Area anglers and a local hunter recently returned from outdoors trips with some terrific trophies and with interesting tales to tell about their outings.

Lancaster outdoorsman Mike Carvelli traveled to Quebec in late May to hunt for black bear with his bow, a Hoyt Ultra-Tech with Gold Tip carbon arrows and Mon-Tec heads. He returned home with a Pope and Young qualifier bruin.

Carvelli booked with Northern Outfitters in Val D’Or, some 600 miles north of Buffalo. “He finally gave me a quartering shot at 9 yards,” he said of his May 24 kill, a boar that tipped the scales at 315 pounds. The head measurements green scored at 18 inches. When finally confirmed 60 days after the kill, his 18-inch bruin could make the Pope and Young (P&Y) scoring books. P&Y begins listings at 18 inches.

This trophy-sized bear is being readied at Mansell Taxidermy in Lancaster.

Elma angler Marc Schneckenberger had been to northern Saskatchewan and took a 50-inch northern pike in 1997. Last week, Schneckenberger made the trip with son Alex, who celebrated his 19th birthday during their trip to Cree River Lodge on Wapata Lake.

“Hair-tailed [Vibrax] spinners work well on pike here, and he tied his own tails to get more and bigger fish,” dad said of Alex’s lures and catches. “On one day we got 17 pike over 40 inches, including Alex’s 48-and 50- inch fish. The larger one weighed about 40 pounds,” dad added.

Lost lures

Hank Sontag collects, trades, and sells antique and classic fishing tackle at his place of business, Horsefeathers and Hollywood Hanks. This past week, thieves targeted his tackle stores, keying just on fishing lures, and left with items valued somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000.

“Some are items I can never replace and a few are more of great personal value than their market price,” Sontag said while itemizing his losses. His security camera equipment had been wired in place, but the system had not yet been turned on for filming.

Sontag requests anyone aware of persons selling large quantities of classic lures such as Jointed Creek Chubs or Heddons to check with him at 523-8304.

Archery education

School is almost over for kids across New York State, but planners at the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) are looking for curriculum coordinators interested in including bow-shooting activities in future school activities.

NASP has established programs at 26 schools in 20 school districts across the state. Officials welcome more teachers, coaches, and administrators to become involved in these programs by contacting DEC NASP coordinator Melissa Bailey via e-mail:

mrbailey@gw.dec.state.ny.us

. For area details, check with New York Bowhunters President Gary Socola at (585) 624-2419.