Sports Columns - Sullivan County Democrat

PA Deer Harvest and NY Bear Harvest Reports

The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported a 6 percent increase in the deer harvest for this past season versus the prior year. New York released the bear harvest numbers for last season the same day, … more

John S. Van Etten | 4/3/26

Pictured are some of the 26 volunteers who worked at Junction Pool on Sunday, March 29, for the Beamoc TU Work Bee, in conjunction with the CFFC&M, to clip, clear, and clean up the area for Wednesday’s Trout Season Opener. Manny Zanger, far left, will do the First Cast honors at 7:00 am sharp!

Opening Day Outlook - Looks Promising!

At this writing, Sunday afternoon, March 29, we have much to look forward to this week! Our rivers and streams are in excellent shape for Wednesday morning’s official Opening of the (regular) Trout … more

Judy Van Put | 3/31/26

A beautiful wild rainbow trout, first of the season, taken on the Beaverkill last April.

Traditions

Traditions - such as the Opening of the (regular) Trout Fishing Season in New York State on April 1- are near and dear to the heart of many, a date that has been eagerly looked forward to during this … more

Judy Van Put | 3/24/26

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Update

The invasive insect species Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is a serious problem for our hemlock trees and forests. Jim Boxberger has written about this threat in his Garden Guru column recently. As I … more

John S. Van Etten | 3/20/26

Kleiner’s Korner

Hello, all Sullivan County golfers. I usually don’t get started writing golf articles till April, but I am excited about a new feature that’s now available at Villa Roma. It’s the Foresight … more

Matt Kleiner | 3/13/26

Red Foxes

The red fox is considered the most widely distributed carnivore in the world. New York and Pennsylvania both have large populations, and they are found in almost every county in both states. … more

John S. Van Etten | 3/13/26

Nature’s Water Filters

There are about 50 different species of freshwater (a.k.a., pearly) mussels in the lakes, streams and rivers of New York. Let’s learn a little bit about these fascinating creatures and why they are … more

John S. Van Etten | 3/5/26

Master Falconer Brian Bunce

I am sad to have learned that Brian Bunce has passed away. Brian was a Master Falconer. He taught me some things about our different birds of prey. Many people like birds. Often, we put out food … more

John S. Van Etten | 2/27/26

NYS DEC Proposes Changes to Coolwater Fishing

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has published proposed changes to the coolwater sportfish regulations. Comments are due by April 13, 2026. Let’s start with … more

John S. Van Etten | 2/20/26

NY Free Fishing Days This Weekend

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the list of Free Fishing Days for 2026. The first two are this weekend, February 14-15. The Sullivan County … more

2/13/26

Woodpecker Toes

The five most common woodpeckers in our area are the Downy, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Pileated woodpeckers and the Northern Flicker. I’ve always been fascinated by them and put out suet for them in … more

John S. Van Etten | 2/6/26

Vernal Pools

I’m very happy to see that the State of New York has dramatically increased the protections for vernal pools recently. They have always been the “red-headed stepchild” of our wetlands. Let’s … more

John S. Van Etten | 1/30/26

PA Game Commission Considers Changes

The Pennsylvania Game Commission will be holding its first meeting of the new year today and tomorrow. There are many items on the agenda, and I encourage everyone that is … more

John S. Van Etten | 1/23/26

Whitetail Deer Oddities

I was reading an article recently about a young hunter here in New York that took a hermaphrodite deer that had 6-point antlers and female reproductive organs that were external. Some of my buddies … more

John S. Van Etten | 1/16/26

Catskills Fire Tower Challenge Expands

I recently wrote about the great opportunities to hike here in the Catskill Mountains. The DEC has just announced that they are expanding the Fire Tower Challenge. Two new towers in Delaware County … more

John S. Van Etten | 1/9/26

Turtle Brumation

Have you ever wondered how turtles survive the Winter, when lakes and ponds freeze over? What do they do to stay alive? We all know that lungs don’t work under water. While turtles can hold their … more

John S. Van Etten | 1/2/26

Pileated Woodpeckers

Here in the Northeast, we are blessed with an abundance of diverse wildlife. Lots of folks like to go birding and to feed the birds. People enjoy seeing the different species that come to their … more

John S. Van Etten | 12/5/25

Hiking in the Catskills

I’ve always liked to be outdoors. When I was young my parents always had a hard time keeping us kids inside. I suspect that’s something hard for young folks to imagine these days. We … more

John S. Van Etten | 11/28/25

Susan braked for Turtles

It is with tremendous sorrow that I have learned of the passing of my friend and fellow Democrat columnist Susan Brown Otto. What an amazing lady. She was very passionate about the outdoors, … more

John S. Van Etten | 11/21/25

DEC Encourages Venison Donations re: SNAP

As I pen these words, there are almost 3 million New Yorkers and 2 million Pennsylvanians at risk of food insecurity from the government shutdown and suspension of SNAP benefits. The NYS DEC is … more

John S. Van Etten | 11/14/25

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

Avian influenza (known by many names, such as bird flu) was first discovered in New York in Suffolk County in February 2022.The current version of the virus, H5N1, even spread in March 2023 to the … more

John S. Van Etten | 11/7/25

Bat Week

I had never heard of Bat Week until the NYS DEC sent out the press release. It happens every year from October 24-31 and it’s a pretty big thing, not just nationwide here in the U.S., but in … more

John Van Etten | 10/31/25

The Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts

The Dingell-Johnson Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The Pittman-Robertson Act went into effect in 1937. These important acts both … more

John Van Etten | 10/24/25

Cyclops Moths

Polyphemus moths (often called Cyclops moths) are common throughout North America, including New York and Pennsylvania. If you spend any time outdoors at night, you’ve surely seen them. They … more

John Van Etten | 10/17/25

This redd was leftover from last year; it is not an active redd, but is easy to identify by the circular “pit” left in this sandy stream bottom. Redds are dependent upon the bottom substrate; most are constructed in gravel rather than sand, when available.

End-of-Season Warning: The Trout Are Spawning

For many years, October 15 (and previous to that, September 30) marked the end of the trout fishing season here in New York State. The reason for the end of the season coincided with the spawning … more

Judy Van Put | 10/14/25