Walleye, northern pike, tiger muskie and pickerel season will close Friday and will reopen again May 1.
This recent burst of warm weather following the cold front that pushed through the region last weekend should have the walleyes chomping hard for the last two days of the season.
The barometric pressure tops out midday Thursday and begins to fall significantly. That fact, coupled with seasonally warm temperatures as water levels clear up and return to normal, should make the last two days of the season very promising. If you are that die-hard walleye guy, this could be a great chance to pack away another few pounds of filets in the freezer.
PUBLISHER'S CLEARINGHOUSE PULLS THE PLUG ON WIDE OPEN MEDIA
In an abrupt and unexpected move late Tuesday morning, Publisher's Clearinghouse pulled the plug on the existence of the Wide Open Media Group.
Wide Open Media featured a handful of individual platforms, such as “Wide Open Spaces,” “Wide Open Country” and “Wide Open Pets” that were all touted as "storytellers celebrating our country roots."
Wide Open Spaces might be the one digital platform we are most familiar with as an internet-based source of free articles through subscription emails. Wide Open Spaces was a collaboration of hot and interesting hunting, fishing and overall outdoor genre topics written with a high focus on search engine optimization.
No warning was given, it was just another day for many of the independent contractor freelance writers. It was business as usual Tuesday, until it wasn't. Email addresses stopped working, the slack server to upload content went down and just like that, Wide Open Media Group disappeared.
LIFE JACKETS
Many lakes are becoming ice free much earlier than our typical time frame this season. We rarely get to capitalize on the tail end of walleye season in a soft-water scenario. Remember, anyone in a boat less than 21 feet in length anytime between Nov. 1-May 1 must wear a securely fastened life jacket. This includes "paddlecraft," such as kayaks and canoes.
A little over four years ago, Brianna’s Law went into effect. This law requires that, according to your date of birth, anyone operating a motorboat eventually must hold a New York State-approved boating safety certificate. It had segmentations, starting with the youngest generation legally allowed to operate a motor boat, but would ultimately phase in everyone over a period of five years. For now, if you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1978, you need a boating safety certificate when operating a motorized vessel. You need to complete an approved boating safety course to get your boating safety certificate.
All operators of motorized vessels, regardless of age, will need a boating safety certificate by Jan. 1, 2025.
ASSEMBLY BILL 8295 AND SENATE BILL 7927
There are a pair of ridiculous bills pending within the state Assembly and Senate. Bill 8295 and Bill 7927 are currently under a "pending" status.
The purpose of said bills is as follows: "Protects wolves by requiring animals which could be wolves be submitted for a DNA test and, when determined to be wolves, requiring the department take action to protect wolves from being taken in the future."
A quick synopsis in layman's terms reveals the irrationality of such proposed laws.
First, every single canid (which means every member of the dog family), such as coyotes and foxes, would have to be tagged and checked in with DEC. The process of this part of the bill has not been established, nor identified yet, more than likely because there is not even close to enough manpower to even attempt such a feat.
Next, if the animal weighs more than 50 pounds, it would automatically be subjected to a DNA analysis test conducted by a genetics laboratory that has a reputable status in genotyping hybridized canids, to be paid for by the DEC, otherwise known as our tax dollars and revenue generated from hunting and fishing license sales. If any said animal was determined by the laboratory to contain wolf genetics in the area, there then would be a moratorium imposed to stop the taking of all wild canids in the area and adjacent bordering areas for as long as deemed necessary. The DEC would also be required to modify its hunting and trapping curriculum to accommodate wolves being present in New York state, including, but not limited to, checking and tagging requirements for all wild canids and how to distinguish a wolf when a hunter or trapper is in the field.
Not even taking into account the dollar value of this, the manpower alone to have a DEC representative tag and check each and every coyote taken is utterly absurd. I personally know more than a few hunters that take coyotes almost on a nightly basis throughout the duration of the season, equating to over 100 a season. Just to check these groups alone would be a monumental task, let alone the entire state!
SUMMER CAMP SIGNUP COMING SOON
Registration for the 2024 DEC Summer Camp season will open Sunday, March 24 at 1 p.m. Currently, the DEC plans to open Camp Rushford and Pack Forest for seven weeks this season.
The DEC may open registrations for Camp DeBruce and Colby at a later date, if additional staff becomes available this spring.
Speaking of additional staff, if you or anyone you know is looking for a seasonal summer job which in turn helps out our youth campers then check out the employment at https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/summer-camps/education-camp-employment.
PINE BUSH EVENTS ON THE HORIZON
Pine Bush will host Full Moon Hike on Monday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy the Pine Bush at night under a full moon and experience some of the unique features of life after the sun goes down. This program meets inside the Discovery Center. It’s suitable for ages 8-and over.
The Pine Bush will also hold a Woodcock Survey and many other additional classes, courses, and hikes. Visit https://www.albanypinebush.org/index.php?section=visit-calendar to check out all the Pine Bush has to offer.