Category Archives: News

News and events around the Lake Champlain Valley of northern New York and Vermont and southern Quebec

Dead Creek Wildlife Day 2016

Dead Creek Wildlife Day 2016

Dead Creek Wildlife Day 2016

Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area

Dead Creek Wildlife Day offers something for everyone. The day is filled with wildlife demonstrations and guided nature walks. Come for an hour or stay for the day! 
Saturday, October 1, 2016
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area

Free Admission and Parking

Schedule may change due to conflicts, please check the schedule again before arriving for the most up-to-date information. 

Activities include:duck calling contest poster

  • Live Critters of New England
  • Waterfowl Calling Contest for Young and Old
  • Decoy Carving
  • Hunting Dog Handling
  • Fishing How-tos
  • Wildlife Photography Tips & Tricks
  • And Much, Much More….

And don’t miss out on loads of family fun like…

  • Building Blue Bird Boxes
  • Face Painting
  • Nature Art and Crafts

Where is Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area?

Dead Creek WMA is located on VT Rte. 17 about one mile west of the junction of Rte. 22A and Rte. 17 in Addison, Vermont. For more information call (802) 828-1000.

get a map and directions

Dead Creek Wildlife Day is hosted by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreations, and Otter Creek Audubon Society.

 

Other Lake Champlain Wildlife Articles:

Adirondack Mountain Club Calls for Members and Volunteers to Help Combat Invasive Species

Adirondack Mountain Club Calls for Members and Volunteers to Help Combat Invasive Species in the Adirondack Park

Adirondack Mountain Club Calls for Members and Volunteers to Help Combat Invasive Species

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to the Adirondack Park’s waters and forests. The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is calling upon you as the most important defense to stop the invasion! Volunteers like you are needed to monitor for invasive species in the Adirondack Park. ADK and its partners, including the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), are hosting two upcoming events to provide you an opportunity to get out and survey backcountry areas for invasive species as a skilled citizen scientist.

On September 8-9 there is an overnight backpacking outing in the Sleeping Beauty Mountain area of the Lake George Wild Forest. ADK staff and participant volunteers will hike into the area and use packrafts to survey backcountry ponds for aquatic invasive species (AIS).
On September 17, there will also be a workshop and outing to train volunteers to identify forest pests such as Hemlock Woolly Adelgid; an invasive insect that is 99% lethal to hemlocks and is already causing tree declines in the Catskill Park. The September 17th event will be held from 10am-4pm at the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) office in Bolton Landing, with a field portion held in Amy’s Park. You can learn more and RSVP for these events at adk.org (Advocacy-Action Alerts).
These workshops and outings to recruit and train citizen scientists are part of a proven invasive species spread prevention strategy known as early detection and rapid response (EDRR). Since it facilitates management of invasive species infestations at an early stage, usually before they become widespread and established, EDRR is the most cost and resource effective method to stop the spread of invasive species. One of the keys to stopping invasive species is to have as many trained eyes in as many places as possible to spot and report invasives as soon as they appear. We can stop the invasion, but it will take the dedicated eyes of people who love, live, and recreate in these wild places to succeed.

RSVP for the September 8-9 outing and September 17 workshop at adk.org (Advocacy-Action Alerts), or contact Cathy Pedler 518-449-3870, cathy@adk.org
The Backcountry Monitor events are co-hosted by: The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC), Cornell University NYS Hemlock Initiative , NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), the NYS Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Invasive Species Coordination Unit.

Read more about citizen scientist projects to monitor for forest pests and aquatic invasive species in backcountry areas at www.adktrailhead.org

  • Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is a powerful voice protecting New York State’s wild lands and waters. ADK is a nonprofit organization with 30,000 members in 27 chapters and 36 year-round staff offering programs that help people discover, play in, and protect natural places.

 

Lake Champlain

This 128-page softcover book features stunning historical images from the archives of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and other regional collections, and includes chapters on Patriotic Sites and Celebrations; Commerce in the Canal Era; The Age of Steam; Crossing Lake Champlain; Recreational Boating; Summer and Summer Folk; Hunting and Fishing; and Winter. ‘Lake Champlain’ tells the story of this historic, busy commercial corridor and recreational destination.

Buy Here

More on Invasive Species:

 

Getting Started Fishing Clinic

Getting Started Fishing Clinic

Check out this free fishing clinic in September- open to people of all ages and levels of experience, including those who are completely new to fishing.

Basics of Fishing – Tuesday, September 6Getting Started Fishing Clinic

This clinic will focus on general fishing techniques and equipment, and is tailored toward those who have little to no fishing experience. It’s the perfect opportunity for anyone new to the sport to learn the fundamentals and get started in fishing.

It will begin at 4:30 p.m. and run until 7:00 p.m. at the Shelburne Bay Fishing Access Area in Shelburne.

Fishing equipment will be available for use, or participants can bring their own.

How Do I Register?

Space is limited and pre-registration is required for participation in the clinic.


Other Lake Champlain Fishing Articles:

 

First 2016 New York State Record Freshwater Drum Caught in Lake Champlain

12-year-old from the Adirondacks Catches Record Freshwater Drum

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that Amelia Whalen of Witherbee caught a record breaking freshwater drum from Lake Champlain in Essex County on June 4, 2016. The fish measured 36.5 inches and weighed 29 pounds 14 ounces, breaking the previous state record set in 2014 by more than 3 pounds.

12-year-old from the Adirondacks Catches Record Freshwater Drum

Amelia Whalen stands with her father who holds the record-breaking fish.

“This state record is just another example of the great fishing opportunities New York has to offer, even for lesser known species such as the freshwater drum,” said Commissioner Seggos. “No matter what time of year, angling possibilities in this state are endless, and I congratulate Amelia on her accomplishment, which is quite a feat for any angler, let alone a 12-year-old.”

Freshwater drum, also referred to as “sheepshead,” primarily dwell in large rivers and lakes. Their pronounced blunt head make them easily identifiable. With numerous small round teeth made for crushing, drum feed mostly on freshwater snails, clams and crayfish. When hooked, drum are known to put up a good fight. For more information on this unique fish species, visit NY DEC’s website.

Amelia, who caught the drum with a Lazer Blade lure, submitted details of her winning catch as part of DEC’s Angler Achievement Awards Program, which verifies and tracks state record fish. Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and a distinctive lapel pin commemorating their achievement. The three categories that make up the program are: Catch & Release, Annual Award and State Record.

“It was a phenomenal memory that I’ll always have reeling in the monstrous sheepshead that day,” Amelia said. “I was unimaginably surprised when my dad told me that it was definitely going to break the record.”

A photo of the record fish can be found on the New York State Freshwater Fishing Records page on DEC’s website. For more information about the Angler Achievement Awards Program, including a downloadable application form, go to DEC’s website. Program details and an official entry form can also be found in DEC’s current Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide. For additional information on the Angler Achievement Awards Program call (518) 402-8891 or email fwfish@dec.ny.gov .

 

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Offering Free Fishing Clinics

Fish & Wildlife Offering Free Fishing Clinics

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department will be hosting two free fishing clinics in September, both of which are open to people of all ages and levels of experience, including those who are completely new to fishing.

The first clinic, “Basics of Fishing,” will be held on Tuesday, September 6, at the Shelburne Bay Fishing Access Area in Shelburne. The clinic will focus on general fishing techniques and equipment, and is tailored toward those who have little to no fishing experience. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. and run until 7:00 p.m.

“The Basics of Fishing program is the perfect opportunity for anyone new to the sport to learn the fundamentals and get started in fishing,” said Corey Hart, Let’s Go Fishing Coordinator with Vermont Fish & Wildlife.

A second clinic, “Intro to Trout Fishing,” will take place on Saturday, September 10, at the Waterbury Public Library as well as on the Winooski River in Waterbury. The clinic, which will concentrate specifically on trout fishing tactics, will start at 9:30 a.m. and run until 1:00 p.m.

“For those looking to learn the basics of trout fishing with spinning equipment, this clinic is a great starting place,” said Hart. “We’ll cover a range of topics including habitat, life cycle, regulations, and fishing techniques. The course is designed as an introductory level course and will emphasize basic live bait techniques as well as strategies for using artificial lures.”

The two clinics will be led by staff from Vermont Fish & Wildlife and instructors from the Let’s Go Fishing Program.

Fishing equipment will be available for use, or participants can bring their own.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required for participation in either clinic. Anyone interested can register by emailing letsgofishing@vermont.gov, or by calling 802-505-5562.
 

Other Lake Champlain Fishing Articles: