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Big Game Hunting in the Catskills
Youth Firearms Big Game Hunt is Coming
New York State has strong hunting traditions. Pass them on to the next generation. Adult hunters can accompany 14- and 15-year-olds for deer and bear over the three-day Columbus Day weekend, October 7-9 for the Youth Firearms Big Game Hunt. Youths may take one deer and one bear, which count toward their annual bag limit. Licensed resident or non-resident youths can participate. Adults cannot carry a firearm or bow as they mentor the youngsters. Hunt either the Northern or Southern Zones, except bowhunting only areas and Suffolk County. For complete rules see Junior Hunter Mentoring Program. As always, be safe and good hunting.
October Brings Fall Foliage, Spectacular Views and Big Game Bowhunting to the Catskills
The Catskills in autumn offer beautiful foliage, fishing in mountain streams, abundant camping opportunities and the chance to bowhunt deer and bear in solitude.
Visit the newly renovated Hunter Mountain fire tower for spectacular views of the mountains. This year marks the 100th anniversary of this fire tower, located at the highest elevation of any fire tower in New York State (4,040 feet).
Fish in the famed streams and rivers of the Catskills for trout or black bass.
Visit the newly renovated Hunter Mountain fire tower for spectacular views of the mountains. This year marks the 100th anniversary of this fire tower, located at the highest elevation of any fire tower in New York State (4,040 feet).
Try primitive camping and enjoy the expansive wilderness of the Catskills. Primitive camping is allowed on Forest Preserve lands in the Catskill Park and most State Forests. You can camp anywhere as long as you are at least 150 feet from a waterbody, road, or trail, unless the area is posted as "Camping Prohibited." Around lean-tos, camp at least 150 feet from the lean-to unless there is a "Camp Here" marker. Tents are not allowed in lean-tos. Camping is also prohibited above 3,500 feet in elevation from March 22 until December 20 each year to protect the fragile summit environment.
Bowhunt for black bear and white-tailed deer all October in the Catskills. Two big game hunting locations in the Southern Zone are Sundown Wild Forest in Ulster and Sullivan counties and Hunter-West Kill Wilderness in Ulster and Greene counties. Both are huge mountainous tracts with tens of thousands of acres. Bring a junior bowhunter afield and pass on your love of hunting. To ensure a safe and lawful hunt, familiarize yourself with all big game hunting regulations.
For excellent hunting locations throughout NYS, visit DEC’s Places to Go webpage.
Participate in DEC’s Citizen Science Wildlife Observation Data Collection Programs. Visit DEC’s webpage for reporting forms and more information on how you can help monitor wildlife populations.
Hike of the Month: Bear Mountain, Cranberry Lake Wild Forest
Town of Clifton, St. Lawrence County
If the bracing fall weather and promise of rich vistas don't inspire you to try a challenging climb, nothing will. Rocky outcrops near the top of Bear Mountain offer a spectacular view of Cranberry Lake, Joe Indian Island and the Five Ponds Wilderness. This is one of the most popular hikes in the Cranberry Lake area.
Trails: The trailhead is inside DEC's Cranberry Lake Campground, and the loop begins at a paved parking lot adjacent to campsite #27. The Bear Mountain Loop Trail is a moderate hike and is 2.4 miles round trip. Hikers may see a wide variety of mammals and birds, including white-tailed deer and ruffed grouse.
Watchable Wildlife at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve
Explore this rare inland pine-barrens ecosystem to see white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbits, red and gray foxes, and coyotes, as well as smaller mammals and several species of birds. About 18 miles of trails are available for hiking. Visitors can warm up in the fully accessible Discovery Center, located at the entrance to the preserve. Trail information and maps are available in the center, and interpretive signs about natural features at the preserve are located outdoors nearby.
Family Fishing Festival at Hempstead Lake
Want to find a sport the whole family, from toddlers to grandparents, can enjoy? Try fishing. The perfect place to start is at the annual Fall Fishing and Children's Festival, which will be held on Saturday, October 21 at Hempstead Lake State Park from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Participants fish for free; no freshwater fishing license is required. Learn how to fly-fish, cast and identify local fish. Loaner rods are available, along with free bait and fish cleaning. Children's activities will include pumpkin decorating, casting for pumpkins and face painting. Cost: $6 for those 12 and older.
Learn about family fishing in the June 2017 Conservationist.
2017 Great NYS Fair Fishing Events
Licensed hunters and anglers got into the Great NYS Fair for free on Fishing Day (August 27th), leading to an all-time record attendance for the day, with 123,206 fairgoers. DEC events included a learn-to-cast activity for children and a free fishing clinic for more than 500 participants. DEC stocked the new pond with small panfish, catfish and even some bass. Fifty-four anglers competed in the NYS Bass Fishing Tournament on Onondaga Lake and competitors showed off their catch at the live weigh-in at the fishing pond, to the delight of fairgoers. Special thanks to the Excelsior Conservation Corps and the I Fish NY staff for a great day at the Fair.
Nature Notes
White-tailed deer are often found on the edges of forests and in open areas by roadways, farm fields or waterways. These wary animals are often quiet, but they make more sounds than most people realize. Adult deer may snort or stomp a front foot when they are disturbed or frightened. During mating season, bucks sometimes make a grunting noise.
Safe and Sound
Just because the weather has turned colder doesn’t mean ticks aren’t active. As you head out hunting or hiking, be sure to take precautions against tick bites. The NYS Department of Health offers a variety of tips to keep you safe.
ECO Report
Rising Water on Canajoharie Creek - Montgomery County
ECO Jason DeAngelis and Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a call reporting several people stranded in a ravine in Canajoharie with water swiftly rising. Rescuers scrambled along the ravine and pinpointed the location of three hikers, and then conducted high angle rescue operations. All three subjects were rescued without injury from the bottom of the 350-foot-deep ravine. Earlier in the day the ravine was closed by park officials due to the threat of rising waters. The two female adults who were rescued admitted to walking around the locked gate at the entrance to the park and a second locked gate at the lower end of the park.
Upcoming DEC Events
Conservationist Magazine
Don’t miss the October issue of Conservationist magazine. Enjoy fall’s spectacular colors through the lens of photographer Wayne Jones, and marvel at the beauty of New York’s woodpeckers. Read about deer hunting on Long Island and learn about the challenges of managing the area’s escalating deer population. Also celebrate the 70th anniversary of DEC youth camps, learn about the benefits of using non-lead ammo for hunting, and find out about the rewards of being a hunter education instructor.
There's all this and much more in the August Conservationist. Don't miss it! Subscribe online or call 1-800-678-6399.
Photo Credits
- Bear Mountain - Cranberry Lake - Edmund Ressler - cnyhiking.com
- Bear Mountain - Trailhead - Edmund Ressler - cnyhiking.com
- Fox - Marty DeLong
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