Syracuse.com - Sportsmen's Days attracts a crowd at Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery in Elbridge

HuntingNY-News · September 28, 2013

Sportsmen's Days continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the hatchery, which is located off Route 321 in Elbridge. For more information 689-9367.

Alyssa Militello smiled as she watched her 8-year-old son, Sam, and his friend, Sean, paddle a canoe together on the pond at Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery during Sportsmen's Days this afternoon.

"We're here every year," the Syracuse mom said. "You can't beat it. The price is right ($5 per car), there's gorgeous weather today and we're trying to experience everything."

The two-day event is sponsored by Honeywell and hosted by the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and Onondaga County Parks, which oversees the operation of the hatchery.

Those attending can sample a wide variety of outdoor activities, including fishing in the hatchery pond; hatchet throwing; fly fishing; canoeing; shooting a BB-gun, muzzleloader or a shotgun at targets, trying out a crossbow, along with meeting with representatives from numerous local outdoors groups and interests.

Stephen Wowelko, president of the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, said the event has been going on for more than three decades.

Cookie Hillman, of Cicero, was watching her son, Andrew, 8, as he cast a worm and a bobber out into the hatchery pond hoping to catch a trout.

"He's been regular fishing for three years. He's interested in fly fishing so we decided to come here and let him try it," he said. " He liked it. We'll see what happens when Christmas comes."

Bill Lansley, county parks commissioner, said as the afternoon ended, "We had a fantastic day. There were a lot of families here today that enjoyed all aspects of outdoor sports activities in Central New York. We're ready to do it all again tomorrow."

Sportsmen's Days continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the hatchery, which is located off Route 321 in Elbridge. For more information 689-9367.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog