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February/March 2021 NYS Conservationist Magazine

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NEW YORK STATE $3.50 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 MovingMa\,inga a MMOOSEQOSE Getting Outdoors in Winter Counting the Fish in the Sea Winter’s Beauty CONSERVATIONIST Dear Readers, Volume 75, Number 4 | February/March 2021 During these challenging times, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State I encourage you to take advantage DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION of the opportunities we have to Basil Seggos, Commissioner enjoy nature. For some people, Erica Ringewald, Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs Harold Evans, Director of Office of Communication Services this time of year provides a THE CONSERVATIONIST STAFF chance to enjoy various outdoor Eileen C. Stegemann, Managing Editor winter adventures, while others Peter Constantakes, Assistant Editor look forward to the coming Tony Colyer-Pendas, Assistant Editor Megan Ciotti, Business Manager change of season, with warming Jeremy J. Taylor, Editor, Conservationist for Kids temperatures, the disappearance Rick Georgeson, Contributing Editor of snow, and di˜erent ways to get outside. DESIGN TEAM In this issue, we highlight some amazing photos of Andy Breedlove, Photographer/Designer Jim Clayton, Chief, Multimedia Services New°York’s winter beauty and celebrate a great winter Mark Kerwin, Art Director/Graphic Designer sport—snowmobiling—which can be enjoyed on more than Robin-Lucie Kuiper, Photographer/Designer 10,000 miles of trails throughout the state (pg. 12). You can Mary Elizabeth Maguire, Graphic Designer Jennifer Peyser, Graphic Designer also read about a native Floridian who moved to New York Maria VanWie, Graphic Designer and learned to cross country ski – and how that changed his EDITORIAL OFFICES view of the heavy snowfall we experienced this winter. The Conservationist (ISSN0010-650X), © 2021 by NYSDEC, And for those who enjoy reading about animals, check is an official publication of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation published bimonthly at out the story of a moose on the loose and the strategy DEC 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-4502. wildlife biologists and Environmental Conservation Police Telephone: (518) 402-8047 O˛cers (ECOs) used to defuse this tricky situation (pg. 2). Manuscripts, photographs and artwork will be accepted if accom- panied by SASE. Please write to the above address with an author’s You can also learn about DEC’s e˜orts to determine the size query or to request a Contributor’s Guide. The˜publisher assumes of our marine ˝sh population, a process that employs many no responsibility for loss or damage of unsolicited˜materials. of the same techniques as medical research, and is a vital tool TO SUBSCRIBE: to manage and protect the health of marine ˝sheries (pg. 8). $18 per year, $24 for two years, $30 for three years. Outside the U.S., add $27 per year with a check drawn on a U.S. bank. In addition, check out the species spotlight on barred All˜orders must be prepaid. owls, known to wander the skies across New York during Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for new subscriptions or changes of the winter months. Discover some interesting facts about address. Periodical postage paid at Albany, NY, and additional this vocal, forest raptor, and focus your eyes on the sky – you mailing offices. might catch a glimpse of this stocky bird in ˙ight (pg. 22). Send check or money order payable to: Conservationist There’s also an article on an area of the Shawangunk NYSDEC Mountains that highlights the Mohonk Preserve and 625 Broadway Minnewaska State Park Preserve, beautiful places to visit in Albany, NY 12233-4502 any season (pg. 24). or call: 1-800-678-6399 Please also check our 2020 Annual Report, which can be Visit the Department’s website at: www.dec.ny.gov found at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/24.html The New York State Department of Environmental We can all celebrate the beauty of New York State in Conservation does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, disability, age, or gender. wintertime. Let’s°get°outside. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Have fun, be safe, and stay positive. Conservationist NYSDEC Sincerely, 625 Broadway Basil Seggos, Commissioner Albany, NY 12233-4502 Printed on recycled paper. Please recycle this issue. o.,-tnlflltof flwtl'Clllffla'dlll Col!Nrvdan. Aaron Winters See page 22 ,.. ~i ~I /_, I. /,.,. (- . CONTENTS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 | VOLUME 75, NUMBER 4 DEPARTMENTS 2 Moving a Moose to 16 Winter Beauty be˜Back on the Loose A photo essay celebrating the 21 On Patrol BY JAMES STICKLES allure of winter 6 Meet the Moose 22 Species Spotlight— Brief y BY EILEEN STEGEMANN the Barred Owl 28 AND˜TONY COLYER-PENDAS BY PATRICK J. CHAISSON Letters 30 8 How We Count 24 The Gems in the˜Fish in the Sea the Gunks Back Trails BY JESSE HORNSTEIN Natural Beauty and Outdoor 32 Recreation Preserved and A New York Open to the Public 2 12 28 Snowmobiler BY ROBERT S. DREW 28 6 Hits the Trails 12 21 BY DOMINIC JACANGELO 30 30 28 30 12 30 21 12 28 FRONT COVER: Moose, by Ryan Hagerty/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 24 BACK COVER: Winter, by Joey Priola 8 to be back on the loose BY JAMES STICKLES Few things are more challenging than free-darting North locate the moose. In fact, after spending the better part America’s largest member of the deer family, handling it of two hours searching for it, we never saw the animal. safely, and releasing it unharmed. To pull o˜ a successful However, there was evidence that it was in there, including rescue requires a great deal of coordination, preparation, tracks, scat, and shrubs browsed six to eight feet high. and in this case, lots of luck. Just ˝nding the moose would be the ˝rst obstacle; we On October 2, 2020, I received a message from DEC would then need to get within darting distance (closer Environmental Conservation Police O˛cer (ECO) Lacroix, than 25 yards) and remove the animal unharmed, all while who received a report from a landowner about a moose maintaining human safety. trapped inside a cattle pasture in the town of Clinton. As We discussed other options, such as leaving the main a DEC Big Game Biologist in the Adirondacks, this kind of gate open or cutting a hole in the fence to allow the moose request comes to me to determine how best to address this to leave on its own, but these were not desirable. The issue. The o˛cer mentioned that the pasture was about landowner wanted the moose gone ASAP so he could move 200 acres, with a six-foot-high fence, and had no cows in it, his cows into the pen. He didn’t want other critters, such as but did have a lot of overgrown brush and some wet areas. coyotes, deer, or another moose, entering the pen through With available food, cover, and water, and no other animals an open gate, and he didn’t want any further damage to in danger of being injured by the moose, we had time his°fence. to assess the situation and make a plan. I contacted the There were only two options—attempt a darting e˜ort property owner so we could access and assess the site. and pray that everything goes smoothly or remove the Upon arrival, it became clear that removing this animal moose by lethal means. We all agreed to try a darting safely had the potential to be a di˛cult task. Much of the e˜ort,°and only use lethal means if the situation became pasture had thick brush, making it nearly impossible to too dangerous. 2 New York State Conservationist FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 A Time for Collaboration Preparation This assignment was going to require some special Normally, when a moose-in-distress call comes into equipment and manpower. Unmanned aerial vehicles our o˛ce, there is very little time to prepare, and we (UAVs, i.e. drones) are increasingly becoming useful tools often don’t know what potential hazards the moose—and for all kinds of jobs. Luckily, our agency has a couple of responders—might encounter. The risks and any on-site drones out˝tted with high-quality cameras, including a help and equipment that may be needed are assessed upon thermal camera, and some well-trained sta˜ to operate arrival. Then, a plan is developed and communicated them. The drones are mostly used for human search- to sta˜ and volunteers. The plan is executed with the and-rescue missions, but they are becoming increasingly understanding that things may not go according to the popular for wildlife work, such as conducting aerial plan, and we may need to improvise or temporarily abort surveys or locating speci˝c animals. the mission and regroup to develop a new strategy based on I contacted our Division of Law Enforcement to see changing circumstances. if the drone and its operator were available to help. It For this moose rescue, because an initial site visit had wasn’t long before I had an answer, “Yes, absolutely.” Law been conducted, we were aware of potential hazards and Enforcement also o˜ered a few ECOs to assist with moving were able to bring extra gear to deal with any anticipated the animal once it was sedated; an o˜er that was gladly dangers that might develop. Before we arrived on scene, accepted. we had time to gather gear, make sure the equipment was functioning, and start developing a speci˝c plan. In addition, the weather was favorable for drone operation and thermal camera detection. Every advantage was in our favor before we’d be attempting the rescue. Traveling Moose During spring and autumn, moose generally move across the land more often.
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