HuntingNY-News

Send your photos to [email protected]. Mya and Jacob Maloof, of Weedsport,proudly show off a wood duckhouse they built with the assistance of their grandpa Mike Vanetti, who lives in Ira. I love to see things like this -- two different generations enjoying the outdoors together. Send your photos to [email protected]. Learn more about wood ducks. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Feral pigs — the ill-tempered eating machines that have long been a bane in the South — are invading the North, often having escaped private shooting ranches, which are fighting efforts to ban them. View the full article

It was held at the Otisco Rod and Gun Club. A total of 100 women got a food taste of the outdoors today during the annual "Women in Nature Outdoors Skills Workshop" at the Otisco Rod and Gun Club. The women were treated to a free, day-long seminar of 15 different outdoor activities, along with a wild game and fish lunch and raffles. They shot shotguns, rifles and muskets, along with compound bows and crossbows; they went birding, learned about campfire cooking, wilderness survival, fly fishing, how to fillet a fish, how to prepare wild game -- and so much more. The event is sponsored by the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and it's the biggest event of its kind in the state. I stopped by to meet the ladies and to solicit readers for my weekly email Outdoors newsletter. I also sampled lunch -- my favorite dishes were the frog legs, the pickled pickerel and the deep-fried crappie fillets. All extremely delicious. The Women in Nature program's mission is to: 1) Encourage women to enjoy the great outdoors through the Outdoor Skills Workshop as well as at additional shooting, hunting, and fishing seminars and recreational outings. 2) Promote membership in the local conservation organizations that are members of the Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. To learn more about the local Women in Nature program and upcoming activities, check out the group's website. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

More than 125 soldiers from Fort Drum were taken out on the lake by 70 volunteer boaters who provided poles, tackle and life jackets, free of charge. Watch video Brewerton—Oneida Lake was dotted with fishing boats and army camouflage at the annual Take a Soldier Fishing event Saturday. The free event was hosted by the New York Bass Chapter Federation (NYBCF), and with at least a third of its attending members being ex-military, bringing active duty soldiers out for a free day of fishing hit close to the organization's heart. NYCBF Conservation Director Burnie Haney spearheaded this event with colleague Mike Cusano as a way for active duty soldiers to interact with the community. "As former military myself, this is one way I can help to make sure the community understands what these young men do...that's really why I put this together," said Haney, who is a retired G3 Sergeant Major. More than 125 soldiers from Fort Drum near Watertown came down for the event, and were taken out on the lake by 70 boaters who provided poles, tackle and life jackets for those who needed them, free of charge. About 50 boaters were directly involved with NYBCF, and the others came from around the country to help out at this event, Haney said. Open fishing lasted for about four hours, followed by a free lunch, raffles and a competition for the biggest fish in five categories—including carp, bluegill, bowfin and sheep head. Haney held his first Take a Soldier Fishing event at Henderson Harbor in 2006 in conjunction with an American Bassmasters tournament. After that, he moved it to Oneida Lake because "it's more of a central location where all of our anglers can drive an equal distance to get here." Sponsors include Bass Pro Shops, Onondaga County Parks and the Region 7 New York DEC. Sergeant Jesse Colby of Concord, N.H. and Sergeant First Class James Crawford of Bend, Ore. were attending the event for the first time. Crawford has been on eight deployments in 24 years as a soldier, and had previously been part of a security detail at The White House. "The best thing about this is to be with people from this area," Crawford said. "I've fished a lot, but it's great to know what works and what doesn't out here, and learn from these guys because the fishing different everywhere you go." Colby is part of a Warrior Transition Unit—a unit to transition wounded or sick soldiers out of active duty—because of Type 1 Diabetes. He said he is offered a fair amount of trips and activities where all expenses are paid by an organization like NYBCF. "But as a regular active duty soldier, there's not a ton of opportunities like this," Colby said. "I was stuck in Germany for two years, where the waters are all private, so I'm just glad to get out on a public lake somewhere and fish." Former Salt City Bassmasters president and ex-soldier Pat Grady of Baldwinsville brought his boat and tackle out to this event to assist the soldiers for the third year in a row. "Some of these guys are seasoned pros and brought their own tackle, and others, this is their first time out," Grady said. Bass Pro Shops donated 135 rod and reel combinations for the event, but Grady said the anglers who bring the soldiers out provide them with extra bait and tackle for specific fish and areas of the lake. The anglers here enjoy helping the soldiers learn new fishing techniques and providing a free activity for them, Grady said. "I've never had a soldier who didn't catch a fish, and I've had some rather neophytes out here," Grady said. "This is really the highlight of my fishing year." Crawford said this event is one of few chances he's gotten while on duty to do what he loves—outdoor sports. "Fort Drum is kind of isolated," Crawford said. "So this event is great for guys like me who love to hunt and fish, and it gives an opportunity for us to meet people of this community and enjoy a day of fishing with them." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He caught it on a blue and silver size 8 Rapala.. Pat Kraus, of Camillus, caught this impressive, 26-inch brown trout on Nine Mile Creek recently while fishing with Mark Manning, Bridget Kraus and Nicole Nolan. He caught it on a blue and silver size 8 rapala. Bridget Kraus wrote: "The fish ran down stream so quick that Pat had to run into the stream with no waders on, but finally after a long 5 minutes he got it in for a personal best by far." He kept the fish and plans to have it mounted, View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Submissions for “Catch (Trophy) of the Week” and wildlife photos should be sent to [email protected]. Mike Bard and his daughter, Ella, 12, both of Jordan, pose with Ella’s first wild turkey, shot during last weekend’s Youth Wild Turkey Hunt. The bird was taken in Yates County and weighed 18.5 pounds, had 7/8 –inch spurs and a 7 ¾ inch beard. Submissions for “Catch (Trophy) of the Week” and wildlife photos should be sent to [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<p> For the village of Pulaski, it’s become an economic necessity. </p> <p>To humans, it seems like a cruel trick of nature. For the salmon, it’s just the fulfillment of their life cycle.</p> <p>For the village of Pulaski, it’s become an economic necessity.</p> <p>It’s the annual fall spawning run of the Chinook and coho salmon from Lake Ontario up the Salmon River. The event, and the hordes of anglers it brings each year is the subject of a new, TV mini-series, “The Run,” which premieres Tuesday on the Sportsman Channel.</p> <p>“This community depends on the run. These four weeks can either make or break the whole year for many businesses,” said Patrick Donnelly, head of Team E Media, the Weedsport-based, production company that made the series.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oOgsfqjJlzk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>“There’s a lot of different reality type shows out there. Heck, there’s three different noodling shows (catching catfish with your bare hands) airing,” he said. “But there hasn’t been a salmon show, one that’s based around the economic involvement of the characters.”</p> <p>For Team E Media, this is its fourth outdoors-related show. Others include Team E Outdoors, which airs on Time Warner Sports; “Hardcore Hunter,” a big-game show out of Canada that airs on the Pursuit Channel and “Wild Life,” another hunting-related show on the Pursuit Channel Show based in Texas.</p> <p>Donnelly, the son of DIRT auto racing mogul Glenn Donnelly, said he was sold on doing a show on the Salmon River scene by Capt. Rick Miick,a local drift boat captain.<br /> <br />“He introduced me to the Lake Ontario, Salmon River scenes about three years ago. I just kept going up there – particularly during the off-season,” Donnelly said. “I got to realize what that annual run really meant to the people up there. If that fishery every says, ‘We’re stopping the fish train,’ Pulaski would be a ghost town. It’s as simple as that.”</p> <p>After doing some initial research, Donnelly got the support of village officials; the Oswego County Tourism Department; former state Sen. Doug Barclay, who lives in Pulaski and owns the Douglaston Run fishing area and more than 30 businesses in the community.<br />Filming started last spring and just finished up recently, Donnelly said.</p> <div id="asset-12638599" 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/12638599-large.jpg" class="adv-photo" alt="100808 Douglaston Run 7.JPG" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption"> A successful angler, his guide and the catch on the Douglaston Run, a private, for-pay fishing area on on the lower end of the Salmon River.</span><span class="byline">Joseph Glenn</span></span></span> </div> <p>The min-series is broken down into four, half-hour shows. The first show sets the stage by giving viewers insight into the life of Lake Ontario Charter boat captains.</p> <p>“The second show is when we really get busy. It shows the fish are just in the river up to the first bridge. We pick up the drift boats fishing at night, and introduce the cleaning stations and tackle shops,” Donnelly said. “It takes you to the DEC fish hatchery for some education about how the salmon are reared and stocked.</p> <p>"Finally, it highlights last fall’s drought, which kept the water low in the river.<br />“For everyone else, last year was a record year. The drift boat guys, though, lost their butts. They had to bring their clients to shore and fish from the banks.”</p> <p>The third show highlights Columbus Day weekend.</p> <div id="asset-12638609" 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/12638609-large.jpg" class="adv-photo" alt="2012-09018-gw-salmon104.JPG" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption">Columbus Day weekend is when all hell breaks loose with hordes of anglers on the Salmon River, said Patrick Donnelly.</span><span class="byline">Gary Walts | [email protected]</span></span></span> </div> <p>“That’s the height of the run, when all hell breaks loose,” Donnelly said. ‘Stores are running out of stuff. Tackle shops are drained. People are exhausted, but they dig down deep and continue going for it.”</p> <p>The final show wraps up the end of the salmon season and touches on the steelhead fishing scene that comes afterward.</p> <p>Donnelly said the key any successful outdoors reality show is characters and story lines. Following an extensive interview process, Donnelly he settled on following three Lake Ontario guides; three drift boat guides; three operators of fish cleaning stations – along with short glimpses of those who run and work in the local restaurants and hotels/motels.</p> <p>“We have one drift boat captain who a while back found a burnt doll’s head drifting in the river and brought it into his boat,” Donnelly said. “That day he landed a ridiculous 18-20 fish. He calls in ‘the evil doll head.’ Today, he won’t let that doll’s head leave his boat.”</p> <p>And then there’s the fish cleaning and fish smoking stations. During the height of the run, they’re open 24-7.</p> <p>“We talk to one guy who does 400-600 fish a day,” Donnelly said. “The money is here for just a short time and you have to snatch it.”</p> <p>In the show, Donnelly highlights the work of the state Department of Environment Conservation, which annually stocks about 1.7 million chinook salmon and 250,000 coho salmon in Lake Ontario and its tributaries, according to the DEC website.</p> <p> “Without the DEC, those fish wouldn’t be in the lake. A lot of people don’t give them the credit that’s due,” he said.</p> <p>While the show is about the salmon run, the real story is that of the people who rea p its benefits – the fishing guides, the cleaning station operations. Donnelly talked about a school teacher who made $1,200 in tips as a bartender one Monday night during a football game – money she said will help pay her student loans. He also mentioned single mom who works a second job in a restaurant, dedicating the money she earns during the run to buy her kids Christmas gifts.</p> <p>“It isn’t about life or death,” he said. “It’s just whether people are going to have enough money to pay their bills.”<br /><div id="asset-12638561" 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/12638561-large.jpg" class="adv-photo" alt="TheRunLogo.JPG" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption"></span><span class="byline"></span></span></span> </div></p> <p><strong>TO SEE “THE RUN”</strong></p> <p>The four-part, mini-series will run three times a week on the Sportsman Channel, at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, 2:30 a.m. Tuesdays and 1 p.m. Thursdays and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. Each show will be a half hour long. The series kicks off this week with the Tuesday show.</p> <p><strong>For more:</strong> See <a href="http://theruntvseries.com">the show’s website</a>.</p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Listen to a video on calling in a turkey during the spring hunt, plus see a quick review of the regulations governing the hunt. By Tom Adessa Contributing writer With the regular turkey season kicking off Wednesday morning, many hunters are concentrating this weekend on scouting, practicing calls and patterning their shotguns. It’s also a good time to review safety practices. Turkey hunting raises the excitement level during a hunt because the birds are so vocal, or they can be heard drumming and strutting. This anticipation can lead to mistakes. According to statistical research by numerous fish and game commissions in the United States, most turkey hunting accidents happen while the hunter is moving. Picking a safe and stationary position is the best bet. Tom Adessa Here are some other tips for a safe hunt: Know your target and beyond. Never shoot at a sound. If you hear a turkey, think twice. It could be another hunting answering your calls. Never wear red, blue or white clothing while hunting turkey – and that includes white socks. These colors mimic the head and neck colors of a tom. Invest in a hat that is reversible with camo/blaze orange and use the orange while walking. Your head is the highest point whether you are sitting or walking and the orange will be visible. Even if you forget to reverse the hat back to camo, the turkeys won’t care and you will be that much safer. Also, you can carry orange or green flagging tape in your vest and wrap a nearby tree with it to alert another hunter. When you sit down to call a bird, always pick a tree that is wider than your body. Should someone shoot at you from behind, the tree will absorb the shot pattern. If you encounter another hunter sneaking on your position, do not answer back with calls but rather talk in a loud steady voice to alert him/or her. Make certain they acknowledge you before standing up. Do not wave at them to show your presence, either. Never try to stalk a turkey. This practice statistically leads to more accidental shootings and is not a sound hunting practice in general. If you use decoys, have some way to mark them with orange while carrying them so as not to attract another hunter. The same goes when you’re carrying a harvested bird back to your vehicle. If you are hunting with a partner, it’s best to talk on the way back out of the woods. Once again, it alerts other hunters to your presence. Finally, as with every other type of hunting, always handle your firearm safely and cautiously -- particularly when carrying it. Adessa lives in Auburn. Listen to a 2009 video I made of veteran turkey hunter/guide Jim Montanaro demonstrating spring turkey calls. KNOW THE LAW: *Hunters must have a turkey hunting permit in addition to their small game hunting or sportsman license. *Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to noon each day. *Hunters may take two bearded turkeys during the spring season, but only one bird per day. *Hunters may not use rifles or handguns firing a bullet. Hunters may hunt with a shotgun or handgun loaded with shot sizes no larger than No. 2 or smaller than No. 8, or with a bow and arrow * Successful hunters msut fill out their tag which comes with their turkey permit and immediately attach it to the harvested turkey. Hunters must report their birds within seven days of taking a bird. Call 1-866-426-3778 or go online at dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8316.html. -- Source: DEC . View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It's a list of court actions taken during the past several months in Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Chenango and Tioga counties.. The following was released by the DEC's Syracuse office. It's a list of tickets and resulting fines as a result of court action the past several months. I hope to have this information on a regular basis for readers of this blog. These actions cover cases in Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Chenango and Tioga counties. Fines issued by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation by The Post-Standard View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He shot it near Baldwinsville. Jacob and his 22-pound gobbler. Jacob Yanchisin, 13, of Syracuse, poses with his first wild turkey that he shot near Baldwinsville during the Youth Wild Turkey Hunt weekend.The adults who accompanied him were his father, Jay Yanchisin and Matt Frackelton, of Baldwinsville, a family friend. The bird weighed 22 pounds, with beard length of 10 inches, and spurs of 1 ¼ inches. "Not bad for his first turkey," the father said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He was hunting with his father. Sean Madden proudly poses with his first gobbler. Sean Madden, 12, of Skaneateles poses with a bird he shot Saturday in the town of Spafford during the Youth Wild Turkey Hunt weekend. It weighed more than 20 pounds, had ¾-inch spurs and had an 8-inch beard. He was hunting with his father, Michael Madden. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He was hunting with his grandfather. Sam Jenkins with his first bird. Sam Jenkins, 13, of East Syracuse, dropped this nice gobbler with a shot of just under 30 yards. He was hunting in the town of Verona at the time with his grandfather, Fred Servello, of Canastota. He said it weighed a good “15 to 20 pounds” and that his grandfather gave him a high five when he did it. The boy's account of the hunt follows: "My name is Sam Jenkins, I am 13 years-old. I went hunting with my grandfather Fred Servello on youth turkey hunting weekend. "We got out there in the woods at about five am on Sunday morning and there for about an hour calling and calling and we would hear nothing. "My grandfather asked if I wanted to go to a different spot. I said yes so I stood up slowly just in case something was on the other end of the field that we couldn’t see while sitting down. I saw 3 little black spots on the other end of the field. I told my grandfather to get the binoculars so we can see what they are. "Turns out there were two hens and one big gobbler that was all puffed out. My grandpa said let’s cut back through the woods to get to the corner to see if we can call the hens in to see if the gobbler would fallow. "We cut though the toughest brush and I fell into a stream that was about knee deep and got soaked from mid shin. We get to the corner and we see nothing and then my grandfather sees them in the other field. We got all flustered to try to find out what to do. All of the sudden we see this one lone turkey running up the bank. "I get down and got my gun ready while my grandfather calls him in. He comes running to about forty paces. I wait until he gets a little closer at about 30. My grandfather says are you going to take the shot or not whispering into my ear. I aim to the bottom of the head, as I am doing this my heart is beating a mile a minute about to come out of my chest. "I fire and it drops, it gets about four flops and it was done. "I run up to it so pumped that I got my first turkey. I pick it up and it was a good 15 to 20 pounds. My grandfather gives me a high five and congratulates me on my first turkey." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He did it in Onondaga Hill. Nicholas Cary and his first wild turkey. Nicholas Cary, of Fulton, shot this 19-pound bird in Onondaga Hill during the Youth Wild Turkey Hunt weekend. He was hunting with his uncle, Matt Kucharski. It had a 7.5-inch beard and 1-inch spurs. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He was hunting with his dad at the time. Kyle Wicks is one happy hunter. Kyle Wicks, 14, shot this nice 20-pound bird Saturday in Jamesville during the Youth Wild Turkey Hunt weekend. He was hunting with his father, Doug Wicks. It had a 9-inch beard and ¾ inch-spurs. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It was a jake and he shot it in Scipio Center. Ryan Scott and his bird. Ryan Scott, 14,of Auburn proudly poses with his first wild turkey, shot in Scipio Center during last weekend's Youth Wild Turkey Hunt. He was hunting with his grandfather, Dave Shaw, at the time. The bird weighed 16 pounds and had a 4-inch beard. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The water is down and the steelhead fishing scene on the Salmon River remains strong. CNY FISHING FORECAST * Reminders: Northern pike, pickerel, tiger musky and walleye season is closed until May 4. Finger Lakes Tributary fishing is from sunrise to sunset through May 15. INLAND TROUT STREAMS: Stocked streams at this point include: Cayuga County: North Brook, Owasco Inlet, Salmon Creek and Fall Creek; Cortland County: Otselic River; Madison County: Upper Lelands Pond, Stonemill Brook, Beaver Creek, Canastota Creek, Limestone Creek, Payne Brook, Chittenango Creek, Canaseraga Creek, Chenango River, Cowaselon Creek, Old Chenango Canal, Oneida Creek, Sangerfield River, and the Otselic River; Onondaga County: Nine Mile Creek, Onondaga Creek; West Br. Onondaga Creek, Tannery Creek, Spafford Brook, Furnace Brook, Fabius Brook, Limestone Creek, West Br. Limestone Creek, Geddes Brook, Carpenters Brook, Butternut Creek, and Skaneateles Creek. (Hotline number is (315) 689-0003) Tompkins County: Enfield Creek, Virgil Creek, Buttermilk Creek, Salmon Creek, Fall Creek and Sixmile Creek.. LAKE ONTARIO Little has changed from last week, except it's become harder to find a non-windy day to get out. When the wind isn't blowing too hard and anglers can get out, they are getting some brown trout in 10 to 25 feet of water on stickbaits. Natural colors like black and silver, blue and silver and goby -imitating have been working well. Look for the warmest water or flumes of off-colored water coming out from tributaries or bays. SALMON RIVER The water is down and fishing is good. Steelhead are still being found throughout the river. Good baits are egg sacs, beads, pink worms, night crawlers and streamers. OSWEGO RIVER HIgh water level has made shore fishing extremely difficult. So new fishing information to report. Before the high water, anglers were getting steelhead and some nice brown trout with egg sacs working well. ONEIDA LAKE Bullhead action continues to be strong with the recent warm weather. Good areas include off shore around Muskrat Bay and Oneida Shores Park. Other anglers are fishing around the Caudenoy Dam on the Oneida River. CAYUGA LAKE Anglers trolling stickbaits or spoons near the surface are catching brown trout. Look for the warmest water, such as around tributaries mouths where there should be a good flume of off colored water entering the lake. Be careful as that also means more debris floating around. Lake trout are being taken by anglers vertical jigging in 125 to 150 feet of water. Trolling with spoons or flasher and flies, fished off downriggers or dipsey divers is also working for lake trout. Anglers fishing the north end are getting yellow perch on minnows or spikes. A lot of small perch are still being caught for every "good" one. No reports on the smelt run. SENECA LAKE Brown trout and Atlantic salmon are hitting on spoons and stickbaits trolled near the surface, or below the surface with lead core. Lake trout are hitting spoons and flasher and flies fished 60 to 150 feet down. Anglers fishing off the pier are catching yellow perch, bluegills and a few black crappies. The panfish are hitting on fathead minnows and waxworms. Reminder: catch limit on western Finger Lakes, beginning with Seneca Lake, is one rainbow a day. OWASCO LAKE Anglers getting out on the north end are catching yellow perch and some bullhead are being taken on the south end. OTISCO LAKE No new fishing activity to report. SKANEATELES LAKE The DEC launch ramp is open and the dock are in. Anglers getting out in boats are catching some yellow perch on the north end. A few lake trout are also being taken by the perch anglers. SANDY POND: Anglers are getting some panfish on the pond, with minnows,worms and spikes working. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Reports of good perch fishing around Kring's Point. Use fathead minnows and worms.Reports of good bullhead fishing as well. Try night crawlers. Otter Creek and French Creek have been hotspots for the bullheads. SODUS BAY Yellow perch fishing continues to be slow with anglers still sorting through a lot of small perch to get some larger fish. Depending on the day, minnows or waxworms have been working. Anglers fishing by the bridge are getting some bluegills, crappies and a few bullhead. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR Still high and muddy. No fishing activity to report, apart from shore anglers picking up a few bullheads and channel catfish. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<p> Highlights this weekend include the Women in Nature seminar at the Otisco Rod and Gun Club and the "Take a Soldier Fishing" event scheduled on Oneida Lake and based at Oneida Shores Park. </p> <p><strong>CNY OUTDOORS CALENDAR</strong></p> <p><strong>Take a Soldier Fishing:</strong> begins at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Oneida Shores Park, Brewerton, on Oneida Lake. Local anglers will take out 135 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) stationed at Fort Drum out fishing. Hosted by New York Bass Chapter Federation. Will include lunch, prizes for biggest fish, donated equipment and raffles. For more, <a href="http://www.nybassfed.com">see the Federation's website</a>.</p> <p><strong>Women In Nature (WIN) Workshop</strong>: 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Otisco Rod and Gun Club, Route 174, Marietta. Lunch and raffle at 4 p.m. included. More than 100 women will participate for free in 15 different outdoor activities. Registration is full. Sponsored by the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. For more, see 243-7667 or email <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p> <p><strong>Annual Sportsman’s Flea Market:</strong> 9 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Pompey Rod and Gun Club, Swift Road, Pompey. Adults $2; Kids free. For more, call 683-5453 or 435-7529.</p> <p><strong>Birding lecture:</strong> 7 p.m. Monday, Gateway Events Center, SUNY ESF. Richard Crossley, renowned author, photographer and birding advocate, will speak on his travels and birding around the world and more. Sponsored jointly by Onondaga Audubon and SUNY ESF. Reception beforehand at 6 p.m. Event is free, but parking in the nearby Irving Parking Garage is not. For call 814-880-5667 or email <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p> <p><strong>Friends of NRA banquet:</strong> 5:30 p.m. May 3, Traditions at the Links, 5995 North Burdick St., East Syracuse. Hosted by CNY Friends of the NRA. To order tickets contact James Middleton at 315-695-3981 or by email <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p> <p><strong>Walleye derby</strong>: Annual Cicero-Mattydale Lions Club Walleye Derby on Oneida Lake. Begins at midnight May 4 and ends with award ceremony at 3 p.m. May 5 in the parking lot at the Gander Mountain store in Cicero. More than $7,000 in cash and prizes. The cost to enter is $10. Tickets are available at 23 businesses around and near the lake. Frey said anglers can sign up until midnight May 4 at Gander Mountain and Marion Manor in Canastota. For more, call 699-3187.</p> <p><strong>Youth Trout Fishing Derby:</strong> 7 to 11 a.m. May 11, Altmar Hotel Pavilion. Sponsored by Stillbrook Fish and Game Club. Barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. Cost is $2 for the derby, $10 for the barbecue. All proceeds go to Steven Esposito Memorial Scholarship Fund. Two age classes: 2 to 9 for pond fishing; 10 to 18 for river fishing. For more, call 298-6945 or email <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p> <p><strong>Friends of NRA banquet:</strong> 4:3o p.m May 18, Rusty Rail Restaurant, Route 5, Canastota. Sponsored by Madison County Friends of the NRA. For more, call or email Denise at 247 5140 or at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p> <p><strong>SAFETY COURSES:</strong><br /><strong>Gun:</strong> 6 to 9:30 p.m. May 21, 23, and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fayetteville Manlius Rod and Gun Club, 4545 Whetstone Road, Manlius. Register in person at the club from 10 a.m. to noon May 18.</p> <p><strong>Gun:</strong> 6 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 13, 14, 16, Nedrow Rod and Gun Club, Route 20 at Hogback Road, Navarino. Pre-register by calling 469-1820 or 469-4784.</p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"A turkey's brain is only the size of a walnut, but they're some of the smartest birds out there," Walling said. Cortland—Turkey hunting is an art to be perfected. Even after 36 years of practice, turkeys can still surprise you, said veteran turkey hunter Paul Walling. Walling, who lives in Groton, took me out Saturday, along with with a couple of novice teenager hunters, during the special, statewide Youth Turkey Hunt weekend. We were out for nearly four hours and there wasn't a turkey feather to be seen. However, here's 10 things I learned: 1. Be prepared for a rough morning. Dress appropriately. Turkey hunting involves getting out in all sorts of weather and staking a spot in a forest or the edge of a field before dawn, when the turkeys are roosting in tall trees. After getting some gobblers to respond to preliminary female turkey calls, Walling picked a spot under a tree to sit and wait. He then used a variety of female turkey calls to lure the male turkeys to him. Because it's mating season, the toms, or male turkeys, are on the prowl for hens and will run right into the trap. A turkey needs to come at least 40-50 yards away before you take a shot. To be successful, aim for its head. The bird's feathers are often are too thick to penetrate with the spray of shot from the shotgun shells used by hunters, Walling said. 2. Think turkeys are pea brains? Think again. shot "A turkey's brain is only the size of a walnut, but they're some of the smartest birds out there," Walling said. Nearly complete silence and full camouflage are essential, because "a turkeys' eyesight is 10 times as good as ours, and their hearing's eight times as good as ours," Walling said. If they sense anything wrong while you're calling, they'll spook. Sometimes, they'll be running right at you, and then stop, turn around and march away, he said. "It's impossible to know exactly what they're going to do next," he said. 3. Turkey hunting is a sport for adrenaline junkies. "There's an adrenaline rush when that turkey comes running at you," Walling said. "That, combined with the smartness of the animal and the strategy of the sport is why I get up at three in the morning to come out here." 4. Turkeys never do the same thing twice. "I don't like this at all," Walling whispered to us after calling the male turkeys for an hour without a response.We had heard gobbles coming from the trees when we first got there, but the toms must have had hens with them already or were scared off by something in the forest, Walling said. "Last season, when March days got up to 80 degrees, the turkeys mated early and the season was horrible—I didn't actually take anything that season," Walling said. "But some seasons, I'll call in 10 to 12 turkeys, sometimes two within 20 minutes. You just never know." 5. It's a great hunting debut for kids. Walling acted as guide for Keller Pai, 14, of Groton, and Donivan Underwood, 13, of Cortland, on this youth turkey hunt, which was specifically for hunters ages 12-15,who had to accompanied by licensed, adult mentors. Underwood's father, Jim Underwood, also came along. "Once you’ve been on a successful turkey hunt, you’re hooked," Jim Underwood said. "I've been hunting for 22 years, and I'm hoping to get Donivan into it by taking him out here with Paul." Donivan Underwood had been on two turkey hunts before—"I missed both times," he said. "But I had a lot of fun still. Your heart's pounding when the turkey's running straight into your gun." 6. It takes skill. "It's helpful to be a good caller and a woodsman to have success at this sport," Walling said. While out, he used a mouth call and a box call, both of which he uses regularly. "I used to take pocketfuls of calls out here, and I'd only use a few of them," Walling said. "Now I wish I had some of those other ones with me. However, just because you have a bad day out doesn't mean that you should question your calling skills." Walling said his father was a superb woodsman. He said he could "read the land", meaning that he could tell where the turkey's gobble was coming from and the approach path a turkey would take, so that he was always in the right position for a good shot. 7. There's nothing like wild turkey meat. "There’s not a whole lot of meat on wild turkeys, but when we got them, you’ll have a hard time taking that meat from me," Walling said. Wild turkey meat is a lot more tender than store bought, Thanksgiving turkey meat, he said, even though it may take some time to prepare it. 8. If you have a shotgun and pass a safety course, you're good to go. Turkey hunting requires very little extra equipment or hunting credentials to get started, Walling said. When you have your hunting license, you can very easily get two turkey tags for the season. In the fall season, which runs from October to November, you can take both males and females, he said. But in the spring, which lasts until the end of May, it's only males (birded birds). Kids can hunt during the regular season as well as the youth hunt weekend, Walling said. 8. Safety can't be emphasized enough. Like every form of hunting, safety always, always comes first. Among the cardinal rules of turkey hunting is to know exactly what you're shooting at, and what's beyond your target if you miss. The turkey hunter is well concealed, dressed head to toe in camo, often has realistic decoys in front of him or her and is making convincing turkey calls -- factors that can sometimes prompt another novice hunter to recklessly fire a shot. "There’s always idiots out there who don’t use their heads," Walling said. "You always have to be on the lookout for that, whatever you're hunting." 10. It can form lasting friendships. "People think that hunting is you come out here, sit under a tree and wait, and then shoot something and leave. But it’s a lot more than that," Walling said. He hunted with his father for 14 years, and now with his partner,Mike Joyner for more than that. "This sport brings you together," he said. Walling said he hopes to instill his passion for turkey hunting in his young proteges. "You wonder why we get up at three in the morning to do this?," he said. "Because it’s something I love to do, and I love teaching these kids to do it as much as I enjoy doing it myself." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It's important for refuge staff to know what species are present, so they can monitor different populations and their habitats. A spring peeper. Tom Meier Seneca Falls—All you need to assist Montezuma Wildlife Refuge's official conservation work is a pair of ears and a data sheet.A conservation biology class from Hobart and William Smith Colleges got to try their ear at "frog surveying" recently —a program called Frog Watch that consists of listening for different frog calls on the refuge and recording the results. Citizen volunteers fan out around the refuge on Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the spring to survey its frog population, which consists of nine species of frogs and one kind of toad. Montezuma Wildlife Biologist Linda Ziemba said that this year they've been overrun with volunteers willing to help. "People of all ages come out to do this," Ziemba said. "Sometimes we've had staff who want to do a frog survey one night and we have to tell them that all the points are taken by citizen volunteers." It's important for refuge staff to know what species are present, so they can monitor different populations and their habitats, Ziemba said. HWS Biology Professor Bradley Cosentino brought his senior conservation biology class to the refuge after teaching them how to analyze data sheets from other wildlife parks. "This kind of thing generates an appreciation and an enthusiasm for nature that you can't always garner in the classroom," Cosentino said. "And then we're also doing citizen science, which is important to learning about real world issues like climate change." After briefing the group of students on Montezuma's conservation efforts and the importance of Frog Watch, Ziemba and Cosentino took them out to small ponds around the refuge, where they listened for frog calls for three minutes at a time. They then recorded the wind and noise levels at that location, the intensity of the frog calling and the species of frogs heard. These data sheets would normally be used for official data collection on the refuge, but due to the excessive wind that night, it was impossible to get an accurate reading on frog calls and the data sheets were used only for the students' practice. HWS Senior Hollie Dunn said this is the hands-on continuation of what they'd been learning in conservation biology. "We've been looking at these data sheets, and now we know what those people actually did to record what was there," she said. "It makes the learning process more complete." Despite the wind, the students were able to identify at least one species of frog at different ponds around the refuge -- spring peepers. With eight permanent staff members and 10,000 acres of refuge, Ziemba said volunteers at Montezuma are a must. "We wouldn't be able to accomplish what we do without the help of citizen volunteers," Ziemba said. "If not for them, we wouldn't be getting near as much done." Ziemba said she hoped the students had a heightened sense of wildlife awareness after Frog Watch. "These students may not go into wildlife management when they graduate," Ziemba said. "But I hope they carry with them the importance of protecting land and giving back to the community." FROGS/TOADS AT MONTEZUMA: The following are the frogs and toads inhabiting the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge: spring peepers, wood frogs, western chorus frogs, northern leopard frogs, southern leopard frogs, green frogs, gray tree frogs, pickerel frogs, bull frogs and American toads. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

I'm recovering at home from last week's surgery on my sinuses, but still managing (thanks to the magic of the internet) to get things done. This week, I, along with my Syracuse University intern Sarah Taddeo, are writing about the following: - A wrapup of last weekend's special, statewide Youth Turkey Hunt. Sarah, who has never hunted, was out bright... Mike Sicilia, 13, of East Syracuse, poses with his first wild turkey,which he took during the state-wide special Turkey Youth Hunt weekend. I'm recovering at home from last week's surgery on my sinuses, but still managing (thanks to the magic of the internet) to get things done.This week, I, along with my Syracuse University intern Sarah Taddeo, are writing about the following: - A wrapup of last weekend's special, statewide Youth Turkey Hunt. Sarah, who has never hunted, was out bright and early Saturday morning and wrote an account of her adventure. I've also received some good photos and stories from others. - The annual "Take a Soldier Fishing" event on Oneida Lake, along with the annual "Women in Nature" program -- both set for this Saturday. - A preview of the new TV mini-series "The Run," which begins running next week. The series is based on the annual Salmon Run up at the Salmon River and follows the guides, fish cleaners and restaurant/motel owners and others who make it happen each fall. - The DECs report on the deer take from last fall's hunting season. - A unique study at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge involving frogs. Also: - So, based on data from Meteorologist Dave Eichorn..just when is the best time (as far as warm temperatures and lack of rain) to take an outdoors summer vacation in Central New York? (You might be surprised) - Bullhead fishing - A walleye fishing season precede. - The early spring brown trout bite on Lake Ontario. - An update on the Governor's "gag order" on the DEC. - Commercial gill net fishing for perch on Lake Ontario There's still a few individuals who are licensed by the state to do this and I hope to get out with one of them soon. - DEC study on wild turkeys - A proposal to turn Onondaga County into a rifle county for deer hunting. 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 worm. Austin with his catch. Austin SeGuin, 14, of Chittenango,caught and released this nice, 17-inch brown trout last week while fishing on Chittenango Creek.His father, Forrest SeGuin, wrote: "It was in real high, stained, and fast conditions, but the trout was holed up in some slack water. It was too fast that day for anything but live bait. "Austin loves to fish and hunt!!!" View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Highlight: Mike Latocha, from the Pompey Rod and Gun Club, hit 25 out 25 for the second week in a row. RESULTS OF WEEK 2, 04/23/13 NORTHERN DIVISION CEN. SQUARE (bye) No. SPORTSMAN (192) at TOAD HARBOR (200) So. SHORE (195) at PATHFINDER (195) -- tie SOUTHERN DIVISION POMPEY (191) at THREE RIVERS (196) DEWITT (187) at CAMILLUS (196) BRIDGEPORT (186) at SKANEATELES (193) 25'S POMPEY -- Mike Latocha+Cliff Haaf+Jack Waldron. (Latocha has gone 50-50 for the first two weeks of the league). DEWITT -- Len Reidl. 3 RIVERS -- Dave Clement+Bill Tambs+Joe Fredericks+Rick Liberty. NO. SPORTSMAN -- Greg Jones+Kyle Jones. TOAD HARBOR -- Craig Chesbro+Keith Chesbro+John McDaniel+ Rodger Moran+Rick Baxter+Bob Howard+Will Milton +Paul Cripp. CENTRAL SQ. -- BYE. SKANEATELES -- Ted Kochenek. PATHFINDER -- Paul Clark+B.J.Grant+John Fish. CAMILLUS -- Len KalIfetz+Tom Anthony+AI Relch+Anthony Palumbo BRIDGEPORT --Joe St. Pierre. SOUTH SHORE -- Waz Sullivan+Nancy Young+Brian Fernon. See results from Week . Results courtesy of Dick Masterpole. Questions? Call 963-8974 or 481-5326. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<p> First described in 1829, the species was discounted and forgotten after 1868. </p> <p><strong>The following is a press release from SUNY ESF:</strong></p> <p>A professor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, N.Y., has put aside nearly a century and a half of conventional wisdom with the rediscovery of a species of giant Amazonian fish whose existence was first established in a rare 1829 monograph only to be lost to science some 40 years later.</p> <p>Dr. Donald Stewart, a fisheries professor at ESF, found evidence in the monograph of a second species belonging to the genus Arapaima, air-breathing giants that live in shallow lakes, flooded forests and connecting channels in the Amazon River basin.</p> <p>For 145 years, biologists have thought that Arapaima consisted of a single species whose scientific name is A. gigas. But Stewart rediscovered a second species that he describes in the March issue of the journal “Copeia,” published by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.