Category Archives: Awards

Berkshire waters yield 20 gold pins and an Angler of the Year in 2019

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Each year, MassWildlife recognizes anglers who catch exceptional freshwater fish in waters open to the public. If you submit the largest or longest fish in an eligible species category, you will get a gold pin and a plaque, and you’ll also be honored in a MassWildlife awards event.
Log onto https://www.mass.gov/service-details/gold-pin-winners to see all of the 2019 winners in the Adult Catch & Keep, Youth Catch & Keep and Catch & Release categories. You will notice that there were 20 gold pins awarded to local or out-of-area anglers who caught fish out of local waters and a gold pin awarded to a local angler who caught a big fish in waters outside of the Berkshires.

In an upcoming ceremony to be held at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters in Westborough, MA, the lucky anglers will receive gold pins and plaques commemorating their great feats.

Local gold pin winners were as follows:

Adult catch & keep category:
Chain Pickerel, 6 lbs 4 oz caught out of Stockbridge Bowl by Robert Kotleski of West Stockbridge.
Northern Pike, 26 lbs 10 oz caught out of Onota Lake by Eric Moser of Pittsfield
Yellow Perch, 1 lb 15 oz caught out of Onota Lake by Jonathan Beauchesne of North Grafton, MA.

Youth catch and keep category
Brown Trout, 7 lbs 5 oz caught out of Onota Lake; Bullhead, 2 lbs 0 oz caught out of Pontoosuc Lake; Carp, 16 lbs 9 oz caught out of the Housatonic River; Northern Pike, 14 lbs 5 oz caught out of Cheshire Lake; Sunfish, 1 lb 5 oz caught out of Ashmere Lake; White Perch, 1 lb 13 oz caught out of Pontoosuc Lake; and Yellow Perch, 1 lb 9 oz out of Cheshire Lake.
All of the above fish were caught by Alice Christman of Pittsfield.

Catch & Release category
Brook Trout, 19 inches caught out of Laurel Lake by yours truly. (How about that? I tied Lee Pearson of Plymouth who caught and released an identical sized brookie from Long Pond in Plymouth)

2019 Angler of the Year award winners

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. The award promotes awareness of the Commonwealth’s underutilized fish species and recognizes an angler’s ability to catch a wide variety of trophy species.

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.

With the exception of Alice, I don’t know how many bronze pins that the other two anglers were awarded during the year or in which categories, but records show that they earned gold pins in the following categories:

Adult Catch & Keep Category: Jonathan Beauchesne of North Grafton, MA earned 3 gold pins: A 37 lbs 4 oz Carp out of Quinsigamond Lake in Shrewsbury, a 5 lbs 1 oz Shad out of the Chicopee River in Chicopee and a 1 lb 15 oz Yellow Perch out of Onota Lake in Pittsfield.

Youth Catch & Keep Category: Can there be any doubt? Why of course it is Alice Christman of Pittsfield, MA. In addition to the 7 gold pin fish listed previously, she also caught a gold pin Channel Catfish which weighed 8 lbs 14 oz out of the Connecticut River in Springfield. But wait! There’s more! Alice also was awarded bronze pins for: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, tiger trout and pickerel.

She ended up getting a bronze or gold pin for 16 out of the 22 species of fish included in the program. Way to go Alice!

There is much more to Alice’s story which I hope to write about in an upcoming column. You may find it interesting, especially if you have an autistic child in your family.

Catch & Release Angler Category: Matthew Menard of Brookfield, MA earned 4 gold pins in the Adult Catch & Release category: A 30.75 inch Channel Catfish out of the Connecticut River in Agawam, an 18.25 inch Crappie out of Lashaway Lake in North Brookfield, a 30.00 inch Lake Trout out of Quabbin Reservoir and a 22.75 inch Smallmouth Bass also out of Quabbin Reservoir.

New State record fish caught in 2019 were as follows in the Catch & Release Category:

Bowfin – 31 inches caught out of the Taunton River in Taunton by Michael Nee of Framingham, MA
Crappie – 18.25 inches caught out of Lashaway Lake in North Brookfield, MA by Matthew Menard of Brookfield.
Rainbow Trout – 25.50 inches caught out of Jamaica Pond in Boston by Frankie Caloiero of Winchester, MA
Smallmouth Bass – 22.75 inches out of Quabbin Reservoir by Matthew Menard of Brookfield, MA

There were no state record fish caught in the Adult or Youth Catch and Keep categories. Probably the reason for so many state records in the Catch and Release category is that this category is still relatively new, having started in 2015 and the records will frequently change for a while.

Page 13 of the MA Fishing & Hunting regulations explains the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program and provides a chart which lists the minimum weights and lengths to qualify for a pin. You might want to take it along whenever you go fishing. If a fish doesn’t measure up, then you can release it to be caught another day…….unless, of course, you want to release it into a frying pan.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet
The Bay State Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is having a banquet on Saturday, February 22 at the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club, 24 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge. It is billed as the do-not-miss social event of the year with a chance to win top notch firearms, premium hunts and exclusive gear. Even if you don’t hunt elk, it is a social evening of fun, great food and camaraderie all for the benefit of elk country. Peter DelGrande’s famous Herb-Crusted Boneless Prime Rib and Chicken Marsala Buffet is reason enough to attend.

Prizes include firearms and bows, premium hunts, trips and adventures, limited edition art, handcrafted pottery and home furnishings, custom jewelry, and much more. Tickets are limited, and cost: Single Attendee – Includes 1 Meal & 1 Supporting Membership – $80.00, Couple Attendee – Includes 2 Meals & 1 Supporting Membership – $125.00. Doors open at 5:00pm. Call Gary D. Johnston at (413) 441-0361 for more information.

The 37th Annual Springfield Sportsmen’s Show
Arguably the largest pure hunting and fishing show in the Northeast, it is filled with hundreds of booths, seminars and action areas. The two-building 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 interesting attractions and displays such as The Northeast Big Buck Club, Trout Pond, Water-Dog Retrieving Pool Demos, Two Seminar Rooms and more.
Each year, the show draws exhibitors from all over the Northeast who are eager to present their products and services to outdoor sporting enthusiasts throughout the greater New England area. Returning and all new fishing tackle vendors will exhibit and sell fishing reels and rods, hard and soft plastic baits, fishing kayaks with accessories and boats of all types.
The show takes place at the Eastern States Exposition (Big E) 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, MA) on February 21 through 23. The show hours are Friday from noon to 8 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 7 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission: Adults – $15, kids 6 to 12 – $5 and under 6 free.
Housatonic River Clean-up

There was some big news last week. I’ll put off my comments until next week as I want to hear what the local hunters, fishers and trappers think about it. Drop me a line at the below address if you have a chance. Thank you.

2019 Berkshire County League of Sportsmen Award winners are announced

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Chris Puntin

At a recent meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) five area outdoor sportspeople/conservationists were selected to receive awards. They are as follows:
The late Chris Puntin, formerly of Pittsfield, will receive the Sportsman of the Year Award posthumously. Unfortunately, Chris lost his life in a hunting accident last year while helping out at the Youth Turkey Hunt. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was the local chairman of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and served on its State Board. For many years he was a mentor for the youth turkey hunts and was a key organizer at the NWTF fund raisers. He helped in trout stockings and was a member of the Snow Seekers (tending snow mobile trails on October Mountain). He helped on the “Buddy Walks” by driving the tractor for its hayrides in Dalton (The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness) and he volunteered as its “grill person”.
To quote words from Andrew Madden, DFW Western District Supervisor, “Chris was well known to us. He was very active with the NWTF, a Paraplegic Deer Hunt volunteer for MassWildlife, and a good friend to the Agency and the District.”

Meredyth Babcock of Becket will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award. Meredyth is the Volunteer and Projects Coordinator for the Wild and Scenic (W/S) Westfield River Committee. As Coordinator, she partners with communities, municipal officials, conservation organizations and Federal and State agencies to manage the Westfield River and maintain the health of the entire watershed for nearby and downstream communities.
She is also helping out with the Highlands Foot Passage and is slowly working toward improving the East Branch Trail.

The W&S Committee engages layers of community members by targeting outreach efforts, messages and activities through a combination of mailings, outreach materials, workshops, hikes, public programs, and Stream Team trainings. The goal of these efforts is to provide effective tools and share expertise to encourage long-term protection, restoration and conservation of the river and its resources. They offer:
• A diverse range of Events and Trainings ranging from Stream Team trainings and volunteer workdays to workshops on geology, macro-invertebrates, and other features of the watershed
• Programs for Schools
• “Travel the Watershed”, a traveling exhibit of artist-designed boxes that celebrate the Wild & Scenic River and help educate and recruit local community members as volunteers.
In addition, they offer grants, technical assistance, and river project reviews to help landowners, communities and organizations promote river stewardship.
For example, the Becket-Washington School did 5 years of a Stream Explorer Program where for 6 weeks Meredyth came after school and basically walked the river, called the “Walking the River Roads.” They also did “Teen River Clean” where the W&S Committee hired teenagers to go to areas where they had seen garbage and they cleaned it up. The Committee didn’t pay them but rather granted scholarships for helping out. Each year, they hire an intern through the school, sometimes from UMASS, sometimes from Westfield and they do a tremendous amount of data gathering. This year they will be focused on the uppermost tributaries to identify invasive plants and try to work from the upper ends down to reduce the amount carried by the water.
Stephanie Dupont of Pittsfield will receive the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award. Stephanie moved to the Berkshires with her husband Eric and 3 children in the fall of 2014 and joined the Lee Sportsmen’s Association (LSA) in 2015. Since joining LSA, Stephanie and Eric have made sure that their children have been pre-eminent members of the Air2Spare Jr. air pistol team as well as the youth shotgun and archery programs. They have also participated in the LSA’s fishing derbies, clean-up days, fund raisers and hunts. Stephanie has become a vital part of the day-to-day operations of the club as a Board Member, member of the Fundraising Committee, a member of the Youth Programs Committee and grant writer. She is also in charge of the day to day operations and communications of the club. She is Assistant Coach of the High Caliber 22 Bullseye Pistol Team, started the Summers Ladies Night Fun Shoot Program, and writes a bi-weekly column for the Berkshire Record. Working with youth in fund raising, she is instrumental in the continued success and growth of the LSA
Donald E. Girard of Adams will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Don has been a scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop #38 in Adams. He has been instrumental in leading the youth in appreciation and preservation of our environment. With the involvement of several assistant leaders Don saw the advancement of over 75 youths to Eagle Scout. They attained rank by earning badges for community projects such as reclaiming “Hail to the Sunrise” on the Mohawk Trail, beautifying the Adams Memorial Military Park, Appalachian Trail, and building of a bridge over water hazards, Throughout Don’s tenure of leader/instructor, many of the Troop’s youth gained an appreciation of the great outdoors. The troop planted numerous trees on Pfizer property and Florida Mountain property to enhance and preserve the forest, and planted Christmas trees as a sustainable fund-raising project for the Troop. The youth of the Troop also cleared and maintained many hiking trails including land abutting Windsor Lake in North Adams and Camp Holy Cross in Goshen. He taught gun safety and marksmanship at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club and at summer camps at Goshen. He also helped out in the Cub Scout fishing derbies.
Gregg Armstrong, of North Adams, will receive the John Zuber Award. Gregg has been a member of the East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club (EMSC) for over 50 years and an avid sportsman for over 60 years. He is part of the EMSC youth mentoring program and has been a Mass Hunter Education Instructor for over 30 years. For over 25 years as a member of the EMSC he was instrumental in helping them put on the first youth pheasant hunt in MA. When anything that had to do with youth programs, he was always the first to step up. He was a Boy Scout leader, an avid diver and a Navy vet. He also loved being out with his bird dogs.
The above awards will be presented at the BCLS Silvio O. Conte Memorial Awards Dinner at the Cheshire Rod and Gun Club on Saturday evening April 25. The social hour begins at 4:30 with dinner at 6:00 PM. Tickets, which cost $35, can be obtained from any BCLS delegate.
Ice fishing derby

The Lanesborough Fire Department is sponsoring an ice fishing derby on January 18 on Pontoosuc Lake from 5:00am to 2:00pm. Registration is behind the park on Narragansett Ave. There is a $10 entry fee for adults and free for kids aged 12 and under. There will be raffles, cash prizes and trophies for the winners. Food will be available for purchase.

Marlborough Fly-Fishing Show

The 2020 Fly Fishing Show will take place January 17 -19 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center,181 Boston Post Road Marlborough, MA. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, 9 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday and 9 am to 4:30 pm on Sunday. Parking is free.
The show promises more fly-casting, tying, manufacturer and retail store displays of the newest rods, reels, lines, boots, waders, clothing and flies during the three-day run.
The show will have 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.
There will be more than $50,000 worth of door prizes.
The admission is $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $35 for three days. Children under age 5 are free as are Boy and Girl Scouts under age 16 in uniform. Children 6-12 are $5 and active military with ID’s are $10. Scouts in uniform can earn credits toward a fly-fishing merit badge.
The New England premiere of the 2020 International Fly-Fishing Film Festival is Friday at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
For a complete list of fly-fishing films, classes, seminars, door prizes, demonstrations and the Scout Merit Badge program, visit www. flyfishingshow.com/marlborough-ma/ or phone (814) 443-3638.

Conte banquet honors four

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There was a nice crowd at the Silvio O. Conte Awards Banquet at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club last Saturday night to honor the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) 2018 award winners. Past President, Mark Jester, did his usual yeoman’s job as emcee. As readers may recall from my column of March 31, 2019, four people were selected to receive the awards: Virginia Dubois, Jason Sniezek, Jane Winn and Lou Robesch. There were write-ups of each person’s achievements in that article.

The banquet was also dedicated in honor of George “Gige” Darey who passed away in December, 2018. There was a moment of silence for Gige before the festivities began.

MA Fish & Game Commissioner Ron Amidon gave a short talk about the statewide trout stocking program and the great shape the fish are in this year. He mentioned proposed legislation of interest to the outdoor sportsmen, particularly the “archery setback” change. This change would allow DFW to manage wildlife in places where it hasn’t been able to do so up to now. Excessive deer density is not a problem here in the Berkshires but from Rte. 495 east there is a lot of wildlife out there and (DFW) is having a difficult time managing it because of the existing setbacks. If they are able to change the setbacks to 250 feet in many of the eastern communities it will help control the deer herd as well as open up huntable land.

Virginia Dubois of Lee received the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award for support, dedication and preservation of the outdoor shooting sports, hunting and fishing. She thanked the BCLS, the Lee Sportsmen’s Association officers, Board of Directors, all of the coaches and the Gala Fundraising committee. ”I couldn’t do what I enjoy doing so much without all of your help and support. I truly get back much more than I give when I see the friendships that I have made and see the smiles on the children’s faces at the wonderful programs that we are so grateful to be able to offer at the LSA.

Jason Sniezek of Adams received the Outstanding Achievement Award for his efforts to introduce the youth of Berkshire County to the vast wonders of the outdoors. He thanked the BCLS, CR&G and particularly Mark Jester and Karen Kruszyna who were instrumental in introducing the National Archery in the School (NAIS)program to Hoosac Valley. He said that this program is a very rewarding class to teach and the students embraced it and enjoyed getting out into the woods. Discussing some of the highlights of the class was a very rewarding class for him and he hopes he can continue that in the future and make it better.

Jane Winn of Pittsfield received the Lifetime Achievement Award. (The award was not just for Jane but also for her hubby Bruce, for BEAT and its team of volunteers). It was awarded for the years of work preserving open space, majestic ridge lines and vulnerable wetlands and streams within Berkshire County. Jane, in her acceptance speech, said that “this award means so much to me. BEAT’s mission is protecting the environment for wildlife and I think a lot of the times environmental groups don’t really understand your (outdoor sportsmen’s) depth of support of wildlife and the part that you all do”.

Incidentally, much of Jane’s staff that evening was at the other end of the state accepting an environmental action award. If I may interject, this shows the importance of BEAT and the wonderful work it does…………to be receiving awards from environmentalists in the eastern and from sportsmen in the western part of the state on the same evening. That really says something about the importance of the work they are doing.

Louis Robesch of Pittsfield received the Sportsman of the Year Award for his lifelong dedication and leadership to the sportsmen and the youth of Massachusetts. In introducing Lou Robesch, Mark Jester commented thatLou has been a hunter education instructor for 45 years teaching in Pittsfield and other locations. In accepting the award, Lou thanked “all of the Berkshire County sportsmen for presenting me this award. I really appreciate it very much and accept it with the most gratitude”.

