The latest from ADKHunter…

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Jeff “Capt. JJ” Johnson arrowed this 8-pointer with his longbow Oct. 17 in Warren County.

Northern Zone Opener: Another year, and another warm week of early muzzleloading greeted many of us in the Adirondacks, and man is it dry, and it looks like it’s going to stay that way for a while. Still, cool-down is in the forecast and anytime the temperature changes (or the barometric pressure, especially on the high side), that’s a good time to be in the woods. For buck hunters, those days appear right now to be Sunday and Monday. I didn’t hunt much during this week, and NY Outdoor News kept me busy, but the weekend, albeit warm, did produce a small buck for the Iron Sight Gang. We also found a fair amount of buck sign in the form of  a few rubs and in places, several scrapes. So, bucks are getting antsy. Acorns were plentiful in the area, but not from every tree. Still, that was good news too. Now if we can only get a cool-down. Best of luck to all this weekend, 

Send photos to: buck@adkhunter.com (please include name, hometown, size of deer and county of kill). 

Printed Licenses – Important Update (10/23): We want to up some confusion regarding the new print-your-own hunting licenses. First, the digital/electronic option does not apply to carcass tags. You still need to put a physical tag on a deer, bear or turkey. Just like before, fill out your tag immediately after the kill and attach it to the carcass before transporting in/on a vehicle or hanging at camp or home. You can report your harvest using the HuntFishNY app or call it in within seven days.  

Next, and very important, all hunters – big and small game alike – need to carry your signed license (not just your tags) with you in the field. This is the first page (left in the photo) of the document that came with your printed out tags and has all of your pertinent information. Again, be sure to sign it.

Here are some resources:

• Hunting Regs Guide PDF (Details of the change are on Page 4)

• New Sporting License FAQ

• YouTube video explaining the change

Also, DEC announced a regulatory proposal that would enable License Issuing Agents and Officers (LIAs) to charge a nominal printing fee to recover costs associated with printing and mailing paper sporting licenses and other items sold through DEC’s Automated Licensing System (DECALS). The proposal does not include any additional fees if the license buyer prints a license themselves. Public comment on this is welcome through Aug. 12. Click here to read the Press Release. 

–Dan’l 

More reports…

Early Smokepole: Here comes the Northern Zone muzzleloading season, starting Saturday, Oct. 19 and the weekend and early part of the week ahead are looking quite warm. The mornings, however, have been seasonal as some hunters have been out with their crossbows (the season opened Oct. 16) and experiencing frosts. This hunter has been out each morning, passing on the warm afternoons and did find one good rub, but no scrapes yet. There’s some acorns too, although my findings have been hit-and-miss, but at least there are some. A number of hunters are finding them in bunches. 

So, good luck this weekend and if you don’t have any luck, be ready for the cold front coming later in the week. That should get some deer moving. 

(9/26) It’s Deer Season: Friday’s archery opener found this hunter in a tree stand, but not for long. Once the sun topped over the trees and hit the small clearing I was perched in, I was soon within the company of mosquitos. I’ve never been a warm-weather hunter and that’s the weather pattern we’ll be dealing with at least through the middle of this first week. Tuesday, Oct. 1 marks the Southern Zone opener as well the Northern Zone fall turkey season. It’s also the start of several small game seasons, including pheasant and other small game. Waterfowl seasons are coming soon. You can keep track of the seasons here. 

Meanwhile, we’re curious of any sign your finding, especially food sources like acorns and beechnuts. There area some nuts out there, but it seems like the supply varies by elevation. Good luck in the bow stand! 

DEC’s Adirondack Backcountry Reports

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10/24/24

If you notice any damage or hazardous areas not listed below, please report to info.r5@dec.ny.gov.

East Central

  • Essex Chain Lakes Complex: The gates on both the Camp Six Road in Newcomb and the Chain Lakes Road South in Indian Lake are open for seasonal hunting access. Both roads are rough but passable, requiring high clearance vehicles. 

Eastern

  • Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest: Lakeshore Road is now open (after being closed previously for maintenance).

Southwestern

  • Pigeon Lake Wilderness: Shallow Lake Bridge is complete, although the trail is very wet beyond the bridge.

10/17/24

  • Blue Mountain Wild Forest: Township 20 Conservation Easement – Minerva Club Road is open for the season. Pickwickett Pond Road (access to Fishing Brook) is closed to passenger vehicles due to bridge damage. Non-motorized uses, except hunting/trapping, are permitted to the previously accessible parking area at Fishing Brook.
  • Lake George Wild Forest: Campsites 1 & 2 in the Hudson River Special Management Area are now reopened following repairs. Campsites 3 & 4 (Pike’s Beach) remain closed. The MAPPWD routes remain open for access to the river.

Access to Lows Lower Dam Reopens

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the gate on the access road leading to the Bog River Dam, also known as Lows Lower Dam, has reopened following a period of closure for dam maintenance. The Lower Dam Road and parking area near the end of the road are now open to the public.

The project helped bring the dam into compliance with New York State dam safety regulations.

Lows Lake (Bog River Flow) is part of the larger Bog River Complex. This popular destination is a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts, known for its exceptional wilderness paddling and camping opportunities. 

For questions, contact Henry Dedrick, Supervising Forester at the DEC’s Potsdam sub-office at (315) 265-3090.

Reasonable Accommodation To Use an Unmodified Crossbow During The Regular Bow Season

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Back for 2024:

A reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be requested by individuals with disabilities whose needs are not met by the Modified Longbow authorization or Modified Crossbow Special Permit. Certification of disability by a licensed physician is required for a reasonable accommodation for unmodified crossbow use to be granted. Your physician must certify that: “The individual is incapable of holding a bow or operating a mechanical device attached to a legal longbow for drawing, holding, and releasing a bowstring due to a physical disability.” See Form and Instructions to Request a Reasonable Accommodation for an Unmodified Crossbow (PDF). Hunters using an unmodified crossbow during the full bowhunting season under authority of a reasonable accommodation must possess a bowhunting privilege and a certificate of bowhunter education.

See Instructions to Request a Reasonable Accommodation for an Unmodified Crossbow (PDF).

DEC Launches Second Year of River Creel Survey on the Saranac and Boquet Rivers

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Surveys Conducted Sept. 15 through Nov. 30

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the second year of a River Creel survey will begin on the Saranac and Boquet rivers, tributaries to Lake Champlain. The River Creel survey is part of the salmon assessment and restoration efforts of the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative and was preceded by a pilot survey program in 2023.

The survey will be conducted Sept. 15 through Nov. 30, and is focused on the Atlantic Salmon spawning runs in the Saranac and Boquet rivers. The survey will provide DEC fisheries biologists with a better understanding of angler use, catch, harvest, and angler expectations on New York’s salmon rivers. Information gathered will be used to develop a bi-annual river creel survey that will monitor the salmon fishery and inform management actions on these rivers.

Anglers will be asked to voluntarily participate in the survey by providing information about their day of fishing. Collected data will include an angler’s preferred target species, the number of fish caught and harvested, and the angler’s satisfaction with the salmon fishery. If the angler allows, biological data will be collected from fish caught (length, presence of fin clips, number of sea lamprey wounds, and a genetic sample).

Survey sites on the Saranac River include the Green Street angler access site and the fishing pool below Imperial Dam in the city of Plattsburgh. The Boquet River sites include the stretch of river from the town of Willsboro boat launch at Gilliland Park upstream to the fishing pool just below the cascades.

A 2024 survey report will be released in Spring 2025 on DEC’s website. Visit DEC’s website to review the 2023 pilot survey report.  

Black Bass Tournament Permit and Reporting System Adopted for 2025

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced the adoption of regulations to implement a black bass (largemouth bass and smallmouth bass) tournament permit and reporting system. The no-cost black bass tournament permitting and reporting system will help identify the distribution and occurrence of black bass tournaments across the state.

New York’s excellent bass fishery is leading to a significant increase in the number of black bass fishing tournaments being held over the last several decades. However, the overall extent of tournament activity remains unknown and limits the ability of DEC fisheries biologists to appropriately understand and manage these fisheries for the benefit of both tournament and recreational anglers. 

The black bass tournament permit and reporting system will provide information on the extent of tournament activity and tournament results, which will be instrumental for the appropriate management of black bass fisheries. This system will also provide information on black bass tournament locations and schedules, benefiting tournament planners and anglers in general.

DEC first proposed the regulation in April 2024. An assessment of the public comments received on the regulatory proposal and the final regulation is available on DEC’s website.

Black bass tournament permits are only required for fishing tournaments where black bass are the targeted species and the tournament has 10 or more participants. Fishing tournament directors can begin applying for black bass tournament permits via an online permitting system on Sept. 9 for tournaments that begin on or after Jan. 1, 2025. 

Additional information on the black bass tournament permit and reporting system, including a map with permitted tournaments and links to the online application and reporting forms, can be found at Bass Fishing Tournament Permit.

Wilmington Wild Forest expanding

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the acquisition of 595 acres of forest in the town of Jay, Essex County, known as the Four Peaks Tract, from the Adirondack Land Trust. The acquisition adjoins the Beaver Brook Tract, part of the Wilmington Wild Forest. 

The Four Peaks tract was identified in the New York State Open Space Conservation Plan and includes the potential to expand recreational opportunities from the Beaver Brook trail network (known locally as Hardy Road), which features 8.5 miles of single-track bike trails. Currently, the Beaver Brook Tract can only be publicly accessed in Wilmington. The new acquisition is almost entirely in the town of Jay and allows for access to the Beaver Brook Tract from Jay, creating potential for an additional trailhead and connector trails.  

Future recreational development on the tract will require the Adirondack Park Agency to classify these lands prior to undergoing DEC’s unit management planning process.  

The Adirondack Land Trust purchased the land in May 2018. DEC acquired the $575,000 property through the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Among the many environmental victories in the enacted 2024-25 State Budget, Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders maintained the historically high level of $400 million in EPF funding. The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers. The EPF also supports New York’s 30×30 initiative, which commits to conserving 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030.  

For more information on Wilmington Wild Forest, visit DEC’s Website. 

High Water Advisory for Adirondacks

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on July 11 issued a high-water advisory following recent heavy rains and is urging hikers to postpone hikes near waterways and on high-elevation trails. Hikers can recreate safely and reduce negative impacts on trails to help protect natural resources throughout the Adirondack Park during this time. 

Regional waterbodies rose considerably after recent rains from Hurricane Beryl. Streams and rivers are running high and fast with strong currents. Hikers should avoid trails that include stream crossings and use all available high-water routes. Do not attempt to cross swift-moving streams and rivers. Turn back and return another day. 

Current trail conditions across the Adirondack Park are extremely wet and can pose risks to hikers such as falling due to unstable trail tread and slippery rocks, as well as hypothermia. Hikers are advised to temporarily avoid high-elevation trails because sliding boots destroy trail tread, damage surrounding vegetation, and cause washouts by eroding thin soils.  

Hikers are encouraged to check the weather for the day of, night of, and day after their trips in case of an unexpected overnight. Storms can emerge suddenly and quickly in high elevations. Water levels rise rapidly in heavy rains and can become impassable within minutes. Avoid getting caught on the wrong side of a stream and turn back at any signs of changing weather conditions. 

Areas to be temporarily closed in Jefferson County

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the scheduled temporary closure of three popular destinations in Jefferson County. Visitors will be unable to access the following locations for a three-to-four-day period between Aug. 1 and Aug. 14, 2024, to allow for scheduled maintenance of the parking areas:

The public is encouraged to pre-plan and utilize alternate access options during this time.

Questions regarding the temporary closures can be directed to the Division of Fish and Wildlife by calling 315-785-2263, or emailing information.r6@dec.ny.gov with the subject line – Jefferson County Access Closures.

Raquette River, Follensby Pond future plans

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The Nature Conservancy in New York today announced the State’s acquisition of two conservation easements that together provide public recreational access, protect natural resources, and establish a first-of-its kind research preserve on the Follensby Pond property. This announcement follows the historic agreement announced by Governor Kathy Hochul to permanently protect more than 14,600 acres of ecologically unique and historically significant Adirondack forests, wetlands, and watershed. 

The Nature Conservancy retains ownership of the Follensby property and New York State has acquired two conservation easements that protect in perpetuity these natural resources in the Adirondacks. Conservation of these properties is identified as a high priority in the New York State Open Space Conservation Plan, and acquisition of these conservation easements advances New York State’s efforts to conserve 30 percent of its lands and waters by 2030, in line with the global 30×30 initiative to protect the world’s lands and waters.

Raquette River Recreational Access Conservation Easement  

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