Syracuse.com - Figura writing about hummingbirds, fish kills and what happened with the crossbow bills

[HuntingNY-News]

Follow outdoors writer David Figura's daily activities on Facebook. Check out "PS Outdoors" and hit "like."

Boy, we could use some extended stretches of sunshine. This rain day after day is getting old.

Meanwhile, here's what I've been writing about this week and working on for the next:

- The rainy weather has resulted in a perfect scenario for .....mosquitoes.

- The DEC is investigating reports of fish kills on several of the Finger Lakes.

- Hummingbirds. I interviewed a Liverpool man this week who's taken his love for hummingbirds to the next level...and beyond.

- So what happened to the crossbow bills that were floating around at the end of the current session of the state Legislature? Answer: Absolutely nothing. As it stands now, crossbows cannot be used as a hunting implement in this state this fall. Period.

- A Canadian contingent was in our area recently applying lampricide in several streams...including Fish Creek, a main tributary of Oneida Lake at its eastern end. Who know? They do it every three years, I found out.

- I spent an interesting morning at the DEC's boot camp up at Altmar for new environmental conservation officer and forest ranger recruits. You'll be surprised at what they put these guys and gals through...

Other stuff I'm working on for this month....

- The CNY triathlon culture. I was blown away recently while covering the Ironman 70.3 Syracuse competition. Triathlons, and the people who do them, are a big thing and more and more people are getting into them.

- An update on the Cornell Ornithology lab and its most recent compilation of recordings of more than 4,000 bird calls from across the world.

- Which fishing rod do you use for bass fishing. The choices today are numerous and ever-growing.

- Shoreline hot spots. Continuation of a series I started last summer about great places to fish from shore if you don't have a boat.

- The Cornell Vet School emergency room, and all the strange cases of domestic and wild animals that it deals with on a daily basis.

- The marked increase of memberships at local rod and gun clubs in the wake of the SAFE Act.

THE FIGURA CHALLENGE

I laid out the "The Figura Challenge" over the Memorial Day weekend -- challenging readers to to check out 15 Central New York outdoors destinations during the summer. Several readers have already taken me up on it and I'm getting comments and pictures. It's not too late to get started!

Each Thursday on this blog through the summer, I'll give an update on reactions, stories and photos submitted by readers about their travels to these destinations.

Send your impressions and photos of the places you visit on the list to [email protected],

ANYTHING ELSE READERS OF THIS REPORT WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME WRITE ABOUT?

The effectiveness of this report is two-fold. First, it lets readers know what's coming up story-wise. It also allows readers a chance to affect coverage and provide sources for upcoming stories. Bottom line: Keep in touch and give input. You could make a difference as to what appears week to week on the outdoors page! Email me at [email protected] or call 470-6066.

If you want to join The Post-Standard's Outdoors Group and get this emailed directly to you, subscribe here..

FIGURA ON FACEBOOK:

For those who are on Facebook, I also have a PS Outdoors page, which I check several times daily for feedback and story ideas. I also post personal fishing and hunting and other outdoors-related photos from time to time and I ask members to do the same. When you join, please be sure and hit the "like" button.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog