News
The 8th Annual Walter & Mary’s Ice Fishing Derby is officially a go for Saturday, February 5th and ice thickness should be excellent! Click here for rules and more info on this year’s derby.
Below are photos of this past hunting season.
A missed shot at a good buck I had history on resulted in a 2nd opportunity but unfortunately a wounded animal I couldn’t recover.
My 8th New York Adirondack buck and #47 of hunting career.
My 24th Pennsylvania buck and #48 of hunting career.
“The Mastery of Mierzejewski Taxidermy” gifted our Junior Derby winner Chris Fortese with his original entry fish authentically placed within a seasonal mount setting that is envy by all but only duplicated by few.
Aged at 6.5 years of evasive “Public Land” life, which theoretically equates into 52 years of human existence, once again proves to me that out living an “Old Buck” by the numbers, within our respective limits of morality and in a place of absolute fair chase renders not only the highest level of accomplishment but continual desire.
The 7th Annual Walter & Mary’s Ice Fishing Derby is officially a go for Saturday, February 6th and ice thickness should be excellent! Click here for rules and more info on this year’s derby.
My first doe ever! Cost me $9000 in damages!
200 lbs. field dressed Adirondack Buck, my 46th. Hiked up 900 feet in elevation, miles into the mountains, 2.5 hour one way trek, sweated, hunted, and slept in the same clothes in the back of my truck for three days. This buck cruised downwind scent checking for a hot doe in a prime bedding area we both knew well….I was just 30 yards deeper downwind then him.
“No animal can smell you when you’re downwind from them even when you smell like an animal.”
DERBY CANCELED DUE TO NO ICE
For the second time in 6 years unseasonal warm temperatures washed away our grand event and many other winter festivities throughout the Keystone state. But with supreme gratitude the organizer, WEIGHTWOMENWHITETAILS.COM will donate all prize money totaling $500 in direct support of the gallant efforts by the Unified Sportsman of Pennsylvania in funding Dr. Frank Bastian MD with his sound science approach in combating chronic wasting disease and saving our hunting heritage. More help is on the way USP & DR Bastian!!!
Pursued, plotted, tracked, backtracked, and repeated the process in all three states to no avail leaving no method unchallenged. Hunting public land never guarantees absolute success only continual experience to the adventurous.
I’ve got a booth at the 2020 Oaks Gun Show & “Cabin Fever” Outdoor Lifestyle Expo in March in Philadelphia. I’ve got plenty of good stories to share from this winter season, and will have copies of my book. See the Events page for directions, and see you there.
Here’s a photo of my booth set up at last months WILD PA Expo in Wilkes Barre. If you weren’t able to come out and see me this time, hope you can make it to an event in 2019.
I’m now also offering deer hunting seminars on request. These seminars are free to non-profit organizations. See the Seminars page here for more info.
February 2, 2019 Lake Wallenpaupack (The Big Lake) over shadowed the blessed day of the famed “Dirt Pig” with growing numbers as 49 hard water anglers burrowed into 10”s of solid ice searching for recorded fame and gifted fortune with precise timing and augured speed that surely would’ve been envied by the honored excavating rodent. Overlooking their individual goals of landing the biggest fish for the annual event everyone united with stern acknowledgement the primary purpose of the seasonal fund raiser in support of Pennsylvania’s hunting heritage. $360.00 will be hand carried to the treasure of the Unified Sportsman of Pennsylvania to foster their outstanding efforts toward promoting sound deer management by hunters for hunters in the Keystone State and defeating the existence of Chronic Wasting disease (CWD).
New champions were once again crowned with divisional titles sportingly relinquished by their predecessors. Greg Pawelski dragged in the largest fish of the day to begin his Senior Division reign with a 25 ½” obese chain pickerel worth $100. Greg’s fish expired on the frozen surface with 4’ of monofilament line attached to an embedded #4 treble hook endured from a previous battle with a tip-up. Three participants threatened his lead throughout the 7 hour event compiling clone 25”predators of the same species. Gerry Miller, Previous Senior division champ Ed Rojek and part-time fisherman Robbie Galdieri jammed the under card for a $90 prorated split of the elevated purse respectively bumped up by derby official $5 due to the unusually enlarged statured size of the noted evasive fish.
The junior division once again change hands in a big way as 10 year-old Chris Fortese pulled in 1st & 2nd place prize money with 2 saw tooth pickerel stretching out at 23 ½” & 22 5/8” respectively for a total cash prize of $150. Third place and $25 went once again to the Morris fishing blood line. Brian, younger brother of famed Junior Division winner Danny hooked his predator fish just under the 22” mark.
Notably and with continual sporting honor the sponsors of the W & M’s derby continually rewarded the young anglers with encouraging fishing gifts as renowned Taxidermy Artist, Rich Mierzejewski of Dickson City, Pa (570-955-6722) registered the Junior winner for a traditional free fish mount. His time, personal cost and professional ability single-handily exceeded our donated purse! And for the second consecutive year One Stop Sport Shop located on Luzerne Street, Scranton, Pa filled an ice fishing jet-sled with winter tackle shared by all the junior participants. Our overwhelming gratitude toward these two loyal sponsors has always been appreciated and no doubt their kindness is the bait needed to draw participants.
Also in notable sporting contrast the spectator crowd shared their hard earned financial wealth with caring loyalty by donating a $100 sum without ever baiting a hook. Sincere thanks goes directly to JoAnn, Debbie, Donna, Merrick and Jacob whom “ TRIED” to claimed anonymous support but that can never go totally unnoticed.
Although the Grand Masters Division title still remains unclaimed their personal monetary backing totaled $60 by only three fishermen. Environmental Philanthropist Jimmy Caputo and seasoned ice fishing brothers Joe & Paul Ulicny opened their wallets very wide for this just cause, combining the announced $150 purse for the highest division of fishing wisdom with their individual donation the Grand Masters storm the benefited event with $210 of supporting revenue. With the spectator and Masters division Dollar amount surged together their $310 donated amount no doubt calculates $50 cash total from the largest fishing division being the senior division. With 40 signed participants, we sincerely thank those that donated and remind the many that didn’t that “Givers can only give so much, because takers can’t! “ Same date and place next year!!!!!! Go USP!!!!
Following up on my last post, I just received the certificate of aging for the 8 point buck from my Maine trip.
There’s a great story behind this chase and kill, and if you want to hear it I encourage you to come meet me at some of the events in PA I’m heading to this February. This weekend I’ll be at Walter & Mary’s Annual Ice Fishing Derby at Lake Wallenpaupack, and later this month I’ll be at the Wild Sportsman Expo in Wilkes Barre. For more info on both of these, see here.
