The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Celebrating 45 Years
Leo Maloney celebrates 45 years with the Oneida Dispatch
Since starting in February of 2020, I would say I have learned quite a lot. Although I still have a long way to go, I know I will get better as long as I continue to put in work. And perhaps I will get as good as Mr. Leo Maloney. I haven’t known Mr. Maloney for long, but I see how dedicated and hard-working he is from working with him for the Outdoors Column every Thursday.
For the past 45 years, Leo Maloney has put in the time, devotion, and passion into creating what we know as the Outdoor, or Fish and Game, Column. Continuing to develop within the same area of a profession for 45 years is astonishing and worthy of acknowledgment. So to celebrate this milestone, we will take a trip down the road of how it all began for Maloney and get to know about the man that creates, inspires, and keeps us knowledgeable on everything we need to know about the great outdoors. To help tell the story, I have the man himself to help me out. So please enjoy the diaries of Leo Maloney.
45 Years with Leo Maloney
It all started in 1976 when the sports editor at the time, Dick Bennett, asked the Oneida Fish & Game Club president if they had anyone who knew about fish & game issues that could write in complete sentences and meet deadlines. He replied that I fit the bill and was an advisor to the High School student newspaper.
They fired the old outdoor columnist, called me to a meeting, and gave me a trial of a few columns. I guess that I passed because here I am.
In the early days, we typed our columns on the typewriter and brought them into Marcia Warham. Marcia, bless her heart, also took her job variously and proofread and corrected any notable mistakes.
As we moved into the digital age, we could type and save them in digital format and send them to Marcia.
In the 45 years I have been writing, I only missed one column due to a quick trip to the hospital. Overall, these years, I got along with most sports editors. The two I didn’t, I outlasted.
One dispute led to me quitting, but a threatened boycott of several of the big advertisers led to a quick phone call asking me to come back over a “misunderstanding.” A few years ago, Phil was the managing editor and decided we would not run deer photos
since some ladies objected to pictures of dead deer. I had fought this battle before and decided I would quit. After boycotting a couple of meetings, they finally caught me between hunting trips and met with Phil and Kurt. Phil emphasized that some people did not like to look at dead deer photos. I replied — “just have them skip that page.” As a parent and a former baseball coach, I also added that I found any pictures or stories of Barry Bonds offensive! They laughed and saw my point. I stayed, and so did deer photos.
Today times are changing, and I get along great with Karen and Josh. They have been accommodating and supportive.
My writing the Outdoor Column for the Dispatch led to several other writing opportunities. The Dispatch has been very liberal and understanding as long as I do not write the same thing for another paper or magazine.
Paul Keesler, the New York Sportsman magazine publisher, noticed my writing and invited me to write a regular column. That alliance lasted 20 years until the magazine was bought in a corporate takeover. Over the years, my writing career has included writing for Great Lakes Anglers, Field & Stream, The Conservationist, and
Empire Outdoor Journal. Later I was invited to become Editor of Lake Ontario Outdoors and founded Adirondack Outdoors magazine. But there was never any conflict or neglect of the Oneida Dispatch.
I always loved the outdoors and found adventure there. My father died when I was 13, and I used to wander the nearby hills to explore. There were four trout streams nearby to learn by example. I was lucky to have two uncles to mentor and guide me. Later in life, my friend “Yukon Tom” Van Pelt became my mentor at deer hunting, and we shared many adventures between the Yukon River and the Moose River.
I have also been fortunate to share many great experiences with other outdoorsmen.
For example, I’ve been invited to spend a weekend at a millionaire’s home on Lake George, hunted grouse with a DEC Commissioner, and went fishing with others several times.
But it is the lots and lots of ordinary sportsmen that I have met, discussed hunting and fishing with, and hunted with that makes this job special. Sharing their experiences and tips makes this job very enjoyable. So many of my best friends are hunters and fishermen. I am also proud of introducing several to the various outdoor sports, from fishing to kayaking.
I am also proud of using this column to help others gain an interest in sports like kayaking, assisting others in achieving a skill like using Senkos for bass fishing, or tips for trout fishing. I am proud of using this column to promote small “mom & pop” stores. It is gratifying to hear people say they recovered a wounded deer due to advice in my column.
Sometimes these things may not seem like essential items like the crusade to save the Seneca White Deer or the Adirondack Railroad, but they have not gone unnoticed. In 2014 I was proud to receive the Paul Keesler Outdoor Citizen Award, given by the NYS Outdoor Writers Association for the person who has done the most to promote outdoor sports and conservation issues. I have been an NYS Outdoor Writers Association member for over 30 years, serving as president and receiving several other awards from the CNY Ruffed Grouse Society, Madison County Tourism. I am an inductee in the NYS Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame.
Many have commented that they like to read the column, even though they are not hunters and fishermen. Sometimes people will stop me on the street or even in church to say that they like the tips about things like guarding against mosquitoes, choosing a kayak, or preventing frostbite. In addition, people have enjoyed my humorous stories that I have run from time to time.
And to everyone, I would like to say thank you.
And to Leo Maloney, we all say thanks to you. Thank you for your incredible dedication to the Oneida Dispatch, the readers, and members of the community. Congratulations on 45 years and many more.