Readers may recall that last week I wrote about a deer hunt in 1991.  I ended Part I of that story by writing that I had just dropped a nice buck on one side of Beartown Mountain, but my truck was parked on the other side.  I had to decide how to get the deer out of the woods and to it. My options were: drag it up over the mountain to Beartown Mountain Road on the other side, which was utterly impossible, drag it across a large posted field and risk being arrested, or just leave it there, climb over the mountain, and go home.

I decided to take my chances and drag the deer across the large field that lay ahead of me, in spite of the ‘No Trespassing’ signs posted there.  I knew that this would be a long, difficult drag being loaded down with heavy boots, heavy clothes, a heavy backpack (filled with a big thermos, a couple of sandwiches, a couple of boxes of shotgun slugs, zip lock bags holding about 10 lbs of deer heart and liver), and my shotgun. Add to that the fact that I wasn’t a spring chicken (49 years old).  This could bring on “The Big One” as Fred G.  Sanford of the TV comedy Sanford & Son used to say.

It really hit home when I first started to drag the deer.  OMG, it was so heavy.  My plan to drag it across the snowless field was as follows:  carry my coat, backpack and shogun about 50 feet, put them on the ground, go back to the deer and drag it to the gear and then another 50 feet past it, leave the deer there, go back to get the gear and bring it past the deer 50 feet, etc.  No question, it would take a while.

With the sun now shining brightly, I must have stood out like a beacon in that open field, being dressed from head to toe in blaze orange. The adrenalin and my heart rate were really pumping from the stress, heat and physical activity.

A couple of times, I heard police car sirens approaching, and thought, “This is it, someone reported me and the police are coming to arrest me.  Oh no, another unwelcomed encounter with a game warden.  They’ll probably confiscate the deer, shotgun, impose a fine, and lord knows what else.  Why did I ever shoot that deer?”  Did I mention that earlier that year I had been awarded the 1990 Silvio O. Conte Sportsman of the Year Award at a banquet put on by the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen?  Oh, the embarrassment of it all!   I was already rehearsing excuses for my being there in that posted lot dragging a deer.

Fortunately, the police cars weren’t after me and kept heading south on Route 7.

In the middle of the field, I came across a drainage ditch with about a foot of water in it.  Down over my boots I went and back up the other side dragging the deer.  After what seemed like an hour, I could see a road ahead with houses on it.  Just before climbing onto the road, I had to cross another ditch, but at that point I didn’t care.  I was only a couple of feet from the road and safety.

I left the deer lying beside the road and went to the nearest house to see if they would let me use their phone to call my brother-in-law Cecil Taylor.  Hopefully, he could come down from Lenox, pick me and the deer up and drive us to Beartown Mountain Road where my truck was parked.

A fellow with a New York or New Jersey accent answered the door and told me I could not use his phone, to drag the bleeping deer into Stockbridge and to get the bleep off of his property.

I then went to the second house where two guilty looking teenagers (boy and girl) answered the door.  Hmm, this was a school day.  They let me use their phone and a little while later, Cecil showed up.  We loaded the deer onto his truck and he brought us back to my truck.

The deer weighed in at 165 lbs. dressed (208 lbs. estimated live weight).  When the deer was processed, I asked the butcher to save the head and shoulder hide for mounting. The venison was to be shared with friends and family.

Back then, on the wall of our inside glassed porch in Lenox, was another mounted deer head.  My father, also named Gene Chague, had taken that deer sometime in the 1920’s and had it mounted with the four hooves surrounding a mirror.  After nearly 70 years, the head was becoming ragged and was falling apart.

I had it removed by a young taxidermist from Clarksburg (whose name unfortunately I cannot recall) and replaced it with my new one, leaving the original mirror and 4 hooves intact.  The result was a deer mount which contained parts of two separate bucks taken by two Gene Chagues some 70 years apart.  Pretty cool, eh?

The taxidermist was just starting out and was trying to get his name out in the community.  He donated a deer mount to be raffled at the Silvio O. Conte Sportsmen’s Banquet, the one mentioned previously. A close friend, Ed Bertelli, attended that banquet along with his son young Eddie. Young Eddie won the deer mount and because he didn’t get a deer that year, and could use some extra money he decided to sell it.  I bought it from him.

It probably wasn’t an easy job for the new taxidermist, what with fitting that deer mount to the old framework, etc., but the result was quite satisfactory and it has held up nicely over the last 33 years. No, it did not end up back in our Lenox porch, but rather it hangs on a living room wall at our cottage. Oh the memories conjured up every time I look at it..

Fly tying at the hatchery

The Friends of the Berkshire National Fish Hatchery in Hartsville/New Marlborough has begun its winter fly tying sessions at the Hatchery.  The free sessions will be held on the third Saturdays of the month, beginning at 10:00 a.m.  The next class is January 18, 2025.  Instructors are Board member Dean Hutson and Taconic TU member Peter Paulson.  All fly tying accessories and materials will be provided.

Last month, the folks tied up some nice looking black Woolly Buggers guaranteed to catch trout, smallmouth bass and other fish. It imitates a variety of aquatic and land creatures, making it an extremely versatile fly. Its marabou tail gives the impression of a baitfish or leech, while its hackle and body can mimic the movement of a swimming crayfish or even a struggling insect. Its versatile design means that it can be used in a wide range of fishing scenarios, from still water lakes to fast-moving streams and rivers.

That fly is very effective.

Lawmakers request support for priority conservation projects at the Conte Refuge

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Interior, Senators from MA, NH, VT, and CT requested that the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget include funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support conservation projects within the Conte Refuge.

The Conte Refuge which spans over 50,000 acres across those states is a vital ecological resource and includes critical lands within the Connecticut River Watershed.

The senators highlighted that over 24,000 acres of priority conservation lands, valued at more than $51 million, have been identified for protection in fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

“This funding is essential to address the unmet needs for land conservation in this region,” the lawmakers wrote. “The refuge not only supports the quality of natural resources but also provides recreational opportunities for millions of people in the surrounding communities.”

They also highlighted the broader economic benefits of wildlife refuges, citing data showing that every $1 invested in federal funding for national wildlife refuges generates nearly $5 in local economic returns. In total, the outdoor recreation economy supports 4.9 million American jobs and generates over $564 billion in consumer spending.

By securing additional funding for the Conte Refuge, the senators believe the region can continue to preserve critical lands while supporting economic growth and job creation.