Category Archives: News

George (Gige) Darey received a most prestigious award

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

More than 1,300 acres of Western District lands protected by MassWildlife in f/y 2018

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In his October report to the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden announced that MassWildlife completed 14 land protection projects totaling more than 1,300 acres in the Western District in Fiscal Year 2018. Lands were protected for wildlife habitat as well as for hunting, fishing, and wildlife dependent recreation.
Local DFW Land Agent Peter Milanesi had a busy and productive year. Some of the projects he worked on had been previously noted in this column earlier this year, such as the 57 acres in Otis, 170 acres in the Hinsdale/Peru area and 232 acres in Hancock.
In West Stockbridge, two parcels of land were acquired. One was 15 acres named the Maple Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA). This was a gift by the Pachas family and consisted mainly of land along the Williams River, which is stocked annually by the DFW. The Berkshire Natural Resources Council was instrumental in helping DFW acquire the property by removing an old building on the property. At this time, there is no public access to the property but hopefully, sometime in the future public access can be acquired. It protects a section of river behind the Ida Lane area, downstream of downtown West Stockbridge
The second piece in West Stockbridge was a 2.5 acre which abuts the Maple Hill WMA
In Egremont, working with NRD Funds and with the help of the BNRC (removed another building) some 59 acres were preserved. Part of the Jug End Fen WMA, access is off of Route 23. Karner Brook flows through part of the land.
Two pieces of land totaling approximately 7+ acres along Notch Road in Cheshire were acquired. They abut the Chalet WMA.
DFW acquired a Conservation Easement on 26+ acres near the Plainfield/Cummington town lines thanks to a donation by the Franklin Land Trust.
Another piece of Plainfield property where DFW acquired a Conservation Easement was some 99.66 acres of land formerly known as the Guyette Farm. Once again, the Franklin Land Trust donated the easement. Situated on Gloyd and South Central Roads and named the Meadow Brook Wildlife Conservation Easement, it has full public access.
Also, working with the Franklin Land Trust and using Landscape Partnership monies some 466 acres of land in the Plainfield, Cummington and Ashfield areas were protected. The North Branch of the Swift River which flows through the land is not stocked, but it has a population of wild, native trout.
Incidentally, on November 3, from 10am to 12pm, the Franklin Land Trust will celebrate this newly conserved Swift River Wildlife Management Area at the Plainfield Town Hall, Plainfield, MA. It is free and open to the public.
Hear from Mass Wildlife’s John Scanlon and Brian Hawthorne about the role this important piece of land plays in the broader landscape and the special habitat found there. An optional walking tour of Swift River WMA will follow. Light refreshments will be served. Call 413-625-9151 to reserve your space.
About 87 acres of land was preserved in Worthington. Access off of West Street but there is no formal parking area. It is now part of the Fox Den WMA.
Lastly, a 102.73- acre parcel of land was purchased in South Lee along the Housatonic River behind the old Country Curtains, on both sides of the river. The access points are through the Windsock Industrial Park near the cul-de-sac on the western side, and on the eastern side from Meadow Street which connects with the existing Hop Brook WMA. The Housatonic River, which runs through this property is a premier trout Catch and Release area.
All new land has been added to the MassWildlife Land Viewer system and can be viewed at www.mass.gov\masswildlife.
Loon project showing signs of success

After 4 or 5 years of dragging a loon raft out onto Cleveland Reservoir, DFW Supervisor Madden reported that they had their first successful nesting pair of loons in Berkshire County. They were able to band the adults and the young ones.

They actually built the loon raft and “It was nice to have it actually work”, said Madden. They are now looking at some additional sites.

There is a program in the eastern part of the state where DFW got some loons from up in Maine and brought them down as chicks and put them out in the wild and they also are getting returns.

If there is a sound that epitomizes the remote northern lakes and ponds it is the call of the loon, especially during the quiet twilight hours. It truly is a call of the wild. Once you have heard its call, you will never forget it. Rarely will you hear its call from close proximity for it is a shy, elusive bird. If you hear one at all, it will usually be from a great distance.

An important part of my trips to northern Maine, and eastern Canada is hearing the sound of these birds echoing across the undisturbed, remote ponds in or near God’s country.

Unfortunately, these magnificent birds are susceptible to picking up and digesting fishermen’s lead sinkers, presumably mistaking them for pebbles for their craw, and many have died from lead poison because of it. Some years ago, Massachusetts established regulations banning the use of lead sinkers and jigs under a certain size.
Although it was an inconvenience for the fishermen because they had to divest themselves of the lead sinkers and use other materials such as tin, bismuth, steel, and tungsten-nickel alloy. But, I believe the rewards of having the loons in our midst again makes it all worthwhile.
Incidentally, if you are unfamiliar with the sound of loons, just google “loons”, then “loonsong”, sit back and enjoy their music.
Pistol shooters
Remember my column of July 1, 2018 (State title for Lenox) where I mentioned that the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club Pistol Shooting team took first place at the State finals? According to Team Captain David Cimini, that could be the first State title ever for the club and perhaps for a Berkshire team, at least in recent memory.
They scored 4,126 out of 4,500 possible points, beating the 2nd place Merrimac Valley Pistol League by 21 points.
The Lenox team shooters were: Team Captain – David Cimini, Co-Captain Ray Scheufler, Peter Kirchner, Tom Greenleaf, Gregg Proctor and James Denault. All are Pittsfield residents except for Proctor who resides in Hinsdale. The top shooter was Denault who scored 834 out of 900 possible points.
At that time, I mentioned that if I ever get a picture of these shooters holding their trophy I would run it. It took a while to get, but here it is. Congratulations gents! Might fine shooting!.
Fisheries & Wildlife Board Meeting
The October meeting of the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board will be held this Tuesday, October 30, at 10:00 am at the Lenox Library, in the Welles Gallery, 18 Main Street, Lenox.

Let’s go hunting!

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The Duck and Regular Canada Goose hunting seasons open tomorrow in the Berkshires. The daily bag limit for ducks is 6 with a possession limit of 18. For geese, the daily bag limit is 3 and possession limit is 9. (Remember, the 15 daily bag limit for geese only applies to the early goose hunting season which ended on September 21).

There is a myriad of regulations which apply to duck hunting. For example, note the daily bag limits: The daily bag may contain no more than 6 ducks, and no more than 4 of any species, not additionally restricted; only 2 black ducks, 4 mallards of which only 2 may be females, 3 wood ducks, etc. Waterfowl hunters need a HIP number, State and Federal stamps, must use non-toxic shot, etc., etc. Hunters really need to refer to the 2018-2019 Migratory Game Bird regulations.

The upland game (ring-necked pheasants, ruffed grouse and quail), cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare hunting seasons open next Saturday, October 13.

About 40,000 ring-necked pheasants will be stocked in the Commonwealth this fall and we can assume that about 8,000 of them will be stocked in the Western District. To get a complete listing of the stocking locations, click onto the MassWildlife web site and then onto “Pheasant Stocked Areas”. Not only are the stocking locations listed but also the frequency of stocking.”
Also, a couple hundred additional pheasants, which were raised by the Lee Sportsmen’s Association during the year, will be stocked onto certain public lands.
Really, upland game and rabbit hunting is all about the dogs. How they point, retrieve or hold the scent is a source of pride to the hunter. Now’s our chance to see if all of the training, veterinarian expenses, license fees, dog food expenses, etc. of our bird dogs and beagles will pay off. Hopefully, we have been able to get them into top physical shape, just like us.

If they don’t perform to our expectations, that’s ok. They will still be our lovable best friends who simply adore us.

Hunters should refer to the Massachusetts Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Trapping laws to determine season dates, daily bags, season limits, etc. I would like to reiterate one regulation: No person shall hunt during the pheasant or quail season on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) where pheasant or quail are stocked without wearing a blaze orange cap or hat except while night hunting for raccoons or opossums or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind.”
My recommendation is to wear blaze orange anywhere that you are hunting pheasants, grouse, woodcock or bunnies, not just on a WMA. Also, if hunting waterfowl from a blind, I would recommend wearing a blaze orange hat while going to or leaving the blinds.
I also recommend that non-hunters (hikers, bird watchers, mountain bikers, mushroom seekers, etc.) wear a blaze orange hat while on WMA lands and any forests or lands where hunting is permitted. Don’t forget that cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare hunters are out there, too, and many of them hunt in our state forests.
Incidentally, the coyote hunting season also opens on October 13.
Here’s hoping you have a safe and enjoyable hunting season, and be mindful of the deer ticks.
Help MassWildlife by recording your wildlife observations while hunting

Massachusetts hunters spend a significant amount of time in the woods observing wildlife of all kinds. These observations can provide wildlife biologists with a tremendous amount of information to better understand wildlife distribution and abundance across the Commonwealth. If you are an archery deer hunter or a game bird hunter, MassWildlife asks that you consider keeping a hunting log on all the days you hunt this season.
If you complete and submit either an archery deer hunting log or a game bird hunting log before December 14, you will be entered into a drawing. Prizes include 1 stainless steel tabletop gas grill, donated by Cabela’s, 10 blaze orange MassWildlife caps, and 10 one-year subscriptions to Massachusetts Wildlife magazine. Winners will be randomly selected and notified in late December. If you complete both types of logs, your name will be entered twice.
Archery Deer Hunting Season Log: If you are an archery deer hunter in Massachusetts, keep a daily log of your hunting activities and observations of wildlife during the archery deer season.. Because archery hunters are usually very stealthy and camouflaged, you are uniquely suited to record valuable observations of wildlife including deer, wild turkey, black bear, coyote, and other species not commonly observed.
Game Bird Hunting Season Log: If you are a game bird hunter in Massachusetts, keep a daily log of your hunting activities and observations of game birds while hunting bobwhite quail, pheasant, woodcock, or grouse. These observations will provide MassWildlife biologists with information on game bird populations across the state and allow them to evaluate hunter efforts of various upland game bird species. MassWildlife seeks to maintain healthy game bird populations while ensuring quality hunting experiences for both wild and stocked birds across the Commonwealth.
Log Results From 2017
Archery deer hunters submitted 171 hunting logs resulting in over 9,000 hours of hunting time logged. Logs were received from hunters in every Wildlife Management Zone (WMZ); however, zones 9, 10 and 11 accounted for the most logged hours. Turkey, deer, and coyote were the most common species observed statewide. Bucks and does were observed in every WMZ, while turkeys were observed in zones 1-11; black bears were observed in 7 of the 15 zones.
Hunting logs were received from 42 gamebird hunters in 2017 resulting in 975 hours of recorded game bird hunting. Submitted hunting logs were received from WMZs 2-12 and Nantucket (WMZ 14).
Fall trout stocking has begun
Mass DFW has already stocked several of our local waters. To find out when and where the stockings occurred and the kinds of trout stocked, click onto the MassWildlife web site (www.mass.gov/service-details/trout-stocking-report).
There was some conjecture as to whether the East Branch of the Westfield River will be stocked this fall. According to Andrew Madden, DFW Western District Supervisor, barring any unforeseen event such as flooding or accessibility issues, fall stocking of the East Branch is planned.
Happy 50th Birthday to the American Museum of Fly Fishing

The AMFF, which is dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of fly fishing was established in 1968 in Manchester, Vermont, by a group of passionate and enthusiastic anglers who believed that the history of angling was an important part of American culture and tradition. The Museum was created to serve as an institution to research, preserve, and interpret the treasures of angling history.

Today, the Museum serves as a repository for and conservator to the world’s largest collection of angling and angling-related items, numbering in the thousands. Its collections and exhibits thoroughly document the evolution of fly fishing as a sport, art form, craft, and industry in the United States and abroad, dating as far back as the sixteenth century. Rods, reels, flies, tackle, art, photographs, manuscripts, and books (including its 7,000 volume Gardner L. Grant Library) form the Museum’s permanent collection.

The museum, which is located next to Orvis in Manchester, VT is one of my favorite places to visit. I always look forward to receiving their quarterly journal, entitled The American Fly Fisher which is provided to its members. Check them out on www.amff.org.

An estimated 150 Black Bears taken during the September Season

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The September Back Bear hunting season, which began on September 4 ended on September 22. Preliminary results show that approximately 150 bears were harvested. Most of the bears were checked in on-line and there may still be some checking stations yet to report. Last year’s September total was 151.

There were some large bears taken during this season. For example, there was one checked in on-line estimated to weigh 450lbs, (non-dressed) taken in New Marlborough, one weighing 435lbs (dressed) that was checked into the Buckland check station, one which weighed in at 342lbs (dressed) taken in Lee and another one weighing 375lbs (dressed) taken in Otis.

The November bear hunting season opens on November 5 and runs through November 24. There are different regulations, such as the type of hunting implement, applicable to this hunt so be sure to check the Massachusetts Guide to Hunting Laws (abstracts).

Teddy Bears picnic

The Lenox Historical Society (LHS) will be having a Teddy Bears Picnic on Saturday October 6 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Museum of Lenox History (Academy Building) 65 Main Street, Lenox. Dale Abrams, Education & Volunteer Coordinator for Mass Audubon’s Berkshire Sanctuaries will be the guest speaker. His talk will be geared toward children and will address living with the bears in our midst – where and what their dens are like, how they will spend the winter, what is appropriate behavior if they see a bear, etc. The LHS wants kids (and adults) to learn about their environment, especially since there are so many encounters with bears in the Berkshires.

The LHS will have an exhibit of teddy bears in its museum.

The presentation will last about an hour in order to have enough time for kids to ask questions. Light refreshments will be served after the talk. The event is free and open to the public.

Woodcock hunting season opens this week
The season opens on Thursday, October 4 and runs through Saturday, November 24, excluding Sundays. The daily bag limit is 3 and the possession limit is 9. Woodcock (Timberdoodle) hunters are required to complete a Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey, but no State or Federal waterfowl stamps are required.
Non-toxic shot is not required for woodcock, snipe or rails; however, if you are planning to hunt other species at the same time, no lead shot may be in the hunter’s possession while hunting ducks, geese or coot.

DFW talk on Chronic Wasting Disease
On Thursday, October 4, the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) will be hosting a presentation by David Stainbrook, MassWildlife’s Deer and Moose Project Leader at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club, 310 Curran Rd, Cheshire, MA. Beginning at 7:00 pm, he will be giving a presentation on the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) which is a contagious neurological disease that is fatal to cervids, including deer, elk, and moose. The BCLS encourages you to attend this informative presentation which is free and open to the public.

Prior to Stainbrook’s presentation, beginning at 6:00 pm, the BCLS will conduct a short monthly meeting. The League is made up of delegates from the various Berkshire County sportsmen’s clubs, and the meetings include monthly reports by DFW Western District Supervisor Andrew Madden and MA Fish & Wildlife Board Member Stephen Sears. League and club delegate members discuss various subjects of interest to sportsmen. If you are a local outdoor sportsman who has never attended a BCLS meeting, you might want to come to that meeting and see what it’s all about. Who knows, you might want to represent your club at future meetings.
Dalton’s John Ballard takes 1st in trap shooting
Representing the Lee Sportsmen’s Club, John took 1st Place in a Registered Trap Shoot on September 1 and 2 in North Leominster, MA. He shot 195 out of 200 tries while competing against 150 others in the “C Class” category. No, he didn’t come home with a blue ribbon or trophy, but received a check in the mail.
John says that the Lee Sportsmen’s Club is always looking for new trap shooters. He and others teach trap shooting at the club on Saturday mornings. One caveat, don’t bother him on Saturdays during the goose hunting season.
According to Wikipedia, trapshooting is one of the three major disciplines of competitive clay pigeon shooting (shooting shotguns at clay targets). The other disciplines are skeet shooting and sporting clays. They are distinguished roughly as follows:
• In trap shooting, the targets are launched from a single “house” or machine, generally away from the shooter.
• In skeet shooting, targets are launched from two “houses” in somewhat “sideways” paths that intersect in front of the shooter.
• Sporting clays includes a more complex course, with many launch points.
There are variations within each group.
Trapshooting is practiced all over the world with certain variants. Olympic trap, also known as “International Trap”, “Bunker”, “ISSF Trap” and “Trench”; Double Trap is also an Olympic event. Other non-Olympic Trap include: Down-The-Line, also known as “DTL” and Nordic Trap. American Trap is the predominant version in the United States and Canada.
American Trap has two independent governing bodies. The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) sanctions events throughout the United States and Canada, as well as the Pacific International Trapshooting Association (PITA) which sanctions events on the West Coast of North America.
Trapshooting was originally developed, in part, to augment bird hunting and to provide a method of practice for bird hunters. Use of targets was introduced as a replacement for live pigeons. Indeed, one of the names for the targets used in shooting games is clay pigeons. The layout of a modern trapshooting field differs from that of a skeet field and/or a sporting clays course.
Trapshooting has been a sport since the late 18th century when real birds were used; usually the passenger pigeon, which was extremely abundant at the time. Birds were placed under hats or in traps which were then released. Artificial birds were introduced around the time of the American Civil War. Glass balls (Bogardus) and subsequently “clay” targets were introduced in the later 1800s, gaining wide acceptance.

Field Trial
The Berkshire Beagle Club will be having a Small Pack Option Field Trial at its Richmond Club next weekend, October 6 and 7. The female beagles will run on Saturday and the males on Sunday. They will be having another TT15 Mini Collar raffle for $10 a ticket.
Beaglers come from all over the Northeast to participate in these trials and have wonderful remarks about the condition of the grounds, the numbers of the bunnies available and how the field trials are conducted and judged. The grounds cover some 80 plus acres with both cottontail and snowshoe hares inhabiting them.
In the Beagle Club’s August field trial week-end they had 173 entries over the three days but there were no local winners. Maybe this time one of own local dogs will win. In all fairness, they are competing against some of the best beagles in the Northeast.

Local waters welcome 12,000 trout; 2 local lakes add new boat ramps

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Local waters welcome 12,000 trout; 2 local lakes add new boat rampsl

And our Western District waters will receive about 12,000 of them. That’s according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. (MassWildlife). The rainbows will be 12 inches or longer. This brown trout that will be stocked state-wide will also be about 12 inches long. The stockings should begin this week and be completed by the second week of October depending on water temperatures. The following area waters are scheduled to be stocked this year: Ashfield Pond, Deerfield River, Goose Pond, Lake Buel, Laurel Lake, North Pond, Onota Lake, Otis Reservoir, Pontoosuc Lake, Richmond Pond, Stockbridge Bowl, Windsor Lake and Windsor Pond.

At the time of this writing, it was unclear as to whether the East Branch of the Westfield River would be stocked this fall. It was not stocked last fall because of warm water conditions and low flow. Anglers should be able find out by viewing the daily stocking reports on Mass.gov/Trout. Although Stockbridge Bowl is scheduled to be stocked, because of the toxic algae problem, anglers should probably check the web page anyway.

Incidentally, anglers can search for a specific waterbody or town by using the sortable list, or explore new fishing spots with the map feature.

Tight lines!

Lake boat ramp projects
Recently Department of Fish & Game (DFG) Commissioner Ronald Amidon, Office of Fishing & Boating (OFB) Director John Sheppard, and Assistant Director Douglas Cameron visited the Berkshires to celebrate the completion of two lake access projects: one on Lake Mansfield in Great Barrington and the other on Goose Pond in Lee/Tyringham.
The 40-acre Lake Mansfield is a half mile northwest of the center of Great Barrington. Its maximum depth is 16 feet with an average depth of approximately seven feet. Thanks to a previous donation from Carl Beling there is a boat access on the southeast side of the pond
Last Tuesday, there was a ribbon cutting celebrating the installation of a car top access ramp and adjacent parking area. The newly paved parking area holds about a half dozen cars. Because the lake is so small (40 acres), no motorized boats except electric motors are allowed.
The parking lot and ramp used to be a gravely and when it rained, the gravel and nearby road pollution got washed into the lake. But no longer thanks to the DFG and OFB technician Terry Smith.
During the winter months, Smith did all of the design and permitting work and during this summer he went to work helping to construct it. With help from The Great Barrington DPW, work was done on the nearby road to properly pitch it and the parking area runoff into retention basins and not directly into the lake, thus helping to resolve a non-point source of pollution there. He also was involved in paving the parking lot. By doing much of the work himself and/or in-house, it is estimated that he saved the OBF about 50% of the cost had it gone out to bid and outsourced.
Attending the ribbon cutting were of Great Barrington officials, DPW Chief Sean VanDeusen, AJ Enchill from State Senator Hind’s office, Town Conservation Agent Shep Evens, a representative of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, Christine Ward of the Lake Mansfield Improvement Task Force and others.
All expressed gratitude for the support given by the Town, DFG, Senator Hinds and Representative Smitty Pignatelli. Christine Ward discussed additional long- term management plans for the lake.
Later that morning, DFG and OFB officials, viewed the newly designed and paved boat ramp access to Goose Pond ramp on Cooper Creek Road. Goose Pond is a popular 263-acre pond located off of Goose Pond Road on the Lee and Tyringham town lines. Upper Goose Pond is connected to Goose Pond via a small but navigable channel and is 61 acres in size. Goose Pond has an average depth of 23 feet with a maximum of 48 feet while Upper Goose Pond averages 15 feet in depth with a maximum of 33 feet.
In the 1960s, the Commonwealth secured an easement to ensure public access. Up until this year, the graveled road had been in poor condition with holes and erosion problems. Once again, Terry Smith came to the rescue designing plans for correcting the erosion issues. He rolled up his sleeves and built a runoff retention system The town’s DPW re-graded the roadway to the ramp and with DFG funds, paved the road and delineated parking areas along the side of it. Thanks to Smith’s efforts, the renovation of the boat ramp access costs approximately half of what it would have cost had the project gone out to bid. (I think he deserves a raise).
In attendance were Commissioner Amidon, Director Shepard, Assistant Director Cameron, Smith, Enchill, town officials, lake residents and others. “Tyringham officials recognize the importance of this access and have entered into an agreement with DFG to provide ongoing management of the public access areas. It is a fantastic recreational asset for the public. It is good for people who live here and good for the tourism business as well,” said Tyringham Board of Selectman Chairman James Consolati.

“Ecotourism, or the outdoor recreation economy, has grown to be a significant focus in Berkshire County”, said Commissioner Amidon, “and fixing up boat ramps is just one way to serve both residents and visitors alike”. The DFG has done a lot of that in recent years having done boat ramp work on ponds in Otis and Richmond Pond last year, and Lake Mansfield and Goose Pond this year.
Update on the Ashuwillticook moose
Recently MA DFW responded to a report of a young bull moose weighing approximately 700 pounds on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in Adams. Due to the location of the moose, their biologists worked with the Massachusetts Environmental Police to successfully immobilize the animal and transport it to an undisclosed rural location, where it was closely monitored until it fully recovered from the effects of the immobilization agent. The DFW thanked the EPOs, DCR, Adams ACO, and Adams Fire and Highway Departments for their assistance.

 

Want a night out?
The Berkshire County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited is presenting “A Sportsman’s Night Out” on Friday evening, October 5 at the Stockbridge Sportsman’s Club from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.
You are invited to come out for a night of fun with family and friends. This is not like their Spring event, no formal meal, no live auction, just plenty of fun for everyone. Hot dogs, burgers, sausage, beverages, general raffle, silent auction, and gun raffles
You are advised to wear a flannel shirt to be entered in for the door prize.
No tickets will be sold at the door. You can obtain your tickets online at www.ducks.org or through a Ducks Unlimited member. Tickets must be purchased by Saturday, September 29. Tickets are $30 each or $250 for a sponsorship. They are limited to the first 150 people and they suspect that tickets will go fast.
Chapter co-chairmen are: JP Murphy and Joe DelSoldato (berkshireducks@gmail.com), Chapter members: Andy Atutis, Rich Lincourt, Ken Recore, The Regional Director is Ray Ilg (rilg@ducks.org).

Deerfield River Trout Unlimited Chapter Named Tops in the Nation

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The Deerfield River Watershed’s Trout Unlimited (DRWTU) Chapter has been named the top chapter in the United States by its national organization. The “Golden Trout Award” is the highest honor a local chapter can receive from TU, a national, non-profit conservation agency headquartered in Arlington, VA. DRWTU Chapter 349 was selected from among 420 chapters, with 300,000 members nationwide. This award recognizes the local chapter which, over the last year, took innovative and thoughtful approaches to build and expand community and advance TU’s overall conservation mission.
They will receive the “Golden Trout Award” at the TU Annual meeting in Redding, CA on September 21.
“TU’s philosophy is simple and powerful: Take care of the fish and the fishing will take care of itself,” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of TU. “We are a community that cares deeply about our local rivers and we’re willing to roll up our sleeves to ensure those rivers are in better shape for our children and grandchildren. The Deerfield River chapter exemplifies these ideals and is a shining example.”

“The dedication of our board and membership has really driven our little chapter to do things that we never imagined when we first got started back in 2010,” said Kevin Parsons, chapter president for DRWTU and a founding member. “It’s really our people, and all the other groups and agencies we’ve partnered with that really brought this recognition. The Deerfield River is an incredible natural resource and enhancing its fishery and protecting its ecology is a sound investment for its future.”

DRWTU is among the smallest TU chapters in the United States, (having about 140 members) and its boundaries encompass the most rural region in Massachusetts. The 70-mile long Deerfield River, with its headwaters in Vermont and with 10 hydro-electric dams, is considered a premier cold-water trout fishery in Massachusetts.

DRWTU has been actively participating in FERC’s relicensing of the Brookfield Power hydro-electric facilities located in Monroe and Rowe, MA. As part of that ongoing process, DRWTU conducted a first of its kind trout spawning study, in Massachusetts. Prior to this study it was widely believed any significant trout spawning was occurring in the Deerfield’s tributaries, not the main stem. Last year’s spawning study not only proved that significant trout spawning was happening in the main stem, but that current hydro-electric operations were adversely impacting that effort. In addition, Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife (MA DFW) has since begun significant study work on the Deerfield to further assess wild trout. (Their efforts were extensively covered in this Berkshire Eagle column on August 12, 2018 entitled “ Dogged perseverance pays off” and follow-up comments in the August 19 column).
A second, more expansive trout spawning study will commence this fall. DRWTU has joined forces with MA DFW, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and the USGS Silvio O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center to further assess impacts of Brookfield’s operations. DRWTU and its partners believe better flows from Brookfield Power’s daily operations will result in greater spawning success, higher numbers of wild fish and an overall improvement of the river’s ecology.
DRWTU believes a robust wild trout fishery in the Deerfield will expand economic opportunity and tourism, as even more anglers from outside the region will be attracted by the lure of catching wild fish.
DRWTU was re-established in 2010. A year later Tropical Storm Irene devastated the entire watershed, which kept the chapter busy with several projects. They are a busy little chapter as the members are stewards of the Deerfield River and its tributaries.
For example, they partnered with the Franklin Land Trust (FLT), MA-RI TU Council and all 12 TU Chapters in Massachusetts/Rhode Island to raise an additional $45,000 to purchase and preserve 100 acres, known as the “Crowningshield Property” in Heath, MA to help protect the important West Branch of the North River. This property is now protected in perpetuity.
Stockbridge Bowl is off-limits to all recreational water activities

Recently, the state Department of Public Health found a rust-colored algae on portions of Stockbridge Bowl containing potentially toxic cyanobacteria. The Tri-Town Health and the Stockbridge Board of Health advised people and their pets “to avoid activities that involve contact with the contaminated water.” That includes boating and swimming, but what about fishing?

Probably the best advice is to follow the Health Department guidelines and avoid fishing at the Bowl until the advisory is lifted. Aquatic biologists believe there is a lot of variability in algal blooms and one has to know the specific details of Stockbridge Bowl, but generally once the bloom has stopped and the health advisories lifted, recreational angling will be essentially the same as pre-bloom conditions.
If you have a fish which may have been exposed to the algae and you plan to eat it, be sure to scrub the slime off of it before cleaning or fileting it. You don’t want to get the toxin on the filet knife and taint the meat. (Personally, I wouldn’t even think about eating it.)
Will the toxin harm the fish? As for the impact to fish, aquatic biologists feel that typically the blooms are temporary and don’t have much of a direct impact. Some secondary impacts to dissolved oxygen and food webs can occur. If the fish has been swimming around in this stuff for a long period of time, that is a different matter.
Big family fun at the Big MOE
Experience the Massachusetts Outdoor Expo (The Big MOE) at the Hamilton Rod and Gun Club grounds in Sturbridge, MA on Sunday, September 23, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. In its 21st year, this FREE, family-friendly event celebrates outdoor skills, nature, art, and wildlife. With over 45 activity stations, there’s something for everyone at The Big MOE. Stations include: shotgun, airgun, and rifle shooting, fishing and fly tying, kayaking, archery tomahawk throwing birds of prey, petting zoo, birdhouse building, mountain biking and other crafts.
For a complete listing of activity stations, visit www.FawnsExpo.com.
Convenient, off-site parking is located at the Sturbridge Business Park at 660 Main Street (Rte. 20) and FREE shuttle bus transportation will run nonstop from the Business Park to the Big MOE throughout the day. On-site parking is reserved for volunteer staff and those requiring handicapped access (plate required). No pets or alcohol are permitted. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

Presentation on Trail Cameras

Local outdoor photographer and wildlife tracker Dr. Richard Greene will be the guest speaker at the Lenox Historical Society’s Annual Meeting and Pot Luck Dinner which will be held tomorrow evening at the Lenox Community Center, 65 Walker St., Lenox. In his presentation, he will discuss his use of trail cameras and the activities of the abundant wildlife that he has captured on film.

Dr. Greene’s presentation, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:15 pm following the Society’s 6:00 pm dinner and annual elections. If you wish to attend the pot luck dinner, contact Jan (413) 637-1818 or Vickie (413) 441-7902 with your choice of bringing an appetizer, main dish or dessert to share.

Drivers beware of amorous deer

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

Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp

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

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

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

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

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

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

Atlantic salmon, but not Nessie spotted in Scotland

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Last week, I mentioned in this column that my wife Jan and I just returned from a 14-day cruise around the British Isles. I mentioned that we were going to visit Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland and maybe spot Nessie, the alleged resident loch monster.

I guess I could understand that a monster could survive in Loch Ness for it is 24 miles long, a half mile wide and 980 feet deep. At places it is deeper than the North Sea.
Well, to make a long story short, we did not see Nessie.

We did have a nice boat ride on the Loch and saw on its shore the ruins of one of Scotland’s largest castles, the Urquhart. It saw great conflict during its 500 years as a medieval fortress with control of the castle passed back and forth between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence. The power struggles continued, as the Lords of the Isles regularly raided it up until the 1500s. The last of the government troops garrisoned there during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left. Urquhart’s iconic ruins remain, offering glimpses into medieval times and the lives of its noble residents.

During our bus ride from Inverness, Scotland to the Loch Ness, I happened to look out the window as we crossed over the Ness river and saw a 4 or 5 lb salmon grilse jump some 3 feet out of the water. It’s nice to know that there are still some Atlantic Salmon making their spawning runs up those rivers .
The River Ness is a summer and autumn fishery flowing for some six miles from Loch Ness to the Beauly Firth. It flows through the city of Inverness where King Duncan, notably of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, had his castle. It was there that I saw the bloke pictured herein fly-fishing using a Spey rod. I couldn’t help but stop and take his picture and watch him fishing right in the heart of the city, within sight of Inverness Castle and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral.
Never heard of Spey casting? Well it originated in the heart of Scotland in the mid-1800s. The name comes from the River Spey, which is where the cast originated. Therefore, the Spey cast was developed so one could successfully cast on a large river such as the Spey. These rods are usually 12 to 15 feet in length, and can toss a line up to 80 feet. That’s about how far the angler seemed to be casting. I don’t know if he caught any fish, but he sure could cast a fly.

While there are many variations of the Spey cast, the basic technique is broken down into a few simple actions. With the fly line floating directly downstream, the angler first lifts the line off the water with the tip of the rod, sweeps the line backwards just above the water, and allows just the fly and leader to “anchor” the cast by touching the water one to two rod lengths away and forming a D-loop. While swinging the “D-loop,” the cast is completed by firing the line forward with a sharp two-handed “push-pull” motion on the handle of the rod while making an abrupt stop with the rod tip at the end of the cast. The cast is most easily compared to a roll cast in one-handed fly fishing, although by using the fly as an anchor, a Spey cast allows a greater loading of the rod and thus achieves greater distance than a one-handed cast. (Hope I didn’t lose you there.)

Richard ‘Dick” Bordeau, of Pittsfield, knows how to Spey cast, and he is pretty good at it, too. He sometimes uses that method while fishing for steelhead in the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY. He offered to teach me how to fish with a Spey rod one time, but it looked too complicated for me. I can get tangled up pretty well using my regular 9-foot flyrod, much less one that is 15 feet long.

Our tour guide told us that in order to fish for salmon in Scotland, you have to buy a permit. The price for that permit depends on where one fishes and the time of year. A permit to fish a beat at the prime salmon spawning season could cost $200 or more. At the same location at a different time of year the cost could be as low as $25.

The guide also said that Atlantic Salmon have been in a decline there recently and now, in order to increase the stock, anglers must practice catch and release on the Ness River. (Incidentally, between 80,000 to 100,000 salmon are caught annually by anglers in Scotland’s rivers. Many of these were returned to the water but around 25 per cent were still being killed).

Basic Hunter Education Course

All first-time hunters who wish to purchase a Massachusetts hunting or sporting license must successfully complete a Basic Hunter Education course. The Basic Hunter Education course is designed for novice hunters and is standardized across North America. All government-issued Basic Hunter Education certificates, from any jurisdiction, are accepted to meet this requirement.

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates will be mailed a Certificate of Completion recognized in all U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico. All courses are free of charge and open to the public.

Such a course is being offered at the Pittsfield High School, 300 East Street, Pittsfield, MA. The course includes 6 evening courses: September 4, 6, 11, 13, 18 and 20. They all run from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To enroll call (508) 389-7830.

Thanks for everything Charlie Liston

Charles J. Liston of Lenox Dale passed away this past August 17 at the age of 95.

Readers may recall an April 15, 2018 article that I did on him entitled Charles Liston honored. The article mentioned his receipt of a special plaque from the Lenox Land Trust recognizing his role in forming the Land Trust and his longstanding commitment and leadership of the conservation movement and its early initiatives in Lenox and Berkshire County.” He was recognized for having been tireless in his role as a surveyor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in assisting in conservation work for the Commonwealth, for Lenox, and for many regional environmental groups. And for that generosity of spirit, generations to come will enjoy these preserved lands and wildlife.

He was recognized for exploring and recording the boundaries and features of thousands of acres of land. And his expertise and love of natural landscapes resulted in the permanent protection of many of those acres in their natural state. Anyone who has hunted, hiked or bird watched the Post Farm, the George Darey Wildlife Management Area, Hallowell Meadow, the Edith Wharton Park or Parson’s Marsh in Lenox owes Charlie a great deal of gratitude.

We also owe him our heartfelt gratitude for serving in the US Marines during WWII in the South Pacific, notably in the Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa campaigns.
Charlie and his many accomplishments will long be remembered.

Whip-poor-wills recovery and prescribed burning. Is there a connection?

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During the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen meeting in May, 2018, Fish &Wildlife Board Member from the Western District Steve Sears reported that the Board had received a great presentation on whip-poor-will birds. They appear to be showing a very slight recovery in Massachusetts.
Whip-poor-wills, wow! I haven’t heard that bird since I was a youngster, probably in the 1940’s, when my father pointed out the call at dusk. According to MassWildlife, they pretty much disappeared from the Berkshires in the early 1970’s. Currently, there are only a few populations in Ma, mainly in the eastern part.
Until now, I had always assumed that the widespread use of DDT pretty much did them in, similar to what happened to the bald eagle, peregrine falcon and other birds. (DDT caused the birds to lay eggs with soft shells). DFW WD Supervisor Andrew Madden felt that there was more to it than DDT. If that was the main reason for their demise, then why aren’t they recovering quicker now that DDT is banned, like the raptors? He felt that it probably had more to do with their loss of habitat. He and Steve felt that possibly the prescribed burning that the Division is doing had something to do with their slow but gradual recovery.
They may be right. According to MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program biologists, whip-poor-wills seek dry, open woodlands with little understory adjacent to meadows and shrublands. The open woodlands are used for nesting and the adjacent meadows and shrublands are used for foraging. That probably explains why they were around my neighborhood back then as there were several 100+ acre farms. The cows probably kept the understory in the nearby woods down. Cows weren’t necessarily fenced out of those woods so that they could get into the shade on hot days.

According to MassWildlife, prescribed fire is an essential tool for managing wildlife habitats and natural communities throughout MA. Despite early spring rain and snow this year, they had a record season, burning over 415 acres!

For many decades total fire exclusion from all natural lands was general policy throughout Massachusetts and the entire United States. But, fire exclusion has resulted in the decline of numerous species and degradation of entire ecosystems.
Historically, fire played a fundamental role in shaping certain portions of the Massachusetts landscape. In particular, glacial deposits of excessively well drained sand and gravel soils tend to be associated with relatively short fire intervals. These soil types occur primarily in coastal areas and in association with major river valleys. Lightning-caused fires and/or fires set by Native people in these areas historically maintained highly productive wildlife habitats including heath lands, pitch pine/scrub oak barrens, and open canopy oak-pine woodlands.
Decades of fire exclusion following European settlement resulted in the decline of numerous species and degradation of entire fire-associated ecosystems. In Massachusetts, some vegetation and habitats have evolved with fire and are best maintained with periodic burning, including some areas that are home to state and federally listed rare, endangered, or threatened species. Prescribed fire is used to restore and maintain these habitats.
The primary concerns for all prescribed burns involve human safety and protection of built infrastructure. Planning is critical for every burn. Fire behavior and weather are monitored throughout the burn, and if the prescription parameters are exceeded the fire is “shut down”. Permits are required from the town fire chief and the air quality staff at DEP’s regional offices. The local fire chief can of course stop the fire at any time. There is a public meeting in most areas before prescribed burning is introduced. Abutting landowners are notified of fire dates, reasons, and expectations
Approximately 30% of the MESA-listed (endangered) plant and animal species in Massachusetts benefit from the conditions created and maintained by fire. Natural Communities that benefit from prescribed burning include Sandplain Grassland, Sandplain Heathland, Scrub Oak Shrubland, Pitch pine-scrub oak, Ridgetop pitch pine-scrub oak, Calcareous fen, and Oak woodland.

In follow-up to last week’s Deerfield River article
MassWildlife has launched a project to study brown trout in the upper Deerfield River. This spring, all 1,000 hatchery-raised brown trout stocked in the upper Deerfield were marked by clipping their adipose fins. The adipose fin is a small fatty fin on the dorsal surface (back) of the trout. Research has shown that the removal of this fin is the least intrusive, detrimental, or painful compared to all other fins on the body, and this work is performed by trained biologists with a specific research need.
These marked fish were stocked in their usual locations from Buckland to the Fife Brook Dam. This is the first phase of the project that will eventually mark all hatchery-raised fish in that section of the river. Marking of hatchery fish, together with other elements of the Deerfield River Brown Trout Study, will continue for several years. Anglers should note that for the next few years, there may be holdover hatchery-raised browns in the system that have not been marked.
This project to learn more about both the hatchery-raised and wild brown trout populations took shape through a collaborative process involving MassWildlife and Trout Unlimited. It included input and assistance from a number of other interested parties and individuals from UMass Amherst, US Geological Survey, local Deerfield River fishing guides, and local watershed groups. The study will yield important population metrics including abundance, mortality, and growth rates of individual fish. MassWildlife will use this information to better manage the upper Deerfield River brown trout fishery.
So long Bill Byrne, thanks for the pictures
For over four decades, the spectacular photographs taken by MassWildlife Senior Photographer Bill Byrne have brought sportsmen and women and other conservationists up close and personal with countless wildlife species from across the Commonwealth. Bill’s stunning images ranging from breaching humpback whales, foraging black bears, and secretive piping plovers to urban peregrine falcons, majestic Quabbin moose, and elusive timber rattlesnakes.
Sadly, Bill’s life ended suddenly and unexpectedly in May while spending his last moments doing what he loved: being outdoors, honing his skills as a photographer, and talking photography and wildlife with colleagues and friends.
He is best known for his striking images of bald eagles, moose, black bears, shorebirds, waterfowl, deer, wild turkeys, and many other species, thousands of which have appeared on the cover of Massachusetts Wildlife magazine and other agency publications
He will be missed.
Back home
With luck my wife Jan and I returned home yesterday after a couple of weeks cruising around the British Isles (Ireland, Scotland, and England) and Normandy. There is some good fishing for brown trout and Atlantic Salmon over there but we were on a cruise with a tight schedule and there was no time for fishing. Plus, the possibility of getting a permit to fish there was probably rare and expensive.
One day, we sailed on Loch Ness. I seriously thought about trolling a flatfish off the stern of the cruise ship and catching the fabled monster, Nessie, thus putting to rest once and for all the speculation as to whether or not it exists. But I didn’t have a large enough net, and they probably wouldn’t let me keep it to mount anyway.

Dogged perseverance by Deerfield River Trout Unlimited chapter pays off

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Last fall, members of the Deerfield Chapter of Trout Unlimited began a study of the Deerfield River because they were pretty sure that it had a sustaining population of wild brown trout. They wanted to find out for sure because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is in the process of re-licensing the Bear Swamp hydro-electric facilities which includes the Bear Swamp pump storage. The river system starts above Somerset Reservoir, then Harriman and then Sherman reservoirs to Bear Swamp and then to Fife Brook dam.
Water is pumped up to Bear Swamp Pond and then it is released to the turbines to generate electricity. That doesn’t impact water flows below Fife Brook Dam, but what does impact flows is amount of water which is coming from up above and then what is done with this water in the pump storage facility. How much can they manipulate the water to minimize the impact that is going on with the 17 miles down below? That’s what the FERC relicensing is addressing.
The Deerfield River Watershed is complicated, encompassing 73 miles of water with 10 dams. There are two different license holders involved, Great River who owns the operations above Fife Dam, and Brookfield who owns operations below Fife Brook Dam. The Deerfield River Chapter of TU is dealing primarily with Brookfield for FERC Relicensing. Brookfield receives its water from up above (Great River). The FERC relicensing study area is the 17 miles downstream from Fife Brook Dam down to Dam #4 in Buckland.
Every day there is a hydro event. The mandated minimum flow is 125cfs (cubic feet per second) and on a daily basis it pumps up to 800, 900 or 1000 cfs. During the winter months they run a lot of water (hydropeaking) which is considered bad for the environment and has a significant effect on fish. (There is no disagreement about that unless you are into white water sports).
Initially, the Deerfield River TU Chapter requested a trout spawning study. FERC denied it twice on the basis that there was no proof of adverse effect on the ecology on fish below the Fife dam. Brookfield maintained that this is a put-and-take fishery and that is what MassWildlife values. Fish are put it, taken out or are caught and released. They said that it is a vibrant trout area, so, what’s the problem?
Brookfield was also questioning why they should pay for this study when nothing that they were doing was harming the fish. It is not what Brookfield is doing at Fife Brook dam, they say, it’s what is happening up above that is having the significant impact. Blame it on Great River whose license comes up in 20 years for renewal. Consequently, the study became stalled.
Deerfield TU couldn’t answer the question of what the problem was and how it was impacting the fish. MassWildlife did not believe there was significant spawning in the Deerfield River and believed that any kind of spawning took place in the tributaries and not the mainstem. Well, the TU study proved otherwise.
A Deerfield TU board member read about what was going on at the Henry’s Fork River in Idaho dealing with the significant problems there because of winter flows. Brown trout spawn there in the fall, too. So, he brought information to his TU chapter and asked what they thought about that spawning study. They decided that they were going to go ahead with a similar study and pay for the $2,000 cost themselves.
They raised money on their own, approached the Mass/RI Council of TU as well as other TU chapters for financial assistance. (I’m proud that our local Taconic Chapter kicked in some money). Thomas & Thomas Fly Rod Company contributed $2,000. They hired Dr. Michael Cole, an aquatic scientist to lead the effort.
They didn’t know how much spawning was going on, but if they could prove what the power companies were doing was detrimental to spawning trout and quantify it, it would be a game changer. They had to partner up with USFWS, MassWildlife and the Connecticut Water Conservancy recognizing that they weren’t going to be able to deal with it alone.
About a dozen chapter members went out in late October looking for redds. (spawning nests made by trout). In one particular area, there were 40 redds! Each time they identified a redd, they measured its length, depth, sub-straight, the size of the rocks, GPS settings and marked it with a red flag. Once they found the egg locations, they went back and took samples in low waters. Due to water fluctuations, some of the redds were out of water.
They found 12 of the redds and 8 of them contained eggs. That indicated that there was a significant amount of spawning activity that was going on in shallow water. What the fish appeared to be doing was moving into these areas during high water to do their spawning and when the waters came down they abandoned them. They choose these spots, not because of sub-straight as believed, but also due to some upwelling of the water (40 redds were in one area). Many of the tail spills were completely out of water.
In the 7 ½ mile stretch of the river, volunteers found 101 redds, with 35 of them having eggs. (they only covered about 60-70% of the water so there could be other areas with redds). They took 35 samples of eggs and had DNA tests done, thanks to financing from Thomas & Thomas. All of them were brown trout eggs except for two which were rainbows.
Volunteers went out on a cold March day and found that some of those flags had moved and redds were lost. In one redd they found 80 eggs and 70% of them were alive, and they found eggs in various stages. They are now going to FERC with scientific evidence, and they need to know how much velocity is needed to cover these redds.
The Chapter proved what they wanted to prove and now agencies such as MassWildlife, USFWS, UMASS and others will take it from there. USFWS was “blown away” with the results. MassWildlife, which was originally of the opinion that this spawning was not going on, has gone back to FERC and there will be more extensive sampling by them.
They will be looking for more water releases during the winter months. In the summer months they have to have a certain amount of water to make mandated releases (for the rafters), but during the winter they have no need for them – but the trout do.
The Deerfield TU chapter definitely showed that hydropeaking has an adverse impact on trout. Their goal was to get the State and Federal resources to further study the Deerfield and its tributaries. They want to enhance the wild trout population, work with the state agencies for better management practices, and improve the wild trout population. They would like to see the Deerfield River develop its own surviving strains for stocking, rather than imports, and answer the question. “Can a substantial wild trout population exist exclusively in the upper stretches of the Deerfield River? Right now, they don’t know.
There will be updated information on this subject in next week’s column.