According to the MassWildlife Monthly Report for June, there was a record deer harvest in 2019. Some 13,920 were taken, the second highest on record. For the first time ever, there were more deer taken during the archery season than the shotgun season. Harvest figures by season are:
- Youth Deer Hunt Day and Paraplegic Hunt: 94
- Archery Season: 6,149
- Shotgun Season: 4,956
- Primitive Firearms Season: 2,692
- Quabbin Hunt: 29
However, the Western District (Zones 1 through 4) bucked the trend of the rest of the Commonwealth. The total count was 2,199 which was down 418 or roughly 16% from the 2018 harvest.
I posed the question as to why the Western District had the reduction to DFW Deer Biologist, David Stainbrook.
His short answer was that the poor shotgun harvest (which was likely driven by not as many hunters out in the deep snow), did cause the harvest for the whole season to be down in the western zones. The other factor is that deer harvests have been pretty high in the western zones over the past 3 years, which makes the drop in 2019 appear like a bigger deal that it is. But it is actually quite higher than what was seen 5-10 years ago.
He felt that it is unlikely that the drop in 2019 harvest didn’t have anything to do with the deer population. Actually, when you look at harvest by season, the harvest didn’t drop in the other seasons, just shotgun. You can actually see that the 2018 shotgun season was an anomaly in many of the zones with pretty good weather for hunting, which makes the 2019 drop look even greater.
It is best visualized in figures of harvest over time, he said. Total harvest is influenced by how many antlerless permits are given out, but adult male harvest is not, so it is a better indicator of population trends. But it can be influenced by hunter effort, especially poor weather on the big days like the shotgun opener and the Saturdays.
Though Massachusetts is the 3rd most densely populated state in the country, it is a state where quality deer can be found anywhere. MassWildlife biologists estimate that there are over 100,000 deer statewide. Estimated densities range from about 12-18 per square mile in western and central Massachusetts to over 50 deer per square mile on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Islands, and certain areas of eastern MA where hunting access is restricted.
After analysis, the DFW recommended and the Fish & Wildlife Board approved that the 2020 antlerless permit allocations remain the same as in 2019. (See graph)
Incidentally, don’t forget to apply for a permit by July 16. Then, check back any time between August 1 and December 31 to see if you won the right to buy a permit.
2020 spring turkey harvest
The spring turkey harvest for 2020 was 3,304, including the 73 turkeys taken on the Youth Day. This was the highest harvest ever recorded for the spring season. Harvests have totaled more than 3,000 on only two other occasions—2009 (3,027) and 2017 (3,181). Last year’s spring harvest was 2,740. This record harvest can most likely be attributed to the increase in hunter effort that resulted from COVID-19 closures.
You can find the number of turkeys harvested in Massachusetts for the last 10 years by clicking onto https://www.mass.gov/service-details/wild-turkey-harvest-data.
The final turkey harvest totals (after the fall turkey hunting season) will be added to this page at the close of 2020.
I couldn’t get out turkey hunting this year but while speaking with those who did, some commented that there were a lot of toms that managed to elude the hunters this spring.
Report wild turkey sightings
Sportsmen and women, birders, and other wildlife enthusiasts are encouraged to assist with MassWildlife’s Annual Wild Turkey Brood Survey.
MassWildlife conducts a Brood Survey from June 1 through August 31 each year to estimate the number of turkeys in the state. The brood survey helps its biologists determine productivity and compare long-term reproductive success while providing an estimate of fall harvest potential. Turkey nesting success can vary annually in response to weather conditions, predator populations, and habitat characteristics.
Citizen involvement in this survey is a cost-effective means of gathering useful data, and can be a fun way for people to connect with nature. Record sightings of hens, poults (newly-hatched turkeys), and males (both juvenile and adult).
For help identifying male and female turkeys and determining if a male is a juvenile (jake) or an adult (tom), click onto https://www.mass.gov/service-details/identifying-female-and-male-turkeys-in-the-spring. Be sure to look carefully when counting turkey broods, the very small poults may be difficult to see in tall grass or brush. MassWildlife is interested in turkey brood observations from all regions of the state, including rural and developed areas.
There are two ways to participate: Report individual observations online or download and print a Turkey Brood Survey form to complete over the course of the summer.
Mail completed forms to: Brood Survey, MassWildlife Field Headquarters,1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.
If you submit your observations online, you are asked to not mail in duplicate observations.
Free Fishing Weekend
You still have some time to enjoy what’s left of Free Fishing Weekend. No license is required to fish any public lake, pond, reservoir, stream, or river in Massachusetts. It began at 12:00 a.m. yesterday and will last until 11:59 p.m. tonight.
Other than on Free Fishing Weekend, you need a license to fish in fresh water if you are 15 or older. If you’re 15–17 or 70 and older, your license is free. Funds from fishing license sales support MassWildlife’s fisheries research, fish stocking programs, and angler education programs. You can buy your fishing licenses at https://www.ma.wildlifelicense.com/Internetsales. All other regulations, including catch limits, apply during Free Fishing Weekend. Before heading out on the water, make sure you know the rules.
For saltwater anglers, Free Saltwater Fishing Weekend is June 20–21.
MassWildlife to monitor fish using video
Cameras at fish passages on Massachusetts rivers capture anadromous fish traveling to their spawning grounds.
Each spring MassWildlife monitors fish passages at hydroelectric dams on the Westfield and Merrimack Rivers. Operations at these locations allow fish biologists to monitor the number of anadromous fish traveling upstream. Anadromous fish are born in fresh water but spend most of their adult lives in the ocean before returning to rivers and streams to spawn. Fish passage facilities, including fish lifts and fish ladders, allow fish to swim upstream of dams. Without these structures, anadromous fish would be cut off from their spawning habitat and populations would plummet. Through a federal permitting process, MassWildlife works with dam owners where hydroelectric power is produced to ensure safe, timely, and effective passage of anadromous fish.
This year, a new system was installed on the Westfield River to record digital video of fish traveling upriver. As fish exit the fish ladder, they pass an underwater window and are caught on camera. The American Shad run on the Westfield averages 4,000 but has been as high as 10,000. Sea lamprey, American eel, smallmouth bass, river herring, white suckers, carp and several species of trout also travel upstream using the fish ladder. To date, the camera has recorded all of these fish species and even a beaver on its journey upstream. Technicians will review the video footage and count fish at a later date. A similar camera system has been operating at the first dam on the Merrimack River in Lawrence, MA for several years. This technology is allowing monitoring to continue despite the COVID19 pandemic.
Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone: (413) 637-1818