Category Archives: Bow Hunting

Lenox youth’s arrow drops after-school buck

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Seventeen-year old Richard (Ricky) Armstrong III of Lenox had a memorable day of deer hunting on Monday, November 19. While archery hunting in Lenox after school, he dropped a 10- point, 215lbs buck. The deer was weighed by Ricky and his dad Richard Jr. on new scales purchased from Cabela’s. (During Archery Hunting season, deer can be checked in on-line without having to take them to official deer weighing/checking stations).
There is an interesting story as to how he was able to come across such a magnificent deer. On the previous Saturday afternoon his buddy, Luke Patella, saw the deer in his back yard. He told Ricky about it and sent a picture of it. On Sunday afternoon, Ricky walked and drove around looking for the tracks of the deer in the snow to find out where it crossed and where it might be. During the past summer, he knew where the deer usually bedded down in a nearby thick patch of woods.
On Monday afternoon, after school, he went after the big buck. He set up around 3:00 pm near one of the deer trails that comes out of the thick patch. He chose to hunt off of the ground rather than to use a tree stand. At about 3:15 two does and the buck came down the trail near him and when the buck was about 15 yards away, he let an arrow fly. He knew he hit the buck pretty good and expected it to run away, but it just stood there. Ricky reached back behind him to get another arrow out of the quiver and when he looked back, the deer took a couple of steps and fell over.
Based upon the picture that Luke had previously sent him, Ricky knew it was a big deer. But not that big!
Getting the deer out of the woods was not much of a problem according to his dad, Richard Jr., because there was snow on the ground. They were able to put it in a sled and drag it out fairly easily.
Ricky is going to have the deer head mounted by taxidermist Dave Berger of Wild Arts Taxidermy Studio in Berlin, CT. The “green” or rough score of the antlers was 167 3/8 total inches and the spread was 22 inches as determined by the Northeast Big Buck Club. The Pope and Young Club will also measure it. (The Pope & Young Club is recognized as the official repository for records on bow-harvested North American big game. The Northeast Big Buck Association also provides scoring and record-keeping services). Ricky will have to wait 60 days for the antlers to dry before getting the final official score.

His dad said that when Ricky got the deer he was shaking with excitement. He said that everyone who learned about it was excited about Ricky’s feat because of his age and the fact that there are not as many youths involved in the outdoors today as there once was. He said that fortunately he has three sons all into hunting and fishing.

Ricky III is at least a 4th generation family deer hunter. His great grandfather Richard, was a hunter, as were his grandfather (also known as Ricky) and his great uncle (Billy). I went to school with them and remember them as being avid outdoor sportsmen. Both of them have since passed over the ridge but I would bet that they would be very proud of young Ricky today. Ricky’s father, Richard Jr. is a hunter as is his uncle Harold – hunting is an age-old tradition in this family. (Incidentally, I went to school with young Ricky’s grandma Nancy, too, but I don’t think she hunts.)

Other big deer were harvested during the Archery season
The final archery deer hunting results have not yet been released, but we do know that other large deer have been harvested in the Berkshires. For example, Robert Zieba of North Adams took a 199lbs, 11-point buck in Savoy. It was weighed on a certified DFW scale. Brian Bishop of Adams took a 204lbs, 8-point buck in Adams, Michael Kinna of Egremont took a 200lbs, 7- point buck in Egremont, and Matt Zamboni of Lee took a 205lbs, 8-point buck in Lee.
Incidentally, Matt is having quite a year of hunting. During the bear hunting season, he took a 342lbs bear (dressed weight) in Otis. Let’s hope he has a large freezer.
Commonwealth to give River and Wetland Restoration Grants
Some $188,600 will be issued for river and wetland restoration projects in Falmouth, Northampton/Easthampton, North Adams, and Plymouth through the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration’s Priority Projects Program. The program provides projects with grant funding, project management, and contracted technical services for wetland and river restoration, urban river revitalization, and streamflow restoration projects that present the greatest benefit to the Commonwealth, ecologically, socially, and economically.
The five projects help local partners remove aging dams, restore a floodplain forest, rejuvenate historic wetlands on retired cranberry bogs, revitalize an urban river and leverage $3 million in federal and private funding. The projects will restore river habitat for river herring and eastern brook trout, wetland habitat for several rare plant and animal species, and increase municipal resilience to climate change.
“Removal of unwanted dams, upgrading undersized culverts and restoration of floodplain and wetland habitat benefits the environment and helps communities adapt to climate change,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “We look forward to working with the communities receiving Priority Project funding to protect and restore these wetlands and rivers and increase biodiversity across the state.”
“These projects improve fish and wildlife habitat, increase resilience to severe weather events, and further protect public safety,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ronald Amidon. “They benefit a number of fish and wildlife species throughout the Commonwealth, including eastern brook trout, river herring, and waterfowl.”
Priority Projects are evaluated by DER on their ecological benefit, feasibility, contribution to climate readiness, opportunity for public education and recreation, available program resources, and partner support. They are chosen through a statewide, competitive process.
One of those grants is earmarked for the Hoosic River Flood Chute Naturalization Project in North Adams. The City of North Adams, The Hoosic River Revival, The Hoosic River Watershed Association, and state and federal agencies are working together to re-naturalize and revitalize the North and South Branches of the Hoosic River as the rivers flow through North Adams.
The project will improve public safety, reduce annual operating and maintenance costs while improving habitat, access, connectivity and climate resilience. This phase of the project includes the design and permitting of a flood management system within North Adams to replace the existing 2.5 mile concrete chute system, an aging structure that has outlived its design life.
The Hoosic River, one of the few remaining mainstem cold water fishery resources in the Commonwealth, supports a viable wild brook trout population on both branches of the Hoosic River upstream of the city. The funding will be used to build local capacity to advance the project, negotiation for land-sharing of the Phase 1 project area and community outreach around the goals of the project. The grant is matched 2:1 through private funders.

The preliminary 2017 statewide deer harvest was a new record.

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MassWildlife reported that last year’s 13,220 deer harvest set a new state record. Archery and Primitive Firearms seasons also saw record harvests. The preliminary figures by season are as follows:
Youth Deer Hunt Day: 109, Paraplegic Deer Hunt: 4, Archery Season: 5,191, Shotgun Season: 5,162 and Primitive Firearms Season: 2,754. Note – This is the first year that the archery harvest is higher than the shotgun harvest. In the following chart, zones 1 through 4 represent the Western District.

2017 harvest by Wildlife Management Zone (WMZ map)
Zone Adult Male Female Button Buck Total
1          249            59               8            316
2          493            48               6            547
3          439          121             17            577
4N       425            95             19            539
4S       302            37               5             344
5         479          179             28             686
6         118            39               6             163
7          422         245              42            709
8          647         282              37            966
9         730          353              66         1,149
10    1,227       1,075            249          2,551
11    1,662       1,043            267          2,972
12       159            74              16             249
13       319          365            110             794
14       244          309            105             658
State 7,915      4,324            981        13,220

MassWildlife notes that while total harvest by zone can be informative, it doesn’t provide the complete picture for monitoring trends in deer density because total harvest is influenced by antlerless deer permit allocations in each zone as well as annual changes in hunter effort, weather, etc. The MassWildlife Deer Project Leader analyzes harvest, biological, and hunter effort data, along with hunter success rates, female versus male harvest, and other factors to manage deer populations in each zone. Such an analysis of this information is now underway for the annual spring deer management review. A complete harvest summary will be posted on the MassWildlife website shortly after the annual deer review, so we are encouraged to check back in June. Click onto the MassWildlife web site to learn more about deer management in Massachusetts.
Hunter Education Courses

MassWildlife sponsors other hunter education courses besides those that use shotguns, such as bowhunting and trapping courses. Unfortunately, neither of them is taught here in the Western District and for that reason I have not been listing them in this column. However; some local sportsmen may be interested in taking these courses and are willing to travel. Therefore:

Bowhunting – There will be a one-day bowhunter education course on March 18 from 8 AM to 5 PM at the Swift River Sportsmen’s Club, 350 Cold Spring Road Belchertown. To view this listing and others, and obtain driving directions, visit the web at: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/bowhunter-education-course-offerings. As a reminder, all courses are free of charge and all necessary course materials will be provided to the student. Unaccompanied minors will need to bring a signed permission form to class in order to participate. This form can be downloaded and printed at https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/10/10/2017%20Minor%20Permission%20fom.pdf

A bowhunter education certificate does not qualify you to purchase a Massachusetts Hunting license. If you are preparing to buy your first ever hunting license, you need to complete Basic Hunter Education (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/basic-hunter-education-course-offerings) even if you plan on hunting only with archery equipment.

If you are planning on hunting outside of the commonwealth, a Massachusetts Bowhunter Education Certificate is accepted in other jurisdictions that do mandate the successful completion a bowhunter course to hunt with archery equipment. If you have any questions, contact MassWildlife at (508) 389-7820, Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM.

Trapping – A Trapper Education Course with Independent Study will be held at the Auburn Sportsmen’s Club, 50 Elm Street, Auburn, MA on March 21 and 31at the following times: 3/21 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM and on 3/31 from 8 AM to 5 PM. You must attend all class dates and times to successfully complete this course. This course is being offered in the Independent Study format which means that in addition to the 2 required in-class sessions, students will need to complete homework in between the 2 class sessions.

If you are interested in this course and wish to enroll, call (508) 389-7830 immediately between 8 AM. and 4 PM, Monday through Friday. Students are enrolled first-come, first-served, and courses fill quickly.

 

Department of Ecological Restoration news
Many Massachusetts rivers lack enough water at certain times of year to support aquatic ecosystems, fishing, recreation and adequate drinking supplies. DER, which is a division reportable to the Commissioner of Fish & Wildlife, works to restore natural streamflow (the amount of water that flows through streams and rivers) in Massachusetts. They do this by working with partners to collect streamflow data; to inform and support policy and actions that restore and maintain healthy streamflows and by managing restoration projects aimed at restoring natural flow. In 2018, the DER:

• Leveraged over $6.5 million in newly awarded external funds for community-based restoration projects. The grant funds will pay for engineering, design, and construction work taking place in communities across the Commonwealth.
• Provided technical support to municipal staff, watershed groups, landowners, and other organizations in more than 193 communities across 26 major watersheds.
• Supervised volunteer workers in 90 communities, devoting more than $70,000 worth of labor towards protecting and restoring our rivers and wetlands.
• Worked with more than 30 partners, DER removed 7 dams, opening up more than 40 river miles, restoring 30 acres of wetlands, and reconnecting more than 900 acres of spawning habitat.
• Signed Cooperative Agreements with Sponsors of 11 new Priority Projects and began project scoping and planning. The projects include dam removals, culvert replacements, urban river revitalization efforts, floodplain enhancement, and streamflow restoration.
• Published an on-line dam removal decision support tool for use by federal, state, and local partners. The tool evaluates the expected ecological benefits of removing any known dam in the Commonwealth.
• Launched its new Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Program by awarding $905,000 in grants to 13 towns for projects that replace undersized culverts.
• Piloted a community-based social marketing program in the Ipswich River Watershed to encourage voluntary reductions in residential water use

A local project is occurring in the Town of Washington. Aging infrastructure coupled with intense rain events over the last 10 years caused several culverts in town, including the culvert on Frost Road over Savery Brook to begin to fail. In recent storms, this culvert became completely blocked, causing Savery Brook to overtop the road. Savery Brook is part of the National Wild & Scenic Rivers system and supports native brook trout. Replacing this failing culvert with a larger, safer structure will restore access to this important headwater stream while alleviating a flood hazard.

Incidentally, on January 3, Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ronald Amidon appointed Beth Lambert to lead the DER. Beth brings twenty years of experience and strong partner relationships to her new leadership role. For the past four years Beth has managed DER’s Aquatic Habitat Restoration Program, overseeing the Division’s river, wetland, and salt marsh restoration projects across the Commonwealth. Previously, Beth managed the River Restoration Program for DER and the former Riverways Program. Prior to that, she worked for the New Hampshire Coastal Program as the Habitat Restoration Coordinator; for Oregon Sea Grant/ Oregon State University Extension as Watershed Management Extension faculty; and as a stream ecologist for a non-profit organization in Homer, Alaska.
Beth is no stranger to the Berkshires having work with the Housatonic Valley Association, the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and the Taconic and Hoosic Chapters of Trout Unlimited on stream continuity and other watershed projects.

Opportunities to learn about our furry and hairy critters

On Friday, February 16, at 6:30 PM, Sue Morse, the founder of Keeping Track® , will give a presentation entitled “Bear with US! Living with Bears in the North Country”. The presentation will take place at the Boland Theater at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. Be prepared for lots of fascinating information on black bear biology and ecology, with emphasis on the field identification of tracks and sign. This show offers the most comprehensive discussion of bear scent-marking behaviors, illustrated with dozens of her original images. As for living in harmony with black bears, it’s entirely up to us, as this program will solidly demonstrate. “Bear safety” is achieved largely because of what we do out there, whether it be in the wild or around our home and farmyard. It is more about what we can do to minimize the hazards we pose to bears.
On Saturday, February 17 from 9 AM to 12 Noon and from 1 to 4 PM Sue Morse will conduct a tracking workshop at the Myrin Preserve in Great Barrington, MA. She has over forty years of experience interpreting wildlife habitat uses. She is highly regarded as an expert in natural history and one of the top wildlife trackers in North America. Since 1977, she has been monitoring wildlife, with an emphasis on documenting the presence and habitat requirements of bobcat, black bear, Canada lynx and cougar.
Learn how to apply scientific knowledge about the habits and habitats of various wildlife and to predict where to look for sign. In the field you will learn “search imaging” as well as Keeping Track’s scientific documentation methods for photographing tracks and sign.
Meet and Carpool from Monument Mountain High School – 600 Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington MA 01230. The cost is $25/person ($20 if member in BEAT’s tracking club)
RSVP Required, Space Limited. Contact Elia Del Molino at BEAT to sign up!
elia@thebeatnews.org or 413-429-6416.

Then on Saturday evening, February 17, from 6 to 8 PM, Sue will give a presentation entitled The Mysterious Mustelids. (She is going to be a busy gal that weekend!) Learn why fishers aren’t cats and ermine aren’t evil. Mustelids are the largest and most diverse order of carnivores on Planet Earth. The presentation, will take place at Monument Mountain High School Auditorium, 600 Stockbridge Rd., Great Barrington, MA.
Sue Morse’s evening presentations are free and open to the public. They are sponsored by: Trustees of Reservation, BEAT, MassAudubon, Sheffield Land Trust, Nature Conservancy, NE Forestry Foundation, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Great Barrington Land Conservancy and Green Berkshires.
On Tuesday, February 20, from 5:15 to 7 PM, the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) Pittsfield Green Drinks will present a program entitled Getting to Know Our Neighbors: Berkshire Wildlife On Foot and By Camera. It will take place at the J. Allen’s Clubhouse Grille, 41 North Street, Pittsfield and will feature Elia Del Molino, Stewardship Manager for BEAT. Elia will give a presentation on getting to know wildlife of the Berkshire hills through tracking and trail cameras. Elia manages BEAT’s tracking club, a group of locals who bushwhack through forests and fields looking for evidence of wildlife, mostly mammals. Elia will discuss some of their exploits and show a compilation of wildlife videos from BEAT’s remote cameras.

Pittsfield Green Drinks is an informal gathering on the third Tuesday of the month. The gatherings are open to everyone with any environmental interest. Incidentally, the drinks aren’t green but the conversations are. Pittsfield Green Drinks is sponsored by BEAT. For more information about Pittsfield Green Drinks, contact Elizabeth Orenstein elizabeth@thebeatnews.org or (413) 717-1255.

 

Shotgun deer hunting season opens tomorrow

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Shotgun Deer Hunting Season. That’s the hunting season that many hunters look forward to and for which they reserve their vacation days. The season runs through December 9. Deer can be taken by shotgun, archery or muzzleloader. Currently, MassWildlife estimates that there are more than 100,000 deer across the state

I know I’m repeating myself in this column but hunters please remember that if you harvest a deer during the first week of shotgun deer hunting season, you must bring it to a physical check station to allow biologists to collet important data needed for deer management. New this year, deer harvested during the second week may be reported online. Reporting is required within 48 hours of harvest.

Hunters must have 500 square inches of visible hunter orange on chest, back and head, regardless of the hunting implement used. Hunter orange cannot be concealed even when using a hunting blind.

No hunting on Sunday.

Incidentally, be advised that the deer and wood ticks are very bad this year. Be sure to take the usual preventative steps.

Here’s wishing you all a very enjoyable and safe shotgun deer hunting season.

The Archery Deer Hunting season ended yesterday. It’s too early for harvest totals, but we know of some pretty big bucks that were harvested during the season. For example, a 227 lbs, 10-point buck (certified weight) was taken in Becket by James Underhill of Pittsfield. Josh Herlihy took a buck weighing 210 lbs in Lee, a 213 lbs, 10-point buck was taken in Colrain, and a 258 lbs, 10- point buck was taken in Pembroke.

If you have a permit to hunt black bear and have not harvested one yet, you can also hunt them during shotgun deer hunting season. Be sure to check the regulations governing this season as well.

Lucky Lena

Even though she is only 13 years old, Lena Ungewitter has been shooting for years. She has been shooting since she was approximately 4 years old with her dad Erik. She shoots gun, bow and crossbow. This year she shot the pictured buck on the afternoon of the special Youth Hunt Day on September 30 in Southern Berkshire with a .50 caliber muzzleloader gun. This is her 2nd buck taken on Youth Hunt Day.

She took aim and shot at the big buck about 35-yards away. It kicked and ran off. Erik looked at her and she said “Dad, I smoked him. Did you hear him fall? He’s dead!” He said that she was shaking badly with the biggest smile on her face. She tracked the deer and found it about 40 yards from where she shot it and was shocked at the size of him. She had trouble picking up his head up. “He’s huge!” she said.

“What an unbelievable experience!” said Erik. Reading his narrative, it is difficult to see who was the most excited and proud, Lena or him.

The deer weighed 182 lb field dressed and had a perfect thick 8-point rack. (It is estimated that a 182 lbs field-dressed deer would weigh close to 230 lbs on the hoof.) They weighed the deer at a butcher shop’s scale.
They had about a 300 yard drag down a skidder trail to get the deer out. Thankfully, Erik keeps his jet sled in his truck at all times during hunting season for that reason. (A jet sled is a heavy- duty plastic sled used primarily for ice fishing, but it is also very useful in dragging a deer out of the woods.)
Lena opted to do a European Skull mount instead of a shoulder mount. Even though Erik gave her the green light on the mount, she prefers the European.

Reminder: Some Appalachian Trail Lands are Off-Limits to Hunting

The AMC Berkshire Chapter Appalachian Trail (A.T.) Committee, who are partners with DCR and the National Park Service for A.T. management in Massachusetts, recently issued the following press release: “Hunters are reminded that certain segments of the lands surrounding the A.T. are off limits to hunting. While about half of the A.T. is on Massachusetts State Forest lands (where normal hunting rules regarding safety zones around trails and buildings apply), the other half of the Trail is on lands owned and managed by the National Park Service, where, like other National Parks, hunting is prohibited.

These “A.T. Corridor Lands” are marked along their boundaries with yellow paint blazes on trees and “US Boundary” signs approximately every 500ft along the line. The Trail Corridor is roughly 1,000 feet wide, but may be wider in some locations (such as the Upper Goose Pond area) or narrower where the Trail crosses a road. Hunters may traverse these lands (and use the A.T.) to access other properties where hunting is permitted, but may not hunt from or take game from Trail lands.

Similarly, hunting stands and blinds are not permitted on Trail Lands at any time. Trail Corridor Lands are patrolled and stands and blinds found in the Corridor will be tagged with information notifying the owner that the stand is illegal and must be removed within 30 days. If the owner does not remove the stand or is found to be hunting on NPS lands, fines of up to $5000 may be levied by the National Park Service. A six-month jail sentence is also possible if convicted. Stands left more than 30 days will be considered abandoned property by the National Park Service, and will be removed and disposed of. Tags placed on stands will explain the regulation and include a phone number where owners can call the Park Service for more information. Hunters with questions may contact the Appalachian Trail National Park Acting Chief Ranger <carin_farley@nps.gov>. Locally, A.T. managers can be contacted at <at@amcberkshire.org>.

Hikers may wish to refrain from using trails during shotgun season, the busiest part of deer season (Mondays through Saturdays Nov 27th through Dec 9th). It is not possible when hiking on the AT to determine whether one is on state or NPS land–in some cases, land ownership can change several times in a few miles of trail. Hikers, bikers, and others using local trails should wear bright colors through the end of the year, as other deer hunting seasons are in effect both before and after the shotgun season”.

Firearms safety courses
The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club is having a License-to-Carry / UTAH firearms course on Saturday, December 2 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. It is a Massachusetts State Police Compliant course. The cost is $70 for LTC, $125 for UTAH and $150 for both. Preregistration required. Contact Tom Nadolny at (413)822-6451 or tnadolny1@gmail.com or Dennis Leydet at (413)329-7081 or djleydet@gmail.com.
The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club is having a live fire NRA & Massachusetts State Police Certified Firearms Safety Course on Sunday December 3 from 9:00AM to about 4:30PM. You are asked to be there by 8:45 to sign in. This course is to qualify MA residents and non-resident for the MA License-To-Carry or FID Card. It will be a hands-on live firing, one- day course. A full lunch will be provided as well as a $10 gift certificate to Pete’s Gun Shop. The cost is $100 and covers all ammo, safety gear, class materials, certificates, a hardcover NRA textbook and food. Interested parties are asked to pre-register by calling or stopping in at Pete’s Gun Shop at 413-743-0780.

Incidentally, the Massachusetts LTC is now recognized for concealed carry in 29 states, including: Arizona, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Check with Pete’s Gun Shop periodically for new additions.

Residents of Vermont can get the MA Non-Resident LTC by taking this course, and if National Reciprocity legislation passes they can then take advantage of it.

Bateman derby nets $5,000 for Jimmy Fund

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According to Steve Bateman, organizer of the 23rd annual Harry A. Bateman Memorial Jimmy Fund Fishing Derby, over 220 anglers registered for the event on Saturday, June 4 at the Onota Lake pavilion.  Thanks to them and the numerous sponsors, the derby realized its $5000 goal.    This derby has county-wide support with many sponsors digging deep into their pockets, possibly because so many people’s lives are touched by cancer these days. The weather that day couldn’t be nicer nor the food tastier. Here are the derby winners:

Children’s Heaviest Game Fish Category: 1st Place:  Jason Sweetser – rainbow trout – 2 lbs 5 oz, 2nd Place: Rebecca Stimpson – rainbow trout – 2 lbs 2 oz, 3rd Place:  Rose Proper – rainbow trout 2 lbs 2 oz.

Children’s Heaviest Non-Game Fish Category:  1st Place: Brody Baumgartner – white perch – 9 oz, 2nd Place: Marissa Wendling – bullhead – 9 oz, 3rd Place: Brandon Barde – pumpkinseed – 7 oz.

 

Adult Heaviest Game Fish Category:  1st Place: Alex Kent – Largemouth bass – 3 lbs 8 oz, 2nd Place: Steven Fones Sr. – Largemouth bass – 3 lbs 7 oz, 3rd Place Martin Farrell – Rainbow trout 2 lbs 7 oz.

 

Special Heaviest Fish:  Bass – Tim Lambert largemouth bass 3 lbs 9 oz, Perch/Crappie – Shaun Hereforth  – crappie 1 lb 3 oz, Carp – Matt Clark 11 lbs 1 oz common carp, Trout (adult) – Dave Christman – rainbow trout 2 lbs 10 oz, Trout (child) – Dylan Lambert – rainbow trout 2 lbs 6 oz.

The Sportsman Award, won by 13 year old Angel Sayers, was well deserved. According to Steve Bateman, she was out there all day fishing sometimes over her waist in water.

Dylan Lambert was the winner of the award dedicated in memory of Chris Porter,   Alex Kent was the winner of the award dedicated in memory of John and Thelma Drury.   All passed away in the last year or so.  Six kids won bicycles that day.

 

Report Wild Turkey Sightings Sportsmen and women, birders, landowners, and other wildlife enthusiasts are encouraged to assist with the annual Wild Turkey Brood Survey. MassWildlife conducts a survey from June through August each year to evaluate turkey brood numbers. “The brood survey serves as a long-term index of reproduction,” explains Dave Scarpitti, Turkey Project Leader. “It helps us determine productivity and allows us to compare long-term reproductive success, while providing some estimation of fall harvest potential.”   Turkey nesting success can vary annually in response to weather conditions, predator populations, and habitat characteristics.

 

New this year, they are asking people to record observations of male turkeys, so be sure to count all jakes and tom turkeys that are seen.  Scarpitti also points out that citizen involvement in this survey is a cost-effective means of gathering useful data, and he encourages all interested people to participate.  A new turkey brood survey form is posted on the agency website. You are encouraged to look carefully when counting turkey broods as the very small poults may be difficult to see in tall grass or brush. Multiple sightings of the same brood can also be noted.

 

The survey period runs from June 1 – August 31. Completed forms should to be mailed to: Brood Survey, DFW Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.

 

New Bowhunting/Archery Workshops

Here in the Berkshires, there has been a need for bowhunting instructors for some time.  Well, MassWildlife is introducing two new archery programs: Explore Archery and Explore Bowhunting.   Educators from town recreation centers, school groups, 4-H, scouting groups, and other community groups looking to provide a new learning opportunity might consider implementing one, or both, of these new programs.

Explore Bowhunting is designed to help instructors teach outdoor skills to students age 11 and older. Using 23 versatile lessons and hands-on activities, students gain confidence interacting with the environment and strengthen their appreciation for wildlife and the woods. MassWildlife trains and certifies instructors and offers all Explore Bowhunting equipment for loan free of charge.

Explore Archery is an international style target shooting program that promotes a lifelong interest in the sport of archery to participants of all ages. Again, MassWildlife trains educators and allows them to borrow equipment free of charge. This allows any certified instructor the ability to create an archery program in their area.

Both programs have a mandatory training course and one can attend either training workshop or both. The local workshop will be held at MassWildlife Western District Office, 88 Old Windsor Road, Dalton on July 18.   The Explore Bowhunting workshop will start at 8:00 am and run until 1:00 pm.  The Explore Archery course will run from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

For more information about these workshops, check out the MassWildlife Explore Bowhunting and Explore Archery pages.

Encroachment

Are you encroaching on DFW’s Wildlife Management Areas?  If you are, better look out.  They have new tools for spotting encroachment and other illegal activity.  Using aerial photography, GIS surveys and official survey plan anchor points they can see exactly where their boundary lines are.  If you have a shed on their property or are mowing parts of it, etc., they will know and may come knocking at your door.

 

Don’t rely on obtaining ownership through adverse possession.   According to the DFW legal department, there is no adverse possession with state property.