Category Archives: Bow Hunting

2023 deer harvest figures released

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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.

 

 

What an amazing fishing trip that we almost made

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Readers may recall last year that I wrote about a flyfishing trip to Labrador where two local anglers, Mike Shepard and Craig Smith joined several anglers from the eastern part of the state and New Hampshire.  They were after the large brook trout that exist up there in the Eagle River system.  You may recall that I bemoaned the fact that I was scheduled to go too, having paid for the lodge, guides and air fare to get there.  But I had some health issues going on and was unable to go.  I wrote about the trip anyway with information about the wonderful catches provided by Mike and Craig.

The outfitter and airlines allowed me to defer my payments to be applied on a trip this year and  I excitedly began planning for the trip.  All I had to do was to get better.  Thanks to the good doctors and nurses at Berkshire Medical Center and Phelps Cancer Center in Pittsfield, I am still around and feeling better, albeit with additions to and deletions from my body parts and 45 pounds lighter.  This year I would be fishing with Mike Shepard of Dalton, Carl Racie and Mike Miller of Athol, Gary Hebert of Richmond, NH, Bill Waite of Westminster and former MA F&G Commissioner Ron Amadon of Templeton. We have previously fished together in Labrador and have become close friends.

But, as time neared, it became obvious that I was not yet strong enough to do the 2 1/2-miles treks into moose bogs, lichens etc. to get to some of the fishing spots (you may recall that last year, the muck was so strong that it pulled the felt bottoms off of Craig’s waders).  On top of that I have been nursing a couple of bum shoulders which prevented me from casting the heavier flyrods and fly lines required to catch those large fish. Sadly, I had to bow out……again! (One man out)

The rest of the guys continued their preparations.  Mike Shepard was tying up a bunch of large flies (green drakes) for all of the fellas.  He was to drive out to Greenfield, MA and join the others on their trip to Montreal, Canada.  After spending a night in a hotel there, they would fly out to Goose Bay where they would spend another night, and then hop onto a float plane which would fly them into a remote camp (Igloo Lodge) out of which they would fish.

Unfortunately, on the morning that Mike was to leave, he developed a serious cold.  He felt lousy and he did not want to give it to the others which would in turn ruin their week stay.  Mike drove out to Greenfield, delivered the flies that he had tied for them and came back home.  He spent the following week trying to recover from that cold. (Two men out).

After two days of traveling the group finally made it to Goose Bay, Labrador and were ready for the fly-in to the camp.  As soon as they arrived in Goose Bay, Bill Waite received an urgent call informing him of a medical emergency at home.  He turned around and caught the first flight out and returned home (Three men out).

That left Mike Miller, Carl, Gary and Ron to continue the travels to the camp.  The following is a narrative provided by Gary:

“A week before arrival we got a notice from the lodge that due to unseasonably high temperatures, the fishing had essentially shut down. Water temperature in both the lake and river were averaging 78 degrees F which was unheard of.  Trout need 60 degrees F or lower temp waters to thrive.  Only a few fish were caught in the last three weeks.

We flew into camp on our float plane to find a lot of sad faces and poor fishing reports. The bright spot was the camp had undergone some significant improvements under the new ownership of Craig and Steve Gillingham. The weather was forecasting cooler temperatures and some rain towards the end of our stay.  True to the report that we had been given, the fishing was terrible for the first couple days. We did manage a few dozen 1 – 2 lbs. fish in the river but that was not our goal.  We came for the world class 5-8 lbs. trophy Brook Trout.

Four anglers seated in the float plane. L to R: Ron Amidon. Carl Racie, Mike Miller and Gary Hebert. Photo provided.

 

To add to the frustration the river and Igloo Lake had an algae bloom that made the water pea green, and which made for very difficult wading. Fortunately, this year no one got baptized and no one, including me, broke any rods. That was a first. I’m usually good for at least one or two!!

 

After a couple days of poor fishing, we decided to head to Burton’s Pond, a remote pond that’s a 25-minute boat ride and a 2 1/2 mile hike through a bug infested swamp trail. The pond hadn’t been fished for several weeks due to the water temps but we were up for the challenge.  We lucked out and had the small camp Beaver float plane fly us in on our first attempt at Burton’s Pond.  We had gotten a tip from a group that fished Burton’s the day before that they had a little luck near a spring fed brook entering the pond.  After the float plane landed, we met our guides with their boats in the middle of the pond. The plane couldn’t get near the shore due to rocks and low water. The guides had to hike in to get the boats and meet us.

We headed directly to the spring and found the mother lode in a cool protected cove.  The fishing was incredible. We netted over 150 beautiful Brookies weighing 4-8 lbs., smashing the camp record.  It was an incredible day on the water.

Gary Hebert holding a sizeable brookie. Photo provided.

 

Two days later we went back but this time we had no available plane so the four old duffers hiked in and experienced another fantastic “Bonus” day. We were so elated that we practically jogged through the 2 1/2-mile swamp.

 

The camp has been a great steward of the local ponds and rivers especially during this crazy heat spell.  All trout were caught and quickly released using barbless hooks.  All fish were released from the net without being removed from the water or being handled. Only a couple of fish were permitted to be held quickly for a special photo.

 

The food has always been good at Igloo but this trip it was outstanding. The camp has added some additional support staff for the kitchen and for the facilities.

There were eight sports in camp. Two brothers from New Brunswick and a father and son from Minnesota. All of them were great guys.

 

All in all, the trip turned out nice.”

 

Gary described this trip as “From Bust to Bonus.”

 

Igloo Lake is already booking into 2025, but fortunately Mike Shepard, Craig Smith and I are already booked for 2024.   Gary, Mike Miller, Ron and Carl will be fishing in Iceland next year.

 

Public hearing to extend archery deer hunting season

 

MassWildlife is holding a hybrid public hearing on Tuesday, August 15, at 1:00 pm on proposed regulations that would extend the dates of the archery deer hunting season in Wildlife Management Zones 1–9 by two weeks.  The amendments would be to 321 CMR 3.02 Hunting of Particular Game in Massachusetts.

 

If approved, the archery deer season would begin statewide in all zones on the eighth Monday prior to Thanksgiving, and end on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.  The public can attend the hearing and provide oral comments either in-person at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters (1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough) or via a Zoom video webinar. Click onto the MassWildlife web site to find out how to join the webinar meeting.

 

The full hearing notice, including the text of the proposed regulations, is available on MassWildlife’s Public Hearings page. Written comments will be accepted for 2 weeks after the hearing until Tuesday August 29, 2023 at 5 p.m.

 

To submit written comments email susan.sacco@mass.gov to the attention of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, or mail comments to Chair, Fisheries and Wildlife Board, c/o Director of MassWildlife, Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.

A look back at 2022 Woods and Waters columns

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At the end of last year, I highlighted the more informative and interesting articles that were included in this column during the year.  Because of positive comments received, I am doing the same for the year 2022.

In January we reported that seventeen women deer hunters participated in MassWildlife’s 2021 Becoming-an-Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Deer Hunt Program. Nearly all the women saw deer and all participants enjoyed their hunt. Two women harvested their first deer ever.  We also mentioned a lost Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), which is native to Asia. Somehow it found its way to the Taunton River in Massachusetts.

In March there was an article about Bob Leverett “the old growth evangelist”.  He informed us that there were indeed old growth forests in Massachusetts. He developed ways for measuring and aging them and their ability to capture carbon.  His work, along with that of Dr. Anthony D’Amato (of University of Vermont), have helped to ensure the protection of 1,200 acres of old growth in the Commonwealth’s Forest Reserves.  His message is “We have a duty to protect an old-growth forest, for both its beauty and its importance to the planet”. We learned of the death of Leo M Daley who spent some 42 years with the DFW.  He had held the titles of Aquatic Biologist, Fisheries Manager, and interim District Manager. In the 30 years spent in our district, he stocked over 1.5 million trout in Western Massachusetts waters.

In March and April there were articles about hungry black bears emerging from their dens and the problems they cause by raiding our bird feeders.  In the Berkshires there are about 2,000 of them and readers were advised on how to avoid conflicts with them.  MassWildlife Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist Dave Wattles’ study showed that female bears that they study in more suburban areas are very large, with weights averaging more than 250 pounds, compared to bears in more rural, forested areas averaging closer to 150 pounds.  A second big takeaway was how close to people bears will den. They had bear dens 10 yards off the back parking lot of a fire department, under a building on piling foundations, on the edge of a backyard, and in the middle of a construction yard. These bears had plenty of options to den in more remote locations but chose not to, indicating bears are finding supplemental food sources in suburban areas, such as unsecured garbage, bird feeders, and open compost. Biologists warn that human food sources are harmful to bears’ natural diets and put communities at added risk of unwanted conflicts.

picture taken and provided by Gene Chague. Bears heading for Gene’s deck.

In April we learned about the numbers and types of wildlife violations that our Massachusetts Environmental Police are dealing with.  A pitch was made for Massachusetts to join the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a network that seeks to reduce wildlife poaching through information sharing across state lines and reciprocal recognition of license suspensions and revocations for fishing, hunting, and trapping. The legislation, co-sponsored by Berkshire State Representatives Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Paul Mark, would update the Commonwealth’s outdated penalties for illegal hunting, some of which have not been updated in a century and currently amount to little more than a slap on the hand.  The bill passed later this year.

In April we reported that the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was detected in wild birds in multiple locations in Massachusetts. Avian flu, also known as bird flu, is a common influenza strain that can spread from birds to humans through saliva, naval secretion and feces. The avian flu is not common among humans, but is very contagious among birds.  We reported the Preliminary 2021 deer harvest figures verses last year figures:

  • Youth Deer/Paraplegic Hunt Days: 86 vs 131 last year
  • Archery Season: 5,894 vs 6655 last year
  • Shotgun Season: 5,008 vs 5138 last year
  • Primitive Firearms Season: 2,375 vs 2842 last year

 

Although Western Zone harvests were not mentioned, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden said that they were consistent with 2020 (which was a record year).

In May, 5 individuals received Silvio O. Conte sportsmen awards:  The late Chris Puntin, formerly of Pittsfield, received the Sportsman of the Year Award posthumously; Meredyth Babcock of Becket received the Outstanding Achievement Award; Stephanie Dupont of Pittsfield received the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award; Donald E. Girard of Adams received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Gregg Armstrong, of North Adams, received the John Zuber Award.  We also reported that after 38 years of state service, Marion E. Larson retired in early March from her position as Chief of MassWildlife’s Information and Education (I&E) Section.  Joshua Christman of Pittsfield, who had been named Massachusetts Angler of the Year (Adult Catch and Keep Category) in 2016, 2020 and 2021 by MassWildlife and a frequent multi-gold pin awardee, was off to another good start this year.  He caught a large rainbow trout out of Berkshire waters which measured 24 inches long and weighed 4 lbs.

In June Berkshire Environmental Action Team Executive Director Jane Winn announced that BEAT was awarded $200,000 from the Cultural Facilities Fund of the Massachusetts Cultural Council to renovate their new Environmental Leadership & Education Center.  Thirteen-year old Logan Middlebrook of Pittsfield landed a carp out of Pontoosuc Lake which weighed in at 13.3 lbs. and was over 30 inches long.   While fighting it he had to cross 2 house lots, a couple of bridges and over people’s docks.

Picture provided by Middlebrook family

James McGrath, Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager, City of Pittsfield announced that the Mill Street dam was successfully removed along with over 8,000 tons of contaminated sediments.   Lee Sportsmen’s Association Higher Education Scholarship was awarded to Brianna Kelly.   The Bateman Jimmy Fund fishing derby was the greatest with over 355 people in attendance and over $10,000 raised.

In July, Joshua Christman, organizer of Carp Palooza, announced that it was a great event with 39 teams participating.   Steve Sears of Dalton was elected Acting Chairman of the MA Fish & Wildlife Board. We featured an article about a Picnic Table Boat.  It is powered by an electric motor, and if you run out of power, it has a solar panel on the top of the umbrella which recharges the battery.  The battery has a USB port into which they plug in lights, a speaker, an iPad, cooler, etc.

In August we covered the 75th anniversary of the Stockbridge Bowl Association.  Feature speaker was the old growth evangelist Bob Leverett. We covered successful flyfishing trips to Labrador and Yellowstone National Park made by local anglers.  Eight-year-old Michael (Mikey) Hubbard of Pittsfield successfully landed a 21-inch, 4.4lbs largemouth bass.

 

In September, Travis Bailey of Lee harvested a bear weighing 620 lbs. field dressed.  After it was skinned out, it measured 7 feet from nose to tail, with a space between its ears of 10 inches. Rachel Kanter of Lenox landed a monster 35-inch pike.

In October we reported that It was a good year for MassWildlife/ Department of Fish & Game land acquisitions and conservation completing 11 projects and protecting 937 acres. Great Barrington approved a new ordinance to help curb problem bears.

 

In November Paraplegic hunters took four deer in the Berkshires, seven statewide. The Youth pheasant hunt produced happy hunters. Some $483,922 was awarded in state grant funds to improve wildlife habitat on 514 acres of land within the Commonwealth.

 

In December we did an article about MassWildlife’s controlled burns. National Geographic wrote an article titled, ‘This Trail May Be the Best Way to See New England’s Fall Colors”. The specific Berkshires trail mentioned was BNRC’s High Road. The town of Nahant hired sharpshooters to eliminate its coyote problem. DFW Western District Supervisor had a great article in Massachusetts Wildlife about feeding bears.

 

During the year, we reviewed three books, two by local authors. The Richmond Pond Association and the Richmond Historical Commission produced a book entitled, The Gem of Richmond:  A History of Richmond Pond. The editor was Ken Kelly, of Lenox and Richmond. Paul C. Carter of Dalton came out with a new deer hunting book entitled, More Deer Hunts, through a Tracker’s Eyes.  Author Robert (Bob) Romano came out with a wonderful book entitled River Flowers.  All were still highly recommended.

Thanks for taking the time to read the columns this past year and hopefully you’ll stay with us next year.

Happy New Year!

It was a good year for MassWildlife/ Department of Fish & Game land acquisitions and conservation

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In his October report to the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS), DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden reported that the MassWildlife/Division of Fish & Game land program was very successful once again in FY22 (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022) completing 11 projects and protecting 937 acres. These projects were

completed using bond funds, Land Stamp funds, and cooperative partnerships with area Land Trusts.

The following is the full list of projects:

  • Soda Creek Wildlife Conservation Easement (WCE) in Sheffield  – 301 acres along Water Farm Road in cooperation with Berkshire Natural Resource Council.
  • Elizabeth Woods WCE – 86 acres along North Egremont Road in cooperation with Alford Land Trust
  • Karner Brook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) – 19 acres near Smiley Pond in Egremont in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy.
  • Misery Mountain WMA – 5 acres along Route 43 in Hancock abutting the existing WMA
  • Fox Den WMA – 26 acres of landlocked woods in Chester abutting the existing WMA on Smith/Patterson Road
  • Hinsdale Flats WMA – 15 acres along Washington Road abutting the existing WMA
  • Konkapot River Access – 8 acres along the Konkapot River in New Marlborough
  • Ram Hill WMA – 86 acres of oak woodlands along old Chesterfield Road in Chesterfield
  • Tower Brook WMA – 207 acres along Bronson/West Branch Brook in Chesterfield
  • Fox Den WMA – 10 acres abutting the existing WMA along Starkweather Road in Worthington
  • Jackson Swamp WCE – 175 Acres along Route 112 in Worthington in cooperation with Hilltown Land Trust

All these properties are open to hunting, fishing, and trapping.

All projects can be viewed on the MassWildlife Land Viewer https://www.mass.gov/howto/masswildlife–lands–viewer

Archery deer hunting and fall turkey hunting starts next week

Archery Season starts in Zones 1 – 9 on October 17 and runs until November 26.  A hunting or sporting license is required along with an Archery Stamp.  Two antlered deer may be taken annually with at least one antler 3 inches or larger.

Archery season can be dangerous as many hunters hunt out of tree stands. Almost every year we read about someone falling out of a stand and getting seriously injured or killed. Bow hunters should bone up on safe procedures in climbing to and getting into the tree stand.

Wild turkey hunting also opens on October 17 in Zones 1 – 9 and also runs until November 26.  A hunting or sporting license is required as well as a turkey permit and an official safety sticker.  The sticker must be placed on the gun in such a way that it must be visible when the hunter is sighting down the barrel.  One turkey of either sex may be taken during the fall season.

Good luck hunters and be careful.

Great Barrington approves a new ordinance to help curb problem bears.

Like other nearby towns Great Barrington is experiencing problems with bears looking for food in bird feeders, garbage pails and business dumpsters instead of in wild environs where they feed on wild apples, berries and other natural foods. Such close encounters with humans usually do not result in happy endings for the bears.

In an effort to reduce the numbers of bear/people encounters, the Board of Health voted unanimously last week on a bylaw that restricts such access. They enacted a new law making it illegal to feed wildlife, intentionally or not. Bears have been breaking into houses in recent years and health officials say it’s the unsecured restaurant trash bins, neighborhood trash and compost containing animal products or bones that put people at risk. The ordinance will seek to lessen conflicts that can result in a dead bear.  It’s time to crack down on people whose behavior draws wildlife to places they shouldn’t be. The new ordinance took effect immediately.

A first violation would involve a written warning with information and suggestions for securing food and other attractants. A second violation comes with a $50 fine; beyond that, fines rise to $200.  It doesn’t make bird feeders illegal, but if they are found to be the source of a problem, residents will be ticketed.

OLA (Old Lard Ass) seen resting before taking on an apple tree. Picture provided by Paul Knauth

According to MassWildlife’s Black Bear Biologist David Wattles, the new law doesn’t preclude the use of bird feeders. “However; some people hide behind this and claim that they are just feeding the birds. They have many bird feeders out in the backyard or they have trays of black oil sunflower seed. It is Waddles’ opinion that they’re clearly feeding other wildlife. When a bear finds food rummaging through garbage, it will return, Wattles said.

Great Barrington Conservation Agent, Shepard “Shep” Evans, said he is relieved the town will police human behavior he calls “inexcusable.”  “It really is important not to pervert the wildlife feeding world with thoughtless garden garbage and intentional feeding,” he said. A bear can grow habituated and lose its fear of humans.

When asked if there was any “push back” from the town residents or business owners, Evans was not aware of any.  The residents seem to agree with the Board of Health decision.

The town of Stockbridge put its ordinance on the books last year. Businesses with dumpsters were a major attractant and the ordinance enabled the police and town officials to encourage them to comply.  “It made a difference in resolving some of the issues where they were having bears walking down Main Street on a regular basis,” Wattles said.

MassWildlife’s stocking procedures are questioned.

Last week a reader called expressing disapproved with how trout are being released into our waters.  They simply throw the fish into the lakes out of pails or nets rather than bending down and releasing the fish more gently so that they can leisurely swim away.  It’s a reasonable question, in fact for a while, I questioned the procedure myself.  I learned that there is a reason.  I forwarded the question to DFW Western District supervisor Andrew Madden to give a more complete answer that I could.  It is as follows:

Proper handling of fish that are caught and released is an important part of fishing that all anglers should understand. When someone catches a fish that will be released, either by regulation or by choice, that fish is already acclimated to the water and so a slow and gentle release is often the best way (particularly with trout).

In contrast, our stocked trout are going from one environment (truck) to another (lake/river/stream). These environments have differences in temperature, oxygen, even water chemistry. Because of this, when fish are stocked into a river, stream, or lake they need to adjust physiologically. When we toss fish, it stimulates a response which causes them to swim more actively, move water over gills, find cooler water, and adjust more quickly. When fish are placed gently into the water along the shore they often lay in place, taking a longer time to adjust. MassWildlife staff have stocked millions of fish over the years and we have learned from experience that the tossing technique is generally the best approach.

 

Much better explanation that I could have given.  I believed it had something to do with the effects of the aerated stocking trucks affecting their air bladders and the rougher treatment is something like burping the baby.

 

Drivers, brake for moose and deer

Because fall is the breeding season for both moose and white-tailed deer, MassWildlife reminds motorists to be mindful of increased deer and moose activity, especially during early morning and evening hours. Moose, found in central and western parts of Massachusetts, breed in September and October. White-tailed deer breed from late October to early December.

Moose on the road are especially hazardous. The dark color and height of moose make them difficult to see in low light; moose eyes rarely shine like deer eyes because their eyes are above headlight level. In addition, long legs and heavy top bodies make moose very dangerous to motorists when struck. Observe road signs for moose and deer crossings and slow down. Do not swerve to avoid hitting a deer because it may lead to more risk and damage than hitting the deer. Moose are less likely to move from the road than deer, so stay alert and brake when you see a moose in or near the road.

Deer and moose/vehicle collisions should be reported to the Environmental Police at 1-800-632-8075.

 

Could Sunday bow hunting, revised setbacks be around the corner?

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Maybe, if the State Legislature approves it. One of the items that was included in Governor Charlie Baker’s recent recommendation was to include Sunday archery hunting.  Here is the exact verbiage:

 

Sunday Bow Hunting of Deer Section 57 of Chapter 131 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:  This section shall not prohibit the Director, with the approval of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, from authorizing the hunting of deer by bow and arrow on any Sunday, and shall not render unlawful the possession or carrying of a bow and arrow for the purpose of hunting deer, as authorized by the Director with the approval of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board.

 

In summary, this section would allow for bow hunting for deer on Sundays.

Another item included in the governor’s recommendations was to change the setback requirements (from occupied dwellings) from 500 feet to 250.  Exact verbiage:  Section 61 Decreased Hunting Setbacks Section 58 of said Chapter 131, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following words: Provided that a person may hunt with a bow and arrow not less than 250 feet from any dwelling in use.

In summary, this section would reduce bow hunting setbacks from a dwelling from 500 feet to 250 feet to align with the setbacks in neighboring states.

 

Now the question is, will the Legislature approve them?

 

I am retired now and can hunt any day of the week except Sunday.  But there was a time when nothing angered me more than not being able to hunt on Sundays.  For many, December is a very busy time with projects to be wrapped up before year end, and working 6 days a week is a requirement. If a hunter wants to hunt on his only day off, (Sunday) he has to buy an expensive non-resident license and drive to a neighboring state – NY, VT or CT. That is not right.  Sunday hunting is the only remnant of the archaic and long-discontinued Sunday Blue Laws.

Friends would frequently tell me that Sunday is the only day that they can go hiking in the woods without fear of being shot.  My response has always been, well there are a lot of hunters where that is the only day that they can hunt. It always griped me that I could not go hunting or allow others to hunt on my own land on Sunday.   Hikers and bird watchers shouldn’t be there without permission, so what’s the problem?

In my opinion, the fear of being shot or killed in the woods is unfounded. Many don’t know or fail to accept the fact that hunting is one of the safest recreational activities in America.  The last survey that I saw based upon figures originated from the Centers for Disease Control are very telling.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, has compiled data that shows hunting ranks third in safety when compared to 28 other recreational pursuits, ranging from baseball to wrestling. Hunting with firearms has an injury rate of 0.05 percent, which equates to about 1 injury per 2,000 participants, a safety level bettered only by camping (.01 percent) and billiards (.02 percent).

Comprehensive hunter education classes that emphasize the basic rules of firearm safety and a culture of hunters helping fellow hunters practice safe firearms handling in the field are probably responsible for this good record.

To quote the NSSF, “To put hunting’s safety standing into perspective, compared to hunting, a person is . . . 11 times more likely to be injured playing volleyball, 19 times more likely to be injured snowboarding, 25 times more likely to be injured cheerleading or bicycle riding, 34 times more likely to be injured playing soccer or skateboarding, 105 more times likely to be injured playing tackle football.  Hunting is even safer than golf.

The number of hunters nationwide who went afield in a recent year was estimated at 16.3 million. Of that total, approximately 8,122 sustained injuries, or 50 per 100,000 participants. The vast majority of hunting accidents, more than 6,600, were tree stand-related.

I have the same issue with DFW Wildlife Management Areas (WMA).  Those properties were acquired using funds derived from hunting and fishing license sales and excise taxes on firearms and other sporting equipment. Unfortunately, everyone else can use those lands on Sundays except the hunters.  That also is not right!  Hikers have thousands of acres of land to hike on DCR lands which do prohibit Sunday hunting.

Another problem I have is the issue of setbacks (mandatory distances from an occupied dwelling one can hunt).  Current Massachusetts law prohibits a person from possessing a loaded firearm or hunting by any means on another person’s land within 500 feet of a dwelling in use, unless allowed.  That includes WMA’s.

These mandatory distances also apply to bowhunters.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t even think William Tell could launch an arrow anywhere near 300 feet. Bow hunters traditionally use tree stands and fire their arrows downward at their prey. No way an arrow under those conditions could traverse much over a couple hundred feet, not even with a ricochet.  It would seem to me that a 250 feet setback should be sufficient.

The reduction of such a setback would enable hunters to hunt more land which hitherto could not be hunted.  That would be good news to the archers in the heavily populated eastern part of the state who cannot hunt certain towns due to the high housing density.  Towns incidentally which need to severely reduce their deer populations to prevent destruction of their young trees and shrubbery and possibly reduce the number of deer ticks.

Let’s hope the Legislature reacts positively to the Governor’s recommendations.

Ice Fishing Derbies

On February 12 the Great Barrington Fish & Game Club will be sponsoring an ice fishing derby on Mercer’s Pond.  It starts at 7:00 am and runs until 1:00 pm. Entrance fee is $15.00 for adults and children 12 and under $5.00.  The grand door prize for adults will be an ice auger, for the children it will be a bicycle. Other prizes include heaviest fish overall.  Tickets must be purchased at the clubhouse prior to the derby.  No exceptions.  There will be a spaghetti and meatball dinner following the derby.

On February 13, the Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department’s 5th Annual Ice Fishing Derby will take place on the North Basin only of Cheshire Lake.  Registration will take place from 6:00 am to12:00 pm, with derby hours from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.  All fish must be weighed in by 4:00 pm and prizes will be awarded at 4:30 pm at the Bass Water Grill.

The registration fee is $15.00 for adults and youths 12 and under free with the purchase of an adult ticket. The entry fee also enters you into thousands of dollars-worth of raffle prizes to be drawn throughout the day.   Prizes will be awarded for the three largest fish of any specie for both adult and youth age groups.  The grand prize, which was donated by Bedard Bros Auto Sales, is a Milwaukee 2804-22 Drill with 2 batteries, charger, and hard case and Eskimo 8” Pistol Bit Auger.

The second-place prize, donated by Harry’s Auto Sales, is a Jet Sled filled with a full set of 5 Heritage Tip-Ups, bait bucket, bait net, chipper/skimmer. Third prize, donated by Eskimo, is an Eskimo QuickFish 2 Ice Fishing Shanty.

But wait!  There’s more!  The largest bass of the day wins a full set of 5 Jack Trap tip-ups donated by Colin Haas and Laina Main. Also, a full set of prizes for the youth group donated by JCB Bait.  Trophies were donated by NEBASSIN NY/MA as part of their FHF Tournament Series.

Gosh it’s so nice to be able to write about ice fishing derbies again. With the combination of iffy ice conditions and the Covid scare in prior years, they just weren’t being held.

The last time I checked (Stockbridge Bowl last Wednesday) there was at least 14 inches of hard ice.  If you are able, round up the kids and get out there and enjoy the day.  Don’t forget to bring gramps and grandma, too.

Large black bear taken in Sheffield. Is it a state record?

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It was a pleasant afternoon on November 5 and after work, Mike DiGiovanni of Sheffield decided to go hunting for bear on a local farmland. He hunted out of a tree stand with a crossbow. (Due to a permanent disability, he had permit to hunt with a crossbow). After a while he saw a deer (doe) in the nearby field acting oddly and then ran off. Then Mike saw why. A bear approached the field, hugged the edge of it and headed right toward him. He held off his shot until the bear was about 10 yards away and let the bolt fly. The first bolt hit him high in the shoulder and the second shot was a lung shot and down he went.
He knew it was a decent sized boar, perhaps around 300 lbs, but it wasn’t until he climbed down from the tree stand and approached it that he realized how big it was. Mike described himself as being “dumbfounded”. Then came the realization of what to do now. He took a picture on his cell phone and sent it to his wife Molly saying, “I’m going to be home a little bit later than expected”.
Then, he called a couple friends while Molly called his brother-in-law for help. Mike also reached out to the farmer for an extra set of hands. The farmer had a 4-wheeler to help him get it out of the woods and into the field. Dragging a bear of this size is no small feat and the more help he could get, the better. It took 6 guys, the farmer’s 4- wheeler and a pick-up truck. Thank goodness it was only 10 feet from the field, said Mike, because if it was deeper in the woods, there was no way to get him out…..not without equipment. With permission from the farmer, they were able to drive a truck into the field to get to him.
Can you imagine what it was like lifting that bear onto Mike’s truck?
After getting the bear out of there, they weighed it at a gravel bed truck scale and the weight they came up with was 540 lbs. Roughly a day and a half after, they got it to the DFW Headquarters in Dalton and it weighed 535 lbs. on those scales. Perhaps the day delay could have made the 5 lbs. difference (drying out). Anyway, the official weight stands at 535 lbs. Mike has been bear hunting for 12 to 14 years and never got a bear this large.
One of the biologists at the DFW headquarters guessed it weighed around 640 to 650 lbs. live weight and estimated the age as being between 7 and 12 years old, but it could be older. They can’t know until a tooth is sent to the DFW labs for analysis.
Is it a state record? Not sure. Massachusetts doesn’t keep official state bear records; however, they do maintain a database of the largest bears on record. I am not aware if there has ever been a larger bear checked in with DFW so it is quite possible that it is the record. If the DFW wants to establish a state record for black bears, may I suggest that they start with this one.
Mike said that he lost some of the meat due to the weather, but will salvage as much as he can to eat. “It’s quite good”, he said, “if I didn’t like the meat, I would not shoot a bear.”
He is going to get a whole rug mount done by Kevins’s Taxidermy of Middlebury, CT. Incidentally, the taxidermist measured the hide from nose to the tail at 86 inches and girth at 65 inches. The unofficial Green Score skull came in at 21 ¼ inches. To make the Pope & Young record book, it has to be 18 inches; however, cross bow kills are not recognized.
The farmer was ecstatic over getting rid of that bear. Not only because he kept destroying his crops, but also once a week the boar was flipping dumpsters over on his property.
Mike met a couple of neighbors who live on the same street and they were very grateful that that bear is gone. They were intimidated by the size of it. Bears are opportunistic, wherever the food is, that is where they are going to be, whether it is at your house or somewhere in the woods. They are going to eat whatever they want and you are not going to stop them, said Mike. He has heard stories of bears taking livestock, goats, pigs and all sorts of animals (not to mention the deer fawns).
Mike was adamant that the names of the helpers be included in this column for without them, he could not have gotten the boar out of the woods. (They were: Jameason Russin, Tony Bleau, Kolby Bleau, Dave Ullrich and the farm owner Bob)
That feat was” something I’ll never forget”, said Mike.
A Patriotic Turkey Shoot

The Murphy-Leary American Post 298 and Adams-Budz VFW Post 8183 of Housatonic will be jointly sponsoring a Turkey Shoot at the Great Barrington Fish and Game Association Club, 338 Long Pond Road, Great Barrington on December 1 starting at 12:00 noon. The purpose of this event is to raise funds to help the organizations foster strong national security, provide help for disabled and needy veterans and their families and promote Americanism by educating our communities in patriotism.

Also, they sponsor and provide scholarships to civic programs such as the Boys/Girls State Program, Student Trooper Program and to local students. In addition, their fund-raising initiatives also allow them to offer academic and vocational scholarships to selected graduates from local High Schools.

The turkey shoot is billed as a great opportunity to come out and compete for a turkey, pork, steak, beef, or maybe a money prize as well as enjoy a barbecued hamburger, hot dog, fries, and refreshments. You don’t even have to shoot to win a prize. There are many people that will be there who will shoot for you.

You are invited to come out and have some fun with family and friends in one of the most picturesque locations in the Berkshires. In addition to having some old-time outdoor fun, you will be helping our Housatonic American Legion and VFW to raise money so that they may give back to the youth in our community.

MassWildlife’s Habitat Management Grant Program

Thirteen municipalities, conservation organizations, and private landowners were recently awarded a total of $341,396 for habitat management projects to improve habitat for rare or declining populations of wildlife. The grants will fund 13 wildlife habitat improvement projects totaling 698 acres in 14 communities across the state.
In its fifth year, MassWildlife’s Habitat Management Grant Program provides financial assistance to private and municipal landowners of conserved lands to improve and manage habitat for wildlife deemed in greatest conservation need and certain game species. The projects are also designed to complement ongoing habitat management efforts on state lands and expand opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor recreation.
“Fish and wildlife habitat management for both rare and common species and to enhance wildlife-related recreation opportunities is a top priority for MassWildlife,” said Dr. Mark Tisa, Director of the DFW. “Because 80% of Massachusetts is in private ownership, working with committed municipal and private landowners is a no-brainer. These grants help protect everyone’s investment in wildlife, habitat, and the enjoyment of outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, or watching wildlife.”
Congratulations to the following local recipients of the 2019 MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants:
• Great Barrington: The Nature Conservancy was awarded $28,576 to create and improve old field and shrubland habitats at the Schenob Brook Preserve.
• Lenox: The Town of Lenox was awarded $26,810 to remove the invasive hardy kiwi plant at Kennedy Park and Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.
• South Lee: South Lee Associates was awarded $13,655 for efforts to control invasive species on Housatonic River properties.

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.

Small game hunting season closing for the year

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According to the MA fishing and hunting regulations, last Thursday, February 28, marked the end of cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare and fox hunting seasons until they reopen next fall. This week, March 8, the bobcat and coyote hunting seasons end.

You must report your fox and coyote harvest within 4 working days of the end of the season by reporting them at official check station or online. If you report your harvest online, write the confirmation number on a tag and attach the tag to the carcass or pelt. These confirmation numbers must stay attached to the pelt or carcass until that pelt or carcass is prepared for mounting or sold or tanned.

While we are on the subject of regulations, please be aware that there are several hunting season date errors in the printed version of the 2019 Guide to Freshwater Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Laws involving the bear, snowshoe hare, and furbearer seasons. While all digital versions of the Guide have been corrected, hard copy versions distributed at state offices, retailers, and other license vendors contain hunting season date errors. Click onto https://www.mass.gov/files/documents to find a 1-page hunting season summary with corrected season dates.

Jimmy Fund Ice Fishing Derby
The winners of the 33rd Annual Jimmy Fund Ice Fishing Derby which was held on February 10 were as follows:
Kids Division: 1st Place – Levi Starbird, a 9.25 lbs Pike; 2nd Place – Ricky Rando a 9.25 lbs Pike; 3rd Place – David Bonomi an 8.75lbs Pike.
Young Adults Division: 1st Place – James Lambert a 3.75lbs Brown Trout; 2nd Place – Andrew Clement a 2.75lbs Pickerel.
Adult Division: 1st Place – Ralph Wendling a 14.75lbs Pike; 2nd Place – Jake Burke a 12.25lbs Pike and 3rd Place – Jeff Kucka a 9.75lbs Pike.

Congratulations to all!

Public Meeting on the Conservation and Management of Hoosic River Fish

The Hoosic River Watershed Association (HooRWA) will be having a State of the River Conference on March 11 at 6:00 PM on the campus of Williams College, Williamstown, MA. The event will be held in Room 3 of Griffin Hall. A campus map is available at: https://map.williams.edu.

This year’s conference will feature presentations from three state fisheries biologists from Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York. They will speak on the status and conservation of the fishery resources of the Hoosic River. Following their talks, HooRWA will moderate a panel discussion to enable in depth question and answer, and discussion.

The Hoosic River is known as an outstanding trout fishery through most of its passage from its headwaters in Massachusetts down river into New York. In the lower New York reaches, it also provides excellent smallmouth bass and panfish angling.

Yet the River has challenges, including long-term warming trends, disturbance to the banks of the River causing erosion and siltation, presence of harmful environmental contaminants, and on-going development pressures throughout the watershed.

The HooRWA, with the assistance of the Williams College Center for Environmental Studies, will provide the public an opportunity to ask fisheries experts about the status of the fishery and the current management challenges. By bringing together agency professionals from all three states, the HooRWA seeks to cultivate a tristate discussion that could lead to a greater level of collaboration and cooperation in efforts to monitor the status of the fishery resource, and to adopt appropriate conservation measures to ensure long term benefits for our citizens.

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided

Archery Tournament

The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club will be having its Berkshire Championship Archery Tournament on March 16 and March 17. It is a 450-Round Archery Shoot for the benefit of its Scholarship Fund – Aim for Higher Education at the Buckhorn Archer’s Indoor Range, 24 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA. The classes of competition are: Adults: compound, freestyle men, compound freestyle women; Bow Hunter Compound Men (Release and Fingers combined); Bow Hunter Compound Women (Release and Fingers combined); Traditional Longbow or Recurve. Choose any one of 3 shooting times: Saturday March 16 at 4:00 pm, Sunday March 17, 9:00 am or 1:00 pm, Youth Shoot 11:00 am Sunday.

There will be a Chinese Raffle and Silent Auction.

Tickets Only – Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner Saturday at 6:00 pm – Adults $25 and 12 & Under $10. a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday 7:30 to 11:00am – Adults $8 and 12 & Under $5.
For tickets to dinner, preregister, directions or questions, contact John Mange (518)794-7868 or John Davis (413) 446-9062.

They really take archery seriously at the SSC. This winter, they are having the biggest youth league that they have seen with more than 70 people taking part. The shooting takes place on Saturday mornings.

Keeping with the SSC, congratulations go to Bob Cameron for winning the Red Nose Skeet Championship which was held on December 30. This win follows up his Club Championship last fall.

Its “Déjà Vu” for our Onota Lake Bald Eagles

A message from local wildlife photographer Mark Thorne is as follows: “Its that time of year again for the eagles to be setting up “house” in preparation for another (hopefully) successful year. Same pair as the past several years: female (blue band T98) now in her 17th year, and her mate (gold band WR8) now 13 years old. They have been a pair nesting here since 2014. The female has been at this lake for much longer. I’ve been photographing her since 2007, although I was only able to confirm her identity in 2011”.

“As always, the female is very tolerant of my presence; the male less so. If I pretend that I’m going about some activity he stays, but if I stop and look up at him, he bolts within a minute or two. She will sit watching me for hours without moving.”

“I never tire watching them every year”, Mark said.

Thank you, Mark, and we never get tired of admiring your outstanding photos.

Fly-fishing Film Festival

The Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited invites you to enjoy its fly-fishing film festival at the
Chrissy Farm at the Barrington Brewery in Great Barrington on March 7 at 6:30 pm.
There are 9 award winning film shorts that take you to Alaska, French Polynesia, Yellowstone, the South Fork, and Australia to witness fly-fishing adventures in full color and sound. Trout, sharks, salmon and steelhead are found in some of their grandest habitats.

Taconic TU organizer Bill Travis encourages you to get there early and have a meal and/ or sample their on-location homemade beers. There will be an opportunity to enter a silent auction to win Costa sunglasses, Scientific Angler line, Simms Guide nippers, a Thomas and Thomas Avanti Rod, Yeti Roadie, Ross Reel and other items. (Ooh, bring some cash. This is high quality stuff!)

Tickets are $15 on-line and $20 at the door. On-line tickets are $15 and are available at: https://flyfilmtour.myeventscenter.com/event/Great-Barrington-Ma-31230.

Club Turkey Shoots

The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club and Lee Sportsmen’s Association will be having turkey shoots at their respective clubhouses starting today and running every Sunday through March 31. The hours for the Lenox shoots are from noon to 3:00 pm and the Lee club shooting hours are from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Both clubs will be offering the winners NY strip steaks, turkeys, pork loins and spiral hams.

The “Greek” now fishes beyond the riverbend

John Kastrinakis, of Lenox, formerly of Lee, fondly referred to as “the Greek”, passed away this past week at the age of 84. A Taconic Chapter TU founding member and its treasurer for the first four or five years of existence, he was a long-time TU Board member. He was also a member of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and he took frequent salmon fishing trips to New Brunswick fishing for the “king of fish”. with friends from the Springfield area. He taught fly tying and fly fishing classes and developed his own well-known killer trout fly called the Greek Grabber. He was a recipient of Taconic TU’s prestigious Crooked Staff Award. He was a valued member of the ROMEOS (Retired Old Men Eating Out).

Our sincerest condolences go out to John’s wife Joyce and family who also recently lost a son/sibling Paul.

2018 black bear harvest was down 25% from previous year

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At the January Meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden presented the statewide 2018 preliminary black bear harvest report. He reported that during the three hunting seasons in 2018, a total of 201 bears were harvested. This represents a drop from the 270 bears taken in 2017 and the record 283 bears taken in 2016. A breakdown by season is as follows: First season (Sept. 4 – Sept. 22): 150 bears harvested, Second season (Nov. 5 – Nov. 24): 26, and the Shotgun season (Nov. 26 – Dec. 8): 25.  
He reported that the September and November seasons were virtually identical in 2017 (151 and 26). The big decrease in harvest in 2018 was during the Shotgun season. He speculated that bears were active very late in 2017, resulting in a high Shotgun season harvest, 91 bears taken. The lack of hard mast in 2018 saw bears enter their dens early which resulted in a corresponding reduction in the Shotgun season harvest, with only 25 bears taken.
Although these were preliminary figures, Madden does not expect the total to change significantly. There are a lot of bears out there and he expects that the 2019 harvest will climb back to the 270 range.
Sportsmen’s Clubs archery/shooting leagues gearing up for the new year
The Lee Sportsmen’s Association (LSA) in-house Winter Pistol League will commence Tuesday, January 15 at 6:30pm and continue every Tuesday for 10 weeks. It will feature both rim fire and center fire pistol matches, and rim fire rifle competitions. There will be 4 events in all. The cost will be $40.00 for one event and $5.00 for each event after that.
They will start at 6:30pm shooting the rim fire rifle match. Each shooter will shoot 30 rounds at a 50 ft. small bore rifle target. Shooters may lean against the front of the port and rest their elbows on the top of the port. Rifles may be equipped with scopes.
At 7:00pm, they will shoot an NRA gallery rim fire bullseye pistol match. Each shooter will shoot 10 rounds at a standard 50 ft. slow fire target, 10 rounds at a standard 50 ft. timed fire target, and 10 rounds at a standard rapid-fire target. The NRA gallery match is shot one-handed; however, they do allow a two-handed class for their league for those who would rather shoot two-handed.
There will be a combat match when the NRA gallery match is finished. Shooters will fire 25 rounds into a silhouette target at three different positions. The ammunition used will be any 9mm or larger.
For more information, please contact Larry Curtin at (413) 822-3764 or clcurtin9@hotmail.com.

The LSA will be having a Youth Archery League on Saturday mornings beginning January 12 through March 16. It is advertised as a safe, fun, and educational experience, where children ages 6 to 17 can learn and practice archery skills. The club provides everything the student needs, but if you would like to bring your own, that is OK, too.

The cost is $20 per participant and includes: indoor archery range use, bows, arrows, targets, weekly snacks, and t-shirts for new students. Session 1 for Ages 6-12 are from 9:00am to 10:30am and Session 2 for Ages 13-17 are from 10:30am to 12:00pm. Call or text Coach Doug Frank at (413) 822-0720 for more information, or if you wish to discuss placing a student in a different session for any reason.

The LSA is also having a Thursday Night Archery League. It runs from January 17 through March 7 and begins at 6:00pm. You will be shooting at foam 2D targets. There is a $20 fee. Contact Todd Bush at (413) 441-2094 for more information.

The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club (LSC) will be having its Bullseye League starting tomorrow night at 7:00pm and running 11 weeks until March 19. The shoots include .22 Caliber at 50 feet and Centerfire at 75 feet. The same Bullseye League also runs on Thursdays at 12:00 noon. That one started last Thursday.
The LSC Rifle League started this morning at 10:00 am with .22 Caliber rifle at 50 ft. & 75 ft
For more information contact Ray Scheufler- 413-443-3059 or E-mail rps94@msn.com.

The LSC Adult and Youth Archery Leagues start the first and second weeks in January. Its Youth Archery League started on January 12 from 9:00 to 10:30 am for youths 8 to 12 years old and from 10:30am to 12:00pm for 13 to 16-year olders. They are free and some equipment is available for beginners. Contact Mark Jester (413)499-8482. They also have a Club 3D Archery League on Mondays (contact Brian Vincent at (413)443-2098 for details) and a 2D Archery League on Wednesday – Friday and Saturdays (contact Jim Ferguson (413)499-0212.)
The LSC will be having a .22LR Rifle League this year. For those interested in participating, the league will run on Sundays starting at 10:00am. For more information contact Charles Kronick at 413-448-6065 or email chak219@yahoo.com.
The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club began its Youth Archery League yesterday. Although sign-up was yesterday you might still be able to enter it. The league will run for 10 Saturdays, starting on January 12. The club provides all equipment or you may bring your own. Non-members are welcome. You can download and mail a registration form along with a $40 fee. Anyone of interest and is able to assist should contact Mike Buffoni.

Coyote Derby
Dave’s Sporting Goods in Pittsfield is having its Coyote Derby again this year. It will run until the end of coyote hunting season which is March 8, 2019. Entrance fee is $10 and prizes will be awarded to the person who bags the most coyotes, the largest coyote and there will also be a random draw.
Marlborough FlyFishing Show

The 2019 Fly Fishing Show will take place from January 18 through 20 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center,181 Boston Post Road, West Marlborough, MA. The show’s newest edition features a tribute ceremony to the late fly-fishing icon Lefty Kreh on Saturday, plus more than 10 demonstrations or audio/visual presentations each hour together with wall-to-wall displays of the newest fly rods, reels, lines, boots, waders, clothing and flies during the three-day mid-winter run.
In addition to tackle, lodges and exotic destinations, show visitors can view continuous fly-tying demonstrations, how-to-do-it seminars and presentations ranging from the Rangeley Lakes in Western Maine to Surf Fishing for Striped Bass.
Seminars include Euro-nymphing, Tightline and Other Nymph Fishing Secret Weapons by Jason Randall to Catching Difficult Trout by Ed Engle. Casting demonstrations are scheduled by Gary Borger, George Daniel, Jeff Currier and Sheila Hassan among others.
Featured fly tiers include Borger, Alan Caolo, Tim Flagler, Joe Cordiero, Bob Clouser and Engle.
The northeastern premiere of the 2019 Fly Fishing Film Festival is Friday at 6:30. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Scouts in uniform can earn credits toward a fly-fishing merit badge.
The FlyFishing Show® 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 16 in uniform. Children under 12 are $5. Active military with an ID are $10.
For a complete list of fly-fishing films, classes, seminars, door prizes, demonstrations and the Scout Merit Badge program, visit flyfishingshow.com/marlborough-ma/ or phone (814) 443-3638.

2019 Message from the MassWildlife Director

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In the 2019 Massachusetts Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Laws (also known as The Abstracts) MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa included his annual message. Normally, the Director’s message is only read by those who purchase hunting, fishing or trapping licenses, but there is information contained in that message that I think the general public would like to know. It is as follows:
“I am honored and humbled to have been selected by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board to serve as the next Director of this great agency. MassWildlife is one of the finest wildlife agencies in the country and is on the leading edge of numerous conservation initiatives, such as the Biodiversity Initiative, young forests, natural heritage and endangered species, land acquisition and stewardship, R3 (Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation of hunters and anglers), and climate change. We are a relatively small agency with approximately 170 employees but we have one of the most highly educated staffs in state government, with 12 doctoral degrees; one juris doctor; and 44 master’s, 69 baccalaureate, and seven associate degrees. Further, we are all very passionate about our work and committed to the mission of MassWildlife, which is “the conservation, management, protection, and perpetuation of the Commonwealth’s biological resources, including plants, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and mammals.”
MassWildlife is organized into the Fisheries, Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species, Information and Education, Realty (including land stewardship), and Hunter Education sections, the five fish hatcheries, and the five wildlife districts. These entities all interface to professionally manage and conserve approximately 225,000 acres of publicly accessible land and over 400 state-listed species of plants and animals for the benefit of all the citizens of the Commonwealth.
Whether you are an angler, sporting dog enthusiast, hunter, hiker, camper, boater, or birder, your outdoor experience is enriched by our wildlife resources. Think for a moment about the sights and sounds of nature that you experience whenever you’re out-doors, from watching a mature buck browse or catching a glimpse of a coyote, black bear, or bobcat, to observing a butterfly fluttering through a field of flowers, or catching the unexpected rise and jump of a fish, to the call of loons and the honking of migrating geese and the reedy calls of spring peepers, these are what make our outdoor stories worth telling, and these experiences ultimately become an important part of our collective outdoor memory. So, regardless of how you choose to enjoy our wildlife resources, the social, recreational, educational, ecological, economic, aesthetic, and intrinsic values derived from our enjoyment provide incentives for all users to come together to conserve them. All user groups are important, and serve as key partners by diversifying and multiplying the value of our wildlife resources.
The stewardship of our wildlife resources and the lands that support them, however, does not come cheap. And while everyone who recreates outdoors gets to enjoy them, only a few help pay the costs to protect, manage, and restore them. Most people do not realize that MassWildlife’s programs are funded from the sale of fishing and hunting licenses, not general tax dollars.
As wildlife professionals, one of our greatest challenges is to continue to meet our public-trust responsibilities of conserving ALL wildlife in the face of declining hunting and fishing license sales; hunting licenses in particular. License sales have been the financial foundation of wildlife conservation in America since the early 1900s. This funding model, however, is no longer sufficient to meet our conservation needs in the twenty-first century. And this is not just a Massachusetts problem; it is a challenge across the country for all state fish and wildlife agencies as we try to meet our unfunded conservation needs. Congress directed all states to prepare a comprehensive State Wildlife Action Plan that specifically identifies the wildlife species in greatest need of conservation, the threats to those species, and the funding needed to address those conservation needs. Based on those conservation plans, it is estimated that the states will need more than $1 billion annually to conserve our species in greatest need of conservation.
As a result of this nationwide assessment of unfunded conservation needs, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House (H.R. 4647) by Representatives Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska-1) and Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan-12) and in the Senate (S.3223) by Senators James Risch (R-Idaho) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) to address this issue. This legislation is called the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) and it has gained strong bipartisan co-sponsorship and is garnering tremendous support from the outdoor-recreation community, the retail and manufacturing sector, the energy and automotive industries, private landowners, educational institutions, conservation organizations, sportsmen’s groups, federal and state fish and wildlife agencies, and from the public at large due to its innovative approach to solving America’s wildlife conservation crisis. In this proposed legislation, the monies to pay for conservation would not come from new taxes but instead from existing fees already paid to the federal government for mineral and gas exploration and extraction on federal lands. The funding would be apportioned to each of the states, which could mean an additional $14 million or more annually for Massachusetts to help conserve all the wildlife resources in our state.
So, if you enjoy getting outdoors to experience all the exceptional wildlife-dependent recreation Massachusetts has to offer, it is important for you to let our Massachusetts Congressional Delegation know that you support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act legislation. I will be working with my fellow state fish and wildlife directors from around the country to help to advance what is arguably one of the most important pieces of wildlife conservation legislation since the Teddy Roosevelt era.
In addition to the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, other priorities of mine include ensuring the financial stability of our agency moving forward; meeting our habitat-management goals for grasslands, shrublands, and young forests on MassWildlife-owned lands; increasing public understanding of the importance of active forest management on both public and private lands for maintaining the diversity of our wildlife resources; assessing the effects of climate change on critical wildlife habitat; R3, including developing programs for people who would like to learn to fish, hunt, and/or shoot; modernizing our fish hatchery infrastructure; continuing wildlife research with our partners at the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Research Unit to identify and use the best science available for wildlife conservation in our state; and working with our environmental partners like Mass Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, The Trustees, conservation commissions, land trusts and other private landowners, and others to advance conservation for all wildlife in Massachusetts. The more we can engage and serve broader constituencies, the more likely people will be to embrace a wildlife-conservation ethic and provide the all-important support for conservation funding of our wildlife species and their habitats. And finally, I leave you with this:
Wildlife-dependent recreation is also a critical economic driver in our state, generating some $2 billion in retail sales and more than $292 million in state and local tax revenues. Additionally, approximately 35,000 jobs are supported in the Commonwealth by these activities. In all, the total economic multiplier effect in Massachusetts for wildlife-watching, hunting, and angling is an estimated $3.6 billion annually. Our wildlife is more than worth our continued support and investment.” ….. MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa
The licenses are on sale

The 2019 MA Fishing, Hunting and Trapping licenses are on sale now. They can be purchased online through MassFishHunt, at a license vendor location, or at a MassWildlife office. Good news! No increase in the license fees again this year.

MassWildlife suggests you use care when purchasing licenses during December, as both 2018 and 2019 licenses are available.

Correction
I recently discovered that in my column of December 2, 2018 I had listed a lucky Lee hunter’s name as Matt Zamboni. My apologies, it should have been listed as Matt Ranzoni.