The latest from ADKHunter…

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Archery Countdown: As I write this, it’s less than a week before the Northern Zone archery season begins on Monday, Sept. 27. Right now the daytime temps are looking a little warm for early next week but the mornings and evenings should be cooler. Looks like another solid acorn crop in parts of the Adirondacks and we’re hearing of some beechnuts too. What we haven’t heard is how bear hunters are doing (yet) but the season has only been open a few days. A scattered beechnut and/or acorn crop will surely make the bruins are to find and could do the same for deer. I’ve seen quite a shift since the apples have started drying up and acorns are coming on in other parts of the area. Happens every year! Good luck out there on Monday and be safe.  

My duties at New York Outdoor News continue to keep me busy, along with life, in general. I am a bit concerned about how much time I’ll have to dedicate to this website in the future, including this coming fall. With that, I would entertain serious offers to take over this website. Although this was always a hobby for me, there is income potential here for someone who is business-minded and wants to try to build something in the outdoor industry. Feel free to reach out to me if you are interested, but please, only if you are serious about investing both time and financial resources.          -Dan Ladd: buck@adkhunter.com 

Hey, Junior Hunters: 
Good luck to all of our young hunters and mentors out there and be sure to send us a photo! And, if you’d like to send a photo to NY
Outdoor News for our Readershots, you can do so here.While you’re at it, you young hunters and anglers should consider joining the Outdoor News Junior Pro Team. It’s a great program just for you! Click here to learn more.

Meanwhile, trout season is here and stream anglers (not pond fishermen) need to know that DEC has a new trout stream plan that begins this season. Check it out here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/111015.html. Also, the new regulations guide is only available online at this time but printed copies should be out soon. 

 -Dan’l 

Read Buck’s Blog in NY Outdoor News

Read 2020 hunting reports here: 

Rest in Peace, Cousin Ed Ladd (1966-2021)
May the bucks in Heaven be big and plentiful

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Here Comes Bow Season!

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announcedy that bowhunting seasons for deer and bear will begin in the Northern Zone on Sept. 27, and in the Southern Zone on Oct. 1. DEC has initiated several changes to big game seasons this year through regulations. Bowhunters may only use crossbows during latter portions of bow seasons: the last 10 days of the Northern Zone bow season (Oct. 13-22); and the last 14 days of the Southern Zone bow season (Nov. 6-19). To hunt with a crossbow during these periods, the law requires bowhunters to possess a muzzleloader privilege and a crossbow qualifications certificate (see the Crossbow Hunting webpage on DEC’s website for details).

The application deadline for Deer Management Permits (DMPs) is Oct. 1. Hunters should know which Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) they intend to hunt before applying. To learn more, visit DMP Availability and Probability of Selection webpage for DMP availability and chances of being selected in each WMU.

Youth Big Game Hunt Continue reading →

Gulf Brook Road Closed as of Sept. 24

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NOTICE: DEC has temporarily closed Gulf Brook Road to pedestrians (hunters, hikers, bikes, horses, etc..)  while culvert repair work is underway. Road work was expected to start Friday, Sept. 24, and will be completed by the end of November 2021.Once complete, the road will reopen to pedestrian use through the winter.

The road has been closed to motor vehicles since the 2019 Halloween Storm, which damaged culverts and caused washouts on the road. DEC has repaired several ditches and culverts to date. Additional roadwork is anticipated to ensure the road is resilient to damage from future storms.

For more information visit the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpage.

More Small Game Seasons Opening

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced that most small game hunting seasons open on Friday, Oct. 1, across New York State. Season dates, bag limits, and other hunting regulations for New York’s small game species are available in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, which can be obtained from a license-issuing agent or on DEC’s website.

Waterfowl Hunting and Special Youth and Military Days

New York offers vast waterfowl hunting opportunities as hunters may harvest more than 30 species of waterfowl. New York has five waterfowl zones and nine Canada goose zones that help to maximize hunting opportunity across diverse habitats. Most waterfowl zones also have special hunting days for youth and members of the military (both active duty and veterans) that often begin prior to the regular hunting season, giving these hunters the opportunity to hunt with less competition and hunting pressure.

Youth Waterfowl Days:

  • Southeast and Lake Champlain zones: Sept. 25-26
  • Western Zone: Oct. 2-3
  • Long Island Zone: Nov. 6-7

Military and Veteran Hunting Days:

  • Northeast Zone: Sept. 18-19
  • Southeast Zone: Oct. 9-10
  • Western Zone: Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) and 13
  • Long Island Zone: Nov. 13-14
  • There are no special Military/Veteran days for the Lake Champlain Zone.

