With the spring turkey season due to close next Tuesday, May 31, I suspect that many of those with unfilled tags will stay in bed that morning rather than face a another soggy day trying to bag a bird that has avoided them for weeks that normally involved hunting in the rain every day. Tends to wear even the most avid hunters down.
Anglers haven’t had it much better. With our main rivers high and roiled, fishing – actually catching?the most popular gamefish, such as walleye and pike, was reduced to mainly washing your fish lines and hoping for a strike. Ponds and lakes have been high and cooler than normal all month. Again, making for poor fishing success. Trout streams have been a bit better, but many sustained food damages earlier and have seen their characteristics change drastically. I realized just how the spring weather has affected fishing when a friend up along the St. Lawrence River said most anglers were disappointed with the quality of early bullhead fishing this year?normally an annual tradition that yields large catches of these tasty pouts, aas attested to by all the signs along the area’s diners and restaurants that announce “fresh bullheads served here.”
Poor old Harold Camping, the doomsday soothsayer who keeps predicting the exact date the world will end. His latest was May 21, 2011, but prior to that he chose 1994. Of course with each prediction falling flat on its face, he gets even more humiliated, but he keeps trying. His latest involves October of this year. You know, I can almost understand his gloom-and-doom mindset, considering all the natural catastrophes we’ve seen recently. Now, if a large comet decides to head our way …well, never mind. That’s been forecasted before, I’m sure.
But sometimes good news during a bad period can help, and surprisingly enough, this week’s good news doesn’t come from nature but from Albany. The governor signed bill S177A-2011 which reduces the required minimum age for obtaining a junior archery license from fourteen years to twelve years of age, thereby following the leads of other states to entice more youths into enjoying outdoor activities before sedentary activity interest become too ingrained.

New NYS Outdoorsman Hall of Fame display to open June 4
Terry Swierzowski Director of Fulton County Tourism and Ron Kolodziej, one of the Directors of NYSOHOF, are coordinating the event.  Many thanks to them for taking charge of this event.
We also owe a debt of thanks to those who have helped finish the Museum to get it ready for the event, especially Bob Monacchio and Ron Kolodziej.  Ed Noonan and Neal Walsh also were a big help in getting things to the point where we can officially open it for the tourist season.  There are still some educational displays  to be added, as well as other memorabilia that will be displayed in our on-going effort to showcase the members and their various endeavors but the main part – the plaques of inductees – as well as some displays are finished.  Still to come is the computerized program with information on individual members.
Again, thanks to Bob Kazmierski, owner of Wildlife Sports Education Museum for offering us the separate space in the building that houses his outstanding museum of wildlife mounts, historic collection of sporting equipment, and more.
The WSEM building is located at the intersection of Routes 29 and 30 which are popular routes for tourists heading to Saratoga, Great Sacandaga Lake, or the southern gateway to the Adirondacks, as well as the sportsmen's mecca of Fulton County itself.
For anyone coming by way of the Thruway the easiest way is to exit at Fonda-Fultonville and proceed north on Rt 30 A to Johnstown and then follow Rte 29.

Tick and flea Season is here
From all reports, the flea and tick season has arrived a bit earlier than normal this year. Pet owners should make sure their pets are protected, especially from Lyme Disease, carried by ticks. We have two varities of ticks, wood ticks and deer ticks, the latter being the more dangerous, Lyme-wise. Regularly inspect your pet for ticks that have attached themselves to them. Pat particular attention to areas around the neck, ears, and underbelly regions. Ticks can be removed with tweezers, but be sure to remove the entire tick, especially its head, then apply antiseptic to the area. Any don’t forget to inspect yourself for ticks regularly. Even if you don’t notice one right away, you should feel itching in the area the tick has attached itself to you.