Last Sunday, April 19 was a beautiful day for the SSC Fishing Derby with temperatures in the 60’s. The derby, which ran from dawn to 1:00 pm was organized and run by Club members Tim Minkler and George Chasse.  There were 44 anglers entered into the contest which was lower than past years, but some nice size fish were caught.  All fish were released after being  weighed and measured. The following information was provided by Tim Minkler:

Adult Winners ($100 dollars)

Largest Pickerel:  Mike Soncini, Housatonic, MA  4 lbs., 8 oz., 25 ½ inches long.  If the weight and length held up on state certified scales, it qualified for a sportfishing award pin in the catch and release category. It was the heaviest fish of the day.

 

Largest Trout:   Conner Casey, Housatonic MA, 1 -lb., 15 oz, 14 inches long

 

Largest Bass:    Tim Fogerty, Lee MA, 3 lbs., 10 oz., 18 ½ inches long (He caught another bass slightly smaller)
Tim Fogarty with 2 bass. Picture taken by Gene Chague

 

Largest Bullhead:  Tom Methe, Washington MA, 1 lb., 5 oz., 13 ½ inches long

 

Age 12 and Under Winner:

 

Mya Methe, Washington MA, Bullhead:  10.4 oz, 10 ½ inches long

 

This year they had a food trailer on site for the first time (Laura’s On The Go).  The variety and quality of food was great.

Trout Stocking

 

The following waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout last week.  This is the last of the scheduled spring 2024 weekly trout stockings.

Ashfield Pond, Goose Pond, Laurel Lake, North Pond, Onota Lake, Pontoosuc Lake, Richmond Pond, Stockbridge Bowl and Upper Highland Lake.

Many thanks go out to Deb Lipa and Leanda Fontaine from the DFW Western District Headquarters in Dalton for providing the weekly trout stocking information to us.  I’m sure it resulted in more work for them and they did not have to do it.  If you are in their neighborhood, you may want to stop in and thank them.

Youth Artist from Acton Wins Junior Duck Stamp Contest

Meghan Li from Acton won Best of Show in the 2024 Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) Contest. Her colored pencil and soft pastel drawing of a hooded merganser was selected from 267 entries. Li’s award-winning work will represent Massachusetts at the National JDS Contest.

Students from kindergarten through grade 12 from across the Commonwealth submitted original works of art depicting waterfowl in their natural habitats, demonstrating both artistic talent and a knowledge of the value of wetlands for wildlife. In March, a panel of judges selected the top works of art in each of four age groups. A combination of the top artworks will be exhibited throughout Massachusetts in the coming year.

The Massachusetts JDS Program is sponsored by MassWildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with support from the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council. Please support the JDS Program and wetland conservation by purchasing Junior Duck Stamps featuring national winners from previous years. Stamps can be purchased at duckstamp.com.

Congratulations Cindy Delpapa

In a recent press release, The Wild & Scenic Westfield River Committee awarded Cindy Delpapa, of Becket MA. the Bob Thompson award for her dedication to the river and the breadth of knowledge she shared for the benefit of all.  “Her high standards and clarity of focus guided the committee through an update of the strategic plan, development of a website focused on action, and a model for funding culvert replacement across the watershed that improves safety and river habitat at the same time.”

 

“Cindy was instrumental in launching two new initiatives, “Rooting out Barberry” and exploring “Brine for Pretreatment” to prevent ice from forming on our Hilltown roads in winter. Cindy brought Action Research in to assist the committee with developing campaigns that speak directly to the audience we are trying to reach in a manner that is clear, inspiring and motivating.

 

If you are interested in the Committee’s work or participating in its initiatives visit https://westfieldriverwildscenic.org/.

 

Spring turkey hunting ends today

 

Sorry, if you haven’t bagged a wild turkey yet, then you will have to wait until the fall turkey hunting season to get another chance. The fall season opens on October 7 in our zone.

Help MassWildlife with its annual summer wild turkey count. Every year from June 1 to August 31, wild turkey reports from the public help their biologists determine productivity, compare long-term reproductive success, and estimate fall harvest potential. Reports are welcome from all regions of Massachusetts, from the most rural communities to more densely-populated areas. The summer wild turkey survey is a fun way for people to connect with nature while contributing valuable data to MassWildlife biologists.

You are encouraged to report wild turkey sightings in your area.  Contribute to the annual wild turkey survey by reporting observations of hens (female turkeys), poults (newly-hatched turkeys), jakes (juvenile males), and toms (adult males). Click onto the MassWildlife web page to learn how to tell the difference between male and female turkeys.

Turkey sightings can now be submitted online using a form which can be downloaded.   The form was updated in 2023 to include a map that allows collection of more accurate location information. Users have the option to zoom to their location on the map or type in an address.

Basic Hunter Education course

 

Basic hunter education is mandatory for all first-time adult hunters. MassWildlife offers Basic Hunter Education in two formats, in-person or blended.

A blended course is being offered at the Ashfield Rod & Gun Club, 161 North Street, Plainfield on Saturday, June 15 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

To enroll, call 508-389-7830 or click onto:  https://www.mass.gov/info-details/basic-hunter-education-course for all the details

All courses are free of charge and open to the public.

United States Practical Shooting Association

USPSA is a fun and fast action shooting sport where participants balance accuracy, power, and speed into a winning combination.  Multiple targets, moving targets, targets that react when hit, penalty targets, or even partially covered targets, obstacles, movement, and other techniques are all used to keep USPSA shooters challenged and spectators engaged.  USPSA matches are held all over the US with local clubs holding matches practically every day of the week.  You probably already own everything you need to compete in USPSA.  The cost is $20 and they are held at the Lee Sportsmen’s Association.  Cold Range Rules apply.

The times and dates are as follows for 10:00 am shoots:    Registration 8:30 am, safety briefing 9:30 am. on the following dates:  June 2, July 7, August 4, September 1, October 6 and November 3.

The times and dates are as follows for the 12:00 pm shoots: Registration 10:30 am, safety briefing 11:30 am on the following dates: June 16, July 21, August 18, September 15 and October 20.

They also have a “Steel Challenge.”  Check the LSA web page for those details.

There’s music in the air

Beagle music, that is.  On June 8, the Berkshire Beagle Club, 380 Sleepy Hollow Road in Richmond, is sponsoring a SPO (Small Pack Option) derby on rabbits and hares.  It starts around 8:00 am.  The Club has two fenced in running grounds.

If you want to see what it is all about, just drop over.  You can contact Chris Wilser (845)489-6554 or Jeffrey St. John (413)441-0744 for more details.

Memorial Day Weekend

 

It’s that time again when we honor those who have fought, suffered and/or died in defense of our nation.  Look around and see the beautiful, peaceful woods and waters that we have here in the Berkshires and compare that to what is going on in so many other parts of the world.  There was a price that had to be paid to have this and the people we honor this weekend paid it.  Please, let us not forget that.