By DENNIS APRILL, Outdoor Perspective
The end of every year brings reflections of what was, what might have been and speculation on what is to come.
It's like being on a mountain climb and reflecting about the terrain you just hiked through, but you are still anxious and excited about the adventures and views that may lie ahead. It's not just getting from point A to point B that really matters; it's what comes in between.
Here is my brief look back at some outdoor issues covered here and some indications of what issues are yet to come in 2010.
One story I didn't foresee last New Year was the controversy the bass tournaments would spark. There had been rumblings by some lakeshore residents for years that dead bass had been washing ashore after the events. When between 25 and 90 large bass washed up at Cumberland Head late last summer following a major tournament, the controversy came to a head. This will be an ongoing story in 2010, especially when a leading catch-and-release Canadian bass expert, the one who had to cancel in December, comes to talk at Plattsburgh State on the subject this spring. I hope to be there for that one.
The heart of the argument is twofold: Are the tournaments hurting the fishery, and do the economic benefits outweigh the negatives, if there are negatives? In the past, the City of Plattsburgh had to pay the tournament fee, but the outlying areas like the Town of Plattsburgh, with the malls, motels and restaurants, probably got a lot more income than the city itself from these tournaments (The county will pay the entry fees in 2010 through profits from the rooms and meals tax).
But still, back to the key question: Is our bass fishery being hurt by all the tournaments? Anecdotal evidence, especially from those with homes on the lake, differs from data brought out by FLW and Bassmaster, major tournament sponsors. The only way to really get the answers, I believe, is through a scientific study that focuses on catch-and-release techniques used, survival of released bass and the effects of a large number of big bass released in close proximity in one area, say Cumberland Head. We have two large universities — the University of Vermont and Plattsburgh State — nearby. I would think this would be a prime topic for grant money to do a study.
Another issue pertaining to the Lake Champlain fishery that just resurfaced after years out of the public eye is Imperial Dam on the Saranac River, that barrier to salmon and steelhead that try to get upriver to spawn. In the past two decades, proposals, from taking down the dam, lowering it or building a fish ladder on the north side, were put forth. The state even moved to buy the land needed on the embankment for a fish ladder, a series of raised pools. One currently exists, unused, upstream at Treadwell Mills. Now, the latest news is that the dam's owner has filed for a preliminary permit to explore the possibility of creating a hydroelectric station at the dam. If the permit is approved by the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC), there is a good possibility the owner would be responsible for fish passage — i.e. a fish ladder — at the site. To complicate matters, the state bought 2½ acres on the north side of the embankment for just such a fish ladder. Stay tuned, this story should be unfolding next year.
The northern New York deer herd is always a big story, whether it is the fall hunting season or the winter conditions the deer must live through. Last winter, according to Department of Environmental Conservation wildlife biologists, was not a particularly difficult one, yet some deer, especially bucks, seemed to disappear during the fall. I did my usual article on deer wintering last February, and, after checking my records, found last winter at this stage was snowier than this one with the snow, a couple of feet in depth in my area, lasting until late March. Did it impact deer survival? Usually the fawns are the first to die from starvation, the big does and bucks the last, so major winter kill doesn't seem to be the answer for less bucks. It could be, some hunters have told me, plentiful wild mast and other foods kept the deer from coming to the usual man-initiated enticements.
There were many other stories last year, too many to recap here; they include a lot of Critter of the Month articles, pieces on invasive species like alewives and the emerald ash borer, the rise of our moose population, and of course, the sad state of financial affairs in New York when it comes to funding hunting, fishing and environmental projects, along with the loss of staffing (DEC Ray Brook is down to two fisheries biologists).
The preliminary figures are in for Plattsburgh's winter bird count last Sunday. There were 32 field volunteers and 13 feeder watchers, finding 55 species and over 1,000 individual birds. Judy Heintz, count coordinator, says the count numbers this year were "average."
Last summer was a good one for me travel-wise. I had the opportunity to drive up the Alaska Highway into the central Yukon Territory of Canada in search of rare Fannin mountain sheep in July, and a month later fly into Hudson Bay to photograph polar bears.
This past year I was asked by the editors to write remembrances for two well-known Adirondackers — Fran Betters and Clarence Petty. Closer to home, there were losses of less known but very good people who also deserve to be remembered. I'm sure everyone reading this knows of someone not around now who was here last year at this time.
For me, I start with Gordon Frenia, Town of Black Brook. Gordy and I went back to the 1970s when I was in my early 20s. We met at one of our neighborhood's big Memorial Day parties and remained friends ever since. We both served on the board of the Brow Hill Hunting Club for decades. He was a caring individual who loved wildlife. The loss of Randy Duprey, who also grew up in Black Brook and was a member on the Brow Hill Hunting Club, was a shocker, even though he had been ill for some time. He was only 26 years old. I can remember the day he was born. When he grew up, he played on the same grasshopper and pee-wee baseball teams as my son. He was a fine young man. Dr. Angelo LaMariana passed away at the age of 94. I first met Angie 25 years ago at a Trout Unlimited meeting; he was devoted to fishing and that organization. In fact, at the annual TU picnic last summer on the banks of the Saranac River, he put on a pair of waders, grabbed his fly rod and went fishing, landing two trout.
Let's hope the climb through the new year brings a lot of beautiful views and no dangerous obstacles. Have a Happy New Year.
E-mail Dennis Aprill at daprill2000@yahoo.com and check out our Web site at www.pressrepublican.com for more photos and past articles.
