HuntingNY-News

She caught while on vacation on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Submitted photoStacy Fontana, of Clay, holds up a nice barracuda. She caught it on a charter boat fishing with her husband while they were vacationing recently on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

One lucky grand prize winner will have the opportunity to fish with professional angler Joe Thomas on Oct. 13. The winner will fish for salmon on the Oswego River in Oswego, guided by Kevin Davis, an experienced drift boat captain. The following is a press release: The Wear It! Oswego campaign announces the Fish with a Pro sweepstakes, whereby one lucky grand prize winner will have the opportunity to fish with professional angler Joe Thomas. Thomas is the host of Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors television show on the Outdoor Channel . An additional 50 runners-up will be eligible to attend a free pre-event barbeque. “I’m excited to team with the Wear It! Oswego campaign on this important safety initiative,” said Joe Thomas. “What better way to promote the use of life jackets while angling than by fishing with the Fish with a Pro sweepstakes winner on the world-renowned Oswego River during peak salmon season,” Thomas added. The Fish with a Pro event will take place in Oswego on Oct. 13. The winner will fish for salmon on the Oswego River in Oswego, guided by Kevin Davis, an experienced drift boat captain. An additional 50 individuals will be randomly selected to attend the free pre-event barbeque to be held in Oswego on Friday evening, October 12, 2012. Attendees to this exclusive, invitation-only event will get the opportunity to meet Joe Thomas in person and to receive his free autographed picture. According to Thomas, people are encouraged to submit as many sweepstakes entry forms as they would like. You must be 18 years old to enter and must reside in the United States. The Wear It! Oswego campaign will provide the winner with two nights’ hotel accommodations at an Oswego lodging establishment. All other travel arrangements, costs and meals associated with this fishing event are to be incurred by the winner. One Fish with a Pro winner will be selected randomly from all eligible entries. All entries must be postmarked by July 15. The grand prize drawing will be held on Aug. 1. The Fish with a Pro sweepstakes entry form and official rules can be found on the “Photos” link of Wear It! Oswego Facebook page or on the Oswego County Tourism website . Completed entries should be addressed to: Wear It! Oswego Fish with a Pro Sweepstakes, c/o Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning, 46 East Bridge Street, Oswego NY 13126. For additional information on the Fish with a Pro sweepstakes or the Wear It! Oswego campaign contact [email protected]. Wear It! Oswego campaign collaborators include Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners (www.brookfieldrenewable.com), the City of Oswego Fire Department, the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning and The Palladium-Times. Wear It! Oswego is an off-shoot of the national and New York State Wear It! programs, implemented by the National Safe Boating Council and Wear It! New York. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Migell Wedderburn, 49, of Pennellville, is a regular on the Salmon River, a waterway he has frequented since 1988. This winter, he can be found every weekend on the river, catching and releasing one steelhead after another. Submitted photoMigell Wedderburn and a nice Salmon River steelie. Born and raised in sunny and warm Jamaica, Migell Wedderburn grew up not knowing a steelhead from a bluegill. “Where I grew up, I would go fishing all the time in the salt water for snapper, grouper and sometimes for barracuda,” he said. Today, Wedderburn, 49, of Pennellville, is a regular on the Salmon River, a waterway he has frequented since 1988. This winter, he can be found every weekend on the river, catching and releasing one steelhead after another. “Fall is special, but winter in Upstate New York is beautiful,” said Wedderburn, an IT manager at Countryway Insurance Co. in Syracuse. “I don’t care how cold it gets. I’m always there fishing. I pack a sandwich and often I’m there from daylight until dark.” This fall he learned how to use a spey rod, a longer, heavier rod that enables him to cast his flies farther than he can with a traditional fly rod. He also tied his own flies. His favorite is an olive-colored nymph pattern, which he ties with size 10 and 12 hooks. He calls it “The Death Ray.” How’d Wedderburn learn about the Salmon River scene? He said when he first came to the area in the late 1980s, he was driving around and happened to drive through the city of Oswego during the salmon season. He was curious after he saw “all these people lined up fishing” in the downtown area. “I started asking questions and realized they were all fishing for salmon. However, I was told the Salmon River was even better,” he said. So he drove over to Pulaski and Altmar and couldn’t believe his eyes, he said. “I went right out and bought a Walmart-special fly rod and started watching all sorts of videos about fly casting and fly tying,” he said. “Then I went in my backyard day after day and practiced.” As time went on, he said, he became more and more proficient and bought higher quality equipment. Does he keep the fish he catches? “Initially, I kept a few just to see what they tasted like,” he said. “Today I catch and release everything.” What about the spey rod? “I was searching online and came across a Scandinavian spey caster, Henrick Mortensen. I watched all his YouTube videos, which teach you how to cast,” he said. “I found it to be very satisfying. It works better than a fly rod.” He takes pride in the fact he’s taught several youngsters how to fish for steelhead. But for 98 percent of the time, he said, he’s on the river alone, catching fish after fish. I asked him about the bone-chilling weather that every die-hard steelhead angler must endure. “No problem. I’ve been out when it’s 5 below zero,” he said, adding he just “dresses for the occasion” and uses hand-warming packets to keep his fingers warm. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Interviews this week with DEC wildlife and fishery biologists, along with scientists and researchers at SUNY ESF, indicate there are no simple answers. Dick Blume/The Post-StandardWildlife experts say more deer than usual will survive the winter months. Outdoors enthusiasts have been talking a great deal lately about how this year’s mild winter is crimping the local outdoors recreational scene — the ice fishing, the skiing, the snowmobiling and the snowshoeing. But what about fish and wildlife? What will be the impact come spring? Will there be an explosion of some species and fewer of others? Interviews this week with DEC wildlife and fishery biologists, along with scientists and researchers at SUNY ESF, indicate there are no simple answers. More deer: In general, a mild winter increases the survival rate of deer. There’s a strong possibility Central New Yorkers will be seeing “more deer on the landscape, chewing up resources” this spring than in year’s past, according to Steve Joule, regional wildlife manager at the DEC’s Cortland office. Their increased numbers will be felt not only in forests and farmlands, but in suburban and urban areas where hunting is banned, he added. It won’t be a huge, region-wide population explosion, he said, noting something like that would take several mild winters in a row. “This could lead to a short-term increase, but one season is like a blink of an eye in determining what the long-term population will be,” he said. “These things are cyclic.” The next severe winter could cause a “crash” in deer numbers, he said, with the main factor being the lack of food. APBlack bears will probably emerge from hybernation a bit early this year. Coyotes/turkeys: Don’t worry about the coyotes. They’re extremely adaptable, said Jacqui Frair, assistant professor of wildlife science at SUNY ESF. Although during the winter they can rely on the heavy snow to take down disabled or aged deer, or occasionally feast on roadkill, they can easily switch to other food sources when deer aren’t available. “Things like mice and rabbits, which would usually be hard to get at through the snow, would be easy pickings,” she said. On the other hand, mild winters also make it easier for many herbivores such as turkeys to get food. They’re not as stressed. Bottom line: There should be more turkeys than usual making it through this winter — at least until the start of spring. A wet spring, though, could change the picture, Frair said. Early-bird bears: Joule said this year’s mild winter won’t result in more bears on the landscape. “They’re not prolific breeders like deer,” he said. “You may see them emerging earlier (from hibernation), looking for food and rooting around in people’s backyards.” Fish largely unaffected: The relatively warm winter should not prove problematic for most local fish, said David Lemon, regional fisheries manager at the DEC’s Cortland office. “Obviously, if stream temperatures were warmer, things like incubation of trout eggs would occur faster,” he said. “But (what we’ve had so far) is not likely to make a big difference. “ He said an extremely wet or dry spring would have a greater impact on local streams and the survival of stream fish. Neil Ringer, an ESF fisheries ecologist, said fall-spawning fish such as brown trout could have higher survival rates this year. Lemon and Ringler both said ice fishing results in a significant “harvest pressure” on perch, sunfish, bluegill and northern pike on local ponds and lakes. Fewer ice fishermen getting out will mostly likely result in more of these fish surviving the winter. Lemon also said the lack of a complete ice cover on Oneida Lake could affect the winter survival rate of gizzard shad, a major player in the lake’s bait fish scene. The ice creates a situation where temperatures are more “stratified” in the relatively shallow lake during the winter, he said. Without the ice, constant wind and waves can actually make the water at the lake’s bottom colder, affecting the bait fish’s survival rate. In the past, the gizzard shad population on Oneida has taken hits following mild winters, Lemon said. Submitted photoA relatively snowless winter and dry spring could prove fatal for many amphibians, such as this spotted salamander. Amphibians and reptiles may be hurting: If the warm temperatures continue, many of these species will emerge earlier and have a longer breeding season. But if there is a long cold snap and no snow, the lack of insulation normally provided by snow will enable the cold to penetrate deep into the ground and into wetlands where these animals are hibernating. That could kill them, according to James Gibbs, professor and director of the Roosevelt Wild Life Station at SUNY ESF. In addition, the lack of a substantial snow pack to melt and sustain vernal (spring-time only) pools and wetlands, and to keep stream levels high and the ground moist into summer, would also be deadly for many of these creatures, he said. Possibly fewer mosquitoes/black flies: Many of the insects we’re used to seeing in Central New York are well-equipped to survive snowy, frigid winters. Many, though, rely on the snow to provide protection from predators and insulation from the cold, said Kim Adams, of SUNY ESF’s extension service. A relatively snowless winter followed by a dry spring could have negative impacts on the spring-time breeding of such insects as mosquitoes and black flies. That would change, however, if the winter is followed by a wet spring. She said most adult insects and larvae are programmed to come out of hibernation as a result of two factors — increased daylight and warmer temperatures. Some, like house flies, may emerge earlier than usual if an unseasonable warm stretch develops and stays that way. Adams said the winter we’ve had so far shouldn’t have an impact on tick numbers. “But if the weather stays warmer than normal, deer tick adults may begin questing earlier in the spring and the nymphs may follow suit in the summer,” she said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

She said she and her husband are crow lovers and have "successfully fed them" in back of their home on Snooks Pond for 10 years. Where are the crows? Last week’s story about how the mild winter has affected the local bird scene, resulted in a number of emails and phone calls — one coming from Judith Fazio, of Fayetteville. Fazio said she and her husband are crow lovers and have “successfully fed them” in back of their home on Snooks Pond for 10 years. “Each morning they would wait in the trees, sometimes cawing, until my husband came out with their ‘food.’ This would be dog food, if we didn’t have any leftovers,” she said. “We always got a kick out of them dunking the hard dog food or Chinese fortune cookies in the bird bath. It was especially entertaining when the squirrels and the crows got into a tussle over this food.” She said her husband, Sam, even added a plastic plate for the crows to the top of our pole-system bird feeder. This past October, though, the crows just stopped coming and haven’t returned. “We feel a bit sad and perplexed about the situation,” Fazio said. “A lot of people hate them. But we really miss them. They’re so smart. They’re our little entertainment.” She said she understands that crows are very “family oriented.” Could the crow family just have decided to go elsewhere? Kevin J. McGowan, from Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology, said, “Yes, sometimes a family does just get up and leave. “Typically the crows that breed in our area stay here year-round and stay on their home territory for at least a little bit each day. Non-breeding family members (offspring from up to five previous years) wander and might be gone for a few days or even most of the winter before returning home to help raise the next set of kids in April,” he said. McGowan said crows come and go quite a bit. They leave to forage in communal areas (corn fields, dumps) where they congregate in flocks. They also leave at night sometimes to sleep in communal roosts. “It is possible that the crows in your correspondent’s yard are just wandering a little and will be back. Or, one or more of them might have gotten killed (it is crow season, after all) and the family has broken up,” he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The small county staff at the hatchery concentrates on fish rearing, while the SUNY ESF students, along with volunteers from the small Friends of Carpenter's Brook group, are picking up the slack on the rest of the day-to-day duties, including feeding the fish, cleaning their runways and ponds and assisting with stocking. (See the Friends group accomplishments at end of this story.) Michelle Gabel/The Post-StandardRoss Mazur(center), a freshman at SUNY ESF, places a wooden support on the net covering a pond full of brown trout at the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery. Matt Leong (left) and Alexia Zambalas (middle left) are also SUNY ESF freshmen. Travis Stanek (right) is an operations supervisor at the hatchery. Sunday morning, SUNY ESF freshman Kimberly Poulin, of Long Island, edged her way out on the narrow walkway of one of the circular cement trout ponds at the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery. Holding a pail of fish pellets, she reached in, grabbed a handful and threw them in the water. “I’m looking to see if there’s a good response by the fish,” she said. “If there is, I’ll know it’s clean and then I’ll put the remainder in (the automatic food dispenser). If there’s a bad feed response, it probably means the pond is dirty and needs to be cleaned.” Inside the nearby fish-rearing building, 24 above-ground, water-filled aluminum runways held thousands of 1½- to 2-inch brook and rainbow trout fry. In one of the runways, Alexia Zambalas, of France, another freshman, was carefully using a hand-held strainer to remove dead fish. That’s after she had swept the bottom with a large paint brush to clean out the thin layer of fish feces and uneaten food. “I haven’t fished before and I don’t know much about fishing,” she said. “I’m just happy to learn what they do here.” Michelle Gabel/The Post-StandardKimberly Poulin, a SUNY ESF freshmen, holds a brown trout that got caught in a net at the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery. Poulin and Zambalas were among six SUNY ESF students who were driven Sunday morning to the hatchery by Erika Stoddard, a teaching assistant. The students were part of a public service project, which they’re doing for extra credit in their general education chemistry class at the college. The time spent by nearly two dozen students who’ve signed up to work throughout the week at the hatchery for credit, coupled with the numerous volunteer hours put in by the “Trout Bums,” another SUNY ESF student club, account for hundreds of manhours. Their work is a prime reason the hatchery, which has been threatened with closure, remains open today. “They’ve done a tremendous job,” said Bill Lansley, commissioner for Onondaga County Parks. “Since 2010 when this started, the students have put in a total of 1,807 hours — 885 the first year, 922 the second.” Lansley said the arrangement started as a verbal agreement and has just continued to attract student interest and participation as the college formalized things. The unexpected participation of the Trout Bums, who also help out with the hatchery’s community programs, has been a welcome bonus. The genesis of the college’s involvement was the Onondaga County budget discussions in the fall of 2009, which sparked outrage and concern among local sportsmen. County executive Joanie Mahoney proposed closing the hatchery to cut the county’s deficit. Onondaga County is one of the few places in the state that stocks its own trout streams and ponds. The idea was to close the hatchery and let the state Department of Environmental Conservation take over stocking in the county. Mahoney and county lawmakers who favored closure soon found out the idea was highly unpopular. They were advised by hatchery supporters that the county stocks its streams with more and bigger trout than the DEC does in the streams it stocks. Supporters also emphasized that the county had become a magnet for trout anglers across the state, resulting in economic impacts that more than cover the hatchery’s expenses. Mahoney and the Legislature backed down, hopeful that an agreement with SUNY ESF could substantially cut costs. It did. Lansley said that in 2008 the hatchery had a paid full-time staff of five and an annual budget of $287,506. Today, there are three full-time staff (two workers and a receptionist) and a budget of $162,953. Last spring, the hatchery was able to complete another successful year of stocking some 80,000 brook, brown and rainbow trout in the county. “Our staff is now concentrating on the fish rearing,” Lansley said, adding that the SUNY ESF students, along with volunteers from the small Friends of Carpenter’s Brook group, are picking up the slack on the rest of the day-to-day duties, including feeding the fish, cleaning their runways and ponds and assisting with stocking. “These ESF students have just been incredible,” said John Hluchyj, president of Friends of Carpenter’s Brook, which has a long history of financial and in-kind support to the hatchery, including building the hatchery’s fishing pond, picnic shelter and more recently informational kiosks. His group and the students are also pretty much running all the community programs at the hatchery, he said. Poulin, a wildlife science major, said all her fishing experiences growing up on Long Island were salt-water experiences where she had to pay. “This is amazing,” she said. “People should know about the resources they have at their disposal because other places don’t have something like this.” Want to help? Friends of Carpenter’s Brook is always looking for volunteers, in addition to monetary and in-kind donations to help out at the hatchery. For more information, see the group's Web site. The following is a list of accomplishments and duties handled by the group: Supplied volunteers for: Stocking - NE Sportsmen Show Trout Pool - Honeywell Sportsmen Days at CBFH - Weekend "Time Out To Fish" family fishing program during the summer - Landscaping (Flower garden) at the hatchery - Regular Pond clean up (e.g. algae, weeds, etc.) Purchases made/ work done: - Purchased 100 Metal Fence Posts - Purchased new Trout Pool Liner - Developed and installed new Signage / Information Kiosks - Purchased equipment (refrigerator) for kitchen at hatchery - 8 Foot carved wooden Trout (to replace old one that has been very popular with school groups) - Hired summer intern to work at the hatchery during the summer - Manage and pay for the pheasant rearing/interpretation program at hatchery Additional Events: - Recognition event for volunteers - Fall Recognition event for “Trout Bums” (ESF volunteers) - Donated $10,000 to help keep hatchery open (during past county budget crisis) View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

DEC official: "it's not something we would encourage. Observe wildlife at a safe distance." Submitted photoShayne Cowen i pictured within a few feet of an adult beaver on property near her home in Waterville. Among the things I love about my job is how one outdoors tale seems to generates another — even with something as obscure as beavers. I wrote recently about how Moravia taxidermist Jon VanNest was handling two large beaver pelts in the 70-plus-pound class for a customer. (“Either one could make a coat for a little kid,” he said.) He had seen the beavers before they were trapped near the southern end of Owasco Lake where he duck hunted. He said he feared the beavers would attack his hunting dog in the water. That column prompted Norman Cowen to write about how his wife, Shayne, has gotten friendly with a couple of beavers on private, posted property near their home in Waterville in Oneida County. “I have caught a lot of beaver, but I only had one come after me. It was in a trap,” Cowen said. “Once I caught one while in a boat. It was swimming by me. I had to see if I could pick it up, so I did. Using both hands on its back, I was able to lift it out of the water for about 30 seconds.” Cowen said he’s been fascinated by his wife’s patience and ability to get within almost arm’s reach of a certain adult beaver — and even closer to a younger, smaller one. She feeds them apples by setting them on their “house.” He sent me several pictures of his wife sitting next to the big adult beaver. “It has taken about 6 to 7 months to get this close,” he said. “She gets within 5 feet. At 4 feet, the beaver will start to move away. With the younger beaver, she has been about 3 feet from it. All the time, she talks gently to the beaver.” Frankly, I don’t endorse trying to feed wild animals or trying to pick up a beaver that’s in the water. You never know what’s going to happen. “It’s common sense that you don’t get that close to a wild animal, no matter how tame they may seem to be. Nine-nine percent of the time nothing may happen. It’s that 1 percent when it’s going to cost you,” said Steve Joule, regional wildlife manager at the DEC’s Cortland office. “It’s not something we would encourage,” he concluded. “Observe wildlife at a safe distance.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Ice conditions across Oneida lake were questionable at mid-week, but a series of cold nights at week’s end is expected to produce safe conditions in some areas of lake by this weekend. Be cautious and follow the beaten path if you go out. CNY FISHING FORECAST All persons aboard a pleasure vessel less than 21 feet long, regardless of age, must wear a personal flotation device from Nov. 1 to May 1. Bait stores (list and map). SALMON RIVER Lots of fish continue to be caught, mostly steelhead. The browns and steelhead have transitioned into their winter holes (deeper water). Good baits continue to be pink bubblegum worms, trout beads (10mm), egg sacs (blue, pink and chartreuse mesh), streamers, stonefly nymphs and egg-imitating flies. The Upper Fly Fishing Area will reopen April 1. OSWEGO RIVER There were reports of brown trout being caught behind the hotels in the downtown area on white bucktail jigs, along with some rainbows on little minnows and trout beads. ONEIDA LAKE Ice conditions across the lake were questionable at mid-week, but a series of cold nights at week’s end is expected to produce safe conditions in some areas of lake by this weekend. Be cautious and follow the beaten path if you go out. CAYUGA LAKE No safe ice to report at midweek. However, anglers fishing from shore at the power station in Lansing continue to have luck catching rainbow trout on medium-sized shiners, and some perch using fathead minnows. SENECA LAKE Anglers trolling deep — about 150 feet down over a 300- to 350- foot bottom — have been catching a mixed bag of Atlantic salmon and lake trout using streamer flies and small spoons. Perch and crappie also being caught off the pier at Watkins Glen using fathead minnows, spikes and waxworms. Reports of some anglers fishing off shore at Sampson State Park catching nice northern pike, fishing shiners about 5 feet under a slip bobber. OWASCO LAKE No safe ice to report at midweek. Some anglers are getting out in boats, fishing for perch. OTISCO LAKE At midweek, no safe ice to report and no open-water activity to report. SKANEATELES LAKE No ice fishing activity to report at midweek. Some anglers are getting out in boats, fishing for perch. Shore fishing with marshmallow-and-worm rigs is usually the ticket this time of year for rainbow trout. SODUS BAY No fishable ice at midweek. Some anglers continue to get out in boats at the north end, fishing for perch. SANDY POND No activity to report. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Anglers continue to ice fish here for northern pike and perch. Hot spots are Eel Bay, Chippewa Bay, Lake of the Isles and Goose Bay, all with five or more inches. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR At mid-week, there was a solid 5 inches of ice on the reservoir, south of the islands. Some anglers continue to get some nice walleyes in the spillway, using jigs and fathead minnows. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

In the 2011 hunting seasons, 26 personal injury hunting-related shooting incidents were reported, including four fatalities. All of the fatalities occurred during the regular deer season, one of which was self-inflicted. The following is a DEC press release: The 2011 hunting season tied 2009 for New York State’s safest year of hunting on record based on the number of hunting-related shooting incidents, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced recently. “Hunting is a tradition in New York state that continues to be safely enjoyed by many” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. “New York has an extremely safety-conscious generation of hunters thanks largely to more than 60 years of dedicated efforts of 3,000 volunteer Sportsman Education Instructors. All first-time hunters are required to attend a comprehensive hunter safety course of a minimum of 10 hours taught by DEC’s highly-trained instructors. Their hard work is paying off.” In the 2011 hunting seasons, 26 personal injury hunting-related shooting incidents were reported, including four fatalities. All of the fatalities occurred during the regular deer season, one of which was self-inflicted. The hunter safety courses stress safe practices and ethics, along with information on New York’s game species and their management. All courses are offered free of charge, but students must successfully complete the course and pass the final exam before being eligible to purchase a hunting license. The number of hunters in New York State is declining, but the hunting incident rate (incidents per 100,000 hunters) is falling at a much faster rate. Since the 1960s, the number of hunters has declined about 20 percent, while the incident rate has declined more than 70 percent. The past five-year average is 5.3 incidents per 100,000 hunters, compared to 19 per 100,000 in the 1960s. While hunting is safer than ever, accidents do happen and it is important to remember that every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable. Many, if not all of these incidents could have been prevented, if only the shooter or victim had followed the primary rules of hunter safety: - Treat every firearm as if it were loaded - Keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction - Identify your target and what lies beyond - Keep finger off the trigger until ready to fire - Wear hunter orange For more information, visit the Sportsman Education program section of the DEC website . View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The show starts on Friday and goes through the following weekend at the Fingerlakes Mall store. The following is a press release from Bass Pro Shops at the Fingerlakes Mall. The Tracker Boat Show starts on Friday and goes through the following weekend. There are going to be a lot of great seminars at it, including a couple of our national pros coming in this weekend. Famous Muskie fisherman Pete Mania and FLW Walleye champion Chase Parsons will be there this Saturday and Sunday. Pete is the TV host for "The Next Bite" TV show. Here is the list of seminars . There are also activities for kids. Saturday 2/11 11:00am - Lake Ontario Salmon Trolling - by Captain Tony Buffa 12:00pm - Fish Feeding Frenzy at the BPS Fish Tank 1:00pm - Do It Yourself Service - by Certified Dual Master Tech Danny Landry 1:30pm - Walleye Fishing - by National FLW Pro Fisherman Chase Parsons 2:00pm - NY Bass Fishing - by BPS Pro Staffer Joe Matt 2:30pm - Muskie Fishing - by Television host of "The Next Bite" Pete Mania 3:00pm - The Latest Electronics - BPS staff member Ryan Hyde 4:00pm - New Fishing Lures for 2012 - by BPS Pro Staffer Joe Matt Sunday 2/12 12:00pm - Flick Shake Technique Fishing - by Nitro Fishing Team Member Charlie Love 12:30pm - Walleye Fishing - by National FLW Pro Fisherman Chase Parsons 1:00pm - Towing Your Boat - by BPS staff member Jon Newman 1:30pm - Muskie Fishing - by Television host of "The Next Bite" Pete Mania 2:00pm - Boat Organization - by BPS Pro Staffer Joe Matt 3:00pm - NY Bass Fishing - by BPS Pro Staffer Joe Matt 4:00pm - Fishing the Alabama Rig - by Nitro Fishing Team Member Charlie Love Saturday 2/18 12:00pm - Fish Feeding Frenzy at the BPS Fish Tank 1:00pm - Do It Yourself Service - by Mercury tech Josh Rushlo 2:00pm - New York Bass Fishing - By Nitro Fishing Team Member Burnie Haney 3:00pm - The Latest Electronics - BPS staff member Ryan Hyde 4:00pm - New Fishing Lures for 2012 - by Nitro Fishing Team Member Burnie Haney Sunday 2/19 12:00pm - Flick Shake Technique Fishing - by Nitro Fishing Team Member Charlie Love 1:00pm - Towing Your Boat - by BPS staff member Jon Newman 2:00pm - Boat Organization - by Nitro Fishing Team Member Burnie Haney 3:00pm - New York Bass Fishing - By Nitro Fishing Team Member Burnie Haney 4:00pm - Fishing the Alabama Rig - by Nitro Fishing Team Member Charlie Love View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Have squirrels that constantly dine at your bird feeder? Do you embrace them, or do you have a unique way of keeping them at bay? Submitted photo Have squirrels that constantly dine at your bird feeder? Do you embrace them, or do you have a unique way of keeping them at bay? Baldwinsville resident JoAnne Oakes sent in this photo of a squirrel pigging out on a peanut butter jar. It was taken recently at the bird feeder in front of her Baldwinsville house. She described her husband as a "squirrel whisperer." I'd love to hear from readers on this. Photos would help. Send them to me at [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Have an interesting outdoors story to suggest? Call Outdoors Editor David Figura at 470-6066, or email him at [email protected]. He's looking this week for winter predator (coyote) hunters and those who are getting out in boats to fish for perch and those who fish offshore on Cayuga Lake at the power plant in Lansing. Michelle Gabel/The Post-StandardSUNY ESF students are playing a crucial part in keeping the Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery open. Environmental resources engineering freshman Ross Mazur, of Princeton, NJ, is shown in the center placing a wooden support on the net covering a pond full of brown trout. At left is Matt Leong, an environmental science freshman from Brooklyn, middle left is environmental science freshman Alexia Zambalas, of France, at far right is Travis Stanek, Carpenter's Brook operations supervisor. Here's the line-up for this week's Outdoors pages in The Post-Standard. FRIDAY Main Piece: I look at how SUNY ESF students, thanks to a three-year-old partnership with the college and Onondaga County, are a crucial part in keeping the Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery open. Column: A story about a woman who's befriended a couple of wild beavers and is able to get within 5 feet of them without them flinching or acting aggressive; a woman who wonders why there's very few crows coming to her bird feeder (she puts out leftovers, and dog food), ...and this year's CNY Sportsman of the Year, which was announced at last weekend's outdoors show in Oneida. SUNDAY: Main Piece: OK, the ice fishing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling scenes are taking it on the chin due to the unseasonably warm and somewhat snowless winter so far. Enough on the humans. What about the wildlife? What about the deer, the fur bearers (skunks, beavers, etc.), the fish, the insects, the reptiles and the amphibians -- and even the insects? We talk to local wildlife experts about what to expect this spring. Column: We talk to a local insurance guy who goes up to the Salmon River at least two days every week and continues to reel in steelhead after steelhead... also about how he's making efforts to pass on his passion to a young companion. Plus, it's time to sign up for the Women in Nature program, and two local organizations are supplying a bus for those outdoors enthusiasts interested in lobbying state lawmakers next month on sportsmen's issues. 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'm looking to connect with for future stories: - Those who hunt coyotes during the winter months - Anyone who's getting out in boats and fishing for perch, either on Oneida or any of the Finger Lakes. - Those who fish offshore on the eastern show of Cayuga Lake at the power plant in Lansing. - Those who fish "behind the hotels" on the Oswego River. - Anyone who in addition to tying flies, is making their own fly casting rod(s) this winter. (Frankly, I have a fly rod blank and want to learn how to master this art myself.) - Individuals with outdoor passions who would make an interesting feature story. If you want to join The Post-Standard's Outdoors Group and get this emailed directly to you, subscribe here. Members of this group can respond to me directly by hitting reply after reading the email. FIGURA ON FACEBOOK: For those who are on Facebook, I also have a PS Outdoors page there, 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

Virginia is one of 11 states that prohibit hunting on Sundays. This in from the Gazette Virgininia newspaper: "Rural Virginia will enjoy peace and quiet with respite from hunters for at least another year, after a House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources subcommittee voted to table three bills that would have repealed or rolled back the state’s current ban on Sunday hunting," according to the newspaper's Web site. “People in rural Virginia especially recognize [sunday] as a day of peace, and hunters who hunt in that area didn’t want it,” said one official. “It’s been up before us the past 15-16 years, and it’s died every year.” Virginia is one of 11 states that prohibit hunting on Sundays. Read the full story. , View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Andrew Jeski has worked diligently to promote conservation and outdoor sports through his work with youngsters and handicapped sportsmen. He has also set a good example of ethics and sportsmanship. He has been active in this role for many years and has never sought recognition, only the benefit of others who enjoy the outdoors." The following is a press release from the Central New York Sportsman's Show, held last Saturday in the Kallet Center in Oneida. The event is an annual fundraiser for Holy Cross Academy. The Central New York Sportsman Show proudly announces Andrew Jeski as the 2012 Sportsman of the Year. Each year this show selects a winner from among the many nominations submitted from outdoor enthusiasts across Central New York. A panel of judges selects the winner who is awarded a plaque, several gifts of sporting goods, and announced to area media. Andrew Jeski, of Oneida, has worked diligently to promote conservation and outdoor sports through his work with youngsters and handicapped sportsmen. He has also set a good example of ethics and sportsmanship. He has been active in this role for many years and has never sought recognition, only the benefit of others who enjoy the outdoors. As one of the mainstays, and recently president, of S.H.O.T.S (Sportsmen Helping Others Through Sharing) he has been actively involved in raising money and using it for youth programs or handicapped sportsmen. Among the projects he has led was the project at Carpenter’s Brook Hatchery where they purchased the kits, helped youngsters build turkey calls, and let them take them home. They have donated fishing rods to youngsters, and purchased archery equipment for Holy Cross Academy to participate in the National Archery in the Schools Program. The past several years he has been active in helping handicapped or ill hunters and fishermen realize their dreams. Andy took the lead in making arrangements for a hunter terminally ill with cancer. They raised the money and Andy handled bringing him to central New York at S.H.O.T.S.’ expense where they provided him a hunt and the man fulfilled his wish of getting a deer. Recently they helped a woman afflicted with MS achieve her lifelong dream of fly fishing in Montana. They provided arrangements and money for her and her companion to travel there and fish with an outfitter equipped to deal with handicapped anglers. Andy Jeski has helped provide money for Future Anglers Outreach which is a fishing clinic and instruction day for youngsters and parents where all youngsters receive a rod and reel. Naturally he rolled up his sleeves and did whatever work was necessary those mornings at the clinics. On his own, he has often invited senior hunters to come and hunt deer with his family and friends. When the seniors were not successful, Andy made sure that they ultimately had venison by sharing some of his. For his many organizational and individual efforts on behalf of sportsmen, Andy Jeski is a worthy recipient of the 2012 Central NY Sportsman of the Year Award. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Last month, he bought the Montana special auction license at the Wild Sheep Foundation convention in Reno, Nev. A New York hunter paid $300,000 for this year's Montana special auction license for bighorn sheep at the Wild Sheep Foundation convention in Reno, Nev., in January, according to the Great Falls Tribune. "The price, while not a record, ensures that the bighorn sheep tag continues to be the high interest big money tag of all the special auction tags Montana offers," the newspaper reported. James Hens of East Berne, N.Y., bought the tag. He will be able to hunt a sheep in any Montana bighorn sheep hunting district this fall. Read the full story View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

I sat down this week with his wife at their Syracuse home to reminisce about DiMura. We looked through photo albums, magazines that featured him, plaques honoring him. We checked out his hunting and target-shooting bows hanging in the garage. Submitted photoJohn "Little John" DiMura John “Little John” DiMura’s love for the outdoors was undeniable, and he made a big impact on the Central New York bowhunting scene. DiMura, a colorful guy who lived his last 34 years as a quadriplegic, didn’t let his handicap deter him while he ran a successful archery shop in Syracuse with his wife, Sherry. He also enjoyed deer hunting and competitive archery, thanks to innovative modifications to his bow and wheelchair. He was also instrumental in getting legislation passed for the state’s first “handicapped archer” permit, which enabled hunters in wheelchairs and others with handicapped to enjoy their passion. He died Dec. 2 of lung cancer. He was 77. I sat down this week with his wife at their Syracuse home to reminisce about DiMura. We looked through photo albums, magazines that featured him, plaques honoring him. We checked out his hunting and target-shooting bows hanging in the garage. Submitted photoJohn DiMura was one of the forces behind legislation that cre´ated the state’s first “handicapped archer” permit. . Sherry also showed me his trophy room, which included a nine-point buck he shot during a handicapped hunt at mall mogul Robert Congel’s Savannah Dhu, and the head of a 300-pound Russian boar he bagged with his bow at a private hunting preserve in Kirkville. “He was a very interesting man,” she said, laughing over coffee at her kitchen table and telling story after story about their 34-year-old marriage, with its many ups and downs. “The first time I met him was in a bar in Syracuse. He looked like a mountain man,” she said, remembering how he told her he’d just gotten back from trying to trap rabbits for a woman who wanted a coat. “The next time I saw him he was all cleaned up and nice-looking. He was an outdoors fanatic. He did it all. I was just a city girl. I didn’t know anything about this hunting and fishing business — nothing.” In his early adult years, DiMura, who was 5-foot-2, worked as a salesman for several archery companies and he shot competitively on the Professional Archers Association tour. One company, Darton, named a bow after him. At age 32, a surgical procedure on DiMura’s neck paralyzed him from the chest down. During his time in the hospital, he and Sherry reconnected. Three days after he got out of the hospital, they were married. Sherry said many friends and family tried to discourage her from marrying Little John, noting his handicap. The two were determined to prove everybody wrong. In 1980, they opened an archery shop, Arrowhead Archery Lanes and Sports Center, in East Syracuse, later moving it to Lyncourt. “We were talking about how we had to do something,” Sherry said. “John said, ‘All I know is archery.’ So, that’s what we did.” She said her husband got tremendous support from his numerous outdoors acquaintances and friends who wanted to keep him in the outdoors game — and they did. His close friends (Sherry called them “the boys”) helped rig up Little John’s wheelchair with a device that held his bow in place and enabled him to move it up and down, side to side, with a mouthpiece. He fired the bow by nudging a trigger with the side of his hand. One of his friends had to cock the bow. But that was illegal at the time. DiMura was instrumental in lobbying for the passage of a state law that allowed disabled archers to use a draw lock device, and he later developed adaptive equipment to allow disabled individuals to hunt. Because of his efforts, he was the first person to be issued a “handicapped archer” permit in New York in 1986. “He opened the door for a lot of us,” said George Bolender, of Ontario, a quadriplegic who is the physically challenged hunter coordinator for New York Bowhunters. “He made up my first rig, which I’m still basically using. He was inspiration to a lot of people.” Meanwhile, DiMura competed in archery leagues at his business and was responsible for outfitting, training and mentoring hundreds of bowhunters. The DiMuras closed the shop in 1998 because of problems with his health. DiMura was inducted into the New York State Archery Hall of Fame and in recent years worked with Advanced Strategies, a local group that arranges hunting and fishing outings for handicapped sports enthusiasts. During their marriage, Sherry, “the city girl,” got a thorough education on the outdoors from her husband — a man who had a photographic memory and keen insight into Central New York’s prime hunting and fishing scenes. “John taught me how to skin a deer. I could also could do ducks and other little critters,” she said. “But I did have problems with doing rabbits. I had to cover their heads with a cloth. I couldn’t take their little eyes looking at me.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

This past week, with temperatures often breaking the 40s and even rising into the 50s, it;s been nearly T-shirt weather on the Salmon River. Anglers this time of year on the river usually have to wade through snowdrifts and deal with bone-chilling temperatures. <span class="adv-photo-large">Submitted photoTom Pugh, of Rome, has a steelhead on the line Wednesday on the Salmon River in Altmar. Thomas Pugh, of Rome, said this winter he’s been making it to the Salmon River at least twice a week. Wednesday morning, as the temperatures hovered above 40 degrees, Pugh took his fishing bag off and was considering taking off his jacket. “I keep coming back because of the anticipation of getting that hit by a steelhead,” he said. “It continues to bring me back ... it has for years.” Kevin Craig, of Washingtonville in Orange County, said he got up at 3:30 a.m. to make the drive to the Salmon River. He had no hat or gloves on as he fished. “Do you believe this weather? It’s amazing,” he said. This past week, with temperatures often breaking the 40s and even rising into the 50s, it’s been nearly T-shirt weather on the Salmon River. Anglers this time of year on the river usually have to wade through snowdrifts and deal with bone-chilling temperatures. Mother Nature has been additionally kind in that the unseasonably warm winter seems to have had little effect on the quality of the fishing. Steelhead range in size from 5 to 15 pounds, anglers said. It’s not unusual to catch one measuring 28-30 inches. Submitted photoSteelhead on the Salmon River have been running in the range of 5 to 15 pounds. Last weekend, one was caught that measured 39 inches. Dan Burdick, of Capt. Dan’s Guide Service on the river, said there was a catch-and-release tournament there last weekend. The largest fish caught, he said, measured 39 inches long and had a girth of 21 inches. “That’s a monster,” he said. Migell Wedderburn, of Syracuse, casting a spey rod, took the day off from work Wednesday to fish the Salmon River. “I get up here every Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “I’ve been catching and releasing 10, 20, 30 fish ... I have lots of photos.” Norman April, who said he left his home in Deposit at 4:30 a.m. to drive to the river, remarked that he’s fished “all day when it was 10 to 12 degrees below zero. “I usually wear half (finger-less) gloves,” he said. “But you don’t need them in this weather. You can actually fish in a sweatshirt today.” The nearly two dozen anglers congregated near the bridge at the lower fly fishing area were sporting a variety of rods and flies. Some were using 8-weight fly rods; some were casting lengthy spey rods; others were using spinning outfits. Those who fish for steelhead this time of year know they are hanging on the bottom, and that means dealing with constant snags. Peter Maher, who ties his own flies, said you never know what the steelhead will hit, so it’s best to bring a lot, and a wide variety. Michelle Gabel/The Post-StandardOne of Peter Maher's boxes of hand-tied flies. Steelhead this time of year are found near the river's bottom. Because snags are inevitable, the wise angler brings a good number and assortment of flies. “This year the small flies have been the most effective, size 10-12 hooks,” he said. “The color varies day to day, hour to hour. This morning I caught one with a chartreuse fly and I’ve caught some with black.” He held out a pink San Juan worm — an artificial fly made of yarn. “This fly right here, I hooked and landed a fish and it had an identical fly in it’s mouth,” he said. “It obviously broke off from someone else’s line.” April, who was fishing by himself Wednesday morning in the Trestle Pool, was unsure how long he was going to fish. “It could be until 2 p.m., or dark — depends on how they’re biting. You have a good cloud cover today,” he said. Asked if he’d packed a lunch, he smiled and shook his head. “No, I’ll tough it out,” he said. “I’ll stop and get something on the way home. You can’t eat and fish.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

“It was about 100 yards off the road and was showing little fear, mostly curiosity," he said. Submitted photo Paul Pflanz, of Syracuse, took these photos recently of a red fox on a country road southwest of Moravia. “It was about 100 yards off the road and was showing little fear, mostly curiosity. It seemed as interested in me as I was in it.” Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The project, in the town of Scott, received the chapter's 'Habitat Project of the Year Award.' Submitted photoFrom left, Anthony Rusyniak, his son, Spencer, and wife, Ellen. The following is a press release from CNY Pheasants Forever. Chapter president Carmen Davoli wrote: "Last night we held our annual banquet at the Genesee Grande Hotel attended by 175 outdoor enthusiasts. "The highlight of the evening was a presentation of our chapter's 'Habitat Project of the Year Award.' "The award was given to Anthony Rusyniak, of Skaneateles, and his Cortland county project in the town of Scott, which is an 80-acre site that has been developed with corn, grain sorghum, forage sorghum, water and natural cover providing the best habitat for all wildlife." See the aerial photo of the property. View full size View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

This is a good show. I'm be there meeting with readers from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Steven Canerellis Ted Dobs, last year's CNY Sportsman of the Year. The 2012 CNY Sportsman's Show , a show for outdoor enthusiasts, will be held Saturday in Oneida at the Kallet Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s show will feature businesses and clubs from the Central New York area representing archery and gun shops, charter fishing trips, wildlife artwork, hunting and fishing equipment and other outdoor related categories. A large collection of mounts from area hunters will be displayed, along with Kevin Schmitt’s record scoring buck from Madison County, and the Roosevelt Luckey Buck with sheds. A highlight of the event will be the announcement of the winner of the CNY Sportsman of the Year award. Last year's winner was Ted Dobs, an Oneida Lake charter boat captain. The cost is $6 for adults; children 12 and under free. For more, call 363-1669. Stop by and say hello to Post-Standard Outdoors Editor Dave Figura and retired Post-Standard outdoors columnist Mike Kelly. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The warm winter hasn't favored local bird feeder watchers. Peter Chen/The Post-StandardGene HugginsThis winter has been for the birds. The unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow cover has made food on the ground easily attainable. “A lot of birds don’t feel the need to congregate at bird feeders,” said Gene Huggins, president of the Onondaga Chapter of the Audubon Society. “It’s been discouraging for people who watch the birds at their feeders. They’re not seeing the variety or numbers that they’re used to seeing throughout the winter.” Huggins, who lives in Tully and has five bird feeders on his property, said he’s been seeing a lot of dark-eyed juncos, tree sparrows, starlings and the occasional mourning dove. He keeps in touch with the local bird scene, thanks to the constant filing of reports by members on the club’s website. He said he hasn’t seen any yellow-bellied sapsuckers at his feeder, and club members are noting a paucity of finches in the area. Courtesy Cornell Lab of OrnithologyCommon Redpoll “We haven’t had too many reports of white-winged snowfinches, crossbills or the red crossbills,” he said. “The same goes for pine grosbeaks, purple finches and common redpolls.” Many of the migrating flocks of these birds are most likely still up north because of the availability of food there. The relatively open ground has been one factor. The warm weather is another. “A few gray catbirds were seen in the early part of January off Andrews Road in the town of DeWitt. Usually they’ve gone south by October,” he said. The fact that many ponds, lakes and rivers remain unfrozen has had a considerable impact on waterfowl in particular. They aren’t congregating on certain local lakes or migrating as much as they normally do through this area. One noticeable difference from last winter is that there are fewer bald eagles gathering at Onondaga Lake, Huggins said. Last year, with the lake frozen, ducks and geese gravitated to the open water around the Nine Mile Creek outlet or on the south shore near the Carousel Center. The eagles would congregate there, as well, to feed on the waterfowl. “The lake is still not frozen over,” he said. “As a result, the waterfowl are dispersed all over the area.” Tom Jasikoff, manager at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, said the refuge is seeing more snow geese, swans and waterfowl than usual for this time of year on its pools. “Unlike a song bird that feeds on such things as insects or fruit, these birds feed on aquatic vegetation,” he said. “If the water is open and not frozen, they’ll hang around.” The warm weather isn’t the only factor affecting the Central New York bird scene. This area, along with other parts of the country as far west as Seattle, are seeing large numbers of snowy owls. Marshall Iliff, eBird project leader, said their appearance is most likely caused by a population explosion of lemmings, their primary food up north on the tundra, where they breed and spend most of the year. More food has resulted in greater numbers of young birds, he said. The lemming population explosions are usually followed by precipitous declines, resulting in less food for the younger birds. Iliff said the young owls will sometimes make a southern journey of 1,000 miles or more in search of prey. Locally, the snowy owls were spotted recently around Hancock International Airport. Ebird, a website run jointly by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the national Audubon Society, uses sightings posted by bird watchers to understand changes in populations, movements and other trends across the world. Iliff said bird populations are constantly being affected by changes in landscape and climate. Courtesy Cornell Lab of OrnithologyCommon raven He said there’s no one answer as to how this winter will impact the Central New York bird population come spring and summer. Changes in migration patterns and in breeding grounds, for example, are trends that often take years to develop. “One trend we are noticing, though, is that waterfowl seem to be wintering farther and farther north,” he said. Huggins said members from his club participated in the recent Christmas Bird Count and noticed several changes from last year. Among them: “We’re seeing more and more ravens. Also, more crows than ever before.” Members did spot a relatively rare cackling goose, a smaller version of the Canada goose, during this year’s count. Huggins said every day brings surprises. “We had a brief eruption of Bohemian waxwings around B’ville and Lake Ontario within the last week,” he said. “They’re not seen every winter. They’re always a welcome addition.” Courtesy Cornell Lab of OrnithologyBohemian waxwing For more Check out the website of the Onondaga Chapter of the Audubon Society ; the website of Ebird or the website of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology . View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Ken Clark told me he harvested two does this fall with his crossbow -- one during the regular firearms season, the other during the late muzzleloading season. Somebody actually did get a deer with a crossbow in Central New York in the fall. Ken Clark, of Camillus, gave me a call this week following last Sunday’s column in which I quoted a DEC spokeswoman who said preliminary figures showed less than “one quarter of one percent” of deer taken this past hunting season across the state were shot with a crossbow. Clark told me he harvested two does this fall with his crossbow — one during the regular firearms season, the other during the late muzzleloading season. “And that’s after getting another doe in the regular bowhunting season with my compound bow,” he said. All three deer were shot on private property in the town of Camillus. Clark, 66, said he bought the crossbow “as a gift to myself.” He said he paid about $800 for the weapon, along with buying the special arrows (called bolts) and a special practice target “because the bolts blew right through my 3-D deer target.” “I ended up spending a total of about $1,100. I sure hope they continue allowing crossbows after this year,” he said, referring to the Dec. 31 sunset clause on the legislation that allows crossbows to be used to hunt deer or bear. Clark said he’s a diehard bow hunter who gave up on gun hunting about 10 years ago. He said he’s a Vietnam veteran and doesn’t like the noise. He said two seasons ago he was in a treestand on a particularly cold day during the regular bow hunting season. “As a tried to draw the bow back, I hurt my shoulder. ... I felt something tear.” This fall, following months of rehab and light weight-lifting, he was finally able to pull back on his compound bow, although he had to reduce the bow’s draw weight. He said he took both deer with his crossbow at close range. He shot one during the regular firearms season at about 15 yards and the other during the muzzleloading season at about four yards. “She practically walked right on top of me,” he said. Given a choice between the two types of bows, Clark said he prefers his compound. “It makes me feel like I’m an Indian, or a Robin Hood,” he said, adding that he enjoys being able to see the arrow leave his bow and travel through the air toward the deer. The crossbow bolt, he says, goes too fast to see. However, he conceded that if his shoulder goes out again, his only hunting option would be a crossbow, assuming that new legislation is passed to make their use permanent. Asked about what changes he’d like to see concerning crossbow use, he said he would still limit their use for most hunters to the regular firearms and late muzzleloading seasons. But he would make an exception for disabled hunters or seniors (66 and older) during the regular bowhunting season. “I also wish I could use a crossbow to hunt turkeys.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Meanwhile, water was a little high at midweek on the Salmon River, but it didn't seem to matter. Lots of fish being caught, mostly steelhead. CNY FISHING FORECAST All persons aboard a pleasure vessel less than 21 feet long, regardless of age, must wear a personal flotation device from Nov. 1 to May 1. Bait stores (list and map). SALMON RIVER Water was a little high at midweek, but it didn’t seem to matter. Lots of fish being caught, mostly steelhead. The browns and steelhead have transitioned into their winter holes (deeper water). Good baits continue to be trout beads (10mm), egg sacs (blue, pink and chartreuse mesh), streamers, stonefly nymphs and egg-imitating flies. The Upper Fly Fishing Area closed Nov. 30 and will reopen April 1. OSWEGO RIVER Reports of brown trout being caught on white, bucktail jigs; along with some rainbows on little minnows and trout beads. ONEIDA LAKE Ice is fishable on places like North Bay and Sylvan Beach (the east end of the lake) with 6 to 8 inches of ice. In general, on the north shore, go east of Godfrey. On the south shore, try east of Lewis Point. Reports of some anglers out on Big Bay. CAYUGA LAKE No safe ice to report at midweek. However, anglers fishing from shore at the power station in Lansing continue to have luck catching rainbow trout on medium-sized shiners and some perch, using fathead minnows. SENECA LAKE Yellow perch fishing continues to be good in the Watkins Glen area, in 25 to 30 feet of water, with spikes and fathead minnows. Fishing from the pier continues to be good for yellow perch and some very large bluegills. Trolling from the surface down to about 45 feet, over 70 feet of water has been producing a mixed bag of Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and lake trout. Streamer flies and small spoons have been working well. OWASCO LAKE No safe ice to report at midweek. Some are getting out boats, fishing for perch. OTISCO LAKE At midweek, no safe ice to report and no open water activity to report. SKANEATELES LAKE No ice fishing activity to report at midweek. Some are getting out boats, fishing for perch. Shore fishing with marshmallow-and-worm rigs is usually the ticket this time of year for rainbow trout. SODUS BAY No fishable ice at midweek. Some anglers were getting in boats at north end, fishing for perch. SANDY POND No activity to report. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Anglers have been ice fishing here for northern pike and perch. Hot spots continue to be Eel Bay, Chippewa Bay, Lake of the Isles and Goose Bay, all with five or more inches. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR Last week, there were reports of 5 to 7 inches of ice being reported on parts of the reservoir. However, with the rain and warm temperatures this week, that may change. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

I'll be at the sportsmen's show on Saturday morning in Oneida. Stop by and say hello. Feedback and story ideas are always appreciated. Have a suggestion? An impressive ice fishing photo? Call me at 470-6066 or email me at [email protected]. Submitted photoNicole Chorney, of Liverpool, sent me this interesting birdfeeder photo, taken in her backyard. A flock of wild turkeys stopped by recently. It snows, it melts. It snows, it melts. It's been a real crazy winter. Maybe that accounts for the good showing his past weekend at the New York Sportsman's Expo, which I attended on Saturday. Lots of folks are experiencing cabin fever lately. I'll be at another sportsmen's show on Saturday morning and early afternoon in Oneida. Stop by and say hello. Feedback and story ideas are always appreciated. Meanwhile, I've been hurting lately for ice fishing pictures. Anyone have any decent catches or sizeable fish they've pulled through the ice lately? Send them to me at [email protected]. This week's offerings on the Outdoors page: FRIDAY: Main piece: CNY's winter weather this year is for the birds -- or not? Talk to local Audubon prez and others for comments on this issue. Column: Eureka. I finally found someone who got a deer with a crossbow -- a man from Camllus actually took two does, one during the firearms season; one during the muzzleloading season. Plus, one reader notes there's round gobies in Cross Lake. SUNDAY: Main piece: The wintertime steelhead fishing season on the Salmon river is going great guns thanks to the unseasonably warm weather. Column: A tribute to a giant in the local bow hunting scene. I write about John "Little John" Dimura," who died late last year. *** Editor's note: Both of my Sunday stories (the main piece and the column) came from readers who stopped by my table at last weekend's sportsman's show at the state fairgrounds. Thanks, guys! 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. Members of this group can respond to me directly by hitting reply after reading the email. FIGURA ON FACEBOOK: For those who are on Facebook, I also have a PS Outdoors page there, 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

Big Brother Big Sisters of Delta County sponsored the fundraiser and Jason M. Pepin of Escanaba had the lone fishing success during the competition. The perch he caught weighed 4.5 ounces and netted a $3,000 first place prize. ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — Participants in a Michigan charity ice fishing tournament brought home a different kind of fish tale. The Daily Press of Escanaba reports only one fish was caught by the more than 400 kids and adults participating in this weekend’s Jig It Ice Fishing Extravaganza at Escanaba Yacht Harbor in the Upper Peninsula. Big Brother Big Sisters of Delta County sponsored the fundraiser and Jason M. Pepin of Escanaba had the lone fishing success during the competition. The perch he caught weighed 4.5 ounces and netted a $3,000 first place prize. The group’s executive director Tanya Schuster says some people reported seeing fish swimming in the water, but they weren’t biting. Schuster says the event to help fund area mentoring programs is “more fun when you do catch fish.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog