The Department of Environmental Conservation has issued preliminary harvest estimates for the hunting seasons and for deer, the agency says the harvest results started out slow compared to the 2010 season, particularly in the Southern Zone where there was 20 percent less harvest in the opening week of the season. However, that picked up considerably during Thanksgiving week, brining the total take closer to the previous year.

The preliminary harvest estimates for bear was a bit of a turnaround, with figures low in the Northern Zone but at near record levels in the Southern Zone. Several new areas were open in eastern New York State this year for the first time this season, generally between Westchester and Washington Counties.

Hunters in those new areas recorded a take of about 40 bruins, but even without those animals, the preliminary figures showed that the take in the southeastern zone might become one of the highest ever recorded. In central and western New York the harvest apparently topped the the record take recorded in 2008.

The final figured will be compiled and published sometime in late January or early February of 2012 and it’ll be interesting to see if those patterns continued throughout the rest of the seasons. In short, it appears the Northern Zone deer and bear take will be down a bit while takes in other zones, for both deer and bear, will be at or near record levels.

Go figure! I decide to give up the tail end of the seasons to go on my first-ever winter vacation and the hunting is generally good while I’m gone. I’d like to think the hunting was good because I wasn’t in the woods but I know that’s not true. Hunter success varies from season to season, zone to zone, and month to month and the only thing that’s predictable is that it’ll likely be generally slow wherever I happen to be hunting.

ICE FISHING CONTEST

We’re scarcely two weeks away from the annual contest sponsored by the Fish House Fish & Game Club. Last year this contest was run as a two-day  event but this year it reverts back to one day again and will be held on January 14, making it the first contest of the winter season on Great Sacandaga Lake.

Last January this contest was held on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 22 and 23, and was headquartered at the Town of Providence parking area. That event drew a total of 138 participants, compared to last year’s 212.

Sunday was sunny and bright but the breeze began to pick up and the temperature dropped rapidly as the day progressed. By 4 p.m. it was getting downright cold but that rarely stops dedicated ice anglers anyway.

Ira Cromling, Jr. of Broadalbin took the top spot in the walleye division of that event with a 3 pound 5 ouncer, followed by Mark Muller of Gloversville with a 2 pound 11 ounce entry, and James Dibble of Broadalbin with a 2 pound 9 ouncer.In the northern pike category, Spike Edwards of Northville took first place with a 12 pound 5 ounce entry, followed by Justin Glinski of Amsterdam with an 8 pound 6 ouncer and Bear Brandow of Caroga Lake with a 7 pound 14 ouncer.

Matt Allen of Gloversville took the top spot in the yellow perch segment of the event with a hefty 1 pound 7 1/2 ouncer, followed closely by Mark Hopkins of Schenectady with a 1 pound 4 ouncer. Third place in the perch division resulted in a tie between Ira Cromling and Ed Murray who both brought in identical 1 pound 3 ouncers.

Ray Brownell of Broadalbin won first place in the trout division with a 1 pound 3 ouncer, followed by Jeff Trojan of Scotia who took second and third places with entries weighing in at 13 1/2 ounce and 12 ounces.

Fish House Fish and Game Club members and volunteers assisting with the event included: Tom Ferguson (chairman), Joel Rodriguez, Frank Tokarowski, Chris Knott, Eric Setzer, Jeff Wagoner, Bowen Wagoner, Joseph Richiazzi, Bill Bernhardt, Mike DeGiulio, Chris Penichter, Tom Sterner, Joan Porter, Adam Flower, Jennifer Ostrander, Greg Geelan, Lenny Gasner, Timmy Ferguson, Bob Lais and Jamie Lais.

BEST WISHES

My sincerest wishes to all of you for a very safe and happy New Year weekend. Thanks too for your support and assistance during 2011. It was much appreciated.