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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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!