HuntingNY-News

"Feral pigs have been ransacking Bob Rulf's farm in Peru, N.Y., on the banks of Lake Champlain, eating apples and other crops." The following was written on N.Y. Times.com: "PERU, N.Y. — They roam by night, picking cornstalks clean, making off with apple crops. They have almost no natural predators, but they have razor-sharp tusks and a seemingly bottomless appetite for plants and animals. Their population can triple in one year. "Feral pigs have been ransacking Bob Rulf's farm in Peru, N.Y., on the banks of Lake Champlain, eating apples and other crops. "Peter Glushko, supervisor of the town of Peru, N.Y., stood outside Rulfs Orchard, which includes a farm market and has been hard-hit by an influx of feral pigs. "They are feral pigs, and while they have long plagued parts of the Southern and Western United States, now they have become a problem in the peaceful Champlain Valley of New York, an agricultural heartland on the edge of the Adirondacks." Read the full story. Read what's been written about the local problem. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

A bill in Wisconsin to authorize a hunting season on wolves is opposed by Indian tribes on sacred principle and tradition. View the full article

Asked about the unseasonably warm winter, Lemon noted, “it’s too early to say, but possible” that this year’s overall spawn of rainbows up the Cayuga Lake Inlet and other Finger Lake tributaries will be earlier than usual. Watch video It happens every spring. State Department of Environmental Conservation staff keep checking the Cayuga Inlet Fishway, about a half-mile up from the southern end of Cayuga Lake, three or more times a week for lamprey and spawning rainbow trout. The parasitic lamprey, which attach themselves to large fish, are measured then bagged and taken to the local landfill. The rainbow trout, on the other hand, are measured and looked over for lamprey scars. They’re then either released to continue their spawning trip upstream, or kept by the DEC staff and stripped of eggs before being released. Although no official count was available late Friday afternoon, DEC staff were at the trap that morning expecting a large number of rainbows. “Rain events (like the one Thursday evening) and rising temperatures usually trigger fish movement,” said David Lemon, regional fisheries manager at the DEC’s Cortland office. To date, DEC staff have recorded about 300 spawning rainbows, the biggest one measuring 29½ inches. “It’s better than last year at this time,” Lemon said. “Historically, we’ve ranged from as low as 141 to 2,000 fish. It’s still early March. You’ll see fish moving right up through early April. Three hundred at this point is a promising number.” The fish get trapped in the fishway thanks to a dam, a flood-control measure built several decades ago by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which stretches across most of the inlet. When the water is low, like it is now, the spawning fish are unable to jump over the dam and proceed up a concrete stairway on one side of the stream that leads into a funnel-like, enclosed, concrete-lined holding area. DEC workers don waders, step down a ladder into the holding area and net the trapped fish and lampreys. This year the lake’s level has been down. If it continues, probably every spawning rainbow will get trapped on its way upstream. In some years, Lemon said, the high waters have enabled many fish to jump over the dam and avoid the trap. He said the eggs stripped from the female rainbows are taken to the DEC’s hatchery in Bath, where they’re raised and then stocked back into Cayuga, Skaneateles, Owasco and Seneca lakes, supplementing the wild reproduction of rainbows in those lakes. At this point, the DEC has trapped few if any adult lampreys at the Cayuga Inlet Fishway, but a number of the fish that have been analyzed are showing “transformer wounds,” which are wounds inflicted by young lampreys still in the Inlet that attach themselves to the fish coming up. “The adult lampreys start running up the Inlet in April and hit their peak around May, ending in early June,” he said. Asked about the unseasonably warm winter, Lemon noted, “it’s too early to say, but possible” that this year’s overall spawn of rainbows up the Cayuga Lake Inlet and other Finger Lake tributaries will be earlier than usual. “It has happened in some years. You get a warm spring and a lot of them make their way back into the lake, particularly the females,” he said. “But not every fish is going to spawn before April 1. There will be fish in the Cayuga Inlet come April 1. How many, though, is the big question.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

“He stepped out at 200 yards and gave me a broadside shot,” Kiselica said. “The 300 Weatherby did the job, and I got the trophy of a lifetime.” Submitted photo The story behind Joe Kiselica’s trophy red stag began with his daughter’s seventh-grade school project. “When my daughter, Erin, was working on a school project, she had to pick a country to plan a trip to and she chose New Zealand,” he said. “After all the research, my wife, Amy, and I thought what a great trip that would make. So, for our 25th anniversary, we decided to go. Erin is now 23 years old and graduating from college.” Kiselica, 49, president of the Arrow Fence Company in Baldwinsville, said with a little research of his own, he discovered that New Zealand is a great place to go if you want to hunt trophy-sized red stag. The red stag, native to Europe and a close relative of the Rocky Mountain elk, is among the largest members of the deer family. They were first introduced to New Zealand by wealthy Europeans for hunting purposes in the 1850s. “After convincing Amy that our trip should include hunting for a red stag, we set aside four days of our three-week adventure for a hunt,” he said. Kiselica said that on the second day of the hunt, his guide noted a big buck nearly a mile away through a spotting scope. “By the time we made it over to where we saw the stag, he was gone,” he said. “We glassed the area, made a move to the next valley, and spotted him again. Still too far to make a shot, we played the wind and stalked around the stag as he went into some thick cover.” Time was running out. There was only about 20 minutes of legal shooting light left in the day. “He stepped out at 200 yards and gave me a broadside shot,” Kiselica said. “The 300 Weatherby did the job, and I got the trophy of a lifetime.” He said the outfitter, Shane Quinn Alpine Hunting, estimated the stag to be about 500 pounds and very old, due to the wear of his teeth. He had 34 scoreable points and the outfitter scored him at 480 3/8. Kiselica said this past week the head and cape are being shipped to a Chicago taxidermist and will eventually end up at his office. The meat was donated to a food pantry in New Zealand. “The trip of a lifetime ended up with the stag of a lifetime,” he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"My wonderful 77-year-old mother was on a stepstool trying to place some contraption involving a red safety cone on her bird feeder to keep the squirrels away when she lost her balance and fell," he son wrote. R.J. Dietz, of Camillus, responded to last Sunday’s story about squirrels and bird feeders with a sad tale about his mother, Joan. “Unfortunately, sometimes the squirrels win,” he said. “My wonderful 77-year-old mother was on a stepstool trying to place some contraption involving a red safety cone on her bird feeder to keep the squirrels away when she lost her balance and fell. “She broke her tibia in three places and her fibula in two places and had surgery to place seven screws and two plates. She has been in the hospital since Feb. 23.” Dietz added, “My dad would be very interested in hiring the guy who shot the squirrel that you wrote about in your article.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"This shot was not photo enhanced," the guide told me. "That fish was was every bit as big as it looks." Submitted photo Melissa Gaman, of Jersey City, N.J., hoists a huge male steelhead she caught Jan. 26 on the Salmon River. She was a client of guide George O’Brien of Trophy Angler Guide Services. See his Web site. "This shot was not photo enhanced," O'Brien told me. "That fish was was every bit as big as it looks." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"On this past Tuesday while returning from our camp at Skaneateles, I was amazed suddenly observing what looked like a large patch of ice. Doubting it could be ice, I looked through my camera and it proved to be thousands of snow geese each motionless but the entire mass drifting with the wind," he said. Irv Goldman of Dewitt wrote me: "I read your articles with great interest and really connected with your Friday Post Standard article "Birder`s Delight" where you described the joy of seeing some 10,000 snow geese descending onto Montezuma Marsh. "On this past Tuesday while returning from our camp at Skaneateles, I was amazed suddenly observing what looked like a large patch of ice. Doubting it could be ice, I looked through my camera and it proved to be thousands of snow geese each motionless but the entire mass drifting with the wind. What a magnificant sight on a bright sunny day." Editor's note: I was driving early this afternoon on Route 41 on the eastern side of the lake and witnessed the same sight. It was impressive. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Feral pigs, known as eating machines in the South and West, are now troubling farms in New York’s Champlain Valley, devouring crops and prey. View the full article

Wednesday’s free outing, the second the Audubon Center has offered this year, started off at the Knox Marcellus Marsh, moved to the Tschache Pool, and ended at a location to the north off the refuge at the state-owned Muckrace Flats, a flooded wetlands area. Watch video It was a sunny, calm morning Wednesday with a couple hundred Canada geese and northern pintail ducks milling peacefully about on the Knox Marcellus Marsh at the northern end of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Within minutes, the quiet was disturbed as some 10,000 snow geese descending on the marsh, creating a white island several hundred yards long. Nearby, a solitary immature bald eagle soared above the marsh on a thermal. When it got close to the snow geese, they instantly took flight and honked, swirling and swarming around the swamp before settling down on another spot on the water. With the bright morning light shimmering off their white bodies, it was a spectacular sight. "Man, thanks for taking us out here," said an excited Loren Miller, of Auburn. "I didn’t know this place existed. I’ve never seen snow geese before." The "man" Miller was referring to was Chris Lajewski, education manager at the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah. Miller and his wife, Beth, were part of a 20-person contingent of bird enthusiasts participating in the Audubon Center’s Montezuma Birding Van Tour, which was led by Lajewski. Wednesday’s free outing, the second the Audubon Center has offered this year, started off at the Knox Marcellus Marsh, moved to the Tschache Pool, and ended at a location to the north off the refuge at the state-owned Muckrace Flats, a flooded wetlands area. "Spring is here and life is returning to Montezuma," Lajewski said. "We’ve already had thousands and thousands of duck, geese and swans coming back from the south through here. They’re resting, refueling and getting their energy back so they can continue their journey northward .¤.¤. in some cases, way up to the Arctic." He explained that Montezuma is on the Atlantic flyway and is a popular stop each fall and spring for the migrating water fowl. "It’s no exaggeration, millions of birds use Montezuma during the course of the year," he said. "There’s no other place in the Northeast where you’ll see something like this. This is it." One woman asked if the birds were migrating due to the unseasonably warm winter. "Yes, many are here early," he said. "The killdeers are back a good two to three weeks early. The grackles, the snow geese have been trickling through. The sandhill cranes never even left Montezuma this winter. That’s very unusual." Over at Tschache Pool, some of the birders climbed atop the four-story bird observation tour with their binoculars, cameras and spotting scopes. Others stayed on the group. Either way, there was a lot to see. Highlights included more Canada geese and pintails, along with dozens of American wigeons, a pair of trumpet swans and a pair of mature, adult bald eagles sitting in the distance on a dead tree, lording over the pool. "Look there, it’s an American coot," said Lajewski, pointing to a small black bird that was swimming in the water just off to the left of the observation tower. The fowl kept swimming a little, and then diving out of sight. "People think of them as ducks, but they’re closer to a chicken," he said. Before moving to the final spot, the birders were treated to three immature bald eagles fighting in the air over a fish that one held in its talons — and that eventually was dropped. In addition, a dark brownish mink, which appeared to be about 2½ feet long, was spotted swimming along the shore. The trip ended with a brief stop at the state-owned property, where more Canada geese, northern pintails and a turkey vulture were spotted. Alan Schenck and Beth Nicholas, of Geneva, said they have bird feeders, but this was their first time at the refuge and its surrounding land, which covers about 50,000 acres. "It’s so great to see God’s beauty out here, and it’s so close to home," Schenck said. "We take it for granted. It’s so gorgeous." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"A large coyote — huge, bigger than a German shepherd — jumped out in front of our car," wrote Ed Zaluski, who noted he was a World War II veteran.¶ Ed Zaluski, of Cicero, and his wife, Betty, said he had a "tense moment of excitement" one recent evening while driving on South Bay Road, north of Route 31 toward Oneida Lake. "A large coyote — huge, bigger than a German shepherd — jumped out in front of our car," wrote Zaluski, who noted he was a World War II veteran. "It hit the front bumper, slid onto the hood, fell off the hood to the driver’s side of the car and ran off into an open field," he said. Zaluski said he was only going about 30 mph and "if it had been any faster it would have hit the windshield." He said there was no damage to his vehicle as the coyote "just brushed the hood and bumper." He noted that members of the South Shore Association, a short distance away, have observed coyotes crossing the road and running around their shooting range. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"The mantra is know your target and beyond it .¤.¤. and knowing all that in regard to the ballistics of the round you’re using," said Mike Arnold, of Camillus, who teaches both hunter-safety courses and the instructors who teach them. He said it’s a point he and other instructors repeat "ad nauseam" during their classes.¶ It’s a sad story with an extremely important lesson for anyone who hunts. Robert Ross, 44, of Solon, was found not guilty last week of his uncle’s hunting-related death in Truxton. A Cortland County jury acquitted him of criminally negligent homicide. Another felony charge of second-degree manslaughter was dismissed by County Judge Julie Campbell for insufficient evidence. Ross fatally wounded his uncle Alton Carr with a shotgun slug on Nov. 20, 2010. The two were deer hunting on family-owned property in the town of Truxton. During the trial, witnesses for the prosecution, led by Assistant District Attorney Kevin Jones, noted that Ross had set up a hunting ground blind for his 54-year-old uncle that was some 160 yards away from his own in a pasture. The key point was that Ross positioned himself to shoot in Carr’s general direction. Testimony revealed that three deer took a direct path between the two blinds, and that Ross took three shots at them despite the fact that they were close to where he knew his uncle was. The prosecution maintained that Ross failed to perceive a "substantial and unjustifiable risk" that his uncle might have been killed. If he had been found guilty, Ross could have faced prison time. Lawyers representing Ross said Carr’s death was an accident. "My sentence was known to me the day it happened and I’m going to live with it for the rest of my life," Ross was quoted by the Cortland Standard as saying following the jury’s verdict. The lesson learned here is something that every hunter-safety instructor preaches in class, and that should be heeded by hunters of all ages when they takes to the woods, fields and waterways. "The mantra is know your target and beyond it .¤.¤. and knowing all that in regard to the ballistics of the round you’re using," said Mike Arnold, of Camillus, who teaches both hunter-safety courses and the instructors who teach them. He said it’s a point he and other instructors repeat "ad nauseam" during their classes. "I feel real bad for this guy," he added. "Most of these kind of accidents involve friends and family members of the hunter. But you’ve certainly got to ask yourself — was it preventable? Yes, it was." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Robert Jones, of Cicero, right, helps hold a sailfish he caught and released during a recent fishing trip to Quepos, Costa Rica. The charter boat’s first mate, Jorge, is also picture. Others on the trip were Dave Blanding, of Bridgeport, and Bill Newcomb, of Auburn. “During five days of fishing, we boated 41 sails, two mahi-mahi, one yellowfin tuna... Submitted photo Robert Jones, of Cicero, right, helps hold a sailfish he caught and released during a recent fishing trip to Quepos, Costa Rica. The charter boat’s first mate, Jorge, is also picture. Others on the trip were Dave Blanding, of Bridgeport, and Bill Newcomb, of Auburn. “During five days of fishing, we boated 41 sails, two mahi-mahi, one yellowfin tuna and one marlin,” Jones said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The event pairs two soldiers with a volunteer boater for a day’s free fishing on the lake. Boaters provide their assigned soldiers a rod & reel, tackle and life vest for the day.The group fishes from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for anything that bites and they’re allowed to weigh-in one fish for a big fish prize in one of five categories, Drum/Sheephead, Common Carp, Bowfin, Rock Bass/ Perch and White Bass. The following is a press release: The NY BASS Chapter Federation (NYBCF) will host their fourth annual Take a Soldier Fishing event on Oneida Lake in Brewerton launching out of Oneida Shores Park on April 28. The event pairs two soldiers with a volunteer boater for a day’s free fishing on the lake. Boaters provide their assigned soldiers a rod & reel, tackle and life vest for the day. The group fishes from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for anything that bites and they’re allowed to weigh-in one fish for a big fish prize in one of five categories, Drum/Sheephead, Common Carp, Bowfin, Rock Bass/ Perch and White Bass. Last year, Specialist Nathan Oropeza fishing with Eric Tessmer won big fish of the day. Their boat team brought in a Common Carp that pulled the scales to 21.33 lbs. and Oropeza took home a Temple Fork Outfitter rod and US Reel valued at $250. Following the afternoon weigh-in all participants are treated to a cook out-style lunch served in the park. This year’s luncheon is sponsored by the Northern NY Chapter of the United States Army (AUSA), Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes and the Fort Drum Morale Welfare and Recreation office. Beginning April 16, soldiers can sign up for this event at the Fort Drum Outdoor Recreation Office Parks & Recreation Division, Bldg P-11115, (315) 772-5169 or (315) 772-8222. Seats are limited to the 85 Soldiers and managed by the Outdoor Recreation office. Donations are welcome and due no later than April 15. Make checks payable to the NYBCF and mail to Burnie Haney (Take A Soldier Fishing) PO Box 136 Calcium NY 13616. Send product donations to Take A Soldier Fishing 24428 US Route 11, Lot # 51 Calcium, NY 13616. For additional information contact Burnie Haney at [email protected] or call (315) 786-8897; or Mike Cusano at [email protected] , or call(315) 695-4969. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

There's thousands of snow geese and Canada geese in the Central New York skies today. Stephen Cannerelli/The Post-StandardThousands of snow geese swirl around the water at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in this 2009 photo. Tom Novak, of Solvay, just emailed me: "Dave, the Canada geese and snow geese are passing over the Syracuse area heavily tight now. Big flocks of both types in the air over the Solvay area, raveling thru swiftly in the high wind currents. "They are out on the fields near Cato and Plainville, also. Is the season on snows still open? "We have an overabundance of Canadian geese that are a nusiance all year long. We should have a short spring season to lower the numbers. They make a filthy mess every where they hang out the numbers of these things should be taken down." Meanwhile, I was over at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge today working on a story from Friday's paper. At one spot I saw about 10,000 snows. It was just as impressive as this 2009 photo shot by Staff photographer Stephen Cannerelli. In answer to Novak's question, the season to hunt Canada geese is over, but it's still on for snow geese. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He caught him on spinner. Submitted photoNick Trapani, 23, formerly of Skaneateles and now living in Syacuse, caught this impressive, 26-inch landlocked salmon in Skaneateles Lake today. He caught him on a spinner, fishing offshore on the northwestern side of the lake. His plans? "I'm going eat it, off course," he said. This is the second landlocked salmon he's caught out to the lake, Trapani said. Last winter he caught a smaller one and cooked it over an open fire. "It was delicious," he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Know anyone with an outdoors passion who would make an interesting profile? Contact Outdoors Editor David Figura at [email protected] or call 470-6066. Despite the patches of snow here and there, the signs of spring are all around us. This week's offerings on The Post-Standard's Outdoors page include: Stephen Cannerelli/The Post-StandardAn immature bald eagle takes off at the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge FRIDAY: Main piece: We go out on a van ride with a bunch of birders. Starting at the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah, we spend the morning taking in the birding hot spots around the greater Montezuma area. Column: I write about last week's verdict in the Cortland County case of Robert Ross, the guy who faced criminal charges for fatally wounding his uncle in a deer-hunting incident back in 2010. He was acquitted. SUNDAY: - Main piece: We travel down to the Cayuga Inlet to check in with DEC staff who are trapping spawning rainbow trout from Cayuga Lake. Are they coming up earlier this year? Column: Still mulling my options -- among them, a local couple who's putting together a new competitive walleye fishing circuit in this state, and reactions to last week's story about squirrels and bird feeders. 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. -Folks I'd like to get in contact with for future stories/columns: - Individuals who fish offshore at the power plant in Lansing on Cayuga Lake - Those who hunt snow geese - Someone who hunts crows. - Anyone who's getting out in boats and fishing for perch, either on Oneida or any of the Finger Lakes. - Individuals with outdoor passions who would make an interesting feature story. - Someone who's saving big bucks by reloading their own ammunition. 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

This is from early editions of the best-selling cookbook, "The Joy of Cooking." Brenda Duncan/The Post-Standard One of my co-workers here at The Post-Standard recently shared a page from her 365 Amazing Trivia Facts calendar. The item, for Monday, Feb. 27, read: “What did early editions of the bestselling cookbook, ‘The Joy of Cooking’ recommend that you feed an opossum before killing and cooking it? Answer: “Milk and cereal for 10 days.” Not sure what that's going to do, but I’ll keep that in mind. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

New York's sport fishing industry generates an estimated $1.8 billion in economic activity annually, supporting nearly 17,000 jobs. The following is a press release: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today proposed legislation to expand the opportunity for free fishing clinics in New York State, allowing more New Yorkers to experience fishing for the first time by enabling the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to increase the number of free clinics that can be held throughout the state. Governor Cuomo said, "New York State's waterways provide some of the best fishing opportunities in the nation, and these additional free fishing clinics are designed to get more New Yorkers hooked on fishing which will help the local economies." The DEC conducts fishing clinics to help introduce individuals and families to recreational angling. Under current law, only four free sport fishing clinics may be held annually in each of DEC's nine regions and DEC employees must provide at least part of the instruction at the events. Participants are not required to have a fishing license in order to attend these clinics. By allowing additional free sport fishing clinics, the Governor's proposal is designed to promote participation in recreational angling across New York State. Many local sporting federations and recreational groups run similar fishing clinics and enabling these groups to administer free clinics with DEC guidelines will benefit all New Yorkers who may be interested in fishing and enjoying the outdoors. Governor Cuomo's proposal seeks to expand the number of free clinics that may be conducted annually by increasing the number of clinics that DEC can hold as well as allowing other entities to conduct such clinics with DEC authorization. The Governor's proposal also ensures that, if the clinic is held in the marine district, participants would not be required to sign up for the recreational marine fishing registration. The governor's proposal also allows organizations designated by DEC to conduct free sport fishing clinics. Currently, only DEC staff is authorized to provide these clinics. DEC would establish guidelines for other organizations to conduct clinics. DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said, "DEC's free fishing clinics are wildly popular across the state and provide an excellent opportunity for young and old alike to enjoy the great outdoors. It's the perfect chance for those wanting to try fishing to see if it's an activity they would like to make into a hobby." New York's sport fishing industry generates an estimated $1.8 billion in economic activity annually, supporting nearly 17,000 jobs. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"My sentence was known to me the day it happened and I'm going to live with it for the rest of my life," Robert Ross said following the jury's verdict. Robert Ross, 44, of Solon, was found not guilty Friday of his uncle's hunting-related death in Truxton. A Cortland County jury acquitted him of criminally negligent homicide. Another felony charge of second-degree manslaughter was tossed out by County Judge Julie Campbell for insufficient evidence, the Cortland Standard reported this weekend. "My sentence was known to me the day it happened and I'm going to live with it for the rest of my life," Ross said following the jury's verdict. Ross said his uncle Alton Carr, was a father figure. He fatally shot his uncle with a shotgun slug Nov. 20, 2010, while trying to shoot at three deer during a hunting trip on family property off Maybury Road in Truxton, the newspaper reported. During the trial, it was noted that Ross helped Carr set up the hunting blind 160 yards apart in a wooded area, with Ross "aiming to shoot in Carr's direction." The deer Ross said he was targeting at the time of the fatal shooting was less than 30 yards from Carr's blind, the newspaper reported. The prosecution said Ross failed to perceive a "substantial and justifiable risk." Lawyers representing Ross said Carr's death was an accident. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

A similar program has been conducted on Oneida Lake, where volunteers chase the birds by boat and scare them with whistling fireworks. Michelle Gabel/The Post-StandardThis 2004 photo shows nesting cormorants on Long Island on Oneida Lake.Long Island on Oneida Lake Friday morning. In addition the negative impact on a waterways's fishery, this fish-eating bird's droppings are highly acidic and have the ability to wipe out vegetation. MORRISTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Another showdown is brewing between fishermen and cormorants. It seems the long-necked diving birds are multiplying on Black Lake, a popular fishing spot in St. Lawrence County. The birds, which eat a lot of fish, have been driven from other areas on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario where their expanding populations have threatened fisheries. The Watertown Daily Times reports that a committee of St. Lawrence County legislators is asking the Department of Environmental Conservation to train and supervise volunteers to harass the birds on Black Lake so they’ll head somewhere else. A similar program has been conducted on Oneida Lake, where volunteers chase the birds by boat and scare them with whistling fireworks. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He was on Fisher Bay the day before those guys got cut off from shore... Submitted photo Bob Twichell, of Fayetteville, wrote me saying, "Dave, Had a great time ice fishing Oneida this season! Too bad it was a short season... "Thought you might like to see what these big perch are dining on during pre-spawn. I believe this is a blue gill that was in one of the BIG perch we were getting off Fisher Bay the day before those guys got cut off from shore. "Other picture is of some of those beautiful perch from that day!!" Thanks for sharing, Bob. Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

She said they always seem to stop at this same field every year. Submitted photo Joy Swensen snapped these shots of a flock of snow geese that she spotted in a field off Lamson Road in Baldwinsville last week. The geese are here now for a very short time until they leave for north. She said they always seem to stop at this same field every year. Submitted photo Submitted photo Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The unseasonably warm winter has kept them active in recent months. Like anything else in the wild, they're constantly on the prowl for food -- particularly around bird feeders. Jim Mortensen photoThe unseasonably warm winter winter has resulted in a noticeable number of squirrels on the prowl for food. There’s no shortage of squirrels this winter. The unseasonably warm winter has kept them active in recent months. Like anything else in the wild, they’re constantly on the prowl for food — particularly around bird feeders. Readers shared the following tales of their dealings with the furry critters. Squirrel lady of Tip Hill Charlene UpDike said she set up several bird feeders when she moved to the Tip Hill area of Syracuse several years ago. The majority of visitors, though, were pigeons, starlings and sparrows. “I used to live out in the country and I missed the wide variety of birds,” she said. UpDike decided instead to focus on feeding squirrels. John Berry/The Post-StandardUpdike puts a new cob of corn on her unique squirrel feeder. “I’m home all the time, so I needed some kind of entertainment here,” she said and laughed. She feeds about a dozen squirrels each day that stop by her front yard from all directions in her neighborhood. There’s a covered kitty litter box with a front opening on her porch that’s full of feed, and a ceramic bowl at the bottom of her steps that’s overflowing with pumpkin seeds. Most spectacular, though, is the tree in her front yard where she’s nailed a big pinwheel with metal spikes. She puts dried corn cobs on the spikes, some slathered with peanut butter. The squirrels perform all sorts of acrobatic moves to get at and hold onto the cobs. UpDike said at least three squirrels will take peanuts from her hand. She figures she spends about $20 weekly on a variety of food: songbird mix with berries, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, dried corn cobs and a special squirrel mix of corn and sunflower seeds. UpDike has given several of the regulars names. She looked out her front-door window and pointed out a couple. “That big black one, that’s Hercules,” she said. “That scrawny, almost hair-less one, we call him crackhead.” The squirrels frequently catch the attention of passersby. “I’ve had cars stop. People take pictures with their cell phones ... even videos,” she said. John Berry/The Post-StandardA squirrel contorts itself to reach for a corn cob on Updike's unique feeder. The Vaseline solution Gloria Cook, of Camillus, said she has had bird feeders for years. She uses a “shepherd’s hook” sort of pole, on which she’s attached her feeder. It features various seeds and suet. The local squirrels, though, have been filling up lately at her expense. “I love my birds,” she said. “I get cardinals. I even have a hummingbird feeder. Those squirrels have even tried to get into that syrup.” At first, she said, she put axle grease and oil on the pole. “That wasn’t thick enough,” she said. “I decided to try Vaseline.” She bought a big plastic jar and puts on thin plastic gloves when she periodically applies it to the pole. “It’s kind of messy, but who cares?” she said. “They’re not getting up there and keeping my birds away.” She said squirrels can get nasty if they key in on your house. “They can chew right through wood and get into your attic or eaves,” she said. A different kind of snack Tom Adessa, of Auburn, has two bird feeders in his yard, and there always seems to be a bunch of squirrels about. Tom Adessa photoThis squirrel enjoys a dog biscuit slathered with peanut butter on the Adessas' window sill. “A couple of them sit in our dining room window, looking inside as if to say, ‘I’m hungry,’” he said, adding that he and his wife, Martha, occasionally put out peanuts. “One of them developed a taste for peanut butter on a dog biscuit. My wife discovered this after running out of peanuts one day and putting that out for the squirrel instead,” he said. It’s not all fun and games. “We had a wooden suet feeder with wooden sides and a wire insert in the middle. They couldn’t get to the suet, so they chewed through the wooden sides,” he said. “My wife was hot. It cost $35. She bought it at a craft show.” A shocking approach Jim Mortensen, of Oxford, in Chenango County, wrote that he’s always had a bird feeder just off his deck . “Once the squirrels found the feeder, feeding them plus the birds was expensive in terms of food and destroyed feeders,” he said. Three Christmases ago, he received a “Wild Bill’s Squirrel-Proof Feeder” from his youngest daughter’s family. “This feeder operates using a 9-volt battery that powers two sides of a circuit — one is the center hanger and tray; the other a disc on top, plus the four metal perches along the bottom,” he said. “When a squirrel or raccoon climbs down the hanger or jumps to the tray and comes in contact with either the disc or perches, it gets a mild electrical shock.” It worked. “They would sit on nearby branches — huddled up, tails over their backs — and eye the feeder, but not attempt to get on it,” he said. Jim Mortensen's photoA squirrel emerges after stuffing its face in Mortensen's squirrel feeder. But Mortensen, who said he hunted squirrels as a teen and remembers the fine stew his mom used to make with the meat, felt sorry for the shocked squirrels. He bought a metal squirrel feeder that he keeps filled with corn and sunflower seeds. The electrified bird feeder, though, occasionally malfunctions. “The batteries will die and/or if it is wet or snow-covered it will not work. A couple of the squirrels have figured this out and will rob it when the power is out,” he said. “When I replace the battery or dry the contacts, however, we do get a short term of revenge.” A ‘black-hearted’ rodent Kristin DeCare, of Volney, said she enjoys feeding birds throughout the winter, but at any given time there’s at least eight gray squirrels on her 6-by-7-foot deck. “Usually, I spread some sunflower seeds on the deck to keep them off my sunflower seed feeder,” she said. One day a little red squirrel with a “really bad” attitude showed. “He’s jumping at and chasing the grays. I saw it chasing the birds, too,” she said. “Once it even tried to tackle a mourning dove.” One day she noticed it on the deck railing, eating a bird. “It managed to get itself a goldfinch,” she said. “It made me so mad that I told my husband it had to go. “So after a couple of attempts, he did shoot it and that was the end of that miserable, bird-eating, black-hearted, little rodent.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

She yearned to catch a monster northern (pike) through the ice on Black Lake -- and she did. Submitted photoxxxxxx Last year, I asked readers to send in items that were on their outdoors bucket list. Among those responding was Cheryl Ripberger Matt, of Fayetteville, who yearned to “catch a monster northern (pike) through the ice on Black Lake.” “Well, a few weeks back, conditions were great up north with 10 to 12 inches of ice on the northern end of Black Lake,” she wrote, including a picture. “We spent the weekend at my son’s camp right on the lake. This 26-inch northern was my first through the ice on Black Lake.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The state Department of Environmental Conservation's recent proposal to change the state's fishing regulations included increasing the minimum size limit of tiger muskies caught on Otisco Lake from 30 to 36 inches. Submitted photoMargie Manthey, of Marietta, holds up a 36-inch tiger muskie she caught and released on Otisco Lake. She hooked the fish using a large spinnerbait. “Tiger muskies are one of the most striking fish out there and are an absolute thrill to tussle with, ” she said. The state Department of Environmental Conservation’s recent proposal to change the state’s fishing regulations included increasing the minimum size limit of tiger muskies caught on Otisco Lake from 30 to 36 inches. I discovered this week that the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, the Friends of the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery and the Otisco Rod and Gun Club are opposed to it for various reasons. The DEC’s press release last month on this matter included other bodies of water. The proposal read: “Implementing a 40-inch size limit for muskellunge and tiger muskellunge in the Chenango, Tioughnioga, Tioga and Susquehanna rivers and a 36-inch size limit at Otisco Lake to increase the trophy potential of these species in these waters. The current minimum size is 30 inches.” I’ve heard nothing negative about the proposed 40-inch limit on the four rivers, but Otisco is a different story. “The Federation does not support this new proposed change,” said Stephen Wowelko, the group’s president. “We were concerned with the limited public fishing access to the lake. How would fishermen take advantage of this trophy fish? The delegates also thought that a 30-inch fish was in itself a trophy.” Wowelko added that he attended a recent board meeting of the Friends group, where it was noted the hatchery annually stocks thousands of two-year-old brown trout in Otisco. “Increasing the number of larger predator fish may have a direct impact on this fishery,” he said. David Lemon, the regional fisheries manager at the DEC’s Cortland office, responded in an email to Wowelko’s points. He said changing the minimum size from 30 to 36 inches would simply delay the potential harvest of tigers about a year, nearly doubling the weight of these fish. He noted the 36-inch size limit was a compromise, a reaction to negative comments made by some anglers to the original 40-inch proposal on Otisco. Tiger muskies are sterile hybrids, a cross between a muskie and a northern pike. Those stocked locally are raised at the DEC’s South Otselic hatchery. “Our primary goal in stocking tigers is to create an opportunity for anglers to catch very large fish in waters that otherwise would not provide this possibility,” Lemon said. “The popularity of muskie/tiger muskie fishing has never been higher and the only way to grow large fish is by giving them a chance to grow larger.” As for the brown trout question, Lemon responded: “We have no data to support that. Otisco Lake is marginally suited for trout survival.” He suggested that possibly more trout die as a result of warm summer temperatures in the lake (especially those fish that are caught and released by anglers) than those that gobbled up tigers. One issue that was not addressed was the lack of a public boat launch on Otisco, where the only option for anglers with trailered boats is to pay at two private marinas to launch their craft. The DEC is accepting public comment on the Otisco Lake tiger muskie proposal and other proposed changes through April 1. If approved, the changes would take effect Oct. 1. Comments can be sent via e-mail to [email protected], or mailed to Shaun Keeler, New York State DEC, Bureau of Fisheries, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4753. For a complete list of the changes, see www.dec.ny.gov or www.syracuse.com/outdoors. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog