Wildlife, Fish, and Marine Life Newsletter

State Lands to Visit: Pharsalia Wildlife Management Area

Pharsalia Wildlife Management Area (WMA), located in Chenango County, was established as a Game Refuge in 1926, and it is the state’s oldest WMA. The WMA is identified as both a Bird Conservation Area (BCA) and an Important Bird Area (IBA) due to the unique combination of altitude, location within the state, and large, contiguous forests. Pharsalia is known to attract wintertime bird species such as red crossbill, white-winged crossbill, common redpoll, and pine siskin. However, visitors may encounter a host of bird species year-round. It contains an assortment of hardwoods like maple, cherry, ash, and aspen intermixed with hundreds of acres of Norway spruce and pine plantations. The WMA is a popular location for hunting, trapping, and wildlife watching.  White-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, American woodcock, and eastern cottontail are readily found, and as the forests have aged, chances of sighting a black bear or a fisher have increased. A network of good interior roads provide access to the WMA’s 4,689 acres. Please note that during winter the roads are not maintained, and the area can get heavy snowfall, which limits visitor access.

Tracking Bird Migrations with New Technology

This past fall DEC installed a Motus Wildlife Tracking Tower at Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area to monitor bird migration through this critical migration corridor and stopover site. Motus is an international tracking network of fixed telemetry receivers to monitor the movement and behavior of flying animals (birds, bats, and even large insects). Study animals are fitted with light-weight, digitally-encoded “nano-tags”. These tags and the network can track an individual animal across thousands of miles.

The newly-installed tower produced ‘hits’ from 2 Swainson's Thrushes as they migrated through the Montezuma Wetlands Complex this fall. The birds were tagged in Todoussca, Quebec along the St. Lawrence River and Shag Harbour, on the southern tip of Nova Scotia.  The Swainson's Thrush is a bird of boreal (northern) forests, with a breeding range that extends from Alaska to Newfoundland. Wintering locations can be found from Mexico to South America. 

Are You New to Hunting or Trapping? Have You Mentored a New Hunter or Trapper? We Want to Hear Your Story!

We are looking for hunters and trappers who would like to share a story about their first memorable experience afield or an experience where they introduced a new person to hunting or trapping. Selected essays will appear in the 2018-19 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Guide.

Essays can be submitted in one of three categories:

• Junior Youth Hunters/Trappers - currently in grades 6 through 12
• Senior Youth Hunters/Trappers - currently in grades 9 through 12
• Adult Hunters/Trappers - ages 18 and older

DEC staff will select one winning essay in each category. Winners' essays will appear in the 2018-19 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Guide, which is read by over 500,000 people each year! The winners will also receive a $50 gift certificate.

To learn more about contest requirements and how to submit an essay, visit the DEC website. Submissions must be postmarked by March 15, 2018.