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| Canoeing the pond, Deer Creek WMA. |
Oswego County is blessed with some of
the largest, most awesome wildlife management areas in New York. None,
however, comes close to offering the wide variety of recreational
opportunities, steeped in natural beauty, Deer Creek WMA provides.
One of three WMAs punctuating the
Eastern Lake Ontario Dune and Wetland Area, a 17-mile-long barrier
system boasting the tallest sand dunes between Cape Cod and Lake
Michigan, Deer Creek WMA sprawls over 1,771 acres. Tucked between the
mouth of the Salmon River and Sandy Pond, two heavily developed areas
famed for their splendid beaches and sunsets, it’s like a breath of
wilderness among the cottages; and it’s all close to the road.
Its most popular feature this time of
year is a mile-long cobblestone beach. It used to be sandy, but the
jetty that keeps the mouth of the Salmon River from wandering blocks
currents from sweeping sand off a submerged dune out in the lake and
bringing it close to the beach where it's picked up by waves and
deposited on shore.
Without this continuous supply of sand
to replenish what the waves wash away during high water, all that’s left
on the beach when the water goes down is cobbles.
Fortunately, the order of this natural
masterpiece prevented man’s folly from turning its undulating habitats
into a level wasteland. You see, a dune and wetland area is comprised of
six zones stretching from the water to the upland forest marking the
end of the barrier system: the beach, fore dune, trough, secondary dune,
back dune and wetland. Like the front in a battle, the fore dune is the
system’s first line of defense, protecting its interior from the worst
Lake Ontario dishes out. Luckily, it did its job long enough for
environmentalists to see the sand slipping through the stones and take
measures to prevent further erosion.
A saddle-like trough separates the fore
dune from the back dune. A trail, cut over the years by hikers, slices
through its patchwork of beach grass and poison ivy.
Beyond the trough, the secondary dune
begins its steep ascent, climbing up to 40 feet in spots. Clumps of
beech grass cling to its sandy sides all the way to the crown cropped in
mature cottonwood s. On the other side, the back dune descends into a
pond created by Deer Creek on its last leg to its mouth. By this point
it moves so slow, it seeps into the sand before reaching the lake.
The stream’s water temperature keeps the
system cool enough to support thriving populations of fish, including
largemouth bass (some over 6 pounds), northern pike (most are axe
handles, but some go 30 inches) bullheads up to a foot long, and yellow
perch and sunfish averaging 6 inches. It even harbors bowfin; a native
species that’s been around since the Jurassic period and can breathe
air.
Canada Geese, mallards, blue herons,
kingfisher, osprey, and a variety of less common water fowl; and mammals
like mink, muskrats and beaver find Deer Creek Marsh to their liking.
Pheasants and cottontail rabbits flourish in the WMA’s grasslands.
Whitetail deer, raccoons and turkeys flourish in the woods tracing its
edges.
Most argue the best way to see the marsh
is by canoe. “You can silently paddle up to everything from beavers to
geese,” argues cousin Staash.
The access site on NY 3, 2 miles north of Port Ontario, offers parking for about 10 cars and a beach launch.
Others prefer to hike it’s two most
prominent features, the beach and sand dune. Although climbing and
walking on dunes is prohibited, the trough between the fore dune and
secondary dune has a ½-mile long trail running through it, and a couple
of boardwalks allowing folks to cross over the fore dune without hurting
it or brushing the poison ivy that grows on it like a weed. The
southern boardwalk ends in a fishing platform looming over the pond.
Get there by heading north on NY 3 from
Port Ontario for a little over 2 miles. Turn left on Rainbow Shores
Road, drive to the end, turn left on South Rainbow Shores Road
(unmarked), bear left at the fork a few hundred feet later and continue
to the parking lot.
WMAs are managed…you guessed it, for
wildlife and related recreation: primarily hunting, fishing , bird
watching, stuff like that.
Off-road vehicles, camping, and camp fires are prohibited.
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| Boardwalk. |
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| Walking the Trough. |
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| Gateway to the beach. |
