Even for people used to winter weather and looking forward to winter sports, this has been a tough winter. Extremely cold temperatures and wind chill have kept a lot of people inside this winter. By this time many people are getting cabin fever. The solution is to get out and about this weekend. In addition to the usual winter sports there are some special events going on that will help improve your mood.
Great Swamp Conservancy’s Winter Hibernation Festival in Canastota will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.. Activities include the annual Medallion Hunt, Boy Scouts igloo build, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, sledding on the new overlook, sled races, tug of war, snow painting and snow sculpture.
There will also be the guided trail walk, toasting marshmallows and indoor fun with nature games, inter-active and environmental exhibits about winter wildlife and crafts. For more information call 697-2950.
For Camp Santanoni Winter Weekend the New York DEC will open this historic Adirondack property to the public for recreational opportunities on President’s Day holiday weekend, February 14-15. Cross-country skiers and snowshoers will have access to the historic Great Camp properties located in the town of Newcomb in Essex County to rest and view interpretative displays.
During the Winter Weekend events, cross-country skiers and snowshoers will be able to visit both the Gate Lodge and Main Lodge of Camp Santanoni, view displays about the great camp and take interpretive tours with Adirondack Architectural Heritage staff. The Adirondack Interpretive Center will provide snowshoes to lend to visitors at the Gate Lodge.
A 9.8-mile round trip cross-country ski or snowshoe excursion traverses from Camp Santanoni’s Gate House complex to the remote lakeside main lodge complex. The trip provides a moderate physical activity and a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The trails are open year around but the buildings are only open three weekends in the winter.
The Bass Pro Shops Spring Fishing Classic in Utica combines kid’s activities, seminars and special sales. Seminars on both Saturday and Sunday are Electronics to Improve Fishing Success at 11 a.m., Understanding Seasonal Movements of Baitfish at 2 p.m. and Kayak Fishing Strategies at 4 p.m. While you are checking out the fishing and boating gear there are interesting activities for the kids. “Next Generation” free programs from noon until 5 p.m. include magazine cover style photos with replica fish, craft activities, the casting challenge and kids fishing workshops at 2:30 and 4:40.
The Adirondack Outdoorsman Show returns to Johnstown on Saturday and Sunday. It will be held at the Johnstown Moose Club, 109 South Comrie Ave (Rte 30A North), just five minutes from Thruway Exit 28. Hours are 10 a.m to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The popular show has an Adirondack theme and is completely outdoor related. Vendors and exhibits include hunting, fishing, archery, trapping, boating, camping, taxidermy, guides and charter services, collectable knives, firearms and antique hunting and fishing equipment. There will also be seminars, wildlife art and books and industry and outdoors experts.
A special presentation on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. will include a presentation commemorating Peter Dubuc into the Fulton County Hall of Fame. Dubuc was the angler who caught the world record 46-pound northern pike in Great Sacandaga Lake. His family will be there with photos, stories and a replica mount of the fish that is still the North American record.
If you go on Saturday it is worth the short side trip to the nearby Wildlife Sports Education Museum, a world class exhibit of mounts and sporting equipment. The same building also houses the NYS Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame. They are located at the intersection of Rte 30 and 29 in Vails Mills. Both exhibits are closed on Sundays during the winter.
SHORT CASTS
CNY Show Success: Congratulations and thank you to Teri Maciag and the committee from Holy Cross Academy for putting on another successful CNY Sportsman’s Show last weekend. A large crowd enjoyed the nice variety of exhibits ranging from charters and hunting and fishing suppliers to conservation and sporting organizations. It continues to be a great service to the community to bring these together to promote local businesses and provide outdoorsmen the opportunity to interact with so many useful exhibits. It continues to be a great asset to the community.
CNY Sportsman of the Year Award to Paul Miller: At the conclusion of the Central New York Sportsman Show, the Sportsman of the Year Award was presented to Paul Miller of Blossvale. Miller has been active in local conservation clubs and sportsman’s causes, including Trout Unlimited, Trout in the classroom program at Camden Central School and he also serves on the Tug Hill Commission. He was inducted into the NYS Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame in 2014.
He has been the main leader of the Fish Creek Atlantic Salmon Club in its efforts to restore Atlantic salmon to CNY streams, serving as president for many years. He led fund raising efforts to obtain money to buy Atlantic salmon fry to stock for many years. They raised fry from eggs hatched at various facilities and Paul was often the person who drove the truck to Vermont to obtain eggs or fry. Eventually the club built their own hatchery near Ava and later constructed a new hatchery in McConnellsville.
Today the Fish Creek Atlantic Salmon Club annually organizes successful stocking efforts in East and West Branches of Fish Creek and its tributaries. Throughout these many years Paul Miller has been active in efforts to keep organization financially stable, maintain the hatchery and daily care of eggs. He has helped publicize the effort, encourages catch and release, and the return of information to the club. Today these magnificent fish swim in their native waters in Central New York thanks to the efforts of Paul Miller and the Fish Creek Atlantic Salmon Club.
Great Backyard Bird Count: This year’s Great Backyard Bird Count sponsored by Cornell University Lab of Ornithology will be Feb. 14–17. It is easy to participate; all you have to do is count the different species of birds in your backyard or other area on a given day and report it to the Cornell website. It can be a fun, family friendly way to discover and help the birds in your community. The data collected will be used to monitor trends and can be useful in various types of research. Visit the website www.birdcount.org to learn more about this event.
Safe Hunting in 2014: Last year was the second safest year for hunting since records were kept following the introduction of Hunter Safety Education in the 1960s. Incidents per 100,000 hunters have fallen by 75 percent since the 1960s. The average for the past five years is down to 4.3 incidents per 100,000 compared to 19 incidents in the 1960s.
There were 22 total incidents in 2014, including one fatality while hunting small game. Of that total, eight were self inflicted, 11 were involved with the same hunting party, and only three where the victim and the shooter did not know each other. There were none in the spring turkey season. This is a testament to the hard work and skill of the 2,500 volunteer Sportsman Education instructors who put in many hours conducting classes in safe and ethical hunting.
Deer and Snow: After a mild snowfall early in the winter, the past few weeks have seen significant accumulation in many areas, especially in the north country. Several feet of snow on the ground in the areas north of Oneida Lake can mean trouble for deer if cold temperatures linger into late March. Once the snow cover hits about 15 inches, the deer yard up in areas of conifers. But cold weather depletes their fat reserve and if they remain confined in these areas for several weeks there could be a considerable loss of life due to malnutrition or starvation.