Bret Carhart caught a 33 inch walleye on Monday off the City of Dunkirk Pier using a hook and worm presentation. OBSERVER Photo by Gene Pauszek

After an extensive period of rain and wind, Mother Nature gave the outdoors minded a break last weekend.

Coupled with the opening of cross bow season in western New York, several archers reported success. Seventeen-year-old Alex Field had just finished lunch and decided to head to his tree stand. Alex and his family had been sighting deer at their Arkwright hunting spot and it didn’t take long before a nice buck came into view and presented a shot.

Using a bleat call, the young hunter got his buck to stop and present a broadside shot at 50 yards. The Barnett crossbow sent a fixed blade tipped bolt on it’s way with lethal accuracy, delivering a double lung quick kill. The deer dropped shortly within sight of the hunter.

Alex started hunting when he was 14 with his father Damion, partaking in the youth hunts that the state has offered. The Field family does their own deer processing and enjoyed the fruits of their labor with some fresh grilled steaks.

Gene Tempas also tagged a nice buck over the weekend. Tempas was also hunting from a tree stand but in Cassadaga. It was getting late in the day before his buck came into view attracted by some Tink’s 69 deer scent, along with some successful rattling and vocals on a grunt tube call. It was the only deer Gene had seen that day but at 30 yards the 8 point buck presented a shot so Tempas used his Wicked Ridge cross bow to send a 2 blade mechanical Swacker tipped bolt on it’s way.

The deer took off, so Tempas who is a veteran deer hunter, decided to wait until the next morning before looking for his prize. There was a heavy frost on Saturday night at his location, and Tempas along with his friend Todd Tyler soon located the 171 pound buck about 75 yards away. A short deer drag and the aid of a tractor made short work of the heavy work.

Congratulations to both hunters.

Trout fishing continues in our area but clear water can make the catching a bit slow. The report is that there is a lot more action in Westfield.

On Monday evening while speaking with Bob Graves and Hank Pencek on the City of Dunkirk Pier, two anglers approached and proclaimed, “Who says there are no walleye caught off the dock?”

Bret Carhart hoisted up a 33 inch walleye he had caught off the north end of the pier on his first cast. He was using a bright pink octopus hook with a night crawler threaded on, with no weight. The hawg hit the bait on his first cast shortly after it hit the water. During the fight the fish broke the anglers landing net. After re-telling the story the next day to Willie Frederickson, our local trout guru, who was fishing at Canadaway Creek, Willie decided to try his luck off the pier at 1:30 p.m. while fishing on the east side of the pier with a salted minnow presented under a slip bobber, Willie also landed a 28 inch slender walleye that pulled down the scales at the “Con Club” at 6 pounds 9 ounces.

When the weather allows, it is likely that boaters will find walleye off Van Buren Point and in the harbor. Use in-line planner boards and long line trolling stick baits. Keep track of your in-line boards after dark by using iluma sticks or small battery operated candles affixed to the boards.

Make sure your boat is in good working order, and wear a PFD and carry at least one fully charged cell phone and a game plan of your location and estimated time of arrival with a family member.

Anglers are also getting some yellow perch off the dock during the day using minnows and/or worms. Offshore perch fishing out off the Catt. has seen some success in 45 to 55 feet of water straight out and also towards Evangola.

Bass action has picked up on Chautauqua Lake out off Mayville near the 12-15 foot drop off for anglers using a Carolina rigged sluggo presentation.

If you have a photo or story you would like to share call 366-1772, 785-3659 or 366-3000 ext. 1 after 6 pm. Be safe. Regular firearms season for deer opens next Saturday.

Calendar: There will be a pistol permit course at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club on Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. There is a mandatory $80 fee for taking this course. For more information contact Gary Dudek at 366-3397.

There will be a chicken Barbecue dinner at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club on Sunday, Dec. 12. Proceeds from this sale will go towards the Con Club annual Take-A-kid- Fishing Day which will take place the first weekend (Saturday) in June of 2022. Open to the public.