The latest from ADKHunter…

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Last Call, Part I: Dang, it’s been a quick hunting season. That’s what happens when you’re busier than a jackrabbit leading up to it, and then dive in full bore once it’s here. That’s been me this fall, and now I hate to see it end despite the fact I was lucky enough to tag a buck recently. If that’s not enough to make you realize that the late season is the great season, take a look at some of latest buck photos, including several that were taken just since Thanksgiving. On top of that, reports are still coming in of hunters finding fresh rubs, including on top of yesterday’s freshly fallen dusting of snow.

For those hunters who chase their bucks in the interior of the Adirondacks, and/or do not hunt the late muzzleloading season, things will wrap up at sunset on Sunday, Dec. 8. For others, the late muzzleloading season kicks in for another week in the foothills surround the region. Overall, the weekend weather is looking good; a little snow in the southern Adirondacks on Friday followed by cool but seasonable temps the rest of the way. It’s not over until it’s over and you can’t kill a buck, or bear, if you are not out there. Hopefully we’ll see some more photos and hear some more stories following this weekend. Good luck!

Also:
•2019-20 Summary of Hunting Seasons
•ADKHunter’s Facebook page.
•Buck’s Blog in NY Outdoor News

 

2019 Hunting Season Photos

Continue to previous 2019 reports…

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Families Encouraged to Register Early for Camps

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 2020 Summer Camps program will open Sunday, January 26, 2020, at 1 p.m. Applications should be submitted through the online registration program available through a link from the Summer Camps webpage. Parents and guardians are encouraged to register early since some of the weeks fill up quickly.

Now in its 73rd year, the DEC Summer Camps program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11-17. DEC operates four residential camps for children: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County); Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County); Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County); and Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County).

In response to parent feedback, DEC revised the schedule to better accommodate families. This year, 14- to 17-year-old campers will have more sessions available earlier in the summer, as children in this age range often have schedule conflicts later in the summer. In addition, DEC updated camp offerings to address the high demand for programming for 11- to 13-year-olds.

Camps Colby and DeBruce will offer one week of programing for children ages 14-17. Camp DeBruce will offer six weeks for ages 11-13. Camp Colby will offer four weeks for ages 11-13. Camp Pack Forest will continue to host children aged 14-17 for six weeks and ages 11-13 for two weeks. Camp Rushford will continue to offer two weeks of programming for children aged 14-17 and five weeks of programming for ages 11-13. The complete schedule of camp weeks and ages is available on the Summer Camps webpage.

Campers will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of outdoor adventures and are encouraged to try new things. Activities may include fishing, bird watching, fly-tying, archery, canoeing, hiking, camping, orienteering, and hunter safety education.

One hunter education program for either gun, bow, or trapping is offered at each camp each week. Class size is limited for hunter education programs and campers must sign up during registration and complete the homework in advance.

Along with adventure experiences, DEC campers engage in fun, hands-on activities and outdoor exploration focused on field, forest, stream, and pond ecological principles. Campers might collect insects in a field, use nets in a stream, investigate soil composition, measure tree sizes, or practice taking field notes and writing in journals. Trips to nearby state lands might include kettle bogs, state parks, fish hatcheries, or nature museums.

Camp Pack Forest will offer “Outdoor Adventure Week” during Week 6 (August 2-7). DEC encourages teens aged 14 to 17 who love being outdoors to sign up for this popular program. During this week, campers will develop hands-on outdoor skills that go above and beyond the traditional camp week. In addition to typical camp activities, campers may be engaged in team- and trust-building activities, forestry, citizen science, conservation science, and more. Guest DEC and natural resource professionals will introduce campers to a variety of career options.

All four camps offer five one-week sessions (Sunday to Friday) beginning Jun. 28, 2020; DeBruce and Rushford are open for seven weeks and Pack Forest operates for eight weeks. Drop-off time is 3 p.m. on Sunday, and the closing ceremony and pick-up time is Friday at 4:30 p.m. One week of camp remains $350 per child for 2020, and includes meals, trips, and a camp t-shirt.

In addition to inviting parents and guardians to register children to participate in the DEC environmental education Summer Camps program, sporting clubs, civic groups, and environmental organizations are encouraged to sponsor one or more children for a week at camp. Groups that deposit funds to sponsor six paid campers in one transaction will receive a scholarship to send a seventh child to camp for free. The seventh camper will use a sponsorship code generated by the Albany Camps administration. Information about becoming a sponsor and managing sponsor accounts is available at on DEC’s website.

For more information, please visit the DEC website, call 518-402-8014, visit “NYS DEC Summer Camps” on Facebook, or write to DEC Camps, 3rd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-5256.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/press.html

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Southern Zone opens Nov. 16

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The 2019-20 regular deer and bear hunting seasons in New York’s Southern Zone begin at sunrise on Saturday, November 16, and continue through Sunday, December 8. The Southern Zone regular season is New York’s most popular hunting season, with participation from about 85 percent of New York’s 550,000 licensed hunters. Harvest during this season accounts for nearly 60 percent of the total statewide deer harvest and 30-60 percent of the statewide bear harvest.

Following the regular deer and bear seasons in the Southern Zone, late bowhunting and muzzleloading seasons will run from Monday, December 9, through Tuesday, December 17. Hunters taking part in these special seasons must possess a hunting license and either bowhunting or muzzleloading privileges. 

In the Northern Zone, the regular deer and bear hunting season opened Saturday, October 26 and will close at sunset on Sunday, December 8. The Northern Zone includes the Adirondacks, Tug Hill Plateau, Eastern Lake Ontario Plain, and the Champlain and St. Lawrence valleys. A late bowhunting and muzzleloading season for deer will be open in portions of the Northern Zone from December 9 to 15. Continue reading →

Adirondack Backcountry Advisory Remains in Effect

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Posted Nov. 5, 2019
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) backcountry advisory remains in effect for the Adirondacks as DEC continues to assess storm-related damages that could affect the safety of trails. In addition, DEC is evaluating roads and other state facilities in the region that were damaged by flooding and other storm impacts. 

Many town, county, and state roads were impacted by the Oct. 31 storm. In addition, storm damage has made some bridges impassable and washed out roads and seasonal access roads. Many backcountry trails throughout the Adirondacks have infrastructure damage, including washed out bridges and downed trees, creating unsafe hiking conditions. The public is encouraged to contact local agencies and DEC before they visit to verify if roads are passable and trails are safe. Please report any backcountry damage to DEC’s Region 5 office by emailing R5.Info@dec.ny.gov.

For current trail conditions, visit DEC’s Adirondack Backcountry Information webpage

List of current conditions and closures:

Boreas Ponds Tract, Town of North Hudson

  • Gulf Brook Road is closed due to culvert damage and washout.

 

Crotched Pond, Indian Lake

  • Damage to roads and infrastructure.


Speculator Tree Farm and Perkins Clearing Conservation Easements

  • Damage to roads and infrastructure. Closed to the public until further notice.

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DEC ANNOUNCES FURBEARER TRAPPING AND HUNTING SEASONS

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that many furbearer trapping and hunting seasons have begun in New York State. Trappers should note special permit requirements for fisher and marten trapping seasons.

New York’s trappers play an important role in wildlife conservation and management efforts by providing important data to DEC’s expert wildlife biologists, especially for fisher and marten management. DEC encourages all trappers to report harvested fisher and marten, andto provide required samples to help the state improve wildlife management efforts.

Fisher and marten are medium-sized members of the weasel family, which also includes weasels, ermine, mink, and river otters. While fisher have been expanding their range throughout New York in recent decades, the state’s marten are restricted to the Adirondacks.

Coyote hunting season began Oct. 1 across much of the state and hunting seasons for other furbearers such as bobcat, raccoon, and fox began on Oct. 25. Season dates and zone boundaries for all furbearers can be found on DEC’s website and in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide.

Trapping season dates vary by species and geography, with raccoon, fox, and bobcat opening on Oct. 25, and beaver opening on Nov. 1 in northern New York, Nov. 10 in eastern New York, and Nov. 25 in western New York. Trappers should check the regulations guide or the DEC website for opening dates in their area. Continue reading →

More DMPs available Nov. 1 at DEC License Sales Outlets

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that remaining deer management permits (DMPs) in several wildlife management units (WMUs) will be available to hunters beginning Nov. 1.

DMPs, which allow hunters to harvest antlerless deer, are issued for specific WMUs to control deer populations. In some WMUs, all applicants received permits during the initial application process, and the DMP target has not been reached. In these units, DEC will re-open the DMP application process on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters may apply for up to two additional DMPs in these WMUs at any DEC license sales outletbeginning Nov. 1.

Leftover DMPs are not available by phone, mail, or internet. Applications must be made at license issuing outlets. Applicants who previously paid the $10 DMP application fee during the initial application period, or are exempt from the application fee, will not be charged for this additional application. Hunters who did not previously apply for a deer management permit are required to pay the $10 application fee. Continue reading →

It’s Bat Week!

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In observance of Bat Week, an internationally recognized weeklong focus to raise awareness about the important role bats play in our environment, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today urged outdoor adventurers to avoid cave and mine sites that may serve as seasonal homes for hibernating bats. Human disturbance is especially harmful to the state’s bat populations since the arrival of the disease known as white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hibernation sites in New York due to how closely bats congregate in caves during winter months.

DEC reminds the public to follow all posted notices restricting seasonal access to caves and mines. When bats are disturbed during hibernation it forces them to raise their body temperature, depleting fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy available to the bats until the weather warms in spring.

Bat Week is observed through Oct. 31, and is organized by representatives from conservation groups and government agencies in the United States and Canada.

Two species of bats are currently protected under federal and State endangered species law. The Indiana bat, which is sparsely distributed across New York, is a federally endangered bat listed before white-nose syndrome began affecting bat populations. The northern long-eared bat is protected as a threatened species under federal and New York State Endangered Species law. The current population for this formerly common bat is approximately one percent of its previous size, making the species the most severely affected by white-nose syndrome. Nonetheless, northern long-eared bats are still widely distributed in New York. Their presence has been documented in most of the 100 or so caves and mines that serve as bat hibernation sites in the state.

Anyone entering a northern long-eared bat hibernation site from Oct. 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation period for bats, may be subject to prosecution.

There is currently no treatment for bats suffering from white-nose syndrome. Along with the New York State Department of Health, DEC is partnering with researchers from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, and experts at several universities across the country to better understand the disease and develop a treatment. This collaborative effort helped identify that reducing disturbances at hibernation sites during the winter can help the remaining animals survive. For more information about white-nose syndrome, visit the White-Nose Syndrome Response Team website. Details about the protection of the northern long-eared bat can be found on DEC’s website.

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DEC announces WomenHuntFishNY winners

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced

Rachael Bush (Orwell Creek)
Photo: NYSDEC

the winners of the angling segment of the WomenHuntFishNY photo contest, held this summer. After sifting through almost 4,000 photo entries, DEC staff chose 14 winners and runners-up.

“The response we received to the WomenHuntFishNY fishing photo contest was astounding, which made choosing the winner that much more difficult,” Commissioner Seggos said. “These images cast light on the Empire State’s fantastic fishing opportunities and the excitement enjoyed by those who pursue the sport. Our hope is that this contest encourages even more women and girls to try their luck and cast a line.”

Winners and runners-up were chosen in each of the following categories:

  • Freshwater Fishing (Inland) winner: Crystal Shore (Oneida Lake); runner-up: Michelle Muir
  • Freshwater Fishing (Great Lakes) winner: Rachael Bush (Orwell Creek); runner-up: Dana Paciello (Lake Ontario)
  • Saltwater fishing winner: Angela Bryanne De Jesus (East River); runner-up: Samantha Moses (Cold Spring Harbor)
  • Ice Fishing winner: Courtney Bly (Silver Lake); runner-up: Jennifer Pelletier (Lake George)
  • Youth Fishing winner: Lydia Houck (Lake George); runner-up: L. Murphy
  • Multi-Generational winner: Stacy Hollenbeck (Sandy Creek); runner-up: Christielee Bower
  • Action Shot winner: Brianna Cook (West Canada Creek); runner-up: Sarah Eilers (Lincoln Pond)

 

Winning entries will be featured in DEC’s print and electronic publications, including DEC’s website and The Conservationist magazine, to help spread the word about the great fishing in the Empire State, and to inspire future generations of women anglers. Only photos taken in New York State were considered for the contest.

Although the contest has ended, all anglers, hunters, and trappers are encouraged to share their photos with DEC at any time of year. All submissions will become property of DEC to be used in promotion and outreach efforts. Please send photos to: wildlife@dec.ny.gov.

According to a 2015 report by the New York State Comptroller’s Office of Budget and Policy Analysis, spending on hunting- and fishing-related activities totaled more than $5 billion in New York in 2011. Approximately 170,000 women purchase fishing licenses in New York State each year, and more than 50,000 women are registered in the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry. According to a 2011 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey of fishing, hunting, and wildlife-associated recreation, women make up approximately 25 percent of New York anglers.

To see the winners and more photos entered in the contest visit DEC’s Flickr photo album. (All photos courtesy of DEC)

 

DEC to Remove Sediments at Westport Boat Launch

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that the agency will remove sediments accumulated in front of the ramp of the Westport Boat Launch on Lake Champlain in late October. The launch will be closed from Oct. 15 – Nov. 29. The removal of sediments will improve access for boaters who launch and retrieve boats during periods when the water is low.

DEC will close the boat launch, which is located off Champlain Avenue (Route 22), while work is underway. DEC expects work to begin after the Columbus Day holiday weekend and to complete the removal of sediments by the end of November.

The sediments will be dewatered at the boat launch site, tested for contamination, and disposed at a facility approved to accept the waste.

Brookies found in Lake Colden!

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation (ALSC) today announced the confirmation of brook trout in an Adirondack lake deemed “fishless” for decades due to the negative effects of acid rain. The discovery of the self-sustaining brook trout population in Lake Colden, a high elevation lake in the High Peaks Wilderness, is attributed to improved water quality directly resulting from the state’s rigorous standards to prevent the airborne pollutants that cause acid rain.

“The discovery of brook trout in Lake Colden illustrates how we can make positive environmental change when we act to prevent the harmful effects of pollution,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “New York’s efforts to improve air quality statewide have resulted in cleaner air, and now we have even more evidence that all species can benefit from decisions based on sound science and investments in effective policies. However, this progress is threatened by the constant assault from the Trump Administration on clean air and environmental programs, which is why we will continue to fight to ensure they do not unravel progress like this remarkable restoration. I applaud the commitment of DEC staff across multiple administrations and divisions, our partners at NYSERDA and the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, and other stakeholders who helped make this breakthrough a reality and I look forward to continuing our work to protect New York’s air quality and spur further progress.” Continue reading →