Opening dates for the Regular Duck Seasons:

  • Northeast Zone: Oct. 2
  • Lake Champlain Zone: Oct. 13
  • Western and Southeast zones: Oct. 16
  • Long Island Zone: Nov. 20

For more on waterfowl hunting season dates and bag limits, visit the Waterfowl Seasons page on DEC’s website.

Ruffed Grouse Hunting Continue reading →

Region 6 Pheasant Releases

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 6 is releasing a total of 3,878 adult ring-necked pheasants at several locations in anticipation of this year’s hunting season. The pheasant hunting season dates are Oct. 1 through Feb. 28, with a daily bag limit of two cocks or hens. Youth pheasant hunting dates are Sept. 25 and 26, 2021. 

The following DEC Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are being stocked prior to the youth pheasant hunt weekend:

  • Perch River WMA – Jefferson County; 
  • Upper & Lower Lakes WMA – St. Lawrence County; and 
  • Oriskany Flats WMA – Oneida County. 

The WMAs listed for the youth hunt, as well as the following areas, will be stocked with pheasants prior to the opening of hunting season on Oct. 1:

  • Ashland WMA – Jefferson County;
  • French Creek WMA – Jefferson County;
  • Point Peninsula WMA – Jefferson County;
  • Rome WMA – Oneida County;
  • Verona Beach State Park – Oneida County. A self-issued permit is required to hunt and available at: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/102/hunting.aspx;
  • Nowadaga Creek (New York State Canal property and private) – Herkimer County;
  • Wilson Hill WMA – St. Lawrence County; and
  • French Creek WMA – St. Lawrence County. 

Pheasants will not be stocked in Lewis County this fall. A private landowner in the town of Martinsburg, who generously opened his land to pheasant stocking and public hunting for many years, has retired from the program.  

In-season supplemental stockings will be taking place throughout the hunting season at all locations. The ring-necked pheasants were raised on the DEC Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca.  

Lewis County landowners who may be interested in having their property stocked with pheasants for hunting season should call DEC wildlife at (315) 785-2282. A complete statewide list of pheasant release sites is available on DEC’s website.?  

Long Pond Easement Updates for St. Lawrence County.

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and JT Granshue LLC announced the completion of a modification to the Long Pond conservation easement, which is located in the towns of Colton and Clare, St. Lawrence County. The modification allows for 15 hunting, fishing, and recreation camps originally slated for removal to remain on the property in perpetuity. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement that protects the natural resources of a parcel of land by permanently restricting future land use and/or development on the property. 

In 1999, DEC purchased the conservation easement on 18,950 acres west of State Route 56. Under the 1999 Long Pond conservation easement, 37 of the 43 hunting, fishing, and recreation camps present at that time were to be removed on or before Feb. 16, 2015. Prior to the deadline to remove the camps, Danzer Forestland Inc., the successor landowner to Long Pond LLC and New River-Franklin, LTD, requested a modification of the conservation easement to allow a number camps beyond the six noted at the time to remain on the property in perpetuity. 

DEC and the current owner JT Granshue LLC recently approved a modification to the conservation easement to allow for 15 camps to remain on the property in perpetuity. The other camps have been removed by the landowner.

Modifications to a conservation easement are required to result in a net conservation benefit to the people of the State of New York. To satisfy this requirement, an appraisal determined the full market value of the camps and corresponding one-acre camp envelopes to be $183,000.  JT Granshue L.L.C. transferred these funds to the State, and DEC then used these funds toward the purchase of 947 acres nearby to add to the Forest Preserve as the net conservation benefit. 

The new 947-acre Adirondack Forest Preserve parcel protects more than six miles of the scenic South Branch of the Grass River. The parcel provides public recreation opportunities and consolidates portions of the Grass River Wild Forest near the hamlet of Cranberry Lake. The parcel also has a direct connection to the Long Pond conservation easement tract via other protected conservation easement and Forest Preserve lands.

Moxham Mountain Area Expands in Warren/Essex Counties

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Adirondack Land Trust today announced the addition of 250 acres to the Forest Preserve on Moxham Mountain between Minerva, Essex County and North Creek, Warren County. The acquisition will increase public access to the south side of Moxham Mountain for hunting, hiking and rock climbing. The Adirondack Land Trust purchased much of the south face of Moxham Mountain in 2019 from the Brassel and Zack families and the Brassel estate for $160,000. On Aug. 6, the land was transferred to New York State for addition to the Forever Wild Forest Preserve, in accordance with the family’s wishes. DEC and the Student Conservation Association opened a northside trail to Moxham’s 2,418-foot summit in 2012, as part of the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest. The current 2.7-mile trail climbs 1,152 feet and offers more solitude than some of the Adirondacks’ popular peaks. 

To learn more, visit www.adirondacklandtrust.org or contact info@adirondacklandtrust.org, (518) 576-2400. 

Photos Courtesy of the Adirondack Land Trust https://adirondacklandtrust.canto.com/v/MoxhamMountain/allfiles?viewIndex=0.

 

Gooley Club Road Partially Closed

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the temporary closure of a section of Gooley Club Road in Indian Lake to allow for the safe removal of the old Gooley Club House. The road is scheduled to reopen by the end of September.

The closure will begin after the rafting put-in, allowing whitewater rafting to continue on this popular stretch of the Indian River. Motorists traveling on the open section of road are advised to be prepared for possible encounters with large work vehicles. For more information, visit the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpage.

New Big Game Laws: Legal Hunting Hours Change, Blaze Orange/Pink Required

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that DEC has adopted new rules for deer and bear hunting in New York. Rule changes include extending hunting hours and dress code requirements when afield to improve hunter safety. 

The adopted changes are 

  • Restore antlerless harvest during the early muzzleloader season in Northern Zone WMUs 6A, 6F, and 6J. The management objective for these units is to maintain a stable population and the deer population in these units has grown aided by a series of mild winters and prior restrictions on antlerless harvest;
  • Extend the hunting hours for deer and bear to include the full period of ambient light from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. All other states allow deer hunting beginning one-half hour before sunrise or earlier, or specify daylight hours, and 46 of 50 states allow deer hunting until some period (mostly one-half hour) after sunset. This change conforms to the national standard for big game hunting;
  • Require anyone hunting big game with a firearm, or accompanying someone hunting big game with a firearm, to wear a solid or patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink hat, vest, or jacket. Most two-party hunting-related shooting incidents in New York involve a hunter victim who was not wearing fluorescent orange or pink clothing. Similar fluorescent orange requirements exist in most states;
  • Simplify bear hunting season in the Adirondack region by extending regular season to cover the entire hunting period; 
  • Establish a nine-day season for antlerless deer in mid-September (Sept. 11 – 19, 2021) using firearms in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 3M, 3R, 8A, 8F, 8G, 8J, 8N, 9A and 9F, and using bowhunting equipment in WMUs 1C, 3S, 4J, and 8C. Management objectives in these units are either to decrease the deer population or maintain a stable population, and increased antlerless harvest is needed to achieve these objectives. Objectives are based on public input and assessments of deer impacts to forests. Hunters may only use Deer Management Permits (DMPs) and Deer Management Assistance Permit (DMAP) tags in this season;
  • Remove outdated language related to deer tag use during the September portion of the early bowhunting season. 

The full text of the adopted regulations is available at www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/34113.html#Parts_1_11.

Waterfowl Rules for Perch River, Wilson Hill in Region 6

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is advising waterfowl hunters that hours and sign-in procedures have been updated at two Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. At Perch River and Wilson Hill, hunters are now required to sign-in via registration books and hunting is allowed from one half-hour before sunrise until noon. Additional procedures are described below.

Perch River WMA, Jefferson County:

  • Hunters must sign in at the check station each day of the hunt prior to entering the Wetlands Restricted Area; and
  • DEC staff will not be available at the check station this season.

Wilson Hill WMA, St. Lawrence County:

  • Hunters must register at the registration kiosk via the registration book prior to entering the Wetlands Restricted Area;
  • Hunters are required to sign out and report harvest prior to leaving;
  • On opening day of the Northeast Zone duck season, hunters may enter the area no earlier than one hour before legal shooting begins; and
  • After opening day of the Northeast Zone duck season, hunters may enter the area any time after midnight.

On all waterfowl hunting season days, hunters must leave the Wetlands Restricted Area by 2 p.m. For more information on DEC hunting seasons and regulations visit the DEC website or contact the regional wildlife office at 315-785-2263.