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We were very saddened by the news of Lee Tangarone’s passing on Saturday, April 28. Following is Lee’s obituary:

Surrounded by family and friends, Lee Coldren Tangarone passed away at her home in New Hartford on Saturday, April 28th. She was 62 years old.

Lee Tangarone

Lee was born July 3, 1949, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where she spent her childhood. A 1968 graduate of Uniontown High School, she later earned a BS in Business Management from Marietta College, in Marietta, Ohio.

New Hartford has been home to Lee and her family for the past 37 years. She was an active and vibrant member of her community, and she contributed to many civic organizations, often in leadership positions.

Lee was a past member of the New Hartford Ambulance where she volunteered as an attendant for 20 years. Lee was also an elected official in New Hartford, serving several terms as Town Treasurer, and for many years, was the tax collector for the New Hartford Fire District. She was a chairperson for Bookfriends, a support organization for the Licia and Mason Beekley Community Library, as well as a past president of the New Hartford Business Council and a board member of the New Hartford Historical Society. In her role as a civic contributor and leader, she was a co-founder of the annual holiday celebration, Light New Hartford and for several years chaired the annual Historical Society Wine Tasting. Lee was also a member of YTBN, a women’s group in the community. Most recently, Lee and her husband, Guy, owned and operated Tangarone & Prelli Insurance in Winsted, Connecticut.

Although her accomplishments and contributions were many, she will be best remembered for the person she was, loving, sensitive and kind. She lived a life of integrity with high standards for herself as a wife, a mother, a citizen and a friend. Taken too early from the many who loved and respected her, she will be sorely missed and fondly remembered for the unique gifts she shared with all. Although her interests were varied, her greatest joy in life was her family, and especially time spent with her granddaughter, Corrin. Her partnership with her husband, Guy, included shared responsibilities in their social, civic and business endeavors, but most importantly, a loving 41-year marriage.

In addition to her husband Guy, Lee is survived by her son Jeremy, his wife Kristen, and their daughter Corrin; and her son Joshua, and his girlfriend Stephanie Bissett. Also mourning her loss are her mother, Phyllis Van Camp of Virginia, stepmother, Fran Coldren of Pennsylvania, and siblings Kathy Wallace, David Coldren and Janice Camden and their families. She was pre-deceased by her father, Ira Coldren of Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those wishing to do so make contributions to the Lee Tangarone Endowment Fund at the Licia and Mason Beekley Community Library. All funds will be used for children’s programming.

Friends may greet the family on Thursday, May 3, from 5 to 8 PM at the home of Christopher Jones, 438 Cedar Lane, New Hartford. Montano-Shea Funeral Home, 5 Steele Road, New Hartford has care of arrangements.

Visit an online guestbook at Montano-shea.com.

A Lee Tangarone Endowment Fund is being established at the Beekley Community Library with all funds to be used for children’s programming. Photo: NewHartfordPlus archives

Text & Photos By: Maria Moore

Bright sunshine and a chill in the air – perfect conditions to play ball! And those were just the conditions yesterday morning at Brown’s Corner when New Hartford Youth Baseball/Softball held its Opening Day ceremony.

The teams streamed onto the field and could hardly contain their excitement as the adults made their speeches, the scouts marched the flags onto the field and the National Anthem was sung.  And then the first pitch was thrown and – the moment they had all been waiting for – the youngest member of a T-ball team called out: “Play Ball!”

Following are photos of the Opening Day Ceremony at Brown’s Corner – the place to be at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 28!

A sunny, crisp Saturday morning - perfect for Opening Day at Brown's Corner

Waiting to get started

Waiting in line to enter the field under the watchful eye of Wendy Penn (at center)

The South End Fire truck on duty on Opening Day

The teams start to fill the field

More teams sprint onto the field

Almost all the teams are on the field

The ceremony gets under way

Youth Sports President Dale Martin thanks long-time volunteer Lou Castellani who recently resigned from his active role in Youth Sports. Sally O'Neill, who was not at Opening Day, was also thanked for all her hard work on behalf of Youth Sports

The Scouts march onto the field bearing the flags

Saluting the flags

The National Anthem

First Selectman Dan Jerram says a few words about the improvements that have taken place over the last two years at Brown's Corner

Throwing the first pitch

Congratulating the pitcher

Returning back to his team

"Play Ball" is called by the youngest player in T-ball

The ceremony over, the officials head out to watch some ball

A last look back at the crowd assembled for Opening Day

Brown's Corner

By: Andrew Pelletier

Andrew Pelletier

Opening day of trout season, a long awaited event after a long winter. While much of the Farmington River is now open year-round to fishing from the base or the Goodwin Dam in West Hartland to the riffles of Unionville, it is strictly a catch and release designation. Those of us who wish to take some trout home for supper have to wait until the 3rd Saturday of the month, this year on April 21st. Pair trout fishing with spring turkey hunting, which begins on the 25th of this month, and you’re sure to have a month of great sporting action and, with luck, some excellent eating!

I’ve heard it time and again – “I’ve never liked trout. They’re too bony and muddy tasting.” I’ll offer up some pointers on how to care for your catch from the minute it’s unhooked to the kitchen table. Trout is delectable and sweet and if you take the steps necessary, you will never think of trout as muddy ever again. We’ll look at what’s in season for April and tell you about how you can register to win cash prizes in the 6th Annual New Hartford Fishing Derby coming up in May, which is a full week in duration this year. As I stated, spring is not only for trout fishing. Spring offers the chance to harvest an Eastern gobbler, or two, if you’re prepared. Check out this month’s spring turkey hunting primer for some tips to be ready for opening day and your chance to call in that tom of a lifetime. I’ll also show you how to make your own tasty, smoked trout fillets for use in a variety of ways, all of which will have your family and guests asking you when you’ll be smoking up your next batch. The lawn and spring cleaning can wait, for now, enjoy the April Special Edition of the CT Sportsman’s Journal.

From Net To Kitchen: Tips For Tasty Trout

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A friend of mine opines that trout is awful, but he keeps them for family and friends who want them. He claims that “they’re muddy and full of bones.” Frankly, I don’t know why anyone would want to eat trout that have struggled and died on a stringer, then were stowed in a car trunk or pickup bed for the ride back home. What a sad end for such noble fish. Mottled, dried-out and decomposing from the inside out; most likely, the cause of my friend’s aversion to eating them. Trout is a true delicacy, but only if they’re handled properly immediately after they are landed.

If you see me on the river with fly rod in hand, it’s a safe bet that I’m fishing for sport and releasing whatever takes the fly. However, when I go trout fishing with the intention of taking some home for the table, I have with me a few essentials that will ensure the trout reach my kitchen in peak condition and freshness. First, a small cooler with a bag of ice is most important. A trout “priest,” which I will explain, and a filet knife, are worn on my belt (Fig. 1).

Immediately after I land a trout, I dispatch it with, what I call, a trout “priest” which some may also call a “fish billy.” I fashioned mine from an old drumstick with a clip on one end so I can attach it to my belt loop. A sharp rap on the noggin above the eyes is all it takes. Cruel as it may seem, I pose the question of what is crueler? To quickly dispatch the trout with a rap to the head or a slow, drawn out death, struggling at the end of a stringer?  Using the filet knife, I dress the trout and remove the gills. The viscera and gills go into the bag that the ice came in and is put in the cooler to be added to the garden when I get home. I run the knife down along the backbone and remove the blood line and rinse the trout thoroughly.

The dressed trout is then put on ice in the cooler with minimal chance of decomposition. Trout handled in this fashion are the finest eating and smell as fresh and clean as the cold, clear water they came from. If I’m fishing from a canoe or boat, I’ll wait until I get back to shore to dress the trout. The most important thing is to get them on ice immediately to slow down the decomposition process.

When I get the trout home, I rinse them off and pat them dry with paper towels. The trout can be cooked a number of ways dressed as they are, but there are numerous bones to contend with. (Fig. 2). Usually I “butterfly” the fillets, which virtually eliminates all the bones.

To butterfly a trout, remove the heads and set them aside if you’d like to make fish stock. Start by separating the ribs from the backbone, then run the knife along the backbone in a straight line to the top of the trout’s back and cut towards the head, being careful not to cut through the skin (Fig. 3).

Turn the knife and run the blade down along the backbone toward the tail. Stay to the outside of the bones of the anal fin and cut through the skin on the bottom towards the tail, still avoiding cutting through the skin at the top, until you reach the tail end. Repeat on the opposite side (Fig. 4).

Using kitchen shears, cut the bones of the dorsal fin, then remove the backbone with tail attached and retain for the stock pot (Fig. 5).

Remove the ribs from each side of the fillets by running the knife as close as possible between the ribs and the filet. Repeat on the opposite filet (Fig. 6 below).

Trout also have small bones that run along the lateral line to roughly mid-filet, which you can feel with your finger tips. Run your knife down along one side of these bones to the point where they stop, being careful not to cut through the skin. Then cut on the opposite side of the bones and remove the thin strip of filet and bones. Repeat on the opposite filet and save these for the stock pot, too (Fig. 7 below).

Now what you have are butterflied trout fillets (Fig. 8 below), flayed open and boneless. From here it’s up to you… smoked, baked or pan seared. Whichever cooking method you choose, you can be sure it is going to be delicious because you took the proper steps to ensure that the trout you caught will be as fresh as can be. A difference that you and yours will, no doubt, notice at your next supper of spring trout. Check out how to smoke your butterflied fillets in this edition’s, “CT Sportsman’s Wild Game Cookery” (below).

Photos: Cindy Heintz

What’s In Season For April?

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OPENING DAY TROUT SEASON BEGINS APRIL 21st

For current Fishing Regulations, Creel Limits, Size Limits, Special Restrictions and other important information regarding the areas you fish – GO TO: 2012 CT Freshwater Fishing Guide

For current Hunting Regulations, Licensing, Tagging & Reporting, Permits, Bag Limits, Hunting Areas and Special Conditions – GO TO: 2012 CT Hunting/Trapping Guide

TURKEY SEASON BEGINS APRIL 25th AND ENDS ON MAY 26th

State Land – bag limit is 2 bearded birds
Private Land and Landowner – bag limit is 3 bearded birds

A current firearms hunting license or a Small Game and Deer Archery Permit is required to apply for spring turkey permits. If you obtain a Landowner Spring Turkey Permit, you are not eligible to purchase a Private Land Spring Turkey Permit.

COYOTE HUNTING

Coyote hunting ends on April 24th and resumes on May 28th

WOODCHUCK HUNTING

Woodchuck hunting ends on April 24th and resumes on May 28th

Know and completely understand all hunting regulations BEFORE you head out!!!! Questions? Go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting

LOCAL HUNTING AREAS

(Maps for most of these areas can be found at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting)

State Land:

• People’s State Forest – Barkhamsted (2942 acres)
• American Legion State Forest – Barkhamsted (1037 acres)
• Nepaug State Forest – New Hartford (1367 acres)
• Tunxis State Forest – Hartland (9518 acres)

Wildlife Management Areas:

• Cedar Swamp WMA – New Hartford/Torrington (278 acres)
• Roraback WMA – Harwinton (1975 acres)
• State Leased and Public Access Areas
• MDC – Greenwoods Pond – New Hartford (400 acres)
• MDC -Colebrook Reservoir/ Hogback Dam – Colebrook/Hartland, etc. (4159 acres)

Register To Win Cash Prizes In The 6th Annual New Hartford Fishing Derby

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It’s that time of year again, folks! This year’s New Hartford Fishing Derby is now a full week in duration and starts next month on May 19th and runs to the 25th. This year there will be a daily CASH prize of $100 each day of the derby for the biggest fish weighed in! Also, Whoever holds the bragging rights for the biggest fish for the entire derby week will win $300! The GRAND PRIZE of $5,000 goes to the fortunate angler who can land the derby’s special tagged fish!

The registration is free, excluding a $10 entry fee that puts you in the running for the $5,000 award for catching the tagged fish. All participants must be pre-registered to win any prizes and all fish must be weighed in at Upcountry Sportfishing on Route 44 in New Hartford before 6 p.m.

In a phone interview with the Chairman of the Economic Development Commission of New Hartford, Mr. David Childs stated, “We’re hoping that extending the derby to a week-long event will generate more interest this year and see fishermen returning to the area for more than just one day, which may also encourage fishermen to visit restaurants and shops in New Hartford.” Mr. Childs also said that local businesses will offer “derby discounts,” such as reduced rates for lodging and dining. According to Mr. Childs, the $5000 trout will be purchased at Harding’s Trout Farm in Bethlehem, CT and will be tagged in their tanks. It will then be released in an undisclosed section of the Farmington River within the town’s borders. When asked for further comment, Mr. Childs enthusiastically replied, “Come out and FISH!”

Head on over and see Grady Allen and the gang over at Upcountry Sportfishing at 352 Main Street on Route 44, in the Pine Meadow section of New Hartford and get registered to win BIG and have a lot of fun to boot! Derby Sponsors this year include: Northwest Community Bank, the Farmington River Anglers Association, Torrington Savings Bank and Hurley Manufacturing Company.

