Category Archives: Deer Hunting

2022 deer harvest set a record

Posted on by

 

In his February report to the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden reported that the preliminary statewide deer harvest for 2022 was a record with  15,853 deer. “That harvest highlights growing deer abundance statewide and increased access to permits, with the previous 3-year average of 14,007.” he said.

The breakdown of the harvest by season is as follows:

  • Youth Deer Hunt Day: 114
  • Paraplegic Hunt Days: 7
  • Archery Season: 6,543
  • Shotgun Season: 5,823
  • Primitive Firearms Season: 3,366

He noted that the harvest is well within the expected range allowed under strict regulations set by MassWildlife.

“The statewide deer population has been increasing for several decades,” said MassWildlife Deer and Moose Project Leader Martin Feehan. “Hunting is a critical tool for balancing deer populations with forest health while feeding tens of thousands of families across Massachusetts every year. It really is a win-win for both people and wildlife conservation.”

Deer densities vary widely from an ideal range of about 12–18 deer per square mile in most of central and western Massachusetts to more than 30–50 deer per square mile in areas of eastern Massachusetts and on the islands. Without population management through regulated hunting, deer become overabundant, increasing risks to public safety from vehicle collisions and habitat damage. When there are too many deer, they over-browse tree saplings and seedlings, which degrades forest health and negatively impacts many other wildlife species.

 

Basic hunting education is mandatory for all hunters.

 

There are different rules for minors based on their age. No person under the age of 12 may hunt in Massachusetts.

Youth ages 12-14

Youth ages 12-14 do not need a license or stamps or firearms license to hunt. They may hunt only when accompanied by a licensed adult hunter 18 or older. Only one minor per adult is permitted. The adult and minor share one firearm/bow and a single bag limit along with any applicable permits/tags.

The adult must have:

  • A valid Massachusetts hunting or sporting license
  • Any required state or federal stamps or permits
  • Firearms license if a firearm is being used
  • All other hunting laws apply.

 

 Youth Ages 15–17

Youth ages 15-17 must have a minor hunting license along with any required stamps and permits.

  • Minors without a Basic Hunter Education certificate must be accompanied by a person 18 years of age or older.
  • Minors with a Basic Hunter Education certificate may legally hunt without adult supervision and must carry their Basic Hunter Education certificate while hunting.
  • Minors hunting with a shotgun or rifle must follow Massachusetts Firearms license laws and must obtain a Firearms Identification Card (FID).
  • All other hunting laws apply.

Basic hunter education is required even for adult hunters.

  • Blended: Students complete the online MA hunter study guide before attending one in-person Field Day.
  • In-person (traditional): Students attend an entirely in-person, instructor led course that is offered over multiple days.  All courses are free of charge and open to the public.

 

Such a class will be held at the Cheshire Rod and Gun Club on March 13, 17, 20, 22, 27 and 31 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. If interested, you should click onto the MassWildlife website education and call the number listed to sign up.

 

Ice Fishing derbies

The Great Barrington Fish & Game Club will be holding an ice fishing derby on Saturday, February 11 from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm at Mercer’s Pond in Great Barrington.  The entry fee is $15 for adults and children 12 and under $5. There will be a spaghetti and meatball dinner following the derby.  There will be prizes for every child.  The grand door prize for adults will be an ice auger, for children a bicycle. Other prizes include:  largest fish (adult and child), heaviest fish overall plus many raffle prizes. Tickets must be pruchased at the clubhouse prior to derby, no exceptions.

The Cheshire Fire Department’s Sixth Annual Ice Fishing Derby will be held on Sunday, February 12 on Cheshire Lake.  There will be prizes for the three largest fish of any species for both adult and youth age groups. An additional prize for the largest bass of the day will be awarded as well as the Bill Lewis Biggest Bass Award.

Registration will take place from 6:00 am until noon on both boat ramps. It will run from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm on both the north and south basins. Registration Fee: $15.00 for adults, youths 12 and under free with an adult. Registration fee automatically enters you in for thousands of dollars worth of raffles to be drawn throughout the day.  A 50/50 raffle will also be available.  All fish must be weighed in by 4:00 pm.

All proceeds from this derby go directly to benefit the Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department for things like training, equipment, vehicle maintenance, etc. Call or text with any questions. 413-281-5020.

 

Results of Ice fishing Derby

 

The winners of the Lanesboro Fire Association Ice Fishing Derby which was held on Saturday, January 28 on Pontoosuc Lake are as follows:

Pike: 1st Place John O’Neil 8 lbs 2 oz, 2nd Jon Jewell 7 lbs 6 oz, 3rd  Brian King 6 lbs 6 oz.  Bass: 1st Place Kristen Strum 3 lbs 5 oz, 2nd Dan Dufur 3 lbs 4 oz, 3rd Brian Littlefoot 2 lbs 8oz.  Pickerel: 1st Place Dan Starkey 2 lbs 15 oz,

 

Some 80 or so ice fishermen entered the Coles Memorial Ice Fishing Derby last Sunday on Goose Pond. John Kelley caught the largest fish of the day, a 2 lb 5 oz brown trout which measured 19 ½ inches long.

 

Other Adult Category winners were:  Bass: Trevor Goodermott took 1st place with a 1 lb 15 oz bass.  James Trumps came in second with a bass weighing 14 oz.  Pickerel:  Shamus Daley took 1st place with a 1 lb 10 oz fish.  J Petersoli came in second with a 1 lb 7 oz fish, Trout:  John Kelley took that 2 lb 5 oz brown trout.  2nd place went to Josh Brown with a 1 lb 8 oz 16-inch rainbow trout.  Perch: Tyler Swicker took first place with a 11 oz yellow perch.  Josh Brown took second place with a 10 oz perch.

Picture taken by
Gene Chague

 

In the Kid’s Category, Carson and Emmit Mechare tied for 1st place by each catching a 14 oz rainbow trout. Young Trenton Santolin caught the only pickerel in this category which was a 13 oz pickerel.

 

The 39th Annual Springfield Sportsmen’s Show coming soon

 

The show takes place at the Eastern States Exposition (Big E) 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, MA on February 24 through 26.   The show hours are Friday from noon to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 7 pm and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm.  Admission:  Adults – $15, kids 6 to 12 – $5 and under 6 free.

Billed as the largest pure hunting and fishing show in the Northeast, it is filled with hundreds of booths, seminars and action areas. The show is filled with an outdoorsman’s dream of fishing and hunting gear, outfitters, charter boats and adventure destinations, along with great deals on fishing boats, ATV’s and UTV’s. There will be great attractions and displays such as The Northeast Big Buck Club, Trout Pond, and more.

The Outdoor Sports Expo Group brings together just the right mix of hunting and fishing celebrities, industry experts, and entertainment features to produce a sporting and outdoor show that is educational, entertaining, and fun.

Each year, the show draws exhibitors from all over the Northeast who are eager to present their products and services to outdoor sporting enthusiasts. Returning and all new fishing tackle vendors will exhibit and sell fishing reels and rods, hard and soft plastic baits, fishing kayaks with accessories, boats of all types, etc.

State of the Hoosic River

On February 9, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited will have at its general meeting Arianna Collins, Executive Director of the Hoosic River Watershed Association (HOORWA).  She will be speaking about the state of the Hoosic River and the work HOORWA is doing in water quality and temperature testing. The meeting will take place at the Trailhouse Kitchen and Bar, 896 State Rd, North Adams.

Fly Tying with Chris Samson

 

On February 7, Chris Samson of Berkshire Outfitters, 169 Grove St, Adams, MA, is hosting a fly-tying night at 6:30 pm.

Time to review ice safety tips

Posted on by

 

Well, with ice fishing season here or approaching, and with fishing derbies scheduled, it’s that time again to review information from MassWildlife regarding ice thickness.  A truck already went through the ice in Warwick, MA.  Fortunately, no one was injured.

I recommend you read the great article on Page A4 of the January 13, 2023 Berkshire Eagle dealing with ice safety. Or you could click onto MassWildlife’s website https://www.mass.gov/news/stay-safe-on-the-ice-this-winter where there is important safety information listed.  There is no need for me to reprint all of that information here.

But I would like to point out a couple of items:

One is the suggestion by MassWildlife that 4 inches of ice may be safe for ice fishing or other activities on foot.  But they clearly stipulate that it is safe only on new clear/blue ice on lakes or ponds.  Keep an eye on the ice especially this year because of the freeze/thaw days this winter.  The ice may be cloudy and not as thick and hard as one thinks.

Another important suggestion is to always keep pets leashed while walking on or near ice. Well- meaning pet owners can easily become victims themselves when trying to assist their pets.

 

Obviously, rabbit hunters don’t keep their dogs on a leash for they work the bushes trying to kick up some bunnies and unfortunately, they’re apt to run onto dangerous ice pursuing them.

