HuntingNY-News

The longest running Citizen Science survey in the world, Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count, begins this Wednesday and lasts to Jan. 5. The longest running Citizen Science survey in the world, Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count, begins this Wednesday and lasts to Jan. 5. Tens of thousands of volunteers throughout North America are expected to participate and add a new layer to more than a century of collected data about birds. Scientists rely on the data collected by participants to better understand how birds are faring in North America and beyond. This family-oriented activity plays a critical role in helping ornithologists focus attention and conservation efforts where it is most needed. In 2009, it brought attention to changing bird populations due to climate change. It also reveals success stories. The Christmas Bird County has helped document the comeback of the previously endangered bald eagle, and significant increases in waterfowl populations -- both the result of conservation efforts. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 when Frank Chapman, founder of Bird Love (which later evolved into Audubon Magazine), suggested an alternative to the “side hunt,” in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most game, including birds. To participate in the Christmas Bird Count, see the Audubon Web site. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Capt. Woody Erickson of the state Department of Environmental Conservation is big on strict adherence to the state’s hunting and fishing regulations. He’s also big on the fact that “a vast majority of the sportsmen, the hunters and the fishermen, hunt and fish in an ethical, law-abiding and proper manner. Ellen M. Blalock/The Post-StandardCapt. Woody Erickson in the doorway of his office at DEC headquarters in Syracuse. Capt. Woody Erickson of the state Department of Environmental Conservation is big on strict adherence to the state’s hunting and fishing regulations. He’s also big on the fact that “a vast majority of the sportsmen, the hunters and the fishermen, hunt and fish in an ethical, law-abiding and proper manner. “Those who get ticketed are a minor portion of that population,” he said. Erickson, who manages the environmental conservation officers for Region 7, talked this week about what his staff is doing and seeing during this year’s hunting season. Like every other state agency, budget cutbacks have created concerns. However, in Onondaga County and Cayuga County, there’s no shortage of officers in the field. “We’re at full staff in Central New York for environmental conservation officers,” he said. Are you seeing any trends this hunting season? It’s been typical, with many trespassing complaints because of hunters not properly checking the area where they can hunt, or hunters taking game within 500 feet of a house or dwelling, which is illegal. We’ve also had a number of tickets issued for hunting without a license, or for not properly tagging deer. We’ve seen people lending their licenses to others, which you cannot do. There have also been a few arrests for deer jacking (illegally hunting deer at night with lights). Courtesy of the DECRifle and spot lights seized from alleged deer jackers early Thanksgiving Day in Madison County. Safety wise, what kind of season have we had this fall? Since Nov. 19, we’ve investigated 11 hunter-related shooting incidents so far in this area. Three have involved personal injuries: One individual was shot (with a shotgun) through the leg in Tompkins County, an individual was shot in the stomach (with a rifle) in Tioga County and a hunter was shot in the top of his head with a pellet (from a shotgun). In all instances, it was another hunter who did the shooting. We’ve had eight shooting incidents involving property damage, including the shooting of two elk, five houses — even a swimming pool. In the latter case, an individual was shooting at a deer, missed, and the round finished its flight into the side of a guy’s above-ground pool, puncturing it. Our officers take quite a bit of time going to the scene, reconstructing things to determine if negligence caused the property damage. Isn’t that hard to do? While interviewing the hunter and trying to recreate the scene, we also have an officer with a dog, a German shepherd named Nitro, that’s trained to sniff out shell casings. The dog can often locate the shell casings so we can determine where the shot was fired. That’s amazing. What other techniques do you use? We had a complaint from a person who heard a vehicle and gunshot at night. The officer found the carcass of the deer and cut out a 30-06 round. Through a partial description of the vehicle, he found a nearby hunting camp where the vehicle may have come from. A search warrant was executed and two 30-06 rifles were seized. Yesterday, we submitted the rifles to the crime lab in Onondaga County to do ballistics to see if the round came from one of the two rifles. It seems that cooperation from the general public is crucial. We have had many apprehensions as a result of people calling in complaints through 911 or our 24-hour dispatch number. Every complaint gets answered, 24-7. We answered a call concerning deer jackers at 1 a.m. Thanksgiving morning (in Madison County) Through the end of October, we answered 1,100 complaints and our officers patrolled almost 400,000 miles in this region, resulting in 1,800 arrests — and that didn’t even include the deer hunting season. I understand the DEC makes use of mechanical deer on the side of roads to help in the arrest of night-time poachers and hunters who illegally shoot deer from the road during the day. Yes, we’ve had tickets issued this year to people who’ve shot mechanical deer in Region 7. We also have a mechanical turkey. How many of these do you have and where have they been used?That’s a closely guarded secret. To report poachers If you suspect someone is violating the state’s fish and wildlife laws, call 911 or the DEC’s 24-hour hotline at 1-877-457-5680. DEC ticket summary A summary of tickets issued Nov. 17-21 in Onondaga County by the DEC: Trespass: three violations Discharging a firearm from a roadway: one misdemeanor ticket Possession of a loaded firearm on a motor vehicle: five misdemeanor tickets, including two in Morgan Hill State Reforestation area, one from a road hunting incident in Lafayette and one shooting from an ATV. Use of a rifle in a shotgun only area: one violation) Tagging violations: five, including failure to tag a deer, failure to fill out a carcass tag, failure to consign a doe tag Illegal deer take: three violations Making a false statement in applying for a license: one misdemeanor ticket Failure to report a deer harvest during bow season: one violation Placing salt licks on lands inhabited by deer: one violation Feeding deer: one violation Use of a motor vehicle to take deer: one violation Sale of a doe tag: one violation Shooting within 500 feet: one misdemeanor ticket Hunting with no back tag: one violation Hunting without a license: two violations Use of a doe tag from an improper wildlife management unit: one violation In addition, Onondaga County officers assisted in investigating four hunter-related shootings in other counties (Cortland and Tompkins) including three property damage incidents and one personal injury incident (hunter shot in the leg.) Investigations are continuing for these incidents. — Source: DEC Sampling of tickets The following is a sampling of tickets recently issued by local environmental conservation officers in Region 7 in Central New York. All firearm-related offenses are misdemeanors; the rest are violations. Hunting without a valid license Ronald R. Smith, 51, 1815 Poplar Ridge Road, Poplar Ridge, ticketed Oct. 16, town Venice Richard J. Huggins, 37, 1116 S. Salina St., Syracuse, ticketed Nov. 20, town of Fabius. Donald S. Partin II, 28, 14130 Cosgrove Road, Sterling, ticketed Oct. 30, town of Sterling. Steven K. Titus, 42, 45 Morris St., Auburn, ticketed Nov. 19, town of Ledyard. Richard S. Loerzel, 56, 4424 Big Bethel Road, Yorktown, Va., ticketed Nov. 22, town of Springport. Jeremy J. Gulbranson, 27, 3724 Patchett Road, Baldwinsville, ticketed Nov. 21, town of Lysander. Stefan F. Sykes, 19, 74 Winchester Drive, Fairport, Nov. 27, town of Mentz. Frank Sykes, 46, 74 Winchester Drive, Fairport, ticketed Nov. 27, town of Mentz. Michael H. Rogers, 49, House No. 13, Outlet Road, Piseco, ticketed Oct. 22, town of Mentz. Duane C. Otis, 47, 9462 LeBeau Lane, Brewerton, ticketed Nov. 22, town of Manlius. Alan B. Casler, 51, 3131 Route 20, Marcellus, ticketed Nov. 26, town of Marcellus. Discharge firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling: Devin D. Kellar, 19, 56 Junior Ave., Fulton, ticketed Nov. 26, town of Granby. Arthur F. Marshfield, 48, 113 Wilshirl Drive, North Syracuse, ticketed Nov. 20, town of Fabius. Mathew A. Sovocool, 17, 20 Keeler Ave., Moravia, ticketed Nov. 28, town of Moravia. Peter R. Hamilton, 42, 2851 Buckley Hill Road, Moravia, ticketed Nov. 20, town of Moravia. Discharge firearm from public highway: Stephen M. Furgal, 52, 124 Maity Ave. Mattydale, ticketed Nov. 13, town of Orwell. Samuel R. Sickles, 49, 6225 The Hamlet, Jamesville, ticketed Nov. 16, town of Lafayette. Daniel R. Hastings, 47, 1603 Corey Road, King Ferry, ticketed Nov. 26, town of Venice. Discharge firearm across a highway: Gregory J. Hess, 61, Lebanon Hill Road, Eaton, ticketed Nov. 26, town of Lebanon. Dennis J. Bushneck, no age given, 4065 Nelson Road, Cazenovia, ticketed Nov. 19, town of Nelson. Michael J. Williams, 49, 392 S. Albion Road, Altmar, ticketed Nov. 19, town of Sempronius. Illegal taking of anterless deer Stephen M. Furgal, 53, 124 Maity Ave. Mattydale, ticketed Nov. 13, town of Orwell. — compiled by Chad Miller View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It weighed 180 pounds field dressed, and the antlers had a green score of 165. Submitted photo Nick Kolodziejczyk, of Liverpool, shot this 10-point buck in Tully on Dec 3 while out hunting with his dad, Ted. It weighed 180 pounds field dressed, and the antlers had a green score of 165. Nick says hunting with his dad is his passion. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"My dad (Mark Eriksson and I, Marcus Eriksson) went to investigate and found Pat standing atop a ridge fist pumping..." Submitted photo Pat Dougher, of Marcellus, poses with an impressive 8-point buck he shot in Cortland County on Nov. 3. His hunting buddy, Marcus Eriksson wrote: "I promised my buddy from work who is also my sisters boyfriend I’d get him down to hunting camp. "This morning, November 3rd we decided to take action. We arrived at camp and after listening to a few tunes waiting for the sun to rise we figured out who was going to hunt what stands. "Pat took a tri-pod stand situated in a patch of pines just outside our orchard. As the fog rolled in with 100 yards of visibility this stud rolled in just like you see in the movies, surrounded by fog he came out to give a quick wind check of the pines…and after a few seconds realizing no scent in the air he turned to head back into the orchard..and probably wondering what the heck just happened as Pat Dougher put a double lung shot on him…standing in the same footprints of a 10 pt. I took less than 5 days previous! "My dad (Mark Eriksson and I, Marcus Eriksson) went to investigate and found Pat standing atop a ridge fist pumping. We walked down to the creek about 50 yards from the stand to find him laying there. "After a lot of hugs and high fives we had him loaded up and back to camp on the meat pole. Pat has a camp in the Tug Hill region and wasn’t prepared to hunt the thick stuff…let alone making a great shot on a great animal! "Congrats, Pat." Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He is an avid outdoors young man and a cross country runner for Sherburne Earlville schools Submitted photo Ian Benedict, 15, of Smyrna, poses with his first deer ever. He harvested it on Nov. 19, opening day for the Souther Tier gun season. He shot the buck using his .243 caliber, scoped rifle. Ian is an avid outdoors young man and a cross country runner for Sherburne Earlville schools. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Letting all the young deer pass for years finally paid off," he said. Submitted photoPasquale Giocondo, poses with his deer that he took with his bow on Oct. 15 in the town of Van Buren. He wrote: "This is my best buck yet, a large 9 pointer weighing 160 pounds. It was taken with my bow on 11/15/2011 after watching a bunch of young deer for over an hour. "Letting all the young deer pass for years finally paid off." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

A total of 14 Roosevelt elk at a private, zoo/wildlife area in the town of Brutus escaped sometime last weekend when a bull elk in rut walked through a fence. The land off Clinton Road just outside of the village of Weedsport is owned by Glenn Donnelly, the former president of DIRT Motorsports Elaine Thompson photoA Roosevelt elk peers out toward a hiking trail in the Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park, Wash. Seen an elk this week in the wilds of Cayuga County? You weren't imagining things. A total of 14 Roosevelt elk at a private, zoo/wildlife area in the town of Brutus escaped sometime last weekend when a bull elk in rut walked through a fence. The land off Clinton Road just outside of the village of Weedsport is owned by Glenn Donnelly, the former president of DIRT Motorsports. In two instances — one on Saturday and the other on Sunday —deer hunters happened upon the huge beasts and shot them. On Saturday, James J. Parent Jr., of Elbridge, bagged the 800-plus pound, bull elk with his scoped, 12-gauge shotgun. He waited until the following day before notifying the state Department of Environmental Conservation. In the other incident, Floyd L. Bertollini, of Jordan, shot an equally as big female elk (cow) with his 12-gauge shotgun. He called the DEC as soon as he realized his mistake. Donnelly’s son, Patrick, came to the scene and finished off the wounded animal himself. Donnelly’s staff were able to herd back several of the cows, but several others had to be shot. As of Tuesday afternoon, “a couple” were still at large, he said. Roosevelt elk can be found in Pacific coastal rain forests and mountains, as well as the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains. They also live in Alaska. They are the largest of North American elk. Adult bulls average 875 pounds and females average 700 pounds. Mature bulls average 5 feet tall at the shoulder and 8 to 9 feet in length. The antlers of Roosevelt elk, which average 4 feet in length, are thick and have vertical points, with a distinctive crown or three-point tip. Donnelly said he got the elk more than 10 years ago from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse because they “just didn’t have enough room.” He keeps them in a specially designed 12-acre lot with an 8-foot fence. The herd as of last weekend consisted of the one bull and 13 cows. The cows usually followed the bull and most likely would have come back in a day or two. Now the remaining cows are all disoriented and confused, he said. “Sunday, we had a whole fleet of guys out there in ATVs trying to bring them back in. We kept asking, ‘Did anyone see the bull? Did anyone see the bull?’ “ Donnelly said. “Then we got a call from the DEC, ‘We got your bull ... in the back of guy’s pickup truck and it’s dead.’” Donnelly said the meat from the bull was kept in the back of a pickup truck after it was shot and it spoiled with Sunday’s warm weather and had to be disposed of. The meat from the cow shot Sunday was fed to a white Siberian tiger that Donnelly also keeps on site. He has about a dozen different species of exotic cats. This isn’t the first time animals have escaped from Donnelly’s place. In August 2010, a serval — a spotted, medium-sized wild cat native to Africa — got away and was hit by a vehicle on the state Thruway near the Weedsport exit. There are no wild elk in this state. The only place one can legally hunt them here is at a licensed, private hunting preserve. If a hunter spots one in the wild, he or she should assume it’s an escapee, according to Capt. Woody Erickson of the DEC. Both hunters in Brutus said they mistook the elk they shot for a deer, but could face losing their hunting license privileges, Erickson said. It is the responsibility of a hunter to properly identify a target. The DEC is investigating and no tickets have been issued at this point in either case. One hunter two years ago in Tioga County was ticketed for mistakeningly shooting a domestic bull that he mistook for a deer. Anyone seeing Donnelly’s missing elk should call 1-877-457-5680. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Have a suggestion for a story? Call Outdoors Editor David Figura at 470-6066 or email him at [email protected]. This week's offerings on the Outdoors Page in The Post-Standard include stories an update on DEC law enforcement efforts during this hunting season; a profile on a woman who tracks wounded deer for hunters with her dog. We're getting to the tail end of the regular firearms season for deer in the Southern Zone. If the number of deer being brought into deer processors is any indication, there's a lot of deer being shot out there and lots of stories to tell. Have a good/interesting/funny story from this year's firearms season? I'd like to hear it. The best tale will win a “The Hunt, Trophy Showdown,” Wii game, which is Bass Pro Shops newest edition of computer hunting games. The kit includes the game and a 22-inch, firearm-shaped controller. The authors of the second and third place stories will be given a choice of the nearly two dozen outdoor books on my desk. If you have pictures, submit those too. The deadline for submitting a story is noon Dec. 15. Send them to me at [email protected] Meanwhile, I'm also looking for: - Any hunters who've taken a deer with a crossbow. - Any hunters who've shot a wild boar this hunting season. - Any hunters who've shot a bear in Central New York this season. - Venison recipes - And always, suggestions for stories on interesting people connected to the Outdoors. Stephen Cannerelli/The Post-StandardPauline Eggers and her deer-tracking dog (with some coyote fur in its mouth). Here's what's tentatively on tap for this week's Outdoors pages: FRIDAY: Main piece: Interview with Capt. Woody Erickson of the DEC about enforcement efforts by his staff in Region 7 during the current deer hunting season; plus, a sampling of tickets written (with names, included) from opening day on... Column: Looking for interesting tales from current deer hunting season (see above note), plus a blurb about an upcoming raw fur auction being held by local trappers next weekend. Depending on space, I may comment on reports that the duck hunting season hasn't been so great this fall.. and reasons why. SUNDAY Main piece: Profile on Pauline Eggers, of Deer Search, a local woman who volunteers her time and her dog's talents to help retrieve wounded deer that hunters can't find. Column: May get into the duck hunting situation.. mulling several other options at this point. 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! Sunday's piece on Pauline Eggers came from a reader who reads this weekly report! 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

He calls them "The Armitage Trio" Submitted photo Chuck Gibson, of Lyons, photographed these three adult, male bald eagles that he tagged "The Armitage Trio." He wrote: "These are the three eagles that share the long-standing nest on Armitage Road in Wayne County." . View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It was the was the biggest one taken at the hunting camp that week. Submitted photo Jim Snizek, of Liverpool, poses with an impressive 800-pound bull moose he shot during a September hunting trip to Hideaway Lodge in New Foundland, Canada. It was shot Sept. 29 and was the biggest one taken at the hunting camp that week, according to his brother, Bill, who was on the trip. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The youngster shot the deer from 60 yards away. Submitted photo Joe Buck, 14, bagged this 7 pointer opening day on his grandpa's farm in the Town of Owasco. According to his father, Andrew, the boy exclaimed: "That's how you shoot a buck with one shot dad!" as the deer dropped in his tracks. The youngster shot the deer from 60 yards away. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Emily had to chase the fish through a hundred yards of rapids before subduing it..." Submitted photo Emily Viglietta holds up her first steelhead ever. She caught it recently in the Upper Fly Fishing section of the Salmon River near Altmar on the day after Thanksgiving. Tony Viglietta wrote: "Emily grew up in Manlius and graduated F-M High School. Her parents still live in Manlius. She's currently working as an attorney in New York City. "Emily had to chase the fish through a hundred yards of rapids before subduing it and said 'That fish was into my backing in about 20 seconds!' " "Estimated weight was 12 pounds." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The newspaper is honoring these individuals with its annual feature, The Post-Standard’s “Heroes of Conservation,” which this year is being sponsored by Romano Subaru. The deadline to submit a nomination is 5 p.m. Friday (Dec. 11).T Know someone who gives untold volunteer hours and often money out of their own pocket to maintain or restore Central New York’s woods, fields and waterways so we all can enjoy them? Or, how about someone who unselfishly gives of their time to pass on the positive practices and traditions of outdoor activities, ranging from birding to bear hunting? The newspaper is honoring these individuals with its annual feature, The Post-Standard’s “Heroes of Conservation,” which this year is being sponsored by Romano Subaru. To nominate someone, send a statement of no more than 300 words outlining the person’s accomplishments. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Friday. A story will run on this page later this month highlighting the top candidates. Questions? Call 470-6066 or email me at [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Deb Tanguay said this is the first time she and her husband, Ed, have had to turn business away for a few days this fall at Marsh Mill Ranch, the Kirkville venison processing business. “At one point we had 75 to 100 deer outside the building,” she said. “We had no more room to put any. I know we... Deb Tanguay said this is the first time she and her husband, Ed, have had to turn business away for a few days this fall at Marsh Mill Ranch, the Kirkville venison processing business. “At one point we had 75 to 100 deer outside the building,” she said. “We had no more room to put any. I know we can safely cut 25 deer. We didn’t want to get to the point where they’re laying all over the yard.” Elizabeth Metzer, co-owner of Dave’s Archery and Sports Center in Homer, said her venison processing numbers were also way up early on during this year’s firearms season in the Southern Zone. “We had to put in some real long hours to get a handle on things. We had to call in for extra help,” she said. ‘We didn’t turn anyone away, but this is the first year we started thinking about it.” “All I know is that there seems to be a lot more bucks being taken,” added Kevin Lillie, of Kevin’s Custom Butchering and Meat Cutting in Auburn. “Last year I caped (for trophy mounts) 17 bucks. This year I’ve caped 45 so far.” What’s the story? Are more deer being shot this year? Is the economy driving more to hunt? Are there more older and younger hunters out then than usual who don’t know, or don’t want to process the meat on their own? It may be a little of all this, say meat processors and hunters interviewed this week. Then again, it just may be the result of the warm weather that’s bathed much of the early part of this fall firearm season. A spate of warm, weather that saw temperatures rise to the mid-60s, particularly on opening week and the days afterward most likely translated into more youngsters and older hunters in the woods for longer periods of time, said some. The end result was more deer being taken. “You had a lot of older hunters out who (usually) can’t handle the cold. My dad’s one of them,” Tanguay said. Matt Richards, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said reports on numbers from opening day of the Southern Zone are not yet available, but that people who were out the first weekend this year in general were more successful than those out opening weekend last year. Richards added that hunters in the eastern part of the region seemed to be most successful than those in the western half. Another factor to consider concerning the rush to use venison processors is that the warm weather may have affected hunters who normally would process their own meat, but didn’t want to hang their carcasses outside in the warm temperatures and chance having their meat spoil. Jon VanNest, owner of Jon’s Custom Meats in Moravia, said he felt the early season rush at his deer processing business. Several times he ran out of hooks to hang deer, but that things have slowed down in the past week. He said several of his clients who normally process their own venison early on approached him about just skinning and hanging their carcasses at his place just to keep them cool until they had time to work on them. He turned them away “because we didn’t have the space.. “Things have changed. A guy just can’t hang deer out on a tree in front or back of his house like he used to, or his in garage ... particularly in 65-degree weather,” he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Ricardo had one word of caution for those wishing to donate their venison. “Once a hunter takes the processed meat home, we cannot accept it,” he said. “It has to come (to us) directly from one of our processors.” Each year, a number of hunters donate either whole carcasses or certain cuts of meat off their deer to the Venison Donation Coalition program. Regardless of the cut of meat, the venison is ground up into hamburger and given to the Food Bank of Central New York for distribution to local food pantries. Peter Ricardo, product and donation and supply chain specialist, for the Food Bank, said the meat is handed out in two- and five-pound tubes. The Syracuse-based operation covers an 11-county area, stretching from Cortland to St. Lawrence, and from Cayuga to Herkimer counties. “We do the same with beef. Most people can deal with ground meat. It’s very versatile, not intimidating,” Ricardo said, adding that recipes are also handed out to give folks ideas on how to prepare it. From Dec. 1, 2010 to Thursday of this week, the local Food Bank, which pays the processors to process the meat, handed out 4,282 pounds of donated venison to pantries for distribution. The Food Bank is often reimbursed its costs by the Venison Donation Coalition, Richardo said. “They (the pantries) love it,” he said. “We can certainly distribute more than is available.” Ricardo had one word of caution for those wishing to donate their venison. “Once a hunter takes the processed meat home, we cannot accept it,” he said. “It has to come (to us) directly from one of our processors.” Participating processors include: Cayuga County: Genoa Meats, Genoa, 497-9960; Jon’s Custom Meats, Moravia, 497-0849; Phillips Processing, Cato, 626-3716; Kevin’s Custom Butchering & Meat Cutting, Auburn, 776-8397. Cortland County: Dave’s Archery & Sports Center, Homer, 607-749-5714; Doug’s Custom Meats, Homer, 607-749-297 Madison County: Marsh Mill Ranch, Kirkville, 633-2888; Ridgeville Farm, Canastota, 697-9647 Onondaga County: Marsh Mill Ranch, Kirkville, 633-2888; G & B Meats, East Syracuse, 656-7066. Oneida County: Chuck Doris, Clark Mills, 853-2655; Ronald Sealman, Marcy, 865-5898; Schaellers Meat Market, Bridgewater, 822-3924; Curtis Custom Cutting, Verona, 363-2763. Oswego County: Brenda’s Motel & Campground, Altmar, 298-2268. For more on the Venison Donation Coalition, see visit the group's Web site. www.venisondonation.org. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Deb and Ed Tanguay at Marsh Mill Ranch in Kirkville said they've had their hands full this hunting season, with more deer being brought in than ever. At one point, they had to stop accepting carcasses because so many were being brought in -- the first time they've done that in their more than 20 years in business. Other... Deb and Ed Tanguay at Marsh Mill Ranch in Kirkville said they've had their hands full this hunting season, with more deer being brought in than ever. At one point, they had to stop accepting carcasses because so many were being brought in -- the first time they've done that in their more than 20 years in business. Other meat processers told me they have been particularly busy this season -- especially after opening weekend of the Southern Zone firearms season. For more on this, see the Outdoors page in Sunday's edition of The Post-Standard. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He caught this bruiser on 8-pound test line. Submitted photoRyan Murphy, of Canastota, smiles as he holds up a 35-inch brown trout (18 pounds) he caught recently on the Oswego River. He caught it using salmon eggs, on 8-pound test line. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It was a 12 pointer. He got it with a scoped Remington 1187 shotgun at 110 yards. Submitted photo Martin Hale, of Cato, poses with his impressive 12-point buck, taken on Oct. 20 near Victory. He wrote: The deer has 12 points; 21 3/8 - inch inside spread; dressed out at 185 lbs; green scored at 177 2/8. "The deer was shot with a scoped Remington 1187 shotgun at 110 yards." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The Camillus Elks Club is once again collecting raw deer hides from hunters. The hides will be cleaned and salted by members of the club and then sold to a tannery. Proceeds from the hides collected will be used to buy incidentals for the disabled or sick veterans at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Syracuse. Donated hides may be dropped... The Camillus Elks Club is once again collecting raw deer hides from hunters. The hides will be cleaned and salted by members of the club and then sold to a tannery. Proceeds from the hides collected will be used to buy incidentals for the disabled or sick veterans at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Syracuse. Donated hides may be dropped off at the lodge at 6117 Newport Road, Camillus. “Since the hides deteriorate rapidly, do this as soon as possible,” said Bob Maraio, a Camillus club member who is in charge of the effort. “Deterioration is more rapid if a plastic bag without holes is used,” he said. “We recommend a cardboard box. In any case, time is of the essence. Several hides are usually discarded each year as unacceptable by the tanner.” For more on this, call 672-3106. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

First came the cancellation of the Northeastern Sports Show, which had been set for next month. This week I received another bit of bad news. The Syracuse Ice Fishing Show, which has been held for the past three years in early December at the OnCenter Convention Center, has been cancelled. Responding to my email inquiring about the status of... First came the cancellation of the Northeastern Sports Show, which had been set for next month. This week I received another bit of bad news. The Syracuse Ice Fishing Show, which has been held for the past three years in early December at the OnCenter Convention Center, has been cancelled. Responding to my email inquiring about the status of the show, Vilma Fraguada, a spokeswoman for Affinity Events, said simply: “We will not be producing the ice fishing show this year. Hopefully, we will be able to get more retail presence at the show for future events.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Die-hard muskie fishermen are a determined lot. Muskie aren't call "The fish of 10,000 casts" for nothing. They'tr hard to catch, and clients on muskie charters often get skunked -- but they keep coming back. Submitted photoCharter boat Capt. Rich Clarke, left, holds a 60-inch muskie along with Daniel Polniak Jr., who landed the fish. The fish was caught in the St. Lawrence River Sunday and released. Gary Walts/The Post-Standardxxxxxxxxxxxxx Gary Walts/The Post-Standardxxxxxxx Gary Walts/The Post-Standardxxxxxxx Gary Walts/The Post-Standardxxxxxxx Gary Walts/The Post-Standardxxxxxx Gary Walts/The Post-Standardxxxxxx Gary Walts/The Post-Standardxxxxxx Capt. Rich Clarke had been out trolling on the St. Lawrence River with two clients for seven straight hours Sunday when the giant hit. It grabbed the lure about 80 feet from the boat. “Line just went screaming across the water. It took out at least 150 feet on its first run,” Clarke said. Daniel Polniak Jr., 27, of Ogdensburg, out on his first muskie charter, was handed the rod and given strict instructions. Don’t horse it. Keep the tension on the fish. No slack. Keep your rod up and use it as a shock absorber. His reel had 45-pound-test braided line. He had no idea, though, that he was fighting a 5-foot fish. “When it broke the surface and jumped, we then saw how huge it was,” Polniak said. “My legs started shaking.” After a 20-minute battle, he got it alongside the boat. Clarke could see the fish was hooked on the outside of its mouth with his custom-painted, 8-inch Believer, a crankbait lure. Its colors resembled a smallmouth bass. The muskie had all the makings of a great trophy and was possibly a record fish. Most anglers would have loved to land it and put it on the wall at their home or office. Once the fish was netted and in the boat, the lure came off easily. “That’s when I said to myself, ‘This fish isn’t hurt. I know it’s a real giant, but I shouldn’t hurt this fish. It deserves to live,’” Clarke said. Patience required Die-hard muskie fishermen are a determined lot. Muskie aren’t call “The fish of 10,000 casts” for nothing. They’re hard to catch, and clients on muskie charters often get skunked. “You have to be persistent, patient, persistent — and persistent again. We have a slogan on my boat: ‘They will weaken, we will not,’” said Bob Walters, of Water Wolf Charters, who took a reporter and photographer out on the river recently with one of his clients, Ed Beers. Beers, a longshoreman from New Jersey, caught a 59-incher last December while out with Walters. It had a 28-inch girth and was caught on a “Berger King rig,” which consisted of a Believer trailed by a wire leader with a whitefish spoon attached. Many said Beers’ fish was the biggest muskie caught on the river in 50 years. Its fins got wrapped up in fishing line during the fight and it ended up dying before it could be put back in the water. Walters and his client decided to keep it. The 56-pound fish hangs on the wall at the Thousand Island Bait Store in Alexandria Bay. Walters and Beers both had replicas made. Beers’ fish was caught on a stormy day that made Walters think twice about going out. This time of year, anglers get swamped with rain or snow, high winds and big waves. It’s an ideal time to fish for muskie. “In the case of the St. Lawrence, we have a hatchery and that’s Lake Ontario,” Walters said. “When the temperatures change and the bait fish move into the river from the lake, the muskies start to migrate in.” A muskie will eat other fish up to 36 inches long. It’s not uncommon, he said, to reel in a northern pike with teeth marks on its side from a muskie. “That’s the second slogan on my boat: ‘Muskies — all other fish are bait,’” he said and smiled. A picture of one of Walters’ clients, John Kobiela, is in the 2011-12 DEC freshwater fishing guide. He is shown hoisting a 55-inch muskie he caught Nov. 15, 2010. Walters, a Skaneateles Falls resident, retired Syracuse firefighter and former owner of the Oswego Marina, has run a muskie charter boat on the river since 1999. He takes clients out from Oct. 1 to Dec. 15. He touts his 31-foot boat with its heated cabin and state-of-the-art electronics as a muskie fishing machine. He concedes his job at times involves entertaining his clients as they watch and wait — and wait some more. He serves up marinated venison on a small grill and has a videotape attached to one of the down riggers, which allows clients to see (and get recordings) of fish as they strike the lure. “I have many clients who get nothing and come back the next year signed up for even more days on the water,” he said, adding that many are on a quest. Several years ago, there was a sizable number of muskie that turned up dead in the river because of VHS, a fish-killing disease. Walters and others believe it took out a lot of the weaker fish, leaving what he called the stronger “super breed” of muskie in the St. Lawrence. “We want the world record here,” he said. “A 60-incher will be caught in the near future — it’s going to happen.” About that 60-incher A few days later, it did happen. As Polniak got the muskie close to the boat, Clarke dipped his huge net over the side of the boat to haul it in. “He had two hands on the net. I had one hand on it,” Polniak said. “There was a lot of adrenaline. We got it in the boat in a hurry.” Clarke estimated the fish weighed more than 60 pounds. It had a 29½-inch girth. The longstanding state record, rejected by the International Game Fish Association because of questions over a photograph and other reasons, is Arthur Lawton’s 69-pound, 15-ounce lunker caught back in 1949 on the St. Lawrence River. It was 64 inches. The world record isn’t about length. It’s about weight. The I.G.F.A., which rejected Lawton’s fish following an investigation in the 1990s, maintains that the world’s all-tackle record for muskie was caught by Cal Johnson, also in 1949, on Lake Court Oreilles in Haywood, Wis. That fish weighed 67 pounds, 8 ounces. “You get something over 60 inches, you start thinking world record,” said Clarke, who has been a charter boat captain on the river for 31 years. His biggest muskie up until last Sunday was 59 inches, he said. “This fish had been heavily feeding. It was crapping all over — it was fat,” he said. With the clock ticking, several pictures were quickly snapped. The boat’s video camera ran out of power as Polniak was fighting the fish and was unavailable for the measurement process. A photo taken by Polniak’s fishing buddy, Jeordi McEwen, on his cellphone camera also failed to show the length measurement clearly. Clarke said he didn’t weigh the fish, fearful of it going belly up. “The seconds felt like minutes. I know I’m going to be criticized for this, but my heart just wasn’t into keeping it,” he said. “Everything on it was thicker and bigger than normal. It was a giant. It has the potential to grow to world-record size. Somebody someday will be glad I put it back.” Polniak wholeheartedly agreed. “If I didn’t think it was going to live, it would be on my wall,” he said. “But I live on the river and when you take a fish that big, you take a piece of the river. I didn’t want to do that.” Submitted photoxxxxxxxx View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Hunting is a strong tradition for this family Submitted photoJason Mocyk and his son Jarad pose with one of two deer the father shot near Mecklenburg. A couple of weeks ago, I went to an Elbridge Cub Scout Pack 52 meeting at Elbridge Elementary School to speak to the young Scouts. Jarad Mocyk, 10, was among the youngsters sitting in a semi-circle around me while I talked. When I asked whether any of them had ever been hunting or fishing, the blond boy raised his hand and proudly said he was going deer hunting on opening day with his father. “You’re a very lucky boy,” I told him, relating how I never had the opportunity to do that with my dad. I said that I had talked with my father about that more than a year ago in West Virginia and he promised this would be the year we’d finally get out together. Unfortunately, dad died three weeks later and I never did get to go out with him. “You may not know it now, but you’ll be creating a great memory by going out with your father. Good luck,” I told him, handing him my business card. I made him promise to get back in touch if his father got anything. Last weekend, I got an email from Jarad’s mom, Carrie. “This year, four generations of Mocyks went hunting opening week,” she said. “Just shy of his 90th birthday, Joseph P. Mocyk came down to the camp (that Saturday) to see how the other Mocyks made out.” “Although he didn’t make it out in the woods, a tradition continued of having the Mocyk men together for hunting season. The family does their own processing in Joe’s garage in Baldwinsville. This has occurred for the last few decades.” Hunting is a strong tradition among the Mocyk men, she said. The patriarch, Joseph, has two sons that hunt (Jeffrey and Joseph J.). Jeffrey Mocyk has one son, Jason, who is young Jarad’s dad. The Mocyk men were busy opening weekend at the family hunting camp in Mecklenburg, which is south of Ithaca. They took a couple of nice bucks opening day. The following day, Jason Mocyk, with son Jarad tagging along, took two does. “He was very excited to go and even more excited when his dad harvested the does,” the mother said. “It is very apparent that he (Jarad) has a strong interest in hunting.” Congratulations to the Mocyks and I’m particularly glad for young Jarad, who was along to experience such a unique and special family outing. Submitted photoFour generations. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Law enforcement officials were alerted by residents who reported hearing shots in a nearby hayfield and seeing a vehicle enter the field. Submitted photoOfficers and the two confiscated deer. Two men were arrested early Thanksgiving morning in Madison County for illegally hunting deer with spotlights, a practice called “deer jacking.” Madison County sheriff’s deputies and Chrisman Starczek, a state environmental conservation officer, responded to a complaint at about 1 a.m. from residents living on Swamp School Road in the town of Smithfield. The residents reported hearing shots in a nearby hayfield and seeing a vehicle enter the field. According to a DEC report: “When a deputy initially arrived, two men were parked off into the field and they told the deputy they had struck a deer with the SUV but the deer had run off. After the deputy noticed the deer under the SUV, the men admitted that when they saw the lights they drove the SUV on top of the deer in an effort to hide it under the vehicle.” Additional deputies soon arrived, as well as Starczek. Another deer was discovered inside the vehicle. “It was then determined that both men had taken turns driving the vehicle, using a spotlight, while the other shot a deer from the vehicle. “A six-point buck and a large eight-point were taken with a 30-06 rifle from the vehicle, from the road and with a spotlight,” the report concluded. In addition to Starcek, deputies Chad Chapman, Kevin Feola and Sgt. Brad Bowe were on the scene. Starczek issued tickets to Thomas Hemingway Jr., of Aeropagetica Avenue, in Bridgeport, and Anthony L. Boronczyk, of Larkin Avenue, in Chittenango. Both face two counts each for the following charges: possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, killing wildlife from a motor vehicle, killing wildlife from a public highway, killing deer with the aid of an artificial light, hunting game after legal hours and illegal take/possession of wildlife. The charges are pending in the Town of Smithfield Court. Submitted photoThe confiscated rifle and spotlights. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The truly amazing thing about the tale is that since the fish was hooked on the outside of the mouth and was unharmed, both captain and client agreed to release it! It's definitely one of the biggest muskies caught in years on the river. Submitted photoRich Clarke, left, and his client, Dan Polniak Jr., who landed the 60-incher. Rich Clarke, a St. Lawrence River charter boat captain who operates out of Clayton, sent me this eye-opening photo of a 60-inch muskie caught last Sunday by his client, Dan Polniak Jr., of Ogdensburg. The fish was hooked on an 8-inch Believer lure that Clarke painted himself to resemble a smallmouth bass. The fish, which jumped three times, took about 20 minutes to get in, Clarke said. The truly amazing thing about the tale is that since the fish was hooked on the outside of the mouth and was unharmed, both captain and client agreed to release it! It's definitely one of the biggest muskies caught in years. Clarke said he didn't get a chance to weigh the fish because he was worried about killing it, but estimated it weighed about 60 pounds, or more. It had a 29 1/2 inch girth, he said. The following is his account of the battle. For more on this story, and about fishing for muskies this time of year on the St. Lawrence, see Friday's Outdoors page in The Post-Standard. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Muskie fishing continues to be the game on the St. Lawrence River until mid-December. A 60-incher was caught last weekend. CNY FISHING FORECAST Bait stores (list and map). SALMON RIVER The river is up because of water releases from the reservoir and rain. Fishing continues to be good, with lots of steelhead and browns still being caught. OSWEGO RIVERThe river is up and any angler who goes out should be careful and should wear a personal floatation device. Brown and rainbow fishing continues to be phenomenal and the steelhead fishing is picking up. ONEIDA LAKE Anglers continue to catch walleyes off shore casting stickbaits. The perch fishing has also picked up, particularly in front of Oneida Shores park. Some are catching them while fishing from shore for walleyes. A few die-hard boat anglers continue to cash in on perch, using jigs tipped with spikes, worms or fathead minnows. CAYUGA LAKE Lake trout and Atlantic salmon are still being taken around Taughannock by anglers trolling with spoons, or flashers and flies using downriggers or Dipsey divers. Try fishing 40 to 100 feet down over 100 to 250 feet of water. Lake trout are also hitting vertically jigged chartreuse plastics in 75 to 150 feet of water. Perch are being taken in the north end in 10 to 15 feet of water on fathead and larger minnows. SENECA LAKE Anglers are catching lots of lakers and landlocked salmon in front of the canal at the southern end of the lake. Lots of bullheads being caught on leeches and nightcrawlers at the old canal on the east shore. OWASCO LAKE Lake trout fishing has been slow, but some fish are being taken vertically jigging with plastics in 70 feet of water. Northern pike are hitting spoons on the south end and yellow perch are hitting fathead minnows. Anglers are still catching spawning brown trout in the inlet using worms and egg sacks. OTISCO LAKE No new fishing activity to report. Brown trout fishing this fall on the lake has produced few results. Casting stickbaits off the causeway after dark usually produces some walleye this time of year. SKANEATELES LAKE Yellow perch are being taken on small minnows. Shore fishing with marshmallow and worm rigs usually works well this time of year for rainbow trout, as does trolling streamers on the surface for Atlantic salmon. But, there have been no reports of any recent activity for either method. Anglers at Lourdes Camp using the marshmallow worm rigs have not had too much luck this fall. SODUS BAY Perch fishing continues to be good. Larger perch are coming from the deeper water, 20 to 30 feet, using spikes and jigs. SANDY POND No new fishing activity to report. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Muskie fishing continues to be the game here until mid-December. A 60-incher was caught last weekend. WHITNEY POINT RESERVOIR Perch and smallmouth bass fishing continues to be good, but the walleye bite hasn’t been very strong lately — with the exception of the spillway, where they continue to be caught on Rapallas and bucktail jigs, tipped with a fathead minnow. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog