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It was a bittersweet youth turkey hunting day

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The day started out on a dismal note. Early in the morning, the hunters had to contend with a steady rain downpour. After a couple of hours, the rain stopped and then a cold wind came up. That was followed around noon by a snow storm and snow squalls. Little did we know that things would even get worse that day.
I was at the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club hoping to get some pictures and hunting stories from the excited mentored youths. I was glad that I wasn’t out hunting in that miserable weather. Around 11:30 am, the mentors and youth hunters started arriving at the Club to enjoy a delicious casserole lunch prepared by Peter Delgrande. In spite of the bad weather, all of the hunters and mentors had seen, heard, shot at or killed turkeys. The first team in was Jardin Buffoni, hunting with mentor Jay Raifstranger who shot a tom weighing 20.24 lbs. Mark Buffoni, who was mentored by Bob Spence saw 5 turkeys but couldn’t bag any. No problem, for Mark already got one in neighboring NY. Matthew Fletcher hunting with Lori Fletcher saw toms and hens but didn’t shoot any. Bailey Gilmore, hunting with David Gilmore shot at one and saw others. Curt Wilson III, who was hunting with Mike Buffoni and John Mange saw some but couldn’t get one. Elaina Donsbough hunting with her dad Lee Donsbough got one (pictured).

Around 12:30, the food was out and we were waiting for the last stragglers to come in from the hunt. Noticeably not present was Chris Puntin and his mentored youth. It was getting late, people had to go to games and what not, so Mike Buffoni told us not to wait for the others but to eat.
During the meal, we started to get reports of an accident somewhere. I remember thinking as I was driving home, I hope the accident wasn’t a serious one. I didn’t know if it was an auto accident or an accidental shooting. It wasn’t until later that evening that we learned that an apparent accidental shooting occurred and that Chris Puntin passed away.
His wake was held at Bencivenga & Dagnoli Funeral Home on Thursday afternoon, and how sad it was. This scribe has personally never seen such a large wake. The line went out the door down to the rear of the long parking lot and back up on the other side. It was that long when I got there and when I left 3 hours later, it was still that long. Although the wake started at 4:00 pm, people stood for 3 – 3 ½ hours outside in the cloudy, misty but moderate weather well into darkness, with nary a complaint from anyone. Funeral home officials estimated the crowd to be between 1,500 and 1,600 and it ended at approximately 9:45 pm. I can only imagine the crowd that went to the funeral mass at Sacred Heart the following morning.
This should be of no surprise as Chris was well liked and respected as is his family. The Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) sent a beautiful spray of flowers, interspersed with turkey feathers. Other sprays had similar feathers and also deer antlers.
MassWildlife also was saddened by the tragedy and extended its heartfelt sympathies to families and friends. To quote words from Andrew Madden, DFW Western District Supervisor, “Chris was well known to us. He was very active with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), a Paraplegic Deer Hunt volunteer for MassWildlife, and a good friend to the Agency and the District.”

Chris was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was the local chairman of the NWTF and served on the NWTF State Board. For many years he was a mentor for the youth turkey hunts and was a key organizer at the NWTF fund raisers. He helped in trout stockings and was a member of the Snow Seekers (tending snow mobile trails on October Mountain). He helped on the “Buddy Walks” by driving the tractor for its hayrides in Dalton (The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness) and he volunteered as its “grill person”.
Words are hard to come by at times like this. I offer this meek consolation, that even though he was taken from us far too soon, he died doing what he truly loved right up to his last moment, that being getting the youth exposed to the outdoors and all it has to offer. I’m sure I speak for many local and Massachusetts sportsmen and women by offering up our sincerest condolences to his parents Willian and Mary Ellen, his son Nick, his life partner Carla Halley, other family members and friends. He will truly be missed.
Other than the information already provided, local harvest figures for the youth turkey hunt this year were hard to come by. No report was received from north county or from the Lee Sportsmen’s Association.
Travis Delratez (former president of the Pittsfield Sportsman Club) reported that his nephew Tristan Parsons shot a nice Tom on Saturday during the Youth Hunt. He said that it weighed 20+ lbs., had an 8 1/2-inch beard and 1-inch spurs. Tristan also shot another “long beard” the previous week in the NY Youth Hunt. Tristan has now bagged 5 long beards to date. He took another one in VT a couple of years ago. He has also shot two deer in his hunting career so far. Pretty good, ey? But get this, Tristan is only 13 years old!
According to Marion Larson, Chief, Information & Education, MA DFW, some 44 harvested birds were reported online and there was at least one taken to a check station on Monday. This is only the preliminary number of birds harvested as they need to get further information from check stations on birds checked in on Monday the 29th. Final figures will be available at a later date.
Larson reported that statewide 70 new Youth Turkey Hunt participants completed the Youth Turkey Seminar and Hunter Education this year and 247 youths obtained permits for the youth turkey hunt day. (She doesn’t know how many actually hunted.) Just over 1,000 youths in total have participated in the Youth Turkey Hunt program since its inception in 2009.
Trout Stockings
The following local waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout last week. Rivers and brooks: Westfield River (West Branch) in Becket, Chester, Huntington and Middlefield; Deerfield River in Buckland, Charlemont and Florida; Hubbard River in Granville, Konkapot River in Monterey and New Marlborough, Kinderhook Creek in Hancock, Dry Brook in Adams and Cheshire, Green River (north) in Williamstown, Hemlock Brook in Williamstown, Pelham Brook in Charlemont and Rowe, Dunbar Brook in Monroe and South Brook in Cheshire.
Lakes and Ponds: Windsor Pond in Windsor, Windsor Lake in North Adams, Berry Pond in Hancock, Pelham Lake in Rowe, North Pond in Florida, Littleville Reservoir in Chester and Huntington and Plunkett Reservoir in Hinsdale.
Fishing Derbies

The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club is having its Spring Fishing Derby at the Stockbridge Bowl boat ramp next Sunday, May 19, from dawn until 3:00pm. Prizes of $100 will go the heaviest trout, pickerel, bass and bullhead. There will be free lures for all kids 12 and under. Hot breakfast and lunch will be available. Pre-registration fee is $10 and post registration is $15. Tickets are available at the Minkler Insurance Agency, 31 Main Street, Stockbridge, (W)413-644-3590, (H)413-298-4630 or from any club member.

DER Releases New Dam Removal Video
The Department of Environmental Restorations (MA DER) is excited to present Dam Removal in Pittsfield: Different Reasons, One Goal, a five-minute video about the upcoming removal of the Tel-Electric Dam on the West Branch of the Housatonic River. The video features City staff, the dam owners, and local partners. Together they make the case that the dam removal will restore river health, improve public safety, and build community resilience in Pittsfield.
This film is part of a multi-year endeavor, in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Science Media Collaborative. The project has culminated in a six-part film series entitled River Run – A Story of Dam Removal in Massachusetts. The films highlight the efforts by many of DER’s partners to advance river restoration projects across the Commonwealth. Be on the lookout for the additional five films that will be released later in 2019.

Conte banquet honors four

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trout stocking

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

Wild Acres Fishing Derby

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

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

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

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

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

Coyote Listening Session

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

Spring turkey hunting season opens tomorrow

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The season opens tomorrow and runs through May 25. Hunting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise and end at noon. Hunters can harvest up to 2 bearded birds in the spring (1 per day).
MassWildlife predicts this spring turkey season will be a productive one for hunters across Massachusetts. In 2017, there was a record high spring harvest, and 2018 was the third highest spring turkey harvest ever. These continued high harvest years indicate a strong, resilient turkey population across all Wildlife Management Zones.
Spring and summer brood productivity can locally influence turkey populations, but overall brood success has been strong over the last several years. Winter severity may sometimes reduce turkey populations in northern climates, but habitat conditions are very good across the state and help buffer the effects of winter.
But don’t let the high abundance of turkeys fool you, says MassWildlife, it’s still very important to scout pre-season. Turkey hunting is very popular in the spring, especially during the first week of season, so scouting will help you identify multiple areas where hunting may be productive.
As always, remember to be respectful when hunting on private and public lands, watch out for ticks and be careful.
Rainbow trout liberated
The skies were leaden colored and there was a chilly wind which whipped across the lake into our faces, at the Stockbridge Bowl boat ramp on Thursday, April 18. But that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 50 or so people who were gathered there to witness or take part in the great trout liberation. Little tykes along with their siblings, parents and grandparents helped the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) release about 800 rainbow trout (which had a total estimated weight of approximately 1,000 lbs).
Everyone was focused on getting those trout into the lake. They were beauties, averaging around 14 inches with brilliant reddish pink bands along their sides
Aquatic Biologist Leanda Fontaine trucked the fish in from the McLaughlin Hatchery in Belchertown, MA. Prior to releasing the fish, she gave a little talk about the DFW and the various functions it provides. She talked about the 5 state hatcheries, the number of fish that are stocked statewide (500,000) and in our area (100,000), how long the stocking will take place this spring and other tidbits of interesting information. The overall reason for the event was to get kids, their parents and the general public aware of MassWildlife and its activities.
Leanda and her boss, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden then netted some fish from the truck fish holding tank, put them into buckets and had the kids rush them to the water’s edge and toss them into the lake. Some of those kids weren’t much taller than the buckets but there were plenty of adults to help them. When everyone got tired of racing to the water’s edge with the buckets of fish, Leanda and Andrew flushed the remaining hundreds of fish directly from the truck to the water.
I am happy to announce that there were no casualties, all the fish survived the ordeal and no buckets were accidentally tossed into the lake with the fish in them. I’m not sure who had the most fun, the adults or the kids.
Warning to the parents/grandparents: Many of these kids are old enough to remember where those fish were stocked and you can safely bet that they will be looking to you to bring them back to catch some of them. Perhaps you may want to catch a few yourself.
Look at that cute girl in the photo. The look of joy and excitement in her face tells it all. Don’t you just love seeing happy kids enjoying the outdoors. Who knows, maybe she was so inspired that someday she will become an aquatic biologist.
Trout stockings
The following local water bodies were scheduled to be stocked with trout last week.
Rivers and Brooks: Bronson Brook in Worthington, Depot Brook in Washington, Factory Brook in Middlefield, Green River in Alford, Egremont and Great Barrington; Little River in Worthington and Huntington, Mill Brook in Plainfield, Walker Brook in Becket and Chester, West Branch Brook in Chesterfield and Worthington, Westfield Brook in Windsor and Cummington, Westfield River (East Branch) in Cummington and Chesterfield, Williams River in West Stockbridge and Great Barrington and Yokum Brook in Becket.
Lakes and Ponds: Big Pond in Otis, Lake Buel, Lake Garfield, Goose Pond, Greenwater Pond and Otis Reservoir.
Firearms Safety Course
The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club will be hosting a scheduled live fire NRA & Massachusetts State Police Certified Firearms Safety Course next Sunday, May 5. This is to qualify MA residents and non-residents alike for the MA License-To- Carry or FID Card. It will be a hands-on live firing, one day course. A full lunch and a $10 gift certificate to Pete’s Gun Shop will be provided.
The cost is $100 which covers all ammo, safety gear, class materials, certificates, an NRA Firearms Safety textbook and the food. The class starts at 9:00 am and lasts until about 4:30 pm. Interested parties are asked to pre-register by calling or stopping in at Pete’s Gun Shop at 413-743-0780, as space is limited. This live fire course fills up very quickly and you should call or stop in early to pre-register. They also ask you to be there by 8:45 am to sign in.
New Land Protected

MassWildlife recently acquired 13 acres in the town of Worthington on Sam Hill Road. This small but strategic acquisition provides greatly improved access to the part of the Fox Den Wildlife Management Area which is in Worthington. Beware, Sam Hill Road is an unpaved dead-end road which can get very muddy at times.

Map, Compass & Survival Course

On Saturday, May 11, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, MassWildlife will be conducting a Map, Compass, & Survival course at the DCR/Mass Park’s Visitor Center, 740 South Street, Pittsfield. This course is not recommended for students less than 12 years of age. To enroll call (508) 389-7830 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00pm.
Let’s not take this anymore!
What’s going on with those aggressive wild animals lately? Not too long ago, a young girl from Norwell was chased into her house by a coyote. It bit her arm and ran off with one of her shoes. Then there was the bear incident in Hinsdale a couple of weeks ago where a family’s small horse was killed. Now comes news of gangs of wild turkeys becoming aggressive, intimidating and pecking people near Boston.
Lock em up! That’s what I say. Build a wall! They’re thugs, bad actors! They’re intimidating us. Let them know that they are not welcomed in our neighborhoods. Round them up and drop them off in a sanctuary town, like Ripton!
Or we could take a more sensible approach by taking down those bird feeders to help keep the bears and turkeys away. We could put our garbage pails near the curbside in the morning instead of the night before. We could cover windows and shiny objects to keep turkeys from responding aggressively to shiny objects and their own reflections while they’re trying to assert dominance within their flock.
Pardon the levity this morning, but I think you get the point.

Dennis Regan is retiring as HVA Berkshire Manager

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Dennis Regan took the job in 1999 because he had a strong interest in the management of water resources and loved to kayak. That was 20 years ago and he didn’t think he would be here that long. Now, he is glad he did, for he worked with some great people and was involved with some wonderful projects.
One of those wonderful projects was the Stream Team project, where HVA goes to various communities to get people involved in protecting the river. After some training volunteers then go to specific sections of the river and document what they see…. the good, bad and ugly. With the information obtained, they meet and report on what they saw and make recommendations on what they would like to see happen. “That’s the challenge”, said Regan, “getting all of that information and compiling it down with specific concrete recommendations”.
“People get excited about the environment when they know more about it,” he said, “In providing people an opportunity to know more about the Housatonic River, they get actively involved in it”. They begin by collecting data on river conditions and use, that may not be known about, and hopefully, doing something with it. He said that volunteers have been collecting data continually for 20 years and have followed up on a lot of recommendations.
Originally, five stream teams compiled a list of existing conditions, on the river. Ten years after these original assessments they went back and reassessed those sections with other stream teams and different people. The findings were then compared with what was recommended 10 years prior to see what had happened. They were very happy to see that most of their recommendations were followed up by them or other organizations. Even the State and EPA used some of that information. Data collection is still ongoing and now the stream teams are assessing the tributaries.
“When the stream team reports of the health and use of the rivers were given to the communities, they generated local interest, more people wanted to know more about the river” said Regan.
He feels that the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972 was the beginning of restoring our rivers. A main focus was getting the communities to realize that the Housatonic River was an asset and that we should be able to utilize the river to stimulate local economics, community development and recreation. HVA feels that the best way to get people to care and get involved in protecting the river is to get them on or near it. This way they can see for themselves that it is not a negative thing and they don’t have to fear it.
“Many people knew that there was a Housatonic River out there somewhere” said Regan, “but they didn’t quite know where it was and whether or not they could go paddling on it. And if they wished to go paddling on it, where do they put in or take out. People didn’t know anything about the river”.
HVA saw that as a great opportunity for them to fill that niche. They updated a paddle guide and created new access spots. They were fortunate with the Natural Resources Damage (NRD) Trustees. Through a grant with them, they were able to get four new river access points in Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee and Sheffield. Since then two more were added in Stockbridge at the Glendale Dam, and a floating dock was installed in Stockbridge. They are presently developing 3 new sites on Division St in Great Barrington, on the Westside Riverway Park project in Pittsfield, and on Maple Avenue in Sheffield.
Dennis is quite proud of the Churchill Brook Culvert Replacement Project in Pittsfield where they utilized another NRD grant and, working with the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), replaced an ineffective culvert on Churchill Road with a much improved one which allows fish to travel upstream to spawn.
He feels that perhaps one of his proudest projects was the creation of the Old Mill Trail where volunteers and a professional trail crew developed a mile and a half trail along the East Branch connecting Hinsdale and Dalton. “It was one of our biggest projects and we are very happy to see that it is well used. It took 10 years, involving the towns, state, volunteers and Peter Jensen’s trail crew”, he said.
Dennis remembers that when he first got here, he usually didn’t see anybody on the river. People had left it alone. “Because of that,” he said, “when you paddled the river, you felt that you were in upstate Maine, NH or VT. It was fairly isolated”. People were missing an opportunity then, but now it is different. It’s good to see so many fishermen, boaters, kayakers, ice fishermen and others are enjoying the river. Now there are even fishing and paddling guides.
He feels that people are much more knowledgeable about the river now than before. There seems to be much more respect for the river and there are many efforts to protect the river now and not to do anything to harm it. If paddlers see blowdown, yes, they take some stuff out but not everything. They clear the middle of the river to allow passage, but leave the sides alone. They know that fish require such structure
Dennis also feels that he was very lucky to be involved in two source-to-sound paddle trips on the Housatonic River. These trips put in at the Hinsdale Flats in Washington’s Mud Pond and 10 days later take out at Long Island Sound with salt water, salt air and sea gulls. On this trip you see the river gradually change from the start by pushing your kayak or canoe through bramble. The vegetation and the land use changes, and all of a sudden you are in a wide river with eagles and the smell of salt in the air and you are paddling in waves ending in Long Island Sound.
Dennis was the recipient of the 2014 Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s “Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award”. In addition to the above mentioned accomplishments, he was also acknowledged for his involvement in the FERC re-licensing of the Glendale Dam, the RIFLS Program dealing with observed and/or measured flow alterations in streams, for working with the grade schools focusing on biodiversity, both chemical and biological, water quality monitoring, mapping, storm drain awareness and understanding the PCB situation and cleanup.
He led macro-invertebrate studies on streams throughout the entire watershed, bank stabilization programs (planting native trees and shrubbery), dam removals, canoe rides, river clean-ups, oversight of ACEC’s, and was an active member of the CCC (Citizen’s Coordinating Council) dealing with the PCB clean up on the river.
Dennis plans to retire on April 30. His parting advice? You need to take some time to go out and attach yourselves to the river somehow. Either to paddle, walk along or sit by the river, relax and let yourselves subconsciously focus and you will see life everywhere in/on the river. “Go on the river”, he says, “and you will become a naturalist if you stay long enough. Appreciate the river!”
There is retirement party scheduled for him on Thursday, April 25. Contact Alison Dixon at the HVA office(adixon@hvatoday.org) for more information.
Spring Trout Stockings
The following was the anticipated stocking list for the week of April 8 through April 12. As always, the schedule was subject to change due to weather, river conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.
Rivers: Green River in Alford, Egremont and Great Barrington; Deerfield River in Florida, Buckland and Charlemont, Housatonic River in Hinsdale and Dalton, Konkapot River in Monterey and New Marlborough, Westfield River (Mainstem) in Huntington, Russell, Westfield and Montgomery; Westfield River (Middle Branch) in Worthington, Middlefield, Chester and Huntington. Lakes and Ponds: Ashfield Pond in Ashfield, Littleville Reservoir in Chester, Upper Highland Lake in Goshen, Mansfield Lake in Great Barrington, Littleville Reservoir and Norwich Pond in Huntington and Windsor Pond in Windsor.
Venison/Italian Buffet dinner
The Pittsfield Sportsmen’s Club will be having a Venison/Italian Buffet dinner on Saturday, April 20 at the American Legion Post 155 in Dalton. This dinner will benefit its Land Development efforts. Cocktails at 5:00 pm and Dinner at 6:00 pm. There will be a black powder gun raffle, 50/50 and kid’s raffle. Donation is $20 and children under 12 free. To reserve tickets, call Ed B. at (413)443-9371 or Stan B. at (413)841-8345.

School is out, help stock trout!
This Thursday, the public is invited to help MassWildlife stock trout during school vacation week. This is a chance to meet MassWildlife fisheries staff, view trout up close, and learn about places to fish near you. Meet at 1:30 p.m. at the Stockbridge Bowl Boat Ramp off Route 183 in Stockbridge. Bring some kids along.

2018 Berkshire County League of Sportsmen Award winners are announced

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Land Protected

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At the March meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, DFW Western District Supervisor, Andrew Madden, reported that MassWildlife recently acquired 70 acres of land in the town of Sheffield on Guilder Hollow Road. The property abuts the Dolomite Ledges Wildlife Management Area and contains open fields, steep cliff sides, and excellent habitat for deer, bear, turkey and other game species. Boundary marking and parking access will be completed this spring.
This and all other DFW wildlife management areas are open to the public for hunting, fishing, trapping and other passive recreation such as bird watching, hiking, etc.

Black bears relocated from dangerous area

Well, we knew that sooner or later the black bear population would be spreading into eastern Massachusetts. To get there quicker, it appears that they are taking to the highways. Did you hear about the mama bear and her two cubs that denned up on a highway median strip along Route 2 in Templeton? The following information was obtained from the MassWildlife web site:

On the morning of March 14, MassWildlife, with the help of transportation and law enforcement officials, closed Rte. 2 in the Templeton area for a short period of time to successfully immobilize and relocate a GPS-collared female black bear with two cubs from a wintering den site in the highway median strip.
Based on the GPS-collar data, MassWildlife biologists know the adult female went into this den site for the winter in November. She gave birth to her cubs some time in mid to late January. MassWildlife officials chose to relocate the bear family to a safer and more suitable location in a nearby wooded area to reduce the risk of vehicle collision when the cubs grow large enough to travel with their mother. The exact relocation site is not being disclosed to protect the safety of the young cubs at this particularly vulnerable phase of their lives.
The adult female bear weighed 206 pounds; her two cubs (1 male and 1 female) each weighed a hefty 8+ pounds. The adult female is one of over thirty bears involved in a MassWildlife research project comparing differences between suburban-dwelling bears and bears residing in more rural areas. MassWildlife biologists are gathering data by collaring bears with radio telemetry and GPS-collars in the Berkshires, Connecticut River Valley, and Worcester County.
MassWildlife officials are reminding the public that March is the month when hungry bears emerge from their winter dens and seek out food. Natural foods such as acorns and other nuts are usually available on the ground, but last year’s fall hard mast crop was meager. Other seasonally available natural foods eaten by bears, such as skunk cabbage, are mostly ignored when there is an easy and more filling meal at backyard bird feeders, chicken coops, beehives, garbage cans, and dumpsters.

To prevent conflicts between people and bears, MassWildlife urges homeowners and food-related business in northern Middlesex County, Worcester County, western Massachusetts, or other areas where bears have been seen, to take down bird feeders and secure dumpsters and other waste containers. Beekeepers and poultry owners are advised to set up electric fencing as protection against marauding bears. For more information about black bears in Massachusetts and watch a video titled “Don’t Feed Bears, Keep Them Wild” visit mass.gov/bears.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

From time to time, I am asked why this column promotes the local annual Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) banquets. They note that we don’t have any elk around here, and there aren’t that many local sportsmen who go out west to hunt elk.

Well, there are a surprising number of elk hunters in our area, but let’s consider the following: Just in the year 2018, the RMEF carried out 179 habitat enhancement projects benefitting 134,699 acres in 27 states and permanently protected 13,431 acres in 8 states. Since inception in 1984, the RMEF protected or enhanced 7.4 million acres, roughly 3 ½ times the size of Yellowstone National Park.

During 2018 it opened/improved access to 26,566 acres in 5 states. Since inception, it opened or improved 1.2 million acres, roughly 2 ½ times the size of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

 

That same year volunteers in 500+ chapters across 49 states raised record revenue for local and nationwide conservation missions. (fence pulls, construction of wildlife water developments, are among a few). In just that year, it provided $715,617 in funding to assist with 39 elk research projects and studies in 14 states plus 7 projects with national implications.

Since inception the total value of its work is estimated to be $1.1 billion. It has assisted with successful elk reintroductions in Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada.

The local RMEF banquets are always very well attended. I suspect that most people who attend them will never hunt elk, but never-the-less they do feel good about doing something to increase elk habitat and help assure their survival.

Remembering George “Gige” Darey

Well, it’s been about 3 months since George “Gige” Darey of Lenox passed away. Readers may recall that he served 38 years on the MA Fish & Wildlife Board, 35 of which as its chairman. I’m not sure that all the accolades bestowed onto him fully covered his accomplishments while serving on that board. So, let’s take a look back and consider some of what he accomplished while serving on that board as recapped by F&W Board Vice Chairman Mike Roche:
• In 1978, when Gige took his seat on the Board, there were 4,000 acres of land protected by DFW. Today there are over 200,000.
• The deer harvest was 3,107. Last year it was over 13,000.
• Wild turkey was an experiment in 1978. Now the kill is over 3,000 a year.
• There were no nesting bald eagles in 1978. Since then 702 eagles have fledged with 68 nesting pairs last year.
• The pheasant program got to a point where it became self-sustainable.
• Regulations requiring the switch from lead shot to steel shot for waterfowl hunters were implemented.
• The Piping Plover was an endangered species back then, but now MA has most of the east coast piping plover population.
• The National Heritage Program was transferred from the Department of Environmental Management to MassWildlife in 1990 and the non-game check-off on tax forms was implemented.
• Gige urged the implementation of the “Presumption of Openness”. Now all land purchased in the Commonwealth is presumed to be open to hunting and fishing.
• There has been no license fee increase in over 20 years.
• He was heavily involved in the establishment of the Mass Outdoor Heritage Foundation, a non-profit (501c3). Those funds are used for such projects as wild brook trout restoration, and other worthy projects.
• Unlike many other states that allows Sunday hunting, he was able to obtain compensatory hunting dates for migratory bird hunting in Massachusetts.
• The Deer Management Zone system was implemented to improve opportunity for sportsmen.
• The Wildlands Stamp was established where sportsmen self-imposed a $5 assessment to the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. These funds were to be dedicated exclusively to the protection of wildlife habitat open to hunting, fishing, and other wildlife related recreation and science-based management of wildlife and wildlife habitat.
• A financial partnership with Ducks Unlimited for conservation efforts in Canada was established.
• A Memorandum of Understanding with the Environmental Police was established to increase resources and improve the outdoor education programs.
• Gige promoted the Archery-in-the-Schools program.
• He was Board Chairman when construction of the new DFW headquarters took place– one of the world’s finest and most environmentally progressive buildings.
• He fought hard to keep the DFW Director’s position from becoming a political appointment and keeping it in the hands of fish and wildlife professionals.

And, if I may add a few more that Roche did not mention:
• He fought for and finally obtained the Trout Catch & Release Sections in the Housatonic River in Lee and Stockbridge, and while at it, got the trout stocking program established which enhanced it. He accomplished the same for the Millers River.
• He was heavily involved in the environmental battle with GE for clean-up of Housatonic River.
• Gige was heavily involved with the ACEC (Area of Critical Environmental Concern) designation on the Housatonic River.
• Leveraging State and town funds, he played an important role with the Town of Lenox acquisition and conservation of the Post Farm, Parson’s Marsh and the Edith Wharton Park.

He accomplished a lot during that time period, ey?

Spring trout stocking begins soon

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Spring trout stocking begins soon

In its March, 2019 newsletter, MassWildlife reported that close to 500,000 brook, brown, rainbow, and tiger trout will be stocked this spring from its five hatcheries located in Sandwich, Palmer, Belchertown, Sunderland, and Montague. These fish, coupled with the more than 65,000 fish stocked last fall, will provide some excellent fishing in the coming months.

Approximately 100,000 trout should be stocked in Western District waters.

The breakdown of the trout to be stocked are as follows:
• Most of the trout will be over 12 inches
• More than 45% of the trout will be over 14 inches
• More than 45,000 brook trout will be over 12 inches
• More than 50,000 brown trout will be over 12 inches
• More than 194,000 rainbow trout will be over 14 inches
• More than 800 brown trout will be over 18 inches
• 1,000 brook trout will be over 15 inches
• More than 2,500 tiger trout will be over 14 inches

Stocking was scheduled to begin in southeastern waters during the first full week of March with other regions of the state expected to follow soon after. The spring stocking is usually concluded sometime around Memorial Day.

Daily stocking updates are available at Mass.gov/Trout, or by contacting local district offices for the latest stocking information. I also plan to list the scheduled stocking locations in this column weekly.

Founding leader of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program retires
After nearly 35 years of service, Dr. Tom French has retired from his position as Assistant Director of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP). According to the above referenced MassWildlife March newsletter, Tom was hired in 1984 to lead the then newly-formed NHESP. With advanced degrees in zoology, ecology, and systematics, Tom was one of the first MassWildlife employees to not have a traditional game management background, and was the first employee hired to hold a PhD. Tom’s unique background and experience helped NHESP grow to what it is today, one of the strongest rare species programs in the country.
Beginning with just four staff, NHESP has since grown to twenty-nine as the Program’s responsibilities multiplied over time. Milestones along the way include the creation of the state’s first regulatory list of endangered, threatened, and special concern species (1985), passage of the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) in 1990, promulgation of MESA regulations (1992), publication of the first BioMap (2001), partnering with Mass DOT to create the Linking Landscapes Program (2009), publishing the 14th edition of the Priority Habitat Maps to aid in regulatory review for rare species (2017), and more. During these 35 years, bald eagles and peregrine falcons have returned to Massachusetts to nest and have flourished, populations of red-bellied cooters have expanded and stabilized, and northern right whales have become the center of extensive conservation attention. By all measures, Tom leaves behind an incredible legacy and leaves NHESP well positioned to tackle conservation challenges into the future.
Although in a managerial position, Tom didn’t just sit at a desk. He remained active in field work, especially when it came to scaling buildings, bridges, and cliffs to band peregrine falcons. He gave numerous talks and published countless articles on the conservation work of NHESP. He dissected prey item remains and prepared whale skeletons for museum collections throughout the country. Tom is a naturalist who is passionate about conservation and his active role in it.
MassWildlife noted that it is losing a great resource, friend, and advocate for the rare animals and plants of Massachusetts. However, it said, “NHESP will continue on, like the well-oiled machine that it is, because of Tom’s leadership and dedication in making the Program what it is today”.
Black bears are active and searching for food: take precautions
MassWildlife cautions us that black bears are now active and seeking food. If you live in northern Middlesex County, Worcester County, western MA, or other areas where bears have been spotted, it’s time to take down your bird feeders. Bears will often ignore natural foods including skunk cabbage in favor of an easy meal at a backyard bird feeder. Other species including wild turkeys and coyotes may also frequent bird feeders leading to a variety of nuisance issues. To avoid these problems, property owners are asked to be proactive by removing bird feeders and other potential food sources including garbage or open compost.
If you enjoy watching birds in your yard, MassWildlife suggests adding a water feature, growing native plants, shrubs, and trees to attract birds. It advises individuals to also secure bee hives, chickens, and livestock. Properly maintained electric fencing is the only way to protect chickens or bee hives from bears. Taking these actions may prevent the unnatural feeding of bears and other kinds of neighborhood wildlife.
Report winter fish kills
Again, from MassWildlife, it reminds us that during winter, thick ice and heavy snow cover can result in low dissolved oxygen levels in ponds. With increasing ice and snow packs, there is less light penetration through the water column. This alters chemical and biological processes, often resulting in a winter fish kill.
The vast majority of fish kills turn out to be caused by a natural event. However, it’s important for biologists to rule out other causes including pollution. Natural fish kills are generally the result of low dissolved oxygen levels (anoxia), spawning stress or fish diseases. Dissolved oxygen depletion is one of the most common causes of natural fish kills. Weedy ponds that are less than 15 feet deep are particularly vulnerable. This can be the case at any time of the year but generally occurs during severe winters or late spring/early summer.
Ice anglers may encounter signs of a low oxygen environment when they drill through the ice and notice the smell of rotten egg or observe sluggish or dying shiners. The odor is hydrogen sulfide gas which is a natural byproduct of low dissolved oxygen environments, and is not likely the result of pollution. Oxygen levels will be return to normal shortly after the ice melts in the spring.
If you observe dead fish, contact the Environmental Police’s 24-hour radio room at 1 (800) 632-8075. A MassWildlife biologist will review each situation to determine whether the kill is natural or requires a site investigation.

Basic Hunter Education courses being offered

The Lee Sportsmen’s Association will be conducting a 2-session Hunter Education Course at its clubhouse on 565 Fairview Street, Lee. The sessions will run from 6:00 to 9:00pm on Monday, March 25 and from 8:00am to 1:30pm on Saturday, April 13.

The Ashfield Rod & Gun Club will be conducting a 2-session course with Independent Study at 161 North Street, Plainfield. The sessions will run from 6:00 to 9:30 pm on Wednesday, March 27 and from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 13.

The East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club will be conducting a 6-session course at its clubhouse on 312 Henderson, Road, Williamstown. The sessions will run from 6:00 to 9:00pm on April 1, 5, 8, 12, 15 and 19.

The Worthington Rod & Gun Club will be conducting a 4-session course at 458 Dingle Road (Rte. 112), Worthington. The sessions will run from 5:30 to 9:00 pm on April 15, 16 and 19.

I am listing these courses well in advance so that you can enroll early. They fill up rapidly. For example, Basic Hunter Instructor Wayne McLain told me that there were over 50 students signed up for his class at the East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club. To enroll in the courses, call (508) 389-7830. For more information, click onto http://www.mass.gov/service-details/basic-hunter-education-course-offerings.

Officers elected at Lenox Sportsmen’s Club

The following people were recently re-elected: President: Tom Ferguson, Vice President: Mark Jester, Secretary: Derek Dubin and Treasurer: Bernie Abramson, all of Pittsfield.

Readers may recall that in last week’s column, I noted that the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club takes archery seriously. This winter, they are having the biggest youth league that they have seen with more than 70 people taking part. Well, they are pretty serious about youth archery at the Lenox club, too. Instructor Mark Jester recently commented on Facebook that they also started off with more than 70 shooters in its youth archery league and most if not all of them are still sticking with it.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Berkshire Beagle Club, still flourishing after all these years

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In the fall of 1979, the late Ted Giddings wrote this headline in his Berkshire Eagle outdoor sports column entitled Our Berkshires, “Beagle Club flourishing”. He wrote that the club, which was formed in 1932, “had experienced ups and downs but was in better shape than ever with a closed membership of 55.” Well, in the 40 years that have since elapsed, the club has experienced more ups and downs, but today it still survives, has 55 members and there is still a waiting list to join. The feeling remains that restricting membership to 55 is in the best interest of the club. Too many hunters with beagles would stress the bunnies.

Its amazing that the little club has been able to survive some 87 years now. To be sure, there have been many changes over the years. In the earlier days, there was no internal organization and the only likely beaglers were a handful of small game hunters who sought a way to keep their hunting dogs in training during the months of the year when hunting seasons were closed.

In fact, the first formal meeting of 7 members took place in a funeral parlor. That’s according to Gary Menin who wrote an excellent article about the Berkshire Beagle Club in a 1998 issue of the Massachusetts Wildlife Magazine entitled The Berkshire Beagle Club. He is the son of the late Anthony “Bucky” Menin, a BBC member in the early 1950’s and one-time chairman of the licensed field trials.

According to Gary Menin, there were insufficient funds to purchase any substantial real estate and the earlier trials took place wherever the group was allowed (Lands in West Pittsfield, Lee, Windsor, etc).

The club formed a corporation in June 1951 with the principal officers being: Earl Holt, Karl D. Henry, Robert Minkler, Wellington Nadeau, Elmer Jones, H.C. Huddleston and Harry C Ward. Another founding member was Paul Husky. According to Gary Menin, the group began to grow and, the membership realized that the use of random acreage for training grounds wasn’t sensible. Bunnies leave areas whenever the food supply becomes depleted through forest succession. The members learned how to entice the bunnies by building them shelters (such as brush piles) from weather and predators. Cutting trees and brush to make shelters results in young sprouts, an attractive food for the bunnies. However, most landowners were not always fond of tree cutting on their properties and prohibited it.

Menin noted that the beaglers saved their money and in 1954 were able to purchase 90 + acres in Richmond, MA. According to former Club Secretary David Norton of Pittsfield, they purchased a piece of land and it came with a “19th century mansion. He remembers it having a giant circular staircase. The members converted it into a clubhouse, but it proved too expensive to maintain and it was sold. The house was moved to a place on Rte. 295 in Richmond near the Hillside Orchard and restored. They subsequently purchased a second parcel on the other side of Sleepy Hollow Road. The current clubhouse was built by members in 1961 for $6,000. Some 72 of the club’s 90 acres were enclosed by fencing.

During Norton’s time, he remembers members: Harry Ward, Manual Lester, Mr. Mancivielano, Steve Strauss, George Hamilton, Ken Huddleston, Lambert “Mickey” McGinty, Thomas Dellert, Bill Danford, George Huddleston, Bucky Menin, Syl Lanoe, Carl Henry, Bob Kingsley, George Ripulsa, Ken Hanson, Arthur Giftos, Paul Mangin, Pete Barzie, Lorenzo Briggs, Robert Haunch, Walter Snook, Ed Tierney, Bob Minkler, Al Mazzeo, and others. (Names from the past, ey?) He said that Bucky Menin did more work at the beagle club than any other man.
Over time the membership grew considerably and it was inducted as a member of the American Kennel Club and became subject to the rules and privileges of the AKC. They began having “field trials” (competitive events between members of the BBC and other clubs recognized by the AKC). These AKC Sanctioned field trials continue to this day with three of them being held in 2018.

In the 1980’s or1990’s about 22 acres of land along Dublin Road were sold to the gas company so now there are 35 acres of land which contains the clubhouse on one side of Sleepy Hollow Road and 33 acres on the other side.

In its earlier days, to raise funds, Sunday turkey shoots were conducted. Wives did a lot of work such as cooking and baking pies for turkey dinners. Deb Kuni, Dave Norton’s daughter, remembers going to the club house with her parents on weekends when the wives were cooking. She said that she would sometimes be allowed to help with small chores like setting the tables. The women were all baking and cooking in the big kitchen, laughing and talking.” It was always so warm in there and smelled so good!”, Deb said, and she was torn between wanting to be inside with her mom or outside running the dogs with her dad.

Some days when there weren’t trials going on, Dave would let her go with him to run their dogs. She would shag rabbits and help him keep track of where they went. He showed her how to help the dogs to pick up the trail when the rabbit jumped under a brush pile or went down a hole.

Tim Minkler, son of co-founder Robert Minkler, remembers his late father taking him and his sister to Shadowbrook for 5:00 am Mass, listening to the Seminarians sing, and rushing out to the Beagle Club in time to set up for a Beagle trials on Sunday morning. He remembers that in front of the Club house was a well with an old fashion handle that you had to pump to get the water to flow. “Great fun for kids that were 5 and 6 years old.” He also remembers those pies as being a “big deal”. “I never knew there were so many versions of apple pie.” he said.

On a personal note, although not members, our family benefitted greatly from the BBC. In the 1940-1950’s, my first cousin William Kincaid was a member and big into the field trials, winning some of them and judging others. He bred his own dogs and frequently he would end up having too many pups or perhaps having one that for one reason or another, didn’t meet AKC 13 or 15-inch size specifications (or perhaps he wanted a male and not a female and he would give us those dogs). I can’t remember a time growing up when we didn’t have 2 or 3 great hunting dogs. It was a natural progression for me to eventually take up rabbit hunting and ultimately join the club.

There have been changes over the years. They began raising their own snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits, gradually released them on club property as needed- the cottontails on one side of Sleepy Hollow Road and the hares on the other. Those bunnies in the rearing pens are treated like royalty – fed, watered, medicated, protected from predators, etc. In addition to the annual dues ($200) and hosting field trials, the club began having bunny hunts in Januarys to help offset its expenses. (No hunting allowed on club property). Sadly, there are no baked pies and turkey dinners anymore, but John Demary, Teddy Billis and others make mean venison and bear meals. During the field trials they and other volunteers prepare the meals.
It was necessary to raise the fencing to 8 feet to prevent deer from jumping over it. (The last thing that a beagler wants is to have his dogs take up chasing deer). To prevent bears, fisher cats, bob cats and other unwanted critters from preying on the bunnies, it was also necessary to put an electric fence along the top of the fence to keep them out. Owls and other raptors started to take their toll on the bunnies and steps had to be taken to protect them. Some perching trees had to be cut, special night blinking lights were installed and screening or other preventative measures were placed atop the rearing pens.
These days, the leaders and heavy lifters of the BBC are: Robert Jones, Jeff St John, Richard Kalisz, John Demary, Rob Kane, Tom King, Pat Barry, Tim Cahoon, Rodney Hicks, Al Costa, Berny Drysgola, and Ray Meandro. (My apologies to anyone that I may have missed). The club is in good hands.
Unfortunately, the amount of local rabbit hunting habitat has severely declined due to development or lands prohibiting hunting. The Berkshire Beagle Club is the only beagle club in the Berkshires where one can unhitch his dog and let it do its thing without fear of being preyed upon, hit crossing a road or getting lost. All persons of good and reputable character, who are really interested in the future of the purebred beagle, are eligible for membership in the Berkshire Beagle Club. Each person applying for membership must complete a membership application and be sponsored by a current member of the Club. The prospective member must also agree to carry his/her share of the maintenance workload.

Many thanks to: Gary Menin, Don Puntin, Dave Norton, Deb Kuni, Dan Barry, and Tim Minkler for providing information for this article.
Gun Course
The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club has announced that the next Mass State Compliant LTC and UTAH gun course will be held on Sunday, February 17, from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm at its clubhouse off of New Lenox Road in Lenox. The price list is as follows: $70.00 MA, $125.00 UT, $125.00 AZ, $125.00 CT and $125.00 FL. Stand-alone prices listed, combine any two for $150.00 – any additional state above two is $50. You must pre-register. For more information, contact Tom Nadolny at (413) 822-6451 or tnadolny1@gmail.com.