New York Mixed Bag: DEC upgrades tackle box function on HuntFishNY smartphone app

Albany — DEC’s HuntFishNY app has some new functionality, mainly the Tackle Box feature which now includes new largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and walleye filters.

These filters highlight waters that provide quality fishing for each species. Users can open the Tackle Box feature in the app, click on the fish icon in the upper left hand of their screen and select the species filter they want to use.

HuntFishNY is DEC’s official mobile app that provides sportsmen/women the ability to display their licenses and privileges and view important hunting and fishing related information. It also offers mobile access to electronic versions of sporting licenses, privileges and permits; the ease of reporting game harvests immediately; and links to useful information such season date summaries, fishing information, a DEC Contact list, and game harvest history.

DEC said that if auto-updates for the app aren’t enabled, users may need to download the most recent version from the Google Play or App store.

MORE COVERAGE FROM NEW YORK OUTDOOR NEWS:

Cormorant sightings on the rise on New York’s Lake George

Commentary: Hunters unhappy with New York’s Western Zone waterfowl hunting seasons

Western New York mourns the death of Capt. Hans Mann, a carver and muskie master, at age 46

New York Sea Grant Encourages Public to Participate in Cormorant Survey

Oswego, N.Y. — New York Sea Grant, a collaborative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is inviting the public to document the presence, activities, and impacts of double-crested cormorants. Double-crested cormorants are a native, fish-eating, federally protected migratory bird species.

New York Sea Grant partnered with Wayne County GIS to develop an online reporting tool at https://nyseagrant.org/cormorant for the public to upload photos and report observations of double-crested cormorant numbers, nesting, and feeding activities. The survey includes options for logging the birds’ impact to natural habitat, water quality, infrastructure, and recreational usage. The site includes a link to an observation viewer to see updates in real-time and as a resource for New York State, American, Canadian, and other environmental, wildlife and fisheries resource managers.

Double-crested cormorants utilize the Great Lakes region for breeding, with nesting colonies of a few dozen birds to more than a thousand pairs. Their droppings can destroy the trees and vegetation below their nests. The birds’ wide-ranging diet of fish is a cause of concern for the recreational fishing industry (see Page 1). Double-crested cormorants were identified as a serious issue during industry meetings held by New York Sea Grant along New York’s Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River shoreline.

Upgrades Made to Selkirk Shores and Southwick Beach State Park

Pulaski, N.Y. —The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation recently announced the completion of $9.5 million in upgrades to Selkirk Shores and Southwick Beach State Park including campground upgrades, restoration of historic facilities, and construction of a new park office.

Located in Pulaski, Selkirk Shores State Park spans 980 acres overlooking Lake Ontario and features a swimming beach, 130 campsites, 24 cabins, a boat launch, hiking trails, playground, and year-round recreation opportunities. Its location near the Salmon River and along a major migratory bird flyway makes it a popular destination for anglers, boaters, and birdwatchers. More than 2.2 million visitors have enjoyed the park over the past two decades.

For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov.

Interstate 87 Bridge Dedicated to Fallen ENCON Officer

Lake George, N.Y. — The Northway Interstate 87 overpass at Exit 23, in the Town of Lake George, will officially be dedicated to the late Stephen L. Raymond, who served as a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation law enforcement officer.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that honors Raymond, who died from illness stemming from his service in New York City after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Exit 23 overpass at the Northway will be known as the “ECO Stephen L. Raymond Memorial Bridge.” A dedication will be held later this year after the signs bearing ECO Raymond’s name are installed.

Raymond passed away on April 17, 2017 at age 67 after battling cancers linked to his duties following the 2001 terrorist attacks. A resident of Thurman, Warren County, he was a U.S. Navy veteran who worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Law Enforcement for 26 years, ending with retirement in 2007. He served most of his career in Warren County and the Adirondacks, and was known for professionalism, integrity, and steadfast commitment to environmental protection and public safety.

In February 2026, the Warren County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in support of dedicating the bridge Raymond crossed regularly during his work in Warren County, after the Town of Lake George had endorsed the memorial as well.