Chapter 70 Pen Stocking Tiger Muskies

[Tigerhunter]

Yesterday, Chapter 70’s 2019 Gil Hamm grant project, through Muskies Inc. National came to light. In collaboration with the NYSDEC, Chapter 70 used the grant funds to build a pen to hold 1,200 tiger muskie fingerlings to release in Lake Moraine located in central New York.

The premise of this experimental stocking method was to hold the fingerlings in the pen for the day and release them under the cover of darkness. Typically, the tigers seem to be very agitated and vulnerable to predation immediately after stocking. This method gave them a chance to become acclimated to the water while being protected from predators. Upon release from our pen, we observed the fingerlings behavior, which seemed much calmer than after they were stocked from the hatchery truck. Overall, the project was successful and will likely continue for the next couple of years to see if there are any noticeable changes in the survival rate of the tiger muskies in Lake Moraine.

A special thanks to the NYSDEC for working with our club to come up with this project and to Ch. 70 member, Bruce Fuller, for making the long journey to be a part of this special project. Also, thank you to Brayden Bechtel for assisting with the transport of the pen and being part of the stocking. And last but not least, a big thank you to Muskies Inc. for believing in our chapter and awarding us the Gil Hamm grant for this project.

[Tiger Stalker]

Awesome job guys! It’s a great idea. If this proves to help the survival rate, maybe the DEC can adopt this practice at all lakes where they stock tigers. Thanks for the effort. [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United