Syracuse.com - CNY outdoors scene heating up starting this weekend

[HuntingNY-News]

Events this weekend include the Women In Nature Workshop at the Dewitt Rod and Game Club and the "Take a Soldier Fishing" fishing tournament on Oneida Lake.

Despite the blast of cold air and snow earlier in the week, the Central New York outdoors scene is really warming up.

Among the offerings:

- Saturday morning, 100 Central New York females will be participating — many for the first time — in a wide variety of outdoor events in the Women in Nature 2012 Outdoors Skills Workshop being held this year at the Dewitt Rod and Gun Club at 6560 Woodchuck Hill Road in Jamesville.

The free event, put on by the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmens Clubs, is open to ages 12 and older. Each year, there’s a host of mothers and daughters attending.

Classes this year will include archery, birding basics, camping, fishing basics, nature painting, orienteering, rifle and shotgun shooting, fly fishing, canoeing, reptiles and amphibians, kayaking, wilderness survival, nature journaling, muzzleloading, canoeing skills, deer-hunting basics, muzzleloading, trailer handling, turkey and waterfowl hunting skills, wild-game cooking and wilderness survival skills.

A wild game luncheon will follow. For more, e-mail [email protected] or call 243-7667.

- Also on Saturday, the N.Y. B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation is hosting its fourth annual “Take a Soldier Fishing” competition on Oneida Lake.

The event, being held out of Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton, will pair two soldiers from Camp Drum with a volunteer boater for a free fishing outing. Boaters are once again providing their assigned soldiers a rod and reel, tackle and life vest for the day. This year, 125 soldiers will be participating.

The group fishes from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for anything that bites and they’re allowed to weigh-in one fish for a big-fish prize in one of five categories: drum/sheephead, common carp, bowfin, rock bass/ perch and white bass. Afterward, they’ll be treated to a cookout-style lunch. For more, call 786-8897.

- Mike Cusano, president of the state B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation, is among those being inducted Saturday evening into the New York State Outdoorsmen’s Hall of Fame at its annual banquet being held at the Rusty Rail restaurant in Canastota.

The Clay resident’s resume includes a wide variety of volunteer activities including working with junior anglers, organizing a water chestnut eradication program, participating in cormorant hazing, serving in various positions (including president) in the Salt City Bassmasters Club and organizing the “Take a Soldier Fishing” event.

The Post-Standard honored Cusano with one of its first “Hero of Conservation” awards in 2008, which was followed shortly after by a similar recognition in Field and Stream magazine.

The New York State Outdoorsman’s Hall of Fame is located in Vail Mills/Broadalbin, within the Wildlife Sports and Educational Museum. For a complete list of inductees, see the Hall's Web site.

- Last, but not least, the spring wild turkey hunting season opens Tuesday. Hunting is allowed a half hour before sunrise to noon. The season lasts until May 31. The season limit is two bearded turkeys (one per day). In addition, the walleye fishing season opens a week from Saturday.

For more, check out the state Department of Environmental Conservation hunting guide.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog