trapping

Comments Sought On Western Lassiter Conservation Easement

November 5, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking public comment on a draft recreation management plan (RMP) for the Western Lassiter Conservation Easements, in the town of Edwards, St. Lawrence County. The Western Lassiter Conservation Easement RMP consists of the 1,336-acre Beers Lot Conservation Easement and the 834-acre Pine Hill Conservation Easement.

The public comment period on the draft RMP is open until November 30th. [Read more…] about Comments Sought On Western Lassiter Conservation Easement

Coyote or Wolf? Learn to Spot The Difference

October 15, 2022 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Last month, genetic testing confirmed that a canid killed by a hunter in Otsego County in 2021 was a wolf. The New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) has documented a few wolves and wolf hybrids over the last 20 years in New York.

In most cases, analyses indicated these animals were released from captivity, but wild wolves are present in portions of Ontario and Quebec, and it is possible for these animals to travel into New York. [Read more…] about Coyote or Wolf? Learn to Spot The Difference

Herkimer County’s Three Lakes Tract Management Plan Complete

October 8, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a final recreation management plan (RMP) for the Three Lakes Tract Conservation Easement in the Town of Webb, Herkimer County.

38 Groups Call On DEC To Protect Wolves in New York State

September 21, 2022 by Peter Bauer Leave a Comment

The plot continues to thicken around the killing of an 85-pound wolf near Cooperstown in December of 2021 and the response by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Under state and federal law, a wolf that wanders into New York State is protected under the Endangered Species Act. The wolf shot near Cooperstown by a coyote hunter clearly enjoyed no such protections. [Read more…] about 38 Groups Call On DEC To Protect Wolves in New York State

Comments Sought on Herkimer County’s Three Lakes Easement

June 5, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking public comment on a draft recreation management plan (RMP) for the Three Lakes Tract Conservation Easement in the town of Webb, Herkimer County.

The 3,350-acre Three Lakes Tract (TLT) is comprised of commercially managed forestland and is named for three waterbodies located on the property-Hitchcock, Grass, and Moose ponds. The RMP will address public recreational access and facilities consistent with the conservation easement. The public comment period is open until July 1st, 2022. [Read more…] about Comments Sought on Herkimer County’s Three Lakes Easement

Social Media Posts Lead to Poaching Charges in Jefferson County

February 11, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

According to a press release issued by DEC, on December 24th, 2021, ECO McFee received a call from a resident in the town of Clayton regarding a possible trapping violation. After obtaining the name of the accused trapper, Officer McFee learned the same man had been suspected of illegal hunting activity in the area in the past. [Read more…] about Social Media Posts Lead to Poaching Charges in Jefferson County

Dutch, Mohawk & Mohican Fur Trade

November 29, 2021 by Peter Hess 1 Comment

After a 1627 conflict, when the Dutch sided with the Mahicans against the Mohawks, the relationship between the first settlers and the Indigenous People was relatively peaceful and cooperative.

This was due in part to the fact that the Patroon had purchased the land from them and also due to the business relationship established between local Indigenous People and the fur traders. [Read more…] about Dutch, Mohawk & Mohican Fur Trade

Comments Sought On Herkimer County Easement Plans

December 8, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced they are seeking public input on the development of a draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Three Lakes Tract Conservation Easement, a privately-owned conservation easement encompassing approximately 3,350 acres in the town of Webb, Herkimer County. [Read more…] about Comments Sought On Herkimer County Easement Plans

State Logging On Tug Hill Hopes To Improve Hunting

November 12, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In 2015, DEC launched the Young Forest Initiative. The initiative uses small clear-cuts “to increase young forest habitat” for wildlife which trappers and hunters target.

One of the many properties on which DEC employs this management strategy is Tug Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA), a 5,110-acre property located on the Tug Hill Plateau in the town of Montague, Lewis County. [Read more…] about State Logging On Tug Hill Hopes To Improve Hunting

80-Acre Addition To High Tor Area Part of FDR’s Preservation Legacy

November 6, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State’s recent acquisition of the 86-acres Parker tract in the Finger Lakes area, recalls the role of New York State Governor and later U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the creation of New York States Forests and Wildlife Management Areas.

The State purchased the parcel from the Parker Trust for $171,300 utilizing federal Pittman-Robertson Act (1937) funds. To ensure that use is in compliance with the Act, the state is planning to include the land in the High Tor Wildlife Management Area in Yates County.