Trout stocking

The following local waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout last week. Rivers and Brooks: Clesson Brook in Ashfield and Buckland, South River and Swift River in Ashfield, Potash Brook in Russell and Blandford, Westfield River (East Branch) in Savoy, Windsor, Cummington and Chesterfield; Westfield River (Middle Branch) in Cummington, Worthington, Middlefield and Huntington, Westfield River (Mainstem) in Huntington, Montgomery and Russel; Swift River in Cummington and Goshen, Housatonic River in Hinsdale and Dalton, Wahconah Falls Brook in Dalton, Stones Brook in Goshen, Windsor Brook in Hinsdale, Hop Brook in Lee and Tyringham, Goose Pond Brook in Lee; Housatonic River (C&R) in Lee and Stockbridge, Trout Brook in Peru, Buck and Clam Rivers in Sandisfield, Larrywaug Brook in Stockbridge, Windsor Brook in Windsor and Trout Brook in Worthington. Lakes: Pontoosuc, Greenwater Pond, Laurel Lake, York Lake and Norwich Pond in Huntington.
Fishing Derby
The Berkshire Hatchery Foundation in Hartsville-New Marlborough is having a free children’s fishing derby next Saturday, May 11 from 9:00 to 10:30 am at its lower pond. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Wild Acres Fishing Derby

The free Wild Acres Fishing Derby for children ages 14 and under will take place on Saturday, May 11 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Bait will be provided, and a limited amount of fishing poles will be available for use on a first come, first serve basis to those who do not own one.

Trophies will be awarded at 12:00 pm to those who catch the largest fish (length & weight).

The event will be hosted by the City of Pittsfield Parks and Recreation Commission with volunteer support provided by the Onota Fishing Club which will assist with dressing fish, providing fishing tips and techniques, baiting, etc. Anyone from the community who needs accommodations for handicapped vehicle access is asked to contact (413) 822-2193.

Art of Concealed Carry
On Thursday, May 9 from 5:00 to 9:30pm, the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club will be hosting a Gun Owner’s Action League (GOAL) training entitled the Art of Conceal Carry. Conducted in the Main Clubhouse upstairs, it costs $90, and you must be a GOAL member to attend. To become a GOAL member or renew your membership, click onto https://goal.org.

The Art of Concealed Carry is a 4-hour concealed handgun seminar designed for individuals who are currently carrying a concealed firearm or those who are considering firearms for self-defense. Please contact Shawn Sullivan at ssullee@icloud.com with any questions or for more information.

Coyote Listening Session

In response to concerns about coyote hunting contests, MassWildlife is holding a Listening Session on May 9 at the Mohawk Regional High School, 26 Ashfield Road in Shelburne Falls from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The session is designed to share information about coyote management and coyote hunting regulations, and to hear input and concerns from the public.
The Listening Session is an important part of the process that MassWildlife employs when reviewing policy and regulations. As a first step in this review, MassWildlife professional staff will examine the best available science, consult with other outside professionals, solicit input from stakeholders, and if warranted, prepare recommendations for the Fisheries & Wildlife Board to consider.
This is the second in a series of Listening Sessions to be held in the state. The first session was held in early April in Barnstable. These sessions provide more opportunities for the public to share input with MassWildlife staff and the Fisheries and Wildlife Board.
Anyone unable to attend a Listening Session can provide feedback and comments by emailing mass.wildlife@mass.gov or sending written correspondence to: MassWildlife, Attn: Coyote Feedback, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.
Life Jackets
Just a reminder. In Massachusetts, life jackets must be worn by canoeists and kayakers from September 15 through May 15. Youth under 12 years old, personal watercraft users, waterskiers and stand-up paddleboard users must wear them all the time.
Accidental Shooting Death
As you may be aware, there was an accidental shooting death during the Youth Turkey Hunting Day. I hope to have more information/comments on this unfortunate accident in next week’s column.

Mass Sportsmen’s Council names Robert McCarthy its Sportsman of the Year

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When Bob McCarthy walked into the American Legion Post in Sutton, MA last Saturday evening, he was looking forward to a tasty meal, winning a few raffle items and honoring a deserving recipient or two at the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council’s (MSC)Annual Awards Banquet.
The Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) which is a member of the MSC, had purchased a table at the event and four of us were to be seated at it (Bob, and Dan Lawson of Williamstown, Steve Grimaldi of Adams, and me). Bob was pleasantly surprised when his daughter and son-in-law Talitha McCarthy-Johnson and Kyle Johnson of Hancock, showed up and joined us at the table.
The MSC is celebrating its 90th anniversary of serving sportsmen by preserving wildlife habitat and our outdoor sporting heritage, and we were there to help them celebrate it.
Never heard of the MSC? Well it is the umbrella organization for outdoor sportsmen and women across the state. Many individual sportsmen join local sportsmen’s clubs; many of those clubs belong to a county league of sportsmen; many of the county leagues belong to the MSC. So, if you are a Lenox Sportsmen’s Club member, for example, your interests are being lobbied for on Beacon Hill by the MSC.
Getting back to the banquet, it wasn’t until everyone was seated at their tables that the announcement was made that Bob McCarthy, of Williamstown, was named the Sportsman of the Year.
He was nominated by the East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club (EMSC) as well as the BCLS.
Here are some of the words that EMSC/BCLS President Wayne McLain wrote about Bob when he nominated him: “(Bob) is the BCLS’s delegate to the MSC. He exemplifies what a person of true character is. A caring family man, sportsman, conservationist, and environmentalist, Bob was a founding member of the East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club (in Williamstown).

One of his most impressive accomplishments was when, as a young man in his twenties, along with his friend Bob Kaufman, he became a founding member of the Hoosic River Basin Citizen’s Protective Association. We can all thank the efforts of this association for stopping and then beginning the clean-up of the pollution in the Hoosic River.

Through this association, Bob worked to help push through legislation to establish the Fish Kill Response Team. This team investigates the causes of fish kills that occur in our waterways to then help prevent them. All of you fisherman out there owe your ability to enjoy your sport to this team’s hard work.

Bob has been a member of the BCLS for many years. He was selected for the League’s Sportsman of the Year Award in 1987. If a team leader or mentor for any issue is needed, Bob McCarthy is the man to count on. Even now, in his seventies, he is still a leader among us (Currently serving as the BCLS Vice President). (He continues to) push hard to get State Government to approve the Crossbow Bill to allow everyone to have the right to use a crossbow for hunting.”
A plaque was presented by Mike Moss, MSC President Emeritus and John Kellstrand, MSC President to Bob which read: “Given with recognition of his many years of service to the sportsmen of Berkshire County and his leadership on issues affecting sportsmen throughout the Commonwealth of MA.” A State Senate Resolution was also presented to Bob by State Senator Anne Gobi. Congratulations to Bob McCarthy, a most deserving recipient.
Other award recipients that evening: The R L Gribbons Award went to Peter Bernard of Swansea. (He is the MSC Secretary and Bristol County League of Sportsmen President); the Hall of Fame Award went to Kenneth Brown and Frank Leonardo both of the MA Bowhunters Association; and the Special Recognition Award went to John “Jack” Sheppard , who is retiring as Director of Fishing & Boating Access after 46 years.
The Secretary of energy & Environmental Affairs Matt Beaton gave a few words for the gathering. Also, Ross Kessler, Public Access Coordinator, spoke in length about access to salt water fishing and how the money that is raised through the salt water fishing permit system is used.
Bowhunter Education Courses
On Sunday, May 5, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm a Bowhunting Education Course will be conducted at the Becket Town Hall, 557 Main Street, Becket. This course was developed by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) and National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF). It is designed for novice and experienced hunters and topics include the selection of equipment, bowhunting safety, and bowhunting laws. To enroll in this course call (508) 389-7830, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Students under the age of 18 must have written consent from a parent or guardian to attend this type of course. A parent or guardian should be present at the start of the student’s class to complete the student’s registration form or the student can bring a signed permission form with them to the start of their course.

Bowhunter education is not required in Massachusetts and a Bowhunter Education Certificate does not qualify you to purchase a Massachusetts hunting or sporting license. The certificate is accepted in other jurisdictions (i.e. other states such as CT, NH, NY, ME, RI, etc.) that do require archery hunters to show proof of having completed bowhunter education. All courses are free of charge and open to the public.
Trout stocking
The following local water bodies were scheduled to be stocked last week: Chickley River in Charlemont and Hawley, Cold River in Charlemont and Florida, Deerfield River in Buckland, Charlemont and Florida; Green River (North) in New Ashford and Williamstown, Hemlock Brook in Williamstown, Hoosic River (North) in Clarksburg and North Adams, Hoosic River (South) in Cheshire and Adams, Housatonic River (C&R) in Lee and Stockbridge, Housatonic River (Southwest) in Pittsfield, Hudson Brook in Clarksburg and North Adams, Littleville Reservoir in Huntington, Town Brook in Lanesborough, Westfield River (East) in Cummington, Chesterfield and Huntington, Onota Lake and Stockbridge Bowl.
Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp
The Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp (MJCC) teaches campers a variety of outdoor skills, including: fishing, hunting, shooting sports, boating and camping. (Campers become certified in Hunter Education and Small Boat Safety.)
The camp also aims to educate campers about conservation of natural resources and responsible use of the environment. Natural resource professionals from state agencies provide hands-on experiences and demonstrations and lead discussions on wildlife, fisheries, and forest management. In the evening, campers participate in demonstrations of outdoor recreation topics.
Boys and girls aged 13 to 17 years old who enjoy outdoor activities and want to learn more about the environment are eligible to attend. Enthusiastic outdoorsmen and women today will become tomorrow’s leaders in safeguarding our outdoor heritage.
The Lee, Lenox, Pittsfield and Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Clubs as well as the BCLS reserve slots for campers and sponsor interested teens by paying their full camp tuition. MJCC also offers scholarships. All that is needed are kids to fill those slots. I believe the clubs still have some openings. If one club has already filled its slots, it checks with the others to see if they have any openings. Often prospective campers only need write a letter that explains why they want to attend camp and what they want to learn.
The camp is located at the Horace Moses Scout Reservation, 310 Birch Hill Avenue, Russell, MA. The dates are August 4 through 16. The tuition, which is $950 for the full two weeks, covers lodging expenses, food, and activities. Camp sponsorships are available for prospective campers.
Learn more about the program on the MJCC website https://www.mass.gov/service-details/junior-conservation-camp, or call 508-450-5120. The website should answer just about all of the questions that parents may have. If interested, contact one of the above sportsmen’s organizations.
Donations to the MJCC are always gratefully accepted. Donations are fully tax deductible as it is a non-profit tax-exempt corporation under the IRS code 501(c)3. Donations, which will be acknowledged by mail may be sent to MSJCC, PO Box 306, Northborough MA 01532. If you would like to contribute supplies or equipment, please email (MAJuniorCamp@gmail.com.

Spring trout stocking has begun in Western District

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Since Thursday, March 28, DFW Western District personnel have been stocking trout into our local waters. Approximately 100,000 trout are expected to be stocked here this spring. Waters stocked to date are: Deerfield River in Florida, Charlemont and Buckland; West Branch of the Farmington River in Sandisfield, Tolland and Otis; Konkapot River in Monterey and New Marlborough, East Branch of Westfield River in Windsor, Cummington and Chesterfield; West Branch of the Westfield River in Becket, Middlefield, Chester and Huntington; Richmond Pond, Stockbridge Bowl, Lake Buel, Laurel Lake and Onota Lake.
All of the trout stocked were nice sized rainbows.
The pictures of the old man and kid? Well, that is my late Uncle Albert “Bert” Cummings from Glendale, MA. He was occasionally a model for Norman Rockwell and what you see is a copy of the photograph that Mr. Rockwell worked off of and the final drawing. The youngster is Keith Loveless. The picture was commissioned by the State of Maine and appeared on the cover of the Spring 1962 Maine Fish & Wildlife Magazine. Mr. Rockwell was rather talented, wouldn’t you say?
I thought this was an appropriate time to include it in the column, to coincide with the beginning of the spring fishing season.
Today is Acid Rain Collection Sunday
If you know Marc Hoechstetter of West Cummington, Lauren Gaherty of Pittsfield, Richard Green of Monterey, Cindy Delpapa of Becket or Andy Kawczak, you might want to thank them for volunteering to get out of bed early this morning and trudging to designated water bodies to collect water samples. One volunteer has to hike nearly a mile uphill to collect a sample out of a reservoir. The samples are then consolidated and transported to laboratories at Westfield State College or the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission for analysis for ph, alkalinity, major cations, anions and stable isotopes.
Similar collections and analyses are conducted by volunteers across the Commonwealth on the same day. It is part of the Acid Rain Monitoring (ARM) Program that was originally established by Dr. Paul Godfrey from UMASS 36 years ago. Since that time, dedicated volunteers have been gladly dipping their bottles into the frigid waters doing their part to help in this program.
Their work has not gone unnoticed for in in 2013 (30th anniversary of the ARM project) they all received formal Citations from Governor Deval Patrick, “In appreciation of their commitment to ecosystems of the Commonwealth.”
Fishing Derby
The Berkshire Hatchery Foundation in Hartsville-New Marlborough is having a free children’s fishing derby next Saturday, April 13 from 9 to 10:30 am at its lower pond. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. These fishing derbies will run once a month through September of this year.
Help our endangered critters
If you haven’t filed your State income taxes yet, there is still time to help support the recovery and protection of rare species and their habitats by contributing on Line 33A for Endangered Wildlife Conservation on the MA state income tax form. All funds go to MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp Contest
Congratulations to Tiffany Xiao, a student of the Apple-Leaf Studio in Boxborough, who won Best of Show in the 2019 Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) Contest. Her acrylic painting of a Barrow’s Goldeneye pair was selected from 232 entries. Xiao’s award-winning work will move on to the National JDS Contest to be held in Laurel, MD. Good luck, Tiffany!
Students from kindergarten through 12th grade from across the Commonwealth submitted original works of art depicting waterfowl in appropriate wetland habitat, demonstrating both artistic talent and a knowledge of the value of wetlands for wildlife. In March, MassWildlife hosted an awards ceremony for the top 100 winning artists at Field Headquarters. A combination of the top 100 artworks will be exhibited throughout Massachusetts in the coming year.
The Massachusetts JDS Program is sponsored by MassWildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with support from Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council. You can support the JDS Program and wetland conservation by purchasing Junior Duck Stamps featuring national winners from previous years. A limited number of Junior Duck Stamps is available for purchase at MassWildlife’s Westborough Office (cash or check only) or buy online at duckstamp.com.
Words of Wisdom
On Saturday evening, March 23, I had the distinct pleasure of being awarded the Worcester County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs “Words of Wisdom Award” at its Annual Appreciation Banquet at the Wachusett Country Club in West Boylston, MA. That award is presented to a person who is using the media to inform and educate about the contributions made by sportsmen and sportswomen and their clubs.
I was blown away by this honor. I knew that this column had a decent number of readers here in the Berkshires, but was unaware that so many sportsmen in Central MA knew of, much less read it. I thank the WCLS for considering me for this award. It means an awful lot to me and I shall never forget that evening.
It was also really cool that MA Fish & Game Commissioner Ron Amidon presented the plaque to me. You may recall that he was one of our group of eight flyfishermen who traveled up to Labrador in September of 2016 to fish the Minipi River system for large brook trout. (That was before he became a VIP!) To make that evening even more memorable, several of the flyfishermen who made that Labrador trip (and their spouses) were also there that evening. Seated at our table were Mike and Clair Shepard of Dalton, Mike and Diane Miller of Athol. Carl Racie from of Athol, who had fished with us in Quebec, was also there with Joan Starrett.
I also received citations from the State Senate and the House of Representatives.
Additional recipients that evening who you may recognize were Wayne MacCallum, who was named the WCLS Sportsman of the Year Award. He is the former Director of the MA DFW who served in that capacity for over 25 years. Another recipient was former DFW Youth Turkey Hunt Coordinator Astrid Huseby who recently was promoted to DFW Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) Coordinator. She received the Youth Mentor Award. Other award recipients were State Senator Donald F. Humason, Jr. who received the Legislator of the Year Award for his vigorous work on Beacon Hill supporting sportsmen’s causes. Will Rogers a central Massachusetts farmer received the Farmer of the Year Award. He was acknowledged for opening his farmland to hunters and fishermen. Rosemary Charon who has devoted countless hours to the WCLS, was inducted into its Hall of Fame.
I was also surprised to see how popular the outdoors sports are there. The WCLS represents over 25,000 sportsmen and women from over 50 clubs in Worcester County. According to Commissioner Amidon, that evening’s event drew approximately 275 people, a half dozen State Representatives, three State Senators, Lieutenant Governor Polito, EOEEA Secretary Matthew Beaton and many other dignitaries.
So, to the Central Massachusetts sportsmen/women and conservation minded readers who I previously did not know read this column, THANK YOU! And thanks for the wonderful work you are doing to conserve our environment and introduce our youth to it.
Incidentally, outdoor sports columnist Mark Blazis of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette wrote an excellent article covering that event in the Outdoors section of the March 26, 2019 issue entitled “State’s best sportsmen, women and outdoors advocates duly recognized”.
More Thanks
Last month marked my 15th year of writing the Berkshire Woods and Waters column and I also want to take this opportunity to THANK YOU, the local readers and contributors who have provided oodles of information and photographs for this column over the years. THANK YOU to the Berkshire Eagle for providing space for the column and to the sports editors who have cleaned up my messes and made me look good over the years. I also THANK my “in house” editor, (my wife Jan) who checks my copy before submitting and who has pretty much kept me out of trouble over the years.
It’s been my great pleasure to share our Sunday mornings together.

2018 Berkshire County League of Sportsmen Award winners are announced

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At a recent meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) four area outdoor sportspeople/conservationists were selected to receive awards. They are as follows:
Louis Robesch, of Pittsfield, will receive the Sportsman of the Year Award. He has been a Hunter Education Instructor for 45 years. He taught many young students at both Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School. He is credited for educating many family generations to be responsible hunters and fishermen with his knowledge and guidance. He is a member of the Lee Sportsmen’s Association and the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club.
Incidentally, while serving as a private in the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Delta Co 3rd Herd for 4 years, he received a Purple Heart while serving in Vietnam.
Jason Sniezek, of Adams, will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award. He is a physical education teacher at Hoosac Valley High School in Cheshire, who was instrumental in working with the BCLS and other organizations to bring the National Archery In Schools Program to Hoosac Valley.
This past fall “Jay” launched an inaugural program crafted as a “Hunter Safety Course”. Using pieces from the Mass Hunter Education Program, the NASP standards, and life/practical experience, he took a small group of students with only one active hunter, on an adventure to learn new skills. They learned to put up a tree stand, animal tracking (with fake blood), archery and outdoor survival which included building lean-tos with materials they found around them, fire building and celebrating it all with a hot dog roast on their fire!
The confidence building and skills learned will last this group for a lifetime. This program was featured as a Berkshire Eagle Classroom of the Week. Jason is hopeful that Hoosac Valley will continue this program with the possibility of expanding it to include hiking and camping as well.
Incidentally, he is the long-time coach of the Hoosac Valley golf team and was instrumental in bringing that team to the Western Mass Division II title last fall, and was recently recognized as Coach of the Year by the Berkshire Eagle.
Virginia DuBois, of Lee, will receive the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award. She has been a Lee Sportsmen’s Association (LSA) member for many years and has become a huge asset of the club. Besides being a Board member and Membership Chairman, she finds time to help with many youth programs including the SCTP Buckshots clay team, youth archery, youth fishing derbies, ice fishing derbies and turkey shoots. She is co-chair of the LSA and DU Youth Fund Raising Gala and the Steak & Lobster dinner. The LSA sends two youths every year to the Mass Junior Conservation Camp and Virginia is part making that happen.
Jane Winn of Pittsfield will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award
Long an environmental advocate and mobilizer of community interest and involvement in wetlands permitting deliberations and open space preservation in the Berkshires, Jane Winn is fierce in her determination and seldom willing to take “no” for a final answer. She has demonstrated many times that perseverance is a powerful advocacy skill. Her interest in protecting wildlife and the health of natural systems led to the creation of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT).
The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissioners (MACC) said of her, “With the creation, fundraising, nurturing and day-to-day management of BEAT and the weekly e-publication of The BEAT News, Jane has become a leading spokesperson on environmental issues. Her courage, dedication, and boundless energy have already produced stunning successes – and are creating a broad constituency of knowledgeable, caring activists and stewards to carry the work forward.”

Jane has either led or was involved in numerous culvert projects, stream teams and river clean-ups. A few years back she played a pivotal role in stopping a train near Morewood Lake which certainly would have derailed due to a railbed washout.

Last year, in cooperation with the Housatonic Valley Association, BEAT was involved in a culvert replacement project on Hancock Road in Pittsfield. Swapping out old and inadequate cement pipes allowed brook trout to migrate on Churchill Brook, which feeds into Onota Lake. The roughly $400,000 cost of the project was paid for by a Natural Resources Damages Fund related to the GE clean-up.

BEAT has organized forums and workshops on certifying vernal pools, has trained more than 350 volunteers in various projects from wildlife habitat assessment to river clean ups to road/stream wildlife crossings, and serves on the organizing committee for the Northeast Wildlife Trackers Conference, as well as organizing many other smaller walks, talks, and information sessions

BEAT is a member of the Citizens Coordinating Council, advocating for higher standards for cleaning up GE’s contamination of the Housatonic River.

BEAT monitors, watchdogs, informs, surveys, tracks, educates, trains, organizes and advocates.
BEAT has a free weekly newsletter, a website (with a great tutorial on the Wetlands Protection Act among other resources) and hosts Pittsfield Green Drinks, a monthly gathering of environmentally-minded individuals.

When a new fracked gas pipeline was proposed for the area, BEAT started holding meetings and giving presentations. In a small town of Cummington (pop. 3000), they filled a church. The crowd immediately began organizing.
BEAT began videotaping the Pittsfield Conservation Commission hearings which are now broadcast by Pittsfield Community Television. BEAT also videotapes for broadcast the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization meetings, and many other meetings about environmental activities. These meetings are broadcast on local community access television.

Beat has also worked hand in hand with the BCLS on projects and initiatives supported by both organizations both locally and Nationally, such as the ACEC designation of October Mountain, the Clean Air Act, The Mercury Rule as well as others. She has received numerous awards and certificates of appreciation from various environmental organizations. Space does not allow me to list them all which have been attributable to Jane, her husband Bruce and BEAT. (I hope to list more of them when I report on the upcoming Conte Memorial Awards Banquet.)

The above awards will be presented at the BCLS Silvio O. Conte Memorial Awards Dinner at the Cheshire Rod and Gun Club on Saturday evening April 27. This year the event will also be in honor of the late George “Gige” Darey.
Please note that the social hour and dinner times have changed. The social hour now begins at 4:30 with dinner at 6:00 PM. Tickets which cost $30 can be obtained from any BCLS delegate.
Incidentally, at the last elections, the following individuals were elected officers of the BCLS: President – Wayne McLain of North Adams, VP – Robert McCarthy of Williamstown, Treasurer – Dan Kruszyna of Cheshire and the Secretary is me.
Ice fishing season is about over

Time to call it quits for ice fishing this year. For some, including Dylan and Camden Blake of Lenox, it was a very good year. Fishing with their father James, grandpa Peter and friend Les on a small lake in West Stockbridge earlier this month, they caught the pictured pickerel, some bass and perch. According to Peter, it was a day with” a great blue sky, little wind and willing fish to be caught and released”.

5th Annual Ducks Unlimited and Lee Sportsmen’s Club Association’s Gala
The Gala will take place on Saturday, April 6 at the Pittsfield Country Club, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, from 4:00 to 10:00 pm. It is billed as an evening of fantastic food, great raffle prizes, silent and live auctions…all to support the youth sportsmen of the Berkshires and Ducks Unlimited’s mission of wetlands conservation.
They will be auctioning off hunting trips locally and around the world, trips to wine country, Belize, Costa Rica, St. Thomas, Cabo, Pebble Beach Golf excursions and more.
Tickets can be bought by calling Virginia DuBois @ 413-446-5404.

Four new members were inducted into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame

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On February 2, 2019 the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) held its New England Turkey Hunting Awards banquet at the Holiday Inn in Concord, N.H. Award recipients were: Stew Bristol, from Maine, Ed Cotter from New Hampshire and Ellie Horwitz and Joe Judd from Massachusetts. This column is about the Massachusetts recipients.

Joe Judd, a member of the MA State Board of Directors of NWTF said this about Ellie: “Ellie Horwitz served the MA DFW as the of Chief of Information and Education for 34 years until her retirement in June, 2011. She was a strong supporter of the NWTF and was a leading advocate behind the Becoming an Outdoors Women (BOW) movement in Massachusetts. Referred to as a “Renaissance Woman”, she held her own in a male dominated field by quickly establishing herself in a role where a woman in an authoritative position was almost unheard of. Her work with the Division was nothing less than remarkable and her teaching skills and innovative thought process brought much to sportsmen and women in MA.”

“In the very early years of turkey hunting in MA, she took to it quickly, realizing the opportunities it could offer to all who love the outdoors and hunting in our State. And she was comfortable and confident in any setting she found herself in whether it be attending the opera, turkey hunting, or in a tense meeting with unhappy sportsmen and other DFW officials.

Her determination to watch women carve out a niche in this great sport was accomplished through her hard work, knowledge, and ability to communicate the message of, “Becoming an Outdoor Women “, clearly and convincingly while offering every program she could find. Everything from bird watching to big game hunting to Dutch oven cooking! It was amazing to watch her work and see the fruits of her labor evolve into an inspirational journey that continues today, literally, throughout the country.

In 1985, she Introduced Project WILD, a national conservation education program for teachers in schools, educators at nature centers, parks and other educational venues. This program began in partnership with Mass Audubon for over 10 years due to their connections with educators across the state.

In 1990, she conceived an interstate watershed education project partnering with NH Fish and Game Department, Mass Audubon, UMass-Lowell and Merrimack Watershed Association, where middle and high school students learned about and conducted water quality tests on any stream, brook or river that eventually made its way to the Merrimack River.

In 1996, she began the Massachusetts BOW program with a weekend of outdoor skills sessions at Eastover Resort in Lenox. Some 68 participants, including many Berkshire outdoorswomen attended this first-time endeavor. Supporters of the program range from the Mass. Sportsmen’s Council, County Leagues, NWTF and many others. Weekend workshops were offered for several years, then some one day and overnight programs offered ranging from Shooting Sports, Winter Survival, Tracking in Winter, Coastal Fishing, Paddling, Becoming an Outdoors Family, to name a few.

In 1999, she initiated turkey hunting seminars and guided hunts for outdoorswomen at Fort Devens that began a partnership with the military that is still going strong today.

Her trusted colleague and longtime friend, Marion Larsen, MassWildlife’s current Chief of Information & Education, said this of Ellie: “In the work that we do, and so much of what Ellie taught me, PARTNERSHIP and COLLABORATION are a big part of how we, and how Ellie got things accomplished. We work in an environment that essentially runs on a shoe-string budget … and partners pooling resources can get things done. That’s what is so great about the partnerships Ellie had, and what we still have today, with groups like NWTF. Ellie realized this and had the vision to nurture these partnerships, thus accomplishing so much as an educator, wildlife biologist and friend. I owe you so much Ellie for helping me in learning to look at projects and programs from partnership perspectives — many hands make light work, which allows everyone to rise with the tide in the spirit, that Ellie taught us, of working together.”

I will leave you with this, said Joe Judd, “ Ellie Horwitz is a friend to all who love the outdoors, who love the land we all have use of, and who respect all God’s creatures, both great and small”.

Incidentally, she is an officer of the New England Outdoor Writer’s Association, serving as its Secretary for many years. She is quite an accomplished hunter not only for turkeys, but she has even successfully hunted big game in Africa.

On a personal note, I first met Ellie when the BOW program was being held here in the Berkshires. I taught fly tying classes for them for several years. Unfortunately, I had to stop as other commitments were taking my time on the same weekend in June.

One cold, stormy, wintery night, Ellie showed up at a Berkshire County League of Sportsmen meeting at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club in the foothills of Mount Greylock. She wasn’t listed on the program agenda and I wondered what on earth could bring her to the Berkshires on such a miserable night. It turned out that she drove all that way from Concord, MA to present me with a plaque of appreciation for teaching those fly-tying classes for the BOW Program. After she presented it, she drove back home that night. I will never forget that. That’s the kind of person Ellie is.

After presenting Ellie her plaque, Joe sat down, but not for long. Ron Gleason, another member of the MA State Board of Directors of NWTF, surprised Joe by calling him to the podium and presenting him with his own Hall of Fame plaque.

“Joe Judd is a great turkey hunter”, said Gleason, “who has hunted wild turkeys in 15 or more states, including New England, has been a spokesperson for the NWTF for decades, always doing the best possible job in supporting our message. His dedication to turkey hunting and the NWTF spans over 40 years, starting when he saw his first wild turkey in1976. It was love at first sight and his journey to start learning all he could about this bird, had begun. “Little did I know at the time how this bird would not only lead me into a unique hunting experience but also forever change my life in ways I would have never dreamed of!” said Joe.

Joe’s life as a hunter started at a very young age, but his wild turkey hunting career didn’t begin until 1978, on a hill in the Green Mountains, and from that moment on it just never stopped. Being an Independent Insurance Agent allowed him the independence needed to hone is hunting skills. And hone them he did! In 1979, he was asked to write an outdoor column for a small local newspaper, which was just starting up. Thus, a second career had begun and 40 years later his column “On the Ridge,” published in The Greenfield Recorder is being read in New England and beyond.

In 1980, a NWTF chapter was formed in Massachusetts and it wasn’t long before Joe became involved. “Those early years were filled with the “grassroots” of hard work, just trying to get a Chapter off to a good start, especially in a small state like Massachusetts, where a wild turkey was about as foreign to most, as you could imagine” said Joe.

It was during this time that he began to learn about the mission and message of the NWTF. He began working closely with other early committee members just trying to drum up interest and recruit other members. Since those humble beginnings Joe has shown his dedication to the NWTF in so many ways. For example:

In 1988, Joe worked with MA DFW Turkey Biologist Jim Cardoza to initiate funding to create and distribute the first Educational Information Boxes (Safety Leads to Success). He also worked with Jim and with other New England States, in the Live Trap and Transfer Programs.

In 1989, he joined the Quaker Boy Pro Staff which not only expanded his hunting expertise, but also allowed him to work with Dick Kirby, and so many others, producing turkey hunting videos all over the country. This also began his career as a seminar speaker doing over 275 seminars over the past 30 years throughout New England and the East Coast

During that same period Joe has been a Master of Ceremonies in nearly 100 NWTF sanctioned turkey-calling contest in New England and beyond. Prior to this, he served as a judge for many years.

He was chairperson of the first fund raising banquet that exceeded the $10,000 mark in Massachusetts. (Quite an accomplishment 30 years ago). He remained chairperson of the fund-raising banquet for the next three years.

He was also a Local Chapter President later becoming State Chapter President for 2 terms. While State Chapter President Joe spearheaded many projects, one of which was the designation of November 18 as “Eastern Wild Turkey Day”. Working closely with Governor William Weld, he led to the Wild Turkey being named as, “The State Game Bird of Massachusetts”. A special print, along with a Companion Box Call set, was commissioned and spearheaded by Joe twice, benefitting the chapter financially.

As State Chapter President Joe was on the Blue-Ribbon panel that the created the “Be Safe Stickers” which are still used today. Joe also worked with the State on turkey hunting season expansion and limit extensions.

He initiated the efforts to create the first Massachusetts State Chapter Scholarship which
continues today

He worked as a seminar speaker for the first ever Youth Turkey Hunting program in Massachusetts

In 2013 he received the Roger Latham Award which is the highest award given to an NWTF volunteer.

Joe is still working hard as a member of the State Board of Directors. He still does between 8-10 seminars a year and continues to work with the Massachusetts BOW Program. He still conducts seminars in many school districts talking about the State’s number one conservation success story, the re- introduction of the Eastern Wild Turkey.

Ron Gleason wrapped it up by saying, “Joe Judd is a great turkey hunter, sportsmen, and advocate for the sport of hunting. And I know of only a hand-full of people who have devoted more time, energy, and resources in promoting our message as a living, true ambassador of the sport of turkey hunting. He then quoted Joe’s words, “I continue to work for the good of this organization ensuring that the gobble of the Eastern Wild Turkey will never again fall silent in our beautiful New England Hills.”

Wow! A couple of very worthy award recipients, wouldn’t you say?

River rafting to study fish

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A raft donated by a group of Trout Unlimited members is helping MassWildlife biologists study trout and other fish in previously inaccessible areas.

This generous donation came from a group of Trout Unlimited (TU) members who have been working with MassWildlife and other scientists on studies of brown trout reproduction on the Deerfield River. The whitewater river raft is outfitted with a standing platform, booms, droppers, generator equipment, and livewell. “You run a reach of river with two people, one rower to navigate the river, the other biologist to stun and net the fish,” explains Adam Kautza, MassWildlife’s Coldwater Fisheries Project Leader. “After passing through a particular reach, we pull off to the side of the river, measure, weigh and gather other data from the netted fish, release them back in the water and then move on to the next river segment.”
MassWildlife biologists primarily use two different types of equipment to conduct fisheries surveys. For lakes, ponds and large, deeper rivers, a motorboat outfitted with a generator, booms, and “droppers” is the standard. In brooks, streams, and smaller rivers, a team of biologists navigate the streambed on foot carrying backpack shockers and electrical wands to temporarily stun and collect fish. But in rock-strewn fast-moving rivers like the Millers, Deerfield, and others, neither a motorboat nor backpack shockers are practical. As a result, numerous reaches of rivers are inaccessible and go unsurveyed.
MassWildlife biologists are already using the raft as part of a brown trout study that will answer an important question: Are wild-hatched brown trout surviving and successfully reproducing in the Deerfield River? The study will also give biologists an understanding of the abundance, growth rates and other important biological information on brown trout in the Deerfield River system. Multiple survey trips will be necessary over a large area of the river and the raft makes that coverage possible. In the future, the raft will be pressed into fish survey service on other rocky rivers such as the Hoosic, Westfield, and Millers Rivers.
The donation of the 12-foot raft, frame, and equipment such as oars, seating, anchors, etc. was donated by former fishing guide Jim Dowd, of Ashfield. MA, who is a member of the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter (DRWTU) . These donated items have a price-tag of about $3800.

Last May, at the Indian Hollow Campground in Chesterfield, the MA/RI Council of Trout Unlimited (of which the local Taconic Chapter is part) voted to spend up to $3,900 to help equip the raft with necessary shocking equipment, such as booms, paddles and related circuitry. The Greater Boston TU Chapter (GBTU) picked up the tab for a portion of the cost for a new frame. The raft will be used to study cold-water fisheries on colder rivers throughout Massachusetts. The TU logo will be affixed to the raft.

A variety of people, businesses, and groups were thanked for their contributions to MassWildlife’s new river raft. The raft’s custom-built standing platform was manufactured by Don Barnes, a Millers River TU member and president of Regal Vise, a family-owned business producing fly tying vises. The DRWTU and the GBTU chapters contributed fish tags, which will be used in the Deerfield River Brown Trout study. Kevin Parsons, President of the DRWTU chapter, Bill Pastuzek, President of the GBTU, MA/RI Council President Paul Beaulieu, Council Secretary/Treasurer Mike Vito and Gary Crago of the TU National Council were thanked by MassWildlife for making a key contribution to conservation, providing MassWildlife with the means to further its understanding of some of our most pristine rivers and the fish communities inhabiting them.
TU is a national non-profit organization with about 300,000 members and supporters dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. It is made up of some 400 chapters and 38 state councils. The MA/RI Council of TU is the umbrella organization for the 14 chapters in Massachusetts and Rhode Island totaling about 4,000 members. Members from all of those chapters contributed in some way to the Deerfield River project, either by funding or volunteering on Deerfield River trout surveys.
Guess who was the winner of TU National’s 2019 Gold Trout Award? DRWTU, who else? It also recently received $6,000 from TU National’s Embrace-A-Stream Program. Now it is eligible to compete for additional dollars through an online challenge grant. TU National and Orvis have teamed up to offer an additional $50,000. DRWTU hopes to qualify for at least a piece of that additional money.
Incidentally, at its Annual Meeting on November 19, the GBTU Chapter honored MassWildlife’s Adam Kautza, with its Conservation Advocate Award. The award recognized Kautza’s contributions to the understanding and preservation of coldwater fishery resources in Massachusetts. He was lauded for his efforts in working not only with GBTU but with the MA/RI Trout Unlimited Council and other Massachusetts Trout Unlimited Chapters. “Adam provided valuable assistance with the TU Brown Trout Spawning Study on the Deerfield River and has offered presentations and stream walks on the tributaries of the Neponset and Charles River,” said GBTU President Bill Pastuszek. “Through his outreach efforts, he has built stronger ties with the angler and conservation communities.”

Taconic TU honors Fran Marzotto

In order to recognize its deserving members, the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited instituted its “Crooked Staff Award” about 35 years ago. Every year the Chapter selects one of its members to receive this coveted award. He or she is selected as the member who best represents the ideals of T.U. (conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds). This member holds the Crooked Staff for the following year when it is either passed on to another deserving member or is held, if none is deemed deserving.

On December 12, the Chapter honored Fran Marzotto of Pittsfield with this coveted award.

Fran grew up in West Stockbridge, spending his time in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and playing baseball and hockey. At an early age, Fran tagged along with his father as they hunted for deer. He also fished with his dad and as he grew older, continuing to enjoy outdoor sports.
Fran graduated from Purdue University in 1977 and began his career at General Electric. Being a sportsman, he settled in the Berkshires where he could enjoy the 4 seasons and the sport that each season brought.
Three years ago, when Fran retired, he returned to a sport he had enjoyed before…fly fishing. He is now totally absorbed in fly fishing along with tying his own flies, as they both bring serenity to his life. He has fly fished in 16 states including Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, New Brunswick, Montana, Newfoundland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and Wyoming, as well as all of the Northeast states and has a trip planned to the Bahamas to fly fish for bonefish. Fran practices “catch and release”.
Fran’s wife Kay said he doesn’t only enjoy the sport he is into, but “becomes” it. At present his life is centered around fly fishing; no matter where they travel, he is always on the lookout for fly fishing streams. Good thing Kay is patient.
In addition to serving on Taconic TU’s Board and as its Secretary, Fran’s other conservation activities include participation in this year’s stream assessment of the Konkapot River with the Housatonic Valley Association. He also is a past member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, serving on its Annual Fund-Raising Committee. Congratulations Fran!
George “Gige” Darey Passed
It is with a heavy heart that I report that “Gige” Darey passed beyond the ridge on Friday afternoon. I hope to devote the bulk of next week’s column to this extraordinary sportsman and his amazing career.
Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

 

George (Gige) Darey received a most prestigious award

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Last Tuesday, Lenox resident George L. (Gige) Darey, former board member and chairman of the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, received the Francis W. Sargent Conservation Award from the Fisheries and Wildlife Board for his contributions to the sporting community and to the conservation of the Commonwealth’s natural resources. The Sargent Award honors the former governor and noted conservationist who directed the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) in 1963-64.

Darey, a lifelong angler and hunter, received the award – a framed photograph of
a loon by the late MassWildlife photographer Bill Byrne – at a ceremony held at
the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club. In addition, Senator Adam Hinds presented Darey with
a Senate citation honoring his award. The ceremony was attended by MassWildlife
Director Mark Tisa, Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon as well
as representatives from state environmental agencies, sporting and other local
conservation organizations, previous Sargent award attendees and family members.

“I have been following conservation issues all my life and served in the Fisheries and Wildlife Board (F&W) with Gige Darey since 1986,” said Board Vice President Mike Roche. “No individual I know has ever had a greater positive impact or contributed more to the natural resources of Massachusetts in so many critical ways. “

“I have been lucky to be involved for so many years with something I love. It has been a fun ride,” said Darey, “I have been even more fortunate to have worked with and get to know so many people and organizations with a passion for our environment. Words can’t express how much this day and what you all mean to me.”

Representing the Western Wildlife District on the F&W Board, Gige served for 38 years, 35 of which he was chairman, until December of 2016. He served under eight different governors and worked with four MassWildlife Directors.

During his tenure on the F&W Board, Gige was instrumental in generating public support for important wildlife issues including funding of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program; the establishment of the Wildlands Conservation Stamp, a $5 assessment to the sale of hunting and fishing licenses dedicated exclusively to the protection of wildlife habitat open to hunting, fishing and other wildlife related recreation; and science-based management of wildlife and wildlife habitat. He was honored by the F&W Board in 2004 when the Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area in Lenox was renamed the George Darey Wildlife Management Area.

Darey, a retired teacher has been a long-time environmental advocate for the Berkshires since returning from military service. He served on the first Lenox Conservation Commission as well as on the Board of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions and served on the Lenox Board of Selectmen. Darey has a BA from the State University of New York (Plattsburg) and an MS from the University of Massachusetts.

His leadership role in environmental stewardship was recognized in 1996 when he was presented a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Award. He is a board member of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Green Berkshires, and of Sportsmen for Land Preservation. He is also a founding member of the Housatonic River Initiative, the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation, Lenox Land Trust and was instrumental in forging forestland protection and management partnerships between MassWildlife and the Nature Conservancy, the Ruffed Grouse Society, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

He was also heavily involved with the Edith Wharton House, Shakespeare and Company, coached cross country ski teams, was a guide for Canyon Ranch and started a high school fish and game club.

Established in 2000 by the F&W Board, Darey is the 14th recipient of the Sargent award and is the 3rd person from our area to receive it. The late Ted Giddings received it in 2003 for his many years of writing the Our Berkshires’ outdoor column for the Berkshire Eagle. In 2016, the Berkshire Natural Resources Council received it for its near 50 years of protecting the open spaces of Berkshire County, owning and managing over 10,000 acres and protecting more than that through conservation restrictions.

Private/Public Partnership Results in Enhanced Access to Three Mile Pond

Board members of the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation (MOHF) were joined by officials from MassWildlife and the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) in mid-October to mark the completion of a joint recreational public access project at Three Mile Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on Brush Hill Road in Sheffield.
An existing access at Three Mile Pond was improved and a new gravel parking lot and pond access was created on the upper end of the pond. In addition, two new signs were installed noting the public access points and available opportunities for waterfowl hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing.

Attendees were given an overview of the completed project by Andrew Madden, MassWildlife Western District Supervisor. Three Mile Pond is approximately 160 acres in size with a large area of wetlands. It is part of a 1000+-acre WMA managed by MassWildlife for wildlife, habitat and wildlife-related recreation. The WMA is stocked with pheasants in the fall and mowed annually to maintain field and shrubland habitat for many kinds of wildlife.

“The Foundation is excited to enhance access to Three Mile Pond for hunters, paddlers, wildlife enthusiasts, and most importantly future generations of outdoorspeople—an activity which aligns with the Foundation’s mission,” said MOHF board member and former Secretary of Environmental Affairs Bob Durand. “It was great to partner with Ducks Unlimited (DU) and MassWildlife on this important project.”

“We truly appreciate the commitment of DU and the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation who provided the funds to make this project a reality,” said MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa. “Access to the outdoors is in high demand in Massachusetts and this project helps address the outdoor community’s needs.”

“The Department of Fish and Game is happy to see the partnerships with NGOs such as the Outdoor Heritage Foundation and Ducks Unlimited continue to grow,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon. “Anytime we can help with access projects to support outdoor recreation, our engineering staff from the Office of Fishing and Boating Access is pleased to contribute.”

“DU would like to thank the partners for advancing such a great access project,” said Sarah Fleming, DU Manager of Conservation Programs in the North Atlantic. “We are pleased to be able to support our partners, volunteers and outdoor enthusiasts by helping increase access to public recreational areas that all users can enjoy. We look forward to continuing to work with the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation and MassWildlife on other projects that will not only benefit waterfowl and other wetlands wildlife, but will also benefit people.”

(Most of the above Darey and Three Mile Pond information came from MassWildlife press releases.)

Multi-Gun Event
The Lee Sportsmen’s Association, 565 Fairview Street, Lee, is hosting a Fall Finale Multi-Gun event next Sunday, November 11. It is a 2-gun (pistol/shotgun) event with 6 stages including IDPA, USPSA and Action Steel. There will be a safety briefing at 9:45 am and the event will start at 10:00am. Participants will need at least 30 rounds shotgun and 150 rounds pistol. The event, which is open to members and the public, costs $25 with lunch available for purchase. For more information, contact Shawn Sullivan at ssullee@icloud.com.
Bear Hunting
The Second Season of bear hunting opens tomorrow and runs through November 24. During this season only rifle, muzzleloader and archery hunting is allowed (no pistols or shotguns). A hunter orange hat is required on WMAs stocked with pheasant or quail during the pheasant or quail season.

 

Drivers beware of amorous deer

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Last weekend I bumped into old buddy Ken Kirchener on Ashmere Lake in Hinsdale When he saw me, he shouted over the boat engine noise, “I have a story for you”. He had witnessed an interesting event and wondered if readers would find it interesting, too.
On September 1 around 11:30 am, Ken was driving along the Skyline Trail in Hinsdale and on a manicured lawn, he spotted a doe walking along a hedge row. Right out of nowhere there appeared a spike-horn buck behind it. The doe crossed the road but the buck was leery, stopped and looked at Ken. The doe went back across the road to where the buck was standing. Then the doe crossed the road again and this time the buck followed her and stood in the middle of the road. Suddenly behind him there appeared another larger deer. That one was a 4-pt buck.
Then the spike-horned buck turned and the two bucks began fighting thrashing their hooves at one another while standing on their hind legs, right on the blacktop in the middle of the road. “It was just like a boxing match” said Ken. The doe was just standing there on the sideline watching.
The doe then moved into the brush and right behind her went the spike. The 4-pointer followed behind the spike. When a car approached Ken had to move, but when he was able to see the deer again, all three of them were just off the side of the road in some big tall golden rods. Both buck’s antlers were still in velvet.
I asked Ken who won the boxing match but Ken couldn’t tell. He doesn’t usually referee buck fights but he assumes that the spike won because he was the one immediately behind the doe when they went into the woods.
Could this be classified as road rage? Wouldn’t you think those bucks would settle such matters out behind the barn? And the audacity of that doe, is there no modesty left?
Seriously folks Massachusetts deer usually breed between late October and early December. Apparently, these deer were jumping the gun a little bit. During the rutting season, bucks are more active throughout the day than usual and they often chase does across roads without hesitation. MassWildlife urges drivers to be extra cautious and slow down during the fall.

Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp

On August 17, the traditional outdoor-graduation ceremony of the Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp (MJCC) in Russell, MA took place.
Since 1949, the MJCC has provided young people with a unique experience of conservation, shooting sports and outdoor recreation education. The 12-day program introduces girls and boys ages 13 to 17-years old to the ethical responsibilities of hunting and fishing in order to foster careful stewardship of natural resources, connections with natural resource professionals and opportunities to learn or enhance their outdoor skills.
During the Graduation Ceremony, awards for the Camp Competition Day were presented and congratulations were offered by Stephen Johnson, MJCC Board President, Ron Amidon, Department of Fish & Game Commissioner and Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) Director Mark Tisa.

John Gaj of Blandford, MA took first place in archery. Assistant Instructor Jordan Peck of Peru was acknowledged for catching his first fish. Super campers were identified by camp staff for their outstanding leadership skills and compassion. One of the 2019 Super Campers was Kaela Martin of Sheffield.

“We greatly appreciate the support of our camp partners,” said Stephen Johnson, “We are especially grateful for the long-term commitment to Conservation Camp by MassWildlife, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Environmental Police and the Gun Owners Action League. He thanked Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabela’s, and other sporting goods stores for donations of outdoor equipment for camper use. He also noted that 85% of campers’ tuitions were funded by generous individuals, local and regional sporting clubs and civic organizations. MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa, a past MJCC camper, told campers that his experience at camp years ago inspired him to pursue a career in fisheries.

Campers learn how to safely use firearms, archery, fishing, navigation and camping gear. State Hunter Education courses from MassWildlife and a Safe Boating course are taught by the Environmental Police. Shooting certification in several courses is also offered. Fish and wildlife biologists from MassWildlife and forestry professionals from DCR provide instruction in wildlife, forestry, and fisheries management. Fishing, hiking, outdoor cooking, navigating with GPS and compass, and survival skills learning are provided by experienced outdoor instructors.

Learn more by visiting www.juniorconservationcamp.org or the Camp Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Mass-Junior-Conservation-Camp-. The MJCC email is: MAJuniorCamp@gmail.com. The MJCC Board welcomes support for the Conservation Camp through tax-deductible donations.

Parsons Marsh
The Berkshire Natural Resources Council invites you to celebrate the opening of the new accessible trail at Parsons Marsh in Lenox next Saturday, September 15 from 9 am to noon. The event schedule is as follows: 9:00 am Bird Walk with well-known Berkshire birder Ed Neumuth, 10:00 am Music, Kid’s Crafts, 10:30am Ribbon Cutting 10:45 am Music, Cider Pressing, Kid’s Crafts, Explore the new trail.
Parking is available at the Stonover Farm’s Event Parking Area, across from 169 Undermountain Rd, Lenox, MA 01240. Carpooling and walking are encouraged.
This is a cooperative trail project between Berkshire Natural Resources Council, the Town of Lenox through its Community Preservation Fund, and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Program and was also supported by the Lenox Land Trust.
The MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program
This program provides financial assistance to private and municipal landowners of conserved lands to improve and manage habitat for game species and other Species of Greatest Conservation Need as identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan. The grant program also aims to expand opportunities for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation, and complement ongoing habitat management work on state lands.
This year EEOEA Secretary Matthew Beaton provided MassWildlife with $300,000 to fund another year of this popular and effective program. Details on how to apply for the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant can be found at mass.gov/dfw/habitat-grant. The application period is now open with a proposal deadline of October 17, 2018.
Last year, a team of reviewers selected 20 proposals submitted by municipalities, private citizens, and NGOs for projects in 19 towns and cities. The projects included invasive plant control, old field habitat improvement, prescribed fire to enhance habitats, stream restoration work, etc. Approximately 950 acres were successfully managed as a result of the funding.
There are some significant changes to the program this year, including an expansion of eligible lands, and the use of a fillable form for an application. This form application should make it easier for individuals and organizations that are not experienced in grant writing to be able to apply for this funding opportunity to conduct work on land they own or manage.
Turkey Shoots
The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club recently announced that it will be starting its fall turkey shoots on September 16 at 1:00 pm and will run every Sunday until November 18. Shooters are encouraged to bring their shotgun and 22 rifle or pistol to take a shot at winning Thanksgiving Dinner. For more info contact Lorenzo Marangoni: 413-822-7412.
Life Preservers
Don’t forget! From September 15 to May 15 Massachusetts regulations require that anyone using a canoe or kayak must wear a life preserver. Don’t sit on it, wear it!