot spots since beginning this series last summer? Do you have a suggestion for a location I should visit and write about? Send your ideas to me at [email protected] View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The deadline to register is Aug. 15. A two-day, Women's Fly Fishing Seminar sponsored by the Iroquois Chapter of Trout Unlimited is being held Sept. 14-15 at Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery in Elbridge. This seminar is geared exclusively for women looking to improve their fly fishing skills. It will cover instruction from beginner to advanced states of fly-fishing including fly fishing tips, tactics and hands-on instruction. Students will learn the basics of fly-tying, stream entomology, equipment setup, casting using traditional fly rods and reels. Classes will start at 8 a.m. each day at the hatchery, located on Route 321. Both breakfast and lunch will be provided. The Cost is $50. Participants must be 18 years or older. Deadline to register is Aug. 15. To attend, fill out the registration form and send it to instructor Vicky Lane with your check. WIFFS registration form.pdf Questions? Call instructors (315) 558-2464 or Lindsay Agness (585) 478-3801. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

This clinic is free of charge and open to the public. The following is a press release: Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association (ELOSTA) is hosting Captain Vince Pierleoni of Thrillseeker Sportfishing Charters at its July 17 meeting. Pierleoni will speak on boat rigging tips and layout. His presentation should be of interest to anyone who fishes Lake Ontario, any of the Finger Lakes -- or other water body that involves trolling as an angling approach. With the resurgence of interest in Great Lakes trolling and in particular, the Lake Ontario Salmon fishery, Capt Vince Pierleoni has seen a need for boat rigging clinics. Capt Vince, a 29 year,full time professional charter boat operator, has rigged eight different vessels for Lake Ontario trolling. Most recently, Capt Vince rigged a twenty-four footer primarily for tournament fishing. It was while rigging this trailerable boat that he had the idea of sharing what he has learned through trial and error and experience with other anglers. Whether you are an experienced troller looking to fine tune rigging or a newbie looking to avoid expensive mistakes, there is something for you. Some topics covered include downrigger placement and mounting, rodholder placement and mounting for storage, planer boards, divers, planer board rigging options, electronics choices, electronics helm station placement, transducer choices and placement, and speed control tools and others. How all of this can be done on various size and style boats will also be addressed. This meeting will be held at the Mexico VFW on Route 3, beginning at 7 p.m. This is a rain or shine event as there is shelter available. This clinic is free of charge and all anglers are encouraged to attend. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He was fishing with his grandfather, Wolfgang Abt, 12, of Syracuse, caught, photographed, and released this 20.5-inch, 5.2- pound bass while fishing with his grandfather on the St Lawrence River. He spends his summers at his grandparents' camp in Morristown. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

See results from last week's races. Runners at the start of last year's Boilermaker.Mike Greenlar | [email protected] This weekend's Central New York running scene has a little for everyone - a 5K cross race, the Musselman Half-Iron Triathlon weekend featuring several different triathlon competitions and the Boilermaker Road Race in Utica. 1). Elbridge Fire Dept. Family Fun Days Cross Country 5K run, register from 9:45 to 1o: 45 a.m. Saturday. Race begins at 11 a.m. Race starts and finishes at Seymour Loft Park, Sandback Road, Elbridge. For more or to register online, see elbridgefire companyny.webs.com. 2). Musselman Half-Iron Triathlon weekend. Now in its 10th year, the weekend kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Geneva's Lakefront Park with the Musselkids Triathlon (50-yard swim, 1.2 mile bike, ¼ mile run for ages 6-14) followed at 7 p.m. with the microMussel Super-Sprint Triathlon (100 yard swim, .6 mile bike and .2 mile run). The action continues at 9 a.m. Saturday with the sprint or mini-Musselman Triathlon (750-meter swim; 16.1 mile bike, 3.1-mile swim). The featured event, the Musselman Half-Iron Triathlon (1.2 mile swim 56-mile bike and 13.1 mile run) begins at 7 a.m. Sunday. This event has been honored by Triathele magazine as one its "Editor's Picks" in 2013 (and "Most Family-Friendly" in 2009 and 2010). For more, see musselmantri.com. 3). The Boilermaker. This prestigious event, which has runners coursing through the streets of Utica, begins at 7:15 a.m. with the 5 K race, the wheelchair division at 7:45 a.m., followed by the featured 15K race at 8 a.m. The starting line for the 15 K is on Earle C. Reed Way near the intersection of Dwyer Ave. The wheelchair race and the 5K begin on Burrstone Road near Donovan Stadium. The 15K race will feature 14,000 runners. The 5K race has 4,500 entrants. All three races will end at the F.X. Matt Brewing Company for a post race party featuring Saranac beer and a live concert. For more information, see boilermaker.com. Last week's races: 1). Teal there's a Cure, a 5K run, was held Thursday at Marcellus Park in Marcellus. For final results, see leonetiming.com. 2). The 41st Annual Cazenovia July 4th Foot Races, were held Thursday in Cazenovia. The event featured a 1 mile run fun, a 5K run and a 10 mile run around the lake. For final results of the 5K and 10 mile runs, see leonetiming.com. 3). Finn McCool, 4-mile Odyssey, was held Saturday at Song Mountain Resort, 1 Song Mountain Road, in Tully. Participants navigated a 4-mile course loaded with difficult terrain and 13 challenging obstacles including a rope wall, cargo net, monkey bars, slip 'n' slide, and mud pit at the finish. Final result were not available Monday. For more on the race, see finnmccool4mile.com. 4). Chris' Run/Beth's Walk, was held Saturday at Town Park, Route 26, in Cincinnatus. For results from the 5K run, see yellowjacketracing.com/2013. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He took home four -- the largest measuring 20 inches. Robert Morrell, of Liverpool, poses with four nice smallmouth bass he caught recently while fishing in Skaneateles Lake. The largest one measured 20 inches. All were caught using night crawlers, he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

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. 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 7-3-13.pdf View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Among the changes -- a no-kill fishing section of Ninemile Creek that would be open to fishing year-round. Anglers are encouraged to review and comment on the proposed changes. The following is a DEC press release: Proposed changes to the current freshwater fishing regulations were announced today by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Based on the status of existing fish populations and discussions with anglers, fisheries biologists, and fisheries managers over the past year, DEC had identified potential changes to fishing regulations and is seeking additional angler feedback. Changes being considered would adjust angling regulations to enhance angling experiences and enjoyment, consistent with the status of fish populations. Many changes under consideration are focused on eliminating special regulations that did not achieve their intended purpose. Some highlights for trout anglers include: increasing year-round trout fishing opportunities at specifically chosen streams, adjusting daily creel limits and minimum size limits on select waters to help distribute larger size trout among anglers, and establishing catch and release fishing at a few additional streams. Other changes include increasing the statewide minimum size limit for muskellunge and eliminating certain daily creel and minimum size limits for walleye that were temporarily established as part of DEC's multi-year effort to establish walleye populations in candidate waters. Among a number of other changes being considered are adjustments to gear and equipment allowed to be used for angling. Specific changes by county, include: ONONDAGA: Change: A "No-Kill" regulation for trout on Ninemile Creek. Implement a "No-Kill" regulation for trout on a two mile section of lower Ninemile Creek in Onondaga County which allow year-around access to a portion of the stream which has been historically been off limits to the public. This area currently supports both stream resident and lake-run brown trout which attain "trophy" size. Rationale: There has been a strong interest to establish a "No Kill" section on part of Ninemile Creek in Onondaga County. The section of Ninemile Creek being considered to regulate under "No Kill" regulations is within the borders of property owned almost entirely by a private entity. This section has been open to angling in the past but the landowner has just recently begun to allow angler access, on a trial basis, to a portion of its lands and expectations are that angler access will be permanently granted to the entire section in the near future. Because access to this area never existed in the past, implementing a "No-kill" regulation on this section will essentially satisfy the desires of a portion of the local trout fishing community without taking away harvest opportunity from the rest of the angling public. CAYUGA: Change: Establish a 15- inch size limit for lake trout in Owasco Outlet, and clarify that the statewide regulations apply for other species. Rationale: This change will continue to provide an opportunity to harvest lake trout in the "Owasco Lake Outlet" at a smaller size than the statewide minimum would allow. Given that these emigrant lake trout can't get back into Owasco Lake and will not reproduce in Owasco Outlet, there is no biological need to regulate their harvest under the more restrictive statewide regulation. Other trout species will be managed under the existing Cayuga County Special Regulation for trout (creel limit of 5 fish, "any size - but with no more than 2 longer than 12 inches). To view all the proposed changes and to provide input, visit the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/91959.html. Based on public feedback and after further evaluation this summer, DEC will advance proposals that will likely result in enhanced fisheries and fishing opportunity and have angler acceptance. They will be made available for formal public comment in accordance with State Administrative Procedures Act. At this time, DEC is soliciting initial feedback on what may be proposed later this year. Input will be accepted through Aug. 16. Hard copies of the list of changes being considered, as well as instructions on how to submit feedback by regular mail, can be obtained by contacting Shaun Keeler, at New York State DEC, Bureau of Fisheries, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

However, shouldn't the trained wildlife biologists and staff of the DEC, which is charged with overseeing wildlife and hunting in this state, have the final say in such matters? At this point, that's not happening. As it stands now, hunters across the state will not be able to use crossbows for hunting this fall. Crossbows, which for the past two falls were used by deer hunters, are now an illegal hunting implement. What happened? Was there a spate of accidents? Did too many deer get killed? No, nothing like that. Crossbows fell victim to politics. . As a result of legislation passed in 2010, the use of crossbows was allowed on a trial basis for the 2011 and 2012 fall hunting seasons, restricted to only the regular firearms and following late muzzleloading seasons. That bill expired Dec. 31, 2012. Late last year, there was a crossbow bill authored by Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, D-Lindenhurst, who chairs the Assembly's Environmental Conservation Committee and plays a strong role in deciding what legislation gets to the full Assembly for a vote. Sweeney's district is downstate at the southwest corner of Suffolk County. The Sweeney bill, supported by New York Bowhunters, a bow-hunting advocacy group, would have again for a two-year period only allowed use of crossbows to hunt big game (deer and bear) during the regular firearms and late muzzleloading seasons - not during the regular bowhunting season. In addition, itt would have also eliminated the Columbus Day weekend youth firearms hunt for deer, which occurred this past fall for the first time. A late session veto by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, apparently prompted by supporters of the DEC-supported youth hunt, killed Sweeney's bill. At the beginning of this year, crossbow advocates such as Pulaski resident Rick McDermott, president of the 1,750-membrer N.Y. Crossbow Coalition, pinned their hopes on legislation like A283, sponsored by Assemblyman Sean Ryan, D-Grand Island. This bill and its companion bill in the Senate, S1699B, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Galavan, R-xxx, would have put crossbows and regulations concerning their use for hunting in the hands of the state Department of Environmental Conservation DEC. Both lawmakers are from western New York. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate, but failed to get out of Sweeney's committee to the full Assembly before it adjourned June 21. "Basically, we have not been able to get movement by Assemblyman Sweeney to get the crossbow bill on his committee's agenda to get discussed and voted on," McDermott said. "The committee chairman controls the agenda." McDermott said Sweeney has been asked by his group for a reason for the lack of action. "No reason has been given," he said. I called Sweeney Wednesday afternoon. Sweeney pointed out he was chair of the Environmental Conservation Committee when the original crossbow bill came through and passed, adding that crossbows would be legal now if not for Cuomo's veto "I gave (crossbows) a chance. My concern is that the real agenda of certain people, including the DEC, is to put crossbows in the archery season," he said. "They are a superior weapon. They do not belong in the archery season. Crossbows and bow hunting are not compatible." Sweeney is entitled to his opinion, as is McDermott. That's what happens in politics. However, it seems that the recommendations of the trained wildlife biologists and staff of the DEC, which is charged with overseeing wildlife and hunting in this state, should carry a lot of weight when it comes to drafting legislation on such matters. Evidently, Sweeney doesn't think so. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"I am just so fascinated with these amazing and incredible creatures," he said. Oak Clement's passion these days is ruby- throated hummingbirds - and his backyard shows it. "I am just so fascinated with these amazing and incredible creatures," he said, leading a personal tour of his feeders, the numerous flowering plants and trees he's planted -- and the 33-foot-long stream and cascading waterfall he has put in to attract the hummingbirds and other birds. "I've created and enlarged an environment for hummingbirds to know and enjoy and to come back to each year," added Clement, 63, a retired state Department of Taxation and Finance employee. Clement said sometimes the hummingbirds get within 18 inches to two feet of him while drinking the sugar water from his feeders.Dick Blume | [email protected] Clement's work, he said, has been rewarded by the presence in his yard of nine female (hen) hummingbirds, along with one dominant male and two other competing males. The dominant male is constantly chasing the others around the yard. It's all about territory and the food source. "You should see them spar and chase each other," he said. "It's like watching aerial combat between miniature, dog fighting jets." Clement noted the male hummingbirds breed with multiple partners. "They're not monogamous like cardinals," he said. Thirty years ago, when Clement and his wife, Annie, first moved to their Liverpool home, Clement decided to begin landscaping their backyard to make it more attractive to birds. "It all started with trying to make Annie happy," he said, adding that for years she's had a passion for bird-watching, something that he initially did not share. About 17 years ago, Clement put up his first hummingbird feeder. He was hooked. Soon after he began reading up on them and began transforming his backyard even more. In recent years he's been on the internet a great deal, attending what he jokingly calls "YouTube U." "I learned from a YouTube video how to set up my stream and waterfall ," he said, a project that cost him more than $1,400 in supplies, which include a liner, underground tubing, a pump to recirculate the water along with driftwood, rocks and small boulders. He also learned online about what to plant in his hummingbird haven. "A hummingbird habitat includes two groups of plantings -- those which are of the flowering annual type and those which are perennial native New York species that provide the hummingbirds with both the nectar they require for energy and insects which they require for protein," he said. " Those groups include salvia, Solomon's seal, touch-me-not, scarlet bee balm, honeysuckle, Asian tinker bells, Virginia blue bells, trumpet vine, trillium, Jack-in- the-pulpit, Dames rocket,bleeding heart and climbing hydrangea." Additionally, a hummingbird habitat should be half open grassland and half deciduous forest. When he first moved in, his yard had black cherry, white ash and white oak trees. He also planted pin oak and locust trees. "The whole thingcontained bloack cherry, white ash, white oak.. Pin oak.. black cherry and white ash. Planted pin oak, locusts. .. whole thing engineered to attraCK WILDLIFEprimarily birds.. "The whole thing is engineered to attract wildlife, primarily birds," he said. "Hummingbirds love the open grass to fly and spar, but also like sitting up on the edge of a forest to survey their territory.". He explained humming birds need nectar from plants for quick energy, but also need to eat nearly half their weight each day in insects to get the protein they need. Finally, there's the running water. "This feature includes bird bathing areas that are both still pools and areas that are flowing water," he said. After all this, Clement has just two hummingbird feeders, which he takes great pains to keep clean. He fills them with sterilized (boiled) sugar water. "One 1/4 cup sugar, one cup water," is the formula, he said. Clement's and wife's favorite spost to watch all the are at their kitchen table overlooking the backyard, or on two-person, gliding rocker outside near the two regular bird feeders on poles In addition to the hummingbirds, numerous other birds are constantly dropping in to take advantage of two bird feeders, along with taking a dip in, or drinking from the man-made stream. Clement provided a written list of 35 different species he and his wife have observed. The hummers, though, are his favorites. "Hummingbirds will acclimate to humans. I can sit on my back steps and they'll come with 18 inches to two feet from my head," he said. MORE ON RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS Although more than 300 species of hummingbirds exist, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the only that found east of the Mississippi River in the eastern part of North America. These birds flap their wings 53 times a second. The birds are bright emerald or golden-green on the back and crown, with gray-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent red throat. They fly straight and fast but can stop instantly, hover, and adjust their position up, down, or backwards with exquisite control. They arrive each year in early or mid-May, and by early September they're bound for Central America, with many crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight. The extremely short legs of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird prevent it from walking or hopping. The best it can do is shuffle along a perch. Nevertheless, it scratches its head and neck by raising its foot up and over its wing. For more, see the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website at allaboutbirds.org. . View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Vince Valois of Bridgeport and Urb Wormer of Skaneateles registered 25 out of 25 scores three weeks in a row. CENTRAL NEW YORK TRAP LEAGUE RESULTS Wee 12 (July 2) NORTHERN DIVISION Pathfinder (200) at South Shore (199) North Sportsman (187) at Toad Harbor (200 ) Central Square (bye) SOUTHERN DIVISION Bridgeport (188) at Skaneateles (200) Pompey (197) at Three Rivers (193) Dewitt (189) at Camillus (198) Shooters who hit 25 out of 25 clays (Where 75s or 50s are noted, that means the shooter hit 25 out of 25 three or two weeks in a row, respectively) Bridgeport, 75's Vince Valois Camillus, 50,s Tim Corrente, Bob Karker, Chris Pollichemi, 25,s Dave Shipman, Tim Evanchak, Rich Prior Central Square, Bye Dewitt, 25,s George Panarisi, Joe Sacco, Rick Kenyon North Sportsman, None Pathfinder, 50's Bob Weldin, 25's, Alex St. Louis, Doug Carroll, Tim Nottell, Larry Grant, Jim Wright, Travis Dann, Todd Lund, John Wallace, Dan Wallace, Mark Cole, Bill Chillson, Pat Putman Pompey, 50,s Jeff Bell, 25,s Mike Latocha, Tim Wilcox, Joe Wilcox, Wayne Wilcox Skaneateles, 75,s Urb Wormer, 50,s Rob Radcliff, 25,s Tom Main, Rich Bobbett, Pat Logan, Rod Roberts, Jim Fellows, Gary Dobies South Shore, 25,s Larry Hahn, Don Krupp, Nancy Young, Joanna Bishop, Adam Vanhoosen, Dick Masterpole, Ray Kubacki Three Rivers, 25,s Glenn Hewitt Toad Harbor, 50,s Dave McCrea, Jarod Gibbs, 25,s Bob Green, Nick Ranalli, Kristin Via, Matt Palmisano, Bob Howard, Don Sadue, Craig Chesbro, Rodger Moran, Allen Parker, Bill Kent, Rich Kisselstein Results courtesy of Dick Masterpole View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The brown drake hatch is nearly over on Skaneateles Lake. 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; Cortland County- Little York Lake, Merrill Creek, East Br. Tioughnioga River, West Br. Tioughnioga, Casterline Pond and the Otselic River; Madison County: Lebanon Reservoir, Eaton Brook Reservoir, 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 Ceek, 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: Light House Hill Reservoir, Black Creek, North Br. Salmon River, Rice Creek, East Br. Salmon River, Salmon River and West Branch of Fish Creek; Tompkins County: Enfield Creek, Virgil Creek, Buttermilk Creek, Salmon Creek, Fall Creek and Sixmile Creek and Cayuga Lake. LAKE ONTARIO Fishing continues to be slow for brown trout and very slow for Chinook salmon. Some stable weather would really help to improve the fishing. 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 near bottom in 100 to 200 feet of water. Spoons are good lure choice. SALMON RIVER There are a few Atlantic salmon and Skamania strain steelhead being taken in the upper river. There are also some smallmouth bass and rock bass being caught in the lower river. OSWEGO RIVER Anglers are catching catfish and sheepshead. Try crayfish or night crawlers as bait. ONEIDA LAKE Walleye bite continues to be strong off of Shackelton Point, particularly for anglers using Sonar lures, though they appear to have moved to deeper water Some angler, though, are also picking them in lower water (around 8 feet) using Black and purple jigs tipped with worms. Dixie spinners (worm harnesses) are also effective - particularly in the early morning in the shallows. CAYUGA LAKE Trolling down 70 to 90 feet in 100 to 150 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 70 to 90 feet of water. Atlantic salmon are being taken on spoons fished 25 to 40 feet down. There is a lot of bait being marked in 100 feet of water. Bass and panfish are being caught on the north end. SENECA LAKE Fishing continues to be good for lake trout with anglers getting them 40 to 70 feet down over 90 feet of water. They're hitting spoons and flasher and flies. Vertical jigging with plastics is also still working in 50 to 135 feet of water. OWASCO LAKE Anglers trolling down 30 to 50 feet with spoons or flasher and flies are still getting some lake trout on the north end. Yellow perch and bluegill are also being caught on the north end. OTISCO LAKE Walleye fishing has slowed down but a few walleye are still being taken by anglers trolling with stickbaits or spinner rigs during the day. 