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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Haven’t smoked some deer meat in awhile, but had a chance last weekend. Placed a cut from the hind-quarter into a brine (soy sauce, maple syrup) and smoked using shagbark hickory wood. My smoker uses my maple syrup arch (used to hold the pan)Continue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Finally got to do some Father’s Day fishing and brought home a few wild brown trout over the last couple of days. My favorite way is to bake ’em with bread crumbs, olive oil, lemon juice and maple syrup (towards the end of baking).Continue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Many of us might think that the more rain or humidity we get, the better for trees. This is true up to a certain amount. However, too much rain or humidity at the wrong time can be harmful to trees. This year, we’ve beenContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Well, this might be the largest sugar maple I’ve ever seen in the Catskills, or top 3; That’s for sure. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a diameter tape, but I’d say it’s well over 55″ in diameter at breast height. This behemoth was found growingContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I’m not sure you can tell or not from the photo, but one ash tree is looking healthier than the other. The ash on the right was treated 2 years ago, while the one on the left was untreated. This area in Sullivan County–forContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Last week, I treated 2 large hemlocks at a member’s property against hemlock woolly adelgid. After finishing, I was talking with the member near his porch, and he said, “Oh look a fawn.” I looked out into the field, but saw none. “No,” heContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Here’s the first ginseng I spotted this year. I didn’t expect it, since it was literally one foot from a hiking trail where you might think it would get picked. In the background is blue cohosh, a good “indicator plant” that ginseng might beContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? USDA Biologist–Tom Rawinski–once stated at the “Growing Deer Debate Conference” years back that if native plants are “given an equal playing field” in regards to deer browse, they will outcompete non-native and interfering plants. This deer exclosure installed jointly by NY Forest Owners AssociationContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? While puttering around the house, a few of these flowers caught my attention, as they do each year: Flowering dogwood, horsechestnut, azalea, and lilac. The horsechestnut seemed to be a bee favorite as a loud hum from bees could be heard all around itsContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? The flowers of this small tree that finally appeared belong to North America’s largest tree fruit–pawpaw (Asimina triloba). It is the only local northeastern member of the mainly tropical family–Annonaceae. The flower forms a fruit that resembles a small green potato. The taste isContinue Reading