The latest from ADKHunter…

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

The Heart of Winter: Winter remains in full bore here in the Adirondacks with snowstorm bearing down on the region this week. Ice anglers, snowmobilers, skiers and small game hunters are enjoying a solid winter. Here at ADKHunter.com we’ve been working behind the scenes on computer upgrades and things of that nature. This is the best time of year to do that stuff and so far so good. Getting organized is a time of rediscovery and in going through several folders of photos I uncovered numerous photos of past hunts and really enjoyed reliving those memories. It only makes me look forward to next deer season more and more. Oh yes, and turkey season too. Stay warm, and don’t let Cabin Fever get the best of ya! 

-Dan’l

Also:
•ADKHunter’s Facebook page.
•Buck’s Blog in NY Outdoor News
•DEC’s Summary of 2018-19 Hunting Seasons

Read on for previous 2018 hunting reports… Continue reading →

DEC’s Winter Moose Surveys

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

PHOTO: NYSDEC

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the completion of an aerial Adirondack moose survey that takes place each year as part of a collaborative study of the health of New York’s moose population.  A total of 83 groups of one or more moose were observed during the survey’s 175 sightings, with all appearing healthy.

After an absence of 120 years, moose recolonized New York in the 1980s. Since that time, biologists have been routinely monitoring moose in the state, informing the public about moose, and responding to situations where moose come into conflict with people. 

DEC wildlife staff conducted the helicopter flights in January over seven days and approximately 42 hours of flight time. The survey divides the Adirondack park into grids and records every moose or group of moose seen. The survey crew then flies over to the sighting location, takes a GPS point, determines the number of animals, the age and sex of each animal, and notes general habitat characteristics for each moose sighted.  Continue reading →

New approach to Search & Rescue

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced that DEC and its partners are launching a preventative initiative to reduce the number of search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks and help to ensure the public has an enjoyable and safe outdoor experience.  The measure will increase engagement between hikers and experienced backcountry users and is part of DEC’s multi-year, comprehensive effort to promote sustainable tourism while also addressing public safety in the Adirondack region.

The initiative is based on the successful Preventative Search and Rescue program developed by the National Park Service. This program has decreased the number of search and rescue incidents on popular backcountry routes in Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite National Parks. Face-to-face education is a vital component of the program.

DEC Forest Rangers, Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) stewards and educators, and the Adirondack 46ers’ volunteer trailhead stewards will promote proper planning and preparation through direct conversations with hikers at trailheads and on the trails.  Continue reading →

DEC: 2018 Hunting Season Among the Safest on Record

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

          The 2018 hunting seasons in New York tallied the lowest number of recorded hunting-related shooting incidents (HRSIs) and tied the 2016 mark – 13 – as the safest on record, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today. DEC documented five tree stand incidents and zero fatalities in 2018, down from 12 tree stand incidents the previous year. 

           Of the 13 HRSIs that occurred last year, seven were two-party firearm incidents, six were self-inflicted, and three resulted in fatalities that could have been prevented if hunting safety rules and common sense were followed. Of the three fatalities, two were self-inflicted and caused by unsafe handling of firearms and one was a two-party firearm incident caused by a failure to positively identify the target. DEC’S Hunting Safety Statistics  and the 2018 Tree Stand Safety Statistics, are on DEC’s website.

           Further examination of the seven two-party firearm incidents reveals that six (86 percent) of the victims involved were not wearing hunter orange, reinforcing the importance of identifying the target and beyond, and wearing hunter orange when afield—two major tenets of DEC’s hunter safety courses. Continue reading →

Pepperbox Wilderness UMP

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking the public for input prior to developing a revision to the Pepperbox Wilderness Unit Management Plan (UMP). A public meeting will be held on February 27, in Lowville, Lewis County, New York.

The Pepperbox Wilderness represents a unique unit within the surrounding forest preserve landscape, which includes the Five Ponds Wilderness, Independence River Wild Forest and Watsons East Triangle Wild Forests. It is comprised of approximately 22,560 acres in in the western Adirondack foothills in the town of Watson in Lewis County and the town of Webb in Herkimer County. The area is scattered with numerous small ponds, streams and wetland systems.

The Pepperbox Wilderness UMP public informational meeting will be held on February 27, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at NYSDEC 7327 State Route 812, Lowville, NY 13367.

In addition, a 45-day comment period will open on February 27 and end on April 11, 2019. Comments can be submitted by mail to Matthew Nowak, DEC Environmental Program Specialist, at the NYSDEC Lowville address, or by email r6.ump@dec.ny.gov or by phone (315) 376-3521.

An online survey (link leaves DEC website) is also a public option. When complete, a draft of the UMP revisions will be released for another public comment period. Learn more about the Pepperbox Wilderness UMP.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/77537.html

Early numbers show increase in NY Whitetail harvest

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

New York State white-tailed deer hunters have been reporting more success in 2018 than last year through the end of the regular big game season, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today.

Through Dec. 16, hunters reported taking approximately 14 percent more deer in the Northern Zone and 11 percent more deer in the Southern Zone, compared to the same period in 2017. Reports from the Southern Zone and Northern Zone are up more than 26 percent and 33 percent from 2016 numbers, respectively, indicating an increase in harvest over the past three hunting seasons.

A final tally of the seasons’ deer and bear harvests will be released early next year.

Through the final weekend of the Southern Zone late bow and muzzleloader season, hunters reported 94,515 deer in 2018, compared to 85,288 and 75,073 through the same period in 2017 and 2016, respectively. Similarly, in the Northern Zone, hunters have reported 14,458 deer in 2018, compared to 12,687 in 2017, and 10,894 in 2016.

Change in bear harvest varies by region this year. Hunters have reported taking 670 bears in the Southern Zone, compared to 884 at this point last year and 863 in 2016. In contrast, harvest reports increased in the Northern Zone, with 396 bears reported in 2018, compared to 302 bears at this point in 2017 and 464 bears in 2016.

Most of the state’s big game hunting seasons have ended. For hunters seeking additional deer harvest opportunities, the bowhunting season continues in Westchester County until December 31. Also, the special firearms season in Suffolk County runs January 6-31, 2019, and the Deer Management Focus Area in central Tompkins County runs January 12 to January 31, 2019.

Deer hunting indirectly contributes $1.5 billion to New York’s economy on an annual basis, according to a 2012 report by Southwick Associates prepared for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. In the 2016-17 license year, hunters spent $22 million on deer hunting licenses alone.

DEC reminds hunters to Take It · Tag It · Report It, as required by state law. 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. 

For more information on these and other important hunting safety tips, please visit DEC’s website.

DEC Summer Camp Registration begins Jan. 23

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that online registration for DEC’s 2019 Summer Camps program will open Wednesday, January 23, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. Applications should be submitted through the online registration program available through the Summer Camps website. Parents and guardians are encouraged to register early since some of the weeks fill up quickly.

Now in its 72nd year, the 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).

Introduced in 2017, camps Colby and DeBruce are offering two weeks of programing for children aged 14-17, and five weeks of programming 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 website.

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 for it 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 once again offer “Outdoor Adventure Week 2.0” during Week 5 (July 21-26). DEC encourages teens aged 14 to 17 who love being outdoors to sign up for this popular program that will help deepen their enjoyment and widen their horizons while exploring environmental careers at Camp Pack Forest. During this week, campers will develop hands-on outdoor skills that go above and beyond the traditional camp week. Alongside canoeing, fishing, and games, campers will engage in forestry, citizen science, conservation science, and more. Guest DEC, higher education, and natural resource professionals will provide opportunities for campers to consider career paths.

All four camps will operate for seven one-week sessions (Sunday to Friday) beginning June 30, 2019; Pack Forest operates for eight weeks. Drop-off time is 3:00 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 the 2019 year, and includes meals, trips, and a camp t-shirt.

In addition to inviting parents to register their 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 (6) 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 on DEC’s website.  

For more information, visit DEC’s 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.

Safety First When Ice Fishing

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

        The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today encouraged anglers to put safety first when ice fishing. Four inches of solid ice is usually safe for anglers accessing ice on foot. However, ice thickness can vary on waterbodies and even within the same waterbody. Anglers should be particularly wary of areas of moving water and around boat docks and houses where bubblers may be installed to reduce ice buildup. The presence of snowmobile tracks or footprints on the ice should not be taken as evidence of safe ice conditions. DEC strongly encourages individuals to check ice conditions and avoid situations that appear to present even a remote risk. Testing the thickness of ice can easily be done with an auger or ice spud at various spots.

        Ice fishing continues to increase in popularity in New York State. Unlike the open water season, when an angler usually needs a boat to access good fishing locations, no boat is required to access these locations once a water is covered with safe ice. It’s also a great sport for families, as they can mix in skating, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or other activities during an ice fishing trip.

 Beginning ice anglers are encouraged to download the Ice Fishing Chapter (PDF, 3.7MB) of DEC’s new I FISH NY Beginners’ Guide to Freshwater Fishing for information on how to get started ice fishing. Additional information, including a list of waters open to ice fishing, can found on the DEC ice fishing web page and the Public Lakes and Ponds map.

           The use of fish for bait is popular when ice fishing and bait fish may be used in most, but not all waters, open to ice fishing. Visit the DEC website for a list of special regulations by county to find out where bait fish can and cannot be used, and for other regulations that apply to baitfish on DEC’s website.

            Anglers are reminded to take these important steps when using baitfish while ice fishing: Continue reading →

NYS Outdoor Hall of Fame accepting nominations for 2019 inductees

ADKHunter.com Posted on by

Nominations are now being accepted for individuals to be considered for induction into the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame in.  The deadline for submission is February 1, 2019

To be considered for induction, the individual must have made significant contribution to conservation or preserving the heritage of outdoor sports. The person or group that feels this contribution is significant must complete the nomination form and submit it along with the supporting documentation of the contributions.

Induction into the York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors an individual can earn.  It shows that an individual has given back more than they have taken and that they have made a significant difference to conservation or preserving the heritage of outdoor sports. Those selected for induction will be honored at the annual banquet in April and have their plaque on display at the Museum in Vails Mills.

The nomination form can be found at the NYSOHOF website http://nysohof.org/nominate/ Continue reading →