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. No word on how the tiger muskie fishing has been recently; but a reminder that tigers must be 36 inches to be legal. SKANEATELES LAKE The celebrated brown drake hatch is nearing its end. Fishing near shore with tube jigs, spinnerbaits, or topwaters would be 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. SANDY POND: A few walleye and northern pike continue to be caught by anglers. They're also catching bluegills and a few yellow perch. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Bass have moved off their beds, moving to deeper waters. Reports of some impressive smallmouth bass being taken. Northern pike bite continues to be strong, with anglers reporting success using everything from night crawlers to red and white Daredevil lures. SODUS BAY Panfish are being taken on small jigs, minnows and worms. Bass fishing continues to be good on bass jigs, plastics and topwaters. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR The walleye bite continues to be good for anglers fishing with worm harnesses, jigs and crankbaits. White crappie fishing continues to be good with most of fish being found away from shore now. Smallmouth bass are hitting on crankbaits near shore. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Follow outdoors writer David Figura's daily activities on Facebook. Check out "PS Outdoors" and hit "like." Boy, we could use some extended stretches of sunshine. This rain day after day is getting old. Meanwhile, here's what I've been writing about this week and working on for the next: - The rainy weather has resulted in a perfect scenario for .....mosquitoes. - The DEC is investigating reports of fish kills on several of the Finger Lakes. - Hummingbirds. I interviewed a Liverpool man this week who's taken his love for hummingbirds to the next level...and beyond. - So what happened to the crossbow bills that were floating around at the end of the current session of the state Legislature? Answer: Absolutely nothing. As it stands now, crossbows cannot be used as a hunting implement in this state this fall. Period. - A Canadian contingent was in our area recently applying lampricide in several streams...including Fish Creek, a main tributary of Oneida Lake at its eastern end. Who know? They do it every three years, I found out. - I spent an interesting morning at the DEC's boot camp up at Altmar for new environmental conservation officer and forest ranger recruits. You'll be surprised at what they put these guys and gals through... Other stuff I'm working on for this month.... - The CNY triathlon culture. I was blown away recently while covering the Ironman 70.3 Syracuse competition. 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. - Shoreline hot spots. Continuation of a series I started last summer about great places to fish from shore if you don't have a boat. - 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 marked increase of memberships at local rod and gun clubs in the wake of the SAFE Act. 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

What works best for you as a mosquito repellent? We'd particularly like to hear from those who've used natural remedies. What have you used and how did it work? Send your comments to [email protected]. One thing will be very evident to anyone spending any extended time outdoors in Central New York this Fourth of July or this weekend. They'll be mosquitoes- lots of them. The recent stretch of wet weather, accompanied by warm temperatures has created a perfect scenario for breeding skeeters, according to Larry Abrahamson, a professor of entomology at SUNY ESF. Abrahamson said the insects require stagnant water to reproduce. He said the time period from when they raise their eggs to another generation of mosquitoes can vary from several days to two weeks, with the process being slowed down by colder temperatures. "The warm weather speeds things up. You can have a new generation in two to three days in real hot weather," he said. Abrahamson noted it's only the females that go after humans. They're looking for blood as nourishment for their eggs. "The males feed on nectar and stuff like that. They don't do anything to us," he said. The biting females, though, also are vectors for the spread of West Nile virus. What's an adventuresome, outdoors enthusiast supposed to do? For the real bad mosquito-infested areas, one radical approach is to wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves and put on a hat with mosquito netting. The more practical and realistic approach, though, is to use mosquito repellent. At the top of the list, experts say, is anything containing DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide), which affects the scent receptors in biting insects. According to the OFF! website, repellent that's 98.5 percent DEET will be effective for 10 hours; 25 percent will work for 8 hours; 15 percent will keep them off for 6 hours and 7 percent will work for 2 hours. A downside of DEET, though, is that the chemical can irritate skin (especially damaged skin) and dissolve certain materials, particularly plastic and other synthetic materials. Kim Adams, a Cornell Cooperative extension entomologist at SUNY ESF is frequently outdoors at Wanakena, where the ranger school for the college is located, and at another deep woods area north of Lowville. She understands use of an insect repellant is a personal choice and she can understand the reluctance by some to use repellent containing DEET. "When you need control of your hands and the mosquitoes are all over -- DEET works," she said. The number one attractant for mosquitoes? It's the carbon dioxide you emit from your body.AP There are non-DEET repellents on the market. At the top of the list, experts say, is repellent containing Picaridin, which will not harm plastics or acrylic materials. Other chemicals used in repellents on the market include substances such as Metofluthrin or certain, plant-based ingredients. In addition, devices you attach to your belt (Therma-cell) and with the aid of heat, the repellent is released directly into the air to repel mosquitoes. There's also bug resistant clothing, manufactured by such companies as White Sierra and ExOfficio (see insectshield.com) -- even special soaps that are sold. Some tout home-made, natural repellents you can make yourself. "However, nothing works quite as well to date as Picaradin and DEET," said Laura Harrington, a medical entomologist at Cornell University.. Aside from chemical repellents, Harrington said it does not appear that the color of one's clothing makes any difference to mosquitoes. It's also unclear if your personal body scent or applied scents (perfumes, deodorants, colognes) draws mosquitoes more to one person than another. "Humans emit more than 300 different volatile compounds that are individually attractive," she said. "Scientists have been working for decades to try and figure out what combinations may make people more attractive than others. It is a very complex issue. We do know that some compounds such as lactic acid can also be attractive." The number one attractant, though, that everyone does agrees on is carbon dioxide produced when one exhales or perspires. Mosquitoes key in on that more than anything else, experts say. According to WebMD.com: "Larger people tend to give off more carbon dioxide, which is why mosquitoes typically prefer munching on adults to small children. Pregnant women are also at increased risk, as they produce a greater-than-normal amount of exhaled carbon dioxide." What if someone just wants to go on their deck, relax, barbecue and have a nice, cold beer? Are there any other quick and easy, non-chemical approaches way to keeping these blood-sucking insects off you? "Put a couple of fans out and keep the air moving," Adams said. WHAT KEEPS MOSQUITOES OFF YOU? What works best for you as a mosquito repellent? We'd particularly like to hear from those readers who've used natural remedies. What have you used and how did it work? Send your comments to [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

At this point, there's no evidence of VHS (a fish-killing disease) "or any other disease agents of concern." Dead fish samples are scheduled to be taken today on Skaneateles Lake. Reports of fish kills on several of the Finger Lakes has prompted testing by the state Department of Environmental Conservation recently, officials confirmed this week. David Lemon, fisheries manager for the DEC's Region 7, said Tuesday, "I've heard that several of the western Finger Lakes are experiencing significant fish mortality events." Locally, he mentioned Cayuga and Skaneateles lakes. "We've had no reports of significant die-offs in either Owasco and Otisco Lakes," he said. Dennis Rhoads, a veteran angler from Summerhill, said he's seen dead fish on Cayuga Lake. He said he's also been talking to other anglers on Cayuga and Seneca Lakes and has been reading reports from fishermen on LakeOntarioUnited.com, an online fishing forum. Earlier this week, he said: "Last several weeks we have seen lots of dead fish on Cayuga Lake. Bass, perch, sunfish etc.," he said. "We were on lake yesterday at latest and saw recent dead fish. Guys are reporting big kills on all Finger Lakes from Hemlock, Canandagua to Cayuga." Lemon said "early on in the event, Region 8 staff collected fish from Canandaigua for analysis by the Cornell Fish pathology lab. Similarly, we collected several fish from Cayuga for testing." He said results from both Canandaigua and Cayuga showed showed no "smoking gun. "All fish sampled from Region 7 tested negative for VHSv and other disease agents of concern, while preliminary results from Canandaigua lake indicated VHS was not involved. Region 8 is waiting on final results from the tested fish." Lemon said the Cayuga fish had moderate to heavy loads of external and/or gill parasites which, by themselves shouldn't have been enough to kill fish. "However, given the time of year (spawning season or post spawn) and the increasing water temperatures, the combination can be lethal to some of the fish," he said. "We will attempt to collect a sample of fish from Skaneateles (today) since recent reports have come in about dead bass. Since VHS has been found in Skaneateles in the past we would like to know if it is again flaring up," he said. VHS (viral hemorrhagic septicema) was identified by Cornell and federal officials in Skaneateles Lake in 2007 following reports of a sizeable fish kill of rock and smallmouth bass in the lake. The disease causes fish to hemorrhage and destroys the organs that make blood cells. The virus has been identified in 20 various freshwater species and resulted in large fish kills where it has been found. It is not a health risk for humans. Fear over its spread, though, has resulted in regulations by the DEC governing the transportation of bait minnows. Fisherman who possess minnows and lack a receipt from a bait store indicating the bait is VHS-free risk a ticket. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Birding/boating outing: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. July 13, Montezuma Audubon Center, 2295 State Route 88, Savannah. Join the Montezuma Audubon Center staff for a guided canoe/kayak paddle on the Seneca River. . Bring your own canoe/kayak or rent one from the center. Fee: $7.50/child without rental, $12.50/adult without rental, $25/solo kayak rental, $40/canoe rental (maximum 2 adults plus 1... Birding/boating outing: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. July 13, Montezuma Audubon Center, 2295 State Route 88, Savannah. Join the Montezuma Audubon Center staff for a guided canoe/kayak paddle on the Seneca River. . Bring your own canoe/kayak or rent one from the center. Fee: $7.50/child without rental, $12.50/adult without rental, $25/solo kayak rental, $40/canoe rental (maximum 2 adults plus 1 child). Space is limited and registration is required. Call 315-365-3588 or email [email protected]. Summer biathlon race: Registration opens at 9 a.m. July 17, at Pratt's Falls County Park, 7671 Pratt's Falls Road, Manlius.. Race will be 5K run with four shooting stops. Cost is $20 per person, with 18 and under, $15. Must be 13 years or older to use a rifle. Club rifles will be available for beginners who want to try the sport out. Sign up for races as http://www.skireg.com/ and look for the Syracuse Biathlon race. You can pay online or day of the race. Enter through the main entrance and take your first left on to the service road. Parking will be in the service area. Registration will be at the range, or at the park office if raining. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

As of 11 a.m. this morning, the Oswego River was flowing at 12,600 cubic feet per second. Brookfield Renewable Energy urged caution today for individuals recreating (boating and fishing) on the Oswego River and other waterways. As of 11 a.m. this morning, the Oswego River was flowing at 12,600 cubic feet per second. A press release from the utility company today reads: Brookfield Renewable Energy urges the public to use caution when recreating on or near water as unusually high precipitation has caused waters to rise and create high flow conditions. Brookfield advises people to avoid all dams as spillage and open flood gates can be dangerous. "We are currently experiencing unusually high flow levels in many rivers in New York State, including the Raquette, Oswego and Hudson Rivers. Due to heavy rain and expected additional rainfall we urge people to stay off the rivers," said Jeff Auser, Brookfield's Chief Dam Safety Officer. "To stay safe, if you recreate on or near the water, we ask that people use extra caution, observe all signage, warning signals, sirens and barriers, and wear a United States Coast Guard-approved life jacket," he added. Safety Tips Brookfield offers the following water safety tips: 1.Use extreme caution when recreating on moving water as weather conditions can change rapidly. 2.Be prepared for runoff and flooding as rain has been unusually high this season causing waters to rise and creating unsafe flow levels. 3. Avoid areas such as dams, intake structures, gates, water conveyance structures, powerhouses and electrical substations. 4. Stay away from overhead power lines at all times, as these bare conductors are very dangerous. 5. Respect all warning signs, sirens, buoys, booms, barriers and fences. Areas inside these barriers are dangerous and are designated as no-entry zones. 6. Use only designated recreation and access areas. Do not trespass on Brookfield Renewable Energy's or other private properties that are excluded from public access. 7. Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. 8. Be aware that high water levels may persist days after rain events. 9. Never recreate near a river alone; always tell someone where you are going to be and when you are expected to return. 10. Take the time to learn about daily river conditions before recreating. If you are unfamiliar with the river, review USGS Streamflow information or ask someone with local knowledge. Another source of up-to-date information is the website Waterline, which includes information on the following rivers, among others: Androscoggin Riv, Pontook Dam at Dummer, NH Black River at Beebe Island Dam, Watertown, NY Raquette River at Colton Dam, Colton, NY Raquette River at Hannawa Dam, Hannawa Falls, NY Raquette River at Piercefield Dam, Piercefield, NY Raquette River at Sugar Island Dam, Potsdam, NY Sacandaga at Stewarts Bridge Dam, Lake Luzerne, NY Salmon River at Lighthouse Hill Dam, Altmar, NY St Regis River at Parishville Dam, Parishville, NY St Regis River at Allen's Falls Dam, Parishville, NY West Canada Creek at Trenton Falls Powerhouse, Barneveld, NY ating on Water Following Unusually High Precipitation 12:22 PM View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<p> It happens every three years and it's part of an effort to control the numbers of sea lamprey in Lake Ontario. </p> <p><br />A team of Canadian fishery biologists and technicians from Fisheries and Oceans Canada were in Central New York this spring and late last month applying lampricide in local streams to kill sea lamprey larvae in the waterways.</p> <p>Brian Stephens, who led the effort, said local streams where the sea lamprey-killing chemicals were applied included Orwell and Trout brook (two tributaries to the Salmon River); Grindstone, South Sandy and Lindsey creeks - and most recently, Fish Creek, a stream on the east side of Oneida Lake.</p> <div id="asset-13028984" 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/13028984-large.jpg" class="adv-photo" alt="051208LAMP1mjg.JPG" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption">Sea lamprey, if left unchecked, can devastate a fishery.</span><span class="byline">Mike Greenlar | [email protected]</span></span></span> </div> <p>The Fish Creek treatment, which took place June 21-23, took two visits, Stephens said. The stream was initially too high to effectively apply the chemicals when the team first visited in May.</p> <p>The Canadians were handling the job as a result of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, an agency with representatives from both countries dedicated to keeping sea lampreys under control in the Great Lakes. If left unchecked, this parasitic creature, which attaches itself to host fish and sucks the internal fluids out, can have a devastating effect on a waterway's fishery.</p> <div id="asset-13028986" 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/13028986-large.jpg" class="adv-photo" alt="051208LAMP5mjg.JPG" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption">Sea lamprey use their circular, teeth-filled mouth to attach themselves to a fish's side and suck its bodily fluids out.</span><span class="byline">Mike Greenlar | [email protected]</span></span></span> </div> <p>Responsibility for sea lamprey control - which along with applying lampricide,includes maintaining barriers and traps to catch and remove spawning lamprey on the lakes' tributaries - is divided up between the two countries by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The Canadians oversee Lake Ontario's tributaries, applying lampricide every three years on both sides of the lake, including 19 waterways on the U.S. side.</p> <p>Stephens said each time his staff applies the lamprey- killing chemicals in a waterway, the stream's flow and water chemistry is tested nearly every hour to ensure a concentration of "1 ½ times the minimal lethal amount" of lampricide. In addition, the staff checks out "backwater areas" and sprays the chemicals to make sure the job is completely done.</p> <p>He said great care is taken not to affect or kill other fish or stream life in the process. Back in 2008, though, lampricide treatment by the Canadians on Little Sandy Creek coincided with the spawning of walleye in that waterway, resulting in a fish kill. Stephens said in previous years, walleye hadn't used the stream to spawn and their presence that year was unexpected.</p> <p>"We've since done the treatments later to avoid the walleye spawning run. We've been there twice since with no problems," he said.</p> <p>Stephens said the Fish Creek job was the most labor- intensive of the local streams treated. He said the treatment team consisted of 19 members, with efforts being concentrated around and downstream from the Camden area.</p> <p>What may surprise many is that fact that lamprey leave Lake Ontario, make their way through the river system, get into and cross Oneida Lake -- and successfully make their way each year up Fish Creek to spawn.</p> <p>"Sea lampreys have been known to travel as much as 60 miles or more to spawn. They're not afraid to swim," Stephens said.</p> <p>For more on the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission and its lamprey control efforts, see the commission's website at<a href="http://glfc.org/sealamp"> glfc.org/sealamp</a>.<br /></p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Paddlers will enjoy the sights and sounds of Howland's Island, one of the wildest places in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex where dozens of bird species are nesting. The following is a press release: Join the Montezuma Audubon Center staff for a guided canoe/kayak paddle on the Seneca River on Saturday, July 13 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Paddlers will enjoy the sights and sounds of Howland's Island, one of the wildest places in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex where dozens of bird species are nesting. Bird songs will rain down from the tree canopy while paddling the tranquill waters and there will be time to stretch your legs on the island. Bring your own canoe/kayak or rent one from us. Fee: $7.50/child without rental, $12.50/adult without rental, $25/solo kayak rental, $40/canoe rental (maximum 2 adults plus 1 child). Space is limited and registration is required. Call 315-365-3588 or email [email protected]. The Montezuma Audubon Center is located at 2295 State Route 89 in Savannah. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

One event on Saturday features a 4-mile course loaded with difficult terrain and 13 challenging obstacles including a rope wall, cargo net, monkey bars, slip 'n' slide, and mud pit at the finish. This weekend's running calendar features one race on Thursday and two on Saturday. One of Saturday's events is a multi-faceted competition, featuring such obstacles as a rope wall and mud pit at the finish. 1). Teal there's a Cure, a 5K run, begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at Marcellus Park in Marcellus. Entry fee is $35. Online registration until 10 a.m. Wednesday. Proceeds go toward Ovarian Cancer Research and GRACE'S ( non-profit organization offering support to women of Central New York who are affected by gynecologic cancers). For more or to register, see gracesgarden.org. 2). Finn McCool, 4-mile Odyssey, registration begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Song Mountain Resort, 1 Song Mountain Road, in Tully. Participants will navigate a 4-mile course loaded with difficult terrain and 13 challenging obstacles including a rope wall, cargo net, monkey bars, slip 'n' slide, and a mud pit at the finish. The event includes waves or competitors heading off every 20 minutes. Registration closes at noon Thursday. Cost is $60. For more, finnmccool4mile.com. 2). Chris' Run/Beth's Walk, begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, Town Park, Route 26, in Cincinnatus. A 5K run and walk. The run is dedicated to a young man who died after attending an underage drinking party, and the walk is for a woman who died from pancreatic cancer. A one mile, fun run for kids ages 3 to 12 will follow. Cost is $20 for the 5K course. Team option is $12 per person in a team/family of three or more. Proceeds go to local youth activities and the American Cancer Society. For more call, 607-863-3650. Last week's results: 1). Ride & Run for the Rescue, was held Saturday at Long Branch Park, in Liverpool. The event included a 5K run and 10-, 20-, 40- and 62-mile bike rides. For results from the 5K run, see rmlifechanging.org/results. 2). The Patriot Run was held Sunday at Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square. The event began with a fun run mile, followed by a 5K race. For results, see fleetfeetsyracuse.com/events. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The nine-foot long, 300-pound fish jumped three times. Joe Leogrande, of Auburn, went on fishing charter boat recently on the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington and hooked into, and landed "a giant, 300- pound, 9-foot long sturgeon." He wrote: "This is a 40-50 year old fish. This fish was caught on light tackle similar to salmon fishing in New York state. This fish stripped off line from 8 feet to 600 feet in seconds then I had to start over again reeling it in." Leogrande said it jumped three times. "It took one hour and 10 minutes to get it near the boat and to take the lure out of its mouth," he said. "You can't keep the giants, though. They are needed for making babies when they get age 25, and then again at age 35. This was a giant old grandfather or grandmother." Editor's note: It is illegal to target sturgeon in New York State. They are on the threatened fishes list. If you accidentally hook one, do not fight it and release it quickly. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog