The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Seneca White Deer tours planned for fall
One of the unique and great attractions of the area is the presence of the Seneca white deer herd in Seneca County near Romulus. These are not albinos but instead are normal whitetail deer that have a recessive gene. This herd developed when the Seneca Army Depot was formed and a fence surrounded the 10,000 acres of the complex. With the army turning the facility over to the Seneca Industrial Development organization, there was real fear for the elimination of the white deer. The depot also has a fascinating military history. We have seen the white deer many times while camping on nearby Seneca Lake and have taken tours twice. We highly recommend them!
I am passing along good news and an appeal from Dennis Money for assistance from anyone able to assist.
An open letter from Dennis Money, President of Seneca White Deer, Inc.:
Nearly 19 years ago a small group of conservation minded individuals became very concerned about the future of the wildlife, especially the unique white deer, that lived within the 10,000 acres of the former Seneca Army Depot. Due to that concern they decided to form Seneca White Deer, a 501c3 not for profit organization. They felt the tremendous need to help educate the public and political leaders about this great resource and how, with proper management, it could become a world class tourism
attraction.
Now they are happy to report that after many thousands of hours of effort by the board and supporters, the mission appears to be successful! SWD recently signed an agreement with Earl Martin, the eventual owner of 7,000 acres of the depot, to conduct tours and preserve the white deer of the depot and its history. The depot is the home of the world’s largest herd of white, whitetail deer which in the tourism arena is a unique niche market item!
SWD is now undertaking the funding and building of a new Welcome Center which will be the starting and ending point of the year round depot tours. Eventually, they hope to incorporate as much ‘green’ technology as possible for this facility and include electric buses and solar generated power in our operations.
Their goal is to have a functioning Welcome Center this fall to be able to start tours sometime this October. With New York State’s emphasis on increasing tourism and the uniqueness of the white deer tours, this is a valuable opportunity to improving the economy of our area and preserving a truly unique resource.
They would appreciate your consideration of a tax deductible donation to help SWD build the Welcome Center. This facility, the Welcome Center, its parking lots and a garage for the tour buses will cost approximately $300,000. It will be expandable so as the tours become more popular they can grow the facility to incorporate the needs of the public to promote conservation and tourism. Checks can be made payable to Seneca White Deer Inc. or a credit card donation can be made through the website, www.senecawhitedeer.org. Your support to help in this effort to build the Welcome Center is greatly appreciated.
SHORT CASTS
Vernon Rod and Gun Club Kids Derby: The Vernon Rod and Gun Club annual Fishing Derby held earlier this year was a success, despite being postponed a week due to high water. A lot of kids turned out for fishing fun, prizes and refreshments. All the kids had a great time. Two photos show the joy of the participants. One photo shows the group of kids who won various items of fishing tackle. The other photo shows a young lady from Alaska who decided to show up and join the fun. The large bass that she is holding was the very first fish she had ever caught! Congratulations to the members of Vernon Rod and Gun Club for another fine job with the kids this year.
King George Fishing Derby: Lake George’s third annual King George Fishing Derby kicks off on Sept. 16 with new dates and new features designed to attract more anglers to the “Queen of America’s lakes.” The annual derby was previously held during the lake’s busy summer season and the new dates are meant to alleviate problems with recreational boaters and offer better fishing, especially for bass.
This year’s Derby includes a new prize category for landlocked salmon, along with large and smallmouth bass and lake trout in the Senior Division. There will be no salmon category in the Junior Division that is under 16 years of age. Registration for the 2017 Derby will be at the American Legion Post on Route 9L and includes free refreshments. Entry fee is $50 for adults and $30 for juniors. All entrants receive a free tshirt and admission to the awards ceremony.
Fishing is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Registration is 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday. Boats may launch at any site with weigh stations available at the Hague boat dock, Roger’s Memorial in Bolton Landing and the village’s public docks in Lake George.
Over $15,000 in prize money goes to the winners with juniors receiving a variety of merchandise prizes. Entries are available online at www. king george fishing derby. com and a local fish and bait shops.