Category Archives: Awards

Three deer taken in the statewide paraplegic hunt, all in Berkshire County

Posted on by
Reply

MassWildlife holds a special three-day deer hunting season for paraplegic hunters. Staff and volunteers place hunters in safe areas at several hunt locations in the state. When a hunter shoots a deer, volunteers assist the hunter by retrieving the deer, field dressing it, and getting it checked in on site.

Each year, about 12-20 paraplegic hunters sign up for the special hunt. For Some of these people, it’s the only opportunity they have to hunt. The hunt is typically held at 5 sites:

  • The Northern Berkshires on private properties
  • The Southern Berkshires at Mt. Washington
  • The Quabbin Reservation
  • Devens Reserve Forces Training Area in Lancaster
  • Otis/Edwards Military Reservation in Falmouth/Bourne

Frequently, hunters see deer and several get the opportunity to harvest a deer.

The dates of the 3-day hunt this year were October 31 through November 2.

The weather was, at times, downright balmy. Statewide this year some 18 hunters participated, which included 3 at the Northern Berkshires site and 4 at the Southern Berkshires site.

This year’s Paraplegic Hunt in Southern Berkshires, was an interesting one. For one thing, the weather was beautiful with temperatures well into the 70’s. For another thing, three of the four hunters successfully got deer, which were the only deer taken in the statewide paraplegic hunt this year. Two does were taken on Thursday.  Marc Tartaglia of Barkhamsted, CT got one. Readers may remember that last year was Marc’s first year participating in the hunt and he took two deer. Vyto Sablevicius of Norwood, MA took the second doe, a nice one weighing 125 lbs. dressed.  Dan Massaconi of Cheshire took a doe on Friday. Tim Davidson of Sturbridge MA hunted only Friday and Saturday afternoon. He saw deer but did not harvest any.

This year’s Southern Berkshire hunt was interesting for another reason, too. There was a surprise in store for volunteer Shaun Smith of Lee.  MassWildlife Assistant Director of Operations, Trina Moruzzi came out to the Berkshires and presented Shaun a plaque acknowledging his 50 years of involvement in the Paraplegic Hunt Program. The beautifully carved wooden plaque read, “MassWildlife thanks Shaun Smith for 50 years of dedication to Paraplegic Hunters.”

Shawn holding the plaque along with Trini Moruzzi

Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden commented that they really appreciated all that he has done to help in this hunt over those years.  Shawn replied that he couldn’t have lasted doing this for 50 years without the help of all of his fellow volunteers.  True, said Madden, “but you are the person who kept it all going.”

Then his fellow volunteers presented him with a golden Henry Boy .45-70 caliber rifle.  It was beautifully mounted by fellow volunteer Fred Lampro on a piece of box elder maple wood. The ceremony was a total surprise to him, but he should have been suspicious when his wife Mary showed up moments before the event.

Shawn and fellow volunteers at the presentation of the Henry Boy rifle.

Following the ceremony, the hunters, volunteers and guests settled down to a wonderful meal prepared by Wendy Lampro which included venison chili, scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, etc. served up with grilled venison steaks.  She also provided a wonderful assortment of home-made desserts.  The night before, she prepared a wonderful venison stew for them.

Each morning the volunteers helped the hunters get to their deer stands, and around noon they brought them to the DCR Headquarters in Mount Washington and provided them with a warm, home cooked meal prepared by Wendy Lampro.

Southern Berkshire volunteers and their years of involvement are as follows: Shaun Smith – 50 years, Marc Portieri – 35, Gregg Arienti – 29, Matt Roche (DCR) – 17, Fred Lampro – 15, Thomas Dean – 13, Dan White – 3, Christel Massaconi –4,  James Dellea – 3, Wendy Lampro – 3, and Shamus Daley – 2.  Kudos to all!

MassWildlife Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden was there, as was Wildlife Biologist Nate Buckhout in case any deer needed tagging.  Also, Dan White from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) was there.

Special thanks go out to Cobb of Western Mass, Cobb of River Valley, Shaw Pond Club, Lee Fire Dept., AMVETS Post 77 and Osden’s Plumbing and Heating of Blandford. Special thanks also go to the DCR for providing the space to gather, eat, and warm up at Mt. Washington Reservation.

In the Northern Berkshires, Rick French was once again the main volunteer coordinator.  The hunters included Shawn Mei of Baldwinville, MA, Dale Bailey of Clarksburg, MA and Dave Alderman of Petersburg, NY. All of them saw deer but none were harvested.

Northern Berkshire volunteers and their years of involvement are as follows:  Rick French – 38 years, Stacy Sylvester – 36, J. Sylvester – 26, Jim Guiden, Alex Dargie and Joe Benoni.  Sorry, I don’t have the number of years for all of the volunteers. J. Sylvester came all the way from Maine to volunteer for the hunt.

Unfortunately, Shawn Mei’s father, Tony Mei, passed away since last year. Stacy Sylvester said that he was greatly missed. He had been a volunteer for 33 years. Shawn’s brother Tim Mei took his place volunteering.

The volunteers brought the hunters to a central point at lunchtime and provided them with a delicious meal of moose stew cooked up by Ruth French.

Special thanks go out to Jim Guiden for providing the headquarters space and to the Cricket Creek Farm in Williamstown for permitted hunting on their property.

Western District MassWildlife staff covering the Northern site location were Eli Pease, Heather Sadler and Jacob Morris-Siegel.  EPO Officers Jonathan Kolis and Joshua Kelleher periodically stopped in.

According to Susan McCarthy, total statewide, there were 64 individuals aside from hunters and their family members supporting the program and assisting hunters.  That included some 14 MassWildlife employees, 6 DCR staff members, 5 private landowners, 4 military personnel, 16 hunter helpers and 16 other volunteers.

As noted in past columns, this story is not all about the hunters and their harvests.  There are other components which must occur to make the hunt a success.  One is the volunteering. Statewide there were 16 volunteers assisting the physically challenged hunters get to ideal hunting spots and helped them by getting the deer moving, retrieving the deer, field dressing them, and getting them checked in on site.

McCarthy noted that, “As always, this hunt would not be possible without our fantastic network of MassWildlife and DCR staff, private landowners in the Berkshires, and our amazing volunteers.”

Incidentally, paraplegic sportsmen and women interested in taking part in the hunt next year should contact Susan McCarthy at (508) 389-6326.

Good acorn year

MassWildlife asks, have you been dodging a constant barrage of falling acorns, startled by the thwack of nuts pelting your car’s roof, or raking up mounds of acorns in your yard?   Well, like many trees, oaks go through cycles where they produce more seeds in some years than in others. These times of high production, known as “mast years,” occur every 2-3 years. While an abundance of acorns may be an annoyance to some, it’s a welcome buffet for wildlife that are preparing for a long cold winter.

In my opinion, it appears that this is a good mast year for acorns in the Berkshires. You might want to keep this in mind when you scout out your hunting areas and plan your hunting strategy accordingly.

Its really dry out there

I’m sure local hunters have noticed how dry it is in our woods and fields these days.  Those little streams that we used to step over while hunting woodcock, pheasants and bunnies are now bone dry.  Our bird dogs and beagles are hard pressed to find water to lap up.  Please be careful, especially you smokers, that you don’t inadvertently start a fire.

Actually, I’m surprised that the State hasn’t closed the woods to hunting and hiking like they used to do years ago.

Last I heard is that rain is forecasted for Veterans Day.  I hope so.

For you brave souls who will be out archery hunting that day, sitting in a tree stand shivering in the much needed rain, it might behoove you to remember the veterans who made the sacrifices to ensure that we live in a free and democratic country.

Thank you vets.

Conte banquet honors five

Posted on by

 

 

A nice crowd attended the Silvio O. Conte Awards Banquet which was held at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club recently to honor the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) 2023 award winners.  Past BCLS President, Mark Jester, did a wonderful job as emcee.

After a delicious meal, Mark introduced DFW Director Mark Tisa.  Describing it as a great organization, Mark has worked for the DFW for 37 years working his way up the ladder. He considered it a great privilege.  He recognized Fish & Wildlife Board Chairman Steve Sears, of Dalton, for doing such a great job representing the Western District and bringing all of our interests and concerns to the Board.  He introduced new Deputy Director Eve Schluter.  He recognized DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden and his staff. He also recognized BCLS President Wayne McLain, who was the first person to step up and support Mark’s new youth pheasant hunt program.

He commented that the Division is working hard to continue to create more opportunities for us to enjoy the outdoors such as fishing and hunting. Their job is taking care of the wildlife so that we can enjoy it.

Mark Jester introduced Wayne Adams from the Massachusetts Conservation Alliance who discussed current gun legislation and its work getting more representation at the Statehouse.

Mark Jester then proceeded with the various Silvio O. Conte 2023 Sportsmen Awards.

From left to right: Mark Jester, Emcee, Stacy Sylvester, Leanda Fontaine, Michelle Amburn, James Loughman and Ted Pointek

The John Zuber Award was presented to Rick French of Phillipston, MA. for his efforts in the paraplegic hunts and promoting the outdoors.  Because Rick could not attend (out west hunting), Stacie Sylvester who herself participated for some 35 years with Rick’s paraplegic hunts, accepted the award on his behalf. In her acceptance speech she noted that Rich was very proud to receive the award.

The Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award was presented to James Loughman of Adams for his dedication to the sportsmen of Massachusetts and his commitment and leadership in preserving and promoting the rich traditions of sportsmen.  He will ever be appreciated and remembered for all his efforts. In his acceptance speech he thanked groups like the BCLS, the Adams Outdoor for Youth and the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club for instilling the love of the outdoors to the next generation.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Ted Pointek of Housatonic for his unwavering commitment to and promotion of the shooting sports especially for the future generations.  In his acceptance speech, he recognized all those who helped him in the shooting events over the years.

The late Richard “Rick” Theilig of Lee was posthumously awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award for his dedication and passion for the outdoors, and who will forever inspire future generations. His daughter Michelle Amburn accepted the award on his behalf.  He would probably say he doesn’t deserve it, said Michelle, but he does.  He wanted to teach everyone.  He loved what he did and made lifelong friends in doing so.  LSA club member John Polastri also presented her another plaque from the Lee Sportsmen’s Association.

Leanda Fontaine of Bernardston, MA was selected the Sportsperson of the Year. Her plaque read, “Her lifelong dedication and preservation of the rich natural resources of our state will forever benefit the citizens, habitat, and wildlife of Massachusetts”.  In her acceptance speech, she said she was extremely humbled and honored to be chosen.  She started in MassWildlife in 2005 working as a fishing technician working with district and hatchery staff.  She worked with DFW district staff from the NY border all the way to Cape Cod.  She had the opportunity to work on different projects, not just fisheries but wildlife, natural heritage, land projects, etc. She worked with multiple state organizations and nonprofits which provided great opportunities to work on different projects.  She mentioned the DFW employees’ passion and drive to do what they can for our resources, outdoor sportspeople and the environment.  She mentioned the great mentorship received from the DFW employees regarding hunting, fishing, etc.  She considered herself very lucky to work in the Western District – its become like family to her.

Youth trout stocking day was another huge success

Approximately 200 kids, parents and grandparents met on Wednesday afternoon, April 17, at the Onota Lake Burbank Park to help MassWildlife liberate some 550 rainbow trout which averaged 14 inches.

Mark Jester with grandsons Sam and Joe Maschino

MassWildlife Western District Aquatic Biologist Leanda Fontaine was assisted by DFW staff including Heather Sadler, Kalina Flood, Colby Kellogg-Youndt, and Jacob Morris-Siegel. Leanda’s daughter Isla also helped.  An iBerkshire.Com photographer was there as well as a newsperson from Spectrum TV Channel 1. Environmental Police Lt. Tara Carlow was there also to make sure everyone behaved. The weather cooperated nicely this day.

Prior to beginning the stocking, Leanda made some introductory comments.  She informed everyone about the agency and how it is charged with the responsibility of preserving, conserving and managing our flora and fauna all across the state.  She named the 5 regional districts across the state and how they perform their functions. The Western District covers all of the Berkshires as well as the western towns of Hampshire, Hampton and Franklin Counties.

One of their main jobs of the Western District Office is trout stocking, which they do for about 10 weeks in the spring and two weeks in the fall. This spring they expect to stock 80,0000 trout.  Statewide, some 450,000 are expected to be stocked.

They stock four different species, brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout which is a hybrid between brown and brook trout.  They stock 72 local bodies in the Western District up to Memorial Day. To find out where they stock, go to the MassWildlife web site Mass.gov/trout.  She encouraged people to catch and eat the fish but if people prefer to catch and release them, that is fine too.

Then she explained how the stocking would take place.  They formed a line, a few trout were netted out of the tanker truck, put into empty 5-gallon pails which were handed to the kids and away they sped to the water’s edge and tossed the fish out, and then they ran back and did it all over again.  Oh! The expressions of joy and amazement on the faces of those kids.

I am happy to report that there were no buckets tossed into the lake and there was a 100% survival rate of the fish.

Local trout stockings

 

The following local waters were scheduled to be stocked last week by MassWildlife:  Beartown Brook in Lee, Bronson Brook in Worthington, Deerfield River in Buckland, Florida and Charlemont , Depot Brook in Washington, Dry Brook in Cheshire and Adams, Factory Brook in Middlefield, Farmington River in Otis and Sandisfield, Hoosic River North in Clarksburg and North Adams, Hop Brook in Lee and Tyringham, Housatonic River (SW) in Pittsfield, Hubbard River in Granville, Littleville Reservoir in Chester, North Pond in Florida, Sackett Brook in Dalton and Pittsfield, South Brook in Cheshire, Town Brook in Lanesborough, Trout Brook in Peru, Walker Brook in Becket, West Brook in Great Barrington, Westfield River Middle Branch in Chester, Huntington and Middlefield, Windsor Lake in North Adams, Windsor Pond in Windsor and Yokum Brook in Becket.

Spring Turkey Hunting Seasons opens Monday

 

The 2024 Massachusetts spring turkey hunting season opens on Monday, April 29 and runs through May 25.  The Youth Turkey Hunt Day took place today (April 27).

To hunt wild turkeys in Massachusetts, you’ll need a hunting or sporting license as well as a turkey permit. A turkey permit comes with 3 turkey tags. Hunters can take 2 bearded turkeys in the spring and 1 turkey of either sex in the fall. Regulation requires that all hunters place an official green Turkey Safety Sticker on their firearm positioned so it’s visible when sighting down the barrel.  On the youth hunt day only, the hunting hours are ½ hour before sunrise and end at 5:00 pm. For the rest of the turkey hunters, the hours are from ½ hour before sunrise to noon.

Successful hunters must report their turkeys within 48 hours of harvest. The easiest way to report a harvest is online using MassFishHunt, but you can also go to an official check station.

There are a couple of pages of rules and regulations addressing Turkey Hunting in the 2024 regulations (abstracts) and hunters should review them before heading out.

2023 deer harvest figures released

Posted on by

 

The MassWildlife Preliminary Deer Harvest Summary indicates the 2023 hunting season had a statewide harvest of 15,520 deer, which was a decline of approximately 2% from the record-setting 2022 season. MassWildlife feels that the poor weather conditions during much of the archery and primitive firearms seasons lowered the overall harvest, which likely would have set a new record if it were not for those poor conditions. In spite of these conditions, there were new  record harvests in Zones 9 (Worcester area) and 14 (Nantucket) and a record number of deer were harvested by participating youth on Youth Deer Hunt Day.

Statewide, the Youth Deer Hunt Day yielded 142, the Paraplegic Hunt yielded 10, Archery yielded 6,385, Shotgun yielded 6,118 and the Primitive Firearms yielded 2,865.

The statewide harvest percentages by hunting implements used were as follows:  Bow/crossbow -46%, shotgun – 34% and muzzleloader – 21%.

The statewide breakdown by harvest sex of the 15,520 deer were as follows:  8,858 were adult bucks, 5,610 were does and 1,052 were buck fawns.

The following is the breakdown by Wildlife Management Zone and by seasons.  I am listing only the figures for the area west of the Connecticut River (WMZs 1 through 4, our area). Some 2,323 deer were taken in the Western District.

Zone 1: 5 deer were taken by paraplegics or youth (P/Y), 94 by archery, 151 by shotgun and 57 by primitive arms totaling 307.

Zone 2:  28 taken by P/Y, 177 by archery, 241 by shotgun and 80 by primitive arms totaling 526.

Zone 3:  7 taken by P/Y, 166 by archery, 264 by shotgun and 111 by primitive arms totaling 548.

Zone 4N:  13 taken by P/Y, 191 by archery, 256 by shotgun and 121 by primitive arms totaling 581.

Zone 4S: 9 taken by P/Y, 139 by archery, 149 by shotgun and 64 by primitive arms totaling 361.

Just to give you an indication of how large the deer herd is in the eastern part of the state, Zone 9 yielded 1,458 deer, Zone 10 yielded 2,602, Zone 11 yielded 4,152 and Zone 14 yielded 879.

Big buck harvested

Included in the above Zone 3 archery figures was Matt Heppleston’s 175 lbs. (field dressed) eleven-point buck that he got on November 24 while bow hunting in a non-disclosed area.  It had a measured beam of  23 ¼ inches.

photo of Matt provided by his family

Usually, he hunts from a tree stand but on that day he was hunting from the ground.  After a while, he could smell a buck.  He tried to lure it in with a few grunts and he heard some thrashing a short distance away.  He gave a short wheeze sound and the deer came toward him about 35 yards away.  That’s when he let the arrow fly.  The deer ran about 15 yards and dropped.  Shortly thereafter, Matt had “a small army of family and friends showed up for pictures and the drag.” It was only a couple hundred yards to drag it out.

The deer was entered into the Pope & Young scoring system and it scored 171 inches.  It was named BOWHUNT MA 2023 Buck of the Year. It also was on display at the Northeast Big Buck Club booth at the recent Big E Sportsmen’s Show in West Springfield.

Matt, who grew up in Lee now resides in New Hampshire.  Although he has been hunting since he was a young lad, he didn’t start bow hunting until about 5 years ago.  This is his first deer taken with a bow.

Was he lucky or a smart hunter?  You decide.  In February of 2022, he and his buddy Ryan Ruef of Pittsfield found the buck’s shed (dropped antlers) in the woods.  They knew that deer was hanging around the area for about 2 years.

In the attached picture, you can see a shed lying on the ground next to the deer. According to Matt, that’s a shed off of the buck’s 2021 rack which they found in February, 2022, “and that started the whole chase.”

The deer head and shoulder will be mounted by Wild Art Taxidermy in Berlin, CT.   Matt figures that deer will provide meat for him and his family for a couple of years.

Hunters share their venison

According to MassWildlife, 74 generous hunters donated venison through the Hunters Share the Harvest Program last year. This is equal to about 17,800 nutritious meals for families struggling with food insecurity. The Program also received monetary donations from 22 individuals to help cover the cost of processing and packaging.

The Program has come a long way in just a few years. It was started in 2022 with one venison donation site and one distribution partner. In the pilot year, hunters donated more than 3,000 meals. By the end of 2023, three processing locations and five food distribution organizations had joined the effort.

“Hunters play an important role in conserving our forests and providing food to our communities” says MassWildlife.  “Regulated hunting can help forests by reducing impacts of overabundant deer. It is estimated that over 15% of Massachusetts households do not have access to sufficient food to meet their basic needs. So, donations of venison—an organic, lean source of protein—make a big difference.”

At the close of this successful season, MassWildlife thanks everyone who contributed and spread the word about Hunters Share the Harvest including:

  • Haskins Custom Butchering, Ventura’s Meat Market, and the Country Butcher for processing deer donations
  • Massachusetts Military Support Foundation Inc., Daniel’s Table, Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah, and Worcester County Food Bank for distributing venison to those in need
  • The Berkshire County League of Sportsmen joined 21 individual donors and the following in sponsoring packaging and processing costs.  In addition to the BCLS, the Mass Conservation Alliance, Mass Audubon, Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation, Middleboro Sportsmen’s Club, Plymouth County League of Sportsmen, Safari Club International New England Foundation, Schwab Charitable Foundation, Somerset Sportsman’s Club, and the Worcester County League of Sportsmen Clubs gave monetary, equipment, and logistic support.

 

MassWildlife plans to expand the Program in the coming years, here’s how you can help:

Meat processors, food pantries, hunger relief agencies, or other organizations who want to participate in MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program in the future should contact Martin Feehan, MassWildlife’s Deer and Moose Project Leader.

2023 wild turkey harvest

 

Based upon information provided by David Scarpitti, MassWildlife Biologist and information obtained off of the MassWildlife web site, 3,113 wild turkeys were harvested in 2023.  The spring harvest was 2,965 (2,128 adult males, 825 juvenile males, 11 bearded hens). Some 389 birds were harvested in the Berkshires.

 

Some 148 were taken in the fall (81 males, 66 females).  Regarding the sex breakdown, Scarpitti says you can take the fall sex breakdown with a grain of salt as hunters are pretty lousy at sexing juvenile birds.  But in general, its usually close to a 50:50 breakdown in the harvest.

 

The spring harvest was the 4th highest harvest in the history of Massachusetts spring turkey hunting since 1980. Youth hunters harvested 117 turkeys which was the highest all time youth day harvest recorded.

 

The statewide fall harvest was quite different.  The 148 birds harvested was low compared to the average which is usually around 200.  Scarpitti felt that because it was very wet last summer, it could have compromised brood production, which is usually what drives fall harvest.

 

About 2/3’s of the harvest was taken with archery equipment, which has become fairly standard.

 

Small game hunting seasons over

The Coyote and Bobcat hunting seasons ended on Friday, March 8.

photo provided by Josh Christman

The Cottontail Rabbit, Snowshoe Hare, Gray Squirrel, and Fox hunting seasons ended on February 29.  Oil up your guns and safely lock them away in your gun cabinet. Remember to lock your ammo in a separate location. Unless you plan to do some target, skeet or trap shooting, the next time you will probably be picking up your shotguns again is in April, when the Spring Wild Turkey hunting season opens on April 29.

 

 

Massachusetts Angler Award Winners Announced

Posted on by

 

Since 1963, MassWildlife’s Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program has recognized anglers who catch exceptional freshwater fish across Massachusetts.

Today, I am listing all of the 2023 Angler of the Year winners, new state records and gold pin fish caught out of local waters or local anglers who caught gold pin fish in other waters.  To view the entire listing of gold pin winners, some 102 of them, go to the MassWildlife web site at Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program | Mass.gov.

The Catch & Keep Angler of the Year Award is given to the person who weighs in the largest number of species that meet the minimum weight requirements for the previous calendar year.

 

2023 Adult Catch & Keep Angler of the Year was Cam Tucker of Gill, MA.  Cam caught bronze or gold pin fish in 10 species.  He caught the gold pin fish in the following species:  A carp weighing 30 lbs. 8 oz and a Channel Catfish weighing 12 lbs. 2 oz out of the Connecticut River in Northfield, Fallfish weighing 1 lbs. 15 oz out of the Connecticut River in Montague, Sunfish weighing 15 oz out of the Connecticut River in Deerfield; and a Yellow Perch weighing 1 bs 9 oz out of Plainfield Pond in Plainfield. He also got a couple of gold pins in the Adult Catch & Release Category (see below).

2023 Youth Catch & Keep Angler of the Year was Logan Middlebrook of Pittsfield. Logan caught bronze or gold pin fish in 17 species.  He caught the gold pin fish in the following species:  Bowfin weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz out of the Connecticut River in Northampton, Carp weighing 16 lbs. 8 oz out of Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield, Fallfish weighing 11 oz out of the Westfield River in Huntington, and White Catfish weighing 3 lbs. 15 oz out of the Connecticut River in Agawam, MA. He also got a couple of gold pins in the Youth Catch & Release Category (see below).

Logan Middlebrook photo provided by his family

If Logan looks familiar, its because his picture was in this column last year holding a big carp.  He tied for the 2022 Youth Angler of the year with Carter Flagg of Gill and Gabriel Christman of Pittsfield. Logan’s dad, Bill, said DFW officials told him that no one from Western Massachusetts has ever accomplished this repeat feat before. He has only been fishing for 3 years now.

The Catch & Release Angler of the Year Award is awarded to the person who submits the largest number of species that meet the minimum length requirements for the previous calendar year.

 

2023 Adult Catch & Release (C&R) Angler of the Year winner was Andrew Langley of Peabody. He was also Adult Catch & Release Angler of the year in 2022.  He caught bronze or gold pin fish in 20 species.  He caught the gold pin fish as follows: An 18.50-inch Fallfish out of the Connecticut River in Northampton, a 23.75-inch shad out of the Merrimack River in Lawrence, a 21.50-inch White Catfish out of the Charles River in Cambridge, a 24.75-inch shad out of the Merrimack River in Andover and a 15-inch Yellow Perch out of the Merrimack River in Haverhill.

2023 Youth C&R Angler of the Year was Jack Ostriker of Grafton, MA. He didn’t catch any gold pin fish, but he caught 14 bronze pin fish.

Other gold pin fish that were caught out of Berkshire waters in 2023 were as follows:

Adult Catch & Keep Category – A 16 lbs. 14 oz gold pin Tiger Muskellunge was caught out of Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield by Daniel Aitken of Pittsfield.

Youth C&R Category -The following gold pin fish were taken:  A 16-inch Tiger Trout was taken out of Onota Lake by Logan Middlebrook, as well as a 28-inch Bowfin out of the Connecticut River in Northampton, a 22.50-inch Largemouth Bass out of Plunkett Lake in Hinsdale by Kadance Soules of Dalton, a 21-inch Rainbow Trout out of Onota Lake by Tyler Boutin of Northbridge, MA.

Adult C&R Category, in addition to Andrew Langley’s previously mentioned fish, the following gold pin fish were caught.  A 19.50-inch Brook Trout was caught out of Windsor Pond in Windsor by Tyler Mazzotta of Adams; a 23.75-inch Largemouth Bass was caught out of Cheshire Reservoir by Manuel Silveira of Berkshire Village, a 21-inch Rainbow Trout was caught out of Onota Lake by Tyler Boutin of Northbridge, MA,

Youth Catch & Keep Category, in addition to Logan’s previously mentioned fish, the following gold pin fish were caught: A 5 lbs. 8 oz Largemouth Bass was caught out of Buckley-Dunton Lake in Becket by Trystan Couture of Chester, MA; a 13 lbs. 2 oz Northern Pike was caught out of Cheshire Reservoir by Alice Christman of Pittsfield, a 4 lbs. 5 oz Smallmouth Bass was taken out of Onota Lake in Pittsfield by Corbin Carlow of Windsor, and a 1 lbs. 15 oz Tiger Trout was taken out of Onota Lake by Alice Christman.

As noted earlier, only gold pin fish were listed. There is another pin awarded and that is the bronze pin.  If you submit a fish that meets the minimum weight or minimum length requirements for an eligible species, you’ll get a bronze pin from MassWildlife for that species Nearly 1,000 pins are awarded annually.

In 2023, two new species were added to the Freshwater Sportfishing Award Program – Fallfish and White Sucker.  Also, a Youth C&R category was added resulting in more state records in those species.

There were 2 new state records in the Adult Catch & Keep Category:  A 1 lbs. 15 oz Bowfin caught out of the Connecticut River in Northampton by Cam Tucker and a 3 lbs. 8 oz White Sucker caught out of the Merrimack River in Haverhill by Andrew Langley of Peabody.

There were 8 new state records in the Adult C&R Category:  A 34.50-inch Bowfin was caught out of the Connecticut River in Northampton and a 24.25 Smallmouth Bass was caught out of the Chicopee River in Chicopee by Will Pellerin of Springfield, a 32.50-inch Chain Pickerel caught out of Bog Pond in Carver by Nicholas Gurney of Wareham, a 34.75-inch Channel Catfish caught out of the Connecticut River in Gill, an 18.50-inch Fallfish caught out of the Connecticut River in Northampton by Cam Tucker.  Another 18.50-inch Fallfish was caught out of the same river by Andrew Langley of Peabody, MA; a 37-inch Lake Trout was caught out of the Wachusett Reservoir by Jeff Evans of Clinton and a 23-inch White Sucker was taken out of the Swift River in Belchertown by Colin Duarte of Sterling.

Angler of the Year recipients and gold pin winners are honored each year at a MassWildlife awards event where they will receive gold pins and plaques. The date and location TBA.

Ice fishing and skating near an end

It looks like our ice fishing season, such as it was, is about over.  I suspect some ice fishermen never had a chance to get out this year due to the thin ice. Several ice fishing derbies had to be cancelled and at least one local person had fallen through the ice and had to be rescued.  That makes two years in a row where there hasn’t been much ice.    I was fortunate to get out 5 times, but never fished on more than 5 or 6 inches of ice.

This year, the only place I fished was Stockbridge Bowl.  I enjoy fishing that lake because you never know what you will see.    Every day, you could expect to see a Bald Eagle fly over.  Sometimes you’ll see someone pedaling around on a studded unicycle, or maybe someone wind sailing in an ice boat.  This year I saw some Skate Sailers who move over ice on ice skates utilizing the force of the wind. A small sail is held in their hands or leaned against with the whole body.  Boy, can they move when the wind is right.  No wonder they wear helmets. According to Frank Wall (pictured) from Harlemville, NY, Skate Sailing is a rather old sport dating back to the 1800’s.

Frank Wall picture provided by Gene Chague

Ham Shoots

 

The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club Cheshire Rod & Gun Club is holding Ham Shoots on the following Sundays:  March 10, 17 and 24 starting at 1:00 pm.  Prizes will include ham and some other surprises.  $5 a shot.

2023 Berkshire County League of Sportsmen Award winners are announced

Posted on by

 

At the February 1 meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) five area outdoor sportspeople were selected to receive prestigious awards. The awards will be presented at the Annual Silvio O. Conte Memorial Dinner on Saturday, April 13 at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club.  (More information to come in a later column, such as time and ticket price).

The winners are as follows:

Leanda Fontaine of Bernardston, MA, was selected to receive the Sportsperson of the Year Award. She is the DFW Western District Aquatic Biologist out of the Dalton Office.  Leanda has worked for MassWildlife for 18 years, spending 11 years in the Westboro field headquarters where she worked on the Atlantic Salmon restoration, fisheries population assessment, sampling quality control, and many other programs. She coordinated statewide scheduling of fish sampling in rivers and streams and became an agency expert on fish identification.

Picture of Leanda provided by Leanda

In 2016, Leanda came to the Western District to oversee the District’s fisheries programs. She is responsible for coordinating and executing the distribution of stocked trout each spring and fall, organizing personnel and fish for more than 100 stocking runs each year to maximize fishing opportunity for Western District anglers. Leanda has initiated a successful water chestnut pulling project at Three Mile Pond in Sheffield and Smiley Pond in Egremont. She has been an important participant in MassWildlife’s efforts to protect freshwater mussels, conducting surveys and assessments throughout the District. Leanda is the MassWildlife representative on the interagency scientific dive team. She has been a strong resource advocate on issues surrounding Lake and Pond management in the Berkshires. Leanda serves on multiple R3 (Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation) committees at MassWildlife focused on the expansion of hunting, shooting, and fishing opportunities. She has organized numerous public trout stocking events and coordinated the Learn to Fish clinics in the Western District.

Rick French of Phillipston, MA was selected to receive the John Zuber Award. He has been coordinating the Northern Berkshire Paraplegic Hunts for the last 37 years.  Each year, he contacts the landowners to see if they will allow the hunts, leads the team that sets up platforms for the hunters to put their wheelchairs on, sets up blinds, stays in contact with the paraplegic hunters while they are hunting, helps track any wounded deer, helps field dress and drag the deer out of the woods, cuts up the deer, shrink wrap them, etc. In short, he helps to ensure that the paraplegic hunters have safe and memorable hunts.

Without fanfare or recognition, he has been responsible for bringing pleasure to hundreds of deer hunters who otherwise would have not been able to enjoy the thrill of the hunt.  That, he will tell you, is reward enough.

Incidentally, this award was established in 2012 to honor the late John Zuber of Pittsfield. He was past president of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, past President of the Pittsfield Sportsmen’s Club, the recipient of the BCLS Sportsman of the Year Award and Lifetime Achievement Award, was Secretary of the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council and received numerous awards from them.  He was well known throughout the State

The late Richard ‘Rick’ Theilig of Lee was selected to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award posthumously.  Rick was a member of Lee Sportsmen’s Association for many years and he was its President in 1995. He was very talented with

Photo provided by Theilig family

all disciplines of shooting in archery, rifle and skeet shooting. He was instrumental in running its archery program both indoor and outdoor for many years. He ran many archery leagues and tournaments.  He helped build LSA’s youth archery program. In recent years he helped instruct youth archers at the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club in its adult archery league. Rick was also a great archery tournament champion traveling all over the country.  He passed away in December, 2023.

Ted Pointek of Housatonic was selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ted has been the driving force behind the success of the outdoor pistol program at the Lee Sportsmen’s Association.  Every match requires 4-5 hours of preparation time. Finding the stages online, making sure they work, managing the roster, loading the supplies, preparing targets, purchasing supplies and doing the needed financial paperwork for the club.

On match day, he is always the first to come and last to go, 8:00 am till about 4:00 pm, ensuring the range is in better shape than he found it.  Then Ted pours through the scores and unusually posts them the same night to all the match participants.

Every target and wall stand has been constructed or modified by Ted in his shop. All winter Ted works on making more shooting equipment or something to organize the shooting equipment.

Every match Ted brings an entire tool truck that is used to help set up and break down the match. Recently Ted re-engineered all the steel targets to reduce the possibility of sprawl and ricochets going upward.  He often makes trips to the club on non-match weekends to do ground work or work on the targets or bays.  Considering there are 3 matches, 2 -USPSA matches and 1- steel challenge a month (about 60+ man hours per month), his accomplishments speak for themselves.

James Loughman of Adams was selected to receive the Sportsmen’s Achievement Award.    Jim has been a long-time member, and current Secretary of the Adams Outdoors for Youth (AOFY). He has volunteered at AOFY fishing/ice fishing events and its game dinners for roughly 20 years.

He has also been a member of the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club for nearly as long. He has served on the Board of Directors (including as Newsletter Editor and President) of the former Hoosick Chapter of Trout Unlimited for several years.

He is an enthusiastic fisherman, ice fisherman and forager of wild edibles, Jim is grateful for all of the work that organizations like AOFY do to instill a love of the outdoors in the next generation of sportsmen.

The 40th Annual Springfield Sportsmen’s Show coming soon

The show takes place at the Eastern States Exposition (Big E) 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, MA on February 23 through 25.   The show hours are Friday from noon to 8 :00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Admission:  Adults – $15, Kids 6 to 12 – $5 and under 6 free.

Billed as the largest pure hunting and fishing show in the Northeast, it is filled with hundreds of booths, seminars, and action areas. The show is filled with an outdoorsman’s dream of fishing and hunting gear, outfitters, charter boats and adventure destinations, along with great deals on fishing boats, ATV’s and UTV’s. There will be great attractions and displays such as The Northeast Big Buck Club, Trout Pond, and more.

This year there will be a new bass speaker at the Fishing Seminar lineup.  Spencer Cookson is the owner/operator of Berkshire Bass, which is a tackle shop, guide service and tournament series located in Sheffield. Spencer is going on his 4th season of professionally guiding in the Berkshires for Largemouth and Smallmouth bass on some of the state’s best fisheries. While at the show, you may want to book a trip with him.

Archery Tournament

The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club has scheduled a 300 Round Indoor Archery Tournament – Berkshire Championship on February 24 – 25. Shooting times are Saturday February 24 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, February 25, at 9:00 am or 1:00 pm.  The Youth Shoot starts at 11:00 am on Sunday. For more information contact John Mange (518)265-1872 or John Davis (413)446-9012.

Shoots coming up

The Great Barrington Fish & Game Club is having Ham Shoots starting this Sunday, February 18 and running every Sunday until March 24.  Shoots start at noon, call-in signs-up start at 10:00 and walk-ins at 9:30 am.  Cost is $4.00 per shoot.  In addition to ham, prizes include beef roasts, pork loins, and more.  Food will be available at the shoots.

The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club will be holding its Annual Ham Shoots starting on Sunday March 3 and running every Sunday until Easter.  You are invited to enjoy an exhilarating day of target shooting paired with some scrumptious food, exciting raffles and even more.

The Lee Sportsmen’s Association will be holding Turkey Shoots on the following Sundays: March 3, 10, 17, 24, and April 7, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  Prizes include NY strip steaks, turkeys, pork loins, spiral hams, and money shoots. $3/shot-meat & $3/shot-money shoot.  Lunch available for purchase.  Contact President Doug Frank at (413) 822-6490 with any questions.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Detected in Massachusetts

Posted on by

 

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ (MDAR) Division of Animal Health is informing the public that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been detected in Essex County. MDAR and its partner agencies depopulated and disposed of a non-commercial, mixed-species backyard flock (non-poultry) in Essex County due to HPAI. Birds on the affected premises died suddenly without exhibiting any other clinical signs consistent with HPAI and samples tested positive for the disease.

MDAR advises backyard and commercial poultry owners to practice strong biosecurity measures to prevent domestic poultry from having contact with wild birds, their feathers, and droppings. The HPAI virus is continuing to circulate in the wild bird population, particularly in wild waterfowl. Eliminating standing water and preventing domestic birds from having access to ponds, streams, and wetland areas that attract wild waterfowl is of critical importance.

 

Additionally, over the past few days the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) has received reports of dead and dying wild Canada geese in Essex County and the surrounding coastal areas. These wild birds showed symptoms consistent with HPAI. Several samples have been collected for HPAI testing and results are pending. While humans are rarely infected with avian influenza viruses, humans that have prolonged close contact with sick or dead birds infected with HPAI are at the most risk of becoming infected. Officials are urging the public not to handle or feed any birds suspected of being infected. Pet owners should also prevent their dogs from making contact with wild birds.

 

REPORT sick or dead birds

Domestic birds:   617-626-1795 or online Poultry Disease Reporting Form: https://www.mass.gov/forms/poultry-disease-reporting-form

Wild birds:   Department of Fish and Game, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) https://www.mass.gov/forms/report-observations-of-dead-wild-birds

 

Former MassWildlife Director receives top honors

Retired MassWildlife Director Wayne MacCallum was inducted into the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame alongside five other inductees in late January. The Hall of Fame, established in 2017 by the New England NWTF state chapters, recognizes outstanding individuals for their contributions to wild turkey conservation and to the preservation of New England’s hunting heritage.

MacCallum served as MassWildilfe’s Director for nearly 30 years. During that time, regulated turkey hunting was relatively new and MassWildlife was actively working with partners to restore wild turkeys across the Commonwealth.  Decades after wild turkeys disappeared from Massachusetts, MassWildlife reintroduced them in the early 1970s. During the 1980s and 1990s, turkeys were trapped and relocated to suitable habitat across Massachusetts to support and grow the population. The state’s turkey population is now estimated to be 30,000 –35,000.

Joe Judd, NWTF State Chapter Board Member, presented the award and recalled the early days of turkey hunting in Massachusetts and the partnership between NWTF and MassWildlife. “Wayne was instrumental in supporting our progress with the trap and release program and he fought hard for the dollars needed for equipment and manpower to keep the project moving ahead. When the Massachusetts Chapter started to contribute more dollars, Wayne saw the commitment we were making and welcomed the partnership.” As turkey populations expanded, hunting opportunities also grew.

“Congratulations to Wayne for this well-deserved recognition,” said Mark S. Tisa, current MassWildlife Director. “This award offers a chance to reflect on how far we have come. The partnership between MassWildlife and NWTF is as strong as ever and we look forward to collaborating on our shared conservation goals for years to come.” 

Mr. MacCallum expressed gratitude for the honor. He emphasized that the hardworking and passionate MassWildlife staff, NWTF members, and volunteers were major factors in the success of wild turkey restoration and in championing responsible, safe hunting in the state.

This is the second time MacCallum has been recognized by NWTF. In 2015, he was awarded the Wayne Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in conservation. Past Hall of Fame inductees from MassWildlife include retired Turkey Biologist Jim Cardoza, retired Information and Education Chief Ellie Horwitz, and the late Fisheries and Wildlife Board Chairman George Darey.

Fly tying events coming up

Several fly tying events will be conducted in the upcoming weeks.  On February 11 and March 16 at 3:30 pm the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be having events at the Wild Soul River, 248 Cole Ave., Williamstown. On February 24 at 6:30 pm, Berkshire Outfitters, located at 169 Grove Street Adams, will have a fly-tying event. Anyone interested in attending the event should contact Chris Sampson at Berkshire Outfitters to reserve a spot.  In southern Berkshires, Peter Paulson is joining Dean Hutson and the folks at the Berkshire National Fish Hatchery, 240 Hatchery Road, New Marlborough, MA for some fly tying classes scheduled for February 17 and March 16 (3rd Saturdays of the month).

Lastly, on March 5 and 7, MassWildlife will be conducting a Beginner Fly Tying Class, at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club, 310 Curran Road, Cheshire,  from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. There you will learn the basic skills of tying your own flies during this free, hands-on, two-session course.  All tools and tying materials will be provided. It is open to the public, for beginning fly tiers only, with a minimum age of 15.  Pre-registration is mandatory. Contact Jim Lagacy to register at: jim.lagacy@mass.gov or call 508-389-6309.

Ice Fishing Derby

 

The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club and the Adams Outdoorsmen for Youth will be sponsoring an ice fishing derby at the Cheshire Lake North Basin and 2nd Lake on February 18 from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. Registration at both boat ramps from 7:00 to 10:00 am. Children are free with a paid adult ticket. Kids prizes for the 5 heaviest fish.  There are adult and kid categories.

 

Tickets cost $15.  Advance sales are available at Martin Farrell’s Bait, Cheshire Sporting Goods, Dave’s Sporting Goods, Onota Boat Livery or Shire Bait.  ’Weigh In “channel 7 or call 822-2824.  All fish must be alive, of legal length and weighed by 4:00 pm. Registration Awards and refreshments start at 5:00 pm at the club house.

 

Ice fishing tournament “off the ice”

With everyone’s safety as their top concern, the organizers have decided to move the 2024 Lanesboro Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament off the ice this year. Events will happen behind the Root River Saloon on Saturday, February 17 from 12:00 to -3:00 pm. There will be adult and youth activities and food and beverages.  The proceeds support the Lanesboro Senior Class and other local needs. Watch Facebook for more information.

Thanks Tom Ferguson, you did a wonderful job

 

Recently, Lenox Sportsmen’s Club Board Member Mark Jester announced a leadership transition at the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club, marking the end of Tom Ferguson’s remarkable 43-year tenure as its leader. According to Jester, at the age of 84, Tom, who had previously served as the president of the Lakewood Sportsmen’s Club before its merger with Lenox, has decided to step down. The merger was prompted by an unfortunate arson incident at the old Lakewood Sportsmen’s Club house in 1983.

Jester lauded Ferguson’s work.  “Under Tom’s guidance, Lenox Sportsmen’s Club has thrived, boasting an annual membership of around 650 individuals. Tom played a pivotal role in initiating programs, many of which are still in operation, and consistently advocated for the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS). Although his departure leaves a void in leadership, Tom has expressed his continued involvement with the club.”

“Tom’s most recent undertaking was the organization of the club’s annual Venison & Polenta Dinner, a successful event that drew in 150 participants, including men, women, and children. The program generated $4,000.00 in funds, earmarked to sponsor the attendance of four local teenagers at the Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp this upcoming summer. Despite stepping down from his leadership role, Tom remains an active and valuable contributor to the club’s initiatives.”

It was a tasty fish

Say, remember the article in this column about that big brown trout that was caught out of Stockbridge Bowl a couple of weeks ago?  As you may recall, it was caught by Brian Duffy of Rehoboth, MA.  I asked him what he did with that fish and here is his response, “ We ended up eating the fish. Beautiful filets turned into a few great meals. Smoked the filets with maple, pressure canned the boney sections to dissolve the bones for sandwiches, and boiled down the carcass for an amazing fish, chorizo, corn chowder.  Nothing went to waste!” he wrote.

It’s a shame he threw away the scales.

A look back at 2023 Berkshire Woods and Waters columns

Posted on by

 

The year 2023 is now history.  So, what were some of the major articles this column covered last year?

Well, things started off on a sad note.  In January we learned that local flyfishing legend Fred Moran of Adams passed beyond the riverbend.

More than 700 lbs of venison were distributed and provided meals for people throughout the state in 2022.

A total of 223 black bears were taken during the combined 2022 bear hunting seasons. This was the second highest in the last 5 years and the 6th highest overall. Some 79 bears were taken in Berkshire County. The 2022 deer harvest set a record at 5,853 deer. That harvest highlighted the growing deer abundance statewide and increased access to permits. Some 3,067 turkeys were harvested statewide in 2022, 2,837 in the spring hunt and 230 in the fall hunt.

There was a 3-way tie in the MassWildlife Youth Catch & Keep Angler of the Year 2022, Carter Flagg of Gill, and Logan Middlebrook and Gabriel Christman of Pittsfield. Logan caught the gold pin brown trout weighing 3 lbs. 6 oz out of Onota Lake and Gabriel caught the gold pin 3 lbs. 5 oz rainbow trout out of Stockbridge Bowl.  Gabriel also caught a gold pin white perch weighing 1 lb. 4 oz out of Pontoosuc Lake.

Other gold pin fish that were caught out of Berkshire waters last year were:

  • Adult Catch & Keep Category – A 3 lbs. 5 oz brook trout was caught out of Goose Pond by Allan Armstrong of Lee.
  • Catch & Release Category – Two 44-inch northern pike were caught out of Onota Lake.  One was caught by Seth Davis of Oxbridge and one caught by Jake Burke of Pittsfield. Another gold pin fish caught out of Onota was a 23.25- inch white catfish which was caught by Jason Wingrove of Bernardston.

 

Four area outdoor sportspeople/conservationists received prestigious awards at the Silvio O. Conte Awards Banquet which was sponsored by the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLA):

  • Stephen Sears of Dalton received the Sportsman of the Year Award.
  • The late Fred Moran received the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.
  • Joel Miraglia of Ashfield received the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award.
  • Eric Dupont of Lee received the John Zuber Award for all that he does for the youth programs at the Lee Sportsmen’s Association.

 

MassWildlife submitted comments to the Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental and Energy Affairs and MA Environmental Policy Act Office regarding a proposed Pontoosuc Lake drawdown.  MassWildlife’s position is that it alters and causes harm to biological resources without substantive justification or full consideration of alternative approaches with less impact to the biological resources.

Governor Maura Healey made a campaign promise to pause logging on state-owned forest land

 

In March 23, Dan Aitken of Pittsfield caught a 16 lbs 14 oz tiger muskie that measured 45 inches.  Unbelievably, Dan had caught an even heavier fish, a Northern Pike, out of Onota Lake just the week before on March 17. That fish weighed 22 lbs 5 oz and measured 43 inches long.

Local fly fisherman Marc Hoechstetter wrote an article about his experiences fishing the Hideaway Pool on the Deerfield River.

 

Beginning in 2023 two new fish species (Fallfish and White Sucker) were included in the MA Freshwater Sportfish Awards Program.

In May we documented the tale of two youth turkey hunters 13-year old Hunter Lawson of Williamstown and 17-year old Matthew Melito, of Adams.  Both got two turkeys on their first day ever of turkey hunting.

 

In May, Tom O’Shea was appointed Commissioner of the MA Department of Fish & Game replacing outgoing Commissioner Ron Amidon.

MassWildlife added 125 acres in Cummington adjacent to Route 9.  They also partnered with Berkshire Natural Resource Council, DCR, and the Department of Conservation Services to protect more than 750 acres in the towns of Tyringham and Monterey.

A Commemorative plaque was dedicated…. after 49 years.  Appreciation was shown for a land donation which was made to the Town of Lenox in 1974 by the late Robert and Olga Weiss of Lenox

 

Governor Healey’s office announced $500,000 state grants to five coalitions and four individual non-profit watershed organizations across the state to support monitoring water quality. Three local organizations received them, The Housatonic Valley Association – $48,605, The Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited – $26,007 and The Farmington River Watershed Association – $13,378.

 “An unforgettable Opening Day on the River.” Bill Hollister, formerly of Pittsfield, narrated how he helped save a man from drowning in the West Branch of the Housatonic River in 1950.

 

MassWildlife led a cleanup of the George Darey Wildlife Management Area as well as certain areas along Roaring Brook Road in Lenox.

Based on studies, we learned that most brown trout in the Deerfield River are wild, not stocked

 

Changes in goose hunting season, one being the extension of its season date which would run from January 1 through February 15.

 

In June, the Pediatric Palliative Care Program, part of Hospice Care in the Berkshire, enjoyed the BCLS sponsored Youth Outreach Derby on Reynolds Pond in Cheshire.

The 2023 Harry A. Bateman Memorial Jimmy Fund Fishing Derby drew about 300 fishermen and raised over $10,000 for the fight against cancer.

 

In June there was an article about Paul Knauth (Hinsdale) and me chronicling a wonderful flyfishing trip to the Catskills and epic battles fought with large trout. None were landed.

 

Naturewatch columnist Thom Smith retired.

 

Wildlife officials wondered whether we could reverse the trend of dwindling hunting and fishing participants.

 

In recognition of his 35 years of dedicated and effective conservation work, an asteroid was named after Dr. Thomas W. French, the founding leader and former Assistant Director of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP).

Local recipients of the Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance (CRMA) Grant Program were: Egremont: $48,811 for Karner Brook Culvert Replacement, Richmond:  $55,200 for Sleepy Hollow Road Culvert Replacement, Great Barrington:  $55,933 for Housatonic River Tributary Culvert Replacement, Berkshire Clean, Cold, Connected Restoration Partnership, Housatonic Valley Association, awarded $199,899.

Environmental Police Officer Lt. Tara Carlow received the Outstanding Officer of The Year Award in Conservation Law Enforcement and Public Safety.

 

New proposed gun control law (HD.4420) drew fire from hunters and legal shooting enthusiasts.

 

Alice Christman of Pittsfield caught a 42 1/2 inch pike weighing just short of 14lbs.

 

It was a great hunting year for young Hunter Lawson.  In addition to the two turkeys that he got earlier in the year, he also got a black bear

 

In October a column heading was “Back to Battle on flyfishing trip to the Catskill.  This scribe’s attempt to catch a big brown trout that defeated him in June.  After it cleaned my clock again, it took on the name of Iron Mike. (Named after Heavyweight Champion boxer Mike Tyson who trained in the Catskills).

In October we learned about local MassWildlife firefighter Jacob Morris-Siegel’s trip to Montana to fight the wildfires.

 

here was an article about a new turkey license plate that is on the horizon.

Sportsmen and women were recognized by New England governors as America’s true conservationists.

 

The 2023 MA paraplegic hunt harvested 10 deer, only 1 in the Berkshires

 

In November, four instructors from MassWildlife conducted a Field Day for its Basic Hunter Education Course at the Stationery Factory in Dalton.  49 students passed the course.

In November over 30 individuals participated in a fly tying/fly fishing event at the Berkshire National Fish Hatchery

picture provided by Peter Paulson

In December, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced an investment of $25 million to remove eight aging dams in Central and Western Massachusetts, including the abandoned high-hazard Bel Air Dam in Pittsfield

Charles Wohl of Lenox was

Charles Wohl photo provided by Gene Chague

awarded Trout Unlimited Crooked Staff Award.

In December, local photographer Mark Thorne reported that T98, the 21 ½ year old female bald eagle, went missing.

Many thanks for reading this column last year.  I look forward to continuing writing about our woods and waters in the new year.

Charles Wohl awarded the Crooked Staff

Posted on by

 

At its December7, 2023 Holiday Party, the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) presented to retired doctor Charles Wohl of Lenox its most prestigious award, the Crooked Staff Award. He has been a member of TU for some 40 years or so.    He originally started out as a member of the Konkapot Chapter of TU in southern Berkshire County until it merged with the Taconic Chapter in the 1980s.

In the past Charles has made numerous excellent presentations at the Chapter meetings about rivers that he has fished. He is an excellent fly tier and has conducted fly tying demonstrations over the years in places such as the Berkshire National Fish Hatchery.  In May of 1983 some of his flies were on display at the Berkshire Museum when it held its exhibit “Fly Tying, Fly Fishing: the gentle sport” which ran from April 6 to May 13, 1984.

Over the years, Charles has written fishing articles for The Backcast, the official newsletter of Taconic TU, for the now defunct literary journal The Berkshire Review, and for this Berkshire Eagle column.  I foresee another one of his articles appearing in this column in the future.

Charles Wohl, picture taken by Gene Chague

 

He gave fly tying lessons for a couple of years at the late Fred Moran’s shop Points North in Adams. For fundraisers, various organizations auctioned off fly casting lessons from him and then a day of guided fly fishing on the Housatonic River in Connecticut with a gourmet lunch prepared by his wife Alba. He also participated in teaching fly casting at Casting for Recovery events. (The Mission of Casting for Recovery is to enhance the lives of survivors and thrivers of breast cancer by connecting them to each other and nature through the therapeutic sport of fly fishing and providing oncology medical and psychosocial support at no cost). Over the decades he has also donated generously to TU’s fundraisers.

 

Charles was totally caught off guard, and upon receiving the award was only able to say a few words, mostly about his surprise and his feeling that it was undeserved but much appreciated.  Sorry Charles, but everyone in that room felt that you greatly deserved the award.

 

“I think for me” said Charles, “membership in TU and getting out on the rivers has given me the opportunity to meet so many really nice men and women who are great fishermen and fisherwomen, but, more importantly, dedicated to efforts to preserve cold water environments.  My involvement with TU and fly fishing has, in general, shown me that trout live in very pretty places, including some areas of Europe.”

 

After opening remarks by Chapter President Justin Adkins of Williamstown, the presentation was emceed by Taconic TU Director Marc Hoechstetter of West Cummington.  Mr. Goodrod’s staff and flyrod were presented to Charles by the previous recipient Fran Marzotto of Pittsfield.

 

You may ask, what is the Crooked Staff Award and how did it come to be?

The history of the Crooked Staff has already been featured in this column over the years a couple of times.  With your indulgence, lets one more time refresh our memories of how this award came about and the story behind this rich Taconic TU tradition.

The staff itself was the brainchild of Ken Welch, one of the chapter’s past members who has since moved to the New York State Finger Lakes area and then later to Florida. He related the following story about the origin of the staff which he claimed to be true. However, members wonder if the social hour preceding the meeting when he introduced it affected his veracity.  In any event the moral of the story is still solid:

“Many years ago, there lived a trout fisherman who was the epitome of the ultimate gentleman angler. He was a man who was honest to a fault, one who needed no guidelines such as game laws by which to live. He was a man who always did the proper thing because it was the right thing to do. Mr. Ernest Goodrod was that man.

He would never wade into another man’s pool, he never kept under-sized fish, nor exceeded the lawful limit. In fact, he felt those laws weren’t written for him since he had always practiced “Catch and Release”. Mr. Goodrod stopped to help young anglers that he felt could use his expertise; he never lied about the quantity or the quality of his catches. He was free with his advice and shared the location of favorite fishing holes with strangers. He was truly a gentleman’s gentleman.

In spite of having a heart condition, he fished frequently, and often alone. Being of an advanced age he always had his wading staff tied to his belt with a rawhide tether. It was cut from a strong, straight tree and left in its natural state. Straight, strong, and pure, not unlike Mr. Goodrod.

But alas, the day came when he didn’t return from his favorite stream; his heart had finally failed him. He was found at the Bridge Pool by the local near-do-well, a despicable man who lied cheated and connived his way through life. He was noted for following the trout stocking trucks to take as many trout as possible. When this awful man found Mr. Goodrod, he stripped him of his rod, vest, waders and wading staff. For most of that summer he used his stuff, including the staff, but every time he broke the law the staff would get shorter due to it taking on a coil, and eventually the staff became unusable.

One evening the local game warden arrested the bum, jailed him, and confiscated all his fishing tackle, including the crooked staff. Everyone knew that the staff was once the property of Mr. Goodrod and the story spread that if a real gentleman of Mr. Goodrod’s caliber were to handle the staff it would straighten out to its original splendor.

Ken Welch obtained the staff, but in spite of being a fine gentleman the staff remained crooked. Somewhere Ken had a hidden flaw. He was aware of the fine character of the members at the Taconic Chapter of TU and figured one of its members could remove the coils. Ken suggested that if the staff was presented to the one who most represented the ideals of TU, the staff would be restored, but alas after many, many recipients, it remains crooked. Apparently, each honoree had a hidden flaw in his or her character. Someday the likes of Mr. Goodrod will be found, so it is hoped.”

Well, nearly every year since the mid 1980’s the Chapter’s Board of Directors selected one of its members to receive this coveted award. The person is selected as the member who best represents the ideals of T.U. (conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s cold- water fisheries and their watersheds).  This member holds the Crooked Staff for the following year until it is either passed on to another deserving member or is held, if none is deemed deserving.

There have been 31 previous Crooked Staff recipients over the years.  Chronologically, they were as follows:  Francis F. Conroy, Ernest Long, Jerry Zink, Ted Giddings, Gene Chague, Ken Welch, Paul and Homer Ouellette, John Kastrinakis, Cy Henry, Michael Shepard, Clem Ferris, Tony Lorio, Dick Bordeau, Paul Knauth, Fred and Marilyn Moran, Herb Rod, Dave Oclair, Karen Karlberg, Marc Hoechstetter, Len Gigliotti, Ron Wojcik, Charles Lahey, Allen Gray, Doug and Gail Yates, John Burns, Bill Travis, Henry Sweren, Fran Marzotto and now Charles Wohl.

In 2016, Taconic TU charter member Homer Ouellette, of Pittsfield, himself a Crooked Staff recipient, passed beyond the riverbend. Unbeknownst to the TU members, he had purportedly gained possession of Mr. Goodrod’s flyrod. Homer’s brother, the late Paul Ouellette of Lanesboro, brought it to a TU meeting hoping that it would be presented to future deserving crooked staff recipients.  On it is inscribed, “Property of Mr. Ernest Goodrod.”  Hence, a new Taconic TU tradition had been formed.

Shotgun deer hunting season opens Monday  

Posted on by

picture provided by MassWildliife

Shotgun deer hunting season starts on Monday November 27 and it runs until December 9, (excluding Sundays).  Two bucks can be harvested and if hunters are fortunate to have a valid antlerless deer permit (doe permit) they can also take a doe.  Remember, the buck antlers must be at least 3 inches long.

Don’t forget, during the first week of the shotgun deer season (November 27–December 2), all harvested deer must be brought to a physical check station within 48 hours so MassWildlife biologists can collect biological data. Online harvest reporting is NOT available during this time.  The Western District Check Stations are as follows:

  • MassWildlife Headquarters – Dalton
  • Lee Sportsman’s Club – Lee
  • Mill River General Store – Mill River/New Marlborough
  • Ernie’s Auto Sales – North Adams
  • B&D Variety – Huntington
  • Goshen General Store – Goshen

Shotgun, archery, and muzzleloader implements are allowed. Be sure you are familiar with all the deer hunting regulations listed on pages 26 through 29 of the abstracts.

Also, the shotgun (third) season for bear hunting opens on Monday and also runs through December 9. Regulations governing that season are listed on pages 30 and 31 of the abstracts.

During this week, hunters must wear 500 square inches of blaze orange on head, chest and back. If using a blind during the season or on a Wildlife Management Area with blaze orange requirements, all deer hunters must wear the required amount of orange while in the blind.  MassWildlife recommends that blaze orange be visible on the outside of the blind, too.

If you plan to really get out there and traipse around our beautiful mountains, be sure to let people know where you are going to hunt and when you plan to get out of the woods.  In addition to extra bullets, knife, drag rope, food and drink, etc., carry a fully charged cell phone with the numbers of those you are hunting with, a flashlight with extra batteries, maps and a first aid kit.

 

If your hair is turning a bit white, be realistic about your fitness and skill level.  Don’t overestimate your abilities nor underestimate mother nature’s.  Remember, breaking through fresh snow can be more tiring than regular hiking.

 

Hunter Harassment Law

 

Mass General Law, Part I, Title XIX, Chapter 131, Section 5C states “No person shall obstruct, interfere with or otherwise prevent the lawful taking of fish or wildlife by another at the locale where such activity is taking place”. It then lists 7 specific types of violations. “Environmental protection officers and other law enforcement officers with arrest powers shall be authorized to enforce the provisions of this section.”

Real cases of hunter harassment (meaning those that actually target specific hunters or their equipment and prevent, interfere or obstruct them from hunting) should be reported to Massachusetts Environmental Police statewide dispatch at 1-800-632-8075.

Precious Memories

 

Well, here we go again, another sleepless night thinking about opening day of shotgun deer hunting season.  As usual, sleep will be out of the question and I’ll probably do the same thing I do every year……. toss and turn all night waiting for the 4:00 am alarm to go off.  As usual, thoughts of previous opening days (and there were many) will undoubtedly cross my mind, one after another.  I’ll remember the rainy, foggy, snowy, frigid days, who I hunted with, what gun I used, etc.  I’ll remember the times I erred and allowed a big buck to get away.  Yes, and remember a few nice deer that didn’t get away.

One such memory I will never forget occurred sometime in the late 1970’s. On that opening day, I was hunting with close friend Bob Stanard and Jack Landers both of Lee.

When we entered the woods in Beartown State Forest that morning, we agreed to meet at a certain location at noon.  There we would eat our lunches, and if we hadn’t had any luck, plan our strategy for the afternoon hunt.

The place where we were to meet was on top of a ridge where we had prior luck shooting deer in the past. It was a little nook, in front of us, facing, west was a gradual slope to the rim of the ridge and then a sharp drop down the other side of the mountain toward Icy Glen in Stockbridge.  Behind us was a small hill which dropped down to where we were.  If we sat on a rock there, we were not able to look over the hill behind us.  If we stood up and looked back, our eyes were almost level with the ground. (Kind of like looking out of a cellar window).

When Bob and I arrived at noon, we leaned our shotguns on a little tree 3 or 4 feet away from the rocks on which we sat. We got out our lunches and thermos bottles and while waiting for Jack, we lit up cigarettes (we smoked back then).

It wasn’t long before we heard the rustle of frozen leaves as Jack approached. When he was a short distance away, he appeared to have stopped walking, for we heard no more leaf rustling.  We assumed that he was looking for an easy way to drop down to join us.  After an unduly long period of silence, we looked back to see what he was doing.

There standing not 10 feet away looking down at us was a big buck. Both of us immediately jumped up to grab our shotguns, but it was too late.  The buck immediately bounded off out of sight.

Jack joined us shortly thereafter and said that he never saw that deer which had to be in front of him all along.

I have relived that moment many times over the years, especially the night before opening days. I’m sure my wife Jan wonders what I am chuckling about in the middle of the night.

Manuel Carballo Governor’s Award

The Manuel Carballo Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service is presented to employees who selflessly personify a deep commitment to serving the people of the Commonwealth and exemplify the highest standards of public service. This award was established in memory of Manuel Carballo who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The award, in his name, is given to an employee, or group of employees, who demonstrate exemplary leadership, innovation, and creativity.

Recently, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) staff received recognition for the “Hunter’s Share-the-Harvest Program” and received that award.  In his report to the MA Fish & Wildlife Board Meeting of November 15, DFW Director Mark Tisa noted that it shows the generosity of the hunting community to back and help, particularly with so many food insecurity needs that we have in the Commonwealth.

“It was great to have the Governor make that award and endorse the program” said Tisa.  He then publicly recognized people that were instrumental in that program.  They included DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden and Western District Wildlife Biologist Nate Buckhout.   “Its really a team effort and there are a lot of other employees, too” he said.

Fish & Wildlife Board elections

 

At that same November 15 Meeting, the Board unanimously re-elected the following officers:  Stephen A. Sears of Dalton – Chairman, Bob Durand of Marlborough– Vice Chairman, and Ernest W. Foster of Scituate– Secretary.  The other members of the Board are:  Sasha Dyer of Barre, Emma Ellsworth of Orange, John Organ of Buckland and Matthew Sisk of Braintree.

 

Taconic TU Holiday Banquet

 

The Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited is having its Holiday Banquet on Thursday evening, December 7 at 6:30 pm at Mazzeo’s Ristorante, 1015 South Street, Pittsfield.

 

Billed as a great place to support the Chapter and get your holiday shopping done at the same time, there will be auctions and raffles which will include: fly rods, reels, guided fishing trips, flies tied by local fly tyers, waders, books and much more.  (Someone will leave there with a bamboo flyrod, valued at around $1,200, made by the late legendary rod maker Richard “Digger” Degere of Adams).

 

Taconic Chapter’s highest award, the Crooked Staff, will be awarded to a deserving member who most represents the ideals of TU.

 

Tickets which include the meal cost $50  pp, can be purchased at  https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8ZkUSW5PSj or by check by emailing taconictu@gmail.com

You are urged to buy your ticket by December 1 so they can have a head count for Mazzeo’s.

 

Early goose, black bear hunting coming up

Posted on by

 

The Early Canada Goose hunting season (statewide) began on Friday, September 1 and runs through September 22.  For Early Canada Goose season only, hunting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.  The daily bag limit is 15 and the possession limit is 45.  The reason for this early season and the large numbers of geese allowed to be taken is to reduce the large local resident population that is befouling our lawns and beaches.  The regular goose hunting season in the Berkshires opens on October 10 and runs through November 25.  It shuts down through the shotgun deer hunting season and then reopens December 11 through December 14.  The daily bag on that season is 3 and the possession limit is 9.

There are many regulations regarding goose hunting and rather than to list many of them out, I direct your attention to 2023 – 2024 SEASON DATES & BAG LIMIT provided at https://www.mass.gov/doc/2023-2024-migratory-game-bird-regulations.

I will note that a 15-goose harvest limit for one day and a 45-bird possessive limit is high. Please make sure the geese won’t go to waste (see wanton waste comments below) and that you or someone else consumes them.  The meat can be tough, so you might want to search out grandma’s old recipes or perhaps you can make goose jerky.

The early Black Bear hunting season opens statewide on September 5 and runs through September 23. Those hunting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.  There are no blaze orange requirements during this season.  Hunting implements allowed during this season are rifles, revolvers, muzzleloaders and archery equipment.  There are also many regulations governing bear hunting and instead of listing all of them out here, I direct your attention to pages 30 and 31 of the Massachusetts Fishing and Hunting laws (commonly referred to as the abstracts).

Please remember:  It is unlawful for hunters to intentionally, or knowingly leave a wounded or dead game animal in the field or the forest without making a reasonable effort to retrieve and use it. Each retrieved animal shall be retained or transferred to another 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.

No hunting is allowed on Sundays in Massachusetts.

Here’s hoping you have safe and successful hunts.

Wear your life jackets, it’s the law

 

Although not mandatory until September 15, waterfowl hunters who navigate waters to get to their duck/goose blinds might be well advised to wear their Personal Floatation Devises (PFD’s).  MassWildlife cautions us that all canoe or kayak occupants must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD from September 15 to May 15, and that includes waterfowl hunters.

Archery deer hunting season opening date

I have been getting calls and messages inquiring as to whether the deer archery hunting season is opening on October 2 this year.  These inquiries were brought about by the recent public hearings regarding the extension of the archery deer hunting season two weeks in Wildlife Zones 1 – 9.

According to DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden, if approved, the regulations would likely go into effect in 2024. There are still steps in the process including a review of comments and decision by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board. If approved by the Board, it would still need additional administrative approval within other branches of State government before it could be officially enacted. That process almost certainly won’t be completed before the season starts so hunters should plan on 2024, if the changes are approved.

He promised that MassWildlife will do its best to keep hunters posted about the process and a timeline if the proposed changes are approved.

 

EPO Lt. Tara Carlow honored

Congratulations to EPO Lt. Tara Carlow who was chosen to receive the Massachusetts 2022 CLECA (Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs’ Association) Outstanding Officer of The Year Award in Conservation Law Enforcement and Public Safety. The award ceremony took place this past May 16 at MassWildlife Field Headquarters in Westborough.   As the Lieutenant for our region, she oversees 33 towns that are broken down into 6 smaller districts (4-6 towns each) with direct subordinates of 5 officers (only have 3 right now) and 1 sergeant covering those.  There is a Western Captain that oversees all of Massachusetts west of the Quabbin, but the position is currently vacant.

This hardly comes as a surprise to the delegates of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen who are fortunate enough to have her presence at its monthly meetings.  She makes sure the League, and through its minutes, the area outdoor sports community is kept apprised of any new environmental laws, updates on EPO’s successes in apprehending outlaws, information on any upcoming Boating Safety Classes or ATV classes, and more.  It is so helpful to have Lt Carlow present at those meetings answering any legal questions that we may have.  I have been a delegate in the League for over 20 years now and we never had an EPO regularly attend.

At the risk of embarrassing Lt. Carlow, please allow me to cite some comments about her in a 3-page nomination by another officer, which says it all.  I have changed the term “the nominee” to “she” or “her”.

She is a shining star for all others in Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) in regards to attitude and sets a great example. She is continually asked by the Agency to handle more responsibilities, which were accepted with zero complaints; she fully realizes the breath of MEP‘s job and changes their schedule constantly to attend search and rescue, meetings, training, and large scale operations without a single complaint, and explained the reasons for same to their subordinates; she understand the mission statement, their role in carrying it out in a manner that everyone knows the nominees proud to be an EPO .

Whether it is a simple response to a citizens question, ensuring subordinate is carrying out tasking, or a complex multi facet investigation, she excelled at every challenge sent their way; she sets a great example to others in MEP by handling so many various patrol issues, proving self- initiation is often the best way to determine problem areas; she spent a specific amount of time assisting DCR, MassWildlife, and fishing and boating access and documenting numerous violations, and/or problems located on their respective properties. She excels at the hunting enforcement aspect of the job. Any complaint is looked into and she spends significant time ahead of each season researching previous problem areas and providing that information to the Board to allow them the best chance to be successful, multiple baiting cases were made from the intelligence. She continued to excel in making cases involving illegally taken bears; she spearheads one of the better PR programs across a Commonwealth ensuring subordinates are present to assist with their responsibilities; she ensures MEP is well represented, and has a positive and professional image among the region citizens.  If needed for one event on almost any topic she would be the first person I would choose to represent the Agency. She is constantly advising others of new material or technology that comes out involving the job, allowing MEP to better serve the public. The amount of knowledge on the laws on specific subjects. At this point (her) career is well above normal.

“She is exactly what a CLECA nominated officer should be, well rounded, a positive attitude, knowledgeable, self-reliant, professional, caring, and willing to assist subordinates to become their best. MEP is better for them being here.”

Fishing Derby

The Friends of the Berkshire Hatchery in Hartsville-New Marlborough is scheduled to have its last Youth Fishing Derby of this year next Saturday, September 9 from 9:00 to 10:30 am at its Lower Pond at the Berkshire National Fish Hatchery, 240 Hatchery Road, Hartsville, MA.  Children aged 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult.  No child goes away empty handed.