Happy Valentine's Day to all you sportsmen and women out there across the fruited plain! Your humble host also congratulates the LA Rams for their Super Bowl win. In hunting news, NYSDEC has released their 2021 Black bear Harvest, which was down from 2020 and the 5 year average, but this was in part due to lower acorn and other tree nut crops this past season. It is thought the gypsy moths played a big role in diminishing tree nut production. Meanwhile, Ohio has released their final deer harvest numbers for the 2021/ 2022 season, and Ohio actually provides weekly updates throughout the season!
Meanwhile, hunting is experiencing a resurgence and growth in the hunting ranks, as more women and minorities take an interest in the conservation lifestyle. In NY, in fact, women in 2020 accounted for 33% of all people taking a hunter's safety course, and with the advent of tandem treestands, more are now joining their boyfriend or husband in the stand during the season!
In fishing news, the ice is nice and many hatcheries in NY will be getting much needed repairs, but in Washington State the failure of an aged rubber gasket led to the escape of nearly 250,000 young steelhead, escaping into the Snake River system. The balance of the fish that this hatchery raises are now being held in the Cottonwood Acclimation Pond near the Oregon border.
The Great Lakes Commission has announced they are holding a series of webinars they dub the Great Lakes Coffee Hour sessions, starting Feb 28-March 4. Visit the Great Lakes Commission website for more information.
Ice fishing is in full swing, and even Lake Erie is showing more ice cover than we see historically for this time of year, but things may not be safe quite yet in the Eastern basin. Inland lakes, meanwhile show great ice conditions, and this weekend is the first free fishing weekend in NYS. Everyone can fish without a license on Feb 19 and 20 this year, so get out and enjoy! The Ice Castle and Winterfest in Mayville, NY happens this weekend, starting Friday the 18th at 6PM, running through Sunday Feb 20 4PM.
The Great Backyard Bird Count starts this weekend as well, Feb 18-21, visit birdcount.org for more information and how to participate. NY has also announced the opening of the WNY portion of the NYS Birding trail, and this section features 36 stations across several WNY counties. Birding has grown in popularity over the past 20 years, and this is a way you can share your love of birds with avian research teams across the globe.
Feb 15 also marks the start of the Erie Canalway Challenge, which recognizes your overcoming this challenge to trek 15 miles along the Erie Canal from Feb 15-28. Visit Eriecanalway.org for more info.
Finally, your humble host discusses even more problems with offshore wind energy and the efforts of CAWTILE to stop these schemes from destroying our waters of life. When we think about the birding and the life in the area today, we often lose the fact that in 1970 we did not have many birds, no fish, lots of insects, no waterfront dinners or activities, nothing. We don't want to see a return of this which will happen if greed is allowed and not defeated.
