Twin Tiers Outdoors

SEPTEMBER 2014

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ELLICOTTVILLE • ALLEGANY • OLEAN • BRADFORD • SALAMANCA

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tWin tie SteeLHead FeVer 6

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gLoBe treKKerS 8

12 ALLEGANY STATE PARK

turKeY traCKing 10

16 NORTHERN PiKe

oLd memorieS

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14 KidS and SQuirreLS

22 Bear Hunting 24 amiSH traiL

Letter from the Editor

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he Twin Tiers of New York and Pennsylvania is a resource for outdoor recreation that is second to none. Whether one is a fisherman, hunter, hiker, photographer — or someone who simply enjoys taking nice weekend drives through wonderful scenery — there is plenty to see and do in the area.

Twin Tiers Outdoors is a new effort by the staffs at the Olean Times Herald, The Bradford Era and The Salamanca Press to showcase the many activities and features of outdoor recreation that make the area such a great place in which to live — or to visit. Certainly, the sporting culture of hunting and fishing, which has long been embedded in the Twin Tiers, will be featured on these pages. But

we will also endeavor to highlight other aspects of outdoor recreation and living — from season to season — that are enjoyed in the area.

We hope you enjoy the colorful, magazine-quality pages in Twin Tiers Outdoors, and that you will look for subsequent, quarterly editions.

Jim Eckstrom Executive Editor Bradford Publishing Co.

Steelhead Fever

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T

he Lake Erie steelhead fishery is steadily rebounding, ensuring this fall should be a very strong season for anglers looking to hook one or more of these popular and powerful sports fish.

Because of the adverse effects from the sudden influx of parasitic sea lampreys in 2009 and 2010, the steelhead fishery has been recovering. But with a decline in recent years of the sea lamprey, steelhead populations are finally regaining a foothold.

Undoubtedly, the steelhead population “is coming back” to the thrill of fishermen everywhere, said Jim Markham, a senior aquatic biologist for the state Department of Environmental Resources (DEC) in Dunkirk.

Steelhead fishery rebounding in Lake Erie tribs

Although lake-run steelhead normally begin entering tributaries in October when temperatures cool and water levels rise, Markham said, “I’ve heard reports of a few fish in the creeks already.” With the help of colder temperatures, “We should get a run of steelhead in streams.” This year, however, the run could be a few weeks earlier than usual.

Given normal weather conditions, “We’re expecting a solid season this year,” he said.

New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio stock a combined 1.7 million young steelhead fry annually to replenish the fishery that’s been popularly called Steelhead Alley.

Fishery agencies “put them in the streams so they imprint” before heading out to Lake Erie, he said. Typically, these steelhead will migrate to the lake for a couple of years before returning to the streams.

Adding to the appeal of steelhead is the fact they are considered one of the best-fighting game fish around. These fish, typically in the 20- to LEFT: 30-inch range, can Joe Oliverio test the strength of a proudly holds fisherman’s rod and a steelhead reel. he caught on Once hooked, Cayuga Creek.

it’s not uncommon for steelhead to make several acrobatic jumps and go on runs that quickly peel line off a reel.

Experienced fishermen and guides advise novices to make sure they have a good drag on their reel.

Once air temperatures lower into the 40s and streamflows rise from heavier rains, steelhead will enter the streams up to their headwaters. Before this occurs, steelhead will stage at the mouths of streams until heavier rains raise water levels, said Markham.

“This will trigger them to head upstream,” he said.

Among the best streams to fish for steelhead are Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Canadaway, Eighteen Mile and Twenty Mile creeks.

The undisputed crown jewel of the steelhead fishery is Cattaraugus Creek. One of Lake Erie’s larger tributaries, Cattaraugus Creek typically has three steelhead runs. Normally, “There’s a run in October, another in November and then a third run in the spring,” Markham said.

Fishermen usually head for lake tributaries in early October in hopes of hooking steelhead, frequently called chromers because of their silvery appearance.

These steelhead darken, though, the longer they are in streams.

Another time when fishermen typically forget about steelhead — but shouldn’t — is in spring. “Some of the very best steelhead fishing can be in early May. Fishing can be fantastic on Cattaraugus Creek from the mouth to Versailles at this time,” he noted.

Further upstream in the Zoar Valley area, Cattaraugus Creek flows through an area of massive cliffs. This area contains the highest cliffs of any Lake Erie tributary. It’s very scenic but due to the shale bottoms most steelhead quickly swim through this section in search of prime spawning gravel below Springville. There are some good holding pools in this section but be prepared to take a hike.

Downstream from Gowanda, Cattaraugus Creek flows through the Seneca Nation of Indians Reservation. To fish the Seneca Reservation, a Seneca fishing license is required. The streambed is very wide through most of the Seneca Reservation. It contains many holding spots for steelhead. Between these deep holes, it has many gravel-bottomed areas that are considered excellent steelhead spawning habitat. It’s for this reason that many believe Cattaraugus Creek has the best wild reproduction rates on the south side of Lake Erie.

Western New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio have earned the title Steelhead Alley because of the tens of thousands of fish which enter the streams each season.

Fishing here rivals — and, in some cases, exceeds — that of Oregon and Washington state.

See

STEELHEAD Page

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ABOVE: Scott Jordan and his daughter Brooke pose with a mountain goat Brooke shot while hunting with students from Cuba-Rushford High School this month in New Zealand.

Teacher, students travel globe for hunting, fishing expeditions

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hile most teachers and students try to avoid academics during the summer months, a Cuba-Rushford Central teacher and some of the high school’s former and current students believe it’s an ideal time to conduct outdoor lessons.

Scott Jordan, an eighth-grade science teacher and fisheries and wildlife technology educator at Cuba-Rushford, is spending the summer traveling with students to foreign countries all for the sake of teaching them about foreign wildlife and hunting and fishing big game while capturing their lessons using an HD camera.

The footage is then presented on the school’s nationally televised show CRCS Outdoors, which airs during

the spring and summer months on the Pursuit Channel.

“Each year, I try to provide the students with whatever types of trips will interest them and then try to find the right outfitter to suit that interest,” he said, noting previous excursions included fishing in Alaska and hunting in South Africa and Texas.

This year’s interest led Mr. Jordan and some of his students to New Zealand and Canada.

The group, Mr. Jordan and six students, traveled to the South Pacific country a couple of weeks ago where they hunted red stag, mountain goats, sheep, arapawa rams, fallow deer and possums — a stark and welcomed contrast to the types of animals they

can hunt in the states.

“It’s the perfect time of year to travel to New Zealand since it’s winter there, and there are not predators there,” he said, noting it’s his 12th consecutive year traveling there.

While on this trip, Mr. Jordan captured several hours worth of video footage including a clips of his daughter Brooke going through the process of stalking and then killing a mountain goat.

Earlier this summer, he captured footage of students fishing for and catching lake trout and salmon in Lake Ontario.

On Sunday, Mr. Jordan will be armed with his camera again as he and one of his students, Tyler Allison,

will travel to a northern point in Ontario where they will spend five days hunting black bear.

“Being that it’s a top predator makes this trip exciting,” said Mr. Jordan, noting he’s shot nine black bears and guided several bear hunts, but it’s his first time taking a student on a black bear hunt. “We’re going to feel it out, see how it goes, and then I’ll open it up to other students.”

It’s these types of journeys, Mr. Jordan said, that have helped him strengthen the school’s Fisheries and Wildlife Technology Program. He said students learn from what their peers have experienced during their travels and then they want to become part of that experience.

All high school students are welcome to participate in these annual trips by emailing Mr. Jordan at scott_jordan@crcs.wynric.org. Photographs and other information from previous excursions can be viewed on wildlife.crcsweb.com/Site2/.

The excursions are only a small

“It’s not me that makes the program a success, it’s the students,” part of what Mr. Jordan offers to his students.

Those who participate in the fisheries and wildlife technology course at CRCS are provided with the opportunity to study biological organisms in their natural habitats.

CRCS has one of the country’s few deer research centers, an enclosed 32-acre plot of land located behind the school which serves as home to a herd of certified diseasefree white tail deer and their fawns.

It is in this center where students can get up close and personal with the wildlife.

During the Times Herald’s visit to the site, Mr. Jordan called to one of the deer and it came running over to a dried veggie-filled stall, where a

reporter was able to hand-feed it corn kernels.

It is also in this center where students learn to capture and release turkeys.

The school district also has its own fish hatchery where students care for 6,000 baby brook trout and a pair of infant paddlefish, all of which will be released into the school’s pond when they are grown.

Students also research the animals and plant life in an acre of wetlands located towards the front of the school’s campus.

Business First has taken notice of Mr. Jordan’s educating techniques used in the Fisheries and Wildlife Program.

The Buffalo-based magazine recently awarded him with the “Teachers of Merit” of Western New York Award.

“It’s not me that makes the program a success, it’s the students,” he said.

- Darlene M. Donohue

BLOOD PUMPING

TURKEY HUNTING T

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urkeys. I love them and hate them.

To me, they are more exciting to hunt than deer and oftentimes as elusive as ghosts.

I have gone through several stages while hunting them. Originally, as a youth, I wounded several with shotguns, not knowing you had to hit the head or neck with No. 4 or 5 shot. So (hunting in Pennsylvania) I switched to a rifle and swore by my .22-caliber rimfire with Winchester high-speed, hollow points. Out to 75 yards, it dropped a well-hit turkey and ruined very little meat.

However, with snow on the ground you needed to shoot longer distances, so I purchased a .222 Remington in a Model 788.

This accurate rifle reached out to 200 yards and more, but I never found a load that didn’t tear the birds up, sometimes seriously.

Next I tried the good old .22 Magnum.

I love the magnum, but found the newer, lighter-tipped bullets to be very destructive.

Experience showed the old-style Winchester hollow-point rounds to be the best compromise between killing power and meat loss. I don’t recommend solid bullets in any caliber because they wound too easily.

I prefer a turkey to be facing either directly at me or directly away from me with a rifle. If the turkey is facing you, hold right where his neck hits the body. Then drop your crosshairs about 2 inches. There are a lot of feathers around the neck which give one a tendency to hold higher than you should.

This is a great place to aim with any caliber rifle, killing instantly with no meat loss.

If a turkey is facing directly away from

you, calibers of .17 and .22 with hollow points or a .22 Magnum caliber are perfect. Hold exactly in the center of the body. Your bullet will almost always drive through the body cavity and exit through the crop, wasting little meat. If you are using a .222, .22/250 or other rapidly expanding bullet, don’t take the facing-away shot. Wait for a facing or broadside shot.

Over the years a lot of turkeys flew by me with a rifle.

Finally, I broke down and bought a Remington 870 in 3-inch magnum.

Using Federal 1-7/8ths loads of copper-plated No. 4 shot, I killed turkeys out to 40 yards regularly. Then Mossberg came out with the 3 ½-inch magnum and I saw my buddy kill a big gobbler at 50 yards. I was impressed and bought one.

The next few years found me stalking the woods with the big magnum and it provided my family many plump Th a n k s giving dinners.

Nowadays, the 3-inch magnum loads pattern as well as the old 3 1/2-inch loads. Because of the improvement in shell technology, I now carry a 3-inch Weatherby shotgun that’s not only lighter in weight, but kicks considerably less than the big magnum. Those are two very big pluses for yours truly.

The new Winchester Long Beard turkey loads have really impressed me, shooting farther and penetrating deeper than any other LEFT: The wily turkey is much easier to hunt with snow on the ground. Not only do they show up at a distance, but you can also track them. Wade Robertson bagged this turkey at 176 yards with a .243 rifle with a 100-grain Sierra Game King. Shotguns are also the weapon of choice for many and new loads make shotguns more efficient at longer ranges.

“Turkeys may be large birds, but they can leap in the air and fly away with surprising speed.” load I have tried. I’d recommend the 2-ounce of 5s or 4s for the 3 ½-magnum and the 1 ¾-ounce load of 5s for the 3-inch magnum.

If you and your friends can locate a flock of fall turkeys, your group has a good chance of breaking up the flock, the ideal situation if you prefer to walk or sit and call.

It’s difficult to break up a flock of turkeys. They stick together when they fly and the hen quickly

calls in the few that stray. However, if they flush over another hunter or two, who also take a crack at them flying overhead, the flock will split into smaller and smaller groups and singles. Always shoot at a group of birds flying by even if you don’t believe you can hit one. The important thing is splitting them up.

Flushed turkeys will land in treetops or hit the ground. If hunting pressure is heavy, they’ll hide in brush piles, goldenrod fields, thick ferns, rocks and even under the banks of undercut small streams.

If you’re walking, always head for the thicker areas and be prepared for a running or flying shot. Turkeys may be large birds, but they can leap in the air and fly away with surprising speed.

A turkey has a big tail and when one flies up in front of you it is not unusual to shoot at the tail and consequently below your target.

Always try to hold a little over the rising bird.

A big gobbler gliding down from the ridgetop is really moving, probably about 60 mph or more. I have killed several of these flying birds using a 20-foot stationary lead. When you see a turkey hurtling through the treetops and notice an opening about 20 feet wide in front of him, hold on the far side and when he hits the edge, shoot. Don’t doubt, don’t think, just do it. The results may surprise you.

However, keep a very close eye on where that turkey lands. At that speed, a dead and crumpled turkey will sail downhill a surprising distance. Run after him, keeping your eye on the spot he crashed.

But calling turkeys in after they have been split up is the most fun. If

See

TURKEY Page

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D

espite the multitude of ways to get around today, sometimes the best way to see the world around you is to grab a pair of hiking shoes and use your own two feet.

At Allegany State Park — the state’s largest park with 65,000 acres of pristine forest, lakes and wildlife — there’s more than 100 miles of multi-use trails that accommodate hikers.

Within the park, there’s 79 miles of trails designated specifically for hiking, plus 91 miles of snowmobile trails and 23 miles of cross country PARK skiing trails that can be used as hiking trails in the spring, summer and autumn. Additionally, a paved 5.7- mile bike path around Red House Lake can be hiked as well.

“There’s trails for everybody,” says Adele Wellman, a naturalist at Allegany State Park and an avid hiker. “Even if you don’t want to go into the woods there’s the bike paths, which

Get OUT there

and SEE it!

ALLEGANY STATE

can still take you into some pretty interesting and pretty areas. Plus, you can see animals on every single trail.”

Every single trail at the park means all 18 of them, ranging in length, terrain and difficulty. The easiest ones include the paved bike path and also shorter trails such as the half- mile Bear Springs and two- mile Red Jacket Trail.

However, don’t let length fool you. Because of its steepness, the 2.5- mile Osgood Trail in the Red House side of the park is labeled as one of the most difficult.

