Syracuse.com - Figura writing about rising wild fur prices, graduation of new state en con officers, youth deer hunt

[HuntingNY-News]

Local fur trappers have good reason to look forward to the coming trapping season. A national expert from the North American Fur Auctions, the world largest wild fur clearing house, recently said it's going to be a great year for fur -- with record prices and industry activity.

The Central New York outdoors scene is a happening place this time of year. As I've said repeatedly in the past, this area is a hunting and fishing nirvana -- particularly in the fall.

October marks the peak of the salmon run on the Salmon/Oswego rivers (followed by steelhead/brown trout runs); the bow hunting season, which began Oct. 1, the Youth Firearms Deer Hunt (took place this past weekend), pheasant hunting season (begins this Saturday), great bass fishing, the walleye and rainbow trout bite from shore at several local lakes... and on and on.

Here's what I'm working on this week:

- Local fur trappers have good reason to look forward to the coming trapping season. A national expert from the North American Fur Auctions, the world largest wild fur clearing house, recently said it's going to be a great year for fur -- with record prices and industry activity.

- The Youth Firearms Deer Hunt this past weekend has all the appearances of a great success. . I'm getting great pictures of local succesful hunts and no reports of any accidents statewide. Send your photos to [email protected].

- This Friday, the state Department of Conservation is graduating its first class of new environmental conservation officers and forest rangers since 2008 at its training facility up near Pulaski.

- Deer/motor vehicle accidents. Still collecting information on this. I'd like to thank the 14 individuals who have emailed me, relating tales of having multiple run-ins with deer. (One woman said she's hit 12 deer while living here the past 30 years).

Other stuff I'm working on:

- An update on the Reynolds Pheasant Farm down on the Cornell University campus

- Fall shoreline fishing for walleyes and rainbow trout.

- Upland bird/pheasant hunting

-- Commercial gill netting of perch on Lake Ontario

- So, what's the deal with how the water level on Lake Ontario is regulated? A new plan addressing that issue is quite controversial.

- An update on the volunteer-based cormorant harassment program on Oneida Lake.

- A story on minority sportsmen (and women) who hunt, fish and hike in Central New York.

- So, what's up with all those floating duck blinds at the northern end of Cayuga Lake. What's the history behind all that?

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

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View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog