Take advantage of endof-summer activities

Even with nice weather expected, the closure of facilities and school activities will limit opportunities.

“I’ve laid around and played around this old town too long. Summer’s almost gone and winter’s coming on…”

Cisco Houston – “Travel On”

The lyrics from the old song by Cisco Houston remind us that summer is rapidly drawing down and changes are ahead. We may not be moving on and winter is not around the corner. However, the changes in weather, activities, and schedules mean that we had better take advantage of the last couple weeks of the summer season. Even though we should have plenty of nice weather ahead of us, the closure of many facilities, the start of school, fall sports, etc. will limit many of our opportunities.

Fishing opportunities will be limited somewhat although the fishing conditions should improve in many cases as water levels rise and the temperature cools. Thus far, the bass fishing has been spotty. Bill Batdorf and other local anglers have had some good days or nights, but there have also been some slow outings. In the Adirondack lakes where I have been doing most of my fishing lately, bass are in deeper water and also inconsistent. I have caught some good sized smallmouth and largemouth but not a lot of them. Charter captains like Al Benas said that the bass fishing has been slow on the St. Lawrence River.

One of the places where fishing has been very good is Lake George. Captain Jeff Johnson (Capt. “J J”) has been doing very well on lake trout all season and he expects the fishing to continue that way. He also has taken some nice landlocked salmon and smallmouth bass in the evenings. Contact JJ at 518668-5657 or info@captjj.com.

Fishing for salmon on Lake Ontario has been good, although you have to move around a bit to find them each day. The LOC Derby will run August 7 – September 3. Local registration and weigh station is Jim Dence’s All

Season Sports in Pulaski.

Camping is still available at most state campgrounds operated by the DEC or OPR until Labor Day. A lot of them will close on Labor Day although some remain open for camping in most areas. Check the DEC or NYS campgrounds websites for those that remain open and their closing dates.

It has been tough to get reservations or available spaces this summer in most campgrounds due to the increasing popularity of camping, and the warm weather we had for many weeks. This has been aggravated by the asinine reservation system operated by Reserve America. But since many families will stop camping due to school sports starting soon, there will be a few more sites available. Some of the less popular campgrounds have a lot of open spaces and still offer a nice experience.

Some of the great unique experiences will continue to be available. For example the Revolution Rail bikes will be open daily until Labor Day and then from Thursday through Sunday until October 28. These rail bikes which are carts that fit on the railroad tracks at North Creek are operated by pedaling, similar to an exercise bike. The carts are guided by professionals on a six mile round trip up the abandoned Tahawus line along the Hudson River. Check out www.revrail.com or call 518-251-2345 for more information.

The River and Rail excursions out of Old Forge will be operating Thursdays through Sundays until Columbus Day. Paddle your own canoe or kayak, or rent one from Tickners, and take a scenic trip down the Middle Branch of the Moose River for four hours. Upon reaching Tickner’s private landing you will pull your boat up to the platform and you and your boat will ride the Adirondack Railroad back to Old Forge. Reservations must be made through Tickners Canoe Outfitters (315-369-6286).

Hunting season is just around the corner so get serious about practicing and getting your gear in shape. See the reminder about Hunter Safety Courses elsewhere in this column.

SHORT CASTS

Hunting and Trapping Education Courses are Available: With fall hunting season right around the corner many people will be looking for Hunter Safety Courses. Courses fill up quickly, so sign up now! All new hunters and trappers planning to go afield this season must first complete a mandatory hunter, bowhunter or trapper education course before obtaining the appropriate sporting license. With state licenses now on sale, DEC encourages firsttime hunters and trappers to sign up for courses, as they fill quickly. Each year, more than 45,000 New Yorkers take DEC’s hunter and trapper education courses.

Thousands of dedicated, DEC-certified instructors provide training courses free of charge. All courses require homework that students must complete before attending classrooms and field sessions.

DEC’s online registration system makes it easy to view a list of all available courses and locations. To locate a nearby course, visit DEC’s website. Students can register from any device - smartphone, tablet or computer - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Courses are added continuously throughout the year, so those interested should regularly check the online system to find a local course.

Spring Turkey Hunter Bags Bird with Rare Triple Spurs: This spring, my friend Bill Hollister, a retired DEC biologist and avid turkey hunter, knew he had found something rare after he bagged a gobbler in Columbia County. Once he had the bird in hand, he saw that it had three spurs on each leg!

In general, most gobblers have spurs, and the length of the spurs is an indication of a bird’s age. On rare occasions, a gobbler will fail to develop one or both spurs, and even more rare still is a gobbler with two spurs on a leg. A bird with triple spurs is almost unheard of.

Over the past decade, DEC staff have examined thousands of legs from turkeys killed by hunters in the fall and have seen missing spurs and some double spurs, but never a triple spur. It is a rare abnormality when gobblers have multiple spurs. According to Lovett Williams, a renowned turkey biologist in Florida, less than two dozen gobblers with double spurs have been reported. There are only two reports of birds with triple spurs – one of which is from Mississippi.

A triple spur is quite the find! It is fitting that Bill Hollister who has killed over 200 tom turkeys in New York and neighboring states would be the one to accomplish it.

NYSOWA seeks nominations for Paul Keesler Outdoor Citizen Award: The NYSOWA M. Paul Keesler New York Outdoor Citizen Award will be presented to an individual or organization that effectively has raised the public’s awareness of outdoor recreational opportunities and conservation issues in New York State. This can be a long-term effort or major development. This effort can be to spread the word of outdoor opportunities or some important issue brought to the public’s attention. The award recipient will be officially announced at the annual conference of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association (NYSOWA).

The award was created to honor worthy individuals and organizations, at the same time perpetuating the name of one of NYSOWA’s dearest members. The late M. Paul Keesler spent nearly five decades promoting and conserving the outdoor wonders and recreational opportunities within New York State, including through the New York Sportsman magazine.

Anyone may submit a nomination of 350 words or less. Nominations must be received by August 25, 2018. Send nominations to Leo Maloney, 321 Robertson Road, Sherrill, NY 13461 or e-mail leomaloney@hotmail.com