On the other hand, there is good news. The specialty license season of the NYS Southern Zone big-game season will continue for archery, muzzleloader and crossbow license holders for nine days, running from Monday, Dec. 11, through Tuesday, Dec. 19. The one thing to remember is that crossbow users must also possess a muzzleloader license (not an archery license) in addition to their regular hunting license, AND, must complete a review the DEC online crossbow qualification training, THEN, complete the Crossbow Certificate of Qualification found online or in the current hunting regulations guide. One more thing to remember is that all those unused DMU (Deer Management Unit) permits can be used during any open big-game hunting season in NYS; just be sure you’re hunting in the designated WMU (Wildlife Management Unit) noted on the DMU. It’s wise to review the NYS hunting regulations syllabus no matter when and where you hunt to be sure you know and understand the hunting rules, which are often revised with each season.

If you were successful during the NYS big-game hunting season, the NYSDEC requires all hunters to complete their game harvest report within seven days of the kill. If you took a deer (buck or doe), a black bear, or a turkey, there are three ways to get the reporting out of the way or face the possibility of a $250 fine (this is NY).

You can call 1-866-426-3778, or go to this link: https://www.ny.gov/services/report-game-harvest, or download the HUNTFISHNY application to your laptop or cellphone. With any of these options, you must provide the 12-digit hunting license number on your backtag, your date of birth, location of kill, date of kill, and the sex of the animal (deer, bear, turkey, etc.) It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll be helping our game management folks determine harvest results for this year and a forecast for next year. Even if you are weeks late, please take the time to get this done.

For the southern tier counties of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus and southern Erie County, the unpredictable snowstorm, then on-and-off rainstorms, and the fluctuation in the temperature and barometer certainly confused the animals and the hunters. Many of us enjoyed every second of this season, no matter the weather. Of course, how to dress was always a good hunter question. If you have some of that new and improved high-tech hunting clothing made by many manufacturers, these are a big help. The new gear is lightweight, waterproof, and warm, especially if you use the layering method.

Venison crock-pot stew is one of the easiest cooking methods to enjoy venison. Photo by Forrest Fisher

With the holiday season and family celebrations ahead, it’s an excellent time to discuss what worked and what didn’t. If there is plenty of venison in your freezer, it’s a good time to share the delicacy of venison with family and friends. We all know of stories among hunter groups about first deer rituals, camp traditions, and raw meat consumption (ceviche or carpaccio), but just one word or two about staying safe. Just know that the consumption of raw venison has been associated with several parasitic and bacterial infections, some of them fatal. I checked with the National Deer Association (NDA) to learn that case studies show the risk of illness from consuming raw venison is rare but very real. Without annotating the technical jargon associated with the nasties that can come from raw venison consumption, know that it is best consumed after cooking. The butcher will always tell you that good steak is best when served and cooked at about 130F. The CDC says cook it to 145F (medium well) for whole cuts and steaks and 160F (well done) for ground meat (burger).

One easy recipe that works every time and yields high grades from anyone tasting the end product is to use a slow cooker to cook your venison. Here’s how it goes:

1. Add 2 pounds (or so) of venison cut into 1-inch cubes to a 6-8 qt. crock pot filled with 32 ounces of beef broth.

2. Slice up 2 large onions, 1 pound of carrots, 4 stalks of celery, 4-5 medium red potatoes, a half-pound of sliced mushrooms and add that to the crock pot.

3. Add and stir in 2 TBS each of minced garlic and chili powder, a half-teaspoon each of salt and pepper. You can add sliced green or red pepper as an option.

4. Set the crock pot to high, cover and cook until meat is tender, usually 4 hours, or 8 hours on low.

5. Stir up, then use a ladle to scoop into an 8-ounce bowl, sprinkle your favorite shredded cheese on top, and add some butter to a slice of rye bread – so good!

6. The taste is even better the next day. Enjoy!

For the angler army, note that on the Niagara River, anglers have until Dec. 15 before muskellunge season closes. The end of the season is often the best of the season for the biggest fish. The Chautauqua Lake musky season closed on Dec. 1. For Lower Niagara River anglers, the Artpark State Park 4th Street entrance and Parking Lot D (lower lot) are closed until mid-May 2024 for a site improvement project. The lower park and shoreline are still accessible to pedestrians who park in the upper lots and walk down to the river. On the Lake Erie tributaries, now with the colder water conditions, Mike Todd, a DEC fisheries biologist, recommends drifting techniques with egg sacs, trout beads, egg flies, nymphs and jigs fished at the bottom. Slow down the drift and target the tail-outs, seams and current breaks. Mike is in tune with local anglers each week. A word to the wise.

Here is to good fishing and good hunting in WNY. God bless America.

Outdoors Calendar:

Dec. 10: LAST DAY of the NYS Southern Zone Big Game Regular Hunting Season (firearms).

Dec. 11-19: NYS Southern Zone Big Game Late Archery/Muzzleloader/Crossbow Season.

Dec. 12: Children-In-The-Stream-Youth 4H Fly Fishing Program, Free, SUNY Fredonia Rockefeller Art

Center, 7PM-8:30PM, info: Alberto Rey, 716-410-7003.

Dec. 14: Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs monthly meeting, Bison City Rod/Gun, 511 Ohio St., Buffalo, 6:30PM start.

NOTE: Submit Calendar items to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com