 

That happened to me a few years back while my beagle Jacques and I were hunting an area near the Housatonic River in Pittsfield.  He was barking away running a bunny out of my sight when I heard ice breaking in the area where he was.  I rushed over to find him and there he was in a frozen flooded area near the river some thirty feet away.  Only his head was sticking out of the ice and he was looking at me for help.  I had to try to save him, so I gingerly started walking out to try to reach him.  To my delight, the water under the ice had receded and there was dry ground under that ice.  When I reached Jacques, he was standing on dry ground under the ice, too.  We really lucked out that day.

 

After that I never hunted him in the late fall or winter where there were ponds or rivers. Actually, I didn’t have to worry, for he never forgot that incident and never went on ice again, unless he went ice fishing with me.  He loved to play Huskie and help me drag my ice fishing sled out onto the lakes.  I brought a 30-foot lead so that he wouldn’t wander away and get into trouble near thin ice or try to bum a hot dog from other nearby ice fishermen.

 

Upcoming ice fishing derbies 

The Lanesborough Volunteer Fireman’s Association will be sponsoring an ice fishing derby on Saturday, January 28 on Pontoosuc Lake.  It will run from 6:000 am until 2:00 pm.  Registration will be conducted behind the park on Narragansett Avenue.  There will be a $15 entry fee for adults with kids 12 and under free.  Each entry fee includes a chance at the door prize (Weber Grill).

The Coles Memorial Hard Water Fishing Derby is scheduled to take place on Goose Pond on Sunday, January 29 from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Dresser Hull, Terrace Hair Studio or on the ice near the boat ramp and must be purchased by 10:00 am in order to fish. Tickets cost $10.00 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.  There will be cash prizes for adults.  All proceeds will go towards a memorial donation to the boat ramp in the late Evan Colbert’s name.

Check to make sure there are no changes due to ice conditions,

 

Learn to ice fish with MassWildlife

Learn how to set up your rod, how to use a tip-up and how to bait your hook. Events are free, family friendly, and open to all skill levels. No fishing license or registration is required. Bring your own fishing equipment or borrow theirs. Limited gear and bait will be provided. Note: Events will be canceled if ice is less than 6 inches thick or if there is heavy rain or snow.

Such a class will be held on Cheshire Lake on February 19 from sunrise to 4:00 pm.  Meet up and weigh in at Farnham’s Causeway.  It is held in cooperation with the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club and the Adams Outdoorsmen for Youth.

There are also some nice ice fishing tutorial videos on the MassWildlife website.

Nice crappie hauled through the ice

Last Tuesday, January 17, Javius Johnson of Ashfield, MA caught a nice crappie out of Ashfield Lake. It weighed 1 lb 12 oz, was 16 inches long and had a girth of 11 ¾ inches He caught it on a shiner.  I happened to be at the Onota Boat Livery in Pittsfield when Javius weighed it in. It was a beauty.

Incidentally, Javius said that there were approximately 8 inches of ice on Ashfield Lake that day.

To be eligible for a bronze pin from the DFW Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program Catch and Keep Category, the crappie had to weigh at least 1 lb 8 oz.  If no one catches a larger crappie, Javius will receive a gold pin and be recognized at the awards ceremony later on this year (provided Covid doesn’t rear its ugly head again).  In that case the pin and certificate will be mailed to him.  Last year’s gold pin winning crappie weighed 2 lbs 13 oz and it came out of Quabbin Reservoir.

2022 Deer Harvest figures still not yet released

In his January report to the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS), MA DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden said that early reports indicate that 2022 was an excellent year for Massachusetts deer hunters. Final tabulations are still being calculated but all Western District zones saw an increase over 2021. Full statewide numbers should be available soon.

Preliminary Bear Harvest

 

Andrew Madden also reported that a total of 223 black bears were taken during the combined 2022 bear hunting seasons. This was the second highest in the last 5 years and the 6th highest overall. Some 79 bears were taken in Berkshire County.

 

Environmental Police Comments

At the above-mentioned BCLS meeting, Lt. Cara Carlow of the Massachusetts Environmental Police discussed the recent hunting fatality in Chesterfield.  She offered this advice:

  • If you have an older person with a smart phone, please show him//her how to use it, how to find where the coordinates are and how to send them.
  • That deceased hunter only brought 5 shotgun rounds with him and blasted them all off before law enforcement even got to the location. They had nothing to help triangulate where the lost hunter was. On top of that, he kept moving.
  • If you like to hunt alone, tell a friend where you will be and that you will text them later when you come out of the woods.
  • Plan for the worst weather, make sure your phone is charged before you go out. If you know the battery is dying, put it on airplane mode. Carry a portable phone recharger.

 

She had one other tidbit of useful information – Make sure you have a plan if you shoot a deer or bear.  Can you drag it out? If not, have some friends on standby. Also, please know that you are not allowed to use an ATV to drag your bear out of a Wildlife Management Area unless MassWildlife gives you permission to do that.

Definitely some useful advice from which we all can learn.

Monies awarded for recreational access projects in MA

$56,000 has been awarded in Massachusetts state grant funds to the Towns of Barnstable and Cohasset, and the City of Newburyport for saltwater fishing access projects popular with the recreational fishing community.

The access funds, which were awarded by the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries are provided through the collection of revenue from the sale of saltwater fishing permits, a portion of which fund construction and improvements to public access facilities in Massachusetts coastal communities.

 

It’s good to know that our salt water permit fees are being put to good use.

Hunters Share the Harvest Program” is a success.  Expansion planned for next year.  

Posted on by

In my December 10, 2022 column, I did an article on MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest Program, a new program which provides an opportunity for hunters to donate and share wild game meat like venison with Massachusetts residents in need.

Free range, organic venison is a lean, healthy protein with a low carbon footprint that already feeds thousands of licensed hunters and their families across Massachusetts each year and now successful hunters can help combat hunger and food insecurity in their communities by donating venison.

In last year’s deer hunting seasons, there was only one approved meat processor that accepted whole-deer donations.  The packaged venison was to be distributed to those in need through the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation’s Food 4 Vets program.

Meat processors, food pantries, hunger relief agencies, or other organizations who wanted to participate in MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program in the future could contact Martin Feehan, MassWildlife’s Deer and Moose Project Leader, at martin.feehan@mass.gov.

Well, at last week’s Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s (BCLS) meeting, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden reported that MassWildlife had a very successful launch of the Share the Harvest Program. “With support from the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation and through the generosity of hunters, more than 700lbs of venison were distributed.” said Madden.

MassWildlife will be expanding the program in 2023 to reach wider distribution and provide meals for more people throughout the state.

BioMap is available.

BioMap, a newly-updated online tool that identifies critical land and waterways throughout the Commonwealth in need of conservation is now available. MassWildlife and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) worked to develop the tool to help state and local governments, land trusts, non-government organizations, and other conservation partners strategically plan projects to conserve wildlife and their habitats.

The latest version of BioMap combines more than 40 years of rigorously documented rare species and natural community records from MassWildlife with cutting-edge climate resilience data from TNC and spatial data identifying intact fish and wildlife communities, habitats, and ecosystems that are the focus of the Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan.

You are invited to join Assistant Director of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Eve Schluter and TNC Ecologist Andy Finton for a demonstration of the new BioMap webinar on January 18 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Click onto https://www.mass.gov/news/new-release-of-biomap to register for the webinar.

Email natural.heritage@mass.gov to request BioMap technical support or to request notification of future trainings.

 “Tracking Wildlife: Stories from the More-Than-Human World”

Skilled wildlife tracker and educator Dan Gardoqui is visiting the Berkshires to present a talk: “Tracking Wildlife: Stories from the More-Than-Human World” at Berkshire Community College’s Robert Boland Theater in Pittsfield on Friday, January 20 at 6:00 PM. This event is sponsored by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), Greenagers, Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC), Housatonic Heritage, Richmond Pond Association, and Berkshire Community College. It is free and open to the public, with a $10 suggested donation.

Dan Gardoqui will give a presentation on tracking wildlife. He’ll lead attendees to make deeper connections with the natural world and the wildlife that surrounds us by sharing thrilling stories and photos from his tracking experiences and discussing ways to actively participate in the more-than-human world by applying wildlife tracking skills. A Q & A session will follow the talk.

The following day, Saturday, January 21, Dan will lead two back-to-back trackings (8:30 am to 11:30 am and 12:30pm to 3:30pm at the Eugene D Moran Wildlife Management Area on the border of Cheshire and Windsor, MA. Each workshop costs $50 and has a limited space of 10 participants Email team@thebeatnews.org with any questions.

For over 30 years, Dan Gardoqui has been a student, teacher, observer, and active participant in the more-than-human world. A Certified Wildlife Tracker since 2006, he has trained hundreds in the science and art of tracking. Dan is also a bird language expert and bird mimic – known for his YouTube series “Learn a Bird.” Some of his contributions include the books “Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species” (Elbroch & MacFarland) and “What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal Nature’s Secrets” (Young). Dan applies wildlife tracking skills in citizen science projects (e.g., Canada Lynx, Flying Squirrels, Moose, Eastern Wolf) as a Registered Maine Guide.

Fly fishing show in Marlboro

 The 2023 Fly Fishing Show will take place January 20-22 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center,181 Boston Post Road Marlborough, MA. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, 9 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday and 9 am to 4:30 pm on Sunday. The show promises more fly-casting, tying, manufacturer and retail store displays of the newest rods, reels, lines, boots, waders, clothing and flies during the three-day run.

The show will have many demonstrations at its Destination Theater presentations each hour including Labrador’s Monster Brookies, Fly Fishing Martha’s Vineyard, Montana, Iceland, the Adirondacks and many others.  There will be more than $30,000 in door prizes.

Admission is $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $35 for three days. Children under age 5 are free, children 6-12 are $5 and active military with ID’s are $10.

Fly Fishers International hosts the Fly-Fishing Show Learning Center with fly tying, casting instruction and other fly-fishing information and is free to show attendees.

The New England premiere of the 2023 International Fly-Fishing Film Festival is Friday at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

For a complete listing of fly-fishing films, classes, seminars, door prizes, demonstrations, etc., visit www. flyfishingshow.com or phone (814) 443-3638.

Beginner Snowshoe/Winter Hike

 On Saturday, January 21 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm BEAT and the Great Barrington Land Conservancy are having a 1-mile beginner winter hike at BNRC’s Housatonic Flats reserve on Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington. If weather permits, they’ll snowshoe, if there’s no snow, they’ll go for a winter hike. They will review the basics of winter hiking like what traction to wear on your feet, how to layer properly, and what to look for.

It will be an easy hike of 0.9 miles.  Bring water, wear sturdy footwear and wear layers. BNRC has a few pairs of micro-spikes and snowshoes to loan.  Animals not allowed. For questions contact Charlotte at chood@bnrc.org

Fishing community mourns the loss of Fred Moran

Frederick Dennis Moran of Adams passed beyond the riverbend on January 8 at the age of 80. He undoubtedly will be remembered by former students from the Lenox, Cheshire and Dalton schools.  He completed his last years as a classroom teacher at the Craneville Elementary School in Dalton.

Perhaps more people will remember Fred as an avid fly fisherman who ran Points North Outfitters in Adams.  For two decades Fred and his wife Marilyn taught hundreds how to fly fish and they guided hundreds more on the Deerfield River.  Fred was known for collecting antique (bamboo) fishing rods and reels and the building and restoration of fly-fishing rods. He later worked at the Orvis fly rod factory in Manchester, VT. He was a close friend of the legendary local bamboo rod builder, Francis “Digger” Degere and became his apprentice.

Fred was an esteemed member of the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited where he and Digger put on rod building demonstrations.  Fred and Marilyn were recipients of TU’s Crooked Staff Award, the highest honor that the chapter bestows.  He was also a director of the Hoosic River Watershed Association.

Fred was a good friend.  The last time I saw him was when we did some flyfishing one day at the Alford Brook Club in August of 2020.  It was such a wonderful day that I did an article about it in this column. (Google Gene Chague-Fred Moran to read the Berkshire Eagle article). Boy, could he cast a fly!

Fred’s son Kevin (Berkshire Eagle Executive Editor) emailed me about his dad’s death and included these words, “I figured maybe some of his fishing buddies would imagine him casting a fly out there on heaven’s river, which is one way he’d like to be remembered, I’m sure. I suspect that Digger Degere is waiting for him there, and probably has the flies already picked out and ready to give to dad.”

Our condolences go out to Marilyn, Kevin and his entire family.  He will never be forgotten.

Hunters Share the Harvest Program” is a success.  Expansion planned for next year.  

Posted on by

In my December 10, 2022 column, I did an article on MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest Program, a new program which provides an opportunity for hunters to donate and share wild game meat like venison with Massachusetts residents in need.

Free range, organic venison is a lean, healthy protein with a low carbon footprint that already feeds thousands of licensed hunters and their families across Massachusetts each year and now successful hunters can help combat hunger and food insecurity in their communities by donating venison.

In last year’s deer hunting seasons, there was only one approved meat processor that accepted whole-deer donations.  The packaged venison was to be distributed to those in need through the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation’s Food 4 Vets program.

Meat processors, food pantries, hunger relief agencies, or other organizations who wanted to participate in MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program in the future could contact Martin Feehan, MassWildlife’s Deer and Moose Project Leader, at martin.feehan@mass.gov.

Well, at last week’s Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s (BCLS) meeting, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden reported that MassWildlife had a very successful launch of the Share the Harvest Program. “With support from the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation and through the generosity of hunters, more than 700lbs of venison were distributed.” said Madden.

MassWildlife will be expanding the program in 2023 to reach wider distribution and provide meals for more people throughout the state.

BioMap is available.

BioMap, a newly-updated online tool that identifies critical land and waterways throughout the Commonwealth in need of conservation is now available. MassWildlife and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) worked to develop the tool to help state and local governments, land trusts, non-government organizations, and other conservation partners strategically plan projects to conserve wildlife and their habitats.

The latest version of BioMap combines more than 40 years of rigorously documented rare species and natural community records from MassWildlife with cutting-edge climate resilience data from TNC and spatial data identifying intact fish and wildlife communities, habitats, and ecosystems that are the focus of the Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan.

You are invited to join Assistant Director of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Eve Schluter and TNC Ecologist Andy Finton for a demonstration of the new BioMap webinar on January 18 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Click onto https://www.mass.gov/news/new-release-of-biomap to register for the webinar.

Email natural.heritage@mass.gov to request BioMap technical support or to request notification of future trainings.

 “Tracking Wildlife: Stories from the More-Than-Human World”

Skilled wildlife tracker and educator Dan Gardoqui is visiting the Berkshires to present a talk: “Tracking Wildlife: Stories from the More-Than-Human World” at Berkshire Community College’s Robert Boland Theater in Pittsfield on Friday, January 20 at 6:00 PM. This event is sponsored by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), Greenagers, Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC), Housatonic Heritage, Richmond Pond Association, and Berkshire Community College. It is free and open to the public, with a $10 suggested donation.

Dan Gardoqui will give a presentation on tracking wildlife. He’ll lead attendees to make deeper connections with the natural world and the wildlife that surrounds us by sharing thrilling stories and photos from his tracking experiences and discussing ways to actively participate in the more-than-human world by applying wildlife tracking skills. A Q & A session will follow the talk.

The following day, Saturday, January 21, Dan will lead two back-to-back trackings (8:30 am to 11:30 am and 12:30pm to 3:30pm at the Eugene D Moran Wildlife Management Area on the border of Cheshire and Windsor, MA. Each workshop costs $50 and has a limited space of 10 participants Email team@thebeatnews.org with any questions.

For over 30 years, Dan Gardoqui has been a student, teacher, observer, and active participant in the more-than-human world. A Certified Wildlife Tracker since 2006, he has trained hundreds in the science and art of tracking. Dan is also a bird language expert and bird mimic – known for his YouTube series “Learn a Bird.” Some of his contributions include the books “Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species” (Elbroch & MacFarland) and “What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal Nature’s Secrets” (Young). Dan applies wildlife tracking skills in citizen science projects (e.g., Canada Lynx, Flying Squirrels, Moose, Eastern Wolf) as a Registered Maine Guide.

Fly fishing show in Marlboro

 The 2023 Fly Fishing Show will take place January 20-22 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center,181 Boston Post Road Marlborough, MA. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, 9 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday and 9 am to 4:30 pm on Sunday. The show promises more fly-casting, tying, manufacturer and retail store displays of the newest rods, reels, lines, boots, waders, clothing and flies during the three-day run.

The show will have many demonstrations at its Destination Theater presentations each hour including Labrador’s Monster Brookies, Fly Fishing Martha’s Vineyard, Montana, Iceland, the Adirondacks and many others.  There will be more than $30,000 in door prizes.

Admission is $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $35 for three days. Children under age 5 are free, children 6-12 are $5 and active military with ID’s are $10.

Fly Fishers International hosts the Fly-Fishing Show Learning Center with fly tying, casting instruction and other fly-fishing information and is free to show attendees.

The New England premiere of the 2023 International Fly-Fishing Film Festival is Friday at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

For a complete listing of fly-fishing films, classes, seminars, door prizes, demonstrations, etc., visit www. flyfishingshow.com or phone (814) 443-3638.

 Beginner Snowshoe/Winter Hike

 On Saturday, January 21 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm BEAT and the Great Barrington Land Conservancy are having a 1-mile beginner winter hike at BNRC’s Housatonic Flats reserve on Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington. If weather permits, they’ll snowshoe, if there’s no snow, they’ll go for a winter hike. They will review the basics of winter hiking like what traction to wear on your feet, how to layer properly, and what to look for.

It will be an easy hike of 0.9 miles.  Bring water, wear sturdy footwear and wear layers. BNRC has a few pairs of micro-spikes and snowshoes to loan.  Animals not allowed. For questions contact Charlotte at chood@bnrc.org

Fishing community mourns the loss of Fred Moran

Frederick Dennis Moran of Adams passed beyond the riverbend on January 8 at the age of 80. He undoubtedly will be remembered by former students from the Lenox, Cheshire and Dalton schools.  He completed his last years as a classroom teacher at the Craneville Elementary School in Dalton.

Perhaps more people will remember Fred as an avid fly fisherman who ran Points North Outfitters in Adams.  For two decades Fred and his wife Marilyn taught hundreds how to fly fish and they guided hundreds more on the Deerfield River.  Fred was known for collecting antique (bamboo) fishing rods and reels and the building and restoration of fly-fishing rods. He later worked at the Orvis fly rod factory in Manchester, VT. He was a close friend of the legendary local bamboo rod builder, Francis “Digger” Degere and became his apprentice.

Fred was an esteemed member of the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited where he and Digger put on rod building demonstrations.  Fred and Marilyn were recipients of TU’s Crooked Staff Award, the highest honor that the chapter bestows.  He was also a director of the Hoosic River Watershed Association.

Fred was a good friend.  The last time I saw him was when we did some flyfishing one day at the Alford Brook Club in August of 2020.  It was such a wonderful day that I did an article about it in this column. (Google Gene Chague-Fred Moran to read the Berkshire Eagle article). Boy, could he cast a fly!

Fred’s son Kevin (Berkshire Eagle Executive Editor) emailed me about his dad’s death and included these words, “I figured maybe some of his fishing buddies would imagine him casting a fly out there on heaven’s river, which is one way he’d like to be remembered, I’m sure. I suspect that Digger Degere is waiting for him there, and probably has the flies already picked out and ready to give to dad.”

Our condolences go out to Marilyn, Kevin and his entire family.  He will never be forgotten.

A look back at 2022 Woods and Waters columns

Posted on by

 

At the end of last year, I highlighted the more informative and interesting articles that were included in this column during the year.  Because of positive comments received, I am doing the same for the year 2022.

In January we reported that seventeen women deer hunters participated in MassWildlife’s 2021 Becoming-an-Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Deer Hunt Program. Nearly all the women saw deer and all participants enjoyed their hunt. Two women harvested their first deer ever.  We also mentioned a lost Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), which is native to Asia. Somehow it found its way to the Taunton River in Massachusetts.

In March there was an article about Bob Leverett “the old growth evangelist”.  He informed us that there were indeed old growth forests in Massachusetts. He developed ways for measuring and aging them and their ability to capture carbon.  His work, along with that of Dr. Anthony D’Amato (of University of Vermont), have helped to ensure the protection of 1,200 acres of old growth in the Commonwealth’s Forest Reserves.  His message is “We have a duty to protect an old-growth forest, for both its beauty and its importance to the planet”. We learned of the death of Leo M Daley who spent some 42 years with the DFW.  He had held the titles of Aquatic Biologist, Fisheries Manager, and interim District Manager. In the 30 years spent in our district, he stocked over 1.5 million trout in Western Massachusetts waters.

In March and April there were articles about hungry black bears emerging from their dens and the problems they cause by raiding our bird feeders.  In the Berkshires there are about 2,000 of them and readers were advised on how to avoid conflicts with them.  MassWildlife Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist Dave Wattles’ study showed that female bears that they study in more suburban areas are very large, with weights averaging more than 250 pounds, compared to bears in more rural, forested areas averaging closer to 150 pounds.  A second big takeaway was how close to people bears will den. They had bear dens 10 yards off the back parking lot of a fire department, under a building on piling foundations, on the edge of a backyard, and in the middle of a construction yard. These bears had plenty of options to den in more remote locations but chose not to, indicating bears are finding supplemental food sources in suburban areas, such as unsecured garbage, bird feeders, and open compost. Biologists warn that human food sources are harmful to bears’ natural diets and put communities at added risk of unwanted conflicts.

picture taken and provided by Gene Chague. Bears heading for Gene’s deck.

In April we learned about the numbers and types of wildlife violations that our Massachusetts Environmental Police are dealing with.  A pitch was made for Massachusetts to join the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a network that seeks to reduce wildlife poaching through information sharing across state lines and reciprocal recognition of license suspensions and revocations for fishing, hunting, and trapping. The legislation, co-sponsored by Berkshire State Representatives Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Paul Mark, would update the Commonwealth’s outdated penalties for illegal hunting, some of which have not been updated in a century and currently amount to little more than a slap on the hand.  The bill passed later this year.

In April we reported that the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was detected in wild birds in multiple locations in Massachusetts. Avian flu, also known as bird flu, is a common influenza strain that can spread from birds to humans through saliva, naval secretion and feces. The avian flu is not common among humans, but is very contagious among birds.  We reported the Preliminary 2021 deer harvest figures verses last year figures:

  • Youth Deer/Paraplegic Hunt Days: 86 vs 131 last year
  • Archery Season: 5,894 vs 6655 last year
  • Shotgun Season: 5,008 vs 5138 last year
  • Primitive Firearms Season: 2,375 vs 2842 last year

 

Although Western Zone harvests were not mentioned, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden said that they were consistent with 2020 (which was a record year).

In May, 5 individuals received Silvio O. Conte sportsmen awards:  The late Chris Puntin, formerly of Pittsfield, received the Sportsman of the Year Award posthumously; Meredyth Babcock of Becket received the Outstanding Achievement Award; Stephanie Dupont of Pittsfield received the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award; Donald E. Girard of Adams received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Gregg Armstrong, of North Adams, received the John Zuber Award.  We also reported that after 38 years of state service, Marion E. Larson retired in early March from her position as Chief of MassWildlife’s Information and Education (I&E) Section.  Joshua Christman of Pittsfield, who had been named Massachusetts Angler of the Year (Adult Catch and Keep Category) in 2016, 2020 and 2021 by MassWildlife and a frequent multi-gold pin awardee, was off to another good start this year.  He caught a large rainbow trout out of Berkshire waters which measured 24 inches long and weighed 4 lbs.

In June Berkshire Environmental Action Team Executive Director Jane Winn announced that BEAT was awarded $200,000 from the Cultural Facilities Fund of the Massachusetts Cultural Council to renovate their new Environmental Leadership & Education Center.  Thirteen-year old Logan Middlebrook of Pittsfield landed a carp out of Pontoosuc Lake which weighed in at 13.3 lbs. and was over 30 inches long.   While fighting it he had to cross 2 house lots, a couple of bridges and over people’s docks.

Picture provided by Middlebrook family

James McGrath, Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager, City of Pittsfield announced that the Mill Street dam was successfully removed along with over 8,000 tons of contaminated sediments.   Lee Sportsmen’s Association Higher Education Scholarship was awarded to Brianna Kelly.   The Bateman Jimmy Fund fishing derby was the greatest with over 355 people in attendance and over $10,000 raised.

In July, Joshua Christman, organizer of Carp Palooza, announced that it was a great event with 39 teams participating.   Steve Sears of Dalton was elected Acting Chairman of the MA Fish & Wildlife Board. We featured an article about a Picnic Table Boat.  It is powered by an electric motor, and if you run out of power, it has a solar panel on the top of the umbrella which recharges the battery.  The battery has a USB port into which they plug in lights, a speaker, an iPad, cooler, etc.

In August we covered the 75th anniversary of the Stockbridge Bowl Association.  Feature speaker was the old growth evangelist Bob Leverett. We covered successful flyfishing trips to Labrador and Yellowstone National Park made by local anglers.  Eight-year-old Michael (Mikey) Hubbard of Pittsfield successfully landed a 21-inch, 4.4lbs largemouth bass.

 

In September, Travis Bailey of Lee harvested a bear weighing 620 lbs. field dressed.  After it was skinned out, it measured 7 feet from nose to tail, with a space between its ears of 10 inches. Rachel Kanter of Lenox landed a monster 35-inch pike.

In October we reported that It was a good year for MassWildlife/ Department of Fish & Game land acquisitions and conservation completing 11 projects and protecting 937 acres. Great Barrington approved a new ordinance to help curb problem bears.

 

In November Paraplegic hunters took four deer in the Berkshires, seven statewide. The Youth pheasant hunt produced happy hunters. Some $483,922 was awarded in state grant funds to improve wildlife habitat on 514 acres of land within the Commonwealth.

 

In December we did an article about MassWildlife’s controlled burns. National Geographic wrote an article titled, ‘This Trail May Be the Best Way to See New England’s Fall Colors”. The specific Berkshires trail mentioned was BNRC’s High Road. The town of Nahant hired sharpshooters to eliminate its coyote problem. DFW Western District Supervisor had a great article in Massachusetts Wildlife about feeding bears.

 

During the year, we reviewed three books, two by local authors. The Richmond Pond Association and the Richmond Historical Commission produced a book entitled, The Gem of Richmond:  A History of Richmond Pond. The editor was Ken Kelly, of Lenox and Richmond. Paul C. Carter of Dalton came out with a new deer hunting book entitled, More Deer Hunts, through a Tracker’s Eyes.  Author Robert (Bob) Romano came out with a wonderful book entitled River Flowers.  All were still highly recommended.

Thanks for taking the time to read the columns this past year and hopefully you’ll stay with us next year.

Happy New Year!

Primitive Firearms Deer Hunting season opens Monday

Posted on by

 

The shotgun deer hunting and late bear hunting seasons end this weekend, but the primitive firearm deer hunting season opens on Monday, December 12. If you hunt during that hunting season with a primitive firearm, you must comply with the following information, as listed in the MA Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Regulations:

You must use shoulder-fired muzzleloaders .44 caliber to .775 caliber; barrel length 18 inches or more with only one barrel operational. Inline ignition systems are permitted providing the firearm loads from the muzzle. Single projectile only (no buckshot). Sabot rounds, 209 primers, break/hinge-action muzzleloaders, and scopes are permitted. Powder limited to black powder or black powder substitutes.

A muzzleloader is considered unloaded when the cap or pan powder is removed.

All primitive firearms deer hunters must comply with the 500 square inch blaze orange requirement. A primitive firearm stamp is required.

You may also archery hunt during the primitive firearm season.  There are certain regulations which govern archery hunting, so be sure to review them on page 18 of the above-mentioned regulations. A primitive firearm stamp is required.

It is permissible to report your deer harvest online rather than an official check-in station.  Remember, it must be reported within 48 hours of harvest.

Here’s hoping the hunters have a safe, enjoyable primitive firearms hunting season and remember, keep your powder dry.

Also, for you hardy waterfowlers, late Canada goose hunting season starts on December 14 and runs until February 15, 2023. The duck hunting season in the Berkshires resumes on December 19 and runs until January 7, 2023.

Be sure to check the 2022-2023 Migratory Game Bird Regulations.

Hunters be careful out there

By now, most people have heard about the deer hunter who had gone missing and was found dead in the woods early Friday, December 2. The body of the man, who has not been identified, was found about 10 a.m., according to state police.

Chesterfield Police Chief Michael Malouin reported that the 64-year-old hunter was found deceased in an area of woods in the town of Goshen. The search began Wednesday evening when he called a friend to tell him he was lost in the woods and that he would stay put.

The search over the heavily wooded area included multiple agencies including search dogs, Chesterfield Fire Department, the Department of Fire Services, Special Operations, Massachusetts State Police, multiple sheriff departments, a drone and The Berkshire Mountain Search and Rescue Team.

Laurie Loisel, Director of Communications at the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, said the hunter was not from western Massachusetts, but had been staying in a rented hunting cabin in Chesterfield.

Loisel said there were no apparent injuries and no foul play is suspected, and that the office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine a cause of death. “It appears as though he was out hunting and may have lost his way,” Loisel said.

The Special Emergency Response Team for State Police located the body and an investigation into his death is ongoing.  Apparently, a ping from his cellphone was used to identify his general location.

At the time of this writing, the Medical Examiner was determining the cause of death.

Also, recently a Camillus, NY man died when he fell from a tree stand while hunting with his father in Cayuga County, authorities said.  Michael S. Rinaldo, 33, died of head injuries when he fell about 18 feet, hitting his head on the way down while hunting, according to Jomo Miller, a spokesperson for the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.

It was reported that Rinaldo was not wearing a full-body harness, a recommended safety measure when using elevated stands, according to the DEC.

Tree-stand hunters take note:  Research shows that falls from elevated stands are caused by: Incorrect placement and use of equipment,  mistakes while climbing into or out of the stand, equipment being damaged by exposure to the elements, the hunter’s lack of knowledge about the equipment or excessive wear or stress on the equipment.

Preliminary Shotgun deer hunting results

The harvest totals for the first week of shotgun deer hunting locally were not fully compiled as of Wednesday, December 27 because some deer check stations had not yet submitted their harvest figures.  However; we were able to obtain figures from those checked in at the DFW Regional Headquarters in Dalton the first week.

Some 128 deer were weighed and checked in, and some were quite large.  For example, an 8-point, 208 lbs. buck was taken in Stockbridge (Lorette); a 7-point, 180 lbs. buck was taken in Middlefield (McCarthy); a 12-point, 178 lbs. buck was taken in Lanesboro (Patriguin); an 8-point, 175 lbs. buck was taken in Sandisfield (Drumm); a 7-point, 174 lbs. buck was taken in Peru (Kirchner) and an 8-point, 170 lbs. buck was taken in Washington (Dermody).

Complete figures were not available from Southern Berkshire County, but we do know of a 10-point 205 lbs. buck that was taken in New Marlboro.

Those were field dressed certified weights. To determine the estimated live weight, multiply field dressed weight by 1.26.  For example, that above referenced 208 lbs. buck probably weighed around 262 lbs. on the hoof.

A total of 67 deer were checked in the first week at Ernie’s Auto Sales in North Adams

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman mentored deer hunt 

MassWildlife’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Program offers shooting skills workshops, hunting seminars, and other outdoor skills classes and activities designed for adult women. This fall, MassWildlife offered a deer hunting seminar and a mentored hunt for women who are new to deer hunting. During the seminars, students learned about the lives and habits of white-tailed deer, deer hunting regulations, equipment, and safety, and practiced new skills like shooting, scouting, and recovery. Fifteen women participated in the mentored deer hunt at the Fort Devens Military Area in Lancaster on opening day of shotgun deer season (November 28, 2022), and two women harvested deer.

Picture provided by MassWildlife

“I had an amazing time with the BOW program!” said Marilyn Patterson, BOW Program participant. “If there are any females out there that are interested in learning to hunt, I highly recommend it! Thank you to Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife!”

MassWildlife is grateful for the many volunteers and mentors who make the BOW Program possible. To learn more about it and sign up to be notified of future workshops, click ontohttps://www.mass.gov/service-details/becoming-an-outdoors-woman-bow.

MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest Program

MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest Program provides an opportunity for hunters to donate and share wild game meat like venison with Massachusetts residents in need. Regulated hunting is a safe activity that brings communities together through the sharing of food, skills, and time spent outdoors with nature. A recent study by The Greater Boston Food Bank shows that nearly one-third of adults in Massachusetts are facing food insecurity, a number that has grown during the pandemic.

MassWildlife says that free range, organic venison is a lean, healthy protein with a low carbon footprint that already feeds thousands of licensed hunters and their families across Massachusetts each year. Licensed hunters play an important role in wildlife management in Massachusetts, and now successful hunters can help combat hunger and food insecurity in their communities by donating venison.

This year, there is only one approved meat processor (Haskins Custom Butchering in Hanover) accepting whole-deer donations, and packaged venison will be distributed to those in need through the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation’s Food 4 Vets program. With the support of donors, processing and packaging costs will be covered for deer accepted into the program.

MassWildlife plans to expand donation and distribution locations in the coming years. Meat processors, food pantries, hunger relief agencies, or other organizations who want to participate in MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program in the future should contact Martin Feehan, MassWildlife’s Deer and Moose Project Leader, at martin.feehan@mass.gov.

 

Anyone can help financially support MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program with a monetary donation to the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation. Your donation will help cover the processing and packaging costs for donated meat. A donation of $25 will provide about 50 servings of meat for families in need.

2023 Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Laws are now available

Posted on by

Commonly called “the abstracts”, they are out and available in the usual places. The booklet has a cover picture of Daniel Chen, who was recently introduced to angling by MassWildlife staff holding a nice largemouth bass at Lake Chauncy in Westborough.

 

New regulations for 2023 are as follows:

  • Extended pheasant and quail seasons: These seasons now open on the Saturday after Columbus Day and close on December 31.  No hunting them during shotgun deer season.
  • Expanded hunting implements used on pheasant and quail- stocked WMAs. Hunters can now use all legal methods to hunt game other than pheasants and quail on pheasant and quail- stocked WMAs.
  • Extended hunting hours on pheasant and quail- stocked WMAs for certain game. Hunters targeting game other than pheasant and quail on certain WMAs are no longer restricted to hunting from sunrise to sunset.
  • There is now a single statewide season for gray squirrel (beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day and ending on the last day of February), and for cottontails and snowshoe hares (beginning the Saturday after Columbus Day and ending the last day of February). The black-tailed jack rabbit season has been eliminated.

 

Hunters are encouraged to see each species’ page for specific season dates.

 

Also, certain resident and non-resident fishing, hunting and sporting license fees have been increased as have the pheasant/quail stamps.

 

Shotgun deer hunting harvest results

 

As of last Wednesday, hunting conditions were less than ideal.  Yes, it was fairly warm Monday and Tuesday, but then the rain moved in on Wednesday.  What deer hunters really like is a layer of snow so that they are able to find deer tracks and follow them.  I checked with DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden to see how things were going up to that date.

 

He said, “The week seems to be going well so far. We are about where we were last year at this time. Some of our stations are a little higher and some are a little lower, but overall, pretty good considering conditions are not the best.”

 

I hope to have a preliminary update after the first full week of the shotgun season in next week’s column.

 

Prescribed burns

This fall, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), conducted a prescribed burn at MassWildlife’s Karner Brook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Egremont and TNC’s Jug End Preserve, a public recreation area located in the towns of Egremont and Mount Washington, Massachusett. MassWildlife also conducted a prescribed burn at the Fairfield Brook WMA in Richmond, MA. Prescribed fire improves habitat conditions for many common and rare fire-adapted plants and animals found within the wetlands such as fringed gentian, slender cottongrass, American woodcock, native butterflies, and bees. The prescribed fires occurred in late November within prescribed parameters for weather and vegetation including wind, temperature, and fuel moisture.

MassWildlife and TNC have a long history of safely conducting prescribed fires for restoration and

Fairfield Brook burn.
Picture provided by MassWildlife – Ben Massei

habitat improvement. A prescribed fire can only take place when environmental conditions are right to achieve both safety and ecological restoration goals. Egremont and Richmond fire department officials and air quality regulators at DEP were involved and notified regarding all prescribed fires. These activities were conducted by a specially trained and certified prescribed fire team. MassWildlife supervised the burns with a prescribed fire team from MassWildlife, Mass DCR Forest Fire Control, and The Nature Conservancy.

Karner Brook. Picture Karner Brook burn.
provided by MassWildlife Alex Entrup

The Karner Brook and Fairfield Brook wetlands are large and diverse wetland ecosystems composed of marsh, fen, swamp, and open water areas influenced by alkaline ground water. The targeted wetland is known as a calcareous sloping fen and is imperiled in Massachusetts and throughout its entire global range. “Disruption of local hydrologic patterns, flooding by beaver, increases in invasive plants, and discontinuance of certain land use practices such as prescribed fire, have had negative effects within this particular wetland type range wide,” reports MassWildlife’s Senior Restoration Ecologist, Chris Buelow. “Restoring periodic prescribed fire at the right time of year helps keep the fens free of invading trees and shrubs, promotes growth of specialized calcium-loving native plants, and creates habitats needed by wildlife for food, cover, breeding and rearing of young.”

“TNC is partnering with MassWildlife on a large restoration effort at Karner Brook WMA,” says Angela Sirois-Pitel, TNC’s Western Massachusetts Conservation and Restoration Manager. “Wildlife and plants don’t recognize land ownership boundaries and our combined conservation efforts are protecting a critical piece of the Berkshire’s natural and cultural heritage.”

The prescribed fire is funded in part by a grant that MassWildlife received from the EPA’s Housatonic River Natural Resources Damages Fund in 2020. The goal of this project is to restore function and integrity to a suite of calcareous fens in the Housatonic Watershed.

To learn more about:

Calcareous sloping fens in Massachusetts, go to calcareous sloping fen.

MassWildlife’s prescribed fire work, go to Prescribed fire for habitat management | Mass.gov.

TNC’s Berkshire Conservation Work, go to: Berkshire Wildlife Linkage.

Media Contacts: MassWildlife Outreach & Information, Nicole McSweeney, masswildlife.news@mass.gov.

Caren Caljouw, MassWildlife Prescribed Fire Manager, caren.caljouw@mass.gov (508) 439 1070.

“We are thankful to the many partners for helping to make these burns a success.” said Caljouw.

Introduction of BioMap

 

MassWildlife and TNC recently announced the launch of BioMap, a newly-updated online tool that identifies critical land and waterways throughout the Commonwealth in need of conservation.  The web portal delivers the latest scientific data and resources to help state and local governments, land trusts, non-government organizations, and other conservation partners strategically plan projects to conserve wildlife and their habitats.

It combines more than 40 years of rigorously documented rare species and natural community records from MassWildlife with cutting-edge climate resilience data from TNC and spatial data identifying intact fish and wildlife communities, habitats, and ecosystems that are the focus of the Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan.

“BioMap is a robust online resource that helps people better understand and appreciate the natural resources in their communities and provides information on where to strategically deploy limited resources to make real and lasting conservation impacts in Massachusetts,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon. “By making an investment in the strategic protection and stewardship of lands, we will better conserve natural areas throughout the state that provide all people with access to nature and outdoor recreation.”

Through BioMap, users can gain a detailed understanding of habitats, species, and resilient landscapes, both locally and across the state. BioMap users can customize data and use the site’s new online Habitat Restoration Resource Center to plan habitat management and land stewardship projects. Additionally, it provides strategies to help communities prepare for, recover from, and adapt to climate change, while bolstering habitat resilience. Taken together, these efforts help to protect the state’s extraordinary biodiversity now and into the future.

“BioMap is more than a map, it is a critical tool that offers a vision for the people of the Commonwealth to come together to strategically protect, manage, and restore lands and waters that are most important for conserving biological diversity in Massachusetts now and well into the future,” said MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa.

A major innovation is the addition of local data to BioMap, which complements statewide habitat information. Habitats assessed from the perspective of each city and town in the Commonwealth will inform local decision making. Furthermore, it includes the latest information on land use in Massachusetts, including a new focus on aquatic environments and habitat restoration tools.

“Massachusetts is home to a wide variety of plants and animals,” said Deb Markowitz, TNC Massachusetts State Director. “Our rich biodiversity is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, and invasive species. Since its inception, BioMap has become a trusted source of information to guide conservation that is used by a wide spectrum of conservation practitioners. The addition of local data will make BioMap applicable and relevant to many more people and communities, providing opportunities for equitable conservation.”

With similar missions, goals, and science-based approaches to conservation, MassWildlife and TNC are natural partners to produce and maintain BioMap. BioMap received support from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), DFG, and numerous generous donors. For more information on how to use BioMap or to sign up for technical assistance trainings, contact natural.heritage@mass.gov.

Shotgun deer, bear seasons open Monday

Posted on by

 

Shotgun deer hunting season starts on Monday and it runs until December 10, (excluding Sundays).  Two bucks can be harvested and if hunters are fortunate to have valid antlerless deer permits (doe permits) they can also take a doe.  Remember, the buck antlers must be at least 3 inches long.

picture provided by MassWildliife

According to the Massachusetts hunting abstracts, deer hunters may take and possess up to two deer in a day before reporting/checking them in.  Once those deer are reported, the hunter may resume deer hunting on the same day.

All hunters must wear 500 square inches of blaze orange on the chest, back and head.  If using a blind during the season or on a Wildlife Management Area with blaze orange requirements, all deer hunters must wear the required amount of orange while in the blind.  MassWildlife recommends that blaze orange be visible on the outside of the blind, too.

 MassWildlife will be working biological deer check stations during the first week of the Shotgun Season. All deer harvested during that week must be taken to a physical check station so biologists can collect data used in the deer management program. After that week, deer can be checked on-line. A map of Check Stations can be found at:  https://www.mass.gov/info details/massachusetts-check-station-map.

The following Western District stations will open during the first week of shotgun:

Ernie’s Auto Sales – Mon-Sat 10-6

MassWildlife HQ – Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 10-6

Lee Sportsman’s Club – Mon-Sat 10-6

Mill River General Store – Mon-Sat 10-6

Papa’s Healthy Food and Fuel – Mon-Sat 10-6

B&D Variety – Mon-Sat 10-6

Goshen General Store – Mon-Sat 10-6

 

Well, here comes another sleepless Sunday night in anticipation of opening day.  If you are like me, memories of past opening days will be relived as we toss and turn all night. One such memory I will never forget occurred sometime in the 1980’s or 1990’s. It was the first year that regulations were implemented addressing the transport of our hunting guns while traveling.  They had to be unloaded and in an enclosed case.    I believe the case had to be locked.

 

Opening day arrived and I was up at 4:00 am and arrived at a parking area on Beartown Mountain around 5:00 am.  Good!  No one was there ahead of me and I could hike up the mountain to get to my favorite hunting stand.  There I could wait for the other hunters to start hiking the mountain and perhaps scare a deer or two which hopefully would run in my direction.

 

After getting into my hunting coat and backpack, the only thing remaining was my shotgun.  Then a terrible event occurred.  That was when I learned that I had forgotten the key to my locked gun case!

 

Back home I went to find the key.  As you may suspect, I was not a happy camper.    I cursed the new regulation and the people who implemented it.

 

Once home, I still could not find the gun case key and after rummaging around the house, I had to take a different shotgun in a different case.

 

By the time I arrived back at the parking space, it was around 7:30 am and there were several cars and trucks parked there. On the way up the mountain, I could see the tracks of other hunters who had already gone up and I could hear gunshots coming from the area in which I had hoped to be.

 

I didn’t get a deer that day or the following days.  I was grumpy all week. Perhaps I couldn’t see any deer because I was still seeing red.

 

Bear Season: The Second Hunting Season for Black Bear ends this weekend.  However; the Shotgun Black Bear hunting season starts on Monday and it also runs until December 10.  Shotguns may be used, none larger than 10 gauge. Only slugs are allowed and the use of buckshot is prohibited.  Archery as well as muzzleloader implements may be used. Hunters must wear blaze orange during this season, too.

picture provided by MassWildlife

 

Good luck!  Here’s hoping you have a happy and safe hunting season.

 

Nearly $500,000 in grants to support habitat management across the Commonwealth

 

The Baker-Polito Administration announced recently it had awarded $483,922 in state grant funds to thirteen organizations and municipalities to improve wildlife habitat on 514 acres of land within the Commonwealth. Now in its ninth year, the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program (MHMGP), which is overseen by the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW), provides financial assistance to private and municipal landowners of conserved lands to improve and manage habitat for wildlife.

 

“The MHMGP is critical to the success of ongoing habitat management projects on state-managed lands and ensures a multipronged strategy to improve a variety of Massachusetts’ habitats,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card. “Public and private investment in habitat management is critical for promoting ecological resiliency and diversity, and we are thrilled to work with this year’s grant recipients as they commit to improving wildlife habitat.”

While MassWildlife and other conservation organizations have made unprecedented investments in land acquisition within Massachusetts, land protection alone is not enough to guarantee the persistence of the Commonwealth’s diverse wildlife. Investment in habitat restoration and management is needed on public and private lands across the state. To address this need, the Baker-Polito Administration has substantially increased investment in habitat management on state wildlife lands and is committed to working with partners to promote these efforts on other conserved lands across the state. The MHMGP program encourages landowners to engage in active habitat management on their properties to benefit wildlife.

“Most forests and other wildlife habitats in Massachusetts are not state-owned, and we rely on conservation organizations, cities and towns, private landowners, and other partners to help us manage habitat to benefit all wildlife,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon. “This program provides us with the opportunity to expand our habitat management footprint, directly benefiting wildlife, the sporting community, and other people who enjoy outdoor recreation.”

“MassWildlife restores and manages habitats to help conserve the great diversity of wildlife and plants found in the Commonwealth,” said Mark Tisa, MassWildlife Director. “In addition to MassWildlife’s habitat management activities, these funded projects will improve declining habitats that provide homes for our most vulnerable wildlife, while also enhancing everyone’s ability to connect with nature.”

Of the thirteen projects, two local organizations will receive MHM grants.  They are:

  • Great Barrington – The Berkshire Natural Resources Council has been awarded $33,875 to control invasive species in the Housatonic River watershed.
  • Stockbridge – Stockbridge Bowl Association has been awarded $11,885 to conduct hardy kiwi invasive species control at Bullard’s Woods.

“Our natural resources are one of the most prized possessions we have here in the Berkshires,” said State Representative Smitty Pignatelli. “I am grateful to the Baker-Polito administration’s continued investment in our outdoor spaces, and I look forward to seeing the great work that the Berkshire Natural Resources Council and Stockbridge Bowl Association do with this round of MHMGP funding.”

For more information regarding MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants, visit the program’s webpage.

Gun safety course

Pete’s Gun Shop is holding an NRA & Massachusetts State Police Certified LTC Safety Course on December 4. This will be a one day all inclusive, live fire class at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club starting at 9 AM.

A non- refundable deposit is required to reserve your seat at the time of registration. They do accept credit cards in person at the gun shop or by phone.

This is a class where they spend time at the range and you get to shoot. You are also given an NRA Basic Pistol Safety textbook which is included in the class cost.

This qualifies MA residents and non-residents alike for the MA License To Carry or FID Card.  They also give you a $10 gift certificate to Pete’s Gun Shop in appreciation for taking the course. The cost is $100 and covers use of our range firearms, ammo, safety gear, class materials, certificates, and the NRA Safety Textbook. They ask that interested parties pre-register by calling or stopping in at Pete’s Gun Shop at 413-743-0780, as space is limited. This live fire course fills up very quickly so call or stop in early to pre-register.

Paraplegic hunters took four deer in the Berkshires, seven statewide

Posted on by

 

MassWildlife holds a special three-day deer hunting season for paraplegic hunters. Staff and volunteers place hunters in safe areas at several hunt locations in the state. When a hunter shoots a deer, volunteers assist the hunter by retrieving the deer, field dressing it, and getting it checked in on site.

 

Each year, about 25–30 paraplegic hunters sign up for the special hunt. For many of these people, it’s the only opportunity they have to hunt. The hunt is typically held at 5 sites:

  • The Northern Berkshires
  • The Southern Berkshires
  • The Quabbin Reservation
  • Devens Reserve Forces Training Area in Lancaster
  • Otis/Edwards Military Reservation in Falmouth

Many hunters are able to see deer and several get the opportunity to harvest a deer.

The dates of the 3-day hunt this year were November 3 to 5.  Statewide this year some 14 hunters participated, (2 at the Northern Berkshires site, 4 at the Southern Berkshires site, 3 at Quabbin, 2 at Fort Devens, and 3 at Joint Base Cape Cod).

Two of those hunters (Mark Tartaglia who hunted in the Southern Berkshires, and Ricky Dyer who hunted at Quabbin) were new to the program this year.

 

A total of 4 deer were harvested here in the Berkshires, 3 at the Southern and 1 at the Northern Berkshire sites.  The others were harvested at the Joint Base Cape Cod.

 

In the Northern Berkshires, hunters Shawn Mei of Baldwinville, MA and Dale Bailey of Clarksburg, MA participated.  Dale Bailey harvested an 8-point buck.

Dale Bailey. Photo provided by MassWildlife

 

In the Southern Berkshires, hunters Mark Tartaglia of Barkhamsted, CT, Dan Massaconi of Cheshire, MA, Vyto Sablevicius of Norwood, MA and Sidney Eichstedt of Lee, MA participated.  Sid Eichstedt harvested a doe, and the new guy, Mark Tartaglia, harvested a 6-point buck and a doe.

 

You will note that Mark Tartaglia was from CT. According to DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden, MA and CT have a Memorandum of Understanding that paraplegic hunters in each state are eligible for a complementary license in the other state.

Mark Tartaglia. Picture provide by MassWildlife

 

In the Joint Base Cape Cod, Steven Davis harvested a buck and a doe and red Baker harvested a buck.

 

According to MassWildlife Biologist Susan McCarthy, deer were seen by all participants and feedback was positive from all.

 

But this story is not all about the hunters and their harvests.  There are three other components which must occur to make the hunt a success.  The second component is the volunteering.  Statewide there were 23 volunteers assisting in helping the physically challenged hunters get to ideal hunting spots and who helped them by retrieving the deer, field dressing them, and getting them checked in on site.  In some cases, the volunteers brought the hunters to a central point at lunchtime and provided them with a warm, home cooked meal.

Volunteers and hunters in southern Berkshires. Photo provided by MassWildlife

 

Southern Berkshire volunteers and their years of involvement: Fred Lampro – 13yrs

Wendy Lampro – 13yrs, Mark Portieri – 33yrs, Shaun Smith – 48yrs, Al Vincent – 47yrs, Thomas Dean – 11yrs, Greg Arienti – 27yrs, Casey Green –1yr, Dru Paspuletti – 1yr, Matt Roche (DCR) – 15yrs, Paul Mullins – 27yrs and Christel Massaconi –2yrs.  Sadly, this year they missed the late Guy Morin, who passed away this year. He was a volunteer for many years.  One of his great pleasures was assisting paraplegic hunters during the annual deer hunt.

 

Northern Berkshire volunteers were Rick French, Stacy Sylvester, Jay Sylvester, Jim Guiden, Tony Mei, Doug McLain and Joe Benoni.  Sorry I don’t have the number of years that they have been volunteers, but some have been helping for many years, such as Rick French and Stacy Sylvester.

 

The third component is the assistance provided by the Western District of MassWildlife staff including Ray Bressette, Heather Sadler and Jacob Morris-Siegel covering the Northern site and Andrew Madden and Nate Buckhout covering the southern site. Also let’s not forget Dan White from DCR and Nick Stone from the MEP.  According to McCarthy, total statewide, there were 13 MassWildlife employees, 2 MA Environmental Police Officers, 8 DCR staff members, 7 private landowners, and 23 volunteers totaling 52 individuals aside from hunters and their family members.

Most importantly, let’s not forget the folks at the MassWildlife Main Headquarters in Westborough, MA (the fourth component) who supported and supervised this annual hunt. They also spent a considerable amount of time and effort obtaining and providing most of the information included in this article, as did Andrew Madden.  They pushed the credit onto others saying: “As always, this hunt would not be possible without our fantastic network of MassWildlife and DCR staff, private landowners in the Berkshires, and our amazing volunteers.”

Without Sue’s, Andrew’s, and other’s help, the information in this column simply could not be obtained.  Thank you.

Incidentally, paraplegic sportsmen and women interested in taking part in the hunt next year should contact Susan McCarthy at (508) 389-6326.

Get out hunting, fishing and hiking.  Its good for our economy

On November 9, 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account Report, showcasing the 2021 economic impact data for the outdoor recreation industry. According to the report, the outdoor recreation industry generated $862 billion in economic output in 2021. This led to the creation of 4.5 million jobs which equals 3 percent of all workers in the United States. The total economic output value is 1.9 percent of the nation’s total GDP.

 

According to the American Sportfishing Association, (ASA) the outdoor recreation industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy is greater than the amount contributed by other notable industries such as oil and gas extraction, mining, agriculture, and computers and electronics.

 

The outdoor recreation industry is also ahead of the country in overall economic growth, as it saw an increase of 18.9 percent from 2020 to 2021 compared to just a 5.9 percent increase in the overall U.S. economy. The industry also saw a 13.1 percent increase in job growth from 2020 to 2021, equal to 3.1 percent of the country’s total job growth.

 

Among the various segments of outdoor recreation, boating and fishing contributed $50.4 billion in economic output (per ASA Calculations). This makes fishing and boating the largest economic driver among conventional outdoor recreation activities.

 

“The economic impact of our industry is also an indicator of how important it is for Americans to have access to clean waters and abundant fisheries. ASA will continue our work with Congress, federal agencies and at the state level to ensure that outdoor participation continues to grow.”

“The growth our industry saw in 2021 indicates that outdoor recreation remains a top priority for all Americans in terms of time and dollars spent. Outdoor recreation will continue to have a huge impact on our nation even in the face of overall economic uncertainty. ASA is committed to promoting participation in outdoor recreation and getting more Americans outside and on the water.”

 

Tree stands can be dangerous

 

In my October column, I mentioned that “Archery season can be dangerous as many hunters hunt out of tree stands. Almost every year we read about someone falling out of a stand and getting seriously injured or killed. Bow hunters should bone up on safe procedures in climbing to and getting into the tree stand.”

 

Well, it almost happened recently in Sudbury, MA.  A hunter was rescued after officials found him dangling upside down from a tree. Sudbury police officers say a hunter called 911 the morning of Thursday, Nov. 10, to report a tree stand malfunction in the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge that left him stuck in a tree. Using the phone coordinates from the 911 call, police and fire personnel used their drone unit and utility vehicle to locate the stranded man, a news release from the department said.  After about 15 minutes, officials located the hunter. He was suspended about three to four feet in the air. Officials say the hunter was uninjured and brought down from the tree safely.

 

Reminder to tree stand hunters:  Be careful up there and don’t forget to bring your cell phones.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

MA DFW Deer & Moose Project Leader Martin Feehan gives talk about deer management

Posted on by

 

At the October meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, MA DFW Deer and Moose Project Leader Martin Feehan gave a presentation about deer management.

He started by saying, “There have been 0 non-hunters killed due to hunting in Massachusetts and there have been 0 non-hunters injured in Massachusetts from archery hunting.”

Feehan reported that he and other staff continue to work with communities to open more private and municipal lands for hunting, particularly of deer. He noted that the Town of Harvard Conservation Commission has doubled the number of properties open to hunting and that the Town of Brewster approved a 3-week December archery season in the Punkhorn area, as two examples of recent fruits of those efforts

In-person biological deer check resumed in 2012, where staff collects information used for modeling the abundance of deer in each Wildlife Management Zone (WMZ). He stated that MassWildlife uses a Downing Reconstruction Model for harvest-based abundance estimates, noting that this method does not sample areas closed to hunting.

He discussed deer density estimates in each WMZ.  He noted that some zones, including zones 2, 4N, and 4S (our area), are maintaining densities well within the Board-approved statewide goal of 12-18 deer per square mile. But data from the other western zones –Zones 1 and 3 – are indicating that densities there are rising and are now slightly above the statewide goal.

picture taken and provided by Mark Thorne

He noted that a similar analysis for Zones 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 showed that 5 through 8 are relatively stable, while Zone 9 is becoming increasingly similar to Zones 10 and 11, which are above the statewide goal with high densities and showing persistent growth. Zone 12 is still relatively stable but increasing in density, and in zones 13-14, where densities are very high, the harvest is actually declining.

Feehan outlined a proposal to the F&W Board’s consideration to unify the archery deer season statewide by extending the archery season 2 weeks earlier in zones 1 through 9 to match that already established in zones 10 through 14, with the change to begin with the 2023 season. He explained that this proposed change simplifies the regulations, the seasons, and enforcement; would allow hunters to spread out their effort and therefore creates more hunting opportunity; and addresses feedback staff receives from many archery hunters wanting more hunting opportunities.  He also proposed removing the season harvest cap in Zones 10, 11, 13 and 14.

He reported that the previously extended season in zones 10 through 14 did not increase the harvest beyond the established trajectory but rather redistributed the harvest based on hunter preference and was very popular with archery hunters who don’t want the season to overlap with the pheasant season.

He then discussed the following emerging issues

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD – So far, they have never had a case.  EHD is a disease that is spread by midges that infect deer.  In the northern portions of its range, it usually is about 95% fatal for deer, which don’t have any resistance.  From the time they show clinical signs, they usually die in 3-5 days.  It takes them about a week to show clinical signs from the time that they are bit.

EHD has historically been constrained to southern states where they have evolved resistance and there is about a 50% mortality there.  As our winters have become milder, it allows the midges to get further north. New York had its very first outbreak in 2012 and since then they have had 5 outbreaks this year.  Last year there was a really bad outbreak, by far the most extensive., It ended up in more than 30 counties.   Last year Vermont had its very first outbreak, and a second outbreak occurred in Connecticut.  This year it is significantly smaller than last year, but they are seeing a continual northern spread around us.  New Hampshire had its very first case about a month ago, Vermont had its second outbreak and Connecticut its third.

In NY they confirmed a little over 3,000 cases.  In CT they are now about a dozen cases this year and VT had a similar situation. There is a surveillance issue with EHD because essentially, they don’t really know how many deer are actually getting it unless one finds lots of the dead deer and that is difficult because deer die from different issues going on with the environment.

There are some very distinct traits and patterns of mortality when it comes to EHD.  In terms of live deer, they usually have faces with lots of swelling, ulcers around both the lips and nose, tongue and they will look feverish and very exhausted.  When they have EHD they become very dehydrated and congregate around water sources. There you usually see lots of mortality issues later in the summer when a lot of the waterways are dried up and you have deer congregated around them.  Also, midges congregate around waterways.

Sometimes it can also be behavior.  You may see times when deer will look confused.  One indicator is when they do tight circles which is a good indicator that the deer has been infected.

NY has their very first Blue Tongue case about a month ago.  Blue tongue and EHD are somewhat similar but they are spread in different ways.

If you have a deer that looks sickly, DFW always recommend not to put you and your family health at risk.  Make a decision that you are most comfortable with.  You can absolutely eat those deer, not a risk whatsoever.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) In the last 18 months there have been 3 new states and 2 new Canadian provinces found positive for CWD. Across the country there is vigilance to stop its spread. CWD is a disease that is always fatal after deer contract it.  It generally takes 1½ to 2 ½ years to get to the point where it is fatal. It is spread by a prion (misshapen protein) that spreads from deer to deer via contact with the environment.  Most cases came from deer farms and then spread to the wild deer population. Currently the only place where it is active is Pennsylvania.  NY is considered a CWD positive state because once prions are in the environment, it can’t be eliminated.

Massachusetts has joined a regional program called SOP4CWD (Surveillance Optimization Project for Chronic Wasting Disease), a collaborative international effort to develop quantitative tools and software to aid state and provincial wildlife agencies responding to CWD. The project is led jointly by the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab at Cornell University and the Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center at Michigan State University.  It is a program which makes it able to predict the areas that are most likely to get CWD as well as to develop efficient surveillance techniques and programs based on input and the resources of each individual state.

DFW is planning to disseminate a survey to hunters in coordination with the USGS’s Cooperative Unit at UMass/Amherst, to measure baseline knowledge about CWD and about misinformation that might be circulating. This will allow staff to develop an effective communication plan to improve knowledge about CWD and guide future management.

SARS Covid.  Last year DFW participated in a national effort with USDA Covid Services.  They are working in target states across the country.  MA DFW actually were able to be the very first state in the country to actually fill its sampling requirement last year of 500 deer.  They sampled 558 deer within the state.  All samples were taken during the first week of shotgun season, when lots of deer were being checked in.

Some 86 deer tested positive.  Two random samples were taken from deer that were tested with positive antibodies and those studies were sent to the national veterinarian laboratories. Both of their samples ended up testing positive for live virus with the delta variant.  There have been very limited delta cases that confirmed human/deer transmission across the entire continent.  That’s part of the reason they do all this testing because in that way they are able to track what variants are moving around in the deer population.

DFW will continue its surveillance program with the USDA this fall targeting 750 samples, equally distributed across the state, so that they can really get an idea of different statewide problems.