Not that long ago people were talking about the mini drought that had settled into our area, causing gardens, lawns and farm crops to show signs of stress. Well, the weather of earlier this week certainly rectified all that, with some areas of the county receiving four inches or more of total rain over the four-day period.
Although the old saying “rain, rain, go away, come again another day,” may come to mind when multiple days of it settle over Chenango County. And many of us may grumble when it impacts our outdoor plans, but the recent precip certainly was beneficial to many of the late-summer flora species that will really begin to flourish again. Bothersome to some people because of accelerated grass growth rates on lawns, the spike in vegetation growth and health is also highly beneficial to many wildlife species as we head toward autumn and then winter since it will be what sustains them until next spring’s ecosystem rebirth. This is even more critical should the autumn precip be below normal.
The multi-days rainfall caused our local rivers to rise and become roiled, but that too has a beneficial aspect as it cleanses floating debris and dead algae from a somewhat stagnated ecosystem that was brought on by the higher temperatures and lower water levels we’d experienced earlier in the summer. Often described as a midsummer river that’s in a “working” phase, it causes the water to become murky with small clumps of brown decaying masses floating on the surface. Once the rivers return to seasonable levels and the water clears, anglers should begin to see some of the best fishing since last spring.
The ground-soaking rains of recent days should also prove to be a boon to mushroom hunters as emerging fungi growths will be increased. You may have noted abundant fungi (various toadstool species) sprouting from your lawn, and the same thing will jumpstart the more preferred and edible mushrooms such as field (button) mushrooms, chanterelles and puffballs. Of all the edible fungi species, the aforementioned can be the easiest to identify and safest to harvest. Consult any good book or web site on wild mushrooms and be sure that you can identify the edible species. Or have an experienced mushroomer accompany you and teach you the ins and outs.
Last year’s cool, wet spring and summer brought a major tomato blight to our area. Unfortunately many of the spores that caused that are still here, and the recent cool and wet conditions could reignite a late session of blight in yet-to-ripen tomato plants this year. The hot, sunny weather prior to the recent rains killed some of the blight and may have slowed or eliminated its spread in some areas. However, these recent days of dampness, overcast skies, and breezy conditions could spread the blight spores to new areas and infect previously healthy plants. Gardeners should check with Cornell Cooperative Extension for more details.
As bothersome as prolonged non-flooding stints of rain can be, they’re far better than the alternative – a prolonged drought. Such was the case in the decade-long “Dust Bowl” of the 1930s. Huge dust clouds, from the High Plains, stretching from the Texas Panhandle to the Dakotas, whipped up by harsh winds buried homes and cars, destroyed crops, choked farm animals to death and sent children to the hospital with pneumonia.

Duck and goose seasons announced
Information about the upcoming 2010-11 waterfowl hunting season, including season dates and updated regulations, is now available on the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28503.html. These regulations will become official as soon as federal and state rule-making procedures are finalized in the next several weeks. In our zone, the duck season is split, Oct. 9 - Oct. 17 and Nov. 6 - Dec. 26, while the early Canada goose season is Sept. 1-25 and the regular season is split into Oct. 23-19 and Nov. 27 – Dec. 13. Consult the specific regulations for daily limits on all migratory game birds.
Season dates for the Lake Champlain Zone The Lake Champlain Zone, jointly approved by Vermont and New York, are also a split (Oct. 6-10; Oct. 23-Dec. 16) . Some avid waterfowl hunters travel to that zone to include snow goose hunting in their activities. The snow goose season is March 11 - April 15, 2011 and the daily limit is 25. Snow geese in the Atlantic Flyway increased from approximately 50,000 birds in the mid 1960s to more than one million birds in recent years. Population estimates in May 2009 reached a record high of 1.4 million birds. Most of these birds pass through New York during spring and fall migrations.
Why have snow goose populations increased so dramatically? First, the availability of waste grains on agricultural fields has provided a vast new food supply for these birds. Second, continuation of restrictive hunting regulations during the 1970s and 1980s allowed the population to grow while hunter harvest rates declined. These two factors resulted in a higher reproductive rate, a higher adult survival rate, and offspring that were in much better condition to survive.

Squirrel and early goose seasons open Sept. 1
Hunters are reminded that in addition to Canada geese, squirrels become legal game starting Sept. 1. Squirrel season runs until Feb. 28 and the daily limit is six. The early Canada goose season in our zone (East Central) runs until Sept. 25 and the daily limit is eight. Goose hunters must have a “duck stamp” (available at most post offices) and also be registered in the Harvest Information Program (HIP). Only non-toxic (non-lead) shot is legal fodder for hunting geese or ducks.