“Each of the trails has their own uniqueness to them,” Wellman explains. Her favorite is Black Snake Mountains, a 3- mile trail on the Quaker side of the park near Science Lake.

“It was an old railroad bed and the neat thing about Black Snake is that in the springtime it is beautiful

See

PARK Page

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T

he October morning was soft and warm. There was a friendly darkness full of promise and you could feel in the air that the coming day was going to be beautiful, sunny and warm.

Jay, my nephew, had just turned 12 and this was going to be his first squirrel hunt. He was so excited to be hunting he fairly quivered the night before and had no trouble rising, fairly exploding out from underneath the covers in a blur of pajamas despite the early hour.

After breakfast we drove to an area I knew there were a number of squirrels and we hiked up an old trail to an oak-covered hillside mixed with a few hickory. Reaching the spot I had in mind, we sat down and waited for daylight.

I really enjoy hunting with youngsters. True, they fidget, miss easy shots, talk too much, move too often and have a tendency to crack branches and twig every other step, but they can hear very clearly, a trait I no longer possess.

Soon the eastern sky lightened, turning a breathtaking, scarlet and pink against the black silhouette of the hills. The dark forest took shape around us as individual trees emerged, slowly taking on form and color. Birds began to peep, whistle and then sing

joyously as the world came to life.

I was looking around us carefully for any sign of movement in

Kids AND

every sense concentrated on that movement. When he finally identified it as non-squirrel, he would relax in a great show of disappointment — perhaps deflate would be a better description.

But what I enjoyed the most was watching Jay hear things I could not.

He would stiffen slightly, turn toward the sound with a slightly tilted head and listen intently, looking almost like a wine taster trying to identify the bouquet and flavor of a fine vintage.

It had been fully light for almost 15 minutes now.

The squirrels were in no hurry to wake up today, it seemed, when one began barking and scolding some hundred yards away. Jay almost jumped up at the sound, twisting onto his knees and staring intently toward the chatter. I put my hand on his shoulder just as he asked me if I heard that squirrel, his bright young eyes shining with excitement.

I gave him a slightly injured smile, replying that although challenged in the hearing department I wasn’t totally deaf. Be patient, don’t move. The odds were very good other squirrels would answer the first one.

He nodded, but waiting patiently is something very close to torture for the young.

Fortunately, the squirrels were talkative this morning and when a second squirrel began barking from a group of oaks only 30 yards in front of us, Jay forgot about the furthest squirrel instantly. I had him very carefully sit back down quietly, load his rifle, a single shot, raise his knees up and place his elbows upon them. A thick sapling in front of us added further support for his rifle and I knew he had a solid position to shoot from.

Now, what would our loudmouthed friend do?

The squirrel barked, whined and meowed as only squirrels can for over five minutes. I listened as other squirrels answered and marked which direction they were calling from. Suddenly, I saw a gray some

Squirrels

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Kids add a new twist, excitement to squirrel hunting the trees or on the ground around us.

Jay, however, was simply fascinating to watch. He seldom saw things before me, but when he did finally catch sight of a woodpecker or other bird moving among the trees, he’d jerk, clutch his tiny, cutdown, .22-caliber rifle and quiver slightly —

80 yards away slide head-first down a big maple. I watched as he carefully checked the forest floor around him, then jumped down and began feeding. Another squirrel ran out on a limb closer to us and grabbed a couple acorns.

Jay saw him and looked at me.

That squirrel was about 50 yards away, too many limbs and too far to risk a shot.

Jay began to shift so he could shoot, but I shook my head no and nodded back at the trees from which the closest squirrel still barked. Jay squirmed, on pins and needles, the excitement had him shaking as he stared at the closest oak trees. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide and he tensed. There was little doubt he saw his quarry.

Glancing back at the oaks there were not one but two squirrels. One was climbing down the tree and another was sitting on a dead limb shaking his tail in obvious vexation at the two unidentified lumps invad-

ing his territory.

Jay managed to find the squirrel in his scope and aimed.

“Squeeze the trigger,” I whispered and prayed he would. The rifle did a couple little circles, despite his solid rest and then steadied. I waited and waited, wondering if he would

“I listened as he told me excitedly how he had aimed, what he was thinking and all the other thoughts that can fly through a young boy’s head.” ever shoot. That squirrel wasn’t going to sit there forever.

Finally, the little rifle cracked and to my great joy the squirrel fell out of the tree and hit the ground with a solid thud. Jay wasn’t concerned in the least with the second squirrel

which hopped up a stump and presented an easy shot.

He leaped up and tore through the woods to his first squirrel.

The young man’s pride and excitement were wondrous to behold.

We carefully examined his trophy and the perfect neck shot.

I listened as he told me excitedly how he had aimed, what he was thinking and all the other thoughts that can fly through a young boy’s head.

For a second, the many years flew backwards and that could have been me standing there with all smiles and enthusiasm.

After we talked and cleaned the squirrel, I asked him if he was ready to get another. He answered yes, and he also remembered the direction from wich the squirrels had barked.

Like an eager puppy, he stalked off as carefully as he could, snapping twigs every other step.

- Wade Robertson

Cooler temperatures make pike more active

D

eath lay as motionless as the sunken trees under which the pike waited.

Its spotted sides blended perfectly into the pattern of shadows and September sunlight, and only the slow pulsing of the gill plates and an occasional movement of the stabilizing fin gave any indication of life. The sleek, muscled body — so patient and still — was capable of blinding speed. But looking at its large, stationary form, you would never guess it.

Indeed, its very size attested to the sudden, savage deaths of thousands upon thousands of smaller creatures overwhelmed by the ferocity and speed of its attack.

An 18-inch white sucker swam slowly out from underneath a neighboring sunken tree trunk, feeling the bottom

with its sensitive round lips for tidbits of food. Doing so, its movement brought it directly in front of and six feet away from the lurking pike.

Suddenly uneasy and sensing danger, the sucker stopped. A minute, then two, passed. Nervous, the awkward fish wiggled forward, turning toward deeper water. The sucker was vaguely aware of a sudden flash of movement from its side, but it never had a chance to react before teeth-studded jaws snapped and the big crocodile head shook savagely from side to side.

An explosion of silver scales filled the water mixed with thin tendrils of blood, the scales shining

and flashing brightly as they fluttered to the bottom. The heavy pike made sure the sucker was dead and then took its time scaling the catch before swallowing the large meal.

Now satiated, it moved deeper into the sunken tangled limbs, once again lying motionless in the shadows.

The pike wouldn’t eat for days now. Large two- to three-pound suckers don’t digest overnight.

The two fishermen casting lures to the pike’s lair were minutes too late. The big fish shifted position as the lures splashed and curiously watched the lures, but it did not attack.

After all, the sucker’s tail still remained in the pike’s mouth, yet to be swallowed.

Kinzua Dam, Cuba Lake, Allegheny River, Oswayo Creek, Olean Creek, Tuna Creek and many smaller lakes and streams in our area all have pike populations.

Northern pike are plentiful, big, fast, vicious and strong. Their sharp teeth will cut your line or slice open your finger effortlessly. They flop wildly when caught and do their absolute best to drive a hook into you in the process.

Their crocodile-shaped heads and yellow eyes give them a dangerous dinosaur appearance.

Pike also have an undeserved reputation for being overly easy to catch.

This may possibly be true in

Canada, where they live in the millions, but in our area of heavy fishing pressure this is not so, especially in hot summer weather. As our waters cool in September and October, larger pike move shallower and feed more often.

Pike are also excellent eating if you can get all the bones out.

I’ve caught almost all my pike on three lure types: mid-sized spinners; various minnow baits; and soft plastics.

I like the spinners in shallower waters, streams and rivers because you can control their depth by your retrieve speed. Retrieve slowly, letting them sink in deeper areas or weed edges or reel rapidly to cross shallow bars, sunken trees, rocks or brush. You can even stop them momentarily, letting them flutter enticingly down. A quick twitch of your rod tip sets them spinning again.

Minnow baits work well in lakes although spinners have their place as well. Retrieved in an erratic manner, minnow baits resemble a wounded minnow so realistically that any lurking, moderately hungry pike just can’t seem to resist getting an easy meal or at least coming up for a look. A pike’s sudden appearance can startle you, causing your heart to pound.

Today’s soft plastics are realistic and very effective. They allow

you to work the various depths very effectively and feel enough like a real minnow that pike hold onto them longer than metal and plastic lures, giving the angler more time for a hard hook set.

Pike can be hard to hook. Their numerous teeth dig into and immobilize a lure in their mouth. Plastics help eliminate this problem, but they can get shredded by the pike’s teeth pretty quickly.

Sum up pike fishing in one word? I guess that word would be “excitement.” What other word could describe your overwrought emotions when a big, angry Esox Lucius is thrashing, twisting, turning, flipping on the end of your line, ripping line off your reel in one of their lightning dashes away from the net or busy tearing up the inside of your boat like some maniac in its wild acrobatics to escape?

Oh, by the way, always be very careful when handling a pike. Their teeth will make you bleed, if given

even half a chance. But their greatest desire is drive one of your own hooks deep into a hand or finger.

Treat them with respect and use long forceps or needle-nose pliers to remove the hooks and never hold them carelessly.

“Sum up pike fishing in one word?

I guess that word would be “excitement.”

September brings cooler weather, clearer waters and increased fish activity. If you get a chance, plan on going fishing. There are some very large pike out there and who knows, you may be the one they are waiting for.

- WadeR obertson

Old Memories W

hether the calendar indicates it’s deer season, turkey season, or time to chase small game, I always say what we are really hunting for is memories.

In years past, I guess my thoughts were mostly focused on the experiences of the present season, hopefully creating good memories to reflect on while waiting for next season. Since I’ve now spent more than 50 hunting seasons gathering memories, I guess it’s natural that on the approach of another fall, my thoughts of past hunts really start flowing.

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting with an old hunting buddy and the talk turned to our early hunting experiences. Even though we grew up in different states, we had much in common as young

20

hunters.

We both recalled hurrying home after school as teenagers so we would have enough time before dark to hunt squirrels for a couple of hours. All we needed was a .22-caliber rifle, some ammo, a pocketknife, and an apple or orange to last us until we got back to the house. Somehow, we got along just fine without camo clothing, waterproof boots, expensive binoculars and scopes, and all the other “necessities” we can’t seem to do without today.

Shortly after that conversation, I ran into another old friend who has really slowed down in his hunting efforts in the past few years. He did, however share a neat experience with me. He rediscovered an old lever-action rifle that had been left unused in his gun cabinet for many years. Thinking of that old gun and the memories it stirred prompted him to clean up the rifle, search for the proper ammuni-

tion, (he ended up reloading his own), and resolved to carry the old friend into the deer woods again. It was a worthwhile project to be sure, but even more remarkable because he mixed old memories with new when he took a deer with his old rifle with ammo he created, using the old, original sights.

That makes for some especially tasty venison.

As for me, I spent a huge amount of time last summer refinishing the stock on an old Remington rifle. Once I started, it became a bit of an obsession, and had to be done as perfectly as possible.

The gun has been in the family a long time, is extremely accurate, and has taken a lot of game. In addition, it was a favorite of my uncle, who taught me about guns, ammo, ballistics, and encouraged my interest in all things related to firearms.

Over the decades, the rifle stock had accumulated a lot of dents, scratches, and spots bare of finish, which could maybe be described as “character,” but was now approaching “nasty,” especially to someone who remembered its original appearance.

Seeing the finished product after all the hours of meticulous hand sanding, gentle steaming of dents, applying coat after coat of hand-rubbed oil finish, I thought there was only one thing to do — take it into the woods again.

Late in the season, I shot a big doe with that rifle. There was little drama involved — a relatively easy shot in nice weather that resulted in a lot of meat. I was able to recover the bullet from under the hide on the off-side of the deer, and I keep it around to remind

“I always say what we are really hunting for is memories.”

me of that day, that deer, and that special rifle.

I didn’t have a hunting partner that day, and I didn’t see another hunter in the woods. As I dragged the deer slowly toward home, I reflected that I had been completely alone in the woods that day. But looking down at the rifle in my hands, I knew that I really wasn’t.

I feel fortunate to be able to continue to hunt in spite of my senior citizen status, and I’ve been lucky enough to take a lot of game in a lot of places with a variety of weapons.

In the past few decades, I’ve seen a lot of improvements and new developments in firearms, optics, clothing, archery gear, and related equipment.

My rifles scopes and binoculars are all of better quality than I ever saw during my early hunting years. I appreciate and use trail cameras, rangefinders, a crossbow with a scope, lightweight waterproof insulated clothes, and my vest pockets are full of helpful gadgets.

Still, it does me good, however, to skip all that once in a while. For a cold, late-season hunt, I sometimes dig out my old red and black Woolrich coat and pants to defeat the sub-freezing temperatures. Carrying an old Case sheath knife and an old, familiar rifle, I hope to make some new memories (maybe a big buck for a change?), but I also allow myself to remember the important experiences from past seasons.

The thunder of grouse wings and the surprise as the shot actually connects with the speeding bird. The look on the face of a young hunter as they pick up their first squirrel or touch the antlers of their first buck. A faded photo reminds me of the pride and satisfaction that both my young son and I felt after a long shot on his first woodchuck at a friend’s farm on a warm summer day. I remember the smell of shotgun shells fired at a fleeing rabbit on a crisp, frosty fall morning. I am as grateful for all the old memories that are triggered by the promise of another new season as for the new memories that I hope await us this fall.

I’ll bet most hunters have some great memories in common, although we may not discuss them often. The sound of a deer approaching in the dry

leaves and the impossibly clear sky that is only that shade of blue in October.

Some time ago, I saw a friend in a store and asked him how he did in deer season. He said he was lucky enough to shoot a nice buck, but he was kind of disappointed. He told me of preparing for the hunt. He brought his gun and gear and some snacks and got into the tree stand he had placed weeks before. He settled in for a long wait, then soon after, got a shot at the buck that ended his season.

He told me he looked at his bag of snacks and realized that he would be snacking at home instead of in the woods where he wanted to be.

I know how much this guy appreciates his time in the woods and the memories he has made over the years.

He said, “I guess I didn’t want the season to end that soon.” He then asked me, “Is that weird?”

I assured him, “No, not at all. I get it.”

- Roger Sager

rst-ever Eric Sager holds the fi 5 yards. woodchuck he shot at 27

DEC Adopts Bear Hunting Season Changes for Fall 2014 B

Expanded Hunting Opportunities to Limit Population Growth and Help Alleviate Problems Caused by Black Bears

lack bear hunting opportunities have expanded this year as a result of regulation changes adopted by the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Commissioner Joe Martens announced.

“Under Governor Cuomo’s NY Open for Fishing and Hunting initiative, New York is working to increase hunting opportunities for sportsmen and sportswomen,” Commissioner Martens said. “With these changes, DEC is implementing strategies of the recently adopted Black Bear Management Plan.”

More importantly, DEC deemed the changes necessary to limit population growth and range expansion by black bears in New York. Bears are a tremendous resource in New York, but they can have negative impacts too, through damage to camps, crops, homes and other property.

In extreme cases they are a serious threat to public safety. DEC’s bear plan fosters a comprehensive approach to reduce negative black bear impacts by increasing public awareness of its role in preventing human-bear conflicts, addressing individual incidents of bear damage and reducing bear populations where necessary.

The adopted season changes are as follows: • Establish bear hunting seasons in all of upstate New York (all counties north of New York City); • Create a special early firearms season (Sept. 6 to Sept. 21) for bears in specific Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in the Catskills and western Hudson Valley region; and • Provide a uniform start date (Sept. 13) for bowhunting and early firearms bear season in the Northern Zone.

After careful consideration of public comments received on the draft bear plan last winter and on the proposed regulations this summer, DEC adopted the hunting season changes in accordance with the final Black Bear Management Plan. The purpose of the changes is to maintain bear population levels that are acceptable to the public while providing sustainable opportunity for New York’s big game hunters.

The NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative is an effort to improve recreational opportunities for sportsmen and women and to boost tourism activities throughout the state. This initiative includes streamlining fishing and hunting licenses, reducing license fees, improving access for fishing and increasing hunting opportunities in New York State.

In support of this initiative, this year’s budget includes $6 million in NY Works funding to support creat-

ing 50 new land and water access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and others who enjoy the outdoors to more than 380,000 acres of existing state and easement lands that have not reached their full potential. These 50 new access projects include building new boat launches, installing new hunting blinds and building new trails and parking areas. In addition, the 201415 budget includes $4 million to repair the state’s fish hatcheries; and renews and allows expanded use of crossbows for hunting in New York State.

This year’s budget also reduces short-term fishing licenses fees; increases the number of authorized statewide free fishing days to eight from two; authorizes DEC to offer 10 days of promotional prices for hunting, fishing and trapping licenses; and authorizes free Adventure Plates for new lifetime license holders, discounted Adventure Plates for existing lifetime license holders and regular fee Adventure Plates for annual license holders.

The full text of the adopted regulations and a summary of public comments on this rulemaking are available on the DEC’s website. The resulting 2014 bear hunting seasons can also be found on DEC’s website.

The final Black Bear Management Plan for New York State, 2014-24 is available on the DEC’s website. Key elements of the final plan include the scientific monitoring of bear populations; continued use of stakeholders to assess bear impacts and identify population trend objectives; recommendations to expand areas open to bear hunting throughout upstate New York and to increase hunting opportunities in portions of southeastern New York.

Following the Amish Country Trail

C

attaraugus County has nearly 2,000 Amish residents — many in a handful of western towns, but they area branching out and settling in new areas where they can find farmland.

Three years ago, the Cattaraugus County Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism created The Amish Trail promotion to make it easier for visitors to find Amish craftsmen

and merchants. That proved to be a big hit. There are dozens of purple Amish Trail banners along the side of the road in Amish country.

The county's Amish Trail brochure offers several different “trails” that zig-zag through picturesque Amish country, with suggested Amish shops along the way.

Be sure to give a wide berth to the black Amish buggies you meet along the way. They are slow-moving, and abrupt movement by other vehicles can sometimes spook the horses.

The Amish Trail includes “English” craftsmen and merchants throughout Amish country as well.

It winds through the towns of Conewango, Randolph, Leon, Dayton, Perrysburg, New Albion, Napoli, Otto, Mansfield and Little Valley.

Many of the back roads off Route 241 north of Randolph and Route 62 near the Chautauqua County line between Conewango and Leon are like taking a step back in time. The Old Order Amish residents' culture calls for horsepower rather than electric

power. They plant and harvest crops using horse-powered machinery. Their homes are lit with lamps instead of electric lights.

Their children are taught in small, one-room schoolhouses of the local districts.

Driving through Amish country, you'll see children playing, the boys in dark-blue jeans and blue shirts and straw hats, and the girls in long blue dresses with dark bonnets. Women and children often tend a large garden in front or to the side of their homes.

They will mow lawns with either a reel push mower or a similar, but wider, reel mower pulled by a horse.

You'll see a wide variety of painted signs — mostly black on white — advertising baked goods, jellies and jams, quilt and furniture shops, sheds, rockers, lawn furniture, toys and iron goods, and a number of other shops.

There's no Sunday shopping and the Amish would prefer that you do not photograph their faces.

Many roadside stands spring

up during the summer and fall offering produce as well as baked goods and handmade items.

Many English merchants on The Amish Trail carry Amish merchandise and provide bed and breakfast lodging in Amish country.

And there is some high-tech along The Amish Trail as well. Cattaraugus County and others have placed a dozen geocaches along New York’s Amish GeoTrail. Use your GPS device or smartphone to locate the geocashes. If you find 10 of the 12 geocaches, you can receive a special AmishGeoTrail coin.

Randolph offers guided tours of the Old Order Amish community.

Call (716) 358-9701 ext. 208 for information and reservations.

For more information on New York’s Amish Trail, call the Cattaraugus County Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism at (800) 331-1543, or go online and visit amishtrail.com.

- Rick Miller

A few Amish Facts

• Besides not using electricity, the Amish do not have running water and use privies, or outhouses.

• Cooking stoves use wood, kerosene or propane, and they use kerosene lamps.

Wood stoves provide heat.

• Their Sunday worship services are in members’ homes. The Amish do not work on Sunday.

• Children attend school at age 6 through the eighth grade, then work with their family. The children grow up speaking German, and learn English at school.

• The Amish pay cash for their visits to

the doctor, since they do not have health insurance. The community will often hold fund-raisers and auctions to raise money for a family with high hospital bills.

• The Amish have “community telephones,” which are phone booths located in various parts of the towns they live in.

• They rise early and have a strong family work ethic. As many as 15 family members may live in a large Amish home.

• Once the youngest son marries, the parents often move to a small home behind the main house called a “Dotty House.”

ALLEGANY STATE PARK

C ontinued F rom P age 12 al items that were first described

“Each of the trails has their own uniqueness to them,”

for wildflowers,” she says, “but you can also step into Pennsylvania and be in two different states at the same time.”

And whether you’re hiking on the bike paths around Red House Lake or taking on challenging trails like Mount Tuscarora or Osgood, Wellman reminds that it’s important to remember to hike safely. This includes hiking with a friend and informing others where you are hiking and when you plan to return.

Wellman also references the “Ten Essentials,” a list of surviv-

by The Mountaineers, a hiking club, in the 1930s. They were a map, compass, sunglasses and sunscreen, extra clothing, flashlight, First Aid supplies, firestarter, matches, knife and extra food.

The list has also been updated to include water and an emergency shelter.

“Even on short hikes people should be prepared for any type of weather,” Wellman says. “I’ve started to take (these things) even when I go out on a little hikes. They don’t take up that much space.”

- Rich Place

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TURKEY

C ontinued F rom P age 11 there are numerous hunters, be sure and get in a safe calling position with a big tree to your back where you can see well. Do not get in a brush pile or other area where any motion you make may be thought to be that of a turkey. Stick to a big tree where you can see and be seen.

Call very little in crowded woods.

I prefer two loud yelps a good 15 to 20 minutes apart. A turkey will find you easily, but a hunter loses interest when the calls are so far apart. Don’t move and don’t expect a turkey to answer. They’ll come in silently.

If you break up a flock hunting by yourself, it’s possible to call much more often and to expect the turkeys to answer you. If you jump a flock of turkeys and they fly across a valley, walk immediately over to the center of the landing area before calling.

The hen will make sure they don’t return to the site you spooked them from. If the hen is calling birds away from you, jump up and charge her location, hopefully spreading the birds out again or at least delaying the birds getting together and leaving. Sometimes you have to be bold to keep the birds split up.

Well, good luck and good hunting. Turkeys can certainly get your blood pumping.

- Wade Robertson

“It’s difficult to break up a flock of turkeys.

They stick together when they fly and the hen quickly calls in the few that stray.”

Steelhead C ontinued F rom P age 7

Helping retain a strong fishery population in Western New York is good catch-and-release practice by fishermen. “Our release rates are 90 percent” of caught fish, Markham said. “Only 10 percent of fish are kept.”

Meanwhile, it’s the DEC’s estimate that 5 percent of steelhead caught in Lake Erie tributaries are wild, meaning reproduced in the stream.

Another plus this year for fishermen is the unexpected return of coho salmon to the fishery. “For some reason, there have been a lot

of coho salmon caught in Lake Erie.

Those cohos will be going up tributaries” in September and October to spawn, Markham said. “Some of these cohos can be 10 pounds,” he added.

The cohos may have migrated from Lake Huron, “but they are out there” in Lake Erie, said Markham.

For those who must drive a long distance to the tributaries or Lake Erie, Markham said fishermen can get tips or current conditions by calling the DEC’s Lake Erie Fishing Hotline at (716) 679-3743 or (716) 855-3474.

In order to help the DEC track fishery conditions and catch rates, the agency is conducting a creel survey. “We do it every three years for New York’s major Lake Erie tribu-

“Helping retain a strong fishery population in Western New York is good catch-andrelease practice by fishermen.”

taries,” he said. The creel survey runs from mid-September this year through mid-May of 2015. To participate in the Lake Erie Trout and Salmon Cooperative Diary Program, contact Markham at james. markham@dec.ny.gov or call (716) 366-0228.

- George Nianiatus