Thanks to a creative state-local partnership, the Moose River Plains Road -- which provides access to one of the largest blocks of remote lands in the Adirondack Park -- will be open to motor vehicles this summer, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today.

DEC worked with local officials from Inlet, Indian Lake and Hamilton County, as well as state legislators, to cover maintenance duties and costs for the season. The Moose River Plains includes more than 40 miles of dirt roads, approximately 170 primitive campsites and 50,000 acres of wild forest in the central and southwestern sections of the park. DEC had previously announced that this road would not be opened in 2010 because the state's historic fiscal crisis had limited agency maintenance funds. Instead, local communities will assist by providing gasoline, trucks, materials and law-enforcement personnel to help cover operational needs.

"The Moose River Plains includes more than 40 miles of dirt roads, approximately 170 primitive campsites and 50,000 acres of wild forest in the central and southwestern sections of the park."

State and local crews began clearing the road this week; the road will be open Friday -- in time for the Memorial Day weekend. However, roads south of the "Big T" junction (Otter Brook and Indian Lake roads) will remain closed.

"The Moose River Plains Road will be open for 2010, thanks to the willingness of local communities to help and the quick reaction of DEC crews to make it happen," Commissioner Grannis said. "Together, we've forged a solution that will benefit the anglers, birders, hunters, hikers, mountain bikers and others who make the Plains a popular destination - as well as the businesses in Indian Lake and Inlet that depend on tourists."

"Commissioner Grannis and the DEC staff moved heaven and earth to coordinate this effort and get us to a point where the road can be opened this weekend - which not something we thought could be done," said Bill Farber, who serves as Morehouse town supervisor and chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors. "And, of course, the offer of assistance from the towns and the county were indispensable. By collaborating, we've come up with a solution that works for everyone."

"We're thankful that DEC accepted our offer of help and we're looking forward to working together in partnership," said Inlet Town Supervisor John Frey. "Our community and surrounding communities stand ready to assist in any reasonable way possible."

"This is a great example of local and state officials coming together, working cooperatively and achieving a positive result," said state Senator Betty Little. "It's the kind of teamwork that is so important during this time of fiscal crisis. Commissioner Pete Grannis and his staff understood what was at stake. Losing the economic activity generated by the thousands of hikers, campers, sportsmen, mountain bikers and other tourists who visit the Moose River Plains would have dealt a severe financial blow to our Hamilton County communities."

"The creative solution Commissioner Grannis and his DEC staff reached with our Adirondack towns to keep the Moose River Plains Road access area open is a fine example of how government should work," said Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward. "Following DEC's lead, we could save our parks and save New York taxpayers money."

"This is a great piece of news for this part of the Adirondacks," said Assemblyman Marc Butler. "I want to thank Commissioner Grannis and the DEC for listening to our appeal. At a time when we need good things to happen in our region, this is definitely welcomed news. And it's great that it happened in time for the Memorial Day weekend."

The Moose River Plains Wild Forest is bounded on the north by the Pigeon Lakes Wilderness Area, Raquette Lake and the Blue Ridge Wilderness; on the east and the south by the West Canada Lakes Wilderness and the private lands of the Adirondack League Club; and on the west by the Fulton Chain Lakes and State Route 28. It includes the Red River, the South Branch of the Moose River and the 675-acre Cedar River Flow.

The Moose River Plains Wild Forest offers many year-round recreational opportunities, including hiking, skiing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, canoeing, hunting, fishing, horseback riding and primitive camping. Miles of marked trails and numerous lakes and ponds make this area an ideal destination for recreationists with varied interests and abilities.

It's been a very tough turkey season for Team NYB. We did our homework and put lots of time in before the season scouting properties, building blinds and locating birds. The unseasonably warm weather helped pushed the breeding along rather quickly and by the time opening day arrived most of the hens had already been bred.

The first few days we bowhunted our lease in Dutchess County where we had watched several Toms strutting within bow range of our blind prior to the season. In our first three mornings hunting our lease we didn't see a single Tom, but could hear them on the other side of the creek.

After 7 days of bowhunting for turkey as a Team we had all missed a bird with the bow. It was getting harder and harder to get birds to come in so Dero and I brought the shotguns to the lease on May 10th. As soon as we got settled in the blind we saw the biggest shooting start we had ever seen fall across the sky - it was going to be a lucky day.

I'm sure you all remember Bjorn Holubar who took the New York State record whitetail last season scoring 202 5/8" giving him the second largest bowkill in New York. Well sometimes luck strikes twice and that's exactly what happened to Bjorn with an 8 pointer scoring in the mid 150s. Talk about having a season of a lifetime in New York. Congrats to Bjorn, we can't wait to see what you arrow in 2010!

Nikki Bianchini from Dutchess County set out the night before her hunt to roost some birds with her father. After finding the exact location of the birds they made the decision to get into the timber extra early the next morning.

By 4:00 a.m. Nikki and her father were set up and patiently waiting with decoy spread out. The anticipation was at an all time high as first light came through the leaves and the birds started to gobble. Not long after, Nikki spotted her bird and watched it fly out of the roost landing 20 yards from her set up.

Slowly Nikki raised her gun took aim. With great ease she squeezed off the shot, putting the bird to rest right where he stood moments earlier. Nikki's bird weighed 20lbs with 1 1/4 inch spurs and an impressive 10 1/2 inch beard! What a great bird!

Great job Nikki and thanks for sharing your story with us. Remember "hunt hard it’s the only way."

Today was my good friend Bucky's lucky day as he went out in New Jersey after his gobbler. Here's what happened in his own words:

After 3 Saturdays of hunting I finally had one gobble! He was in a field across a creekbottom and was fired up from my calls. It was so thick it was impossible to see him coming. He double gobbled at about 15 yards before hopping a stream and popping up at about 12 feet. Suffice to say, a 32 inch full-choke Browning BPS holds a nice pattern at that distance. It actually put a perfect hole through the neck. I would have liked to back out of the creekbottom and shoot the bird in the field on my side but he was so hot I only had time to sit!

It was a little while longer before we heard another gobble, then another and another. There were at least three birds on the other side of the river and possibly a fourth. Around 5:45 am three hens flew into the field and started making their way towards the hardwoods.

Dero and I sat in the blind without moving or making a noise. We weren't going to start calling until the hens left the field and at that point our calling would be very little.

With the feeding hen decoy and Jake decoy set out 20 yards in front of us it was only a matter of time before one of the gobblers saw the decoys and came in. As the hens disappeared I began with my first sequence of yelps starting softly and then building up in volume - the birds gobbled right back. A few minutes later I did a similar sequence of yelps and then shut up.

Dero coached me as the birds came across the river and made it to our side of the field. I was sitting in the right side of the blind which is very thick and has lots of cover in front, blocking my view of the right side of the field. Dero saw one gobbler, then a second and a third.

Slowly and carefully I raised the shotgun and got ready for the birds as they approached. I knew there was a slight hill in front of us that would cause the birds to disappear and then pop up at 30 yards. Dero had the camera rolling and got his gun ready.

"I'll take the one on the left," Dero said. "I got the one on the right," I replied. The only part we didn't work out too well was how to both shoot!


The three gobblers popped over the hill and gobbled at the decoys. They approached the Jake decoy and started circling around to the right of the decoy. I wasn't sure if they were getting themselves ready to pounce on the decoy or were getting nervous and ready to run so I steadied the bead and squeezed the trigger knocking the bird on the right down.


Dero didn't have much time to react and quickly put a shot on the left bird before it made it down the hill. We had our first birds down of the season and a double on film to top it off!


The two birds were beautiful Toms, my bird had an 8" beard and a 3" beard with 1" spurs while Dero's bird had a 10 1/2" beard and 1 1/2" spurs! It was an incredible hunt and one we both won't forget.

It has been a very tough season for us and our hopes of getting a bird with our bow was quickly fading. After three of us missing with the bow and sightings of Tom's becoming few and far between we picked up the shotguns for the morning's hunt.

We were headed back to our farm where the previous three hunts, including the day before left us with little more than the sound of distant gobbles and close encounters with hens.

The first time we hunted the farm we were quiet as the birds called from the roost and then began calling as the birds flew down, but only the hens came into the field. On the second hunt we called a lot more aggressively and started as soon as the birds gobbled on the roost. Again we had no luck with the Tom's. Yesterday we thought we finally had it right and set out the decoys in front of the blind and wouldn't start calling until the hens flew in the field and then were on their way out, but again we came up empty handed.

This morning started with Dero and I staring out of the blind as a shooting start fell across the sky. We had a good feeling about the day and right about then heard our first gobble...

Jay went out with his son on opening morning using a two hen and a Jake decoy set. Shortly after daybreak, two nice Toms come in and hung up about 100 yards out, never giving the hunters a shot.

The next day, Jay went out by himself and set up on the other side of the field, right under where the birds were roosting. This time he left the Jake decoy at home and only had the two hens set up.

When the Tom flew down, he came right in and Jay shot him at 25 yards. He was 22lb 4oz with a9 1/2 inch beard and spurs that were 1 1/4" and 1 1/8" long. Congrats to Jay on an awesome bow killed Tom.

Join Marc Alberto and Michael DeRosa from Team NYB as they join up with Jim Filardi from BuckarooStoo for the NYS Youth Season. It's Big Will's first time in the turkey woods and he lays the smack down on a beautiful bird.