Tiger Muskies were stocked again in Pontoosuc Lake

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Record Tiger\Muskie 

This fall, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) was able to receive 1,800 tiger muskies (Tiger Muskellunge) to stock in Massachusetts waters from the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, as part of a cooperative exchange program. That program allows MassWildlife to exchange landlocked salmon from its Palmer Hatchery for Northern Pike and Tiger Muskellunge from NJ.

This year the first 900 tiger muskies, averaging 13 inches long and weighing about a half-pound apiece were stocked in waters in the eastern part of Massachusetts.   The second 900 were stocked in western Massachusetts waters with Hampton Ponds in Westfield/Southwick receiving 300 and Pontoosuc Lake receiving 600. It will take 3 to 5 years for these fish to reach the 28-inch minimum size limit.  All tiger muskies caught shorter than that must be released unharmed.

Tiger Muskellunge are sterile hybrids created by crossing muskellunge, Esox masquinongy, largest of all the esocids, with Northern Pike, Esox lucius. The first stocking of Tiger Muskellunge took place in 1980 when MassWildlife personnel stocked 5,000 tiger muskies from the Pleasant Mount Hatchery in Pennsylvania. The Massachusetts record for Tiger Muskellunge was set in 2001 by the late James Lambert of Pittsfield (pictured above) with a 27 lb. 0 oz. tiger muskie caught out of Pontoosuc Lake. *****

The 2016 hunting, sporting, fishing, and trapping licenses are available for purchase through MassFishHunt, at a license vendor location, or at a DFW office. Anyone 15 or older needs a license in order to fish in freshwater or to hunt. During December, it is possible to purchase either a 2015 or a 2016 license; therefore, license buyers should use care when selecting the year when making a purchase. Minors 15-17 years of age may not purchase hunting or sporting licenses online and must have certain documentation in their possession when making a license purchase at a MassWildlife District office or other license vendor locations.  Freshwater fishing licenses for minors 15-17 are free and can be obtained online. *****

Dave’s Sporting Goods in Pittsfield is having its Coyote Derby again this year.  It will run until the end of coyote hunting season which is March 8, 2016.  Entrance fee is $10 and prizes will be awarded to the person who bags the most coyotes, the largest coyote and there will also be a random draw.

 

Incidentally, last year some 430 coyotes were harvested statewide and of that total, about 75 to 80 were harvested in Berkshire County.  *****

 

The folks at Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) have been quite busy these days.  You surely have heard about the recent Crane donation of the Boulders to them.  It is a 685 acre tract of undeveloped land located in parts of Dalton, Lanesborough and Pittsfield which is one of the largest parcels ever received by the BNRC.   It also transfers part of the conservation restriction (C/R) Crane had with the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to the BNRC.  What a wonderful thing for Crane to do.  The BNRC must have been kept busy facilitating that deal.

 

No wonder they received the coveted Francis Sargent Conservation Award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts earlier this year.

 

But the BNRC is not done yet.  They are not giving up on permanently protecting the 146 acre Undermountain Farm in Lenox.  A C/R deal was imminent earlier this year with the help of Lenox Community Preservation Act funding, but it fell apart.  Now in a renewed effort, the BNRC is hoping to purchase a C/R on 83 acres of that farm without using taxpayer funds in early 2016.  Considerable funds have been raised so far for the project but to close the deal they still need another $115,000 in donations by New Year’s Eve.

 

Ever wanted to just go out and buy a nice Christmas present for yourself?  Here’s your chance.  By helping the BNRC raise the $115,000, you will assure that the farm will remain productive and provide you with sweeping views over the open fields.  Your gift will also secure a permanent walking trail across the farm.

 

Still unresolved is the 63 acres at the south end of the farm which includes parts of Parson’s Marsh and an open water pond.  BNRC hopes to raise another 180,000 to protect that in 2016.

 

But first things first.  Let’s see if we can help them protect the 83 acres now.  Please remember BNRC Executive Director Tad Ames’ words first uttered when the Council received the prestigious Francis Sargent Conservation Award from the Massachusetts DFW earlier this year:

“We do not conserve land so that we can put it in a glass case and observe how wonderful it is and pat ourselves on our backs for having set it aside.  We work together to conserve land so that people can feel the touch of bark under their hands, so that they can be startled when a grouse explodes from the brush, so that they can taste the sweet corn or the venison stew, so that they can see the wind in the canopy.   If we can’t get people out on the land and enjoying it and becoming richer for the experience, then we have not accomplished our whole job”.

 

A protected Undermountain Farm, now wouldn’t that be a wonderful Christmas present.

Shotgun deer hunting starts tomorrow, hope its not foggy

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Here we go again.  Another sleepless night caused by the anticipation of opening day of shotgun deer hunting tomorrow morning.  I don’t know why I even go to bed, with memories of bygone opening days haunting me and preventing sleep.

 

How well I remember one opening day in the late 1970’s or 1980’s.  Back then I hunted Beartown Mountain a lot with Bob Stanard and his brother Rick from Lee.  These guys grew up on Beartown Mountain and knew it like the back of their hands.    We had good luck hunting there.

 

On this day, we were going to hunt the mountain in back of Rick’s house.  The three of us along with a fellow named Jack headed into the woods while it was still dark and very foggy.  Flashlights did no good because the rays reflected back off of the fog, actually making things worse.  After following a logging road through a valley, I cut off to the left and followed a ravine to a ridge where I had good luck in the past.  Bob, Rick and Jack continued straight heading for stands further in.   We were scheduled to meet around noon for lunch.

 

The fog was so thick that the only guide was the sound of an intermittent brook nearby.  After climbing a distance which should put me near my fallen tree stand, I couldn’t find it.   The arrival of daybreak was no help, for one couldn’t see more than 20 feet.  Orientation was impossible because the land contours, trees and other landmarks were invisible.    I started roaming around looking for the stand.  The fog showed no signs of burning off and by 7 AM, I knew I was in trouble – not lost, just “turned around”. The thought of staying put until the fog cleared occurred, but what if it didn’t.  I didn’t want to be fumbling around in the afternoon as darkness was approaching.

 

I decided to go back the way I came along that brook, but it was impossible to find  due to  the lack of snow (no tracks) and thick fog.   Then and there I decided to get off that mountain by heading east toward Beartown Mountain Road.  I should come across one of the logging roads, follow it out to the paved road, go back to Rick’s house and try it again.  After blindly traipsing around, I finally found one and followed it.  But according to my compass, it was heading north, not east.  Must be something wrong with the compass, I thought.  After following it for a long time, the road finally turned east.  The only trouble was that it still didn’t look familiar.  All of a sudden, I was startled when out of the fog came a truck which crossed only a few feet ahead of me.  After taking a few more steps I stumbled onto Beartown Mountain Road near a water troth a half mile or so downhill from Rick’s place.  Without knowing it I had been walking the Burgoyne Trail, which was some distance from where we were hunting.  Somehow I had crossed the saddle between the two major ridges without knowing it.

 

I trudged back up the road to Rick’s place, re-entered the woods, hiked along the logging road into the previously mentioned valley to where I had earlier branched off and took a stand there for the rest of the day.   There was no chance of a repeat performance.  It was around 11:00 AM and the thick fog still showed no sign of burning off.

 

Around 3:30 PM, Bob and Rick’s voices could be heard as they were coming off the mountain.  The fog was still so thick that in spite of our florescent red clothes, we couldn’t see one another until close range.   They were wondering where I was for lunchtime.  Being so familiar with it, they had no trouble walking around that mountain and probably could navigate it blindfolded.

 

“Where’s Jack?”  they asked, thinking that he was with me.   We started calling for him but there was no response.  It was getting dark so we decided to fire three shots (distress signal).  We heard him fire three shots way up in the mountain.  After some time, we fired again and so did he.   We then called and he answered much closer.  Then, out of the fog and darkness, he showed up.  The only trouble, he wasn’t Jack.  He was another panic stricken hunter who also got turned around and was separated from his hunting party.  He was mighty grateful for our help.

 

Now we had a real problem.  Jack was nowhere to be found and darkness had settled in.  Bob and I kept calling for him while Rick hiked back to his house to call Bob’s wife Pat to see if Jack had returned for his car which was left there.   He had, and then went home.  We later found out  that he also got turned around and walked out of the woods on the other side of the mountain, near Ice Glen in Stockbridge, and bummed a ride to his car.

 

None of us had any luck that day or so I thought.  Recently, I bumped into Bob’s nephew Bill Stanard from Sheffield and he remembered that day well.   While hunting a nearby ridge he just barely made out a doe in the fog and shot it.  Upon nearing it, he was surprised to see that it was a nice 8 point buck.  He never saw the antlers in that dense fog.

 

Well, all’s well that ends well.  One thing for certain, when fog begins rolling in, I’m out of there.  It was a lesson never to be forgotten.

There will be more access to our state forests

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In case you haven’t notice, it has become more and more difficult for hunters and other users to gain access into our local state forests.   Our aging population of deer hunters who, in prior years were able to drive up into the mountains and state forests, are being shut out from them and are forced to hike great distances to hunt.   Roads are being gated with no parking allowed near them and some of the roads are in serious states of disrepair.  The exclusion of hunters is counterproductive to the Fisheries and Wildlife efforts to properly manage the deer herd.

 

After several years of prodding by Fish & Wildlife Board Chairman George “Gige” Darey and Berkshire County League of Sportsmen President Mark Jester, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Deputy Commissioner Matt Sisk visited the Berkshires to see first-hand what the problems were and whether they could be rectified.

 

In the September Fish & Wildlife Board meeting in Tyringham, Sisk reported the following changes:

 

Beartown Mountain:    At the main road that goes through the park, DCR will install 4 gates.    They will leave the main gates open in the north and south ends of the park until January 1, harsh winter weather permitting.  Four gates to dirt side roads will be strategically placed around the two look roads that join Benedict Pond Road.  These areas are where you can park.  DCR is also trying to get a place to park other than along the main road.   The gates will be up and running for this year’s deer hunting season.  The south end of the park has the most treacherous road due to the hills and road conditions and DCR is going to put an additional gate there.  In the event of serious weather, DCR will close the gate to the southern access but leave the north gate open.

 

October Mountain:  Schermerhorn Road, which accesses the mountain from behind Woods Pond, has long been closed due to its condition so DCR will do two things:  Patch the road well enough so that the gate can be open for this fall.  It still will not be in great shape.  The second, long term project is to get enough money to actually redo the road.

 

Pittsfield State Forest:     The West Street gate still remains a problem and there are some historical and neighborhood issues there.   This upcoming season, the gate will continue to be where it is and closed.    Opening that gate and placing another gate further up may cause heavy illegal use that would put a strain on police forces.    There is also a question as to who owns the road –  Pittsfield,  Hancock or the Commonwealth.  Depending on how much they own there DCR is looking to expand the road, improve the culvert for drainage and possibly add some more room for parking that won’t restrict the gate.   Parking is prohibited in front of the gate because the rangers, EPO’s and state police need to access it during emergencies.  They hope to expand the shoulders and possibly get a few cars in there.

 

Ten yards up from the gate on Brickyard Road (which goes into NY and back into MA), there was grass up to one’s waist.  This gate has traditionally been open but access to the parking lot was terrible because there was no defined area.  The grass has since been mowed opening up a wide area which has been laid down with gravel.  This access point is better and more vehicles are now able to get in there in a safer way.   DCR will leave that gate open as long as possible.  They will leave the entire loop and main gates open and ask hunters to park on the left hand side of the road, leaving the snowmobile trail open.

 

Greylock Mountain:   The gate in Lanesboro will be opened up as far as Jone’s Nose during deer hunting season.   Regarding the other gate off Rte 2 to Jones Nose, it was determined that it is too steep and there is no good place to put another gate.

 

DCR is not going to close the parks during hunting season but they do want to give people a greater sense of awareness.  There will be some signage at all the main gates informing people that the roads during snowfall are treacherous.  It is hoped that such signage will increase awareness to non- hunters that DCR will not maintain these roads as well as they do during peak season, and that 4WD vehicles are needed.

 

There is no policy as to when to close the roads due to the heights of snow.  DCR feels that the additional signage will warn people about the roads and by doing so will enable them to keep the gates open longer.

 

Both Darey’s and Jester’s efforts have paid off and they are very thankful for Sisk’s assistance.   Although not perfect, the situation is better than it was.  They urge users “not to be stupid when you are up in these places.   DCR Deputy Commissioner Sisk really stuck his neck out for the sportsmen”. *****

 

The Onota Fishing Club will be having its annual game dinner on Sunday, December 6 at the ITAM Lodge in Pittsfield.  On the menu is roast venison, bear, turkey, rabbit, fresh and salt water fish, homemade sausages, chowder and chili.  Appetizers will start at 1:00 PM and dinner at 2:00 PM.  Partial proceeds from this year’s dinner will be donated to The Eagle Santa Toy Fund.  Tickets are $25.00 each and are available at PortSmitt’s Lakeway Restaurant or by contacting Ray Westerman at 413-464-1853.  If anyone is interested in donating venison or bear meat in exchange for dinner tickets, contact Chris Porter at 413-496-0105.

Our wild turkey population is pretty good

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At a recent monthly meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, David Scarpitti,

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) Turkey, Upland Game and New England Cottontail Project Leader gave the following report on our wild turkeys:

 

  • Turkeys are the second most popular game species behind deer. Although hunted mostly in the spring, there is a fall season.  About 21,000 turkey hunters across the state buy a spring turkey permit.
  • He believes our turkey population looks “pretty good”.   On average during the spring season some 2,500 to 2,600 birds are harvested per year.  During the peak years of 2008 and 2009 between 2,800 and 2,900 were harvested.  The harvest declined slightly and stabilized at 2,600 to 2,700 birds and he feels that is good.  Roughly 175 to 180 birds are harvested each fall.
  • Following turkey restorations (around 40 years ago), our flock experienced a tremendous population increase. Over time, it peaked and then declined slightly and they hope that it will stabilize somewhere near the peak.  Other states like NY, CT and  RI are seeing more significant declines but Massachusetts has not seen such declines yet.
  • DFW analyzes the spring harvests, the brood surveys and fall harvests county by county. Using this information they piece together assessments of the population.  Population is one part of it and hunters are the other part.  It used to be that the turkeys existed only in the Berkshire and Franklin Counties.  Consequently, all of the turkey hunters came here.  But over time as turkeys became more common in eastern Massachusetts, less people needed to travel out here.  Some of the declining harvests seen in the Berkshires are a consequence of that shift in hunters.   Overall, he believes the turkeys are doing fine.
  • Another thing to consider is that habitat has changed. There are fewer dairy farms and the forests are changing.  Although turkeys are very adaptable and can survive in those conditions, he believes forest thinnings would help.   DFW is working on that in terms of its management of state lands and is also working with private landowners to manage their lands better. Harvests and predations don’t really affect turkey population.  “First and foremost, the way to manage the turkey population is through habitat”, he said.
  • He wants to hear more from local hunters. Do we see more turkeys or about the same?  He gets mixed reactions.  Some think there are not as many turkeys as there used to be while others think it is just as good but there are fewer hunters.
  • There are a couple of diseases that are present in wild turkey populations. Avian pox is the primary one that most people can see.  The other one is LPVD, a relatively new type of virus that affects turkeys.   Some are concerned that these diseases are causing some of the declines that other states are experiencing, particularly in NY.  There has been a lot of research on this and he believes the diseases are not the “smoking gun”.  Research has shown that a high percentage of turkeys may carry these diseases but they are not dying in mass quantities from them.  There will be some individual mortality but overall they don’t believe there is a direct link to any significant mortality.   It is not something that is terribly concerning at this point.   “If our harvest was declining dramatically or our hunter success rates were going down dramatically, then they would be concerned.” They have looked at it but it hasn’t borne any substance to warrant further examination at this point.  Incidentally, the viruses are avian specific and have no known consequence or danger to humans.    If you shoot a turkey that looks weird when gutting it out, use your judgment.
  • DFW sends out e-mail hunter surveys on turkeys, deer, bears, etc every year. It is their general game take survey.  There are questions about turkeys, how they hunt them, how much time spent hunting them, etc.
  • “Things are pretty good. We have a 2 bird bag limit per year, the fall turkey season was recently expanded from one week to two and it was expanded statewide.” he said.  The fall harvest did not show a tremendous increase because of these changes.    There does seem to be an increase in turkey hunting and harvests in the fall mainly by deer hunters using a bow.
  • Yearly turkey brood surveys assess poult production and they get that information from all sorts of people. He gets more results from people in eastern Massachusetts with turkeys in their back yards than from more rural areas.  The surveys are getting a little more biased on backyard birds, verses huntable birds.   Data are collected in June, July and August, but August is the important month.  Brood numbers are highest in the spring and they get whittled down over time.  The important numbers are how many poults exist at the end of August.  By that time predation dwindles and they are much less susceptible to predators.
  • There is coyote, fox and fisher predation when the poults are in production in the spring and when hens are sitting on nests. Outside of that there is not much predation on adult turkeys. Predators are not a controlling mechanism on turkeys.    *****

Next Sunday, the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited is hosting a fly-tying afternoon at the Wahconah Country Club in Dalton from 2:00 to 5:30 PM.   The event, which is free and open to the public, will be an informal gathering with members bringing in their own vises and tying materials along with a few extra sets available for those curious about tying.  A great opportunity to learn about tying.  If interested contact Henry Sweren at hsweren8@aol.com

Paraplegic Deer Hunt deemed a success

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That’s according to Trina Moruzzi, Division of Fisheries & Wildlife State Coordinator. Twenty five hunters participated statewide in the 3 day paraplegic deer hunt which took place from October 29 through October 31.  A total of three deer, 2 bucks and a doe, were harvested. This translates to a 12% success rate for this year’s hunt, verses last year’s 26% success ratio.  In the past five years, these hunters have averaged greater than a 25% success rate. “Many hunters saw deer, contributing to a successful hunt experience,” she said.

Here in the Berkshires, 9 hunters participated – 5 in the southern and 4 in the northern Berkshires sites.

The southern Berkshires folks hunted in the Mount Washington area and was coordinated out of the DCR Headquarters there.  The hunters were:  Sidney Eichstedt of Lee, Greg Baumli of New Lebanon, NY, Steve Gladding of Westfield, Dick Lockwood of Springfield and Vyto Sablevicius of Norwood. Eichstedt shot a 4 point buck and Sablevicius got a doe.

Helpers included:  Shaun Smith, Brian Ingerson, Marc Portieri, Greg Arienti,  Rick Thelig, Tom Dean, Matt Roach, Paul Antonozzi, Jimmy Thomas and Chuck Pickard, all from the Berkshires or northern Connecticut.   DFW Western District Manager Andrew Madden helped out, too.

 

Chuck Pickard brought his trailer-mounted smoker/grill and a lot of friends, who own restaurants and businesses, donated food and condiments.  Other individuals also prepared food needed for the three day event.

 

On the day that I was there, the lunch menu was:  homemade clam chowder, smoked roast beef, smoked Vidalia onion gravy, smoked baked beans, and potato salad.  Chuck did the smoking and roasting while Patricia Vollmer made the chowder and potato salad.  There were also several home-made deserts baked by supporters.

 

The 4 hunters at the Northern Berkshires site were: Shawn Mei of Baldwinville, Michael Noiseux of Berkley, Dale Bailey of Clarksburg, and David Alderman of Petersburgh, NY.   According to Moruzzi, no deer were taken on the Northern hunt, however most hunters saw deer.

 

Since 1972, this hunt has provided thousands of hours of recreational opportunities for paraplegic sportsmen and women and I am proud to be part of it.” said Moruzzi.  She noted that volunteers are integral to the program and thanked them for their enthusiasm and commitment. Next year’s hunt will be held November 3 – 5, 2016. If you are a paraplegic sportsman or sportswoman interested in participating in the 2016 hunt, contact Trina Moruzzi at trina.moruzzi@state.ma.us or call (508) 389-6318 for more information. *****

 

Staying with the subject of deer hunting, readers may recall an article I wrote about the new Youth Deer Hunt Day which took place on September 26.  In that article, I mentioned the local youths who successfully harvested deer.  Well, there is one more to add to that list and that is 13-year old Hunter Connelly of Hinsdale.  Hunting with his dad Rick Connelly in Windsor, he dropped an 8 point buck which weighed 182 lbs dressed.  He shot the deer with a 20 gauge shotgun at about 30 yards.  An hour earlier, he let a doe with a fawn go by.  Needless to say, his dad, mom Heather and sister, Hannah are quite proud of his accomplishment.  Hunter is having quite a first year of hunting.  Earlier this year he bagged his first wild turkey during the Youth Turkey Hunt Day.  Good mentoring dad. *****

 

Recently, the Hoosic River Watershed Association (HooRWA) held its 17th annual State of the River Conference.  Williams College Chemical Professor David Richardson and student Matthew Gross presented their work on PCB accumulation in crayfish and brown trout.  Some 50 crayfish were analyzed and it was determined that the bio accumulation averaged about .245 parts per million (PPM) which is well below the EPA limit of 2 PPM .

 

Of the brown trout tested this year, the largest one, measuring approximately 17 inches, had PCB levels under 2 PPM.  This preliminary result was good news as a fish that size certainly lived in the river for years, had eaten lots of crayfish and other micro-invertebrates and might have had higher concentrations of PCB’s built up in its systems.  Only 4 trout have been tested, thus far with another 8 trout tests nearing completion.  Those results will be reported at a later date.

 

Tests of the other trout, a brown trout of about 8 ¼ inches and a brook trout about 9 ½ inches had levels significantly below the 2 PPM threshold, with levels under of .30 PPM.  A hatchery raised rainbow trout was caught out of the Green River tributary and that had extremely low, barely measurable levels of PCBs. They stressed that the results on the fish tests are preliminary; but their methods for measuring PCB’s is similar to that used by the EPA.  Professor Jay Thoman believes that no one has found organisms anywhere in the world that don’t contain some PCBs.

 

In the future they are requesting more assistance from fishermen in supplying them with more trout so that they can be sampled.  They don’t want a huge backlog of them because, unfortunately, there is no way of sampling the fish without killing them.

 

Their conclusions were:  (1) There are no significant PCB levels in nearly all crayfish taken at the Cole Field site, (2) They have a high level of confidence in their crayfish measurements, (3) They are close to developing satisfactory trout analysis protocols and (4) They have preliminary values in trout and the tests will be continued in the future.

 

“Things are getting better, at lease biologically” said HooWRA Director Lauren Stevens.  Fish advisories still remain on the Hoosic downstream from the former Sprague property.  It remains to be seen if the fish advisories will be removed if these results hold up and/or improve.

A visit to the Owl’s Nest Part II

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Readers may recall that last month, I mentioned that I had been invited up to the Owl’s Nest in the Green Mountains.  Also scheduled to be there were:  Homer Ouellette of Pittsfield, Paul Ouellette of Lanesboro, Doug Edwards and his son Blake Edwards of Windsor,  Navy Lt. Commander (Ret) Fred Biegner and his son-in-law chef Craig Mitchell of North Kingston, RI, Bob Lamb of Cheshire and Ken Jardin (Homer’s son-in-law) of Hebron, CT.  This will have been my 4th time there, the last time being around 1988.

 

The meals were listed in the invitation with everyone, except me, were assigned cooking duties.  That is probably because I messed up a breakfast there back in the early 1980’s, when I had flipped the pancakes more than once.  Apparently, that’s a no-no.

 

Owl’s Nest co-owner Bob Lamb towed a trailer with his 4 wheeler so that provisions could be hauled up to the cabin.  Paul, who is 92 years old and is having leg problems these days, required a ride up in the trailer.  His 89 year old brother Homer kept him company on the ride.  The rest of us hiked.

 

Also towed up was an outdoor shower system that Bob owns.  This amazing invention is comprised of a small pump which is placed in the nearby brook and powered by a car battery .  A hose goes to an outdoor shower system near the cabin.  This system is heated by propane and provides instant hot water for showering and cooking.

 

The cabin, which can sleep 9, is loaded with memorabilia, and each piece has its own story.  There is a pulley system that is used to hoist wet clothing up near the rafters above the stove to dry over night

 

It was off season, with no deer hunting yet and trout fishing was winding down.   It was too early for perch fishing on Lake Champlain which they usually do during ice fishing season.  Incidentally, the organization Perch Unlimited (PU!) originated at this cabin.

 

So what goes on in a camp during off season?  WORK! Preparations have to be made for the upcoming hunting/ice fishing seasons – wood has to be stacked in or near the cabin, coal has to be wheel barreled to the coal bin near the front deck, the stool shed/shed house has to be cleaned and dirt which had worked its way downhill and settled under the cabin over the years had to be removed to afford good ventilation.

 

After a hard day’s work, a couple of drinks, a spaghetti dinner and a good cigar, it was decided to build a bon fire and burn the “owl cat”.  In the past, someone used a chain saw to carve a 3+ foot owl out of a large stump near the cabin.  It was not liked (looked too much like a cat) and it was decided to saw it down and burn it up that evening.  It was propped upright, and when it was burning, presented an eerie sight.  As the flames licked all around it, the head and eyes appeared to be looking at us.

 

The next day, after breakfast, a morning of hard work and a delicious lunch, an accustomed game of show and tell took place.  Each person brought some gadget and asked others to guess what it was.  For example, Bob brought a devise for setting a beaver trap, Paul brought old pictures, Blake brought pictures from Alaska, Homer brought an old camera, etc.  Perhaps the most interesting item was a home made little vehicle that Doug made and which was powered by a mouse trap.

 

Later on in the afternoon, Blake did some metal detecting while Bob started heating the oil for an oil-cooked turkey which we were having for dinner.  We were expecting guests that evening for dinner.  In addition to the 9 of us, two neighbors Nancy Kolesnik, who is an abutter at the foot of the mountain, and a friend were coming.

 

What a sight as they hiked up the trail to the cabin, Nancy with a covered basket of freshly baked rolls and her friend with a couple of bottles of his homemade elderberry wine.  Her black lab Shooter accompanied them.  Also arriving later that evening were Maureen Soules from Lee and her friend Gordy Merrill from Hancock, VT. Maureen is the daughter of the late Bill Brighenti, one of the original builders/owners of the Owl’s nest.  She is now a part owner of the Owl’s Nest through inheritance.

 

That evening, we sat around adjoining tables enjoying a delicious meal of roast ham, oil-fried turkey, stuffing, squash, potatoes, etc.  Picture it – lit by propane lanterns, 13 people and a dog enjoying a delicious meal and wonderful company in a warm, rustic cabin up in the Green Mountains.   It was like celebrating Thanksgiving.  Now that I think about it, the guests did come over the river and thru the woods.

 

The next morning, after breakfast and work assignments, Doug and son Brady instructed some guys on how to build their own mouse trap powered vehicles.  Afterward, they had racing contests with the winners receiving prizes.

 

Soon it was time to leave.  After loading everything into the wagon, Paul included, we headed back down the mountain.  I had to chuckle at the sight of Paul being driven down the mountain like General George Patton.  All he needed was an ivory handled pistol.  Lt Commander Biegner must have thought likewise for as they passed him on the trail, he stopped, turned and saluted.

 

What a unique and enjoyable weekend, one that I shall never forget.

Youth Deer Hunt was a success

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According to figures released by The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife ), some 1,339 youths participated in the first ever Youth Deer Hunt which was held on October 3.

MassWildlife created this special season to provide young people an opportunity to hunt deer with their own permit during a special one-day hunt that precedes the Commonwealth’s annual deer hunting seasons.  Youths as young as 12 years old can hunt, provided they were accompanied by a duly licensed adult and they obtained a Youth Deer Permit.  Youths 15-17 years old had to have a Massachusetts Minor Hunting License and a Youth Deer Permit.

Preliminary harvest reports show that 143 deer were harvested by the youths on that day.  The nicest deer that I know of was taken by 12 year old Willem Magnifico from Middleton, MA.  Hunting with his father Mark, he shot the pictured 10 point buck which dressed out at 180 lbs.  The deer, which was shot in Middleton, was immediately dropped at 100 yards with a 12 gauge bolt action shotgun.   It was also a great opportunity for Mark to teach his son Willem how to field dress a deer.

 

His mom, Karen, and dad are extremely proud of their son’s feat.   They plan to have the deer’s head mounted.

 

Figures were not yet available as to how many local youths participated in the hunt and how many deer were harvested.   We know that 14 year old Tanner Hill, of Dalton, shot a nice 4 point buck in Dalton, which dressed out at 110 lbs.  Mentored by his dad Michael, he dropped the deer at 75 yards with a 12 gauge shotgun.

 

Cliff Briggs, of Great Barrington, reported on four father/son teams in southern Berkshire County.  Matt Driscoll of Lee hunted with his dad Richard and got a button buck in Becket. It was also a great opportunity for Richard to show Matt how to track a wounded deer until found.

 

Other father/son teams included Hunter Briggs of Lee who hunted with his dad Robert, Chip Consolati of Lee hunted with his dad Tony, and Liam Shields of Lee was mentored by Matt Ranzoni.   The group saw 4 deer, but no bucks other than the button bucks.  After the hunt, Mike Scolforo of Lee invited them up to his hunting camp in Sandisfield and cooked them a couple of burgers and stuff.

 

My apologies to any other hunters/mentors who may have participated during the Youth Deer Hunt Day of which I was unaware *****

There will be a NRA Basic Pistol Course at the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club on Saturday, November 7, from 8 AM to 6 PM. There will be a break for lunch. You are requested to bring a sandwich or snacks, as well as a pen and paper for notes. The course costs$70 and it includes a one year membership at the LSC.

Candidates will learn gun operation and components, ammo functions and the shooting fundamentals.  There is no live ammo in the classroom.  After handling empty guns and dry firing, the candidates will be required to shoot 50 rounds of .22 ammo at the range to complete the course.  They are required to review the MA. State gun laws for possession and storage. Successful completion of this course allows the candidate to apply for a MA LTC Class A. Check the Gun Owners Action League website for disqualifications for the course.

Call Vicki or Cliff White at (413)442-8107 or email them at cliffxring@gmail.com to sign up. *****

The inaugural Berkshire Natural History Conference, which will feature presentations by local and regional naturalists as well as acclaimed authors, will take place on Sun., Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.at the Bellas/Dixon Math and Science Center at The Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass.

 

“This annual event will bring natural history home to the Berkshires,” notes Berkshire Community College Professor of Environmental Science Tom Tyning, the lead organizer of the event.  “We are really excited to gather programs and like-minded people together to help understand and appreciate the deep natural heritage that surrounds us all in the Berkshires.”

The Conference will feature authors and international nature guides, Peter Alden and Brian Cassie.

 

Alden, author of 15 books on North American and African wildlife, is an acclaimed international natural history tour leader traveling to such places as Antarctica, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, South America, the Amazon, Lesser Antilles, Panama Canal, Central America, Pacific Mexico, Alaska, British Columbia and Africa.

 

Cassie, a dedicated naturalist, conservationist, and teacher, has led nature tours in Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, Venezuela and Jamaica as well as closer to home in Maine and Massachusetts. He has worked with the Audubon Society and “Butterflies through Binoculars Tours,” and is president of both the Nuttall Ornithological Club at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Butterfly Club.

 

Other programs on the agenda include:

  • Rene Wendell’s introduction to S. Waldo Bailey, original warden at Bartholomew’s  Cobble.
  • Insect Biodiversity — Tom Murray
  • Our Local Rattlesnakes — Anne Stengle
  • The Richmond Boulder Train — Tim Flanagan
  • Berkshire’s Neatest Butterflies — Bill Benner
  • Native Berkshire Fishes — Andrew MaddenTickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students.  Admission includes brunch, and access to all of the natural history presentations. For more information or to pre-register visit:  https://www.berkshirecc.edu/news-events/bnhc.php. The Berkshire School is located at 245 N. Undermountain Road in Sheffield.  In the event of inclement weather, a storm date is scheduled for Sunday, November 15.The event is sponsored by: Berkshire Community College, The Berkshire School, Green Berkshires, MCLA, Orion Magazine, Berkshire Environmental Action Team and the Hoffmann Bird Club.

The story of the Owl’s Nest

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Recently I had the good fortune of being invited to a rustic camp in the Green Mountains in Hancock, VT. The camp, named the Owl’s Nest, has an interesting history:

It was designed and built board by board in 1967/68 by two brothers (Homer Ouellette of Pittsfield and Paul Ouellette of Lanesborough) and their brother-in-law, the late Bill Brighenti of Lee.

They used to deer hunt the White River valley in the 1950’s and liked it so much that they wanted to build a deer camp there. Fortune would have it that they were able to secure an 11 acre parcel of land surrounded by the Green Mountain National Forest.

Tapping Paul’s knowledge learned from the Boy Scouts and several books on the subject, they designed the cabin. Homer spent nights in his cellar working on the drawings, having them approved by Bill and Paul, and then making them into actual blueprints where he worked.

Then came the “scrounge list”, a list of things that they needed and would accept any source that was cheap. Things like concrete blocks, lumber, pots and pans, windows, doors, sinks, etc.  The only restriction was that they wanted to keep the camp free of modern items like chrome plated kitchen cabinets, plastic furniture, steel chairs, etc.

Paul’s previous research proved valuable. For example, the size and placement of windows was determined only after figuring out where the bunk beds, stoves and furniture would be placed.  The windows and doors were not placed in the center of a wall but in areas where they would not be blocked by such items.

Nothing was left to chance, the height of the windows were measured from Homer’s elbow to the floor while he was sitting. The bunk beds were spaced in such a way that you did not bump your head while sitting up in the lower berth.  The railings on the porch were the height of Homer’s “gluteus maximus” to the floor, thus making it easier to sit on the porch railing.

They spent all of their weekends during that time working on the camp. They had a deal with a small saw mill up there and they would arrange to buy only enough lumber that they could use that weekend.  Since they were using green spruce, and knowing how it would warp, they nailed it in position immediately before it dried.  They carried the lumber to the sight board by board, crossing a brook on the way until a neighbor took pity on them and allowed them to cut across his property.

They advertised to take away people’s old coal when they converted to other forms of heat. They obtained a lot of coal that way and carried it up the mountain bag by bag.  It was covered there and available when needed during the cold deer hunting season.

They dug a hole for the required toilet facilities and one day, while Homer and Bill were working on the roof of the cabin, Paul built the outhouse. It was 5 x 7 feet square with two windows, a door and a comfortable seat.  It was big enough to use as a combined tool shed and outhouse.  Usually, they call it the “Stool Shed”, but sometimes they call it the “Shed House”.  In later years, they installed a propane heating system, carpeted it and installed solar lights that went on when the door was closed.

Instead of hopping from rock to rock while crossing the nearby brook to get to the cabin, they built a bridge across it. Their source of water came from that brook and a smaller one nearby.

One can imagine the effort that went into building that camp. There was no electricity so the sawing and carpentry work had to be done by hand.  With the left over pieces of wood, Paul built a table, two long benches, two short benches, and a wood box.  Later on, they added a kitchen and bunkroom to the original cabin.  The heating is still provided by wood and coal in a kitchen stove and an old parlor stove.

The only source of lighting is propane. No portable radios or other modern gadgets are allowed and you will not find a newspaper there.  Each piece of furniture and adornment has a story of its own and many items were donated by friends or relatives, such as rugs, pitcher pump, ice box, stools, kitchen supplies, pillows, etc.

As you can see by the attached photo, the Owl’s Nest has its own logo. Signs on two paths which lead up to the cabin display this logo.  It features an owl sitting on a piece of property (which is the actual shape of the 11 acre land plot).  The owl’s head has two circles for its eyes representing the two Ouelletes and the beak has the letter B, representing the Bill Brighenti.

Unfortunately, we will have to leave the Owl’s Nest for a while. In the next week or so this column will focus on the ongoing hunting seasons, forest accesses, and other time sensitive articles.  But we will revisit it shortly to cover my recent trip and hopefully provide a picture of it. *****

The Berkshire County Chapter of Whitetails Unlimited will hold a banquet at the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club, Route 102, Stockbridge, on Saturday, October 24.  Games/raffles and social hour begins at 5:00 PM with a buffet dinner at 6:30 PM.  Tickets cost $45 for single, $35 for spouse and $25 for juniors 15 and under. For ticket information, contact Bill Bailey at 413-244-2304.

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Over 80,000 trout to be stocked statewide this fall

 

Some 74,100 trout, comprised of 66,100 rainbows and 8,000 browns will be stocked in Massachusetts water bodies.  The fish from various hatcheries range in size from about 12 inches to more than 14 inches.  Trout have been allocated equally to each of the five MassWildlife Districts and stocking has already begun.

 

The following waters have already been stocked or were scheduled to be stocked last week:  Ashfield Pond, Deerfield River in Charlemont and Florida, Littleville Lake, Norwich Lake, East Branch of the Westfield River in Chesterfield, North Pond in Florida, Pontoosuc Lake, Laurel Lake, Lake Buel, Windsor Lake, Big Benton Pond, Otis Reservoir, Onota Lake, Richmond Pond, Stockbridge Bowl, Goose Pond and Windsor Pond. *****

 

The Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be having its first meeting of the fall on Thursday, October 15. They will meet at the Bass Water Grill on Route 8 in Cheshire. The Social Hour will be from 5:30 to 6:30 and will be followed by a short membership meeting.

 

The featured speaker is Mike Cole, known statewide as “the bug guy”.  Arguably one of the most knowledgeable around, he will be able to tell us about the insects we can encounter on local rivers throughout the various seasons.  For two years the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) and volunteers collected macro-invertibrates to determine the health of the Housatonic River.  All of those little “bugs” were forwarded to Mike at UMASS for identification.  He truly knows his stuff. *****

 

Regarding the HVA, I received a solicitation letter from them recently and they recapped the things that they, with volunteer and membership support, have accomplished in the Berkshires just last year alone.  They have:  Completed 16 new river assessments that show the condition of the Housatonic River and her tributaries and what needs to be done to improve their health; conducted 4 clean-ups to remove litter and trash from the River in Pittsfield, Lenox and Great Barrington; conducted 5 free public paddling trips putting more than 75 people on the river; hired a local engineering firm to design a river access site in Stockbridge on Park Street;  hired a local engineering firm to develop plans for river access sites in Sheffield, Great Barrington and Pittsfield (West Branch); reached more than 500 students in the Berkshires through 33 watershed education programs in nine schools; added pre-school programs at the Becket Library.

