The latest from ADKHunter…

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Ah, Summer: If you follow the meteorological seasons then you know that June, July and August are the months that represent summer. They’re also the quietest for most of us hunters, including this one. This the time of year when we take a little time away from the Internet, including this website. Therefore, it will not be updated as often. We do post news items as they come in, especially anything that is of importance to the Adirondack and hunting community.

In the meantime, we hope you had a great turkey season (photos have been updated), are having an equally rewarding fishing season and have some great plans for the summer months. We’ll be getting around in the Adirondacks quite a bit this summer, going on camping trips, doing some fishing/kayaking, and as deer season gets closer, some hiking to start getting the legs in shape.

Summer will pass before you know it and soon we’ll be eyeing September with a burning desire to get back in the woods. It won’t be long. Until then…..
-Dan’l

 

Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page.facebook1Read on for more info and last season’s hunting reports… Continue reading →

Boaters/Anglers can help against spread of invasives

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The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Transportation (DOT) and Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (State Parks) today announced that beginning this weekend, boat stewards will be deployed at nearly 200 locations across the state as part of a collaborative program to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). 

DEC advises boaters and anglers to check boats, trailers, and other fishing and boating equipment for any plants or animals that may be clinging to it. Be sure to check bunks, rollers, trim tabs and other likely attachment points on boats and trailers. Following a thorough inspection, DEC encourages boaters to follow the CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY standard:

  1. CLEAN boats, trailers and equipment of any debris, and dispose of it in an upland area or receptacle provided for this purpose.
  2. DRAIN the boat completely, including bilge areas, live wells and bait wells. Water ski and wake board boat operators should be sure to drain all ballast tanks. Many aquatic invasive species can survive in as little as a drop of water, so it is imperative that all water is removed.
  3. DRY all equipment for at least five days before using it in another water body. Longer drying times may be required for difficult to dry equipment or during damp or cool periods. Recommended drying times for various seasons (offsite link) can be found at 100th Meridian Initiative website. Drying is the simplest and most effective way to ensure equipment does not transport plants or animals.

 

If boating equipment cannot be completely and thoroughly dried, it must be decontaminated prior to use in another water body. Various decontamination techniques and special techniques to clean boats previously used in zebra mussel infested waters are provided on DEC’s website. For a listing of the AIS reported from publicly accessible state waters, visit the DEC boating access directory.

The New York State Department of Transportation is working with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, DEC, State Parks and local communities to host boat inspection and decontamination stations and help establish new ones along state highways, including at the Adirondack Welcome Center being built on Interstate 87 in Queensbury, Warren County.  Locating regional inspection stations on primary travel corridors helps obviate the need to construct and staff stations at individual lakes and streams. Continue reading →

Hey Campers: Use Local Firewood

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With the start of camping season, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today is reminding campers that the New York State firewood regulation is still in effect. Untreated firewood may contain invasive pests that kill trees, and to protect New York’s forests, it may not be moved more than 50 miles from its source or origin.

Homeowners should not move firewood from trees that died on their property for use while camping. Moving untreated firewood is one of the main ways tree-killing invasive pests hitch rides to new areas, spreading these pests faster and farther than they would have on their own. A variety of invasive species can be transported on firewood, from wood boring beetles and defoliators to fungi and diseases.

The New York State firewood regulation:

  • Prohibits untreated firewood from being brought into New York from other areas;
  • Prohibits untreated firewood grown in the state from being transported more than 50 miles from its source or origin; and
  • When transporting firewood, documentation of the source, origin, or treatment is required.

          

The origin of the wood is where it was grown. Anyone who cuts firewood for personal use is required to fill out a Self-Issued Certificate of Origin, available on DEC’s website. Producers of untreated firewood for sale must obtain wood grown within 50 miles of their business, but may then declare the business as the source of the firewood. Examples of the source documentation are also available on DEC’s website. Consumers purchasing untreated firewood should make sure the source is clearly labeled to know how far the wood may be transported.

Firewood that meets the state’s heat treatment standard (160 degrees F core temperature for 75 minutes) and is labeled “New York-Approved Heat Treated/Pest Free,” can be moved without restriction. Heat-treating to this standard has been proven to kill insects and diseases that may be in firewood. Kiln-dried only means the wood was heated to dry it out so it will burn well, but it may not have reached 160 degrees F for 75 minutes. Purchasers of heat-treated firewood are encouraged to look for the appropriate label indicating the wood meets the standard.

Quarantines for individual invasive species may further restrict the transport of firewood in specific areas. As quarantines are lifted, expanded or tightened, the firewood regulation will continue to remain in place.

For more information, visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/28722.html or call the Division of Lands and Forests Information Line toll free 1-866-640-0652.

New state records for black crappie and walleye

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Two new state fishing records were set over the course of one weekend in New York recently, State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today.

Brian Hartman of Alexandria Bay eclipsed the 2009 state record walleye by more than 1.5 pounds when he caught an 18-pound-2-ounce walleye from the St. Lawrence River on May 5 using a swimbait.

On May 6, William Wightman of South Dayton used a black marabou jig to reel in a 4-pound-1-ounce crappie from Lake Flavia in Cattaraugus County, exceeding the 1998 state record by five ounces. Continue reading →

New York’s CWD Plan

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner (Ag & Markets) Richard Ball announced that the state has finalized the New York State Interagency Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Risk Minimization Plan. The plan proposes regulatory changes and new actions to minimize the risk of CWD entering or spreading in New York State.

The plan is designed to protect both wild white-tailed deer and moose herds in New York, as well as captive cervids including deer and elk held at enclosed facilities.

The plan alls for increased public participation in the state’s efforts, and DEC and Ag & Markets are urging hunters and citizens to:

  • Report sick or abnormally behaving deer;
  • Do not feed wild deer;
  • Dispose of carcasses properly at approved landfills;
  • Report violators;
  • Use alternatives to urine-based lures or use synthetic forms of deer urine.

 

The final plan is available on the DEC website (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7191.html).

Continue reading →

High Peaks, Vanderwhacker Mt. UMP Updates

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The High Peaks Wilderness Complex and the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest Draft Unit Management Plan Amendments have been released for public review, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today.

Two public meetings will be held on May 23, 2018, as follows:

  • 10:00 a.m. at DEC Headquarters, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY
  • 6:00 p.m. at Newcomb Central School, 5535 State Route 28N, Newcomb, NY

The High Peaks Complex Draft UMP Amendment proposes management actions for recreational opportunities on the recently classified lands in the southern and eastern portion of the High Peaks. Additionally, this Draft UMP Amendment proposes changes to the recreational infrastructure along State Route 73 to address safety and overuse issues currently experienced in these areas. The proposed management actions include:

Recently Classified Lands, including Boreas Ponds Continue reading →

Vermont’s Summer Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 9

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MONTPELIER, Vt. –Vermont’s annual, statewide Summer Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 9 this year, and it will be highlighted by a free family fishing festival in Grand Isle as well as opening day of the state’s regular bass fishing season.

“Vermont’s Free Fishing Day gives resident and nonresident anglers the opportunity to go fishing without a license for the day in Vermont lakes and streams,” said Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Louis Porter.  “Fishing is an activity that can be shared with friends and family or easily taught to newcomers while enjoying quality time together.”  

Free Fishing Day in Vermont also will be celebrated at the “Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival,” to be held at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station at 14 Bell Hill Road in Grand Isle.  The festival will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Designed for young anglers and families, this exciting event offers basic fishing instruction and the chance for kids to catch big trout in a hatchery pond.  No prior fishing experience is needed, and Vermont Fish & Wildlife will be supplying fishing rods, reels and bait for use by participants.

The festival will also highlight the newly updated Ed Weed Fish Culture Station visitor center, so fishing festival participants will be able to see the new educational exhibits and learn how to identify Lake Champlain fish species in the exhibit aquariums.

Vermont’s regular bass season also opens on June 9, marking the start of some of the hottest bass fishing action in the northeast.  The season opens each year on the second Saturday in June and extends through the last day of November. 

Fish & Wildlife also has teamed up with Vermont State Parks to offer the ‘Reel Fun Fishing’ program to be scheduled by park interpreters on Free Fishing Day and during the summer at some state parks.  The program provides loaner tackle kits and fishing clinics free of charge to anyone interested in fishing at a Vermont State Park.  Fishing licenses are required for anyone 15 or older except on Free Fishing Day.  Information on Reel Fun Fishing can be found at https://vtstateparks.com/fishing.html.

To learn more about fishing in Vermont or to purchase a fishing license, visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Parking for Lake Flower Boat Launch in Saranac Lake

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Parking for vehicles with boat trailers using the Lake Flower Boat Launch will be available in the parking lot across the road from the boat launch, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. The alternate parking lot will be available starting May 14, through the 2018 boating season. 

The off-site parking lot is located at the former Nonna Fina’s restaurant. A limited number of parking spots have been designated for vehicles with boat trailers. Only vehicles with boat trailers will be allowed to use the parking lot. Vehicles must travel through the parking lot in one direction and park in designate parking spots. Parking will be available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and overnight parking is prohibited.

Paddlers and others with car top boats are encouraged to use the nearby DEC Ampersand Bay Hand Launch on Lower Saranac Lake or DEC Lake Colby Hand Launch.

After launching a boat, boaters should tie off their boat at the bulkhead to the left of the launch ramp and then drive across River Street (State Route 86) to the parking lot. When driving from the parking lot to the boat launch, drivers should utilize the middle turning lane. Continue reading →

DEC: 2017’s White-tailed deer harvest numbers are in

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Hunters in New York State enjoyed another successful year, harvesting an estimated 203,427 deer during the 2017-18 hunting seasons Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today. 

The 2017 estimated deer take included 95,623 antlerless deer and 107,804 antlered bucks, an estimated five percent fewer deer than the previous year. Statewide, this represents a 10-percent decline in antlerless harvest and a buck harvest nearly identical to 2016. Hunters in the Northern Zone took 25,351 deer, including 18,074 adult bucks. In the Southern Zone, hunters took 178,076 deer, including 89,730 adult bucks.

The decline in antlerless harvest occurred despite DEC issuing more antlerless permits last season. DEC wildlife biologists have noted two important and encouraging items that emerged from the 2017 deer harvest. First, with 53.3 percent of the adult buck harvest averaging 2.5 years or older, hunters took an estimated 57,494 older bucks, setting a record in total number and greatest percentage of older bucks in the harvest.            

Second, the portion of successful hunters who reported their harvest as required by state law increased from 44 percent in recent years to 50 percent in 2017. Along with our Take It · Tag It · Report It campaign, DEC has made the process of harvest reporting substantially easier for hunters, providing phone, internet, and mobile app options. Harvest reports are critically important for accurate monitoring of deer harvests, and DEC encourages hunters to continue to contribute to the management process by complying with the reporting requirements.

DEC’s 2017 Deer Harvest Summary report (PDF) provides a suite of tables, charts, and maps detailing the deer harvest around the state.  Past harvest summaries are available at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/42232.html. Continue reading →