Start spreadin’ the news: New York state fishing is as good as it gets
Sadly, the state doesn’t do nearly enough to market the fishing possibilities.
Steve Piatt
Encounter with a pack rat: Big rodent roams remote camp
I’ve stayed in all kinds of camps over the years – deer camps, turkey camps, trout camps – in cabins of varying degrees of rustic. As a result, I’ve seen my share of mice and had them tap-dancing on my head a time of two, notably in our now-sold camp near Boonville in the Adirondacks. We eventually tightened things up a bit…
Giving coyotes a free pass during deer season
Most hunters choose to take the shot.
Dogs and porcupines don’t mix
At one time I held a certain fascination with porcupines, always enjoying an occasional encounter with the quilled critters, able to get up close (but not too close) and personal, or watch them from a short distance as they went about their bark-chewing ways. Then I got a Labrador retriever, and my attitude toward porcupines did a 180. Over the years…
Getting organized: Establish some ‘grab-and-go’ gear
Somewhere, somehow, things have gotten a little disorganized around here. The office and my desk are fine; a bit cluttered, but that’s typical any time a deadline is approaching (and it seems there always is a deadline approaching). What I’m talking about is my hunting and fishing gear. It’s around, and I know exactly where most of it is. But if something arose,…
Get the kids involved well ahead of the actual youth hunts
And keep in mind, it’s not a one-time, one-outing detail. Studies have shown it can be a two- or three-year process before the youth or adult is ready to go it alone.
Hunt trip planning: Your boots may be even more important than your firearm
As you can imagine, I’m really looking forward to my British Columbia mountain goat hunt this fall, even though I know it will almost assuredly be the toughest and most challenging hunt I’ve ever experienced. I’m preparing for the pain by inflicting some on myself this summer, donning a 40-pound pack and huffing and puffing my way up hills I…
There’s more than gobblers out there, so take in the spring
One of the writer’s favorites is the bobolink, which generally appears in early to mid-May in the Southern Tier. It’s been a strange spring gobbler season, full of the usual highs and lows, filled tags, close calls, and near misses. A mid-season gobbling lull could be blamed on some wet and cool weather, but there always seemed to be a…
Some real early turkey talk: Match your strikers with the right pot call
Just when you’re ready to relegate one to a stash of calls in your camo bag, you connect with the right striker and you’re ready to put it in your vest for future action.
Centerpin fishing becomes a center of attention
I don’t know much about centerpin fishing but I’m ready and willing to learn, especially after seeing all the Facebook photos from friends who seem to consistently – and I mean consistently – score on fine steelhead and hefty, colorful brown trout. It’s something I’ve been considering for a while, even though the traditional Great Lakes tributary hotspots – Oak Orchard Creek,…
With deer season winding down, plenty of tags remain unfilled
Looking at the season to this point, the writer is beginning to see that they’re getting out of it what they put into it.
Make the hunt happen – don’t pin all your hopes on luck of the draw
Make the memories while you can, while your legs still allow you to hunt hard, and before something comes along that prevents you from doing what you love. You never know when your hunting time is up.
Deer hunters should learn a bit about food sources in the forest
You don’t have to be a biologist with a degree in forestry, but some basic knowledge can go a long way in the deer woods.
Bassmaster Elite Series returns to New York’s St. Lawrence River
Waddington, N.Y. — Jamie Hartman’s bad back might not hurt nearly as much as does having to miss the Bassmaster Elite Series event when it returns to the St. Lawrence River here Aug. 23-26. Hartman, of Newport, N.Y., has been sidelined by a ruptured disc in his back, and that means he’ll miss the tourney that will be conducted on…
Shape up for hunting season – and a physical isn’t a bad idea, either
Make it hurt now and it will hurt a little less when it’s time for that future hunt of a lifetime.
This summer, fishing takes a back seat to time on the rifle range
Paula put three of four shots into a six-inch square last week from 200 yards, and the lone miss wasn’t off by much. That kind of shooting easily puts her in the kill zone of a moose, although she wants to tighten things up even more before we head to The Rock.It’s been a bit of an unusual spring and…
Missing a gobbler: It happened today, and it will probably happen again
Still, the excitement surrounding turkey hunting is the very reason we arise in the middle of the night and head out into the turkey woods.
Experience crucial to spring gobbler success
And other simple things to remember as we begin another season in the turkey woods.
Bad bamboo: Japanese knotweed clogs riverbanks
Expect to encounter Japanese knotweed along riverbanks.I’m already looking ahead to spring and, obviously, turkey hunting, but also to the open-water fishing season. Paula and I didn’t get a lot of fishing in last year and I can’t remember why, but I know some of it was due to high water conditions on the nearby Susquehanna River. That eliminated our typical…
Pheasant hunting on hold with Finn on the mend
I’m never sorry to see deer season come to an end because, by early December, I’ve had plenty of time in a tree, usually have enough venison in the freezer, and have made enough memories in the field that I’m ready to move on to the next big thing. And that next big thing is pheasant hunting. Our 2-year-old Lab Finn…
Planning, preparation key for major hunting, fishing trips
When it comes to any trip involving considerable effort – and expense – Paula and I tend to research and plan thoroughly. That said, when the time finally arrives for a memorable excursion, we enter it with the mentality that chances are it won’t go as smoothly as designed on paper. You have to roll with the punches during a hunting…
Young hunters need early success
A little positivity will go a long way toward becoming a dedicated hunter.
Summer shooting sessions set the stage for fall hunting success
Getting out to trap, skeet, sporting clays, and the rifle and pistol ranges are just plain fun. But the shooting sessions will also almost assuredly pay dividends in the fall when you’re hunting small or big game.
Fur prices likely to remain low for 2016-17
N.Y. trappers head into season with little optimism
One-shot archery practice best simulates your hunting scenario
Certainly multiple-arrow sessions have their place in developing your shooting form, building your muscles and tightening your groups. But don’t ignore a one-shot practice regimen.
Bruins on the move
Dry weather may set the stage for high bear harvest
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