Category: Fall

Fall/hunting

Deer Hunting Forecast-Northeast

Leave a comment
Rut Buck Shotgun
Nice 8pt shot during prime “chase” phase during regular season in Cayuga County, NY

As you have seen from my past articles, I primarily deer hunt in New York where the annual deer harvest is one of the highest in the country. Most of the deer taken are from gun season (which can be like WWII from city hunters) but archery season is very quiet throughout the state. For this 2015 season, the experts are projecting the rut to kick off about a week earlier than last year.  This will bode well for archery hunters. Hunting whitetails during the rut, especially in the Northeast, is one of the best times to increase your chances at taking a nice buck. Clearly a no brainer, but be prepared for bucks to start chasing earlier this hunting season, so plan to adjust your tactics accordingly.

Archery buck taken during the "seeking" phase of the rut
Archery buck taken during the “seeking” phase of the rut

There are different theories as to when bucks begin their rut and the most popular one is to follow the moon phase. This year, the rutting moon falls on October 27th. The rutting moon is the second full moon after the Autumnal equinox. I’ve read a few articles that say this will trigger bucks to begin their early “seeking” phase of the rut. Some does will begin an early estrus cycle during this time. Be prepared to change your tactics from hunting predominately over food areas to bedding transition zones or rub lines.

I haven’t killed the monster bucks like the Lakosky’s, but I have success every hunting season following fundamental tactics. In the early season I strictly choose to hunt near food sources or transition zones. During this time, I build a profile of my hunting grounds and lock down deer patterns. I rarely use any estrus in October, but occasionally put a scent wick out if the weather patterns become unseasonably cold. With my experience, temperature in Upstate NY is one the leading factors that affects rut activity. Deer will start moving around much more and not be locked into their nocturnal patterns. During the early stages of the rut, I spend a lot more time on post, typically taking a two hour break for lunch and sometimes changing my afternoon stand location. Putting time in the stand will get you a deer, but yes you can get lucky just sitting for the last hour of daylight! I’ve shot some nice deer during midday and highly recommend you sitting as long as you can during chase rut.

I hope you have success this hunting season! I will post more videos and articles once November comes around when I don’t have my hectic 9-5 schedule. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for great pictures. Thanks for reading.

-Michael

Fall/hunting

Do You Remember Your First Time?

Leave a comment

I have had the privilege of being raised in a family that shares a passion for the outdoors. My father is one of the best deer hunters I have ever met and he raised me to respect firearms and value outdoor recreation. As I became more experienced, I wanted to share my passion with folks within my social circle. I chose to attend SUNY Oswego in North Central New York, because it was an excellent location for outdoor activities and the education wasn’t too bad either!  I met my best buddies up there and recruited them to join me in the woods or on the river. Many of them never really hunted before or cast out a line. Almost ten years later (since my freshman year) a few of my recruits are now avid outdoorsmen and continue to strengthen their skills afield.

Dave (left) and I with his first deer
Dave (left) and I with his first deer

One of the most special and memorable hunts I have ever been on was one that I was a spectator to my good buddy Dave taking his first deer. We were hunting the difficult Adirondack Mountain State Forests, where you may not see anything for years, but when you do it would most likely be a buck. It was late October/early November and the Chronicles Crew (with other affiliates) were on our annual “dack” hunting trip. This was always a fun time together, since many of us were coming from different parts of the country and got to reunite while hunting. The year before, I hunted with Dave on a mountain ridge that overlooked a nice gully pinch point. We planned on hunting the same spot the following year. Dave and I split up for the first few hours, hunting about 500 yards from each other and planned on meeting up somewhere in the middle to eat breakfast. Coincidentally, we hooked up on the exact ridge where we hunted the year before. At that time, we did not have GPS so it was ironic we found the exact same spot as the last year. We discussed our morning hunt and schemed for the remainder of the day. As we were choking down some cliff granola bars, Dave get’s quiet and tell me to “shut up, shut up.” I had my back turned from the downside of the hill, facing Dave. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a deer walking parallel to us on a string to his Tinks Scent Bomb hanging in a tree about 50 yards down. I kept asking, “what do you see, what is it?” I was locked still, watching the whole thing happen from Dave’s perspective. Then he slowly raised his rifle (shaking profusely), takes a deep breath and BANG. Keep in mind, I never saw this deer and had to wait, for what felt like hours, to see what would happen. We both get up and look down hill to a 7pt laying dead.   SUCCESS! Dave had just taken his first whitetail ever and I was there to experience the whole thing. Dave was one of my original outdoor recruits from college and now was a proven deer hunter.

This hunt still remains in my top five best memories afield. The video above is Dave recalling the hunt. I posted it years ago on my former blog, so please disregard the URL at the end.

I would love to hear about your stories about the first animal you took in your hunting career. Please feel free to post a picture and a short summary on our Facebook  visitors page. Looking forward to reading about your first time!

Michael

Fall/Fishing/hunting

Browns Campground-Altmar, NY

Leave a comment

Browns Campground

This past weekend, the Chronicles crew ventured west to Pulaski, NY eager to get a fat Chinnok on the line on the Oswego and Salmon river. Fishing was tough, we only hooked up a few times and were not able to cross the deep parts of the Oswego river to our hot spot by the dam. The water levels were high and extremely dangerous. The salmon river was chalk full of people, but we were able to land a few fresh Chinook salmon.

The Green Lake Chronicles Crew has been making this annual trip since October 2010. We pitch our tents at Brown’s Campground located in Altmar, NY right off route 13. Browns campground is owned by Sonja Brown and operated by Pete and Monica Garner. Monica is Sonja’s daughter and has grown up watching thousands of fishermen/women enjoy the Salmon river bounty. We always arrive late, find a vacant tent site and set up shop. Even at 2AM, the campground is full of excited fishermen/women prepping their equipment for the morning outing. The scenery is amazing, located nearly on the Salmon river and the stars are as bright as LED light-bulbs. The owners are extremely welcoming and unbelievably gracious. They have a main office with a tackle shop, RV electric hook up, salmon cleaning station and bathhouse (showers and toilets included). Pricing is extremely reasonable, being dependent on length of stay, amount of people in your party and choice of camper unit or tent.  What differentiates this campground from it’s competitors, is the private access to the nostalgic salmon river and the hospitable staff. Hands down some of the best people I have ever met. Campers are able to walk a short distance from their tent/camper to the lush salmon fishing grounds with their private access point. Browns also offers a fish smoking service with immediate turnaround. Catch your fish one night, surrender it to the “fillet master,” and come back the next day within 24 hours to collect a tasty smoked salmon treat.

Northern zone archery kill
Northern zone archery kill

Not only is the fishing fantastic at Browns, but there is a slew of public hunting land available nearby to chase whitetails. One of the best trips to date was October 2010. We slammed the salmon in Oswego and on the salmon river access point at Browns Campground and I shot a nice 7pt buck with my Mathews. Cast and blast can be a fun weekend for those who are looking to break up their Salmon fishing itinerary.

I plan on making a trip to Browns every year and will eventually bring my future kids along for the adventure. Monica and Pete and great people and will give you a warm welcome every time. Many of their campers are regulars dating back 20+ years. If you plan on making a trip to Salmon country, I strongly urge you check out Browns. For booking information, please contact Monica at brownscampground12@yahoo.com. If you have any questions, please contact me at greenlakechronicles@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!

Michael

After a long day of salmon fishing, I relax in the shade under my truck
After a long day of salmon fishing, I relax in the shade under my truck
Central New York/Fall/Fishing

Salmon River Madness

Leave a comment
Chronicles crew with a nice keeper chinook
Some of the Chronicles crew with a nice keeper Chinook Salmon

It’s that time of the year again! This weekend, we Boston boys will be making our annual trip to Pulaski, NY to butt shoulders with other fisherman on the overcrowded Salmon and Oswego River. Sounds fantastic right? The stress of potentially not securing your spot and fighting with a massive local “Oswegonian” is well worth it when your line gets tight and the drag starts screaming! A few of us went to college at SUNY Oswego and started fishing for these freak fish over eight years ago. Now that we have “respectable” jobs and more responsibility, we look forward to this annual trip to escape  and continue our pursuits of these monster salmon and cold Labatt Blue.

Early Steelie caught by Mr. Jones on blue egg sac
Early Steelie caught by Davey Jones on a blue egg sac

I am going to give you the most important piece of advice to help you land a salmon this fall.  Do not get too drunk the night before you fish. GET TO THE WATER VERY EARLY to secure a spot and do not leave until you are exhausted. The river will start filling up with fishermen between 6:45-7:15AM. If you safely get into position a solid hour before the others, there shouldn’t be an issue with crowds until 7:30AM. The rivers can get packed with people, but it is well worth it. The past few years, we have been having more success with hooking up and landing steelhead and bows. Salmon hook ups are frequent, but they run so hard and often come off the line.

I am not an expert at catching these things, but have had some good success following the factors listed below:

Water depth and flow – The higher the water level the better, the faster the water, the more oxygen, get the drift? There is a sweet spot with flow/depth. I like fishing the Oswego River when it’s between 4,500-6,000cfs. This river can be dangerous as hell if it get’s higher, but I have always had success during this flow.

Preliminary salmon runs – Location is key! Salmon can randomly begin their cycle depending on environmental factors such as water depth, flow and temperature. Typically the best runs start Columbus day weekend and end early November, but you never know when a major push will happen. Stay updated on local blogs and fishing reports and plan to have flexibility in setting the date for your trip.

Weather – The salmon run can greatly be affected by the weather patterns, a drop in temperature can result in a preliminary or unexpected run, as listed above. Cold nights and cooler daytime temperatures will help move the fish up river. You can never really predict the weather, but try and fish when it is getting a little colder.

“Stay Sensitive”- If you plan on using a spinning outfit, make sure you have the right line to feel your sinker kiss the bottom of the river while your leader sways into a fishes mouth. This ticking is important, because your hook (which should be on a leader, three feet behind weight) will hopefully pass through lines of fish. Salmon will rarely eat or go after your hook, so “lining” them is the best way to get success. Having minimal stretch line with narrow diameter will help you feel the tick and have more hook sets.

If you see someone attempting to snag the fish, rat their ass out to the DEC. Snagging is horrible for the fish and not real fishing. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, please contact me at greenlakechronicles@gmail.com. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Michael

Salmon River map

Fat king caught on a homemade estaz fly
Fat king caught on a homemade estaz fly
Altmar, NY foliage
Altmar, NY foliage
Stud Washington Steelhead
Stud Washington Steelhead
Nice Bow
Nice Bow
Early morning steelie on the Oswego river
Early morning steelie on the Oswego river
Central New York/Fall/Fishing

Oneida Lake Fall Walleye Blitz

Leave a comment
My Cuse buddies with a nice set of Fat eyes
My Cuse buddies with a nice set of Fat eyes

I moved out of Syracuse, NY a little over three years ago and one of the things I miss most (other than dirt cheap rent) is the Fall Walleye Fishing on Oneida Lake. Walleye fishing becomes one of the hottest attractions of the fall, fish start becoming aggressive in their feeding routines, chasing bait into the shallower waters and circling the lake with a nightly feeding “schedule.”

What sets this time of year apart from the springtime walleye fishing, is the lure selection. In the spring we strictly utilized a 3/8” oz jig dipped with a juicy nightcrawler tail, jigging it on the bottom around 15 feet. As the temperature increases, the fish would head towards deeper waters, thus requiring a heavier jig. With fall the water temperature dropping,  large schools of walleye gravitate back towards the shallows, consistently circling the lake for balls of baitfish. With the fish coming shallower and following a more aggressive feeding pattern, stick baits would be our main lure choice. We’ve had great success with the Rapala X-Rap. This lure is a “slash” bait that suspends in the water and produces a radical motion. The reason I love this bait so much is that it is designed for the shallower water and the color patterns offered are extremely realistic. The X-Rap gives you that edge in weed “evadement” and also allows you to cast a significant distance with its long cast technology.  In my opinion, this is hands down the top bait to use in the fall. Just cast it out there and hook up.

Rapala X-Rap
Rapala X-Rap

The best time to fish in the fall is dependent on a few environmental factors:

  • Water temperature: colder temperatures allow fish to swim into the shallows feeding  on baitfish.
  • Wind direction and speed: generally you want to fish into the wind or in a cove where the wind is pushing waves to shore. This will push the bait closer and in turn schools of walleye will aggressively follow.
  • Time of day: preferably in the evening within an hour of sunset. You can start fishing in October and end Mid-November, just keep in mind, the activity is dependent on the water temperature as mentioned above
Hot Color Patterns
  • Silver and Black
  • Clown
  • Perch
  • Fire Shad and Standard Shad

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at greenlakechronicles@gmail.com. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for good pictures and videos!

Michael