Get ready to go ice fishing

With the cold weather being forecasted for our area next week, it looks like we might be able to get out ice fishing.  But we must be careful to ensure that there is sufficient ice.  Perhaps we should think about fishing our hill town lakes where the ice should be thicker.  MassWildlife has an ice thickness chart and advice to ice fishermen to which we may want to refer.  Surely most ice fishermen have read the chart and recommendations before but please bear with me, for there could be hundreds of inexperienced ice fishermen going out for the first time this year who don’t possess the following knowledge:   

How can you tell if ice is safe?

You can’t judge ice conditions by appearance or thickness alone; many other factors like water depth, size of waterbody, water chemistry, currents, snow cover, age of ice, and local weather conditions impact ice strength. 

Ice tips to remember:

• New ice is stronger than old ice. Four inches of clear, newly formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially thawed ice may not.
• Ice doesn’t freeze uniformly. Continue to check ice conditions frequently as you venture out onto the ice.
• Ice formed over flowing water and currents is more dangerous.Avoid traveling onto ice-bound rivers and streams. Many lakes and ponds may contain spring holes and other areas of currents that can create deceptively dangerous thin spots. 

Before heading out onto the ice

• Tell someone your plans, including where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Carry a cell phone in case of emergency.  Carry ice picks and rope with you on the ice in order to drive the nails into the ice and pull yourself out. 
• Wear a life jacket. If you fall in, it will keep you at the surface and can provide insulation against the effects of cold water.

Ice thickness guidelines

Use an ice chisel, auger, or cordless drill to make a hole in the ice to determine its thickness and condition at regular intervals. 

If you fall through the ice 

• Don’t panic: Call for help if there are people nearby.
• Don’t remove winter clothing: Air trapped in your clothes can provide warmth and help you float.
• Turn the direction you came from: Ice you previously walked on should be the safest.
• Place your hands and arms on an unbroken surface and kick your legs: If you have ice picks, use them to pull yourself out.
• Lie flat and roll away toward thicker ice to distribute your weight.
• Find shelter and get warm: Change out of wet clothing and into dry coverings. If you are in a remote area, get to or start a campfire. Otherwise, get to a car or house. Seek medical advice from your physician.

If someone else falls in:

Remember the phrase “Preach-Reach-Throw-Go.”

• Preach: Call 911 if you can. Shout to the victim to reassure them help is on the way.
• Reach: If you can safely reach them from shore, extend an object like a rope, jumper cables, tree branch, or ladder to them.
• Throw: Toss one end of a rope or something that will float to the victim.
• Go: If the situation is too dangerous for you to perform a rescue, call 911 or go to find help. Untrained rescuers can become victims themselves.
•  

If a pet falls in:

Do not attempt to rescue the pet, go find help.  Always keep pets leashed while walking on or near ice. 

Biologists rescued iced-in loons from NH lakes

Last month, biologists from the NH Loon Preservation Committee and NH Fish & Game Conservation Officers rescued six iced-in loons from various NH lakes. The loons were examined and treated by local veterinarians, rehabilitated by Maria Colby of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation.

“Loons are heavy-bodied birds with relatively small wings, which means that in order for them to become airborne, they need a long stretch of open water to act as a runway,” said Harry Vogel, Senior Biologist and Executive Director of the Loon Preservation Committee.  “When lakes ice over rapidly, loons can become trapped. Iced-in loons can starve to death or be preyed on by other animals”, he said.

Vogel said that by this time of year, loons should have already left New Hampshire’s lakes. There are several reasons why these six loons may have remained, he said. “Climate change is one potential explanation — until this recent cold snap, the weather in November and December was warmer than usual. These loons may have remained on our lakes to take advantage of the open water and fishing opportunities and may have been caught off guard by the sudden cold snap,” he said.

Vogel said one of the loons had slightly elevated levels of lead in its bloodstream and fish hook fragments in its digestive tract, and another had a severe fungal respiratory illness. “After receiving veterinary care, five of the six have been released on the ocean,” Vogel said in the news release.

The loons were banded prior to release, so biologists will be able to identify them should they return to New Hampshire’s lakes.  “These ice rescues have already proven to have a positive impact on our loon population,” said Vogel. “In January 2016, we rescued five loons on Lake Sunapee. Four of those loons survived and were released on the ocean, and in recent years, we’ve re-sighted three of them back on our lakes. Two have produced chicks since their rescues, helping to grow our threatened loon population in the state.”

I checked with the MA DFW Western District Supervisor, Andrew Madden to see if the loons that he has been monitoring on a local reservoir made it out ok.  “We haven’t seen or heard about the loons for some time so I’m sure they migrated out of the area. We have never had to do an ice rescue with loons but we have picked a few up over the years that accidentally landed in fields. They can’t take off from the ground so we have had to transport them to large enough bodies of water for them to take off. They need a pretty long stretch of water as a runway,” Madden said.

Call MassWildlife if you see a loon in trouble or at risk of becoming iced-in, do not to attempt to rescue loons, as you run the risk of falling through the ice.

License-to-Carry Course

The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club will be hosting LTC and UTAH Firearm Certificate Courses in the near future.  Due to the high demand, the one scheduled for Sunday, January 17 is already filled up. (Class size limited to 10 due to Covid-19).  Upcoming classes are scheduled for Saturdays, February 13, March 13 and April 17 from 9:00am to 1:30 pm at its clubhouse.  This course is Mass State Police Compliant.  The cost for MA certification is $80, other states cost $125 and a combination of any two states cost $150. Remember, space is limited due to Covid-19 guidelines so you must pre-register.  Contact Tom Nadolny at 413-822-6451 or tnadolny1@gmail.com for more information or to pre-register.

Venison and Polenta Dinner”

On January 15, the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club will hold its 38th Annual Venison & Polenta Dinner.  Tickets are still available but they are going fast. The dinner will be a little different this year due to Covid19 protocols. It will be a Take-Out” dinner.  Tickets cost $20.00 each and the meal consists of Venison, Polenta, Salad and Bread.   You can Pick up your meal between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.  Raffle tickets will be available when you pick up your meal. The winner will be notified that night. 

Tickets will be for sale online and in person. All tickets must be paid for in advance – walk-ins cannot be sold until the end and are not guaranteed. Tickets can be purchased online securely via PayPal at:  https//Lenoxsportsmensclub.com/venison-polenta-dinner.

Bon appetit!

Did you get a deer this year? If no, sorry, no venison steaks for you this year.  Fortunately, cottontail and snowshoe hare hunting seasons don’t close until February 27.  If you can’t dine on venison how about a delicious meal of wild rabbit fricassee.  There are a couple of good recipes on the internet.

If you are fortunate to own a beagle or two, they have probably been patiently waiting for deer season to end so that they can get out and do their thing. The late Lambert “Mickey” McGinty of Dalton, when he was president of the Berkshire Beagle Club, once commented that although he loved listening to Johann Strauss’ Radetzky March, he would much rather listen to the sound of a beagle running a rabbit.  Now, that’s music to the ears of a rabbit hunter.  If you don’t own a beagle, see if you can go rabbit hunting with someone who does.  You might be in for a thrill.

Hey, it’s still too early to ice fish.  You are not going to hang around the house, are you?

While we are on the subject of rabbits and hares, please know that the NY Department of Environmental Conservation has issued the following warning about Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease:

“Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is a fatal virus that affects rabbits and hares. A new strain, RHDV2, was identified in 2010 and recently, jumped to wild rabbits and hares in the southwestern U.S., where it spread to six states within four months. The virus can infect wild rabbits and hares, in addition to domestic rabbits. RHDV2 is extremely hardy, easily transmitted, and highly lethal to rabbits and hares. It does not infect humans or other animals like dogs or cats. RHDV2 spreads easily through direct contact between rabbits or contact with contaminated environments or objects.

The most likely potential routes of introduction are through transported domestic rabbits, internationally imported rabbit products, or people who travel to outbreak areas in the southwest. Here are some ways you can help stop its spread:

• If you are a hiker, camper, or traveler, and you have been to known RHDV2 outbreak areas (CA, NV, UT, CO, TX, AZ and Mexico), disinfect footwear with a 10 percent bleach solution (1 part household bleach, 9 parts water) before going afield here or in surrounding states.
• If you keep domestic rabbits, prevent them from intermingling with other rabbits. If you get new rabbits, quarantine them for two weeks and use separate equipment and clothing to care for them.
• If you are a wildlife rehabilitator who cares for wild rabbits, do not keep domestic rabbits as pets or have contact with domestic rabbits; maintain good disinfection techniques; and change PPE between rabbit litters or individual rabbits.
• If you are a rabbit or hare hunter, avoid contact with domestic rabbits, and do not bring rabbit carcasses killed in other states to New York (or Massachusetts).
• Report any unusual wild rabbit mortalities you encounter to the DEC Wildlife Health Unit at (518) 478-2203 (or MassWildlife).

Read the RHDV2 factsheet  (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease – Help Prevent this Threat to New York’s Rabbits & Hares (ny.gov) to learn more about how it spreads, ways to prevent it, and what you can do to help.

Lefty Kreh’s legacy

The American Museum of Fly Fishing, located in Manchester, VT next to the Orvis store has recently announced that its film, Time, made the rounds on the 2020 Fly Fishing Film Tour and is now available to watch for free online.  It is an exploration of Lefty Kreh’s legacy among some of the sport’s greatest living legends as they explore the backwaters of inland Florida – one of Lefty’s favorite fishing areas – and discuss how Lefty’s presence influenced their own trajectories in a life of fly fishing.  Click onto https://amff.org to see the film.

I doubt there is a fly fisherman who hasn’t heard of Lefty.  He was an expert fly fisherman, accomplished photographer, fly casting instructor and an active outdoor writer for more than forty-five years writing for most of the major outdoor magazines. He wrote about 30 flyfishing related books and received many prestigious awards.

During World War II, Lefty served in the Battle of The Bulge and was one of the men who helped take down a bridge from the Germans. After serving in the war, Kreh was one of three US servicemen infected with anthrax, and the only one to survive. The strain he was infected with was named BVK-I.  Interestingly, later in life he was part of the TFO Rod Company and played a key role in the creation of several rods, including the Lefty Kreh series and BVK series (named after the anthrax).   He created the Lefty’s Deceiver, a famous salt water streamer fly.  Kreh passed away on March 14, 2018 at the age of 93.

It was an awful year

Thank God the nightmare year of 2020 is over. A nightmare that featured severe floods, fires, tens of millions of people infected by a pandemic with hundreds of thousands of deaths, massive unemployment resulting in uncounted home evictions and systemic racism.    Hunger was rampant in our country with long lines of people showing up at food banks.   People were shot before our very eyes on nightly TV. You couldn’t hold or be with your loved ones during their last living moments.  Add to that a deadlocked Legislature and an uncaring Executive branch.   Nero fiddled while Rome burned, our emperor played golf during the pandemic.

Attempts were made to overthrow our elections and people who dared to speak the truth were fired and or threatened.  The very tools of our democracy were used to try to destroy our democracy.  We now are subject to dangerous cyberattacks from our adversaries.  Our beloved country and its democracy were like the proverbial snowball rolling for hell, with no way, not impeachment nor 81 million votes being able to stop it.  We came dangerously close to losing our democracy. One couldn’t open Facebook or other social media without encountering vitriolic messages.  I have never seen our country so divided, and I was around in the turbulent 1960’s.

Thank God the US Supreme Court, various State and Federal judicial bodies and the rule of law prevailed.  I truly believe they played an important role in saving our democracy.  Historians will have a field day writing about 2020 and some, I suspect, will not tell it like it was.  It is important that parents remind their children of what they have seen with their own eyes and that they should pass such knowledge on to their children.  In a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons, Winston Churchill paraphrased the Spanish philosopher George Santayana when he said, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”  Let’s hope we have learned.

Yet, some exceptionally good things did happen in 2020 that should not be overlooked.  The dedication and self-sacrifice of our health care workers, doctors, first responders and others who risked their lives in order to fight disasters and care for those inflicted with the virus.  The warp speed development of vaccines to fight the virus by the pharmaceutical industry and the many acts of kindness and selflessness of people that we saw almost every night on the TV news.  Oh yes, some people were treated very nicely by the stock market.

Another good thing that perhaps went unnoticed was the mass movement of people to enjoy outdoor recreation.  Mother Nature can’t cure all of our ills, but she can ease the pain. 

Unfortunately, some of the nightmare will extend into 2021.  We will still have Covid-19 with its resulting sickness and death, will still have fires and floods and our adversaries will still try to bring us down. We will probably still have gridlock in Congress and there will still be vitriol.  

Let’s hope we can exercise civility and respect for one another, talk and listen to one another, become united again, love one another again and strive to become an even better country than before.  Let us also resolve to spend more time next year with Mother Nature in our beautiful woods and waters.  And, oh yes, let us ask for guidance from above.

Happy New Year and stay safe!

After stuffing ourselves with all kinds of food and drink yesterday (including that leaden fruit cake) perhaps we should take a walk today to burn off some of those calories.  How about at Gould Meadows.  Gould Meadows, off of Rte 183, is conservation property owned by the Town of Stockbridge.  It is 95 acres of conservation property with 0.6 miles of public trail and 1,125 feet of water frontage on Stockbridge Bowl, It is open to the public.

Recently Tom Ingersoll of Sheffield built an all-natural bridge across the stream on Gould Meadows that crosses the main path to Stockbridge Bowl from its parking lot near Rte. 183.  The logs to support this bridge are hemlock logs from trees that have fallen near the brook and he recycled them.  The smaller planks on top of the hemlock logs are locust obtained from Will Conklin of Sheffield who milled them. They should last a long time.  The pine chips came from Meadow Farm in Lee and were spread with wheel barrows and rakes by Friends of Gould Meadow volunteers. The main purpose of the bridge is to give hikers a second option to cross the brook when there is high water or icy conditions.   

Funding for restoration of Gould Meadows came from two sources:  Town of Stockbridge’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) and the state’s DCR program entitled Community Forest Stewardship Implementation Grants (CGSIG), through DCR’s Working Forest Initiative in cooperation with the Massachusetts Woodlands Institute.   These grants were obtained through the work of a local company known as Native Habitat Restoration, Stockbridge MA. These 75/25 matching reimbursement grants aid communities in putting their forest stewardship into practice and connect the local citizens to all the benefits forests provide including a local source of wood products, clean water, biodiversity and wildlife habitat.  Since 2011, the CFSIG has assisted communities in completing habitat, forestry and outreach projects on nearly 7,500 acres.  For more information about the Working Forest Initiative, contact Michael Downey, Forest Stewardship Program Coordinator at 413-212-3039.

In addition, there is a connector walking trail made available by the Boston Symphony Orchestra between them and Gould Meadows

The Town of Stockbridge and the volunteers of the Gould Meadows Committee have received over $65,000 from two state grant programs, the most recent being the above noted DCR’s Working Forest Initiative.  The three member Gould Meadows Committee (comprised of Tim Minkler, Ron Brouker and Arthur Dutil, all of Stockbridge) worked with Native Habitat Restoration to apply and received grant funding which allowed habitat restoration to be completed over the past 4 years in fields and woods on the property.  All decisions made for the benefit of Gould Meadows are voted on by the 3 of them.  This work augmented the efforts of the countless volunteers who have worked diligently to steward Gould Meadows.

With both woods and open fields, it is great place for a hike or walking your dog, especially if you only have an hour or so of spare time.  And now with the new bridges, it is even better.

Minkler credits George Wislocki and the late George “Gige” Darey and Mary V. Flynn for saving the property from being developed back in 1981.   At that time there were plans to subdivide the 94.8 acre meadow and build 60 mega mansions which could pollute Stockbridge Bowl.    Darey was a member of the Lenox Board of Selectmen and MA Fish & Wildlife Board at the time, Wislocki was the Executive Director of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council and Flynn was a Stockbridge Selectwoman. They, along with the help of State and Federal Funding, donations from the Boston Symphony, Laurel Hill Society, Camp Mah-Kee-Nac, and intervention by the late Henry Williams, Jack Fitzpatrick, US Rep. Silvio O. Conte, State Rep’s Duffin and State Sen Webber and yeoman fundraising by the Gould Meadow Committee, it was possible for the Town of Stockbridge to purchase it.  At a Town Meeting in March, 1981, voters approved the necessary bonding authorization to acquire the property and keep it forever conservation lands.

On August 19 of that year, a ceremony was held at Gould Meadows to honor Selectwoman Mary Flynn’s contribution to the purchase.  A single oak tree was planted in the middle of the meadow and Bishop Leo O’Neil of Springfield blessed it.  Governor King flew in by helicopter and music was provided by a small gathering of Tanglewood musicians.  Beneath the tree a small plaque was installed which read: “This tree shall be known throughout time as the Mary Flynn Oak.  Her wisdom, political skills and love of Stockbridge served to protect these meadows.” The plaque has since disappeared but the oak remains.  Arthur Dutil kept eye on the tree, watering and trimming it, and now it is sturdy and healthy.  Every summer Gary Johnston of Interlaken mows the meadows around it. 

On October 14, 2017 the Gould Meadows Restoration Committee held a ceremony at the waterfront of Gould Meadows on Stockbridge Bowl to dedicate two benches in honor of the two Georges.  Inscribed on plaques on the benches were the following words:   To George “Gige” Darey/George Wislocki, In recognition of (their) work in regard to the purchase and sale agreement from the Gould Family to the Town of Stockbridge in 1981”.

The Gould Meadows Restoration Committee is at the meadow most every Saturday morning doing various tasks.  Volunteer helpers are always welcomed.  Contact Tim Minkler at (413)644-3590 (w) or (413)298-4630 (h) if you wish to help out.

LSA Receives $1,000 Local Community Grant from Walmart

The Board of Directors of the Lee Sportsmen’s Association recently announced that the club has received a Local Community Grant in the amount of $1,000 from Walmart Giving.  Walmart local community grants are awarded through an open application process and provide funding directly from Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities to local organizations in the U.S.  Together, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have provided more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind to support programs that align with their philanthropic priorities.  “We are proud to be a Walmart grantee, and hope to use this grant to advance our ambitious commitments and goals within the priority areas of opportunity, sustainability, and community”, said the Board.  

Bunnies want your used Christmas trees

The Berkshire Beagle Club will be accepting used and unsold Christmas trees at its club at 380 Sleepy Hollow Road, Richmond.  There should be an A frame sign by the drop spot.  In case its not there just put them to the right of the driveway as you pull in. The bunnies nibble on the branches and use them to provide cover from predator raptors.  Please make sure to remove all tinsel, angle hair and other decorations and ornaments.  The bunnies have a tendency to eat them and can die from their ingestion.  And please no plastic or metal trees.

Incidentally, if you are planning on some day joining the Berkshire Beagle Club, please know that there is currently no membership waiting list.  Just think, your prized beagle could be whooping it up there in a few weeks, if you act soon.  Contact me at the address below if you wish to obtain an application for membership.

Sleepy Time

MassWildlife sent us the enclosed great picture of a mama bear and her young cub with a reminder that it’s bedtime for black bears in Massachusetts.   Black bears typically enter their winter dens at this time of year and exit between March and April. Bears commonly den in brush piles, in mountain laurel thickets, or under fallen trees or rocks. If food is available, bears that are not pregnant may remain active throughout the winter. Cubs are born in the den in mid-to-late January and they remain with the sow mama for about 17 months.

Ice fishing?  Not yet!

Believe it or not, I saw a fellow ice fishing last Wednesday.  The forecasted rain for Christmas day should have put an end to any ice fishing plans for this weekend.  Fellow ice fishermen, this upcoming week is the last one of this terrible, terrible year.    No one wants to read about your breaking through the ice and drowning while ice fishing.  Please wait until there is sufficient ice.  Maybe you can, but I can’t think of a fish worth dying for. 

A tip of the cap to Ryan Ruef of Lee.  On November 21, he was out bowhunting alone in one of his favorite hunting areas in Southern Berkshires.  He was in his climbing stand enjoying the 44-degree weather and watching for a big buck which he knew frequented the area.  He previously spotted it on a trail camera and it appeared to have 18 points!

Around 2:15 pm he saw the buck approaching him and when he got about 40 yards away, Ryan let his arrow fly.  He waited about an hour before beginning to track it. During that time, he saw another big buck, a 12-pointer, chase a doe past his stand.  He had to let it go for he thought that maybe he had limited out (2 bucks limit per year).  He had gotten a smaller deer earlier during archery season.

Finally, he began tracking his deer and luckily, it only traveled about 20 yards.    That was the deer he was waiting for.  Instead of 18 points, it had 15, but he knew it was the same deer for three of the points had been previously broken off probably during the rut while fighting off other bucks. 

After field dressing it, Ryan’s work really began for he had to drag the big buck out of the woods, a distance he estimated to be about 1 ½ miles.  When he got it home, he weighed it and it tipped his reliable scales at 180 lbs. (Live weight, it is estimated to have been about 225-230 lbs.).  The 15 points were, in his opinion, scorable using the Pope and Young scoring criteria, and the” green” beam length was 155 inches.  MassWildlife estimated the deer to be 5 ½ years old. 

Ryan is having the head mounted by Ricky Nelson of Spencer, MA. What a great mount that will be.

He is all done deer hunting for the year and now has to get back to studying for his finals.  He is a senior at Mass College of Liberal Arts.  

Local raised lake trout shipped to Connecticut

Connecticut anglers will have a chance for some late season winter fishing with a recent stocking of close to 500 lake trout across select lakes and ponds in that state.  The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) stocked them in Bigelow Pond, Coventry Lake, Squantz Pond, Tyler Lake and Winchester Lake.  The fish range between 24 to 36 inches in length and they weigh between 5 and 7 pounds. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Berkshire National Fish Hatchery in New Marlborough, MA donated the fish to the state. The hatchery raises lake trout for restoration efforts in the Lower Great Lakes.  Officials said they should provide the possibility of filling the state record in the “Catch & Release” category (the largest fish by length) which was created  in Connecticut this year.

Staying with Connecticut trout fishing, local flyfisherman Dr. Charles Wohl, of Lenox, notes that there is still good fishing on the Farmington River.  He was out recently and caught and released “quite a few decent fish” on nymphs, including a 21-inch brown trout on a size 18 zebra nymph.  “I don’t know how much it weighed,” he said, “but when I lifted it out of the water, the river went down by about two inches.”

Westfield River Wild and Scenic River

Congratulations to Outreach Coordinator Meredyth Babcock, and the rest of the Westfield River Wild and Scenic River Advisory Committee for being highlighted in the November 2020 issue of the National Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers News. The Westfield River watershed offers critical habitat for wildlife as one of the most intact river systems in southern New England. The watershed itself is 517 square miles and includes 636 miles of rivers and streams with over 4,550 acres of lakes and ponds. Being a low population density area combined with the fact that much of the watershed is rural with unfragmented forest, the Westfield is one of the State’s best coldwater fisheries.

Message from Meredyth to all of us: “May the peace, found in a deep pool at the rivers bend, nourish and keep you. The river is open 24 hours a day, singing and reminding one that time passes, seasons change, and water flows towards the sea.”  

MA Fish & Wildlife Board Elections

On November 24, the members of the F&W Board held their annual officer elections.  All three previous officers were reelected for the Year 2021.  They are:  Chairman – Joseph S. Larson, Ph. D of Pelham, Vice Chairman – Michael Roche of Orange and Secretary – Bonita J. Booth of Spencer.  All members of this important board are appointed by the Governor and serve 5-year terms.  The representative for the Western District is Stephen A. Sears of Dalton.

2021 MA Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations available

The regulations are now available at various outdoor sporting goods stores.  There are some new regulations effective in 2021:  A minor hunting license online purchasing option, coyote and fox harvest by hunters must be reported within 48 hours of harvest and wanton waste of game animals and hunting contests for furbearers are prohibited.

Highlighted in the Regulations magazine are MassWildlife’s activities in fiscal year 2020:

“Despite the impacts of COVID 19 in 2020, MassWildlife staff rose to the occasion, continuing their conservation efforts in the fields and forests, on lakes and rivers, at the hatcheries and in-home offices. Another positive note; outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, camping, birdwatching, and other nature-based recreation flourished. Many people less familiar with the outdoors found themselves discovering outdoor spaces and wildlife in their neighborhoods and communities. Seasoned anglers and hunters pulled out their rods and reels, and hunting equipment. Naturalists, birders, and photographers shouldered their dipnets, binoculars, and cameras. MassWildlife and the sporting community has an opportunity to take advantage of this situation by consciously engaging with the novice outdoor newbie and continuing to foster their enjoyment of the outdoors. MassWildlife is committed to do its part to recruit, retain, and reactivate interest in the outdoors and wildlife. At the same time, the agency will continue conservation mission to benefits both wildlife, plants and their habitats.”

• 2,200 acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat acquired. MassWildlife protects over 222,000 acres of property open to hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, and other nature-based recreation.
• 1,500 acres of habitat actively managed on 13 Wildlife Management Areas. Tree clearing, prescribed burns, invasive plant control, and mowing is benefiting declining or rare wildlife like American woodcock, ruffed grouse.
• 30th anniversary of the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act celebrated. Endangered species were featured in the MassWildlife’s e-newsletter, rare species conservation projects were broadcast online, and a Massachusetts Wildlife magazine issue was devoted to endangered species conservation efforts.
• 449,277 trout stocked in the spring of 2020 in 73 lakes and ponds and 174 rivers and streams in 224 cities and towns. In the fall of 2019, a total of 61,612 trout were stocked in 99 ponds and lakes, and 7 rivers and streams in 94 communities. An improved Go Fish MA! map was launched online.
• 40,000 pheasants released for hunters on Wildlife Management Areas and other lands open to hunting. A new pheasant stocking area web map was launched in fall 2019.
• 23,182 turkey permits purchased. This record number may be due to COVID-19 closures which allowed hunters more time and opportunity to hunt.
• 130 educators attended Project WILD workshops and instructed about 9,750 youths in wildlife conservation. An additional 521 young people participated in general wildlife education programs through community, youth group, and other organizations.
• 338 pieces of artwork submitted for the Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp Contest by youth artists in grades K–12.
• 1,519 entries for the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards entries. Submit your catch entry online in the Youth or Adult Category.
• 1.5 million visitors – Number of individuals visiting MassWildlife’s web pages. In addition, over 49,000 people follow MassWildlife on Facebook and 81,342 people receive MassWildlife’s monthly e-newsletter and 20,000 subscribe to Massachusetts Wildlife magazine.

Busy folks, ey?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all and stay safe.

The Shotgun Deer Hunting season ended yesterday but hunters still have an opportunity to get a deer during the Primitive Firearms Deer Hunting season.  Ironically, this season has 3 names, primitive firearms, black powder and muzzleloader.  Pick your favorite.  It opens Monday and runs through December 31.  A Primitive Firearms Stamp is required and there are special regulations governing this season listed in the Massachusetts Fishing & Hunting official regulations.  Archers can hunt during this season but they also must purchase the Primitive Firearms Stamp. 

Remember, an Antlerless Deer Permit is required to hunt any deer without antlers or have antlers less than 3 inches in length. So, if a buck sheds its antlers late in December, which is not uncommon, you cannot shoot it unless you have an antlerless permit.  That’s one reason to get out muzzleloader hunting early in the season.  The other may be the warmer temperatures and less snow.

MassWildlife has some suggestions to help us achieve success this muzzleloader season:

Find the food source –With cold weather setting in and the rut ending, focusing on food sources is the best approach to encounter deer. Hunters should concentrate on areas where acorns and beech nuts remain on the ground, apple orchards, fields planted with winter rye, or other natural food sources. In addition, shrubby thickets and young forest areas that regenerate following timber harvests can also draw deer in to browse during the winter months. 

MassWildlife tip: White oak acorns are preferred by deer but are also eaten by other wildlife and can disappear pretty quickly. At this point, deer will move onto acorns from red oaks and other oak species. If you find a patch of white or red oak acorns, this is a good place to direct your efforts.

Keep your powder dry –When hunting with a muzzleloader, you generally only get one shot to harvest a deer and a misfire can rob you of any chance of success. Misfires can be caused by wet black powder or black powder substitute. To keep powder dry, store it in the original container until you’re ready to put it into your barrel or into a “speed load,” which is watertight. Once the powder is in your barrel, place a small balloon or piece of tape over the end to keep water, snow, and debris from getting in. (There are other things that one can use too, ask an ex-GI).  Don’t worry, it won’t affect the accuracy of your muzzleloader. Also, be careful to keep percussion caps or 209 primers dry.

Tip: Several different brands of black powder substitute are available for use in many modern muzzleloaders. Consult the manufacturer’s manual of your muzzleloader to see if using black powder substitute is an option. These black powder substitutes have the advantage over traditional black powder in that they cause less fouling in your barrel, are easier to store and clean properly, and in some cases offer enhanced resistance to moisture.

Keep yourself warm–If you’re comfortable and warm, you will be able to sit still longer and be ready if you get the opportunity to take a shot. During this late season in Massachusetts, staying warm can be a challenge. Dress in layers with moisture wicking material close to your body. Remember that cotton has little insulating ability when dry and zero insulating ability when wet, so avoid cotton clothes for your hunt at all costs. To keep your core warm, select a performance base layer, and insulating middle layer, and make sure to include a windproof fabric in one of your outer layers—and don’t forget the hand warmers.  In extreme cold, it’s also important to insulate yourself from the ground and from your treestand. Without extra insulation, the metal platform of a treestand can quickly pull heat from the bottom of your feet even if you are wearing the best winter boots. Carry an insulated seat cushion to sit on and some type of insulating material, like a piece of a foam sleeping pad used for camping, to stand on to keep your whole body warmer.

Tip: Dressing in all your layers for the walk to a treestand often results in sweating. This extra moisture can make you cold and ruin your hunt. Carry heavy outer layers with you in a backpack and put them on once you arrive at your stand.

Bowhunting in the cold– Bowhunters face an extra challenge when hunting this late season as they must balance the need to keep warm with the need to draw a bow. Quality clothing and careful layering are needed to minimize bulkiness that can make it difficult to draw or interfere with your bowstring when you release. Be sure to practice shooting your bow while wearing all the layers, you may find it necessary to adjust the draw weight of your bow down a little. You’re free to bulk up with warm clothing from the waist down so choose warm and windproof layers for your legs. Keep your feet warm with well-insulated boots and consider using disposable foot warmers or rechargeable heated insoles.

Tip:  Wearing a glove under your release and on your bow hand can change your anchor point and therefore affect your accuracy. Practice shooting with the gloves you hunt with or wear a thin glove and use handwarmers to keep your hands warm. You can find a wide variety of reusable and disposable hand and body warmers, including adhesive handwarmers.

Thank you MassWildlife for the cold weather hunting advice and tips.  Here’s one more tip from the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department: 

Don’t rely on cellphone mapping apps

The NHF&G is warning hikers (and hunters) not to rely on cellphone mapping apps for wilderness navigation after two individuals got lost in the woods up there.  According to the Department, a mother and daughter from Massachusetts were hiking in the mountains near Tamworth last Saturday when they became lost.  They had been using a mapping application on their cellphone.  After calling for assistance officials were able to help them find the trail.

While the incident ended safely, authorities said they’ve seen an increase in the number of hikers who get lost while using their smartphones to navigate.  In a statement, the Department warned that map apps often contain errors and won’t work in areas with poor cell service.  They advise hikers heading into the wilderness to bring a paper map, a handheld GPS unit and a compass.

We have our share of fairly remote areas here in the Berkshires, too where there is little or no cell service.  Bring that trusty old compass and maps along, just in case.

Of the three deer hunting seasons (archery, shotgun, muzzleloader), I like the muzzleloader the best even though I’ve never gotten a deer during that season.  There is something about strapping on a pair of snowshoes and heading out into our beautiful winter wonderland to do some hunting in the falling snow (with some snow falling off of the trees and down our necks).  There is solitude and stark beauty when the forest floor is blanketed with snow.  Even though the leaves are gone leaving only dull grayish tree barks and evergreens, the forests take on their own beauty at this time of year.  The footprints in the snow of various critters always gets my attention, be it bobcat, coyote, deer, mink, or whatever. 

I remember one day, over 30 years ago, when several of us snowshoe hunted up in Middlefield with snow up to our thighs.  Sometimes we would slip out of a snowshoe harness and would sink almost up to our waists.  We were much younger then and it didn’t bother us at all.  We never got cold for the strenuous exercise used in mogging through the snow kept us warm.  It wasn’t until the end of the day when our pants and gloves were frozen stiff that we realized that it was pretty cold out. Ah, those were the days, unfortunately some of us are too old to do that now.  Doesn’t matter anyway, for we hardly have winters like that anymore.

Here’s hoping you have an enjoyable, successful and safe muzzleloader hunt.  Let people know where you are, be careful, stay hydrated and keep your powder dry.

In his November report to the MA Fisheries & Wildlife Board, Fish & Game Commissioner Ron Amidon expressed pleasure with the results of FY2021 budget for Land Acquisition and Stewardship.  Last week the Executive Office for Energy and Environmental Affairs announced that the FY2021 Capital for land acquisition was set at $3,500,000 an $850,000 increase over last years budget of 2,650,000.  The Governor’s office also agreed to approve an additional $825,000 in 2021 capital funding to be used in five specific FY2020 acquisition projects that they were not able to complete by the June 30 deadline because of Covid-19.  (No specifics were given).

The Land Stewardship and Habitat Management and Restoration Budget was set at $1,364,000 which is level funded and which Amidon considered very good news. On top of that, they approved an additional $67,000 to be used for one specific habitat restoration project that could not be completed by the June 30 deadline also due to the Covid related delays.  “So, given all of the numerous issues and problems and conditions that Covid created, we have to be very happy with those budgets”, said Amidon They are looking forward to working with the Fish & Wildlife Board to “get out there and chase down some more land and continue to grow what we already manage”.

Wet first day shotgun deer hunting. 

As of this column’s deadline date, not too many deer were checked into the local stores and shops, probably because hunters heeded the advice of MassWildlife and checked them in online.  Perhaps the rainy opening day had something to do with the low harvest count.  Pete’s Gun Shop checked in only one deer, none were checked in at Dave’s Sporting, two were checked in at Avid Sports and figures were not available from the Cheshire Sporting Goods.  The Mill River General Store bucked the trend and checked in nine on Monday and two on Tuesday.

Personally, I could only get out on opening day and the only thing I got was a wet you-know-what.

2021 hunting, fishing trapping licenses are available

MassWildlife has begun selling the 2021 licenses.  Good news!  There has been no fee increase.  They do advise you to use care when purchasing them during December, as both 2020 and 2021 products are available. 

Sadly, there were a couple noted outdoor sports folks who passed away this month, one local and one from the eastern part of the Commonwealth

2021 Lou Etman

Local outdoor sportsman Lou Etman, of North Adams, passed away on November 23 at the age of 87.   He was a well- known regional archer who was formerly the President of the Tri-State Archer’s Association, a member of the Stockbridge Sportsman Club, the Catamount Archers, and the Mount Greylock Archers. He was a Life Member of the NRA.  He served in various capacities for regional organizations.  If my memory serves me right, just last year he volunteered to conduct a guided bear hunt for the Whitetails Unlimited in its fundraising banquet.

Nominated by the Tri-State Archers and the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club, he and his wife Dottie received the 1996 Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s Outstanding Achievement Award.

Nancy Begin

Noted wildlife artist and life-long Topsfield resident, Nancy Eleanor Killam Begin passed away on November 9 at the age of 95. Born and raised in Topsfield, she inherited her family’s traditions of farming, hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation. She was a sportswoman and dedicated community leader who spent her life advocating for fish and wildlife conservation in the Commonwealth.

She was the first woman appointed to the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a position she held for 27 years. During her time on the Board, she worked to establish MassWildlife’s Wildlands Stamp Program that supports land acquisition and was active in promulgating endangered species regulations. She was also heavily involved with the state waterfowl stamp contest. 

Nancy was the first woman voted Sportswoman of the Year by the Essex County Sportsman League. She was also the recipient of the Francis W. Sargent Conservation Award in recognition of her significant contributions to the conservation of natural resources in the Commonwealth. In 2011, in recognition to her years of service to MassWildlife, the Nancy E. Begin Newbury Marsh Overlook at the William Forward Wildlife Management Area (Hay Street in Newbury) was dedicated in her honor.

MassWildlife had some pretty important retirements to report also: 

Lynn Harper

Lynn Harper, the longtime Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Habitat Protection Specialist, retired from state service at the end of October.  She had acted as staff to the Lands Committee; responded to municipal and nonprofit requests for land-protection and species information.  She had organized and coordinated two SWAPs (State Wildlife Action Plan) to completion for MassWildlife, resulting in significant federal aid for state species of conservation concern.  She worked with other staff on the BioMap and BioMap2 products.  She established the agency’s iNaturalist profile with multiple ‘projects’ in Wildlife Management Areas across the state, among many other projects and initiatives during her tenure.

Deputy DFG Commissioner Mary Lee King

After over 40 years of state government, Mary Lee announced her retirement at the November 24 Fish & Wildlife Board Meeting.

“I am very proud of the work we have done together and I now feel ready and at ease with my decision to retire from the Department of Fish & Game and the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. I will miss working for conservation and improved opportunity for hunters, fishermen and anyone who likes the great outdoors. I wish more than anything that Gige (Darey) was here to say goodbye.” she said. 

Before working for the Department of Fish and Game, she had worked as Chief Policy Advisor in the Weld Administration and Chief of Staff for State Senator Paul Cellucci, prior to his becoming governor.  In addition to the many fine words said about her by Commissioner Amidon, Former State Representative, EEOC Secretary and current fellow Board Member Bob Durand said: “We are losing a really great, dedicated public servant whose institutional memory alone was worth a lot to of us. Your contacts with the legislators will be really missed.”

Mike Roche, Vice Chair of the Fish & Wildlife Board said the following, “I don’t believe that most people know over the last 20+ years what a difference you have made, and I know your relationship with Gige.  I know how many things happened under the radar screen that you made possible and I can’t thank you enough for your ongoing contributions, never looking for any recognitions but getting things done.  For that, I will always remember you.”

DFW Director Mark Tisa said: “Not only were you a friend of the Agency but you actually worked to help it.  Always quietly and effectively working behind the scenes on behalf of the Division, never getting recognition nor notoriety but because of the way you worked you got things done for the Agency.  You didn’t just talk the talk but also walked the walk for Fisheries and Wildlife.”

January 2 will be her last day of work.

We sometimes don’t recognize the important roles that women play in safeguarding our precious outdoor activities.

The Woodmen Life Community Awards

They are given to individuals who directly impact their communities by showing outstanding efforts in conserving natural resources on a wide scale and also for the individuals who have devoted their time and effort to cleaning up the environment on a volunteer basis.  Recently the awards were held in Moss Point, Mississippi.  Congratulations to former Richmond, MA native Douglas Chapman for receiving the Woodman Life Achievement Award.  He received the award for his working with the environment and educating children about marshland restoration projects on site including making bat houses that are used to attract bats.

Although now a permanent resident in Florida (spending his winters in Florida and summers in Richmond), he still is an active volunteer for the Berkshire Natural Resources Council by continuing to assist the BNRC with various carpentry projects when he returns.  Thanks to Fran Marzotto of Pittsfield for passing this information on to us. 

Well, here we go again.  Another sleepless night, tossing and turning in anticipation of Monday’s hunt. I don’t even know why I go to bed, I never get any sleep.

It looks like we may have a rainy opening day, but Tuesday may bring snow which will aid us in tracking them.  Remember there are new regulations that prohibit the wanton waste of game animals taken during the regulated hunting and trapping seasons. It is unlawful for hunters to intentionally or knowingly leave a wounded or dead game animal (such as a coyote) without making a reasonable effort to retrieve and use it. Each animal must be retained until processed or used for food, pelt, feathers, or taxidermy. This does not apply to animals unfit for consumption or use—animals and their parts that are damaged, destroyed, decayed, rotting, diseased, or infected. 

Marion Larson, MassWildlife Chief of Information & Education, wrote the following in a special alert: “We’ve recently heard that despite emails to hunters, social media announcements and newsletter announcements that have gone out throughout the fall, there are shotgun deer hunters who are unaware that this year, due to COVID 19 restrictions, deer taken in the first week of shotgun season do NOT have to be taken to a physical check station for harvest reporting and biological data collection. Hunters are strongly encouraged to report their harvest through the MassFishHunt system.  MassWildlife will not be operating check stations at their offices. Hunters are welcome to call the DFW Western District Office (413-684-1646) if they are unable to check online and they can figure out a way to get their animal checked in.  Also, the following local shops will be able to accommodate you:  Pete’s Gun Shop, 9 Grove St., Adams, (413-743-0780); Cheshire Sporting Goods, 50 Church Street, Cheshire, (413-776-7216);  Dave’s Sporting Goods, 1164 North St., Pittsfield, (413-442-2960);  Avid Sports, 1201 West Housatonic St., Pittsfield,( 413-997-3600) and the Mill River General Store, 10 Great Barrington Mill River Rd., New Marlborough, (413-229-2663). 

It is important that you call ahead to see if they are open because some are open on various days and closed on others. 

Good luck and have a safe and enjoyable shotgun hunting season.

This year, instead of writing about my personal opening day experiences as I usually do, I decided to write about something my father (also named Gene) experienced and related to me and my sibs many times. The following in no way encourages nor sanctions deer jacking which is illegal and always has been.

I’m not totally sure when the event occurred but my, and my older brother Jim’s best guess is sometime between 1920 and 1925.  At that time, my father was a local deputy game warden in his late 20’s who reported to the legendary local game warden, William Sargood.  (If that name vaguely rings a bell, it may be because Officer Sargood was the person after whom the famous bull moose “Old Bill’ from October Mountain was named.  (Perhaps another article, at another time).

One day sometime before deer hunting season opened, Officer Sargood was tipped off about a deer jacking incident.  The perpetrator lived on the outskirts of a Southern Berkshire town.  So, Officer Sargood and my father drove to the house of the alleged perpetrator one early evening.

Upon driving up the dirt driveway to the house, they discovered that the perpetrator lived in a shack, not much larger or better constructed than a chicken coop. Officer Sargood told my father to wait outside by the car and keep an eye out for any trouble or someone fleeing the premises.  Officer Sargood knocked on the door and was let in.

A little while later, Officer Sargood and a man carrying a kerosine lantern walked out the door and went to a shed behind the house. There were a couple of youngsters accompanying them, presumably the man’s children.  While my father was waiting, he noticed a couple of other smaller children peeking out from under the house window curtain.  Actually, the curtain was nothing more than material from a burlap bag.  Being in the early 1920’s, they probably had never seen an automobile before, especially at their house.

A little while later, Officer Sargood returned to the car and told my father, “Let’s go”.  While driving away from the house, my father asked if there was a deer hanging in the shed and Sargood said yes. After a minute or so of silence, my father then asked why he didn’t arrest the guy.

“Well, Gene”, Sargood said, “A man’s got to do what he’s got to do, to feed his family.”

End of discussion.

Don’t feed the deer

Recently, a woman who lives on Connecticut Avenue in Pittsfield sent me an email regarding people feeding the deer near there and asked me to rerun an article which came out last year regarding that very subject.  Rather than run the entire column, I am listing here the reasons why we should not feed the deer; reasons provided by MassWildlife in its news release of January 2, 2020.

Supplemental feed sites congregate wildlife into unnaturally high densities, which can:Attract predators and increase risk of death by wild predators or domestic pets;

Spread diseases among wildlife or cause other health issues (e.g. Rumen acidosis in deer, Aflatoxicosis in turkeys);

Cause aggression and competition over food, wasting vital energy reserves and potentially leading to injury or death;

Reduce fat reserves, as wild animals use energy traveling to and from the feeding site;

Cause wildlife to cross roads more frequently, therefore increasing vehicle collisions;

Negatively impact vegetation and habitat in areas where feeding congregates animals.

Providing wildlife with food at any time of year teaches them to rely on humans for food, which puts them at a disadvantage for survival and can lead to human/wildlife conflicts. Once habituated behavior is established, it can be very difficult or impossible to change.

 A sad farewell

For the second time in the nearly 17 years that I have been writing this column, my wife Jan and I have had to say goodbye to a lovable beagle.  The first time was in 2007 when we said goodbye to Jackson.  He was a wonderful dog that had to be put down due to a serious illness.  That was one awfully sad day. 

Last week we had to say goodbye to Jacques.   For nearly 13 years he was our constant companion from the first thing in the morning to the last thing at night, rarely letting us out of his sight.  He was there with us as we fished for stripers on Cape Cod, was there sitting on a rock in the Ausable River in NY watching us fly fish; was there with us as we hiked wilderness trails in the Adirondacks and there as we bass fished lakes in New Hampshire and MA.  He even accompanied us on trips as far as Illinois. When we camped in our pop-up camper, he had his own bed.   He always sat in the front of our bass boat and he rode shotgun in our paddleboat with Jan. He was a pretty well- known dog up on Ashmere Lake in Hinsdale. He was a superb rabbit hunter.  He took us on walks every day, shared our meals, and he slept on the floor right next to us in our bedroom every night.    He was my ice fishing companion.  His picture was in this column at least twice.

He was a shelter dog when we obtained him at 9 months old after two previous owners.  He lived the life of Riley until this year, which was a pretty tough one. Even so, he was a good dog who always seemed to be smiling and wagging his white tipped tail. We refused to let him go until the very end, when it was the only humane thing to do. Saying good bye to him was one of the most difficult things that we have ever had to do.  No, this parting was not a sweet sorrow for we will never see him again………only in our memories.  Rest in peace little Jacques, and many thanks for the wonderful memories.

Russell Belanger, a tournament bass angler from Great Barrington, will be participating in the B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Championships in 2021. He will be part of 10 qualifying anglers from Massachusetts.  He and local co-angler Asher Hotson of Lenox recently participated in the B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship tournament which was held on October 3 – 4 on the Oxbow Section of the Connecticut River near Northampton. Russell came in 2^nd place as a pro, and Asher came in 3^rd in the Co-Angler Division.  Normally, the 2-Day State Championship is held out of state, but this year, being unique because of Covid-19, the Championship was held in smaller local waters. Belanger had a 2-day weight total of 17 lbs. of Smallmouth Bass, including day 2 Lunker Smallmouth in the Pro Division. Asher Hotson managed the day 2 Largemouth Lunker in the Co-Angler Division. When I Asked Russell about what he thought of the Tournament on the Oxbow he said, “It’s known for being the best Largemouth fishing section of the Connecticut River. The fishing was tough on the anglers who targeted Largemouth that weekend. There were plenty of guys that came to the scales empty handed on day 1. Most guys who fish this event simply want to finish in the top 6 and make the State Team. That was my goal.”

By virtue of finishing in the top of the field, Belanger and Hotson qualified for the Regional Championships in 2021.   The Regional Championships will be comprised of 10 boaters and 10 co-anglers from Massachusetts. They will compete against the top Pros and Co-Anglers from all states of the entire eastern seaboard. (15 states represented by 150 boats), it’s a big deal. I asked Russell if he knows where the 2021 Regional Championship will be held. “There’s talk it will be on Lake Erie. Anywhere with Smallies is fine with me,” he said. 

What were his secrets for success? Belanger said, “When Asher and I were pre-fishing for the tournament, we noticed how difficult it was to get Largemouth bites. I got the sense that the tournament weights were going to be much lower than normal. A 5 fish (Smallmouth) limit each day of the event was better than grinding all day for one Largemouth bite. This is what shifted my decision to stay on the main river and go for Smallmouth. It didn’t take long before I realized that not only could we catch quantity Smallmouths, but I was really impressed by the size we were getting. I’ve fished inside the Oxbow before, but this is the only section of the Connecticut River that I have never fished before the week of the tournament. It’s a dangerous section to navigate, but we spent almost an entire day just mapping safe routes and marking hazards. The water level was low(and) a lot of the marker buoys were already pulled out for the season. I believe this extra time is what separated me from the rest of the field and helped me find better spots that I could have to myself. I also fished a technique that I learned from hundreds of hours fishing in the current on the St. Lawrence River over the past few seasons. I was drifting my bait in the current instead of casting. This style of Smallmouth fishing requires some practice and patience. It proved to be extremely effective on the Connecticut River as well.”

“I don’t think a lot of people in the Berkshires understand there is something like B.A.S.S. Nation,” says Belanger. “The B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship is a cool story but the important part is the opportunity to fish the regional (tournament) as a member of the MA State Fishing Team. It’s the first step for a tournament angler like myself, to potentially qualify for National Championship or hopefully the Bassmaster Classic.”

Based upon the pictures of the large bass that he has sent me he appears to be quite an exceptional fisherman. Check out some of them and find out about him on his Instagram @RussBelangerFishing or his Bass Fishing Guide page @HiddenGemBassGuide_NE. He runs a guide service that will take you out on some local spots, or do trips to bigger regional lakes. Belanger and Hotson will be seeking local sponsorship to help with the expenses of traveling to the Regional/National Championships next year. You can find them both on Facebook or Instagram.

B.A.S.S. Nation is advertised as a “grass roots” organization that exists in part by and for many men and women who live for and love the sport of bass fishing. Their fishermen represent and serve several communities in Massachusetts alone, the organization as a whole is nationwide and helps preserve the bass fishing world anglers have grown to love and respect.  Its goal is to promote the sport of bass fishing as well as maintain a respectable image in the local communities. Part of its focus is to work with the youth in assisting them in understanding the sport of bass fishing as well as maintaining a respectable image as a “good sport” fisherman. Additionally, they like to instill the value of respecting conservation preservation with respect to the rivers and bodies of water upon which they compete.  Conservation is a very big part of B.A.S.S. Nation across the U.S.  Many organizations are set up specifically for this mission, which is why this organization as a whole, focuses on such a crucial element to the future sport of bass fishing.  Without conservation and clean water, we would have nothing. For more information on B.A.S.S. Nation click onto www.bassmaster.com/join

Lake Trout monitoring

Each fall, MassWildlife samples the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs to monitor lake trout populations and examine population characteristics. Lake trout typically spawn in late October and November when the surface water temperatures are around or below 50°F. The spawning grounds are typically shallow, rocky waters on windy shores of the Reservoirs; spawning occurs mostly after dusk. Night sampling on big waters can be cold and icy in November, but the information it provides biologists is well worth the effort. 

To capture lake trout, field crews set nets on spawning areas starting at sunset and check them about every 20 minutes. Captured fish are removed from the nets and placed in a live well. Next, biologists record length, weight, and sex and implant a small Passive Integrated Tag (PIT) in the fish. Prior to release, the adipose fin is clipped to provide an external mark indicating that the fish has been captured before. Data collected provide biologists with an understanding of the current condition of lake trout populations. If fish are recaptured from previous tagging efforts, biologists can calculate individual growth rates. Lake trout are long lived and slow growing and it is not uncommon for a tagged fish to be recaptured 10 years later. In fact, the longest recapture interval recorded was 24 years! When other species like landlocked salmon, smallmouth bass, rock bass, and white perch are captured, biologists record information including length, weight, and sex but do not implant PIT tags. Sampling efforts like this are just one way that MassWildlife monitors the health of the fish resources of the Commonwealth.

Look at the 17.7 lb. beauty measuring 37.2″ they took out of Wachusett last week!

______________________________________________________________

Readers may be wondering why I am featuring two fish articles in November, the middle of hunting season.  Well, thanks to Covid-19, the DFW District offices are closed and hunters have been encouraged to check in their deer/bear on-line rather than at the DFW Regional Headquarters in Dalton. This year hunters may report online during BOTH weeks of shotgun season

Long story short, I am unable to get the usual local information such as the deer sizes, number of points, hunters’ names, town of the harvest, etc., from the DFW Field Headquarters in Westborough. It’s a bummer.

I guess we will have to wait until the Division gets around to reporting them in a press release.

Second Black Bear Hunting Season ending

Bear hunters have until the end of today to harvest a bear during the 2020 Second Bear Hunting Season.  But don’t worry, there is the Shotgun Bear Hunting season which coincides with the Shotgun Deer Hunting season coming up from November 30 until December 13.  

Just when things were starting to get back to normal, Covid-19 reared its ugly head and is on a rampage again.  Sporting clubs which were starting to get back to normal while abiding by mandated safety procedures are receiving another setback.  Not the least was the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS).  After its second consecutive monthly meeting which was held in November, it was announced by its Executive Committee that until further notice, its monthly meetings have been once again cancelled.  That means that there is a strong possibility that the annual Silvio O. Conte Sportsmen’s Recognition Banquet and awards normally held in April may once again have to be postponed.  Individuals who were scheduled to receive awards last April will not be forgotten and will be awarded as soon we are past this plague.

In the meantime, Wayne McLain, current president of the BCLS announced that if sportsmen have urgent business which must be brought to the attention of the League, they should contact any member of its Executive Committee.  That committee can address the issues by live streaming with one another from their homes.  You can e-mail the members of the committee as follows:  Wayne McLain, President at wmclainhunt@gmail.com, Robert McCarthy, VP at REMcCarthyJr@gmail.com, Dan Kruszyna, Treasurer at krusdan@aol.com and me Secretary at Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com.

Also, in a news release Ben Furimsky, President and CEO of The Fly Fishing Show, recently wrote that (fly fishermen) are no doubt painfully aware of the ongoing medical battle with COVID-19 mixed with local and state show attendance regulations, including numbers of attendees allowed, has severely impacted the fly fishing industry with dramatic changes for the 2021 Fly Fishing Show.    After seemingly endless negotiations with show sites, hotels, and government health agencies, the Fly Fishing Show was reluctantly forced to make changes to its 2021 schedule.  As a result, the Marlborough (MA) and Edison (NJ) Fly Fishing shows are postponed until year 2022. The shows in Lancaster, PA currently scheduled for March 6 and 7, Atlanta, GA scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6 and Pleasanton, CA scheduled for Feb 19, 20, 21 are still on.   Announcement of any changes to the three final show sites and dates will be made when confirmed.

“Changes in the Fly Fishing Show schedule due to the coronavirus have impacted the lives and businesses of hundreds of exhibitors including guide services, international tackle manufacturers, specialized travel booking agencies, artists and retailers plus hundreds of personalities, seminar leaders, fly tiers and other experts with scheduled presentations at each show. The Fly Fishing Shows are some of the most anticipated gatherings annually because they are when our community can see what’s new, test products, make purchases, book travel, renew friendships and reignite the fire that drives us all to carry on the traditions of fly fishing. It’s the experience of being with other people that generates the excitement and motivation for the upcoming season and we look forward to this as soon as we can operate safely.”

“This pandemic has been a financial disaster for communities, show facilities and hotels that rely on the thousands of Fly Fishing Show visitors annually. We have worked extremely hard in an effort to not give up on those who depend on our events, so it is with a heavy heart that we are forced to make these changes. Safety is our number one priority and with that in place, our goal will be a successful event.  It will be more important than ever to come support your favorite vendors.” said Furimsky.

What a shame.  The annual Fly Fishing Show which is held in Marlborough each January is without a doubt the best one in New England.  People flock to it each year from all over the Northeast and there is a healthy number of local anglers attending from the Berkshires, too.  The show has fly-casting and tying demonstrations, manufacturer and retail store displays of the newest rods, reels, lines, boots, waders, clothing, flies and books during the three-day run.  Anglers frequently book flyfishing trips to Labrador, Iceland and other exotic places. The show usually has about 10 seminars, demonstrations and Destination Theater presentations each hour including Labrador’s Monster Brookies, Fly Fishing Martha’s Vineyard, the Upper Connecticut River, and Fly-Fishing Western Maine.  After returning home from those shows, many fly fishermen are hyped up and head straight for their fly tying vices to make flies for the spring trout fishing season – right after they hide that new rod or reel purchase.

Sporting clubs that rely on their dinners, banquets, turkey shoots, field trials and other events are also hurting because of the pandemic.  They rely on funds derived from them to pay their real estate taxes, utilities, postage, etc. 

It is a real pain, but if everyone does their part by wearing masks, socially distancing, avoiding crowds, washing their hands, etc., we will get through it sooner.  Hang in there my friends.

Current/Recent MassWildlife Activities

Getting back to the BCLS, at the last meeting, Andrew Madden, Supervisor of the DFW Western District gave the delegates some updates of their activities which included:

• The MA DFW Pheasant Stocking has been going well and they intend to stock pheasants up through thanksgiving week. He noted that MassWildlife has a map of stocked areas available on its website. It contains information about stocking frequency and parking locations and can be accessed at   https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-pheasant-stocked-area

• The Paraplegic Deer hunt went well with 18 hunters participating across 4 sites. The weather was poor and the Covid-19 requirements were challenging but the hunt went well. DFW thanks the volunteers and hunters for their cooperation.

• MassWildlife has been hosting a series of livestream events on Facebook. These cover topics from hunting tips to fishing to biology of the State’s resources. DFW encourage sportsmen and women as well as any member of the public to participate. Some require registration but all are available for viewing shortly after running.

• MassWildlife Deer biologist David Stainbrook has moved on so the Division will be looking for a new biologist in that position.

• MassWildlife continues to develop habitat projects in the Western District. It has projects in development for Ashfield-Hawley Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Fox Den WMA, and Farmington River WMA.

• MassWildlife’s R3 plan, not reading, writing and ‘rithmetic but rather Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation of outdoor sportsmen and women has been presented to the Fisheries and Wildlife Board. Members of the BCLS will get more information soon on this subject. This column will do extensive coverage of the R3 plan in the near future.

TU Elections

The Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the only Berkshire County chapter with some 170 or so members, recently held its elections for its officer positions.  The new slate of officers are:  President: John Burns of Cummington, VP: Henry Sweren of Lanesborough, Secretary: Fran Marzotto of Pittsfield and Treasurer: Bill Travis of Pittsfield.  The chapter is also affected by Covid-19 as it had to cancel its 2020 Christmas Party, an event which is always well attended with great opportunities to acquire some incredible deals on flyfishing stuff.

A reputable fly rod maker

Readers may recall a column which was written in September, 2020 wherein I wrote about a fishing trip to the AuSable River in and around Wilmington and Lake Placid, NY.  You may recall that my fishing buddy Paul Knauth of Hinsdale and I got skunked on that trip.  We never caught a fish and in addition to that we simply had bad luck.  In that trip, I wrote about Paul’s brand-new Hardy 10- foot flyrod which he had received as a retirement gift from Crane Paper.  Although it is considered one of the best flyrods in the world, it broke while he was joining the sections together on our first morning of that trip.  It was just another stroke of bad luck on that trip.  Since then, some readers have inquired as to whether the Hardy Company of England made it good and replaced that rod.  Yes, they did.  Last week, Paul received the completely repaired rod and was never charged a cent.  Good rod makers are like that – they stand behind their products.

Cold, snowy and rainy weather made for a rough paraplegic hunt

Each year, about 25–30 paraplegic hunters sign up for the special paraplegic hunt. For many, it’s the only opportunity they have to hunt. The hunt is typically held at 5 sites, but this year there was no hunt in the Northern Berkshire site.

This year the hunt took place from Thursday, October 29 through Saturday October 31.  Only two paraplegic hunters were able to get out hunting this year in the Berkshires and they hunted out of the Southern Berkshires area.     They were Vyto Sablevicius of Norwich, MA, and Greg Baumli of New Lebanon, NY. 

I visited the Southern Berkshire Mount Everett site on Thursday, the first day of the hunt and it was a raw and rainy day. Unfortunately, because of the Covid-19 virus, the DCR Headquarters at Mount Washington State Forest was locked shut and no one could gain access to get out of the elements or gain access to the bathrooms.    No cooking or dining was allowed inside.   

Otto Maier, owner of O’s Hillside Diner in Hillsdale, heard of their plight and donated free meals to the hunters and volunteer for the 3-day period although I am not sure if anyone took advantage of the offer. Craig Willis of White Wolf Construction donated a porta-potty, Chuck Pickert, who normally provides meals using his portable smoker was not allowed to prepare any of his outstanding meals as he has done in the past. A volunteer did bring a gas grill and they cooked pork chops, others brought a couple of tarps to cover them from the rain.  I didn’t stay long on that day and was unable to make it there on Friday or Saturday. 

Friday morning was cold with a heavy frost and later on it snowed some 6 inches on Mount Washington that day.  Saturday was a better day, but quite windy. 

No one bagged a deer over the 3-day period, although they did see a deer.  Perhaps most deer just hunkered down during the nasty weather.

A tip of the hat to volunteers:  Sean Smith (43 years of volunteering), Marc Portieri (31), Greg Arienti (25), Fred Lampro (11), Tom Dean (11), Matt Roach (8), DFW Biologist Nate Buckhout (3) and new this year was DFW’s Eli Pease, the new Western District Wildlife Technician. 

In addition to the Southern Berkshires, hunts were conducted at the Quabbin Reservation, Devens Reserve Forces Training Area in Lancaster and Otis Edwards Reservation in Falmouth. Some eighteen hunters participated state-wide with two deer being taken, one in the Quabbin Reservation and the other at the Devens Reserve.

Paraplegic sportsmen and women interested in taking part in the hunt should contact Susan McCarthy at (508) 389-6326.

2020 Youth Deer Hunt Day

MassWildlife created Youth Deer Hunt Day to allow young hunters to hunt deer with their own permit. The hunt occurs on a special one-day season before the state’s annual deer hunting seasons. Shotgun deer season regulations applied during the hunt.  Licensed hunters who hunt other animals on this date must follow special restrictions.

This year 1,071 young adults participated in the Youth Deer Hunt Day which was held on October 3. The preliminary harvest total was 120 deer reported through the online MassFishHunt system.  The number of hunters appears to be holding around 1,000 each year. The harvest totals for the previous five years were as follows from year 2015 through 2019:  146, 131, 118, 138, and 89.

MESA is 30 years old

Throughout 2020, MassWildlife has been celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA). As part of this celebration, they excitedly announced that the latest edition of Massachusetts Wildlife magazine is a special issue devoted entirely to endangered species conservation. Articles and images showcase a variety of rare plants and animals and the conservation work that MassWildlife staff and partners are conducting to protect these species and habitats.

If you aren’t familiar with Massachusetts Wildlife, it is a great magazine for people with a wide variety of interests in nature, outdoor recreation, and conservation. You can get all the inside information on wildlife and fisheries management, endangered species restoration programs, critical habitat protection, outdoor recreation, and the exceptional people who are working to conserve our outdoor resources in Massachusetts.

I received my copy last week and, after reading it, I was going to give a brief synopsis of the issue in this column.  But, whoa Nelly!  That issue is so packed with important information, much of it historical, that I’m afraid I may screw some of it up by condensing it in some way.  Get yourself a copy because it is a classic that you may want to keep on hand for future references.

Interested readers may: 

• Sign up for a 1-year subscription (4 issues for $6) or a 2-year subscription (8 issues for $10). You can sign up for a subscription online or by mail. 
• Order the special issue (1 issue for $3). If ordering a single issue, send order requests to: Magazine Subscription, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114. Include the name and mailing address of the subscriber, the special issue you are requesting, and a check payable to “Massachusetts WildlifeMagazine

Nice striper hauled in by James Fortin

 Before Striped Bass (Striper) fishing is over on the Massachusetts coast, I would like to relate a fish story that I received via e-mail about James Fortin of Ipswich, MA.  James, who has local ties to the Berkshires, advises us that back in July he was at Crane Beach in Ipswich on Cape Ann in sight of the Littleneck Area hoping to catch a few small striped bass (called schoolies).  As James relates the story, he “was using a twenty-pound braided test line and a number six octopus hook.  He had spotted small schools moving with the tide approximately twenty feet off shore but was having no luck catching one.  He was down to his last piece of clam which he was using for bait.  Following his cast, something struck the line and immediately proceeded to run out approximately half of the line on his reel.  Not realizing what it was, but knowing that the line would probably break if it encountered any resistance, he began running along the shore line at the beach in a southerly direction to try to keep the tension off the line.  At one point he had to call out to a woman in the water ahead of him so that she would not be inconvenienced by the line as it and he passed by her.  She realized what was happening at the last instant and obliged by moving backward.  After about perhaps one hundred fifty to two hundred yards the fish tired and he was able to reel it into shallow water.  It turned out to be a large striped bass.  As James is a “catch and release man” he knew he had to act quickly.  He removed the hook, posed for the picture above and returned the fish to the water all in less than sixty seconds.  According to James, within the next minute the fish responded to the water and swam away.  He estimates the fish to have weighed between forty and fifty pounds. Well, based upon the length of the fish, several veteran striper fishermen think it might be 48 inches and closer to 35 lbs.   Still, it was a very respectable fish.

Currently, James is a junior at Williams College and a member of its Fishing Club. One of his favorite fishing spots in the Berkshires is the crossroad near the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail at Cheshire Lake where he had caught his first fish there as a young boy.  Thanks to John and Mary Ellen Donna for passing the story onto us about their 21-year old grandson James.

Thank you, vets

If you happen to be out and about enjoying your favorite outdoor sport on Veteran’s Day, you might want to take a moment or two to remember and thank the veterans who sacrificed so much for our country.  Shamefully, someone referred to them as suckers and losers. Well, some of us suckers took great offense at those words, and did not forget them when we stepped up to the voting booths last week.