For more information about the fishing derby, please call: 860-379-1952.

Let’s Talk Turkey…

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Mark April 25th down on your calendars, turkey hunters. That Wednesday is the opening day of the spring turkey season here in Connecticut. I hope some of you are able to get some time off from work to enjoy a morning or two afield. Nothing is more satisfying than walking out of the woods with a fine Eastern gobbler slung over your shoulder on a pristine, spring morning. Thoughts of a Sunday dinner of roasted wild turkey and all the fixings come to mind. It all came together like clockwork: You did your homework, formulated a plan and the birds cooperated. The keyword is plan. Here are some tips to formulate your game plan this year.

Make sure your shotgun is patterned and is putting the maximum amount of shot in the kill zone. Go to the range and set a life-sized turkey target out at no more than 40 yards and try a variety of loads until you find the one that consistently puts the most pellets in that small head and neck area. Resist taking shots much farther out than 40 yards for a quick, humane kill. Turkeys are tough and the farther out the target is, the more spread out the shot will be, often resulting in an injured bird that flies away. If you’re using a decoy, place it ½ to ? the distance away from your blind to the maximum shooting range you’re comfortable with.

Scout your area well and look for an area with ample cover. I like to have my back to a stonewall or a tree that is twice the width of my silhouette. Sparingly remove any branches that may obstruct movement of your shotgun, but leave some to ensure concealment. Rake away leaves that may make noise if you have to slightly shift your position. Make a plan for gobblers that come from the left, right and even behind your position and run through each scenario in your mind so you’ll be prepared. Make sure you’re completely camouflaged from head to toe and keep your movements down to a minimum. Remember, turkey’s eyes are bigger than their brains and they’ll pick out the slightest movement you make. You need to have your gun up and at the ready at any time, even when you don’t hear a gobbler closing the distance.

Not so much the case with those lucky enough to have private land permission or who own land, but always have a plan B ready in case someone arrived earlier than you did at your pet spot. Sometimes you can use the other’s calling to your advantage and setup on an intercept lane where you know the birds travel as they approach a field. Always have at least a couple of alternate sites in mind, especially when hunting public land and always call out your position when you encounter another hunter afield… it may save your life.

Practice your calling… purrs, clucks and yelps. You need to sound convincing to that lovelorn tom. Don’t over do it either. Start off with soft, fly-down calls at first light, then sit back and listen. Give a few minutes in between each set of calls. If you get a response, call back and wait and listen to see how hot the bird is. Sometimes they come running in and other times they’ll hold back. Sometimes completely hanging up on a bird that is being shy will pique his curiosity and he will start to search and then gobble when he sees your decoy. Always have a broad vocabulary and try a variety of calls. If you only know how to yelp, you’re only saying one thing to that bird when he wants to hear something he likes.

Have all your equipment ready. The night before the hunt, I like to boil a small pan of water and soak my mouth calls for about 15 minutes to kill any bacteria on them. I’ll watch the Weather Channel and choose camo and undergarments that will suit the forecast. Then I go through the list: shotgun, calls, shells, wool socks, decoy, gloves, small knife, head net, hat, boots, air seat, bug spray. I’ll pack the small items in my coat, lay out my clothes on the chest at the foot of the bed and stow my shotgun, decoy and air seat in the car. With everything ready, I can finally hit the hay. Opening day of turkey season always makes me feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. I finally drift asleep with visions of a big, mature tom in full strut, gobbling his heart out and making his way toward the decoy. When was the last time you were psyched for waking up at 4:30 in the morning?

CT Sportsman’s Wild Game Cookery

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Smoked Trout

So, you’ve got a limit of butterflied trout in the fridge and you want to try something different? Why not try smoking some this year? Long before the age of modern niceties we all take for granted, smoking was a method used to preserve fish and meat by removing moisture and by permeation of smoke, which inhibits bacterial growth.

Smoked trout with cracked pepper. Image from the internet

Today, smoking can be done in a store-bought smoker or on a charcoal or gas grill. It’s not so much for the preservation of food, however: My smoked trout rarely last more than a couple of days in the old ice box before it’s time to get another batch going! It’s more about that combination of rich, sweet, smoke flavor that melds with the delicate taste of the trout and the herbs and seasonings you choose to go with it. I have a Little Chief Smoker that’s stood the test of time, but you can get the same results by adding a foil packet of damp maple, alder or cherry wood chips with holes poked in it and laying it on the coals or heating elements of a charcoal or gas grill.

Experiment! Go wild! Use different spices, woods and types of fish. You can even find great ideas online and get as crazy as you dare. To get you started, I’ll just give a simple, basic brine which chemically changes the fish before smoking.

Simple brine:

• 1 quart water
• ½ cup non-iodized salt
• ½ cup brown sugar or maple syrup

Heat water in a pot to get it warm, add salt and brown sugar (or maple syrup) and thoroughly dissolve. Let the liquid cool completely (to room temperature), then transfer to a glass or plastic container. Put the brine in the fridge to chill, then put the butterflied trout fillets in the brine. Cover and return to the fridge for at least 4 hours.

After the brining period, remove the trout fillets and give them a rinse under cold, running water, then pat dry each fillet with paper towels. Put the trout fillets on a rack and allow them to air dry for an hour. The fish will take on a shiny, sticky character or “pellicle”, a direct result of the brining process. This is what all that nice smoke flavor is going to adhere to. At this point you can flavor the fillets with anything you’d like: garlic or onion powder, dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, etc. I like using ginger, tarragon and cracked pepper.  Never use salt – it has quite enough!

Smoking

Since I am not concerned with preserving the trout for Doomsday, I like to simply get just enough smoke flavor (1 pan of wood chips) and enough cooking time so that the fish is cooked through and is still moist. In other words, I’m not out to make trout jerky, you see? I spray the racks for the smoker with Pam cooking spray, fill the smoker pan full of alder chips and set it on the heating element. I put the trout on the racks and into the smoker, then go do something else for a couple of hours while sweet wood smoke bellows from the vent holes. When I come back, I’ll check for a nice, golden-brown color and fish that flakes from the skin. You can get similar results on a gas or charcoal grill with the aforementioned technique using a foil pack and wood chips that have been soaked in water for an hour or two. Try to maintain the lowest heat that will generate smoke but not cook your fish too fast and keep the fish as far from the coals or flames as possible.

You can find some recipes in the archived editions of the Ct Sportsman’s Journal on NewHartfordPlus.com that utilize smoked trout.

Try smoking some trout or salmon for your family and friends this year and be prepared for all the deserved kudos!

Share Your Photos & Experiences With Us!

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We encourage those who hunt, fish or observe wildlife to share their pictures and stories with us and other readers. Please send your photos with and stories to: maria@newhartfordplus.com and we’ll be happy to post them in future editions of The CT Sportsman’s Journal. We wish all of you a safe and successful season!

[ Editor at work: Rest of Journal being added as Andrew "the sportsman" & Bob "the techie" fish on the lake and the guests are on their way to Great Barrington... 12:30 p.m., April 21]

Stocking the river for trout fishing opening day. Photo: Andrew Pelletier

On the first day of April vacation for school kids – and their parents and teachers – and with the temperature hitting 90 and still rising, the town center seemed particularly quiet as I went downtown on business. A quick drive up to Brodie Park confirmed my suspicions: a large crowd had spontaneously assembled on the beach.

“I had to take a picture for my husband or he wouldn’t have believed it,” a resident held up her cell phone as I went by. “Me, too!” I called back and went on, marveling at the numbers of children and adults who had braved the chilly waters of the lake to take an early dip today, Monday, April 16. Here are some snapshots for the record books.

Invitation To Local Police Officers

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We received the following email from Bob Tonkin, a long-time Bakerville resident, who asked us to publish his email as submitted to us:

I would like to place an invitation to the Police Officers in Town:

A LARGE PIZZA AND FOUR DRINKS TO THE OFFICER THAT WRITES THE MOST TICKETS ON HAYWARD ROAD BETWEEN THE DATES OF APRIL 16 AND APRIL 30

R. L. Tonkin
Hayward Road
New Hartford, CT 06057

A curve on Hayward Road. Photo: R. Tonkin

A mirror installed by Bob Tonkin's family to help see the traffic traveling at high speed around the curve. Photo: R. Tonkin

Conversation With Mr. Tonkin

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Our editor, Maria Moore, called Mr. Tonkin to ask him about his email and he confirmed that he would like it published exactly as he had submitted it to us. Mr. Tonkin informed Maria that over the years Hayward Road has been increasingly used as a short-cut between two major state roads and his vehicle has been hit three times by other vehicles traveling too fast on that country road. Mr. Tonkin also confirmed that he plans to meet with First Selectman Dan Jerram to inform him of the situation and also to suggest that the town invest the funds necessary to have our local police officers participate in the ‘At-Scene Traffic Accident Investigation’ course offered by the Public Training Agency Council. The course overview states: “This three (3) day course is designed to provide the on-scene accident investigator with the knowledge and skills to apply advanced tactics, techniques procedures and critical factors in an effective accident investigation.” For more information about this course and others offered by the PATC visit: patc.com/courses/traffic-atscene.shtml

A record number of signs posted at a curve on Hayward Road. Photo: Maria Moore

A commercial vehicle makes its way slowly around and down a curve on Hayward Road. Photo: Maria Moore

By: Andrew Pelletier

Andrew Pelletier

Welcome to the February-March edition of the CT Sportman’s Journal. Well, I jumped the gun and offered up a piece on ice fishing last month and much to my chagrin, it looks like fishing the hard water this year is going to be a bust! As much as I’m enjoying this reprieve from the snows that plagued us last winter, I’m developing a textbook case of cabin fever. The warm winter has been a windfall for local maple syrup producers, who have been collecting sap since the beginning of the month, getting a jump on filling their arch pans and boiling off an early flow that is sure to produce some fancy-grade light-amber syrup. Each year I collect 30 gallons of sap from maples in my yard which I boil down for my yearly gallon supply of fresh, homemade maple syrup.

This month I’ll delve into a type of hunting that even the gentlest of animal-friendly souls can partake in. With spring fast approaching, it’s almost time for mushroom hunting. I’ve been a member of the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society for a year now and next month on the 25th, at 9:00 a.m., CVMS will host its March Mushroom Madness event at Sessions Woods WMA in Burington. The public is invited and I encourage those who have ever wanted to seek out local edible mushrooms to come spend a day with the club and maybe even join us as a paid member. CVMS was founded in 1975 and is a club “for those interested in mushrooms as food, study and as an art form”. The club meets every Sunday of the season at an undisclosed location – usually at a state forest or park in Connecticut. Members fan out and bring back everything they’ve found for expert identification and hopefully, you can bring some of your find home for the table.

I’ll share some thoughts about fishing and hunting from the comfort of a belly boat, an inflatable craft that can be utilized to get yourself into some areas that traditional boats just can’t get to. I’ve used mine for early season trout fishing, duck hunting and even once, I used it to hunt a deer run I discovered that followed the back side of a beaver pond.

I’ll offer up a recipe for a smoked trout chowder in which you can use all those delicious wild mushrooms along with fresh-caught trout and asparagus – a savory dish that heralds the arrival of spring. I’ll also be at the fly-tying bench demonstrating how to tie one of the most effective flies on the Farmington River: the Blue-Wing Olive Parachute. Blue-winged olive sulphurs are prolific throughout much of the warmer months of trout season and are a staple of our local trout population. A highly buoyant and visible fly which helps when you’re tying them down to a size 24 dry-fly hook. Toss another log in the fireplace and enjoy a cup of tea as you enjoy the February-March edition of the CT Sportsman’s Journal.

Stalking The Illusive Mushroom

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There are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters… but, there are no old, bold mushroom hunters. An age-old adage that sums up the semantics of mushroom hunting. One wouldn’t, or certainly shouldn’t, go out into the forest and start munching on every mushroom you find. Field books for identification are helpful but there is nothing better than first-hand knowledge. The Connecticut Valley Mycological Society has been sharing expert knowledge with the public about mushroom hunting since 1975. For a layman such as myself, the wealth of member expertise available regarding edible and non-edible species is invaluable and spares one the risk of mistaking look-alike species that could mean the difference between an incredible dining experience and a trip to the hospital.

Morel mushrooms

My first outing with the Connecticut Valley Mycological society took place on a perfect Sunday morning in April, on state land at Bulls Bridge in Kent. Being a fledgling member of the club, I didn’t know what to expect but I recognized some faces from the March Mushroom Madness event that had taken place a week or two earlier at Sessions Woods WMA in Burlington. I was taken under the wing of long-time member Jean Hopkins, and we splintered off into groups. Being early spring, the grand prize this time of year is the illusive morel, a mushroom that is as delicious as it is camouflaged, residing in the leaf litter covering the awakening earth. “Look at the bases of the white ash… the trees whose bark looks like a woven basket… and look on the sunny side of the bases,” advised Jean, as we scoured the woodland floor. A couple nearby that I had met at the March Mushroom Madness event excitedly proclaimed some success when they found two morels at the base of an ash, just as Jean had described. As we admired their find, I looked down and I found my first morel close by. It was no bigger than the tip of my ring finger but I was encouraged by the diminutive fungus to look all the more closely. As luck would have it, I would find two more morels that day along with an assortment of other early spring mushrooms that I stowed in the basket I brought along.

At noon, the group gathered at a picnic table and everyone laid out everything they had found. Latin names of fungi began to flow off the tongues of club sharpies. Bill Yule, CVMS vice president and education chairman, is one such sharpie. His knowledge of mushrooms is voluminous and he is the “go-to” man when even some of the other veteran sharpies are stumped. The group’s interests are varied. Some are merely into the aesthetics of fungi, some are serious researchers who investigate medicinal qualities of certain species. Others, like me, are in it to gain knowledge of mushrooms for the kitchen table as well as how to identify mushrooms that will make you uncomfortable or even kill you.

Puffball mushrooms

As I stated, I’m a layman when it comes to mushroom hunting, I tend to seek out species that are delicious and have no known look-alike. Species such as puffball mushrooms are a personal favorite, especially scrambled with eggs. These are the common mushrooms that grow in open fields and lawns and look like a round, tan globe and can grow quite large. Eat only those that come from areas you know that aren’t treated with pesticides or chemicals. The flesh in the center must be perfectly white and a knife run through them squeak when sliced. Puffballs that are greenish-grey in the middle are beginning to spore and should not be eaten. Other species I am comfortable with are the spring morels, oyster mushrooms, hen of the woods and parasol mushrooms. The advantages of becoming a member of CVMS is that you can expand your knowledge of other delicious edibles such as chanterelles, black trumpets, honey mushrooms and boletes, which have deceiving, inedible impostors that one could possibly mistake without the guidance of club member experts, who are more than willing to explain the difference.
If you are interested in the gentle sport of wild mushroom hunting, please join me at Sessions Woods in Burlington on March 25th for CVMS’ March Mushroom Madness. Admission for members is $5.00 and is open to the public free of charge per arrangement with Sessions Woods. There will be coffee at 9:00 a.m. followed by general admission and a welcome from CVMS president, “Bolete Bill” Bynum, at 9:30 a.m. Bill Bakatis, will be a guest speaker and will present “The Ecology of Mushrooms”, which will be geared toward beginner mushroom hunters at 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. From there, members will have a social break, business meeting and lunch from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. From 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. there will be a slide show presentation to include 20/20 offerings, a raffle and clean up.

If you would like to become a member of the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society (CVMS), You can make checks payable to: CVMS/Woozie Wikfors, 104 Seymour Road, Woodbridge, CT 06525. Dues per calendar year are $15 for an individual, $20 for a family (2 or more persons at one address, requiring one club mailing). Lifetime memberships are $200 per individual and $250 per family. They don’t have a website, but you can also get more information at: tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cvms.

All said, mushroom hunting is a wonderful way to spend a day outdoors in the fresh, spring air. You’ll get to visit a different state forest or park throughout Connecticut when you follow the club’s Sunday outing schedule. You may even find a new hunting or fishing area you’d like to explore. With some guidance, a keen eye and a little luck, you too can start hunting mushrooms this spring and bringing home some delicious foraged edibles that will complement many game and fish recipes.

What’s In Season for February?

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For current Licensing, Tagging & Reporting, permits, bag limits, hunting areas and special conditions go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

Ice Fishing

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According to CT DEEP regulations, Not more than six tip-ups, floats (bobbers), similar devices, or hand-held jigs or any combination thereof not exceeding six in the aggregate may be used at one time. Persons under sixteen years of age may use not more than two devices. Not more than three baited hooks, with or without attractors, or three ice flies, or three artificial lures, or any combination thereof not exceeding three in the aggregate may be used with each tip-up, float (bobber), or similar device or hand-held jig. Devices must be personally attended. The name and address of the user must be legibly stamped on or attached to all devices.

Upland Bird Hunting

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Pheasant ends on February 29th (a series of pheasant tags are required to hunt pheasants)

Crow ends on February 29th

Waterfowl Hunting

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Requires a Valid Federal and State Waterfowl stamp as well as a CT H.I.P. Permit.

Season dates listed are relative to the AP unit, local to the New Hartford area.

Extended seasons are available for waterfowling in AFRP & NAP-H units and in the Southern Zone of the state. For more Waterfowling info go to the 2011-2012 Migratory Bird Hunting Guide section of the DEEP website.

Snow and Blue Geese starts on February 22nd and ends on March 10th

Small Game Hunting

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Grey Squirrel ends on February 29th

Cottontail Rabbit ends on February 29th

European Hare ends on February 29th.

Fox and Coyote Hunting

Red and Grey Fox ends on February 29th

Coyote is open throughout February and ends on April 24th

Know and completely understand all hunting regulations BEFORE you head out!!!! Questions? Go to the Hunting and Trapping section of the DEEP website.

Local Hunting Areas

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(Maps for most of these areas can be found at the Hunting and Trapping section of the DEEP website.

State Land

• People’s State Forest – Barkhamsted (2942 acres)
• American Legion State Forest – Barkhamsted (1037 acres)
• Nepaug State Forest – New Hartford (1367 acres)
• Tunxis State Forest – Hartland (9518 acres)

Wildlife Management Areas

• Cedar Swamp WMA – New Hartford/Torrington (278 acres)
• Roraback WMA – Harwinton (1975 acres)

State Leased and Public Access Areas

• MDC – Greenwoods Pond – New Hartford (400 acres)
• MDC -Colebrook Reservoir/ Hogback Dam – Colebrook/Hartland, etc. (4159 acres)

The Versatile Belly Boat

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Opening day trout in Connecticut has always been an anticipated event that stretches back to the earliest of fishing memories. It used to be the social event of the year, involving friends, camping, boats and as many libations that could possibly fit in an icy cooler. As time slipped away, so did friends and the mindset that one had to be mustered from sleep to fish for trout with a hangover. I still carry on the tradition of opening day, only now, it is usually a solo venture. Gone are the party days of yore. It is quiet sport that I long for now. Yet, I still try to celebrate spring trout fishing in a way that appeals to the intrepid nature that still resides within.

Andrew and his belly boat

Some 25 years ago, my brother bought me a belly boat for Christmas. The diminutive craft is nothing more than an inner tube covered with a strong, nylon skin. It comprises of a seat and a separate inflatable bladder that becomes a backrest. Simplicity and versatility are the main reasons why I’ve brought the belly boat into service in recent years. Since most of my fishing is done solo, tubing makes sense. Everything fits in the back of my Forester and no need for a boat launch. It also makes sense economically and environmentally. I don’t need to pay boat and trailer registrations or tax, nor do I need gas or maintenance. All that is required are a pair of waders, kick fins and water. Waters such as remote beaver ponds to larger lakes and even tidal estuaries and harbors can be investigated at a leisurely pace with spinning or fly-casting equipment.

For me, the appeal of tubing is the comforting feeling of floating weightless, much like a duck. I can only last so long while fishing in a canoe because my rump tends to give out long before the fishing does. When tubing, it’s as comfortable as being in your favorite lazy boy recliner. Water temperature and wind can be a factor, so I wear layers of silk long johns and wool socks, fleece, and a hooded, waterproof jacket in the spring and fall. It’s also a good idea to wear a life vest while tubing in the colder months. On the other hand, I’ve bass fished in my belly boat during the summer wearing nothing but shorts and dive fins. Tubing is versatile and I’ve used mine not only for fishing, but for duck hunting as well. Once while duck hunting on the Connecticut River, I witnessed an early morning meteor shower. One meteor streaked in so close, I could hear it crackling like fireworks as it burned out overhead. The same morning, I watched a group of a dozen deer, nonchalantly feeding only yards away from my position. This led me to believe there is another layer of versatility to tubing… deer hunting.

The following week, I tried my theory on a beaver pond in a Connecticut state forest. I noticed good buck sign during bow season on the opposite side of a river that divides the state forest parcel in two. It’s an area hard to reach on foot, but not by float tube. I quietly drifted with the slight current before daylight and tucked into brush near the buck sign where a beaver dammed the river. Unfortunately, I waited for the buck that never showed. I was convinced that my ploy might have come to fruition, and although I’ve not tried it again since, I’m still encouraged that the plan might someday pay off.

On another duck hunt, as I waited for first light I floated serenely, concealed in flooded cover before sunrise. I almost jumped out of my skin as the water behind me exploded, as if someone crept up and threw a cinder block into the water, four feet from me! I spun around bewildered and saw the dark form of a large beaver swimming back and forth. The beaver dove and slapped its tail again, reminding me of whose pond, I was an uninvited guest on.

With the belly boat it has been possible to transcend an aqueous world and feel closer in tune with nature and even celestial events. To ponder the workings of the beaver, that creates habitat for ducks and brook trout, that creates the deer run, that inspires you to think outside the box… as you float weightless… maybe take a few fish today… released some nice ones last week. You hear a wood duck’s call and you long for October, but it’s only April. You kick back toward the shore… just in time for the evening rise… aahhhhh, bliss.

CT Sportsman’s Wild Game Cookery

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Springtime is in the air… the earth is coming alive again. Fiddleheads and asparagus push up through the moist, warm soil as well as early season mushrooms like the tasty morel. The trout are dappling the surface of the Farmington, feeding on the Hendrickson Hatch, brought on by the warming rays of the sun. The fresh air and mild temperatures set one’s mind to foraging for the gifts that springtime offers. The following recipe utilizes the holy trinity of nature’s springtime bounty… trout, morels and asparagus. Morels are not easy to find if you don’t know where to look. Whole Foods sometimes carries them but you can substitute chanterelles, black trumpets or porcini mushrooms.

Smoked Trout Chowder with Morels and Asparagus

Butterfly 4 or 5 trout for the smoker and retain the heads, backbones and tails for a stock (you can make while the trout fillets are smoking), which consists of:

Fish Stock:

• trout trimmings

• 1 thinly sliced carrot

• 3 cups water

• ¼ tsp. thyme

• 1 cup white wine

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 1 bay leaf

• 3-4 peppercorns

• salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, strain and retain 4 cups of fish stock.

Chowder:

• 2 ½” salt pork, cut to ½” cubes

• 4-5 smoked butterflied trout fillets

• 1 medium onion, sliced thin

• 2 cups half and half

• 3 peeled potatoes, diced

• 6-8 asparagus spears, cut on the bias ½”

• 3 cups morels, cut in half (or substitute other type mushrooms

• 4 cups fish stock

• salt & pepper to taste

Over low heat, try out (render) the salt pork in a skillet. Retain the chitlins, if desired, after they brown. Measure out 3 tbsp. pork fat in a soup pot and sauté the onions. Add 3 cups fish stock and potatoes and cook on medium.

In a food processor, pour 1 cup fish stock and add 1 smoked trout fillet, 2 asparagus spears and ½ cup mushrooms. Process coarsely and add to the pot. When the potatoes are cooked, add the half and half but do not let boil or it will curdle. Add the balance of the mushrooms and asparagus then flake the smoked trout fillets into bite sized pieces and add to the chowder. Cover and let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into serving bowls and top with crumbled chitlins, if desired.

Nothing screams springtime like this chowder… a true celebration of nature’s gifts after a long, cold winter.

Fishing And The Fly Tyer’s Bench

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This month I’ll demonstrate how to tie a Blue Wing Olive Parachute. Blue winged olives imitate olive sulphurs that are prolific from the middle of April, all the way to the last week of November. They are categorized as mayflies, but their persistence throughout most of the season make them a “go to” fly that the trout readily take.

Materials:

• Standard dry fly hooks 18-26

• Olive 8/0 thread

• Dun hackle barbs for the tail

• Olive silk dubbing

• Hare’s foot wing post

• Dun Hackle

1.) Start by laying a foundation of olive thread 1/3rd the hook length and working back to the end of the bend in the hook.

2.) Snip some hackle barbs for a tail and tie them in.

3.) Wax thread and apply olive green dubbing material. Create a body that tapers thicker toward the eye of the hook. Stop 2/3rds the length of the hook from the bend.

4.) Tie in a hare’s foot wing post. I like to use hares foot because it is highly buoyant.

5.) Tie in a dun hackle and wrap it around the wing post then tie it off.

6.) Wax thread and apply enough olive dubbing to finish the body.

7.) Whip finish and cement the head.

8.) The finished Blue-Wing Olive Parachute.

Share Your Photos And Experiences With Us!

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We encourage those who hunt, fish or observe wildlife to share their pictures and stories with us and other readers. Please send your photos with and stories to: newhartfordplus@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to post them in future editions of The CT Sportsman’s Journal.

We wish all of you a safe and successful season!

Happy New Year to the readers of NewHartfordPlus and the CT Sportsman’s Journal!

Andrew Pelletier

Another year has quickly passed and I hope it was a season of enjoyment and success afield for all of you. Time and monetary constraints really put a damper on my hunting season and my New Year’s resolution is to make more time for the 2012 hunting season. I managed to get out on a trip for cod between Christmas and New Year’s Eve with the Island Current out of Snug Harbor, Rhode Island. It was fairly rough and the boat and crew were being jostled around pretty good. My reward was 2 nice cod, 5 jumbo black sea bass, 9 hub cap-sized porgies and 13 mackerel.

January, for me, is a time for maintenance, taking inventory and rotating the stock. The rifles and shotguns get a thorough cleaning and oiling. Calls, a compass, topographic maps, an old Buck knife, shells and all manner of hunting implements are removed from the pockets of vests and jackets. Hunting clothes are washed in scent-free detergent, stowed in air tight bags then stored in bins and put away in the closet. The forest green, wool hunting jacket and pants for hare and squirrel hunting are taken out of storage. The birch strip basket that holds my tip-ups is brought in from the garage. I check all my tip ups to make sure they’re working right and tie on new mono leaders and hooks. The gas powered auger gets a new spark plug and new gas and oil is mixed and made ready for the first safe ice. The tying bench gets organized for a winter of tying flies in anticipation of quiet, meditative sport on a mellow spring morning, waist deep in a favorite, aqueous locale.

January is also a time of transition. There’s still hunting for birds, small game and waterfowl to be had for die-hard hunters, but many a sportsman’s thoughts tend to shift toward fishing the “hard water”. This month I’ll share some pointers on ice fishing and offer up a delicious trout recipe you can try after a successful day on the ice.  I’ll offer some thoughts on the rumors about the state’s plans for a possible lottery bear hunt and I’ll also offer some thoughts regarding ethical hunting relating to the arrest of a New Hartford resident at the end of December.

Stoke up the wood stove and make a mug of cocoa and enjoy the January edition of the CT Sportsman’s Journal.

Connecticut Black Bear Lottery Hunt On The Horizon?

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There has been a lot of buzz recently about the CT DEEP (Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection) looking into the feasibility of the state’s first black bear hunt in some 172 years.

Andrew bear-hunting in New Hampshire

Connecticut is the only state beside Delaware and Rhode Island that doesn’t allow a controlled bear hunt and DEEP officials are closely examining the possibilities. The bear population is really exploding and I’ve seen them while hunting and while traveling on route 20 in Hartland. As a matter of fact, a few years back, I helped an EnCon officer heft a 200+ pound bruin into the bed of his pickup on the way to work one morning, a victim of bear vs. motor vehicle collision. I’ve even had to stop feeding birds in my yard because my feeders were all torn down by bears. It seems the state relocates many problem bears and relocates them to my home town of Hartland. I’ve had a few conversations in the past with Mark Freeman, who at one time was the bear biologist for our state. Mr. Freeman checked on the bears who had been tagged, fitted with radio collars and relocated as well as monitoring winter dens of female bears, to see if they were nursing new additions to the state’s expanding population. He was talking of a limited lottery hunt a few years back.

I, for one, would welcome the opportunity to hunt bear and spend my hard-earned dollars in my home state, but I’m not going to hold my breath, given the fact that this has been talked about for years and the state works at a snail’s pace. It would be a source of new revenue for the state, but sadly, the revenues go into the general fund, not toward conservation. I went on a New Hampshire bear hunt on Labor Day of 2010 and I took a fine sow on my first evening in stand. I even passed on a smaller bear that came in 20 minutes after settling in.

Of Ice And Men

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“Flag up!” The perennial call, heard and uttered countless times over many seasons. Whether it be among the camaraderie of family and friends or solo, ice fishing has always been one of my favorite winter pastimes. I recall many fine, bluebird-sky days on the ice. The Coleman stove cookouts featuring venison chops, shared among the group as generously as the stories of the past deer season, as we waited for baited tip-ups to spring their blaze-orange flags. On outings such as those, we didn’t really care if we caught anything, so long as the beer didn’t freeze solid. Conversely, I also enjoy the solitude of being on the ice alone and staying mobile until I find the fish.

Ice fishing on West Hill Lake. Photo: NewHartfordPlus archives

One of the best investments I ever made was a 3 horsepower Jiffy auger. I came to the realization that using a spud or hand-cranked auger was not the way to go. In the time it would take to cut one hole with a hand auger, I can cut a dozen holes with the gas auger. I bought it back in 1985 and it still performs flawlessly. Sometimes if I’m looking to get a quick fishing trip in after work, I need only a hatchet, an ice skimmer and a jigging rod and I reopen holes used by others earlier in the day. I usually jig each hole for about 10 minutes then I’ll move on to the next holes until I find some action. Look for evidence around holes in the ice such as cigarette butts, bait or fish blood – signs that can tell you that a certain hole in the ice was getting more attention and may have given up a fish or two.

The thing many ice anglers often think is that the bait must always be at the bottom. This isn’t so if you are targeting trout. Trout will often cruise at 5 to 15 feet below the ice. This doesn’t mean you can’t find and catch trout near the bottom. You will have more success if you find the thermocline that they’re cruising that day. I’ll usually drill 10 or 12 holes in a straight line starting near shore going out toward the middle. I will set the first hole at 5 feet, the second hole at 10 feet and the third hole at 15 feet and repeat this for the remaining open holes. If I get a flag and hopefully a trout on the ice, I will reset the other tip-ups in the vicinity to the depth where that fish was caught. I always thread a small shirt button to my ice fishing line and use it as a depth gauge. I pull out, say 5 feet of line and leader, then I slide the button up the line until it rests at the bottom of the spool on the tip-up. When a trout triggers the flag, the line will be playing out as the trout moves off with the bait. After you hook and ice the trout, you can wind the line that was taken out back onto the spool until the button is situated once again, at the bottom of the spool. This will put the bait back at the exact same depth where you just had success. Re-bait, and hopefully, the trout you just caught will have a few more buddies down there who are cruising at the same depth. Remember to reset the button whenever you change depths. I will also change the depths of inactive tip-ups and then relocate them if they remain inactive after 3 or 4 depth changes. I’ll drill new holes closer to where the action is and set the tip-ups at the same depth where most of the fish are caught. It’s a simple process of elimination.

If I’m fishing for pan fish like perch, then I’ll want to be near the bottom. Normally, I only use a jigging rod when I fish for perch because once you find them, they’ll usually be travelling in schools and you can pick away at them until they move off. It doesn’t make sense to have to keep moving tip-ups. Stay mobile and keep popping holes and you’ll find the perch again. I like to use Rapala Pilkis for perch fishing. Sadly, these lures are discontinued, but I’ve never lost the ones I bought back in the day. These jigs have fins that make them swim in a tight circle and are finished to look like a tiny perch. I’ve never encountered a school of perch or rock bass that could resist them. Sometimes you can find Rapala Pilkis on eBay, but it’s a shame Rapala doesn’t make them anymore. For my money they were, and are, the deadliest perch lures available.

Make sure all your gear is in good working order before you venture out on a cold winter day. Make sure your gas auger is going to start and never use last year’s gas/oil mix. Put in a new spark plug every year and you shouldn’t have any surprises. Make sure all your tip ups are in good shape and the flags spring when line is stripped from the spool. It’s important to wind the ice fishing line onto the spool in the correct direction. I recall one year I kept getting a flag on one particular tip-up. Each time I checked, the bait would be gone. After re-baiting a few times with the same result, I realized the line was spooled in the wrong direction, causing the flag to spring but not allowing any line to play out! Replace old ice fishing line with modern ice fishing line that won’t freeze solid when it gets wet and remember to add a small shirt button you can use as a depth finder. Replace brittle leaders from the previous season and re-rig with new, sharp hooks. Have something like a five gallon bucket or, like I have, a birch strip basket with shoulder straps, to keep everything together so you don’t forget anything… like the ice skimmer. There’s nothing worse than having to skim ice and snow out of the hole with bare hands! Been there – done that… brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

What’s in Season For January?

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For current Licensing, Tagging & Reporting, permits, bag limits, hunting areas and special conditions go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

Ice Fishing

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According to DEEP regulations: Not more than six tip-ups, floats (bobbers), similar devices, or hand-held jigs or any combination thereof not exceeding six in the aggregate may be used at one time. Persons under sixteen years of age may use not more than two devices. Not more than three baited hooks, with or without attractors, or three ice flies, or three artificial lures, or any combination thereof not exceeding three in the aggregate may be used with each tip-up, float (bobber), or similar device or hand-held jig. Devices must be personally attended. The name and address of the user must be legibly stamped on or attached to all devices.

Upland Bird Hunting

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Pheasant is open January 2nd and ends on February 29th (a series of pheasant tags are required to hunt pheasants).

Chukar Partridge opene January 2nd and ended on January 14th.
Crow is open January 2nd and ends on February 29th.

Waterfowl Hunting

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Requires a Valid Federal and State Waterfowl stamp as well as a CT H.I.P. Permit.

Season dates listed are relative to the AP unit, local to the New Hartford area.

Extended seasons are available for waterfowling in AFRP & NAP-H units and in the Southern Zone of the state. For more Waterfowling info go to the 2011-2012 Migratory Bird Hunting Guide section of the DEEP website.

Ducks, Merganzers, Coots and Brant: Late season ended on January 5th.

Canadian Geese: Late season ended on January 7th.

Snow and Blue Geese ended on January 14th; starts again on February 22nd and ends on March 10th.

Small Game Hunting

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Grey Squirrel: Opens January 2nd and ends on February 29th.

Cottontail Rabbit: Opens January 2nd and ends on February 29th.

Snowshoe Hare: Opens January 2nd and ends on January 31st.

European Hare: Opens January 2nd and ends on February 29th.

Fox and Coyote Hunting

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Red and Grey Fox: Opens January 2nd and ends on February 29th.

Coyote: Opens January 2nd and ends on April 24th.

Raccoon and Opossum Hunting

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Raccoon: Opens January 2nd and ended on January 15th.

Opossum: Opens January 2nd and ended on January 15th.

Know and completely understand all hunting regulations BEFORE you head out!!!! Questions? Go to the Hunting and Trapping section of the DEEP website.

Local Hunting Areas

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(Maps for most of these areas can be found on the Hunting and Trapping section of the DEEP website)

State Land:

• People’s State Forest – Barkhamsted (2942 acres)
• American Legion State Forest – Barkhamsted (1037 acres)
• Nepaug State Forest – New Hartford (1367 acres)
• Tunxis State Forest – Hartland (9518 acres)

Wildlife Management Areas:

• Cedar Swamp WMA – New Hartford/Torrington (278 acres)
• Roraback WMA – Harwinton (1975 acres)

State Leased and Public Access Areas:

• MDC – Greenwoods Pond – New Hartford (400 acres)
• MDC -Colebrook Reservoir/ Hogback Dam – Colebrook/Hartland, etc.  (4159 acres)

CT Sportsman’s Wild Game Cookery

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Trout caught fresh from below the ice make for excellent winter dining. Usually trout taken through the ice are holdovers from a previous stocking and have had the time to acclimate to the lake and dine on the available forage such as smelt and aquatic insects. Most trout caught on the “hard water” have an orange-pink coloration to their flesh and smell as clean and fresh as the clear, cold water that they were caught in.

I like to butterfly my trout which involves removing the back bone and ribs from the sweet, delicate fillets and removing the small bones that run half the length of the body along the lateral line. What’s left are both fillets, still attached to the trout’s skin, flayed, or laying open, flat. A real easy and tasty way to prepare butterflied trout is what I call:

Baked Sweetwater “Schrod”

4 butterflied Trout fillets
Club or Townhouse crackers
Pam spray cooking oil
pepper
tarragon or thyme
butter
lemon wedges

On a cookie sheet lined with tin foil, coat with cooking oil spray.  Lay the butterflied trout, skin-side down, on the cookie sheet. Crush a sleeve of Club or Townhouse crackers and cover the butterflied trout fillets with the crushed cracker crumbs, sprinkle with pepper (no salt, the crackers already have enough) and a little thyme or tarragon. Now take a knife and cut thin pats of butter for each fillet, placing them on the tail end, the middle and then the front end of the fillet on the cracker crumbs. Repeat for the other half of the trout and repeat for each butterflied trout you have on the cookie sheet.

In a preheated oven at 350º F, place the trout on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes. Put the oven on broil and place the cookie sheet on the top rack and broil for the final 3 – 4 minutes to get the crumbs nice and golden brown. What you get is sweet, boneless, flaky trout that separates easily from the skin, paired with the buttery and crunchy cracker crumbs. Serve with lemon wedges.

Suggested sides are green beans almondine and jasmine rice with your favorite white wine. Try this simple dish once and I guarantee you’ll be spending a lot more time on the ice!

A Black Mark For all Connecticut Hunters

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I’m not going to name names, because I believe that a citizen is innocent until proven guilty. A New Hartford resident was arrested at the end of December and charged with failure to report a deer kill in the allotted time. The man is well known about town and a doctor by profession. He was arrested after a YouTube video he posted came back to bite him on the proverbial behind. The investigation is ongoing, so I’m not going to get too deep into the content of what this video showed. If anything, this New Hartford resident is guilty of a large ego, some questionable ethics and some lack of knowledge of hunting basics.

The deer was wounded in the hindquarters and the defendant went out with 2 others, with video camera rolling, to document the recovery of the deer. I can’t say I agree with the hunter’s choice of a .22 caliber long rifle to dispatch the wounded deer, which was found in a small creek, very much alive. Had the defendant had a larger caliber rifle and put one in the vital area, the deer would have expired quickly after a long night of suffering. The deer was still very much alive after a single round from the .22 was fired into the animal. The defendant then stabbed the deer twice in the neck above the chest which mortally wounded the deer, but it took a long time for the deer to succumb to its final encounter with this hunter, whose buddy took still-photos of him holding the antlers of the deer as it still thrashed about.

It was a sad display. Any hunter worth his salt knows a single, well placed shot is crucial for a quick, humane kill. For whatever reason, the defendant made a terrible shot on this beautiful, 10-point buck. It could have been buck fever, low light, no light, flash light… whatever. First order of business for any ethical hunter is to know your target and beyond. One shot, one kill. Bad shots do happen and they were correct to back off for the evening and let the animal expire. But to come back the next day with a .22 is not only unethical, it’s unlawful to use a firearm smaller than .243 caliber on private land while hunting deer. Resorting to using a knife to dispatch the animal after the .22 didn’t work isn’t unlawful, but a bit over the top, not to mention a dangerous method of dispatching a live deer. To document this display of callousness and incompetence and post it on YouTube for the world to see is probably what is most incomprehensible.

His actions leave a black mark on all hunters in the eyes of non-hunting citizens, as evidenced by some of the comments the story has evoked, such as this one by a NewHartfordPlus reader, going by the name of ‘MC’:

“Unfortunately, this is not unusual behavior on the part of hunters. The public needs to be informed of the reality of ‘sport’ hunting, i.e. the ‘sport’ of sociopaths, which is nothing but state sanctioned animal cruelty for the sale of hunting licenses…”

In this instance, this certainly IS unusual behavior and I don’t know of any hunter in my circle who would do anything that remotely resembles this. Frankly, I don’t appreciate being called a “sociopath” and neither would any of the people I know who hunt.

Hunting is a lifestyle choice that brings us closer to nature and provides high quality, lean protein to sustain ourselves and our families. If the person who commented above eats meat and buys their meat and fish from a market, that person is killing by proxy – as is any other non-hunter who eats meat. There are a lot of consumers out there who don’t have any idea as to where their food comes from. Beef, for instance, raised in crowded steer lots, fed steroids, fed antibiotics, some even unwittingly participate in cannibalism. Then when they’re big enough, they’re corralled into a funnel pen, knocked on the head, stunned and their throats are slit. At least the deer I encountered this year slipped away out of my sights because it didn’t offer a clean shot. Beef on the hoof never have those odds. If the comments above were made by a vegetarian, I certainly respect their lifestyle and their anti-hunting sentiments and would gladly debate our differing views. However, if they were made by a meat-eater, then there is nothing to debate.

Share Your Photos & Experiences With Us

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We encourage those who hunt, fish or observe wildlife to share their pictures and stories with us and other readers. Please send your photos with stories to: newhartfordplusgmail.com and we’ll be happy to post them in future editions of The CT Sportsman’s Journal.

We wish all of you a safe and successful season!

Ice fishermen on West Hill Lake. Photo from NewHartfordPlus archives

Photo Credit: All photos are courtesy of Andrew Pelletier unless otherwise noted in the photo caption.

New Hartford usually rings in the Holiday Season during the first weekend in December.  Following is a record of this year’s festivities, from Bakerville to New Hartford Center.

Friday, December 2: Bakerville Holiday Festival

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The festivities at the Bakerville Library on Friday evening, December 2 included Mrs. Claus in the small building next to the library

The Silent Auction in full swing at the Bakerville Library

The Bakerville tree is lit in the Yates' side yard

The bonfire that's traditionally part of the Bakerville festivities

Hot drinks were available to ward away the cold

Sunday, December 4: Breakfast With Santa

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The busy entrance to Breakfast With Santa at Antolini School

First time on Santa's lap

Children busy at the craft table

Impromptu entertainment during breakfast

Sunday, December 4: ‘Light New Hartford’

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Caroling at Light New Hartford

The line waiting to get inside the Torrington Savings Bank where Santa was seated

Santa's lap provides a good vantage point for this young man

Santa gives a little encouragement

The awesome New Hartford fire truck seen across the Bardens' wagon which served as Santa's "sleigh" for the ride downtown

The ice sculptures are a favorite for both young and older

The tree is lit!

HUGE Thanks: To the following groups whose hard-working members brought us a weekend packed with holiday fun:

• The Friends of the Bakerville Library and the Library Board who brought us the Bakerville Holiday Festival;
• The Members of the New Hartford Women’s Club who brought us ‘Breakfast With Santa;’
• The Members of the New Hartford Business Council who brought us ‘Light New Hartford.’
• The Members of the North Congregational Church who hosted a delicious Holiday Dinner prior to ‘Light New Hartford.’

Video of Holiday Festivities

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A short video of the weekend’s Holiday Festivities will be added shortly.

By: Andrew Pelletier

Andrew Pelletier

Welcome to the fourth edition of the CT Sportsman’s Journal, until recently called The Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal. December – and the holiday season – is upon us. A gift suggestion for anyone who is looking for that special stocking stuffer for their avid sportsman? Simple: A gift certificate to their favorite sporting goods retailer, whether it’s UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, McAllister’s Fly Shoppe in Pleasant Valley, or Cabela’s in East Hartford, or any number of sporting goods stores. Because a sportsman’s interests and needs vary from season to season, a gift card offers the hunter or fisherman the flexibility to purchase something they really want and need. It’s easy on the shopper and will be greatly appreciated by the special sportsman in your life.

I hope many of you have filled a tag this year, as time is running out to put some venison in the freezer. A chance at redemption comes in the form of muzzleloader season this month. It’s a great way to extend your season and enjoy the beauty of our state forests in the winter. This month, we’ll take a look at hare hunting in Rangeley, Maine with beagles and offer up a delicious recipe for a traditional German Hassenpfeffer. Hopefully the article and recipe will inspire some with time off this winter to head north and expand their hunting experiences. Starting with this month’s edition we’ll begin tying flies for the upcoming trout season and we’ll start this month with the “usual”, tied with snowshoe hare foot. A highly buoyant fly that is deadly during the Sulphur hatches of late May through the middle of June. Go get another armload of oak and put another log in the stove, we’re heading north in the Holiday edition of the CT Sportsman’s Journal.

Hare And There – Rangeley, Maine

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“Ol’ Man Winter” has a knack of making sportsmen think that once he’s settled in, they’re better off dreaming of spring and warmer days ahead. Don’t put those pumps and doubles away just yet. Try a snowshoe hare hunt for some hot action on the “Ol’ Man’s” turf. For very little money, you can arrange a hare hunt with a guide, beagles and snowmobile transport that will get you to the best snowshoe haunts.

On our first hare hunt, my brother, Don, and I hunted the Rangeley region of Maine. The weather was a bit odd and we had the pleasure of hunting in 30-40 degree temperatures without the need for snowshoes. Our subsequent trip found us hunting in bitter cold and snowshoes were a must. Bring more clothes than you need and always bring snowshoes. An initial layer of thermal underwear, followed by fleece, topped off with wool bibs and a wool coat are ideal not only for warmth, but for silent movement. Bring a warm hat that covers the ears and never wear anything cotton. When you perspire while wearing cotton it will stay wet, and wet equals cold. Silk long johns will wick away perspiration from your skin when you are active. Waterproof, thermal insulated boots and wool socks will keep your feet dry and comfortable.

Beagle image from Beagle Dog Lovers blogspot.com

When hunting hare, an animal that is on the menu of every predator, be as quiet as possible. Their ears and eyes are innately tuned to pick up the slightest hint of danger. When beagles get on the scent, the hares will lead the beagles on a circular chase of their territory and are usually 1 to 3 minutes ahead of the hounds. The trick is to set up on the fringe of the chase. As you hear the beagles bawling and heading back to you, this is when you must not make any sound or quick movements. The hare will pause to hear if the hounds are still on its trail. They also watch and listen for any danger that may lie ahead. Crunching snow under your snowshoes will send the hare into a new chase pattern. Stand with gun at the ready and try to anticipate where the hare will reveal itself as it nears your position. You will catch movement as the hare runs in front of dark spruce trunks or dark green boughs of balsam. As the hare nears your position, try to pick a lane or window to get a clean shot as the hare sneaks through. If the hare doesn’t give a shot opportunity, wait. The beagles will be by in a couple minutes and the chase will continue. Quietly set up on a better intercept lane and be ready for the hare to be pushed through again. Sometimes the chase will traverse logging roads. The shots on the logging road are more open and the hares will wait at the edge for a second or two before darting across. That slight hesitation at the edge of the logging road has put many hares in the game bag. It doesn’t take much to take down a hare and I’ve had good results with a 20 gauge double. My brother uses a 20 gauge pump and usually takes a hare for each shell he uses. Standard 2-3/4” shells loaded with number 6 shot will more than suffice.

A snowshoe hare. Image from the internet

Ever wondered what the phrase, “Crazy as a March Hare” means? Around the end of March is mating season for the snowshoe hare. The males, whose range was once limited to a small territory, will now travel far and wide in search of females, sometimes as much as 3 miles. When a beagle gets on the scent of one of these rogues, a long chase back to their territory, often miles away, ensues. When this happens, hunting turns into a beagle recovery mission.

If you’re feeling crazier than a March hare because cabin fever is setting in, try a snowshoe hare hunt. Once you hear those beagles start bawling as they get on the scent, you’ll warm right up. Rates can be as low as $150 per day, lodging and meals included with discounts for children. It’s a great opportunity to extend your hunting season and introduce your kids to hunting if they’re ready. A good place to search for a guide is on the Maine Professional Guides Association website.

Hunting

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What’s In Season For December?

For current Licensing, Tagging & Reporting, permits, bag limits, hunting areas and special conditions go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

Deer Hunting Muzzleloader: Season Begins On December 7.*

Archery Deer REOPENS on December 21st and continues until December 31st in state land that offers firearms deer hunting. Private Land and State Land DEER BOWHUNTING ONLY areas remain open through December 31st

Free Landowner Deer Season remains open until December 31st. Revolver Deer endorsement is required for hunting with a revolver/handgun.

Private Land Shotgun/Rifle remains open until December 6th. Revolver Deer endorsement is required for hunting with a revolver/handgun. Private Land Consent Forms must be filled out by the Landowner.

State Land No-Lottery, Lottery and Controlled Hunting.  B SEASON remains open until December 6th. Only one permit type may be bought each year. Lottery and Controlled Area hunting permits applications were due on June 1st. Hunters wishing to hunt deer may hunt in NO LOTTERY AREAS if they didn’t get their applications in by June 1st.

*Private Land Muzzleloader Season opens on December 7th and continues through December 31st. Private Land Consent Forms must be filled out by the Landowner a permit to hunt deer with a muzzleloader on private land is required.

*State Land Muzzleloader Season opens on December 7th and continues through December 20th. Muzzleloader Season is open in all areas where Deer Hunting with Muzzleloader is permitted without need for lottery applications and allows hunters to hunt the entire state. a permit to hunt deer with a muzzleloader on state land is required.

Upland Bird Hunting

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Pheasant continues through December and ends on December 31st (a series of pheasant tags are required to hunt pheasants)

Chukar Partridge continues through December and ends on December 31st

Crow continues through December and ends on December 31st.

Waterfowl Hunting

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(Season dates are relative to the AP unit local for NewHartfordPlus waterfowl hunters)

Requires a Valid Federal and State Waterfowl stamp as well as a CT H.I.P. Permit.
For more Waterfowling info go to the Hunting & Trapping section of the DEP website.

Ducks, Merganzers and Coots: Late season continues through December and ends on January 5th

Canadian Geese: Late season continues through December and ends on January 5th

Snow and Blue Geese: Continues through December and ends on January 14th. Late season starts on February 22nd and ends on March 10th

Woodcock and Snipe: Ends on December 10th.

Small Game Hunting

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Grey Squirrel: Continues through December and ends on December 31st

Cottontail Rabbit: Continues through December and ends on December 31st

Snowshoe Hare: Continues through December and ends on December 31st

European Hare: Continues through December and ends on December 31st.

Fox And Coyote Hunting

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Red and Grey Fox: Season continues through December and ends on December 31st

Coyote: Season continues through December and ends on December 31st.

Raccoon And Opossum Hunting

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Raccoon: Season continues through December and ends on December 31st

Opossum Season continues through December and ends on December 31st.

Know and completely understand all hunting regulations BEFORE you head out!!!! Questions? Go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

Local Hunting Areas

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(Maps for most of these areas can be found at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting)

• State Land:
• People’s State Forest – Barkhamsted (2942 acres)
• American Legion State Forest – Barkhamsted (1037 acres)
• Nepaug State Forest – New Hartford (1367 acres)
• Tunxis State Forest – Hartland (9518 acres)
• Wildlife Management Areas:
• Cedar Swamp WMA – New Hartford/Torrington (278 acres)
• Roraback WMA – Harwinton (1975 acres)
• State Leased and Public Access Areas:
• MDC – Greenwoods Pond – New Hartford (400 acres)
• MDC -Colebrook Reservoir/ Hogback Dam – Colebrook/Hartland, etc. (4159 acres)

CT Sportsman’s Wild Game Cookery

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Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit Stew) is a delicious, traditional German recipe, and a comforting meal you’re sure to enjoy just as much as the hunt itself. It’s a perfect culmination of the chase… recalling the crisp winter air, the sound of the Bawlin Beagles and the beautiful white hares that came to hand. There are numerous ways to prepare Hasenpfeffer, probably as many variations as there are towns in Germany. Here’s one that the family really enjoyed with homemade Spaetzel (egg noodles in a pinch) and red cabbage.

Hasenpfeffer

4 pounds of hare
1 pt. red wine
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 diced onion
one whole clove
one bay leaf
1 cup flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup marinade
1 cup sour cream

In a large glass bowl combine the red wine, vinegar, onion and spices. quarter the hare and marinade in this liquid in the refrigerator overnight. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and pepper and coat the hares quarters in the flour mixture. Heat a large skillet and add the oil and get it to a medium high temperature. Brown the hare quarters on both sides in the hot oil, then add one cup of the retained marinade and the chicken broth to the skillet. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and place in a preheated 350-degree oven and cook for 1.5 hours. Remove from the oven and add the sour cream to get the desired consistency (don’t boil after the sour cream has been added).

Another method is to add bacon and, using the bacon fat in place of the oil, to brown the hare and then add crumbled bacon, mushrooms or pearl onions. Try this recipe and you’ll find yourself heading to Rangeley, Maine as an annual hunting tradition!

Fishing And the Fly Tyer’s Bench

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For the winter months we’ll demonstrate how to tie some simple fly patterns that are deadly on the Farmington River. This month’s pattern is dubbed the “Usual” and is a sulphur imitation that is quite effective from late May to the middle of June. As I always advocate that you should never waste any part of any animal you harvest, this pattern uses the waterproof hairs from the illusive Snowshoe hare’s foot.

Materials:

• Snowshoe Hare foot
• 6/0 Fire Orange Thread
• hooks from 18 – 22
• light grey dubbin material
• wax
• head cement

1.) Start of by laying a foundation of fire orange thread starting from 1/3 the distance from eye to hook bend.

2.) Tie on a tail of Snowshoe hair fibers wrapping back toward the hook bend.

3.) Next, wax the thread and use either light grey dubbin material or the downy, inner hair from the hare’s foot and dub the fur onto the thread and form a tapering body, getting thicker towards the eye. Stop 2/3rds the hook’s length from the eye.

4.) Now use the outer hairs from the hare’s foot to create a wing. Trim the excess hair.

5.) Wax the thread again and dub more dubbin material to form the rest of the body, then whip finish the head and cement.

6.) Finished sulphur imitation, waiting to be pounced on by a hungry Farmington River trout!

A body of cinnamon or brown can can be tied to imitate a rusty sulphur variant. This is a must tie over the winter so you’ll be ready for the sulphur hatches of late spring/early summer.

Photos at right by Andrew Pelletier.

Share Your Photos And Experiences With Us!

We encourage those who hunt, fish or observe wildlife to share their pictures and stories with us and other readers. Please send your photos and stories to NewHartfordPlus@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to post them in future editions of CT Sportsman’s Journal.

We wish all of you a safe and successful season!

Andrew (on the right) with brother Don on a successful snowshoe hare hunting trip to Maine. Photo courtesy Andrew Pelletier

Volunteers from The New Hartford Garden Club assist in the upkeep and restoration of the Old Nepaug Cemetery

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By: Mary Femniak

Digging a trench for the bulbs

November brought a hearty Garden Club work crew to the Old Nepaug Cemetery for the planting of 200 daffodil bulbs in a third year of effort to brighten the little cemetery on Route 202. Customarily outside the non-profit Garden Club’s town projects, members rallied around fellow member Linda Dryansky when she became involved with maintaining the Old Nepaug Cemetery and quickly realized it was a far more extensive project than initially anticipated. The list of necessities grew overwhelming as mowing, weed control, bulb planting, repairs and preservation of the stones, etc. were initiated by the intrepid but diminutive crew.

The town’s past is carved in each stone and history deeply marks the hallowed ground. The Old Nepaug Cemetery holds 161 interments… and while most of the graves are from the 1800’s, the oldest stone is the grave of Shubael Crow (a Veteran Revolutionary War Pensioner) marking his death in 1798. Obelisks, carved stone, grave stones, markers and sculptures requiring repair, cleaning and straightening await the spring when volunteers will have at it once more.

A restored headstone at the Old Nepaug Cemetery

Plans are to organize a separate and dedicated non-profit to manage the care and restoration of the cemetery as well as chronicle the compelling history represented by each headstone. If you have been seeking a rewarding way to contribute to a community project and would like to help, please contact Linda at lindadryansky@sbcglobal.net. Our winter wish list is: A non-profit guru who can shepherd volunteers through the process of setting up the organization, a marketer who can create and discharge press releases as needed, an IT nerd to create a web site, a biography buff/historian to search out and record the family histories from the stones, and volunteers to bring energy and ideas. Donations are welcome and will be used for cemetery repair and upkeep.

Garden enthusiasts are encouraged to consider joining The New Hartford Garden Club; the membership fee for this rewarding nonprofit community-minded group is $15.00 a year. To learn more about the 50-year-old New Hartford Garden Club find us on Facebook or email us at NewHartfordGardenClub@gmail.com.

Members of the New Hartford Garden Club at the bulb planting in the Old Nepaug Cemetery. Photo: Mary Femniak

A statue in the Old Nepaug Cemetery. Photo: Mary Femniak

Today, on Thanksgiving Day, as we celebrate the Freedom from Want, the 3rd of the 4 freedoms laid out by President Roosevelt in his message to Congress in 1941, we’d like to remind everyone of those 4 essential freedoms which provide the bedrock of our community:

1. Freedom of Speech;
2. Freedom of Worship;
3. Freedom from Want;
4. Freedom from Fear.

May we, on Thanksgiving Day, and every day, work towards actualizing the 4 freedoms for everyone in our community, young and old, rich and poor, native or newcomer.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

The 4 Freedoms illustrated by Norman Rockwell in 1943

Listen to an excerpt of President Roosevelt’s Message to Congress in which he enumerates the 4 freedoms.

Visit the National Archives’ Powers of Persuasion: Poster Art from World War II, Four Freedoms to learn about the creation of the 4 Freedoms illustrations and their integration into a war bond drive.

Visit the Norman Rockwell Museum online. The museum is located in Stockbridge, Mass., a short drive from New Hartford.

By: Andrew Pelletier

Welcome to the third edition of the Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal. November is the month that our nation gives thanks and deer camp and deer hunting is on every sportsman’s mind. For thousands of years, many cultures have hunted and thanked the spirits of the animals that provided them with skins for clothing, bones for tool making and lean meat protein to sustain their people. We’ll take a look at how different cultures have honored and continue to honor the spirits of the game they harvest. We’ll offer up some deer camp recipes and we’ll hit the salt out of Point Judith for some late fall Cod fishing and a chance to fill the freezer with some tasty filets. Throw another log in the stove and pour another mug of java and enjoy the November Deer Camp Edition of Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal.

Thanksgiving

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I remember the first bird I ever took while hunting, a hen pheasant. I recall how sobering the moment was, how I thought that there was no such thing as “catch and release” in hunting. I remember offering some silent words of thanks in my mind to the bird’s spirit, a promise that its life was not taken in malice and would not be wasted. I recall how delicious that bird was at the table and how I used its feathers to tie flies with. Over thirty years later that pheasant lives in my memory because I honored its spirit. It’s a tradition that I continue to this day with all creatures I harvest, large or small – finned, furred or feathered.

I recall an interesting article about different cultures around the world and how they pay homage or give thanks to an animal they’ve harvested. In Germany it’s called “Letzer Biss” or last bite. A sprig of evergreen is broken, not cut, and dipped in the animal’s blood. The hunter, or “jaeger,” places the sprig in the animal’s mouth and the animal’s spirit is thanked. The jaeger then places the sprig in their hat band, on the left, and is worn there until the evening. The sprigs are saved, and displayed as a symbol of reverence and remembrance of the animal. North American Indians sprinkled cornmeal or tobacco around the animal’s mouth as an offering to the animal’s spirit. They believed that the animals they hunted would only reveal themselves when they offered themselves to the hunter as a gift to their people. If the hunter who took the animal did not offer a prayer or tobacco ceremony to the animal’s spirit, that hunter would never again be offered the gift of meat, hide, bones and sinew for his people.

Some cultures believe that stepping over or straddling an animal is offensive to its spirit. I also make it a point not to celebrate until the animal has expired. I find it disrespectful when the guys on these hunting shows are laughing, high-fiving and fist-bumping even before the animal is down or while ducks or geese are falling from the sky or wing-beating on the ground or water. There is nothing more solemn than taking a life, no matter how great or small. Poaching and disobeying hunting laws and regulations is the ultimate in disrespect.

What can the modern hunter do to pay homage to game they harvest? Start by being as skilled as you can be. Know your hunting implements and practice at being the best shot you can be. Bow, shotgun or rifle… shot placement is critical to a quick and humane kill. Don’t take risky shots out of range or through thick brush and wait for the cleanest shot possible. Use a scope if your eyes are not as keen as they used to be. Be the best tracker you can be. Give the animal time to expire and never give up tracking an animal prematurely. Sometimes recovery is closer than you might believe. Learn how to properly field dress game and properly care for it from field to table. The effort spent on field care will be clearly evident at the table. Only shoot what you intend to use. If you have more than you need, share the bounty with family, friends and neighbors. Get some wild game cook books and get the most from those precious frozen packages of game in your freezer.

If you are fortunate this year, perhaps a deer may offer itself to sustain you and yours. Take a little time and offer a few unspoken words of reverence and thank the deer’s spirit. Paying homage deepens the experience of hunting and is a simple tradition you can pass down to your children as you teach them how to not only be the best hunter they can be… but to be as respectful as they can be.

Hunting

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What’s In Season For November?

For current Licensing, Tagging & Reporting, permits, bag limits, hunting areas and special conditions go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting

Deer Hunting

Firearms season started on November 1st*

Archery Deer CLOSED on November 15th and re-opens on December 21st in state land that offers firearms deer hunting. Private land and state land DEER BOWHUNTING ONLY areas remain open through December 31st.

*Free Landowner Deer Season started on November 1st and is open until December 31st. Revolver Deer endorsement is required for hunting with a revolver/handgun.

Private Land Shotgun/Rifle started on November 16th and is open until December 6th. Revolver Deer endorsement is required for hunting with a revolver/handgun. Private Land Consent Forms must be filled out by the Landowner.

State Land No-Lottery, Lottery and Controlled Hunting A SEASON started on November 16th and is open until November 25th. Only one permit type may be bought each year. Lottery and Controlled Area hunting permits applications were due on June 1st. Hunters wishing to hunt deer may hunt in NO LOTTERY AREAS if they didn’t get their applications in by June 1st.

State Land No-Lottery, Lottery and Controlled Hunting B SEASON starts on November 26th and is open until December 6th. Only one permit type may be bought each year. Lottery and Controlled Area hunting permits applications were due on June 1st. Hunters wishing to hunt deer may hunt in NO LOTTERY AREAS if they didn’t get their applications in by June 1st.

Upland Bird Hunting

Pheasant continues through November and ends on December 31st (a series of pheasant tags are required to hunt pheasants)

Ruffed Grouse continues through November and ends on November 30th (Hunters should think about NOT hunting grouse due to depleted grouse populations statewide)

Chukar Partridge continues through November and ends on December 31st

Crow continues through November and ends on December 31st

Waterfowl Hunting (Season dates are relative to the AP unit local for NewHartfordPlus waterfowl hunters)

Requires a Valid Federal and State Waterfowl stamp as well as a CT H.I.P. Permit.  For more Waterfowling info. go to: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=323426&depNav_GID=1633#WFSEAS

Ducks, Merganzers and Coots Late season started on November 9th and ends on January 5th

Canadian Geese Late season started on November 9th and ends on January 5th

Snow and Blue Geese continues through November and ends on January 14th. Late season starts on February 22nd and ends on March 10th

Woodcock and Snipe continues through November and ends on December 10th

Small Game Hunting

Grey Squirrel continues through November and ends on December 31st

Cottontail Rabbit continues through November and ends on December 31st

Snowshoe Hare continues through November and ends on December 31st

European Hare continues through November and ends on December 31st

Woodchuck ended on November 15th

Fox And Coyote Hunting

Red and Grey Fox Season continues through November and ends on December 31st

Coyote Season continues through November and ends on December 31st

Raccoon And Opossum Hunting

Raccoon Season continues through November and ends on December 31st

Opossum Season continues through November and ends on December 31st

Know and completely understand all hunting regulations BEFORE you head out!!!! Questions? Go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting

Local Hunting Areas

Maps for most of these areas can be found at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

•  State Land
•  People’s State Forest – Barkhamsted (2,942 acres)
• American Legion State Forest – Barkhamsted (1,037 acres)
• Nepaug State Forest – New Hartford (1,367 acres)
•  Tunxis State Forest – Hartland (9518 acres)
• Wildlife Management Areas
• Cedar Swamp WMA – New Hartford/Torrington (278 acres)
• Roraback WMA – Harwinton (1,975 acres)
• State Leased and Public Access Areas
• MDC – Greenwoods Pond – New Hartford (400 acres)
• MDC -Colebrook Reservoir/ Hogback Dam – Colebrook/Hartland, etc. (4,159 acres)

Wild Game Cookery

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Venison Heart And Tongue

November, and here in the Northeast, a hunter’s thoughts are focused on deer hunting. November is the time of the rut, when the bucks will be chasing and bedding close to the does. It is a time when a buck will let his guard down and move at all hours of the day in search of receptive does, which gives the hunter a better chance at filling the freezer with prime cuts of venison. In deer camp, a successful hunter has a fine deer hanging on the gambrel, aging in the chill November air.

Dressing the deer was done afield and the heart, tongue and, if the deer is young enough, the liver were retained. Traditionally, these are the first venison brought to the table in deer camp. The seasoned hunter knows and anticipates the fine dining to come while the deer hangs and ages before processing the entire deer into various cuts of venison. A pressure cooker is invaluable in deer camp. The heart can be sliced and trimmed and put in the pressure cooker along with the tongue. Add to that beef broth to cover and a couple bay leaves. Put it on the stove on high and listen for the pressure cooker to begin to hiss, then bring the heat down below medium for an hour. The heart and tongue are pure muscle and come out super tender and delicious. The tongue’s rough outer skin peels away from the inner muscle. A camp lunch favorite is thin-sliced heart and tongue on a fresh hard roll. Stir together 2 tbsp. of horseradish and 3 tbsp. mayonnaise and put the mixture on top of the sliced meat with some salt and pepper. Simple and Delicious!

Venison Liver

Venison Liver has fallen out of favor due to recent health warnings about Cadmium and Mercury concerns. Deer liver can be safely eaten in moderation from younger deer. Some of the best liver i’ve ever had was in deer camp in Canada, trimmed and sliced very thin and breaded in a flour and bread crumb mixture and simply fried in butter until it’s golden brown. Even those who don’t like liver can’t get over how good venison liver can be.

Venison Loins

The pièce de résistance are the tenderloins that are carefully removed from inside the hanging deer. These are what would be called the filet mignon and are so tender they can be cut with a fork and melt in your mouth. Camp cooking is all about simple and the tenderloin is no exception. The whole tenderloins are both trimmed of the silvery outer tissue with a sharp knife. Then the trimmed tenderloins are cut into 1/2″ thick medallions. In a hot (medium high) iron skillet add some butter. The medallions of filet are then quickly seared for no longer than 1 minute on each side. In deer camp these precious medallions never have a chance to grace a plate as they are eaten straight from the iron skillet by some very lucky hunters! Hopefully someone else will be lucky tomorrow… the camp larder needs to be restocked!

Fishing

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November is also the start of cod season and as luck would have it, we are within a couple of hours’ drive of Rhode Island and some of the finest cod fishing on the East Coast. Each year the cod gather off Block Island and the fishing remains productive throughout the winter months. My outfitter of choice is the Frances Fleet out of Point Judith. Their boats are fairly fast and are close to the action which means more time to fish. At times clams for bait is the way to go, but this time of year and into the winter months sees huge schools of cod chasing bait fish like mackerel and herring. Heavy jigs and a teaser rig tipped with a rubber shrimp or squid strips are deadly when the cod are aggressively chasing the bait fish, so bring a variety of jigs in different weights. You can rent a rod or bring your own. A stout rod capable of handling weights and jigs up to 14 ounces and a matching reel with at least 150 yards of 25 – 50 lb. test mono or 60 lb. test braided line are recommended.

First and foremost, watch the weather and plan your trip around the best weather windows possible. One helpful site online is the Weather Underground at wunderground.com. The site gives fairly accurate information such as wind speed and wave height. Generally, wave height from 3 to 5 feet will rock the largest party boats. Those prone to seasickness should always take motion sickness medication. Be warned that motion sickness drugs will not help you if taken at the dock just before boarding. Take a dose 24 hours pre-trip, then another dose at least an hour before boarding. Drink plenty of water as these medications will dehydrate you.

Make sure you bring the proper clothing. Always dress in layers so you can remove or add clothes to stay comfortable. Waterproof bibs, a slicker and rubber boots will keep you dry all day and you can wash off any bait or crud that you get on them. I always bring a back pack in which I stow gear and extra clothing.

You will be drifting or anchored over structure. Cod feed at the bottom, so whether you’re using bait or jigs, staying in touch with the bottom is extremely important. Bring an assortment of lead weights and jigs from 4 to 16 ounces. You should be able to feel the weight hit bottom every time you lift your rod tip and drop it. If you can’t, add more weight or ask the mate how much you should be using. If you are drifting, the ideal position on the boat is with your line angling slightly away from you. In this position you can free spool line out to keep on the bottom as you drift. However, on a crowded party boat, your line will sometimes angle under the boat. It is crucial to hold the bottom in this situation. Don’t free spool your line more than twice to stay in touch with the bottom. This is when tangles with fishermen on the other side of the boat happen. Tangles take away from precious fishing time and ties up the mates. Add weight to avoid tangles.
Your best source of knowledge comes from the guys who work on these boats everyday. They’ll show you how to use the equipment and bait the hooks. They’re there when you snag bottom, when you’re tangled with someone on the other side of the boat and when you get a bird’s nest in the reel. Most of all, they’re there when they gaff that cod of a lifetime. For a small fee they will filet your cod and package it for the ride home. Ask questions and you’ll find these guys really know their stuff. At the end of the trip, give them a well-deserved tip. These guys work hard and depend on your generosity. It is customary to tip 15-20% of the cost of the fare.

The limit on cod in Rhode Island is 10 fish per day at 22″. A 22″ cod weighs roughly 5-6 pounds and sometimes big cod up to 30 – 35 pounds are taken, Who knows… you might even win the pool for biggest fish if you buy in!

Share Your Photos And Experiences With Us!

We encourage those who hunt, fish or observe wildlife to share their pictures and stories with us and other readers. Please send your photos with and stories to: http://newhartfordplus.com and we’ll be happy to post them in future editions of The Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal.
We wish all of you a safe and successful season!

Andrew showing his catch during a fishing trip. Photo courtesy Andrew Pelletier

By: Andrew Pelletier

Welcome to the second edition of the Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal. For October, we’ll take a look at our area’s growing moose population and we’ll take a quick look at what October has to offer local hunters. We’ll share another wild game recipe you hunters who are beating the brush with dogs for pheasant will surely enjoy, and we’ll see what October has to offer our die-hard anglers in local waters. Grab a cup of coffee, put another log in the stove and enjoy this month’s edition of Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal.

Some Thoughts On Our Growing Moose Population And Some Shared Encounters…

Last week as I drove west on Route 44 past the junction of 179 in Canton, I caught a glimpse of a large, dark form between the clap of wipers on a rain soaked windshield. As I got closer, there in the Bristol’s Wild Carrot Farm field was a handsome young bull moose with a decent set of antlers. He was making his way toward the highway and the Farmington River on the other side. Fearing for the animal’s safety and the safety of fellow motorists using the highway at 7:45 that morning, I decided it would be best not to stop. A moose has the knack of creating a gaggle of rubber-neckers, and rightly so, but it also creates a dangerous situation for beast and commuter alike.

Since I’ve moved to West Hartland, moose capitol of Connecticut, 12 years ago, I have had 9 moose encounters. Sadly, two of those encounters were with bull moose with very impressive racks that were being hauled away by MDC and DEP officials on heavy-duty flatbed trailers. Both animals were victims of moose versus vehicle collisions. The drivers’ vehicles did not fair so well either and the motorists were lucky to survive with minor injuries.

Moose tracks

From the end of September through October we see a drastic increase in moose activity. The bulls are ranging far and wide in search of receptive females and that means more road crossings. Be on the alert when you are driving through rural areas near lakes, reservoirs and rivers, especially at night. Moose are very tall creatures with very slender legs and a vehicle’s headlights will be focused under the animal’s belly. The telltale reflection of their eyes will not be easily seen either because they are so tall. Most human fatalities that occur are from when the moose ends up coming through the windshield;  I’ll spare you the graphic details of what a 1,000-pound animal will do when it comes through a windshield. Your best defense is to slow down and remain alert and aware when traveling rural roads at night.

Moose calf

My first encounter with a Connecticut moose happened in the Tunxis State Forest while picking blackberries on a fire road; see the story I submitted in 2002 to “Connecticut Wildlife,” page 12 of the November/December edition.  The majority of my sightings have been in West Hartland. One morning, heading eastbound on Route 20 at the top of Barkhamsted Reservoir, I encountered a huge bull moose with enormous antlers who ran for 1/3 mile alongside my car in the westbound lane before veering off into the woods! I also captured a picture of a moose calf which took advantage of the buffet in my backyard. The calf’s mother was around because I found her hoof prints where the calf kept looking up the hill at her as it fed. The photo included in this report is blurry, but it leaves no doubt, these huge animals are here and their numbers are growing. It’s always enthralling to see these creatures, but even more so when you get to see them here in Connecticut. Remember these are wild animals and they will turn on you if they feel threatened. Use common sense and park your vehicle safely off the highway if you are lucky enough to have an encounter with one of these most majestic animals. I also do a lot of fly fishing and moose watching in Pittsburg, New Hampshire on the Canadian border and I caught this encounter on my video camera and posted it to YouTube, set to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

Hunting

What’s In Season For October?

For current licensing, permits, bag limits, hunting areas and special conditions go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

Fall Archery Deer and Turkey season is in full swing as of the posting of this report.

Fall Firearms Turkey started on October 1st and is open until October 31st.

Upland Bird Hunting

Pheasant image from internet

Pheasant starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st (a series of pheasant tags are required to hunt pheasants)

Ruffed Grouse starts on October 15th and ends on November 30th (Hunters should think about NOT hunting grouse due to depleted grouse populations statewide)

Quail starts on October 15th and ends on October 29th

Chukar Partridge starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st

Crow starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st

Waterfowl Hunting (Season dates are relative to the AP unit local for NewHartfordPlus waterfowl hunters)

Requires a Valid Federal and State Waterfowl stamp as well as a CT H.I.P. Permit.  For more Waterfowling info. go to: www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=323426&depNav_GID=1633#WFSEAS

Ducks, Merganzers and Coots Early season starts on October 12th and ends on October 22nd. Late season starts on November 9th and ends on January 5th

Canadian Geese Early season starts on October 31st and ends on November 5th. Late season starts on November 9th and ends on January 5th

Snow and Blue Geese Early season starts on October 1st and ends on January 14th. Late season starts on February 22nd and ends on March 10th

Woodcock and Snipe Season starts on October 27th and ends on December 10th.

Small Game Hunting

Grey Squirrel Season starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st

Cottontail Rabbit Season starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st

Snowshoe Hare Season starts on November 19th and ends on December 31st

European Hare Season starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st

Woodchuck Season starts on October 15th and ends on November 15th.

Fox And Coyote Hunting

Red and Grey Fox Season starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st

Coyote Season starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st.

Raccoon And Opossum Hunting

Raccoon Season starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st

Opossum Season starts on October 15th and ends on December 31st.

Know and completely understand all hunting regulations BEFORE you head out!!!! Questions? Go to www.ct.gov/dep/hunting

Local Hunting Areas

Maps for most of these areas can be found at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

• State Land
• People’s State Forest – Barkhamsted (2942 acres)
• American Legion State Forest – Barkhamsted (1037 acres)
• Nepaug State Forest – New Hartford (1367 acres)
• Tunxis State Forest – Hartland (9518 acres)
• Wildlife Management Areas
• Cedar Swamp WMA – New Hartford/Torrington (278 acres)
• Roraback WMA – Harwinton (1975 acres) – added at the request of NHPlus reader, Brian Sikorski. Thanks, Brian!
• State Leased and Public Access Areas
• MDC – Greenwoods Pond – New Hartford (400 acres)
• MDC -Colebrook Reservoir/ Hogback Dam – Colebrook/Hartland, etc. (4159 acres)

Wild Game Cookery

Ah, the blessed days of October and the crisp, pleasant days spent afield. Working the dog through the middle of a thicket or corn stubble and that perfect moment of filtered sunlight dappled on the back of your Brittany, locked in a classic point. The scene burns into memory and you almost forget you’re hunting when the big rooster whirrs toward the blue, cackling. The report of the double, the smell of spent powder and fallen leaves and earth and the vision of your Brittany, dutifully retrieving the beautiful bird to your hand…

Here’s a recipe that’s not very fancy but is delicious and easy:

Aunt Shelly’s Far-Out, Double-Dipped Pheasant Cutlets

4 Pheasant Breasts
Progresso or 4C seasoned bread crumbs
Panko
Eggs
Vegatable or Peanut Oil

Split the breasts and remove the tenders from each side and put aside. Put one side of the breast in an unzipped zip lock bag and with a meat mallet, pound the breast out to roughly half an inch. Slice the breast into strips and repeat with the remaining breast halves.

Beat 3 eggs with a fork and dip the tenders and strips in the egg. In a large bowl combine equal parts bread crumbs and panko and coat the egg-dipped breast strips with the bread crumb mixture. Now re-dip the coated pheasant in egg, return to the bread crumb mixture and put on a plate or paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the tenders and strips while about 2 inches of vegetable or peanut oil heats to about 350º in a deep skillet.

Place the breaded pheasant in the skillet but don’t crowd them. Let them fry for 3 minutes on one side then flip the cutlets and fry for 2 -3 minutes more or until crispy and golden brown. Remove the cutlets to a platter lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil and continue frying small batches until they’re all done.

Serve with buttered egg noodles and corn. If there are leftovers put them in the fridge and you’ll find that they’re as equally delicious, cold, the next day. No pheasant?? Chicken works just as well! Try it:  You’ll like it!

Fishing

October is a great time to be out on the Farmington River casting to trout that are feeding in earnest with the approach of winter.  The Farmington, fortunately, is a year-round fishery due to the fact that its headwaters begin deep beneath the Hogback Reservoir which stays a fairly consistent temperature. Last week I saw that the stocking trucks were making their rounds between the iron bridge in Pleasant Valley all the way up to, and beyond, Riverton. The heavy rains of late will also have redistributed many holdover trout throughout the river system that should create some great sport once the river recedes a bit.

If I’m out for sport you’ll see me with fly rod in hand, casting hopper patterns or streamers. However, if you see me with a cooler and my spinning rod, that means I’m looking to put some trout in the smoker. My favorite lure to use for spinning this time of year is a 4″ floating Rapala in black and silver with the middle trebles removed. I’ll usually cast slightly upstream, diagonal to my position and with quick, short twitches of the rod tip, make the lure dive and dart just below the surface like a wounded or panicked baitfish. The trout will usually smash the lure with gusto and because it is a large lure, usually the largest trout in the pool respond. When I catch a trout I quickly dispatch them with a homemade trout “priest”, fashioned from a broken drumstick, then I gut them and put them on ice in the cooler. Trout cared for in this manner are of the finest eating quality. Most people who don’t like trout have only eaten those left on a stringer to die. That’s a sad end to such a noble and delicious fish.

When I get the trout home I remove the back bone and ribs and “butterfly” the trout, then put them in a brine of 1 cup salt, 1 cup sugar and 1 quart of water. I let them sit overnight in the brine then take them out and dry them with a clean dishtowel. Then I’ll season them with thyme, tarragon and pepper and leave them out to dry for an hour or so. I start the smoker with a pan of alder and then a second pan of maple and smoke them for 4 hours or more depending on the size of the trout. When smoking is done, I’ll usually take two smoked filets and put them in a food processor and add a package of Philly Cream Cheese. I’ll blend that until it’s smooth and toast up a sesame bagel and spread it on the bagel. Then I’ll slice some of the smoked trout filet and put that on top of the bagel along with some thinly sliced red onion. Try it out and Im sure I’ll be seeing you on the river more often!

Share Your Photos And Experiences With Us!

We encourage those who hunt, fish or observe wildlife to share their pictures and stories with us and other readers. Please send your photos and/or stories to: newhartfordplus@gmail.com, attention: Andrew Pelletier, and we’ll be happy to post them in future editions of The Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal.

We wish all of you a safe and successful season!

Moose encounter in Hartland. Photo by Andrew Pelletier

By: Andrew Pelletier

Andrew Pelletier

Welcome Hunting and Fishing enthusiasts, to the first edition of ‘The Upper Farmington Sportsman’s Journal,’ a monthly look at hunting and fishing opportunities available locally to the readership of NewHartfordPlus. We vigorously promote hunting and fishing ethics in regards to our state laws, fair chase and respect for our natural resources. Every month of the year provides every sportsman a variety of hunting or fishing experiences. We’ll take a look at what’s available month by month and season by season and give you a heads up on sporting events, seminars and special programs offered by the state, local rod and gun clubs and local businesses. We’ll talk to people in the field and ask if they’re having any luck and we’ll post some fish and game recipes, too. It’s all about a passion for the outdoors and the epicurean delights that await the sportsman who puts the time in and is rewarded with their portion of nature’s bounty.

 Hunting

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Archery Deer Season Opener this week on Thursday, September 15th

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I hope all my fellow hunters have done their homework this year; the wild weather has really put a damper on preseason scouting. Those in the know, however, understand that pre-season scouting began back in late July through August. Hopefully, your stands have been hung and your shooting lanes cleared. I also hope your bow is tuned up and you’ve practiced hard all summer and your arrow is consistently finding its mark on the target. This time of year is quite a challenge. Dense growth and mosquitos are a certainty. Warm temperatures will work up a sweat on the way out to the stand and if you’re not conscious about scent control and wind direction, you’ll find it hard to get a deer within bow range. Remember, always use a safety harness when climbing up or down your tree and while on stand. I wish all of you a safe and successful hunt and we encourage you to send us pictures of your hunt at: newhartfordplus@gmail.com.

Make sure you read and understand all the rules and regulations regarding archery deer hunting and for tagging and reporting information before heading out: www.ct.gov/dep/hunting.

Here’s a breakdown of season dates and hunting areas available locally:

• Archery Deer Private Land* runs from September 15th (Thursday) to December 31st (Saturday) *Make sure the landowner signs and completes a private land consent form.
• Archery Deer on State Land runs from September 15th (Thursday) to November 15th (Tuesday), then resumes after firearms season.
• Archery on State Land Bow Hunting ONLY areas runs from September 15th (Thursday) to December 31st (Saturday)

Areas open locally for Archery Deer Hunting:

• State Land (maps are available for many of these areas at: www.ct.gov/dep/hunting)\
• People’s State Forest – Barkhamsted (2942 acres)
• American Legion State Forest – Barkhamsted (1037 acres)
• Nepaug State Forest – New Hartford (1367 acres)
• Tunxis State Forest – Hartland (9518 acres)
• Wildlife Management Areas
• Cedar Swamp WMA – New Hartford/Torrington (278 acres)
•  State Leased and Public Access Areas
• MDC – Greenwoods Pond – New Hartford (400 acres)
• MDC -Colebrook Reservoir/ Hogback Dam – Colebrook/Hartland, etc. (4159 acres)

 Coyote season is still open until September 30th and can be hunted in all of the areas listed for deer hunting, as seen above.

 Squirrel Season has been open since September 1st and runs to September 30th and can be hunted in all of the areas listed for deer hunting, as seen above.

One of my favorite times of the year is early September for squirrel hunting. I am fortunate to live in an area that has literally thousands of acres of public land, including Tunxis, People’s, American Legion, Algonquin, Nepaug and Paugnut State Forests as well as MDC land. Most within a few minutes of my front door, the furthest a bit over 15 minutes.

Squirrel harvest

Squirrel hunting is an opportunity to sharpen those senses for the upcoming deer season and is early enough that it won’t interrupt your bowhunting. If I do plan on bowhunting deer, I never hunt squirrel in the area I plan to (or already have) put my deer stand. Although squirrel hunting is mainly a stalk/sit/call endeavor, you don’t want to mess up an area you hope to take an early season deer in.

I shoot a 22 cal. Kimber Super Classic with a 4X4 scope. I have a favorite Oak and Hickory ridge I’ve hunted for the past 11 years where the squirrels are plentiful. Not only are these critters excellent eating they provide great sport and can be very cunning at times. I also appreciate the shooting practice that will keep me keen for deer season, especially with breathing control, trigger squeeze and keeping the reticle on target. I prefer a head shot with a .22 on these critters because the meat is too excellent to ruin with a scatter gun.

I have two favorite methods of calling. One is with a hand-held bellows call that you tap with your hand. The “bark” from this call is quite convincing and will lure squirrels from their hidey-holes and get them shaking their tails and barking back at you. I’ve had them come from a pretty good distance away to scold me on an overhead branch. Can you guess who won that turf war?

The second call will cost you nothing. Next time you’re at a fast food restaurant, grab a couple of plastic knives. I like the ones from Boston Market because they’re black and won’t be as visible as a set of white ones. Simply scrape the serrated edge of one knife over the handle of the other. This call perfectly mimics the sound of a squirrel cutting open hickory or butternuts. When another squirrel hears the sound of an interloper snacking on its private food stash, it will investigate and try to drive the offending looter away. Result… another fat squirrel for the game bag.

If you’re game for some early season sport and have never tried squirrel hunting, give it a go. Not only are they great eating, they’ll get you ready for the bigger game to come, later on in the season.

Wild Game Cookery

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Here’s a recipe my brother Don and my nephew Dustin love at our game dinners:

Squirrel and Potato Au Gratin

4 squirrels quartered (remove ribs)
chicken broth
2 bay leaves
onion & garlic powder
salt & pepper

3-4 potatoes cubed and cooked
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter (room temperature)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch ground thyme
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 tbsp grated Parmesean, Swiss or Gruyére cheese
4 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp melted butter

1.) Put the quartered squirrels in a pressure cooker (to save time) or just put in a pot (takes longer). Cover the squirrels with chicken broth. Add 2 bay leaves, onion & garlic powder, salt & pepper. Cook 1 hour in the pressure cooker or 2-3 hours in a regular pot or until the meat falls off the bones. After the quartered squirrel cools, remove all the cooked meat from the bones and set aside.

2.) Skin potatoes and cube, boil until tender (but not ready for mashing) or microwave until soft and set aside.

3.) In a saucepan boil 2 cups of chicken broth, mash the butter into the flour with a fork and add to boiling broth. Cook and stir until smooth and thick. Reduce heat to simmer and stir in salt, pepper, parsley flakes, thyme and cream.

4.) In a well-buttered baking dish cover the bottom with the potatoes, layer the cooked squirrel meat over the potatoes then pour the sauce over all.

5.) Bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes.

6.) Mix cheese, breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the squirrel and potatoes and return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes more or until breadcrumb/cheese mixture is golden brown.

Makes 4 servings.

Fishing

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Don’t put those rods and reels away just yet: Some of the best trout fishing of the year is upon us! With the cooler nights and cooling water temperatures, the trout will be returning toward the surface of our area lakes to put on the feedbag to fatten up for the long winter. Take a leisurely paddle in West Hill or Highland Lake and troll a 4″ silver and black Rapala on a spinning rod or a streamer patterned after a smelt on your fly rod with a sinking line.

Hook placement

Or, after the waters have receded, head to the Farmington River… it’s hopper season!!! Catch yourself a dozen or so (grass)hoppers in a freshly-mowed field and put them in a plastic Tupperware jug with a small, sealed opening on top. A hopper is a substantial meal for a trout looking to add weight for the upcoming winter. I usually use a 3-weight fly rod with an 8 to 10 foot leader, ending with a length of 7x tippet material. The waters of the Farmington River are very clear and the 7x leader will aid in presenting the hopper naturally. Flip your jug of hoppers upside down then slowly open the cap. Hold the jug horizontally and wait for a hopper to crawl to the opening. Gently extract them as they walk through your thumb and forefinger. Hook the hopper directly behind the collar where it meets the wing. I use a dry fly hook in size 14.

You can catch trout with hoppers on spinning gear, too. Fish the hopper 3 – 4 feet behind a small, clear plastic float. Remember to try to present the hopper as naturally as possible with no drag. Use an ultralight rod and don’t use mono heavier than 4-pound test. You may even want to add a 24” length of 2 lb test at the terminal end for added stealth.

Of course, fly fishing purists may frown upon fishing with live bait on a fly rod. Some very effective flies that mimic grasshoppers include: Dave’s, Elk Hair, Henry’s Fork, Jacklin’s, Joe’s, Lempke’s, Meadow, Parachute, Spent, Whitlock’s and Yellow Hoppers. I have used Dave’s hoppers and Parachute hoppers with great results. However, I believe that when a trout sees a live and twitching hopper drifting through the chow line, it is on, baby! Give it a try this year!

Events

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September 24th 2011 – Hunting and Fishing Appreciation day will be sponsored by the CT DEP and the Friends of Sessions Woods in Burlington, CT. There will be hands-on activities including target shooting, 3-D archery, fly casting pools, field dog trials and other programs related to hunting and fishing. Last year was the first time for this event and over 1,000 folks came out to enjoy the day at the beautiful Sessions Woods facilities and grounds. More information can be seen at: www.ct.gov/dep/HuntFishDay.

Andrew Pelletier (center) with friend Toby Owens after a successful day hunting. Photo courtesy Andrew Pelletier