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SUNDAY JANUARY 29 2012
 

Antler Shed Hunting Becoming More Popular

January is usually the time of year when whitetail bucks start to drop their antlers. Sometimes it’s earlier, sometimes later, depending on a variety of factors. In a recent year-end recap of the 2011 hunting season, North Country Whitetails offers some insight into what happened last fall and into the New Year – some excellent reading for all you deer fanatics I might add.
As of this past week, their in depth analysis on their Steuben County property showed that they had not seen any sign of bucks dropping their antlers yet. This is a good sign for them in that many times a buck will drop their head jewelry as a result of stress or injury. It’s also a word of caution for someone interested in seeking out the antler sheds for their collections.

Shed hunting has been gaining in popularity in recent years. Finding these after-season trophies is a great sport and a perfect cabin-fever reliever during the winter months. It can be much more than that – if you play your cards right. For example, it’s a great way to do some scouting in an area you hunt … or are thinking about hunting. It can lead you to trophy animals that you may not have realized were using your property as part of their range. And it can also lead you to preferred areas that the big bucks like to hang out at.

However, a word of caution: Stay out of the woods until there is some evidence that the deer are starting to drop their headgear. Believe it or not, deer can be pressured too much by shed hunters – possibly driving those big mature monsters right out of an area. That’s the last thing you want to do. Be patient and pick your time to chase down those sheds. Get in and get out, taking great care in not disturbing the local environs.

To help narrow your search, seek out deer feeding areas and bedding areas. Follow the trails between those two hang outs. If you have a good quality food source that didn’t get much pressure during the season, the deer will surely be hanging out there when food becomes scarcer in the winter months. And if deer winter up in large numbers during severe conditions (you don’t have to worry this year so far), pick a day when the “yard” is clear and you don’t push the deer away.

There is a time limit on finding these bone structures. If you don’t find them by April, there’s a good chance that rodents like mice and squirrels will have gnawed them down. Porcupines also like to chew on antlers. And spring is the time when these same bucks start to do it all over again – perform an annual ritual of growing bone on their heads. It just happens to be the fastest bone growth known, only occurring among members of the deer family.
 
The North Country Report takes you through each week of deer activity. We’ve talked about it before and it’s a great gauge as to how things are progressing each deer season. It’s a perfect measure of the rut and what that’s occurring here in the Empire State, too. If you would like to sign up for the report, send an email to Sharon@northcountrywhitetails.com  and ask to be put on their distribution list. It’s a great way to learn about deer habits and how to manage your property as it pertains to these popular big game animals.

Turkey Banquet Set –

The Niagara Falls Thunder Toms Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will be holding their 12 annual fund-raising hunting heritage banquet on Feb. 17 at the Como Restaurant in Niagara Falls. Doors open at 6 p.m.; dinner is at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $25 for the banquet; $60 for the dinner and a one year membership to NWTF. A couple price is $85, which includes one membership. To reserve your ticket, contact Jim McKenzie at 297-2810 or Jim Scalzo at 298-5656.

State of Lake Meeting March 1 –

The Lake Ontario Unit of the Department of Environmental Conservation will be taking their management efforts on the road with the State of the Lake meetings along the lake. The Niagara County (Region 9) meeting is set for March 1 and will be held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara 4-H Building, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport starting at 6:30 p.m.
The inside word is that the meeting format will be changed this year, allowing for a more streamlined approach with some increased interaction options to correspond with DEC’s management information. Be sure to mark it on the calendar to see how 2011 fared on the lake … and what to expect for 2012.
As far as the lake creel census for 2011, the unofficial word is that last year was one of the best ever in the 27 year history of the creel census – based on catch rates for salmon and trout. Early results show impressive catch rates for all the salmonid species, including the best ever for Chinook and brown trout; third best for rainbow/steelhead; fifth best for Coho salmon; and the lake trout action was the best we’ve seen in a decade. That all adds up to be a very impressive fishing season for anglers.
From May through September, census takers documented that boats averaged 4.5 fish per boat trip, nearly 50 percent higher than the previous five year average and the highest ever in the history of the census. The catches were dominated by king salmon and brown trout, making up 66 percent of the catch overall (44 percent and 22 percent respectively). For the third consecutive year, Atlantic salmon also was among the highest observed since 1994. Still a relatively small piece to the angling puzzle, census takers still managed to assess 1,224 Atlantics, down slightly from the 1,553 recorded in 2010.  We’ll have a complete report following the State of the Lake meeting when those results become official.

Bobcat Management Plan Out for Comment –

The Department of Environmental Conservation announced last week that the agency has released a five year bobcat management plan for the state. The draft plan is currently up for public review and comment through Feb. 16, 2012. This comes at a good time when bobcats seem to be more frequently sighted on the local front and throughout Western New York. The primary goal of the plan is to maintain viable population levels and monitor trends in bobcat distribution and abundance; provide sustainable use and enjoyment by the public; minimize negative interaction between these wild cats and humans. To find out more about the bobcat management plan, check out www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9360.html . Send comments in writing to DEC Bureau of Wildlife, Bobcat management plan, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754 or by email at fwwildlf@gw.dec.state.ny.us . Be sure to type in Bobcat Plan in the subject line.

LOTSA Seminar and Expo Great Cabin Fever Reliever: If you are in tune with salmon and trout fishing in Lake Ontario but would like to step up your game, the perfect way to gain some insight into a more expert level of fishing is now available next month.

Feb. 25 will be the date of this year’s Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association (LOTSA) Salmon School, an educational workshop for veteran lake trollers. Back by popular demand will be renowned captains Bob Cinelli and Vince Pierleoni, both running their vessels out of Olcott. They will be continuing their in-depth instruction on lake fishing for salmon and trout, a session that was started last year for standing room only attendees. This is an advanced class. If you are looking for the basics, this is not for you. You must pre register for this unique classroom session (which costs $70 for the day). This is sure to get your fishing juices flowing. Joining the team this year will be Capt. Tom Burke and Andy Bliss of Cold Steel Sportfishing out of Pulaski. Burke and Bliss have been a force to contend within the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament Series, winning the Challenge Cup several times as one of the top teams on the lake. There are only 100 seats available for this innovative session, so register soon.

We’ve mentioned it before but we should mention it again – LOTSA will also be holding their Lake Ontario Expo on Feb. 26 at the 4-H Building of Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara, 4487 Lake Avenue (Route 78), Lockport from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Expo is a great place to buy some used (and new) fishing equipment to either get you started with lake trolling or replace some of the old stuff that doesn’t seem to be working as well. The $5 admission cost is earmarked for pen rearing projects in Niagara and Orleans counties, a most worthy cause.

On Feb.26, there will be a Youth Fishing Class from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Preregistration is required for this free class. You can only register for the Salmon School and the Youth Fishing Class online at www.lotsa.org.

St. Lawrence River Muskies Making Headlines [SUNDAY 12/4/11]

The St. Lawrence River will always have a certain mystique when it comes to fishing for the mighty muskellunge. These are the waters that Arthur Lawton hauled in what was recognized as a world record, a 69 pound, 15 ounce fish caught on September22, 1957. While this fish has since been contested, it still stands as the state record for New York anglers. Will that record ever be broken? With the size of some of the muskies that have been caught the last couple of years from the St. Lawrence, a new record could be a very real possibility.

Last week, some of that musky magic was realized a couple times over. At the top of the list was Capt. Rich Clarke of Clayton, guiding yet another customer to atrophy leviathan. The lucky angler was Daniel Polniak, Jr. of Ogdensburg while fishing with a friend, Jeordi McEwen, last Sunday, November 27. The angling duo was fishing musky for the first time and the conditions were bad – rain and a south-southwest wind that was nearly 20 miles per hour. But sometimes that’s not a bad thing.

Photo courtesy Sign Man Charters: Left, Clarke; Right, Polniak
Clarke, who operates Sign Man Charters with his wife, Georgeen, is no stranger to terrible fall weather conditions. He’s been guiding these waters for 31 years. He’s also no stranger to big musky. In 2009 he caught and released the largest musky in the state, a 58-3/4 inch fish. Last year he caught a legitimate 59 inch fish. That magical 60 inch fish continued to elude him.

“I had it in my mind that when I caught a 60 inch musky I would have it all documented and put it on a certified scale to prove the actual size of the fish,” said Clarke, a BOCES Visual Communications teacher in Watertown.

As they trolled the river in the 28-foot Sea Bird, try tried to stay on the backside of some of the islands to stay out of the wind. As they approached the Forty Acres Shoal area, he was working a hand-painted Believer lure – a large body bait –12 to 15 feet below the surface over 50 feet of water. The boat was motoring along around 3.5 mph when the fish hit, immediately screaming out 45-poundPower Pro line. The seven foot medium action Ugly Stick was being put to the test.

“You have to do everything right when you get one of these big boys on,” insisted Clarke. “This thing came out of the water three times and it took Dan more than 20 minutes to bring in. When it came to the side of the boat, I could see it was a nice fish but I didn’t realize how nice until we brought it on board. I thought ‘this thing is a giant’ … but bigger. I didn’t realize how long it was.”

The musky stretched the tape a full 60 inches with a girth of 29-1/2 inches. After a quick picture, he had to make a quick decision. “The fish was in such good shape … the color, the fins … and after a quick discussion with the customers, we decided to release it back into the river. This thing could be the next world record.” It was released in good condition, hopefully to fight another day. How big was it? A conservative  estimate would be 60 to 65 pounds.

Musky season in the St. Lawrence and Niagara Rivers, as well as Lake Ontario, continues through December 15. For more information on Sign Man Charters, checkout www.1000islandsfishing.comor call 888-686-3041.

The Brockville (Ontario) Recorder and Times reported in the paper’s Nov. 16 edition about another huge muskellunge that they claimed tipped the scales over 70 pounds. At least on their scales it did. Jason Phillips and Sandra Ellis, both of Brockville, were fishing in about 220 feet of water just west of St. Lawrence Park in the St. Lawrence River. It was6 p.m. at night and they were trying out a new boat, hoping to catch a pickerel or two (walleye). Using a deep-diving pickerel lure with 600 feet of 100 pound test line, they hooked into a huge fish. At one point they thought it may have been a huge sturgeon. Thirty minutes later, they were trying to get the fish into the boat – they didn’t have a net. When they put the fish on their hand scale, it went over the 70 pound mark. The fish was measured at 54 inches before it was released. While it was a nice fish, it probably wasn’t as big as the 60 inch monster that was estimated between 60 and 65 pounds. Judge for yourself.

Jason Phillips

For two and a half years, Wayne Washburn of Ransomville has been keeping an eye on a big 10 point buck that was hanging around an area in hunts in Ransomville. On Thursday morning, Thanksgiving Day, he was giving thanks a little early when he had a close encounter of the hunting kind. Before 8 a.m., he looked down from his tree stand to see the monster 10 point walking right toward him. He squeezed the trigger and found his mark at just 20 yards. At 8:03 a.m. he was taking a picture of the whitetail deer. The outside spread was 23 inches wide and the green score was 171. The deer field dressed at 193 pounds. He’s taken a big eight point and a huge 11 point before, but this was by far the biggest deer of his life.

The regular Southern Zone deer season continues through Dec. 11, followed by the late archery and muzzleloader season Dec. 12-20. The deer check numbers in Region 9 are on par with previous years. On opening day they checked 84 deer; the second day they checked 140. While this is down about 15 percent from the five year average, there were three factors the could have come into play: a Bills game, warm weather (with people heading the processors earlier or cutting up deer on their own) and a holiday week keeping hunters at camp longer. Deer processors are reporting that business has been up according to DEC reports.

As far as the black bear harvest, it will be a record year for the Allegany Zone. Roughly 150 bruins have been taken so far. The previous high for this region was 92 in 2008.
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Elliott Heads List of Eight into NY Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame

Will Elliott of Pavilion is one of eight inductees when the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame holds their annual banquet on April 30 in Canastota. Elliott, outdoor columnist with the Buffalo News for many years (and something he’s still doing), is much more than just a writer. He gets involved with many things related to hunting, fishing and conservation. I’ve seen many of those efforts first hand and he deserves all he gets and more.
 
Elliott, an award winning writer who also pens a regular column in New York Outdoor News, has covered the outdoor scene for 26 years. During that time he has been a strong advocate for conservation, ethics, and increased involvement in outdoor recreation. His efforts have increased the knowledge of techniques and opportunities for sportsmen and alerted his fellow sportsmen and women to issues of importance.
He is a past president of the New York State Outdoor Writers’ Association. In addition, Elliott has also served the sportsmen of Western New York in many capacities and roles in the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and the Erie County Fisheries Advisory Board. He has been active in many clubs and organized and taught an adult education class in hunting and fishing. He actively volunteers at charity fishing tournaments and the Wounded Warriors program. Congratulations for a job well done – a fitting honor for a great guy.
 

Pen Rearing Project Complete, Leader Passes On

In a recent correspondence from Curt Meddaugh of Pendleton, project leader for the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association’s salmon and trout pen rearing project out of Olcott, you could read between the lines – he was excited by the results of the 2010 effort of rearing salmon and trout in the Town of Newfane Marina. Of course, when he reported on the project at the Niagara County Fisheries Development Board meetings, he was like a little kid –visibly excited when he updated everyone at the April meeting – so it was easy to read between the lines. To him, these were his babies and he was the proud papa.

That said, he was always quick to give credit where credit was due. He would constantly recognize the many workers that made things happen, with the end result being much improved growth and increased survival for these fish once they were released in the lake. The steelhead arrived at 29 fish per pound. Those same fish were released three weeks later at 16.5 fish per pound. Three pens full of Chinook salmon arrived in Olcott at 140 fish per pound. When they were released into Lake Ontario, they were at 68.5 fish per pound, more than doubling in size in just three weeks time.
 
His constant reminders, updates and organizational notes helped to keep the work force and media informed. His final instruction for the project was organizing the pulling of the pens and the final clean up of the netting … until next year. For Meddaugh, though, his job complete for this year, he would not return. He passed on to a much bigger project last Saturday when he died quickly, quietly sitting in his chair at home. He was only 59, much too young for the plans the fishing community had for him; and the plans his wife Mary Lou and their family had. It came as a shock for all. Even though he had a brief history of heart problems, he was feeling good and loving life.

At the memorial service, it was evident two things were his biggest loves – family and the water, with a big focus on fishing. Joe Yeager, one of the LOTSA leaders, pointed out all the things that Meddaugh meant to the club: “You name it, he was involved with everything fish-related when it came to Lake Ontario. He was the guy that always took the time to make hatchery trips, attend meetings like the Lake Ontario Sportfishing Stakeholders group, the county Fisheries Board, State of the Lake and more – and then report back to his club. He was responsible for rallying the troops when DEC needed additional eggs for the hatchery, organizing volunteers at 18 Mile Creek in Newfane. He loved to teach kids how to fish and was involved with the kids fishing program for LOTSA for the past seven years. Through his direction as club membership secretary, membership grew from 25 to more than 250. He played a major role in the club’s Salmon Spectacular, raising money for the pen projects. His most important contribution was with the pens. He was the member who stepped up and took full responsibility for this huge project and turned it into a success.”

When an issue came up, Curt would research it thoroughly so that he could speak knowledgeably. And with everything, he was passionate about things that could impact “his” fishery - positively or negatively. He was just as passionate about family and friends. When I was subjected to a couple hospital stays last fall, he would call to find out how I was doing – sincerely concerned over my well being. If work needed to be accomplished or a meeting needed to be attended, Curt was always willing and not afraid to get involved or share an opinion. There are no replacing guys like Meddaugh. They are the ones that truly make a difference while they enjoyed their time in this world…and we are better for it. He’s enjoying another world for sure right now. We’ll miss you, man!

 

Honoring Conservation Leaders of Niagara

The Niagara County Federation of Conservation Clubs held their annual awards banquet, Saturday April 3 2010, recognizing conservation leaders for 2009, but that’s a bit of a misnomer. While the year might be 2009, the individuals, committees and organizations being honored have been doing this for a long, long time. They are the work horses, the people in the trenches getting the jobs done and preserving and protecting an outdoor heritage we all can enjoy today, while helping to guarantee a future in the great outdoors for the next generation of sportsmen and sportswomen following in step.

Where do you start? You can’t slight anyone – this is a who’s who among the conservation ranks, the elite leaders that have already paved a path for many to follow. It’s only fitting that we recognize the lifelong ambassadors of the outdoors through something brand new in Niagara County – A Wall of Fame for conservationists, named after the late, great Don Bronson. Situated at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara, this wall is designed for the dedication and service to the conservation movement and outdoor sporting fraternity, helping to preserve and protect our outdoor heritage for generations to come. The inductees for 2009 were William Mudge of Gasport, who recently passed on, and William R. Hilts (aka Bill, Sr.) of Sanborn who is still as active as he ever was.

Mudge was recognized “for his lifelong dedication to the American Conservation ethic and sportsman community, with his steadfast belief and respect for the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution; served in excellence, honor and patriotic integrity.” So the wall will read in his honor.

Hilts, Sr.’s wall notation will read: “A lifetime dedicated to raising the level of awareness of outdoor recreational opportunities and conservation issues in Niagara County, New York and the Country.” While we could go on and on with both Mudge and Hilts, this was a fitting tribute by the Federation to these elite leaders.

Leading right into the awards was the Victor Fitchlee Memorial Award for lifetime achievement and Mudge was recognized for that feat as well, an award that Hilts, Sr. received several years ago. Added to the list of notables this year was Ernie Calandrelli of Lewiston. It’s safe to say that this person has become a legend of sorts when it comes to hunting and fishing circles around the country. Let’s start with the hunting end of things. His name is synonymous with turkeys -- but in a good way! He’s been talking turkey for nearly four decades, winning many calling contests along the way. He started working for Quaker Boy Game Calls in Orchard Park and is now the Director of Public Relations for that company. He’s always willing to give a talk or share his time, especially when kids are involved. As far as his fishing exploits, he’s been a lower Niagara River Charter captain for over 25 years and is considered one of the best in the business. Not only is he an ambassador of our fisheries, he is very giving of his time and energy as he does his best to pass on these traditions – starting with his own family. His son Nick is a chip off the old block – and it scares him!

The Oliver Jones Memorial Award is given out each year to the person recognized as the top outdoor sports person, the area’s conservationist of the year. The 2009 recipient was Joel Thomas of Appleton. This year’s winner is a perfect fit for what this award symbolizes. He has been a D.E.C. Firearms and Bow Safety Instructor for nearly 15 years, assuring the hunting traditions and the ethical responsibilities are a part of the process of this important education. Hundreds of young and old alike have benefited from this person’s witty presentation of the teaching material. He has always been an advocate of wise conservation techniques promoting the control of both predator and game animal populations alike through sportsmanlike hunting practices.

Showing the way by example, he is instrumental in training seminars introducing newcomers to firearms programs at North Forest Rod and Gun Club. His teaching style allows young and old to learn in a friendly environment without the fear of embarrassment. His many achievements never have overshadowed his interest or availability for volunteer work! He is a sought after speaker at schools and civic organizations and has been featured on the “The Why Guy” as well as daily television news and radio shows that aired his expertise and understanding of the dynamics of having humans and wild animals coexisting in an urban setting. He is also featured weekly on radio station 1230 am WECK where he answers questions concerning wildlife in urban settings. And speaking of answering questions about techniques for living with wildlife, he has authored a book that will soon be available to the general market. The title is “Creature Comforts.”

The Leroy Winn Memorial Award is the Niagara County Federation of Conservation Club’s special acknowledgement for Club of the Year. This year’s winner was the Twin City Shooting Club of North Tonawanda. At a time when our Second Amendment rights are being threatened, it’s important to have clubs like this to not only feed the sport, but also recruit new members to the shooting fraternity. They do the best they can with what they have to work with. The club’s modest shooting facilities belie its many varied and impressive contributions to the Western New York Community. As the club strives to enlarge programs for the young, as well as the experienced, this club continues to offer new opportunities for shooters in the safe and enjoyable recreational shooting sports arena. They are doing their part to ensure the long-term viability of the shooting sports in America. They have focused on the youth in a big way, developing interest and enthusiasm for junior rifle programs. In addition to working with NRA Qualification Awards, today’s juniors are participating in NRA sectional competitions, Junior Olympics and other local matches, as well as the National matches.

The Milford “Pinky” Robinson Award is an annual award handed out for an individual’s dedication to the Great Lakes fisheries. This year’s winner was Bob Cinelli of Newfane. There isn’t a better person in the county more deserving of this award from the standpoint of fisheries dedication. As an active member of the county’s Fisheries Development Board, the same board that Pinky served on, he’s represented fishing interests for well over two decades on this board. As a charter captain, he’s one of the senior members with over 30 years experience on the Great Lakes out of the port of Olcott and in the lower Niagara River. He also serves as chairman of the Niagara County Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament, an event he himself has elevated to new heights thanks to his leadership and guidance. He helps coordinate the Buffalo Sabres Spring Salmon Spectacular in Olcott each spring, raising money for charity, kids fishing programs and the local community. He also works hard to help generate additional funds for the various kids fishing derbies around the county which translates into fishing prizes for the kids.
 
The Carl Lass Memorial Award, symbolic for Youth of the Year in the conservation arena, went to Jeff Ventry, Jr. of Sanborn. This is an important award from the standpoint that these recipients are the future of our outdoor heritage. They carry the torch for the next generation of sportsmen. This year’s winner is an avid outdoorsman and conservationist. He is the member of the 3-F Club and has earned “Distinguished Expert” on the Junior Sporter Rifle Team. He shoots skeet on two different teams at two different clubs and at one was awarded the Youth High Gun. In the Jim Kelly Charity Shoot, he’s placed in the Top 3 two years in a row. As a student at Niagara Wheatfield High School, this 14 year old freshman is an active member of the Environmental Club and the Outdoor Club. He also performs many volunteer services in the community including working at registered skeet shoots, participating in road clean up efforts and taking part in tree planting projects.

The John Daly Memorial Award, remembering a former great state politician, is symbolic for the Legislator of the Year – and this year the federation recognized John Ceretto of Lewiston. The county legislator has been a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights for Niagara County. A recent member of the NRA, this individual has co-authored and supported numerous resolutions to advance a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms, often opposing legislation that may be pushed on a state level. This person works hard to facilitate recycling programs as chairman of the Refuse District and also works hard to protect our waterways through other committees.

The Ken Berner Memorial Conservation Award is given out each year to the person, family or organization dedicated to conservation. This year, the Federation is recognizing a 3-F Club committee, a special triumvirate that has dedicated themselves to a special focus – Pam Barber of Ransomville, Sherry Marsh of Model City and Kim Dorato of Niagara Falls. Their big effort involves future generations and their focus is on youth conservation camps and raising money to send them. To date, their total has exceeded $5,000, sending nearly 20 kids to camp just on their own efforts.

The President’s Award is typically given to a person or organization that has done something special in the conservation and sporting community, something really unique that is outside the norm of all the other federation awards. It was only fitting that this year’s honorees were the two people who spearheaded the Don Bronson Conservation Memorial Wall of Fame – Larry Koch of Appleton and Greg Tessmann of Gasport. Way to go, guys!

This year’s recipient of the James Reed/Donald Meyer Memorial Hunter Education Award for Firearms goes to a gentleman that can only be described as a really nice guy – Bryan Meahl of Appleton who operates out of North Forest Rod and Gun in Lockport. He always goes above and beyond the call of duty and his list of accomplishments is most impressive.

The Steve Fountain/Archie Lowery Memorial Award gives special recognition to an individual for dedication to bowhunter safety education and training went to Claus Leyder of Lewiston. This year’s recipient has been teaching at one of the Federation clubs for over 25 years. He has also given volunteer service at several other clubs in the county, such as Newfane Conservation and Seven Clan Bowmen.

The Winner of the John Long, Sr. Award for business person of the year went to Dave Erway of Buckeye Scents in Wilson. Erway, owner of several Niagara County businesses, if always giving of the use of his facilities and several local clubs regular meet at his lodge quarters. It was fitting that he was recognized for this prestigious award, remembering and old friend to conservation. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Obama Task Force Could Negatively Impact Sportfishing [From Sunday 3/14/10]

Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse and that you’ll always have things like outdoor recreation to fall back on, some information has come out this week that pegs the Obama Administration for doing some things behind the scenes that could negatively impact recreational sportfishing – with little or no input from the sportfishing community. And the Great Lakes are lumped in with this effort.

For example, did you know that an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force was created to address commercial and recreational fishing concerns? Their goal was to develop the Obama Administration’s proposed Ocean, Coasts and Great Lakes management policy – released in two parts late last year. Want to comment on it? Too late, the comment period is already closed. According to Robert Mongomery, in an article at ESPNOutdoors.com (March 10), fishing industry insiders felt that any comment period or any type of public input was a complete farce anyway.

Montgomery points out that several key “green” groups such as World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Pew Environmental Group and others produced a document entitled “Transition Green” shortly after Obama took office. Many of the things that have happened since then have been in stride with that document. Throw in the fact that these groups have agenda’s against fishing at a variety of levels and you can see where there is some definite concern over what will happen in the future with regard to the Task Force findings and recommendations. And then, ultimately, the Executive Order from the President to adopt the recommendations.

Led by Jane Lubchenco with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), many of these Task Force agencies purportedly have close ties with these same “green” groups and the fear is that some fishing actions may be on the chopping block. In fact, it is being compared to what happened in the Province of Ontario when anti-hunting groups forced the closure of the spring bear hunt – with no regard for sound wildlife management practices or what it would do to small businesses and the northern Ontario economies. The results could be devastating.

The same day that Montgomery’s article appeared, a letter went out from Michael Nussman, President of the American Sportfishing Association, pleading for stakeholders – businesses and fishermen alike – to contact President Obama directly to voice your concerns and have him do everything in his power to support recreational sportfishing. Write a letter and fax it to the White House at 202-456-2461 or you can go on the Keep America Fishing website at www.keepamericafishing.org  and send an e-mail. The e-mail will be copied to members of Congress and key policy makers in the Department of Commerce and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Timing is critical because the final report was set to be completed by the end of March. Get informed and get involved! Check out the Robert Montgomery article at www.espnoutdoors.com , too .

 

 DERBY DATES POSTED HERE Compiled by Bill Hilts Jr.

Outdoors Niagara Exclusive

Hilts Jr. recapping 2009:

"But it’s also important that future generations of outdoors users are aware of what we are passing down. They need to be exposed to hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and so much more. It’s our job to educate, mentor and guide, to help fill the shoes of the many, many talented leaders we have lost over the years. But there is not filling those shoes – not really. This year was no exception. People like Joe Ognibene, Bill Mudge, Vince Caterina and Doug Stein are just a few of the leaders that can never be replaced. Each of those people made impacts on our current generation of sportsmen and women right here in Western New York and beyond. These losses really hit home our mortality, that we are not invincible. It’s our job to pass along our outdoor heritage, before it’s too late. We aren’t going to be around forever."