Join us! We are sponsoring the first spring litter pickup on May 9th at Gerard Drive, which is one of the Accabonac Protection Committee Adopt-a-Roads. This clean up is in partnership with the East Hampton’s Litter Action Committee.
We will meet at 10AM at the Gerard Point parking area at the end of the road near the inlet. There are three general areas of focus: (1) the Gerard Drive roadway; (2) the Gerard Point beach and parking lots; and (3) the environs on town properties of which there are five.
Vests, pickup tools, gloves and bags will be provided. Gratitude guaranteed
Together, these efforts protect water quality while preserving the character of our community. As ever, we need your support.
We filled four pits over the course of the season, putting a lot of smiles on faces and meat in freezers. Three out of the four were limits+. These hunts are a thrill for new and veteran hunters alike and we hope to have at least this level of participation next year.
Friday after Thanksgiving. Limited out by 8AM. First blood ever for LeviSunrise warm up for a day filled with tall tales.Vintage 10 gauge double trigger side by side gets the job done.TutelageGoose breast pastrami in the making – slice it thin
Lots of meat per bird compared to duck
Livers and hearts – seared on a skillet. Literally the best part.
On Monday, November 24, 2025, representatives from the East Hampton Town Litter Action Committee, Christine Ganitsch and Tina Plesset, joined EHSA’s monthly meeting to present their Community Partner of the Year award to the Alliance.
It was a beautiful autumn day and Terry made another amazing chowder! The annual Chowdown benefits the Springs Food Pantry and was very well attended – over 20 chowders and 350 tickets sold. We also got a lot of interest in our organization and hopefully new members!
Come fish. About half a dozen EHSA members are taking this summer Thursday afternoon 8/21 to add fish to the freezer on the Lazybones (1-5 PM, 474 W Lake Dr MTK) and invite others to join.
It’s not the serious outing that this fall’s planned full-day Blackfish trip will be, but this is SO easy – your tackle/bait or theirs, THEY worry about finding fish for you and you leave with clean, bagged filets ready for the grill. Pricing below – pays for itself with fish flesh? Play hooky and enjoy the second to last week of summer.
DEC’s Hunter Education Program is offering a free two-day hands-on youth hunting safety course on April 12 and 13. It is held from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on both days at the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club in Manorville.
Participants will be taught and supervised by a plethora of certified Hunter Education Instructors, including professional trainers, state game wardens, and senior Peconic River Sportsmen’s Club members. This heavily resourced NY state program is leaps and bounds more valuable and meaningful than any online or local option. Get sense for it here.
Open to ages 12 to 16 who have not yet already completed Hunters Ed. The class is limited to 30 participants.
Participants who successfully complete the program will receive their Hunter Education Training Certificate. This certificate is required to purchase a hunting license, and is valid for life and in all states.
Part of the “Get Offline, Get Outside” initiative.
As I reflect on the successes and challenges of the waterfowl season on the east end, one word comes to mind: Ice.
The pictures below capture the essence of our second half of the season quite well. The good news is highly localized birds, the bad news is lots of frozen real estate. If you have blinds pretty much anywhere, you can relate. The winners this month are the boat blind hunters. Sneakboxes remain my favorite for adaptability and invisibility. This year, boat hunting is a critical success factor since finding unfrozen launch ramps can usually be achieved.
There is always open water somewhere, the question is, where? Three Mile Harbor and the main part of East Harbor/Accabonac by Louse Point remain accessible for launching via the Hands Creek ramp and Louse Point put-in (I call it that because it’s really more a hard packed beach).
The ducks reported and actually seen by locals in-the-know and blind mounted trail cameras are the usual suspects: Black Ducks, Mallards, Widgeon, Screwdrivers (mergansers- called that due to their profile), Bufflehead and Broadbill. Sea ducks are around, but not what I’d call abundant: Long-tailed ducks, Scoter and Eider all on the big water. In general, everyone with an opinion (which is 100% of waterfowlers) says that ducks are down and geese are strong, but localized. Avian influenza seems to be one theory, but it’s always multi-factorial.
I spend an inordinate amount of time scouting, but the job got a bit easier via camera. I check Hamptons live cameras constantly, as well as the feed from my Moultrie trail cameras. I’d like to see more public wildlife/waterfowl live cameras installed in East Hampton, but like everything, it’s a matter of money.
The high point of my season, besides building blinds, was our ESHA December goose hunt in Watermill with Duane Arnister, master guide. If you haven’t hunted over “stuffers” (actual taxidermy geese), try it with him. It’s an experience that few will ever have. Over the last several decades, at roughly the rate of a dozen a season, he has built and preserved a colossal flock of stuffed birds which are lovingly managed and cared for like the waterfowl heirlooms that they are. I felt like I was a character from Eugene Connett’s epic waterfowling book, “Gunning the Atlantic Flyway.” Pick up a copy if you haven’t read it, it’s my waterfowling bible.
Feel free to share your stories, success and perspectives. This is just one obsessed man’s opinion. The truth lies somewhere in the consensus, and I always want to learn and be held accountable.
Until next time, Happy Waterfowling.
Brace Krag
Waterfowl Chairman East Hampton Sportsmen’s Alliance
You can now buy EHSA merchandise displaying the cool EHSA logo, including selected Carhartt items. Ladies and kids sizes also. To browse, please click here.