</p> <p> “In a sense, this forgotten fish has been hiding in plain sight in this old monograph but that monograph is so rare that it now resides only in rare book collections of a few large museums,” Stewart said. “I was truly surprised to discover drawings that revealed a fish very different from what we consider a typical Arapaima.”</p> <p>Part of the apparently rare fish’s story remains a mystery, however, as scientists don't know if it still exists in the wild. “Scientists have had the impression thatArapaima is a single species for such a long time that they have been slow to collect new specimens. Their large size makes them difficult to manage in the field and expensive to store in a museum,” Stewart said.</p> <p>Arapaima can grow to three meters in length (about 10 feet) and weigh as much as 200 kilograms (440 pounds).</p> <p>This different species was originally named A. agassizii in 1847 by a French biologist but a catalog published in 1868 considered it to be the same species asA. gigas. That second opinion was widely accepted and, since then, no scientist has questioned that view.</p> <p>But Stewart has had doctoral students studying the conservation of Arapaima in both Brazil and Guyana. For those studies, it was important to be clear about the taxonomy of the fishes being studied in each country. In an effort to determine if they were really all one species, Stewart began to review taxonomic literature from the early 1800s, including the monograph that was published the year Andrew Jackson was inaugurated as the seventh president of the United States.</p> <p>“What is remarkable is that this fish was not re-discovered swimming in the Amazon but, rather, on the pages of a rare monograph from 1829 that described its anatomy in great detail,” Stewart said. </p> <p>The fish described in the monograph had been collected in the Brazilian Amazon about 1819 and carried to Munich, Germany, as a dried skeleton. There the Swiss biologist Louis Agassiz, who was just beginning his career and later became a professor of zoology at Harvard University, supervised a technical illustrator in drawing the complete skeleton in great detail.</p> <p>At that time, however, he applied the name Sudis gigas to the drawings. That rare skeleton was in a museum in Germany until World War II, when it was destroyed by a bomb dropped on the museum.</p> <p>“To this day, we do not know the precise locality where the fish was collected because the German scientist who collected it died before indicating where he found it, and nobody has found a second specimen,” Stewart said. “So, all that exists to know the status of A. agassizii is the original drawings of its bones.”</p> <p>Stewart said those drawings reveal numerous distinctive features that leave little doubt it should be considered a valid species. Those features include details related to the fish’s teeth, eyes and fins.</p> <p>The previously recognized Arapaima species is known by the common names “pirarucu” in Portuguese and “paiche” in Spanish. Because they rise to the surface to breathe every 5 to 15 minutes, they are easy to locate and fishermen harpoon them to sell their valuable meat or to feed their families. That combination of high value and vulnerability has led to widespread depletion of their populations and they are now listed as endangered.</p> <p>The mystery surrounding the recently rediscovered fish’s current status is not surprising, Stewart said, because there are still vast areas of Amazon basin where no specimens of Arapaima have been collected for study.</p> <p>He expects the diversity of the genus to increase further with additional studies. Two more previously described species — A. arapaima from Guyana and A. mapae from northeastern Brazil but outside the Amazon basin — also should be recognized as valid.</p> <p>He is working on redescriptions of those species. He also has another paper due to be published soon that describes a new species of Arapaima from the central Amazon. That latter paper will bring the total number of Arapaima species to five. </p> <p>He anticipates that more species could be discovered as biologists working in South America begin to make new collections in unstudied areas.</p> <p>Stewart’s research was supported, in part, by National Geographic Society and ESF.<br /></p> View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He got in Kirkville. It weighed 20 pounds and had a 9-inch beard. Mike Sicilia, 13, of East Syracuse, poses with his first wild turkey,which he took during the state-wide special Turkey Youth Hunt weekend.He shot it Saturday in Kirkville while hunting with Tim Chick as his adult mentor. The bird weighed 20 pounds, had a 9-inch beard and spurs that measured 1 1/4 inches. Submissions of turkeys taken during the Youth Hunt Weekend should be sent to [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The doors and exhibits open at 6 p.m.; the meeting starts at 7. The 68th annual spring meeting of the Oneida Lake Association is set for Monday evening (April 29) at the Cicero- North Syracuse High School auditorium. The doors and exhibits open at 6 p.m.; the meeting starts at 7. The association has some 3,000 members. The theme for this year's meeting is Law Enforcement on Oneida Lake..."If and when you see, call DEC." Guest speakers include: - Bill Evans, manager of the DEC-run Oneida Fish Cultural Station, who will give an update on this year's walleye run and egg take. - Dr. Randy Jackson, senior research associate at the Cornell Field Station on Oneida Lake, who will give an update on the lake's walleye and yellow perch populations and comment on the progress of lake sturgeon and round gobies in Oneida Lake. - Martin Lowney, state director for USDA/APHIS/WS, who will give an update on the status of cormorant control for Oneida Lake as per the Federal Budget. He will also address other hazing programs throughout the US and Canada. - Dave Lemon, Fish Manager NYSDEC Region 7, who will address the volunteer cormorant hazing program for Oneida Lake as well as sea lamprey treatment scheduled for 2013. Law Enforcement priorities for Oneida Lake will be highlighted at this year’s annual meeting. The Verona Beach Lighthouse Association and The Oneida Lake “Lake Sturgeon” project will both have displays in the lobby. SPECIAL PRIZESA Capt. Ray Brown fishing charter for three anglers will be drawn for any child 16 years or younger in attendance. Details to follow at the meeting. Also, a raffle will be held during which two GPS units will be drawn and given away: one for attendees, and the other for the membership at large. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog