HuntingNY-News

Ice was reported in most bays on Oneida Lake at midweek, but it was still only about 2-2½ inches. May see some safe ice by this weekend. Stay tuned. CNY FISHING FORECAST Fishing activity continues to be quiet on most bodies of water as anglers wait for safe ice. Cold weather, though, is predicted for Wednesday through Friday this week -- a good sign. 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 The browns and steelhead have transitioned into their winter holes (deeper water). Fishing is still pretty good, though. Good baits continue to be trout beads (10mm), egg sacs (blue, pink or chartreuse mesh), streamers, stonefly nymphs and egg-imitating flies. The Upper Fly Fishing Area closed Nov. 30 and will reopen April 1. OSWEGO RIVER Fishing continues to be hot or cold, depending on the day. On the days when they’re hitting, anglers are catching mostly browns and rainbows using bucktail jigs and minnows, with some casting Little Cleo lures. ONEIDA LAKE Ice was reported in most bays on the lake at midweek, but it was still only about 2-2½ inches. May see some safe ice by this weekend. Stay tuned. CAYUGA LAKE No activity to report. SENECA LAKE Yellow perch fishing has been good in the Watkins Glen area, in 25 to 30 feet of water, with spikes and fathead minnows. Anglers fishing farther north, around Severne, in 10 feet of water are getting more perch, but they are running smaller. Fishing from the pier has been good for smallmouth bass, perch and some very large bluegills. Trolling from the surface down to about 45 feet and 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 activity to report. OTISCO LAKE No activity to report. SKANEATELES LAKE No activity to report. SODUS BAY No activity to report. SANDY POND No activity to report. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Anglers have been ice fishing here for northern pike and perch. Hot spots include Eel Bay and Lake of the Isles, with about five to eight inches of ice. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR Some anglers continue to catch fish on the spillway, particularly walleyes and perch, using fathead minnows on a bobber, or 16th-ounce jigs and a fathead. The Almost Annual Crappie Derby, which was set for Jan. 28, has been canceled. Bait stores (list and map). View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The program enhances opportunities for pheasant hunting in New York state through a partnership between DEC and the sporting community, 4-H youths and landowners interested in rearing and releasing pheasants. Picasa 3.0 The following is a DEC press release: The application period is now open for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s cooperative Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program, the agency announced today. The program enhances opportunities for pheasant hunting in New York state through a partnership between DEC and the sporting community, 4-H youths and landowners interested in rearing and releasing pheasants. The Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program began in the early 1900s. In the early days of the program, pheasant eggs and chicks were distributed to farmers and rural youths via 4-H clubs. Today, day-old chicks are available at no cost to participants who are able to provide a brooding facility and covered outdoor rearing pen, and have identified an adequate release site. Approved applicants will receive the day-old chicks in April, May or June. No chicks obtained through the Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program are permitted to be released on private shooting preserves. All release sites must be approved in advance by DEC and must be open to the public for pheasant hunting. The program is funded through the State Conservation Fund from license fees paid by hunters, trappers and anglers. Participants must monitor the health of the birds daily to ensure there is adequate feed and water for the rapidly growing chicks. The pheasants may be released when they are eight weeks old and no later than Dec. 1. Individuals interested in these programs should contact their nearest DEC regional office (please refer to offices listed below) for applications and additional information. In 2011, DEC distributed 46,496 day-old pheasant chicks to qualified applicants. Applications must be filed with a DEC regional wildlife manager by March 15. DEC Region 1 - Nassau and Suffolk counties: SUNY at Stony Brook 50 Circle Road Stony Brook, NY 11790 (631) 444-0310 DEC Region 3 - Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties: 21 South Putt Corners Rd. New Paltz, NY 12561 (845) 256-3098 DEC Region 4 - Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties: 65561 State Hwy 10, Suite 1 Stamford, NY 12167 (607) 652-7367 DEC Region 5 - Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties: 1115 Route 86, PO Box 296 Ray Brook, NY 12977 (518) 897-1291 DEC Region 6 - Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties: 317 Washington Street Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 785-2261 DEC Region 7 - Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga and Tompkins counties: 1285 Fisher Ave. Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 753-3095 x 247 DEC Region 8 - Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties: 6274 East Avon-Lima Rd. Avon, NY 14414 (585) 226-5380 DEC Region 9 - Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Niagara and Wyoming counties: 182 East Union, Suite 3 Allegany, NY 14706-1328 (716) 372-0645 View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Eaton Brook Reservoir, located in Madison County, is among the first waterways to freeze each year in Central New York as a result of its high elevation. Watch video I traveled down to the Eaton Brook Reservoir Tuesday morning with Staff photographer John Berry, who shot this video. We found five anglers on the ice, which was 5 inches thick! Eaton Brook, located in Madison County, is among the first waterways to freeze each year in Central New York as a result of its high elevation. For more on the CNY ice fishing scene, which is starting unusually late this year, see Friday's Outdoors page in The Post-Standard. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Each of the dinners, which will last from 7 to 11 p.m., will include a delicious buffet dinner, horse-drawn sleigh ride and live musical entertainment in the park's Skyline Lodge. Highland Forest is once again offering “Valentine’s in the Forest,” a series of fund-raising dinners benefiting the park’s hard-working, volunteer Nordic Ski Patrol. Each of the dinners, which will last from 7 to 11 p.m., will include a delicious buffet dinner, horse-drawn sleigh ride and live musical entertainment in the park’s Skyline Lodge. Dinners are scheduled for Feb. 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 — and of course, Feb. 14. Cost is $85 per couple. For more information, call Highland Forest at 683-5550. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The summer camp program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11-17. The following is a DEC press release: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will be accepting applications for its 2012 Summer Camp Program starting January 28, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The summer camp program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11-17. DEC operates four residential camps for youth ages 11-13: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake, Franklin County; Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County; Camp Rushford in Caneadea, Allegany County and Pack Forest in Warrensburg, Warren County. Pack Forest and Camp Rushford also feature Teenage Ecology Week, an environmental studies program for 14-17-year-old campers. "As the parent of a son who spent a week at Camp Colby, I can personally attest to the quality of the camp experience for teenagers and the valuable environmental lessons learned at a DEC summer camp,” said Commissioner Martens. “Many DEC camp alumni have followed their interests into careers in the environment and wildlife conservation throughout our 64 years of operating DEC summer camps.” Campers learn about environmental stewardship through hands-on experience in the outdoors. They participate in a wide variety of activities including fishing, bird watching, fly-tying, archery, canoeing, hiking, camping, orienteering and hunter safety education. Campers also learn about fields, forests, streams and ponds through fun, first-hand experiences in these habitats. DEC counselors teach youth conservation techniques used by natural resource professionals, such as measuring trees and estimating wildlife populations. Changes for the 2012 camp season: -Youth camp attendees now range from age 11 to 13. -Teenage Ecology Week attendees now range from age 14 to 17 and will be offered at Pack Forest from weeks 1 through 5 and at Camp Rushford during week 5. -All four camps will run for seven weeks, beginning July 1. -Children who have attended camp in the past may register for any of the weeks within their age range. - Campers may attend for more than one week. The fee for the total number of weeks must be included with the application (Note: campers may not stay at camp on Saturday night, so parents should make alternate arrangements if two consecutive weeks are selected). DEC is also encouraging sporting clubs, civic groups and environmental organizations to sponsor a child for a week at camp. Those groups who sponsor six paid campers will receive one free scholarship when all applications are sent together. Information and applications for the 2012 Summer Camp Program are now available on DEC’s website. Applications from both sponsors and parents can be postmarked starting January 28, 2012. The cost for camp remains at $350 a week, a great value for parents. For complete information, including when applications will be accepted, visit DEC’s website or call 518-402-8014. Interested parents may also sign up for the camps’ listserve on the same web page, visit the camps’ Facebook page at “NYS DEC Summer Camps” or contact DEC in writing at DEC Camps, 2nd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-4500. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Have an interesting story or feature you'd like to see covered on The Post-Standard's Outdoors page? Call Outdoors Editor David Figura at 470-6066, or email him at [email protected]. Here's what's on tap for this week's Outdoors pages in The Post-Standard Jim Commentucci/The Post-StandardTony Eallonardo of Otisco (left) and Mike Kowachik of Fabius fish for panfish through about 5 inches of ice over 14 feet of water on Tully Lake in this 2010 photo. FRIDAY: Main piece: Local ice fishing season starts on some small lakes in CNY as anglers continue to bite at the bit, waiting for some of the bigger bodies of water (Oneida, Skaneateles, Owasco, ect) to freeze over. Column: With the on-again, off-again snow patterns, what's the local cross country ski/snowshoe scene like? SUNDAY Main Piece: We interview one of the resident falconers who uses falcons to keep the seagull numbers down at the Seneca Meadows Landfill. Believe it or not, there's two full-time falconers on staff with 10 birds at their disposal. Column: Highlights of Thursday evening's annual presidents dinner for the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, plus a few other items. I'm also working on: - An update on state-owned land in Chenango County that's overrun with deer and the steps that were taken this fall to limit the herd size -- and whether or not efforts were successful - Plastics. How it's the rage for some on the ice fishing scene. - DEC/Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge staff band black ducks - Interested in taking an African hunting safari.. recommended does and don'ts for those who have. - Snowmobile trail law enforcement status.. (budget cuts have evidently taken a toll in some areas) - Fishing for Steelhead on Salmon River from a drift boat in the middle of winter. - Local guy who's on the front lines of the exotic carp wars in the mid-west (trying to prevent them from getting into the Great Lakes) 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

Man, it was cold the last couple of days. However, despite some patches of ice on waters I drove by, nothing looked like it would support an ice fishermen. What's going on out there? Anybody able to find some fishable ice out there yet in CNY? What about Big Bay on Oneida Lake? Tully Lake? Has anything frozen over enough... Man, it was cold the last couple of days. However, despite some patches of ice on waters I drove by, nothing looked like it would support an ice fishermen. What's going on out there? Anybody able to find some fishable ice out there yet in CNY? What about Big Bay on Oneida Lake? Tully Lake? Has anything frozen over enough yet to make it safe for ice fishing? I'd like to hear from readers on this... View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Inside his 3,000-square-foot, heated and air conditioned "car barn" is an eye-opening collection of more than 100 outboard boat motors stretching back to 1914. Watch video Stephen Cannerelli/The Post-StandardThis cut-a-way from a 1953 Johnson motor is part of Steve Shehadi’s collection of antique boat motors at his Skaneateles home. Shehadi started his massive collection in 1974. There’s a small sign on the wall at the Shehadi Oriental Rugs store on Erie Boulevard in Syracuse that reads, “I buy outboard motors.’ Steve Shehadi, the store’s owner, isn’t kidding. Check out his home on Skaneateles Lake. Inside his 3,000-square-foot, heated and air conditioned “car barn” is an eye-opening collection of more than 100 outdoor boat motors stretching back to 1914. “About five or six of them are the only ones known in the world. I can’t say ‘only,’ because maybe there’s something in somebody’s barn somewhere that nobody knows about,” he said. The boat motors are the 59-year-old businessman’s most recent passion that over the years has prompted him to amass antique cars, boats and a number of mechanical devices. His two-level car barn is jammed with various types of motor and engines dating back to 1880. In addition, he has two other 1,500-square foot buildings on his property to handle the overflow. Giving a tour this week of the car barn, Shehadi concedes there’s no real theme, just “groups” of mechanical items. “See that. It’s a scale model of a 1890 steam engine that ran a factory,” he said. “It’s called a Walking Beam. It ran like a sewing machine. Jay Leno has one 12-feet tall. It was on the History Channel.” The car barn contains a lot of big “stuff,” Shehadi said, including his 1914 Model T with acetylene lights, a couple of hydroplane racing boats, a 1923 Buick and a 1931 Gar Wood antique touring boat that’s been on the poster of the Skaneateles Antique and Classic Boat Show for two years. “Everything in this building is on wheels so it can be moved around,” he said. “And when you own things like antique cars you get into real estate situations when you have to put things away. I used to have more cars, but I never really drove them, so I just started selling them off. That’s where the funds for this other stuff came from.” His antique outboard motor collection takes up much less space, he said. Each one is labeled and mounted on special display racks. In recent years, he’s taken a sampling from the collection in a trailer and displayed them at the Skaneateles boat show, along with entering five or six of his antique boats. Shehadi said he grew up in a modest home near Syracuse University, and his family had a small camp on Skaneateles Lake. He majored in nutrition and competed in gymnastics. He said as a boy, though, he always loved playing with bikes, mini-bikes, go-carts — anything mechanical. At age 26, he bought his first house in the area around Syracuse University and eventually amassed 14 properties. In the early 1980s, he took over control of the rug store from is father. “After 26 years, I started selling off the properties and that got me started on collecting cars, and later the boats,” he said. Today, he’s more about the outboard motors. His two daughters, Gabrielle and Madison, pitched in a couple of years ago to work on the restoration of a 1960 Elgin, 9-foot hydroplane. both also assist their father each year at the Skaneateles boat show. “Eventually, these kids are going to inherit all this stuff,” he said. “Everything is tagged, where it came from, what we paid for it. That way, these guys can figure it out when I’m gone.” Shehadi emphasized that what he loves most about collecting boat motors is the history, the stories behind the manufacturers. He also savors the idea of restoring restoring beat up, rusted old motors that he got for a bargain. “I’m not a sports guy. I don’t watch football. My whole thing is taking things apart, restoring them, putting them back together — or finding someone else who’s really good at that,” he said. Walking down an aisle, he stops in front of a row of motors. “Look at this guy — a 1914 Motorgo rowboat engine. Completely restored. The early motors were called rowboat motors. They changed the name to outboards in the early 1920s.” And there’s his beloved Elto motors. He owns all six made by the company in 1938, ranging from the ½- to the 8 ½ horsepower model. “Look at this one, a 1923. It was in a garage near Doug’s Fish Fry in Skaneateles. It was disaster when I got it. I had it completely restored,” he said. He points to his tiny, 1939 Clarke Troller, which looks like a kitchen blender. “It’s the smallest manufactured outboard motor in the world. Look at those spark plugs. There’re like little toys,” he said. Shehadi is also proud of his brass Evinrude motors. “These are very rare,” he said, putting his hand on a 1923 model. “The entire lower unit is made of brass for salt water. And look at the upper part, it his a little battery light, a place where you plug in a spot light. What is really unique is that you push this and the lower unit spins around for reverse. None of these early motors had transmissions For Shehadi, collecting rare boat motors is like collected rare stamps or coins. “You’re always looking for one you’re missing, one that’s better than the one you have — and you’re always looking to upgrade,” he said. Speaking of signs, there’s one in the car barn that pretty much sums things up. It reads: “If heaven doesn’t have outboards, I’m not going.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"I plan to tan them up and use them for pelts. Either one could make a coat for a little kid," said Jon VanNest. Mike Greenlar/The Post-Standardxxxxxxx Jon VanNest, a taxidermist and meat processor from Moravia, told me this week about two, huge beaver skins he now has in his shop. One came from a 79-pounder; the other, from a 72-pounder. “They were both trapped in a duck hunting swamp I lease down off Route 38, between Cascade and Moravia at the southern end of Owasco Lake,” he said. “I plan to tan them up and use them for pelts. Either one could make a coat for a little kid.” VanNest said he first encountered them in early November. He said usually beavers see a human, smack their tails on the water and disappear. Not these critters. “They stayed about 10 feet off the bow of my boat. I could have almost hit one with my oar. They were acting aggressive,” he said. VanNest said he read years ago in a national outdoors magazine that big beavers can get territorial and have been known to swim under a hunting dog in the water and tear at its stomach. He has a trusty, 100-pound, male Labrador retriever and wasn’t going to take any chances, he said. “I told the guy who owns the property and he got ahold of a trapper, who was successful in trapping them,” he said. The trapper ended up handing over the skins to VanNest. “We were joking afterward that the 79-pounder was some kind of state record or something,” he said, adding the largest beaver he’d ever seen before this weighed 65 pounds. “It was road kill and the guy wanted it mounted. I had a heck of a time getting a form (which the pelt is draped around for a mount). That was about 15 years ago,” VanNest said. Steve Joule, regional wildlife manager at the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Cortland office, said the two beavers in VanNest’s shop “aren’t too far out of the typical range. “Beavers average anywhere from 25 to 65 pounds,” he said. “I’ve heard of some in the 80-pound range in the North Country.” Joule said dominant beavers “will stand their ground and bluff. “I’ve never heard of one attacking a dog, though” he said. Meanwhile, VanNest said he’s had four wild boar brought in for processing by hunters this fall. “Two of them were sows, two were boars. The largest was about 400 pounds,” he said, adding he’s working on trophy mounts of the two boars. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Usually this time of year, turtles are hibernating. They bury themselves underwater in the mud. Submitted photo Matt Frackelton, of Baldwinsville, was out duck hunting with his buddies last week on Onondaga Lake when a painted turtle popped its head out of the water next to his boat. “It was one of those warm days, around 40 degrees,” he said. Usually this time of year, turtles are hibernating. They bury themselves underwater in the mud. Not this guy. Frackelton grabbed it, one of his buddies snapped a quick picture and then it was released unharmed. “It appeared lethargic because of the cold water, but there it was moving around. I’ve never seen one this time of year,” he said. “We saw two that day, and another the following day.” By the way, Frackelton is pretty hard core when it comes to waterfowl hunting. Monday, he got out with his dad, John Frackelton, for “the last 18 minutes of the season. “I got out of work at 3:45 p.m. and still had my dress clothes on under my camo,” he said. His comments were accompanied by a picture he sent me of his father kneeling next to five downed Canada geese. Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"It has been hanging around the yard since I put the feeders out in the fall," he said. Submitted photo Todd Brown, of Clay, submitted this photo and wrote: “This guy put a crimp in my bird-watching on Saturday afternoon.”" I can see why. “I think the cat belongs to a neighbor,” he said. “It has been hanging around the yard since I put the feeders out in the fall.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

We weren't disappointed. We found Chimney Bluffs to be impressive, awe-inspiring -- one of Upstate's unique outdoor places that everyone should visit at least once. Katie Figura photo Prompted by last weekend’s unseasonably warm weather, I decided to check out Chimney Bluffs State Park in northern Wayne County for a day hike with my daughter, Katie. It’s the first time I’ve been to the park, located on the eastern side of Sodus Bay on the shore of Lake Ontario. We weren’t disappointed. We found Chimney Bluffs to be impressive, awe-inspiring — one of Upstate’s unique outdoor places that everyone should visit at least once. Katie Figura photo It has an ocean shore-like feel. It’s a place where land and water clash, sculpting one of the most dramatic landscapes on the lake’s shoreline. The main features of the park are its huge spires made of clay and rock that reach some 150 feet in places. The park has about four miles of hiking trails, including mile-long walks along the upper ridge of the formations, or along the shoreline between the west and eastern entrances. The park is free and there are picnic areas, benches and restrooms. Katie Figura photo Saturday afternoon, there were nine other vehicles in the park’s western parking lot. While walking the upper trail, which was muddy in places, we ran across Sandy King, of Lyons. She told us she visits the park as often as possible, describing it as a “magical place.” A “hippie at heart,” she smiled as told how she and her husband were married on the beach near the park’s eastern entrance in 2004. “I was barefoot ... he wore sandals,” she said. Katie Figura photo King said she grew up near the park and as a child would scale a number of the spires. She added the relentless wind and water, though, have cut down and changed a number them since her childhood. “I wouldn’t trying climbing them this time of year,” she added. We also came across Steve Daniel, of Rochester, who had a set of binoculars around his neck and was carrying a spotting scope commonly carried by serious bird watchers. He too had come to the park because of the warm weather, he said, hoping to catch sight of migrating waterfowl and other birds. Daniel noted the near 50-degree weather, which had melted much of the snow and ice throughout the park, was causing unseasonal activity. “I saw a honey bee in the parking lot,” he said. I can’t recommend this place enough. It took us about 50 minutes to get there from Skaneateles. Katie Figura photo Katie Figura photo Katie Figura photo Katie Figura photo Katie Figura photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The new $800,000 facility, paid for with a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, was the center of attention during Wednesday's open house at the lab. The facility is dedicated providing scientific research for the restoration, enhanced management and protection of fish species and their habitats in the Great Lakes and its tributaries. Jim Johnson is excited about the recent addition of the new ultra-violet water treatment building at the USGS Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science in Cortland. The new $800,000 facility, paid for with a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, was the center of attention during Wednesday’s open house at the lab. “This basically allows us to bring in wild fish and eggs so we can work on them, and start artificial propagation on these fish,” said Johnson, the lab’s director. He explained the ultra-violet light process essentially kills all pathogens in the water that flows through the building, eliminating the presence of fish killing diseases such as VHS in the eggs, fish fry or adult fish being studied. Visitors were told Wednesday about how Tunison is raising and stocking Atlantic salmon in the Salmon River, in addition to plans involving bolstering Lake Ontario’s waning lake herring population and a bold initiative to reintroduce the deepwater cisco (also called a bloater) into the lake. The latter two are native bait fish, which have been deemed as important for the lake’s salmon and trout populations. The bigger picture, though, is that the U-V building and the lab’s recent work with the three fish species are just part of its efforts dedicated to providing scientific research for the restoration, enhanced management and protection of fish species and their habitats in the Great Lakes and its tributaries. Tunison is one of a number of biological field stations and research vessels located throughout the Great Lakes Basin, under the auspices of the USGS Great Lakes Science Center, which is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Cortland lab was set up in 1930 as a fish hatchery. Eventually, it became a world leader in the development of food for hatchery fish. Johnson said he was hired in 1994 to change the research direction of the lab and to make it more pro-active in terms of fish restoration. It has 12 employees and an annual budget of about $750,000, Johnson said. “Today we are doing research associated with the restoring and preserving of native fish within the Great Lakes, including the American eel, lake sturgeon, Atlantic salmon, deepwater cisco, lake herring,” he said. “We’re also involved with brook trout, doing some work with walleye and on threatened and endangered species in the St. Lawrence River, in cooperation with the Mohawk tribe. We’re also going to be starting a project up there that involves muskellunge.” Johnson stresses Tunison’s value is the research it supplies its partners, most notably the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A current success story in the making is a joint project between Tunison and the DEC concerning the stocking of Atlantic salmon on the Salmon River. During the past three years, the fish have been spawning naturally in the river — the first time that’s happened with any consistency in more than a century. “It’s not a full-blown restoration program, we’ve just been trying to find out what works — to put Atlantic salmon back in the mix,” Johnson said. But Tunison’s emphasis is on more than what anglers catch at the top of the fish food chain, he said. A big issue on Lake Ontario is the great numbers of alewive, the most plentiful bait fish in the lake. The fish contains an enzyme that breaks down the thiamine protein, resulting in a high mortality among the fry of trout and salmon that dine on it. Currently, the middle of Lake Ontario is like a vast wasteland, with little, if any forage for the bigger fish. Most of the bait fish, including the alewives, round gobies and the scarce lake herring, are found in shallow water along the lake’s edges. “We’re trying to go into the low end of the food chain, to build it up from the bottom,” he said, talking about the lab’s current emphasis on raising lake herring and their cousins, the deepwater cisco. Both fish are also called “chubs” by local anglers. Tunison currently has about two dozen lake herring at the campus, which were netted by the DEC in Chaumont Bay. Their eggs are in the U-V building, with hopes of raising fry and releasing them into the lake this fall. Johnson said the lab is doing that to build up their population in Lake Ontario, and to apply what they learn to also raise deepwater ciscoes. This winter a commercial fisherman is being paid to net deepwater cisco in Lake Michigan, which will be forwarded to the Cortland lab. The fish spawns during the months of January and February, Johnson said, and the fish sent will hopefully include eggs and sperm that the lab can use to raise more at the Cortland facility. The idea is that a healthy, diverse population of bait fish in Lake Ontario will make the lake’s salmon and trout population healthier and bigger for anglers to enjoy, he said. “We’re hoping to not get into the Lake Huron conundrum, where a trophy Chinook is 7 to 10 pounds,” he said. “You can’t find an alewive there to save yourself.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Anyone who sees a white-tailed deer acting abnormally or who finds a dead deer that was not struck by a vehicle is asked to report the animal to the nearest DEC regional office or to an Environmental Conservation Officer or Forest Ranger. The following is a DEC press release: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking the public to report any instances of deer appearing sick or acting abnormally. DEC is only investigating deer that appear to have died from unknown causes and not those that were killed by a vehicle, the agency announced today. Anyone who sees a white-tailed deer acting abnormally or who finds a dead deer that was not struck by a vehicle is asked to report the animal to the nearest DEC regional office or to an Environmental Conservation Officer or Forest Ranger. “One of the ways that DEC monitors the health of New York’s deer herd is by performing post- mortem examinations to determine the cause of the illness or death,” said Assistant Commissioner for Natural Resources Kathleen Moser. “We depend on information provided by people who are outdoors to tell us when they see something that does not look right to them.” Recently, DEC indentified an uncommon bacterial disease in a deer from Warren County. This bacterial disease does not affect humans. However, DEC is seeking additional information to determine the prevalence of this disease in the deer herd and is responding to reports of deer that are acting abnormally. Deer with this bacterial disease may have a swollen head, neck or brisket. They also may exhibit excessive drooling, nasal discharge or respiratory distress. To aid in this investigation, DEC would also like to examine any deer that are found dead from unknown causes. People should not handle or eat any deer that appears sick or acts abnormally. Sightings of sick, dying or dead deer should be reported to the nearest DEC regional office or an Environmental Conservation Officer or Forest Ranger. The DEC's Cortland office can be reached at 607-753-3095. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Anglers on the St. Lawrence River and some other north country waterways are getting out on the ice, though. Meanwhile, Salmon River and Seneca Lake continue to be hot spots for other types of angling. CNY FISHING FORECAST There is very little fishing information to report this week. Things continue to be quiet on most bodies of water as anglers wait for safe ice. 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 The browns and steelhead have transitioned into their winter holes (deeper water). Fishing is still pretty good, though. 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 Fishing has been hot or cold, depending on the day. On the days when they’re hitting, anglers are catching mostly browns and rainbows using bucktail jigs and minnows, with some casting Little Cleo lures. ONEIDA LAKE No activity to report. CAYUGA LAKE Lake trout and Atlantic salmon are still being taken around Taughannock by anglers trolling with spoons, or flashers and flies. SENECA LAKE Yellow perch fishing has been good in the Watkins Glen area, in 25 to 30 feet of water, with spikes and fathead minnows. Anglers fishing farther north, around Severne, in 10 feet of water are getting more perch, but they are running smaller. Fishing from the pier has been good for smallmouth bass, perch and some very large bluegills. Trolling from the surface down to about 45 feet and 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 activity to report. OTISCO LAKE No activity to report. SKANEATELES LAKE Shore fishing with marshmallow-and-worm rigs is usually the ticket this time of year for rainbow trout. SODUS BAY No safe ice to report. Perch fishing continues to be good for anglers getting out in boats. Fishing around the Islands, or around docks with fathead minnows is working for some jumbo perch. SANDY POND No activity to report. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Anglers have been ice fishing here for northern pike and perch. Hot spots include Eel Bay, Chippewa Bay, Lake of the Isles and Goose Bay, all with five or more inches. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR Some thin ice out on the reservoir at mid-week, but more is needed to fish safely. Some anglers continue to catch fish on the spillway, particularly walleyes and perch, using fathead minnows on a bobber, or 16th ounce jig and a fathead. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

How unique is this fish? Has anyone else caught one like this in Central New York waters? Submitted photo Bob Twichell, of Fayetteville, sent me this interesting photo of what he called a "blue perch," alongside a regular yellow perch. "My neighbor caught this blue perch last week while fishing up near Saranac," he said. "I'd never seen one before and thought it was kinda neat... Same goes for me. I've never seen a perch like this. I have a call into the DEC on this. Meanwhile, how unique is this fish? Has anyone else caught one like it in Central New York waters? View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Taking about 20 minutes to reel in, I knew right away i knew it was a big fish." Submitted photo Brent Peltz sent in this photo of an impressive, 25-inch, 7-pound rainbow trout he caught from shore on Skaneateles Lake on Jan. 5. He wrote he caught it "in 3 feet of water using nothing but a bobber and worm; on a perfect January night with clear skies and the lake looking like glass. "I could not have asked for a better night. Not expecting a bite or let alone a trout of that size, I brought with me just two fishing poles and the right amount of hooks, bobbers, and worms needed. Going without a net, I was not expecting a big fish at all. "Taking about 20 minutes to reel in, I knew right away i knew it was a big fish." Best Regards Brent Peltz View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

A trail camera owned by Ron Horning, of Parish, took this photo of a coyote that just happened to be walking by with an apple in its mouth. I always thought coyotes were pure meat eaters, but obviously not. According to the DEC Web site: " A coyote's diet depends on one thing - what is easiest to find... Submitted photo A trail camera owned by Ron Horning, of Parish, took this photo of a coyote that just happened to be walking by with an apple in its mouth. I always thought coyotes were pure meat eaters, but obviously not. According to the DEC Web site: " A coyote's diet depends on one thing - what is easiest to find or catch and kill. During the summer, coyotes will feed heavily upon berries, insects, and rodents. During early fall they rely on abundant grasshoppers. Small mammals become the prey of choice during late fall and winter. As winter becomes harder and small mammal populations decline, coyotes turn toward their largest prey - whitetail deer. Deer killed by vehicles and other causes (carrion) can be an important food source for coyotes. Lacking any carrion, coyotes can, will, and do kill healthy adult deer. Coyotes in the spring time can have an impact on fawn survival in localized areas." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Photos should consist of sportsmen displaying their trophies, or enjoying hunting, fishing, boating, or any other outdoor sport. The following is a press release: The 2012 CNY Sportsman Show is requesting outdoor photos of sportsmen to post on the show’s Outdoor Wall of Fame. Photos will be displayed during the show, which will be held Feb. 4 at the Kallet Civic Center, 159 Main Street, Oneida. Photos should consist of sportsmen displaying their trophies, or enjoying hunting, fishing, boating, or any other outdoor sport. Pictures can be emailed to [email protected], or mailed to Holy Cross Academy at 4020 Barrington Road Oneida, NY 13421. A short caption should be included. Deadline for submissions is Jan. 23. The show will feature businesses and clubs from the central New York area representing archery, gun shops, charter fishing trips, wildlife artwork, hunting and fishing equipment and other outdoor related categories. Other attractions include seminars, mount display, wildlife artist Tom Lenweaver, and Dan the Snake Man. For more information, call 363-1669, or visit the Holy Cross Academy Web site. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The show is one of the largest on the East Coast featuring something for hunters, fishermen and any outdoor enthusiast. The Chittenango Rod and Gun Club will be sponsoring its 2nd annual Bus Trip to the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show, in Harrisburg, Pa. It is one of the largest sports shows on the East Coast featuring something for hunters, fishermen and any outdoor enthusiast. The trip date is Feb. 11. Cost per person is $60. To reserve a seat, call Bruce Berean at 439-0260. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Have a suggestion for an interesting outdoors story? Call Outdoors editor David Figura at 470-6066 or email him at [email protected] Here's what's on tap for this week: FRIDAY: Interview with Jim Johnson, director at the Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science in Cortland. We talk about recent additions to their facility and a project that involves rearing and stocking a once-native bait fish in Lake Ontario. Column: I talk about a hike last weekend with my daughter to Chimney Bluffs State Park and tale from a duck hunter who captured a painted turtle last week while out of Onondaga Lake. SUNDAY: Interview with Stephen Shehadi, about his eye-opening motorboat engine collection that spans back to the mid-1920s. Column: I talk to Moravia taxidermist about how one of his customers trapped a huge beaver this fall weighing 79 pounds, among other things. Other stories I'm looking to do in Jan./February: - I may be nuts, but I've like to try camping out with Boy Scouts in an igloo - Ice fishing stories.. unique shanties, the use of plastics, etc.. - Trying my hand at a biathlon. - Downhill skiing, cross country skiing. - Wintertime orienteering. -Snowshoe racing - Indoor archery leagues - predator hunting - snow goose hunting ANYTHING ELSE READERS OF THIS REPORT WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME WRITE ABOUT? The effectiveness of this report is two-fold. First it lets readers know what's coming up story-wise. It also allows readers a chance to affect coverage and provide sources for upcoming stories. Bottom line: Keep in touch and give input. You could make a difference as to what appears week to week on the outdoors page! Email me at [email protected] or call 470-6066. If you want to join The Post-Standard's Outdoors Group and get this emailed directly to you, subscribe here. 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

“Hunters who take a deer in Maryland must butcher the animal and remove the prohibited parts before entering New York State,” Commissioner Martens said. The following is a DEC news release: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has revised its Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) regulations to prohibit the importation of certain parts of white-tailed deer taken in the state of Maryland effective immediately, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The first case of CWD in the state of Maryland was confirmed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources last year. In response, DEC has amended its CWD regulations to prohibit the importation of the following parts of deer taken in Maryland: brain, eyes, spinal cord, tonsils, intestinal tract, spleen or retropharyngeal lymph nodes. “Hunters who take a deer in Maryland must butcher the animal and remove the prohibited parts before entering New York State,” Commissioner Martens said. “Most successful hunters will opt to butcher a deer and put the meat in a cooler before traveling back to New York.” DEC has conducted an extensive surveillance program since CWD was first confirmed in New York State in 2005 and has not discovered any additional cases of CWD since that time. CWD is a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. It causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death. It is not known exactly how CWD is transmitted. The infectious agent, a prion, may be passed from animal to animal through feces, urine or saliva. The minimal incubation period between infection and development of clinical disease appears to be about 16 months. The maximum incubation period is unknown, as is the point at which shedding of the CWD agent begins during the prolonged course of infection. The movement of infectious material is believed to be one route of transmission. This amendment to the CWD regulations will prohibit the importation of those parts of a deer where the disease is most likely to be found. DEC advises hunters not to consume the meat of any animal that acts abnormal and to exercise precautions when butchering animals, such as using rubber or latex gloves. Additional information about CWD can be found at the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance’s website. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The winners shot five gray foxes. The biggest coyote bagged weighed nearly 47 pounds. Submitted photoShane Clark, left, and Brandon Metcalf with their $1,000 check.Hunters who bagged five gray foxes were winners of the Bob Evans Memorial Predator Calling Hunt, held Jan. 6-8. Shane Clark and Brandon Metcalf won the $1,000 first place check for the event, which held its final weigh-in Sunday at the Pompey Rod and Gun Club on Swift Road in Pompey. They shot five gray fox and hunted in the DeRuyter area. Brandon Metcalf with his team's five, gray foxes Phil Willard won the biggest coyote contest, bagging one that weighed 46 3/4 pounds. That won him $200. The event was run by the Independent Fur Harvesters of Central New York, and all proceeds will go to Advanced Strategies, a non-profit group that offers hunting adventures for handicapped hunters. Submitted photoPhil Willard with his team's nearly 47 pound coyote. His partner was Charlie Pace. A total of 39, two-person teams entered, along with 4 individuals who hunted by themselves. The entry fee was $20 per hunter or $30 for a two-person team. Five points were awarded for each coyote taken, three points for each fox and one point for a raccoon. There was also door prizes and raffles. A total of $1,250 was raised for Advanced Strategies, according to Al LaFrance, president of the Independent Fur Harvesters of Central New. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It also has a printer-friendly format and can be downloaded. The following is a press release from the Cayuga County Office of Tourism. The Cayuga County Office of Tourism in partnership with the tourism offices in Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca and Wayne Counties has produced a new ‘ON THE WATER’ Map and guide. This free brochure will help visitors find things to see and do on, in or near the waterways of central New York. The guide includes an easy to read fold out map that covers Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, Oneida Lake, the Erie Canal and many of the smaller lakes and waterways such as Cross Lake, Lake Neahtahwanta, and Green Lakes. Boating services and marinas are listed in grid format with amenities such as restrooms, showers, on-site dining and overnight slips are listed plus much more. In addition, accommodations, attractions, campgrounds, restaurants, parks and wineries within easy walking distance and/or views of the waterways are highlighted. The new on the ‘On the Water’ Map & guide can be downloaded in a printer –friendly format by visiting the Cayuga County tourism Web site. Or you can call the Cayuga County Office of Tourism at 800-499-9615/315-255-1658 to receive a free copy. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"With falling temps into the teens, high winds, lake effect snow, and rising cold river water, it made for a challenging day of extreme weather fishing," said George Allen, of Oswego, a fishing buddy Submitted photo Scott Armstrong ,of Minoa, holds up an impressive 32-inch steelhead he caught while on a guided float trip recently on the Salmon River with Cold Steel Sportfishing guide Tom Burke in Pulaski. He released the fish after this photo was taken. Also on the trip was Armstrong’s friend, George Allen, of Oswego. “With falling temps into the teens, high winds, lake effect snow, and rising cold river water, it made for a challeng´ing day of extreme weather fishing,” Allen said. “It was Scott’s first steelhead trip ever. We got four fish — he beat me three to one. I was happy with my one, under those conditions.” Here's a YouTube video of Armstrong landing the fish. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog