In his monthly report to the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden reported that the statewide preliminary 2021 deer harvest was 13,363. That compares with the 14,766 harvested in 2020.

Preliminary 2021 deer harvest figures by season verses last year figures are as follows:

• Youth Deer/Paraplegic Hunt Days: 86 vs 131 last year
• Archery Season: 5,894 vs 6655last 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, Madden said that they were consistent with 2020 (which was a record year).

He said that harvests in some of the Eastern Zones saw a decrease from 2020, which account for the lower statewide total. Most of the states in the Northeast saw a similar decrease from the previous year. Even with the decrease, the 2021 harvest was still the 4th highest on record in Massachusetts.

Detailed information on past hunting seasons can be found at https://www.mass.gov/service-details/deer-harvest-data.

The 2021 black bear hunting season had a total harvest of 212. That compares with 325 that were taken in 2020, which was had set a new record.

Harvest during the November and Shotgun seasons were higher than most years but the September season was below average. Madden suspected the poor hunting conditions, an abundance of early season natural foods, and annual fluctuation likely accounted for the slow September season.  Of the 212 bears taken 30 were east of the Connecticut River.

Trout stockings

The following waters were scheduled to be stocked last week.  The schedule was subject to change: Westfield River Mainstem in Huntington, Montgomery and Russell; Westfield River Middle Branch in Chester, Huntington, Middlefield and Worthington, Westfield River East Branch in Chesterfield and Cummington, Hoosic River North Branch in Clarksburg and North Adams, Housatonic River East Branch in Hinsdale and Dalton, Housatonic River SW Branch in Pittsfield, Hudson Brook in Clarksburg and North Adams, Lake Buel in Monterey, Laurel Lake, Norwich Pond in Huntington, Plunkett Reservoir in Hinsdale, Pontoosuc Lake, Stockbridge Bowl and York Lake in New Marlborough.

In addition, Tiger Trout were scheduled to be stocked in Stockbridge Bowl, Laurel Lake and the Westfield River East Branch (Chesterfield, Cummington).  Also, some of the large brood stock was scheduled to be released in these locations as well.

Spring turkey hunting season opens on April 25

But some youths, 12 to 17 years of age, will be out hunting on Saturday, April 23 because that date is the special one-day Youth Turkey Hunting Day. Hopefully they met the eligibility requirements (basic hunter education and the mandatory youth turkey program),  have a mentor and will have a great first day of turkey hunting.  Maybe they will bag a bird early in the day, but if not, they will have until 5:00 p.m. to get one.  Hopefully, they will check themselves for ticks as soon as possible afterwards.

Upon harvesting a turkey, the mentor must immediately fill out and attach the paper tag from the permit to the carcass. The bird must remain intact (other than field dressing), with the harvest tag attached until it is reported. It must be reported within 48 hours after which the tag can be removed when it is prepared for food or taxidermy purposes.

On Monday, April 26, the regular spring turkey hunting begins and runs until May 22. Massachusetts residents must have a Hunting or Sporting License, Turkey permit and a green safety sticker.  Non-residents must have a Big Game License, Turkey permit and safety sticker. Stickers are required if hunting turkey with a shotgun or muzzleloader.  In the spring season, the bag limit is 2 bearded birds (2 birds may be harvested on the same day).  Hunting on Sundays is not allowed.

The wearing of blaze orange is not required during the spring hunting season.  It is unlawful for hunters to intentionally or knowingly leave a wounded or dead game animal in the field or the forest without making a reasonable effort to retrieve and use it.

Here’s hoping you have a safe and enjoyable spring turkey hunting season.

Incidentally, did you ever see a white wild turkey?  It’s called a Leucitic turkey.    A variety of conditions cause the loss of pigmentation in an animal or bird, causing white, pale or patchy coloration of the skin or feathers. The picture was sent to me from Mike and Sheila Moss of Sutton, MA. It was wandering around in their back yard.

Mike was the long-time president of the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council (MSC).  He and his wife Sheila have received numerous awards from sportsmen’s clubs all across the state.  In fact, earlier this month Mike received the Sportsman of the Year Award from the Worcester County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs and Sheila received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the MSC for her work as its Secretary for the last 14 years.   She, Mike and current President John Kellstrand have proven invaluable to the MSC.

School is out, help stock trout!

The public is invited to help MassWildlife stock trout during school vacation week. Meet MassWildlife fisheries staff, view trout up close, and learn about places to fish near you.

A stocking event will take place at 1:30 pm on April 21 at Onota Lake’s Burbank Park on Lakeway Drive in Pittsfield.

Youth Artist from Acton Wins Junior Duck Stamp Contest

Andrew Liu won Best of Show in the 2022 Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) Contest. His acrylic painting of a Common Eider in flight was selected from 199 entries. Liu’s award-winning work will move on to the National JDS Contest.

Students from kindergarten through grade 12 from across the Commonwealth submitted original works of art depicting waterfowl in appropriate wetland habitat, demonstrating both artistic talent and a knowledge of the value of wetlands for wildlife. In March, MassWildlife held the judging, at which time the top winning artists were selected. Combinations of the top artworks will be exhibited throughout Massachusetts in the coming year based on reopening guidelines for host sites.

The Massachusetts JDS Program is sponsored by MassWildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with support from the MSC. Each time you buy a Junior Duck Stamp, you support the JDS program and wetland conservation. Stamps can be purchased at duckstamp.com.

To learn more about the Massachusetts JDS Program, and to access the traveling exhibit schedule, visit mass.gov/dfw/jds.

Bird Banding

MassWildlife assisted Green Berkshires in developing a bird banding station at the Jug End Wildlife Management Area in Egremont.  The bird banding effort, which is part of Green Berkshire’s biodiversity mapping of the South Taconic Plateau, should contribute to understanding habitat use on the property and help inform MassWildlife’s management efforts.

Incidentally, Green Berkshires’ mission is to support communities dedicated to protecting our shared natural environment through science, education, and advocacy. Eleanor Tillinghast is its President.

A couple of reminders:

After being cancelled for the last 2 years due to Covid, the following two events, which already have been featured in this column this year, will take place on the following date:

The Annual Silvio O. Cone Sportsmen’s Awards Dinner will be held at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club on Saturday evening, April 23.

The Fly Fishing Show (Royal Plaza Trade Center181 Boston Post Road West Marlborough, MA) will take place on April 22 – 24.

Beagle Club Field Trials

Next weekend, April 23 – 24, the Berkshire Beagle Club on Sleepy Hollow Road in Richmond, MA is having its spring field trials.  Some of the best beagles in the northeast will compete at following the scents of snowshoe hares and/or cottontail bunnies. All of the dogs are AKC registered and many already possess championship ribbons won at other field trials.  For beagle lovers, there’s no finer sound than that of a beagle singing its heart out while following the scent of a bunny.

The club welcomes folks to come and just listen to the dogs and observe the judges.  Every now and then, you will hear someone shout “Tally Ho!” to let the judges know that they spotted a bunny or dog on its scent.

There will be food to purchase there as well as a raffle for a Garmin TT15 Tracking System dog collar worth about $300.  (Ticket cost $10 or three for $20.)

BOW 2021 deer hunt results

Seventeen women deer hunters participated in MassWildlife’s 2021 Becoming-an-Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Deer Hunt Program. On opening day of the shotgun deer hunting season on November 29, they experienced a guided deer hunt with the assistance of volunteer mentors at Fort Devens.

women deer hunters

According to Marion Larson, MassWildlife Chief of Information & Education, nearly all the women saw deer and all participants enjoyed their hunt. Two women harvested their first deer ever.  “Sharing that experience was both exciting and overwhelming. This course was amazing. Thanks to everyone who makes it what it is!” said one of the seventeen novice women deer hunters.

MassWildlife expressed its sincere appreciation to their enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer mentors who shared their knowledge and support with these new hunters.

To prepare for the mentored hunt, the women attended a virtual seminar in October where they learned about deer biology and management, hunting regulations, where to find places to hunt deer, and deer hunting tips. Later in the month, they took part in an in-person field seminar at the Shirley Rod and Gun Club where they learned about proper clothing and other useful hunting gear, spent time on a shooting range, discovered how to look for deer sign, estimated distances and when to shoot or not shoot at a deer, and then followed a blood trail.

In addition to offering shooting skills workshops and hunting seminars designed for adult women, the BOW Program has other workshop offerings such as: basic fishing, beginning shotgun, kayaking, map & compass, reading the woods, archery, pond and stream adventures, nature photography, martial arts, outdoor and game cooking, edible plants and more.

To learn more about MassWildlife’s BOW Program click onto the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman page of the MassWildlife web site.

The Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp

I’ve written about this camp in the past, but it is such a wonderful program it bears repeating.  The MJCC provides a unique experience of conservation, shooting sports, and outdoor recreation education to young people. The camp’s program introduces them to the ethical responsibilities of hunting and fishing and encourages careful stewardship of our natural resources. It 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 of wildlife, fisheries, and forest management.

The MJCC program is open to boys and girls aged 13 to 17. The dates for this year’s camp are August 7–19, 2022.  This year, they will host the camp at the Moses Scout Reservation located at 310 Birch Hill Road in Russell, MA.  Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. (Reservations opened on January 1, 2022).

Although campers may apply on their own, over 85% of them are sponsored.  Each year, the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS), sponsors two kids (a boy and a girl) and the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club sponsors four.   (The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club and the Adams Outdoor for Youth kick in funds to both to help defray the costs.)  The cost of the scholarship is $1,100 per youth for the full two weeks which covers lodging expenses, food, and activities.   (Now you know why these clubs hold so many raffles and events – to raise monies to send youths to the MJCC for free.  No better places to spend our funds than on our youth).

The camp reserves the right to limit the number of campers of a particular sex in order to create balanced separate sleeping accommodations.

Campers need to be prepared to function in an environment which requires good behavior, teamwork and attentiveness. Much of the Camp is spent in an educational environment and students are expected to be attentive, courteous and non-disruptive.

A large portion of the instruction is “hands-on,” and all students participate in instruction that includes firearms of several types, bows, arrows, fishing and camping equipment and wildlife interaction. Students are expected to understand the seriousness of handling such equipment and interacting with wildlife.

The happiest campers are those who are interested in the outdoors and in wildlife management programs before attending the MJCC. Teenagers who are sent because a relative is an avid outdoorsman may dislike the camp curriculum, unless they personally have an interest in the outdoors, and will often end up being sent home. For this reason, the BCLS (and probably other clubs) require the youths to write a letter explaining why they want to go to the camp.

If you are unsure of your child’s interest in the camp, it is suggested that you let him or her browse the pictures of the camp program. Or, just ask 15-year old Jerry Conlin.   Last year, the BCLS sponsored him.

Jerry said that what he liked best about the camp was “Probably, the shooting, all types of shooting like the trap, targets for rifles, and archery.  They had some 3-D targets there, too.  It was just really fun.”  They also had some swimming, boating and fishing classes there.

Asked if he learned anything new, he said, “They had one class about plants.  “We were taught about specific plants, those you can and those you should not eat and what they would do to you if you did eat the wrong ones.”

Jerry won some awards.  At the very end of the 2 weeks, there was a camp-wide competition and he won 1^st place in the shotgun sporting clays and he took 3^rd place in archery.  “The day before the actual competition, shooters had to qualify. Only 3 people in the entire camp qualified for archery, rifle and shotgun, and he was one.

Jerry had a good time. “Being around a group of kids with the same interests is cool”, he said.  He became close friends with basically all of the people in his campsite, and he keeps in touch with them.

If parents would like their child to attend the camp, but need financial assistance, click onto the MassWildlife web site, complete  the Camper Request for Scholarship and send it in as soon as possible. They will do their best to match your child up with groups that have reserved a spot, but do not have a camper.

Is that a vagrant eagle? 

Did you hear about that strange lost eagle?  Well, according to a MassWildlife it’s a Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus, which is native to Asia, specifically Japan, Korea, China and Russia.  It was first seen in August 2020 in Alaska on the Denali Highway about 4,700 miles away from its native range.  It has since been sighted in New Brunswick and Quebec, Canada in July of 2021, in Nova Scotia in November, 2021 and, guess what, a couple of weeks ago it was spotted on the Taunton River in Massachusetts.

It has a distinctive yellow beak with unique white marking on its wings with large white tail feathers.  A Steller’s Sea Eagle weighs up to 20 pounds and has a wingspan of up to 6 1/2 feet, making it one of the largest raptors in the world.

Birders are confident the same eagle in Nova Scotia was also seen in various parts of North America because of the unique white markings on its wings. The New York Times thinks that it may have been spotted in Texas this year, but they are not positively sure because it was only photographed perched, not with outstretched wings where distinguishing markings would be visible.

Experts say that it is possible for birds to lose a sense of direction when they stray out of range of their normal habitat, potentially due to climate change effects or a navigational error.  Or was it a vagrant, which is not uncommon.  According to Alexander Lees, an avian vagrancy expert at the Manchester Metropolitan University (United Kingdom), vagrancy occurs when a bird veers off course, possibly due to a navigation error, or it may have been blown off course by extreme weather patterns. Vagrancy may also help migratory birds expand ranges, an advantage to their survival as global warming changes suitable habitats for many species.

Experts suspect it may migrate with native bald eagles along the coastline, make its way back to its normal ranges in northeastern Asia or stick around the east coast.

Time will tell.

Stay safe!

Well, chalk up another dismal year.  At the beginning of 2021 we were hoping that things would be better than 2020, but it wasn’t to be.  We remained a divided nation, arguing over the wearing of masks, getting covid shots, social distancing, the 2020 presidential election and more.  We nearly lost our democracy on January 6, reached 800,000 covid related deaths, were still plagued by one variant after another of covid, experienced the great resignation causing shortages of service and produce, which in turn resulted in high consumer prices.  There were fights on commercial airplanes, etc., etc.  And, oh yes, let us not forget about the devastating fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes.

Personally, other than during wartime years, I can’t remember a worse time for our nation.  Day after day, we were besieged with bad news making it difficult to be positive and upbeat.

Hopefully, during the past year, this column got our minds off of some of that negativity which constantly surrounded us.  So, what were some of the more interesting subjects covered last year?  Unfortunately, I can’t cover them all but here are some of the more memorable ones:

To start January off on a positive note, we visited two Berkshire Natural Resources Council properties:  its 550-acre Clam River property in Sandisfield and its Old Mill Trail in Dalton/Hinsdale and recommended readers do likewise.  MassWildlife reported record or near record 2020 deer, bear and wild turkey harvests.  However; during that month we mourned the loss of Raymond “Skip” Whalen a highly respected outdoor sportsman who received many awards from the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) and other sportsmen’s organizations.

In February, we covered several ice fishing stories.  Young Allison caught a 25 ½ inch, 4 lbs 2 oz chain pickerel out of Laurel Lake for which she will definitely receive a bronze pin in the MA Youth Sportfishing Award Category.   Jamie Pollard of Hinsdale caught a 15.8 lbs 32 ¼ inches long brown trout out of Stockbridge Bowl. Surely it will capture the gold pin in the Sportfishing Award Program. There was a big largemouth bass weighing 6 lbs 14 oz caught out of Laurel Lake by eleven- year-old Nolan Bloomrose of Blanford.  He caught it during a Whitetails Unlimited ice fishing derby and he will also win a bronze pin.

In March, MassWildlife announced that there were 13 gold pin winners from the Berkshires in several fish categories in the Sportfishing Award Program.  Joshua Christman of Pittsfield was named the MA Adult Catch and Keep Angler of the Year.  Eight of the 13 gold pins were won by Joshua or his 7 year old daughter Alice or his 5 year old son Gabriel.

I also did a column recalling memorable ice fishing scenes on our lakes last winter highlighting an ice boat and a unicycle rider.

In April we congratulated Henry Sweren for being elected the Chairman of MA/RI Council of Trout Unlimited (TU).  Later that month, we mourned the loss of Paul Ouellette, of Lanesborough, a well-known local flyfisherman and deer hunter.  He had received awards from the BCLS and Taconic TU.  We also did an article on the Keystone Arches in Becket/Chesterfield.

In May there was an article on bald eagles succumbing to rodenticides.  We covered the Wild Acres fishing derby. Young Gabriel Christman pulled out of Laurel Lake a 21 1/2lbs carp.  We covered a trout research program being conducted by MassWildlife on the Swift River.

In June we wrote an article about Mark Markham and the 10 lbs brown trout that he caught out of Onota Lake.  Joshua Christman also hauled a couple others out of there near that same size. There was an article about a rare turkey taken on Mount Greylock by Karen Fachini of Pownal, VT.  It had 7 beards!

In June we did an article on the Youth Outreach Fishing Derby at Reynolds Pond in Cheshire.  There was an article about wild tiger trout swimming in our local waters. Also, a big bowfin fish was taken out of Onota Lake that month by Crystal Taylor.  There was an article entitled “poacher’s paradise”.  It was about the ridiculously low fines and penalties assessed to those who break the fish and game laws.  It was in June when we got a look at the potential MassWildlife license fee increase. A couple of friends and I took a wonderful flyfishing trip to the AuSable River.

In July I did an article about flyfishing the Westfield River years ago and my using the jaw’s harp to try to get another angler out of a fishing hole in which I wanted to fish.   Remember the sounds -“Boing, boing”.  Shame on me! There was an article about a 7 to 9 lbs smallmouth bass, caught by Michael Fabrizio, that came out of Onota Lake.

And then there was Raymour.  He was the duck with the damaged bill that talked Onota Lake shore resident Ron Smith into hand feeding him for about 2 years.  Ironically, that duck disappeared on the very day the article came out.  For 3 weeks people were looking high and low for him but to no avail.  It is believed that he was taken away by a resident bald eagle.  My hopes rose recently when I received a report of his sighting.  But when I heard that the sighting was by a fellow who also said he saw Elvis Presley last fall at a barn dance over in Berlin, NY, well….

In August, there was an article about MassWildlife’s prescribed fires.  Also, there was an article about beginner’s luck by fishermen (Luis Martinez from Ortonville, MI) who caught a record Chinook (King) Salmon out of Lake Michigan.  It weighed 47.86 lbs and measured 47.5 inches.  Unfortunately, that month we received news that another eagle and other birds fell victim to rodenticides/pesticides.

In September, there was a follow-up article on the Keystone Arches.  We received word that MassWildlife had settled on its new license and fee schedule.  There was an announcement of another deer disease spreading across the nation, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD).  A large carp was taken out of Onota Lake by Anthony Barone. There was an article about the many acquisitions of land and conservations restrictions in the Berkshires by MassWildlife and an article speculating as to why people fish.

In October there were two articles about Yellowstone National Park.  The first was about local anglers Attorney Mike Shepard, Craig Smith, Paul Knauth and me doing some flyfishing out there.  Craig cleaned our clocks by consistently catching the most and largest fish every day.  The second trip was a sightseeing one with my wife Jan and me.  There was a touching bird dog article written by Gary Scarafoni entitled “Angie’s Last Retrieve”.  Also an article about some buddies fishing for large brook trout in Labrador and the possibility of a world record being caught there.  Jeff Vincent hit the “grand slam” while fishing the Salmon River in NY which feeds Lake Ontario.  He caught brown trout, steelhead and King, Coho and an Atlantic Salmon.

In Nov, there was an article about paraplegic deer hunters and that 3 deer were taken by them in the Berkshires. News came out that month that covid was discovered in the nation’s deer population.  A stone bench was created on Lenox Mountain in honor of the late George “Gige” Darey.  George Wislocki proposed a toast in his honor. There was an article about “precious deer hunting memories.” Oh, how they linger.

In December, we received news of how the recently passed Infrastructure legislation will provide funds for, among other things, the removal and replacement of impediments which will help fish migrate upstream to spawn.  We did an article on the hand pulling of water chestnuts in Three Mile Pond by DFW staff. Also, an article about the fight to the death by two large deer that got their antlers hopelessly entangled while fighting.  Sadly, we lost two notable sports columnists, Frank Sousa of the Springfield Republican and Mark Blazis of the Worcester Telegraph and Gazette.

Thanks for taking the time to read the columns last year and hopefully you’ll check them out again this year. Good Lord willing, I’ll still be cranking them out.

