Outdoors with Larry DiDonato - Time to Prepare for the Hunt

The doldrums of summer are winding down. It's time to prepare for the fall hunting season. A good place to start is locating food sources like this big oak tree dropping calorie rich acorns. Hunting deer, bear, and turkeys in oak flats or beech nut stands can be very productive in a good hard mast year. Now's the time for a check of hunting and trapping equipment and to start pre-season scouting. Many hunters use trail-cameras year-round to keep tabs on wildlife in their hunting woods.

It’s that time of year again. Time to get everything ready for upcoming hunting seasons. Some of which have already opened while others will be here before you know it. You may have to tear yourself away from any end of summer projects you are either doing or trying hard not do!

It’s time to check equipment like tree stands, trail cameras, bows, crossbows, sight-in rifles, practice wing shooting, boil and wax traps, and perhaps go over what gear you have or may need pre-season. 

 Safety should be foremost as we go over our equipment “to-do” lists. Tree stand straps should be checked for wear and excessive tension and adjusted or replaced while you check the overall integrity of any elevated platform. You might find the tension of ratchet straps to be overly tight which could be a sign the tree has grown and the strap and ratchet may be in danger of failing. Loosen, undo, and repair or replace overly stressed or visibly weathered tree stand straps. While at the tree stand, check to see if shooting lanes need to be pruned to enhance visibility. 

 Scouting for sign of game can be accomplished as a separate planned activity and while venturing into and out of your hunting woods to check or repair tree stands. Survey hard and soft mast conditions while checking for scat and evidence of deer browse or black bears and other species.  

 Back to the tools of the trade, is your rifle or shotgun free of barrel obstructions, cleaned, and ready to go? Check the condition of bowstrings on long bows and crossbows. Are they frayed? When was the last time you waxed the strings or given the bow a tune-up? How proficient are you with your bow, crossbow, rifle, or shotgun? Now’s a good time to get some practice in while checking on the condition of our equipment. Checking non-safety-related gear can include replacing batteries on trail-cams and checking for corrosion in the compartment and SD cards checked for operability and storage capacity. Waterfowl hunters have lots of equipment to ready. Boats, motors, canoes, waders, and decoys to just mention a few. 

 There’s one piece of critical, irreplaceable “equipment” in the equation that should not be overlooked; the condition of your health and physical readiness for the rigors of hunting and trapping. One simple and productive way to start getting in hunting shape is by scouting where you plan to hunt. While traversing the area looking for sign and any changes to the landscape, you’ll be getting yourself acclimated to the ease or difficulty of the terrain. While the heat of the summer may be a challenge, don’t forget while the weather may be cooler in the fall and winter, you might be wearing a lot more layers and carrying potentially heavy gear when you go out to hunt or trap.  Not to mention the added stress of bagging and dragging a big buck or bear out of the woods. If you hunt on state land, you can’t legally use motorized vehicles, and may have to drag heavy, harvested game long distances over challenging terrain. It’s not only no fun to be physically stressed, it could be dangerous. Just pre-checking the status of your health and conditioning could be a lifesaver. It’s probably a good idea to see a doctor for an annual physical before going afield in earnest and at least check with your doctor before starting or drastically increasing an exercise routine in preparation for the hunting season. 

Happy hunting, fishing, and trapping until next time!

News and Notes…

Celebration of Life for State FWMB Chair Bill Conners; Sunday, September 8th 

A Celebration of Life Service for William R. Conners will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024 from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm at the Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home, at 71 Hooker Ave.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603. Bill Conners, 78, of Pleasant Valley, NY passed away at home on Monday, June 17, 2024. Bill was an avid fisherman and hunter and devoted many decades to various wildlife and conservation programs at the state and local level. He served as Dutchess County Clerk and Chairman of the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency. He was a member and past president of the Dutchess County Federation of Fish and Game Club. Bill served as the State Chairman of the NYS Fish and Wildlife Management Board, and as its liaison to the NYS Conservation Advisory Board and to the NYS Conservation Council up until his passing. He served on the Watershed and Preservation Advisory Committee, Estuary Management Plans Advisory Board, various state and local youth fishing and hunting programs, Dutchess Deer Search, Hunters for the Hungry, and many levels of educational outreach. Bill was an outdoor writer and wrote a weekly column in the Poughkeepsie Journal from 1994 until 2024. 

Update:

Boat Ramp at Catskill’s Dutchman’s Landing to Remain Open Until Further Notice

Village of Catskill Officials had closed, then quickly reopened the boat launch ramp at Dutchman’s Landing in time for Labor Day Weekend. It will remain open until further notice as plans for its repair or replacement are being formulated. 

2024 Youth Pheasant Hunting Weekend is September 28th & September 29th 

The 2024 Youth Pheasant Hunting Weekend in our area and in all of Region’s 3, 4, 5, and 6, will be on Saturday, September 28th and Sunday, September 29th. Properly licensed kids, 12 through 15 years of age can exclusively hunt pheasants that weekend with a licensed parent, guardian, or mentor who is at least 21. Check with your county sportsmen’s federation to see which day they may be holding a youth pheasant hunt in your area. The Greene County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs is holding their Youth Pheasant Hunt on Saturday, September 28th at the same location as last year; the Lampman Farm in Greenville. Pre-registration for the Greene County Youth Pheasant Hunt is required.

Norton Hill Wildlife Club’s 2024 Trap Shooting Schedule

Trap shooting at Norton Hill Wildlife Club at 946 Big Woods Road in Greenville begins at 10:00

am on the following remaining Sundays: September 15th and September 29th. 

Cost is just $5.00 per round. Bring your own ammo. Trap shooting is open to all; you don’t have to be a member to take advantage of this opportunity.

Remember to report poaching violations by calling the 24-hour ECO Dispatch at: 

1-844-DEC-ECOS.