If you want to hunt antlerless deer this year, you need an antlerless deer permit. An antlerless deer is any deer without antlers or any deer with both antlers less than 3 inches long measured on a straight line form the center of the front base of the antler burr to the tip. If you have not yet applied for your antlerless deer permit, you better get a move on it for tomorrow, July 16, is the last day in which to apply.
Permit applicants should already have their 2018 hunting or sporting license. If not, they had better get a move on that, too, for it is needed in order to get the antlerless deer permit. Both the hunting licenses and the applications can be obtained through MassFishHunt or by visiting a MassWildlife office or license agent location. There is no fee to apply, but if awarded a permit, a $5 fee is charged.
If you made the July 16 application deadline, you then must check to see if you have been awarded the ability to purchase the permit. The award period begins August 1 and ends on December 31. Your odds of being awarded a permit are the same regardless of when you check your permit status. You can check the status of your permit through MassFishHunt.
Are you interested in participating in the Quabbin Deer Hunt? Well, that permit application period is from July 1 through August 31.
The Quabbin Controlled Deer Hunt is an annual event conducted on Quabbin Reservoir watershed land which was implemented as part of the management program to maintain a balance between deer herd densities and forest regeneration. Participants are selected from an applicant pool in a special lottery in early September.
All applications must be submitted online; the application must be filled out and submitted from the DCR Deer Hunt web page between July 1 and August 31. Hunters can get assistance completing applications online at the Quabbin Visitor Center on Saturdays (9 a.m. to noon) and Wednesdays (noon to 3 p.m.) during the application period.
Once selected, all successful applicants will receive written notification by early October. If you have any questions or concerns, contact: mass.gov/dcr/deerhunt.
MassWildlife recently filed a regulatory amendment that would extend the archery deer season by two weeks (opening the eighth Monday prior to Thanksgiving) in eastern Massachusetts (Wildlife Management Zones 10–14). In WMZs 1–9, our area, the archery deer season will remain the same, opening six weeks before Thanksgiving.

The amendment will increase hunting opportunities in a region where deer numbers are above management range goals. No changes were recommended for WMZs 1–9, as deer numbers in those zones are within management range goals. The Fisheries and Wildlife Board voted to accept the proposed regulatory amendment in May, and currently, the regulation change is awaiting publication in the Massachusetts Register by the Secretary of State’s Office. MassWildlife anticipates that the season extension will be approved and in effect by the end of July.

Fish kills
This summer has been a hot one, and lakes and ponds are warming up, possibly resulting in fish kills. The sight of dead and dying fish along a shoreline can be distressing and can prompt concerns about pollution. However, according to MassWildlife, the vast majority of summer fish kills reported are natural events.
Natural fish kills are generally the result of low oxygen levels, fish diseases, or spawning stress. Depletion of dissolved oxygen is one of the most common causes of natural fish kills. Water holds less dissolved oxygen at higher temperatures; in shallow, weedy ponds oxygen can be especially low as plants consume oxygen at night. Spawning of fish including sunfish and bass in late spring and early summer occurs in shallow waters along the shore. These densely crowded spawning areas can become susceptible to disease outbreaks, especially as water temperatures rise. The result is an unavoidable natural fish kill, usually consisting of only one or two species of fish.
To be sure there isn’t a pollution problem, it’s always best to report fish kills. When a fish kill report is received, a MassWildlife fisheries biologist determines if the kill is a natural event or the result of pollution. In general, pollution impacts all kinds of aquatic life; therefore, the most important piece of evidence for the biologists is the number and variety of fish associated with the incident. When pollution is suspected, MassWildlife notifies the Department of Environmental Protection, who then conducts a formal investigation of the water and affected fish to determine the source of pollution.
To report a fish kill, contact the Environmental Police Radio Room at 1 (800) 632-8075.

Good news for BEAT

The Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) recently received a $35,000 grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. This funding will enable BEAT to continue its work surveying and sampling stormwater outfalls (e.g. pipes emptying into our rivers) in Berkshire County.

Since 2014, BEAT’s work on water quality has identified over 100 previously unmapped outfalls, and as recently as the spring of 2017, identified at least one dispensing raw sewage into the Housatonic River. That outfall has since been remediated.

The project has trained dozens of citizen scientists to use smartphone technology to document stormwater outfalls in Berkshire County and contribute data to a regional database. “This grant will allow BEAT to continue working with students, interns, and volunteers using cutting edge technology to test the quality of the water flowing directly into the Housatonic River and other waterbodies,” said Jane Winn, Executive Director of BEAT.

According to MA Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton, the Trust will provide over $500,00 in grants to 16 organizations this year, thanks to motorists who choose to purchase one of the Trust’s specialty license plates. Beaton said, “This funding has been made possible because over 40,000 drivers in Massachusetts choose to purchase one of the three environmental license plates, and I applaud our state’s residents for their continued commitment to the well-being of the Commonwealth’s environment.”

Working with Berkshire Community College (BCC) students has been a key part of this water quality project. Winn continued, “Our partnership with BCC has given their students field experience using microbiology for public health and environmental stewardship projects.”

For this project, BEAT worked with the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) who developed the quality assurance project plan (QAPP) and oversees training and collection practices.
Supporting the environmental programs funded by the Trust in our community is easy: choose one of three environmental plates, the Right Whale & Roseate Terns, The Leaping Brook Trout, or the Blackstone Valley Mill when you purchase or lease a new car or renew your registration with the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

The standard registration fee for a Massachusetts plate is $60.00. The special plate fee is an additional $40.00 (tax-deductible every two years) for a total cost of $100. Every time you renew your registration, you are supporting the Trust.