Let’s hope and pray that things will be better for us this year.

Happy New Year and be safe!

On November 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $550 billion in infrastructure funding that addresses conservation and sportfishing. These investments will create jobs, conserve the aquatic environment and preserve one of our nation’s most cherished pastimes. After passing the Senate earlier this year, the bill now heads to the desk of President Biden, who is expected to sign it into law.

“These investments in fisheries conservation and access reflect the growing recognition among policymakers that outdoor recreation in general, and recreational fishing specifically, is a major economic driver,” said Mike Leonard, the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) vice president of Government Affairs.

The ACT includes provisions that directly benefit anglers including the reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. Funded in part by the federal excise tax on fishing equipment, the trust fund is the backbone of state-based aquatic resource conservation, benefitting all U.S. states and territories.

The bill also authorizes $1 billion for the National Culvert Removal, Replacement and Restoration Program, a landmark program that will address challenges with hundreds of culverts around the country that block upstream migrations of anadromous fish such as salmon, steelhead and sturgeon.  It will substantially invest in culvert restoration and benefit recreational fishing opportunities that are dependent on anadromous fish passage and recovery efforts.

Other provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act include:

The REPLANT Act which will help the U.S. Forest Service plant 1.2 billion trees on national forest lands and create nearly 49,000 jobs over the next decade;

$11.3 billion for the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, which restores mine lands no longer in use that are potential sources of hazardous materials that can leak into lakes, rivers and streams;

$250 million for the Forest Service’s Legacy Road and Trail program, which funds activities to restore fish passage in streams at road and trail crossings;

Funding for numerous ecosystem programs, including projects of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Chesapeake Bay Program, the South Florida Program, the Columbia River Basin Program and the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund

A game-changer for wildlife

That’s according to the Wildlands Network.  For the first time in United States history, there will be dedicated federal funding for wildlife crossings. The complete (ACT), just passed by Congress is a vast collection of national infrastructure programs and spending measures designed to bring buildings, bridges, roads, water delivery systems and other infrastructure up to date and more resilient to the impacts of climate change here in the United States. The ACT contains $350 million in federal funding for a “Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program” to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions – these hotspots contribute to the death of millions of animals annually, as well as hazardous—and sometimes deadly—conditions for drivers.

“This is great news!” says Berkshire Environmental Action Team president, Jane Winn.  “BEAT works alongside many organizations to make it safer for wildlife to cross roads. We have partnered with The Housatonic Valley Association and the Hoosac River Watershed Association (HooRWA) in surveying stream crossings in Berkshire County”. (The Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the MA Division of Environmental Restoration have also been quite heavily involved in stream crossing projects over the years).

“The information is collected in a North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative database where everyone can view it – including environmental advocates, town & regional planners, and transportation designers including MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation.) Now every road construction project that involves a road-stream crossing becomes an opportunity for improvement for wildlife movement, habitat connectivity, and public safety. Well-designed stream crossings allow wildlife to move, meeting their daily, seasonal and dispersal needs which is especially important in this time of climate change”.

New land projects

In his October report to the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden reported that MassWildlife recently completed Wildlife Conservation Easements (WCE) on two Berkshire County Properties.

Soda Creek WCE – Sheffield – 300 acres of conservation easement in cooperation with Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC). This large tract is a combination of rich wetlands and forested uplands. The property is close to the Three Mile Pond WMA and has extensive road frontage along Water Farm Road.  BNRC owns the land, but Mass Wildlife’s WCE adds additional protection while ensuring public access for non-motorized recreation including hunting and fishing.

Elizabeth’s Woods WCE – Alford – 87 acres of WCE in cooperation with the Alford Land Trust. This property surrounds a calcareous fen which is an important natural community. The land, which is located between N. Egremont Road and Seekonk Cross Road, is owned by the land trust. Mass Wildlife’s WCE is focused on protecting biodiversity in this important habitat, but like all WCE’s is open to passive recreation, including hunting.

The world has lost a couple of important voices for all things wild.

Two Massachusetts outdoor sports columnists have passed away this fall.  One was Mark Mathew Blazes, of Grafton, MA.  He passed away at the age of 74 on November 17, 2021.  He was the weekly columnist of the OUTDOORS of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. He covered all aspects of conservation, fish, and wildlife, including management, reaching out to tens of thousands of people weekly. Mark was the recipient of the New England Outdoor Writer’s Association’s (NEOWA) highest honor, the Richard Cronin Award.

Mark Blazis

In addition to being a world safari and tour leader, scientist, writer, outdoor sportsman, passionate fly fisherman, and naturalist, Mark was a Master Bird Bander.  He was the Director of the Auburn Bird Banding Research Station, studying neotropical migrants and Lyme disease, with doctors at Tufts University, determining implications of Lyme disease carried by birds. His research team captured, analyzed, and released on average 2,000 migratory songbirds per year in Massachusetts, though the scope of his research has also included Connecticut and Maine.

Mark’s crusade locally was to help ameliorate the differences between sportsmen and environmentalists by organizing them both to participate with him and his assistants, working shoulder to shoulder in bird banding research at the Auburn Sportsman’s Club.

Mark had co-written and edited 10 local field guides to the fauna and flora of Massachusetts and produced an audio recording of the songbirds of Central Massachusetts.

He was chosen by the late Roger Tory Peterson as North America’s Nature Educator of the Year; and had received national awards in conservation education and research by the Massachusetts Audubon Society and The Garden Club of America.

On a personal note, I frequently peeked in on his columns and always found them well written and interesting. Unfortunately, I only met him a few times at various sportsmen’s banquets and award nights.

Frank Sousa, of Granby, MA, long time sports columnist for the Springfield Republican passed on September 23, 2021 at the age of 90.  Frank wrote about the great outdoors for the Republican for 60 years writing in his ‘All Outdoors’ column. His outdoor adventures, love of both nature and family events were the adventures his readers lived, through his words.

Frank Sousa

He was a lifetime member of the NEOWA, the Outdoor Writers Assoc of America as well as one of the three founding-fathers and past president of OSEG, Outdoor Sports Expo Group, Inc. OSEG produced many outdoor and boat shows in the Northeast with its largest being the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show held at Eastern States Exposition.

In a tribute to Frank, The Republican wrote: “His cathedral was found in the tall pines, a smokey fire with a fat kielbasa cooking and snowflakes gently falling in fresh tracks. He could always find his way to the top of the mountain when hunting and the softest spot to nap while fishing”.

I’ll never forget his contacting and congratulating me when The Berkshire Eagle hired me to do an outdoor sports column after Ted Giddings stepped down from writing the “Our Berkshires” column after nearly 55 years. He said he and Ted were good friends and wished me luck with the column.   I had read many of Frank’s excellent columns in the Springfield Republican but had never met him.   That was really nice of him to do that.

Frank’s famous column signoff was always, “The Very Best in Health and Happiness to You!”

Less than two months ago, the heading for this column was” Is another deer disease headed our way?”  It highlighted the fact that not only Chronic Wasting Disease was affecting the deer population, but another disease, the fatal Epizootic Hemorrhage Disease (EHD) was moving our way, too. Now deer in Iowa have been infected with COVID-19, according to a recent study conducted by university researchers.   They found the results so disturbing that they are alerting deer hunters and others who handle deer to take precautions to avoid transmission.”

picture provided by MassWildlife

Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service collected 481 samples from deer in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania between January 2020 and March 2021. They found SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 33% of those samples.

Similarly, a study out of Pennsylvania State University found more than 80% percent of the white-tailed deer sampled in different parts of Iowa between December 2020 and January 2021 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2..

This was the first direct evidence of COVID-19 in any free-living species, said Suresh Kuchipudi, clinical professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences and associate director of the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at Penn State. So, from where are they getting it?  The Inspection Service said it is possible deer were exposed through people, the environment, other deer or another animal species

The findings have implications for the ecology and long-term persistence of COVID-19, said Kuchipudi, chair in emerging infectious diseases at the university. “These include spillover to other free-living or captive animals and potential spillback to human hosts,” Kuchipudi said. “Of course, this highlights that many urgent steps are needed to monitor the spread of the virus in deer and prevent spillback to humans.”

According to the MassWildlife web site, MA DFW has already been and continues to monitor the situation of deer and COVID, according to Martin Feehan, the Deer and Moose Project Leader.

“Although there is no direct evidence of COVID-19 in deer in Massachusetts, published studies and unpublished surveillance throughout North America have found the presence of COVID-19 in white-tailed deer” said Feehan, “The prevalence rates have varied regionally, but there haven’t been cases of populations appearing entirely negative [in cases] in 2020 and 2021, This would suggest that COVID-19 is already present in deer populations in Massachusetts. There is no evidence currently that COVID-19 adversely impacts white-tailed deer and no mortalities have been reported.”

According to the DFW website, experts are still learning about this virus and currently there is no evidence that wildlife might be a source of infection for people in the United States, and there is no evidence that you can get COVID-19 by preparing or eating food, including hunted wild game meat. As a novel emerging disease, research is ongoing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and its impacts on wildlife.  New studies are showing that wild deer have contracted multiple strains of COVID-19 from humans, and Ohio State University recently found active infection in wild Ohio deer using PCR tests. Experimental research with captive deer has shown that SARS-CoV-2 can spread among deer, however, deer are only contagious for a short duration (less than seven days).

MassWildlife feels that the risk for transmission from deer to humans is likely very low due to the outdoor aspect of hunting and the short period of time deer are contagious with the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted by inhaling aerosolized droplets. These droplets can come from respiration or from the digestive tract. Currently:

• The transmission mode from humans to white-tailed deer is currently unknown.
• There have been no known cases of humans contracting COVID-19 from deer.
• There is no evidence people can contract COVID-19 by eating wild game. Epidemiologists at Tufts University, feel that COVID is a respiratory disease, so it is unlikely people can contract the virus from deer meat or blood. There have been no known cases where hunters got COVID from deer at a rate any different than the general public. That indicates that the probability is low that hunters are at risk.

To minimize the transmission risk of diseases, MassWildlife always recommends hunters:

• Avoid handling or consuming wild animals that appear sick or those found dead.
• Wear gloves and a face shield when handling, field dressing, and processing game.
• When possible, process your game outdoors or in a well-ventilated location.
• Use caution and minimize contact with the brain or spinal tissues.
• Out of an abundance of caution for Covid-19, additional preventative measures include avoiding the head, lungs, and digestive tract. Handle knives carefully to prevent accidental cuts.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling carcasses and before and after handling meat.
• Thoroughly sanitize all tools and work surfaces used during processing with a bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon water). Consider keeping a separate set of knives used only for butchering game.
• Cook game meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill pathogens.

MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program (MHMGP)

The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG)) has awarded $184,400 in state grant funds to eight organizations and municipalities to improve wildlife habitat on 276 acres of land across the state.

For the past seven years the program has provided financial assistance to private and municipal landowners of conserved lands to improve and manage habitat for wildlife deemed in greatest conservation need and for certain game species.

While the state and conservation organizations have purchased land in an effort to provide protection to wildlife and ecology, more habitat restoration and management is needed on public and private lands across the state. As a result, the Baker-Polito Administration has increased investment by committing to working with partners to promote these efforts on other conserved lands across the state. The MHMGP program encourages landowners to engage in active habitat management on their properties to benefit wildlife.

“Most forests and other wildlife habitats in Massachusetts are not state-owned, and we rely on conservation organizations, cities and towns, private landowners, and other partners to help us manage habitat to benefit all wildlife,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon. “This program provides us with the opportunity to expand our habitat management footprint, directly benefiting wildlife, sportsmen and women, and other people who enjoy outdoor recreation.”

Of the eight projects, three Berkshire County communities, Lenox, Sheffield and South Lee will be receiving a combined $60,000 for projects They are as follows:

Lenox – The Town of Lenox, in conjunction with the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, has been awarded $26,810 to control the hardy kiwi vine at Kennedy Park and adjacent properties.

Sheffield – The Sheffield Land Trust will receive $16,040 to conduct brush hogging and invasive species control at Ashley Falls Woods.

South Lee – South Lee Associates, in conjunction with the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, will receive $17,400 to control invasive species and improve floodplain forest habitats on multiple Housatonic River properties.

“The funds from the MassWildlife Habitat management grant will be instrumental for both Kennedy Park and areas along the Housatonic River,” said State Representative Smitty Pignatelli. “The Berkshires are known for our natural landscapes, and the improvements made possible by this grant will allow our residents to continue to access and enjoy these beautiful natural landscapes for generations to come.”

Improved Massfishhunt coming soon

The MassFishHunt official licensing and harvest reporting system for Massachusetts, is getting an upgrade.  The new system will be live starting December 1, 2021. As always, anglers, hunters, and trappers will be able to buy licenses and permits, report a harvest, and access account information. The new MassFishHunt’s secure, modern platform offers new features designed with the customer in mind.

So, what’s changing?

Setting up your account in the new MassFishHunt is simple. With just a few clicks, you’ll have access to new features, including:

• Upgraded log in with email and password to keep your account secure
• Linked accounts for families
• Auto-renew option lets you set it and forget it to keep your licenses up-to-date
• Buy-it-again option saves your favorite products for quick checkout
• Improved mobile experience
• Registration for outdoor skills classes

As they approach launch day on December 1, they will be adding tutorials and updates to make this transition as seamless as possible for all customers on Mass.gov/NewMassFishHunt.

Once the new system launches, additional customer support resources will be provided.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Paraplegic hunters had a “great year”

 That’s according to DFW Biologist Susan McCarthy who heads up the statewide paraplegic hunt program.  “We had a total of 12 hunters participate statewide and 7 deer taken (which is a pretty incredible success rate)!  Additionally, nearly every participating hunter saw deer – some of which were presented with shooting opportunities and others were not.  One hunter (Don Rogers, Quabbin site) who did not see deer, was excited to have seen lots of deer and bear sign as well as tons of moose sign – including an area where two bulls had sparred along a powerline Right of way.  He looks forward to returning next year.”

Here in the Berkshires, there were five participating hunters, two in the Northern Berkshires including Shawn Mei of Baldwinville, MA and Dale Bailey of Clarksburg.  Shawn got an adult doe and Dale saw some.

There were three participating hunters in the Southern Berkshires including Daniel Massaconi of Cheshire, Vyto Sablevicius of Norwood and Gregory Baumli of New Lebanon, NY.  Vyto got a 6-point buck and Greg got an 8-pointer.

Vyto with his 8 pt buck

A statewide hunt this complex doesn’t just happen.  There are many behinds-the-scene volunteers and I am glad that McCarthy provided the names of most of them, what they did and how many years they have helped in this program. Volunteers did everything from transporting the hunters to their hunting locations, moving the deer, dragging the deer out of the woods, field dressing them, getting the deer kills checked in, providing food, making hunting land available to them, and the list goes on.  I have only included those involved in the Berkshires. Susan’s name is not on the list, but she did an awful lot of work coordinating the whole thing.  A tip of our hunter orange cap to you all.

McCarthy noted that Gary Dupuis, the only hunter at Fort Devens this year, was the first to harvest two deer during the paraplegic hunt. “Until last year, there was a long-standing policy that participating hunters were restricted to harvesting only one deer (of either sex – using either their antlerless permit for this hunt or one of their two buck tags).  My understanding is that this policy (there’s nothing in regulation regarding the restriction) was put in place essentially at the inception of the paraplegic hunt when there were many more participating hunters, fewer hunt locations, and a perceived issue of fairness.  Given that we have far fewer participating hunters today, five sites statewide, and always plenty of deer seen during the hunt, we made the decision to lift the one-deer-per-hunter policy.  After all, this hunt is all about providing opportunity to the mobility impaired, so we found no reason to limit their chances of success.  Given that there was no language in the regulations regarding the para hunt  it was an easy change to make.  Since last year, hunters have been permitted to harvest as many deer as they have valid permits.  This year was the first year that a hunter had the opportunity and permission to harvest more than one deer.”

Dan Massaconi told me that he used to hunt with his brothers and father for years.  He loved the outdoors.  But in 2003 a form of Muscular Dystrophy hit him and after walking with a cane, and then a walker it finally put him in a wheelchair. He became depressed – who wouldn’t?  It was his wife, Crystal who urged him to think about the paraplegic hunt.  But he really wasn’t in shape. With her urging, his determination and the wonderful work of physical therapists at Craneville Rehab, he got stronger.

When he appeared strong enough to do one of these hunts, Crystal signed him up – he had no choice but to go.  He hunted 10 hours a day for 2 days (5 hours in the morning and 5 hours in the afternoon). He skipped Saturday due to the rain. No, Dan didn’t get a deer, but he’s not complaining for he saw several. His wheelchair was facing the wrong direction from where three deer came and, by the time he put his gun down, unlocked and pivoted the wheel chair and picked up the gun again, the deer had vanished.

Dan feels that these were two of the best days in his whole life.  He felt safe, comfortable and well fed.  These hunts “brought me back to life”, he said, and could not speak more highly about the volunteers.  He is so happy that fellow hunters Vyto and Craig were successful in getting deer.

Guess what….he plans to be back next year and Crystal will be back too, as a volunteer.

“The only thing that was lacking this year” said McCarthy, “was the ability to congregate for pot luck lunches/dinners as some of us do at our hunt sites.  To remain consistent with other MassWildlife programs, a COVID-19 safety protocol was put in place and shared with all program participants and suggested that everyone provide their own food.  It’s always nice to sit around a pot of venison chili and side of cornbread with your group of volunteers and hunters – I’ve missed that terribly the past two years.  Here’s to hoping next year’s hunt is as successful as this year’s but that it might also allow us to break bread together once again.”

Well, in the South Berkshire hunt, some of the volunteers and their wives made sure that warm, tasty food reached the hunters. Thanks to Don Chaffee Construction of Otis for proving much, if not all of the food.

And many thanks to DFW’s Susan McCarthy and DFW Western District Andrew Madden for their assistance in providing information and picture for this article.

Northern Pike stocked in Cheshire

Recently, MassWildlife stocked 2,000 northern pike into Quaboag Pond and Cheshire Reservoir. The yearlings averaged 12″ long and will take 2–3 years to reach the 28″ minimum harvest size. They obtained the pike from New Jersey Fish & Wildlife as part of a cooperative exchange program. MassWildlife appears to be working hard to get a northern pike fishery established in Cheshire Lake with stockings in 2006, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and this year.  That’s good as they should help control the yellow perch population there which have become stunted due their high numbers.

New Wildlife Technician – Heather Sandler

Heather Sadler recently began work in the Western District as a Wildlife Technician. She comes to the District with extensive experience in fish propagation and stocking, having worked for 13 years in MassWildlife’s Sunderland Fish Hatchery. She will be working with the rest of the outstanding Western District technicians stocking trout and pheasants, working check stations, managing habitat on Wildlife Management Areas, and carrying out all of MassWildlife District Conservation programs. Outside of work, Heather enjoys many aspects of the outdoors including hunting and fishing.

“Walkin’ the Watershed with Burnsie”

The Wild & Scenic Westfield River Committee is working to preserve and protect headwater streams in the wild & scenic designated stretches of the Westfield River.

In his most recent video, John (Burnsie) Burns, of Burns Environmental, who is a biologist specializing in rare plants and animals, describes how headwaters act as refuges and sanctuaries for our native brook trout.  Burnsie does a great job with this video and probably everyone can learn something from it.  I know I did. For one thing, I learned what an “otter latrine” looks like.

Meredyth Babcock, Committee Volunteer Coordinator, invites volunteers and land owners to help preserve and protect the headwaters. If you missed the last R&R (Remove and Restore) work party where they removed invasive plants from Center Pond Brook, contact Meredyth at Westfieldriver@gmail.com and she can give you the dates for upcoming work party activities.

There are lots of interesting videos by Burnsie, Russ Cohen and others in the Wild &Scenic Library located at: https://www.westfieldriverwildscenic.org/news.html.

Veterans day

Veteran’s day is once again upon us.  Hopefully sometime during our busy schedules this week we have a chance to remember and thank them for our freedom.  For some veterans, the time spent in the service of our nation was no big deal.  But for others, the experience was life altering, and everything else that followed for the rest of their lives was anti climatic.