In this week's episode of We Love Outdoors with Rich Davenport, your humble host jumps right in with the busy week that has gone by, from saying farewell to an outdoors legend, to development at Sturgeon Point Marina, to the NYSCC Spring Legislative meeting held on April 9, 2022.
Friends and family gathered last week to say goodbye to longtime Dunkirk Observer Outdoors writer Gene Pauszek. He passed away on Friday, April 1, 2022 at home surrounded by his loving family, and he leaves a big hole in WNY as his dedication, oftentimes at his own expense, brought so much information to the goings on in the great outdoors that endeared him to his loyal readers and colleagues.
The Town of Evans held a board meeting on April 6, 2022 with the resolution to put to bid this year's dredging needs for Sturgeon Point Marina passing unanimously. Some additional funding to help this effort out is coming from Erie County, legislator John Mills, and if all goes as planned, the marina will be open between May 16-18, 2022.
The NYSCC Spring Meeting was held April 9, 2022 at SUNY Cobleskill, and was well attended, both in person and virtually. DEC brought a lot of information from most of their fish and wildlife personnel, starting with Steve Hurst from DEC Fisheries, providing news that happened over the past year, and plans coming up this year, which should keep this unit busy.
Wildlife reports followed, with Big Game Biologist Jeremy Hurst providing updates to the bear harvest, while letting all know that the 2021 deer harvest still is not complete, but should be soon, after some challenges with updating the scripts and algorithms to account for reporting compliance variances from year to year didn't go as smooth as hoped. Moose numbers, too, were discussed as well as the big talk that was the success of the youth pilot lowering the deer hunting age to 12 with a firearm. Updates to the EHD outbreak were also given.
Small game program leader Mike Shiavone provided some great insight into wild turkey, and the challenges presented to turkey chicks from West Nile Virus, while grouse don't seem to be impacted as much, with that being thought to be du to higher elevations they occupy, and lower temperatures which do effect mosquitoes. Discussions on the recent outbreak of avian influenza were also brought to the NYSCC.
After the DEC portion, the NYSCC conducted their spring business, which included a heavy dose of discussions on the lead ammunition ban and the opt out legislation and proposed regulations. In response, after the committee reports, the boy deliberated the emergency resolution submitted by the Erie County Federation, with Chautauqua, Onondaga and Wyoming counties signing on. Time was the emergency, and the NYSCC took up this resolution immediately, voting unanimously in favor of the resolution, and adopting it as policy.
Finally, it appears wind developer ESI Energy has been ordered to pay significant fines after disclosing many of their wind factories have combined to kill over 150 bald and golden eagles, despite never applying for an eagle "take" permit. This one is just the latest in a long line of problems that beset this industry which brings no public benefit, as no reliable energy is delivered for the high cost in money, ecosystem damage and dead wildlife.
And finally, Pertnear Outdoors has organized a raffle in support of SWA initiative to install life ring safety statins along the upper Niagara River. Tickets cost just $20.00 and the luck winner will win a six hour walleye charter with Ultimate Adventure Sportfishing out of Sunset Bay, NY, for up to four anglers. Drawing will be on July 10 at the Southtowns Walleye Derby Awards Picnic. Bill Harvey, host of Pertnear Outdoors Log Talk Outdoors Podcast, heard about this effort here, and decided to help out! Find them on Facebook folks!