 

Teachers in the region now use HVA’s lesson bins to teach students about storm water runoff, water cycle and rivers.  In the next year or so, they will be launching a new Riverside Trail Coalition to create riverfront trails and a trail guide; fix pollution problems town by town across the region as their river assessments reveal them; teach more children with pre-kindergarten programs for schools; protect more rivers through RiverSmartMA! – a campaign to help residents protect rivers and streams, and they plan to create two more river access sites in the Berkshires.  Berkshire County Director Dennis Regan and Berkshire Outreach Program Manager Alison Dixon are doing a fantastic job as is the entire organization.

 

You might want to make a donation to this most worthwhile organization.. *****

The Hoosic River Watershed Association’s (HooRWA)’s 17th annual State of the River Conference will be held on Saturday,  October 17, at 10 a.m. at the First Congregational Church in Williamstown.   Kelly Nolan, senior aquatic taxonomist of Watershed Assessment Associates, will report on the encouraging 2014 assessment of the Hoosic River in Massachusetts, Vermont and New York, and early indications from the 2015 assessments.

 

Williams College Chemistry Professor David Richardson and students Linda Shin and Matthew Gross will present their work on PCB accumulation in brown trout. After decades of tracking PCBs in the  Hoosic by studying crayfish, for the past two summers the students  have turned their attention to brown trout, and the question of whether  PCBs, left over from Sprague Electric Company operations in North  Adams, remain a sufficient threat to limit fish consumption. *****

 

Recently, Civitan of Pittsfield held a Special Olympics Fishing Derby at the Dalton American Legion Pond.  Participating Athletes were from Riverbrook Residence for Women, BCARC, and LETR.  Dawn Giftos, who is on the Board of Directors for Civitan and Co Chair of the event stated that “Civitan, which is a community organization  and who has been serving people with disabilities of Berkshire County for over the past 58 years, is very excited to bring back this great event after a five year absence”.  Giftos thanked all the groups of volunteers who made this possible, Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, MassWildife Angler Education volunteers, USF&W and Western Mass-Bass.  Mark Jester, President of the BCLS stated “We had a great day for the event, unfortunately the fish were not so cooperative.”    Myron Sayers, Co-Chair and Western Mass Bass representative said that there were some fish that cooperated. Ella Bassi and her brother Jake caught a few perch, but none of the 350 stocked brook trout were caught.  There were about 30 folks who participated.   Civitan is already planning for next year’s event in May.

 

Many thanks go to Jester, Giftos, Sayers and others for the information.  Unfortunately, I missed the event as I was on a self-imposed assignment to the Owl’s Nest in the Green Mountains in Hancock, VT.  Next weekend, I will  write about the Owl’s Nest.

 

I’m sure the local hunters are aware of the many hunting seasons that are opening in the next week or so and don’t need a reminder from me.  Hunting seasons such as:  Wild turkey,  pheasant, quail,  grouse, archery hunting for deer, cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares, coyote, ducks,  regular goose and woodcock (already started). Hunters should check the regulations for the particulars of each season.

Francis Sargent Conservation Award earned by BNRC

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Last Tuesday, the Berkshire Natural Resources Council received the Francis W. Sargent Conservation Award from the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board for its conservation of the Commonwealth’s natural resources and for its contributions to the sporting community.

 

Members of the BNRC, including Board Chairman Tim Crane of Windsor and President/CEO Tad Ames of Williamstown, were on hand to receive the award – a hand-carved wooden loon decoy created by Geoff Walker of Hank Walker Decoys of Newbury – at a ceremony held at the Steadman Pond Reserve, Monterey and Tyringham.  In addition to Chairman George Darey and the F&W Board, the ceremony included Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) Director Jack Buckley, Department of Fish and Game Commissioner George Peterson, other state officials and representatives from the sporting and conservation community.

 

The BNRC has been working for more than 45 years protecting the open spaces of Berkshire County to ensure the ecological integrity and public enjoyment of the region’s outdoor resources. It owns and manages 8,600 acres and protects an additional 10,011 acres through conservation restrictions.

 

Various user groups have benefitted substantially from the DFW/BNRC partnership. Thousands of acres in Berkshire County have been opened for hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, bird watching, etc. as a result of that cooperation.   The importance of hunter access is becoming ever more apparent as wildlife populations expand and proper management is required to maintain social and ecological tolerance.

 

Several wonderful speeches praising the great accomplishments of BNRC were delivered by the above mentioned dignitaries.   Let me quote what Tad Ames said when accepting the award:

 

“I’m just delighted to be able to accept this honor on behalf of the entire BNRC family, its Board of Directors, our staff and our many, many generous and compassionate supporters who really make everything we do possible.   This award is about history and what we and the DFW have done together, which has been defined by friendship and trust and nurtured over the years.  That friendship is one of utter reliance between the staff of the BNRC and the incredible staff at the DFW Western District.”

 

“It is also about saluting the sister agencies under the Mass Executive Office of Environmental and Energy Affairs, the Dept. of Agricultural Resources that protected many great farms in Berkshire County and the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation and its land acquisition team.”

 

“This award means that Berkshire County not only is a much better place to live, and visit and work, whether you are an animal or human, but that it will continue to be so.  We have no intention of resting on our laurels.  The DFW’s and BNRC’s core values are access to land for public use and enjoyment.  We do not conserve land so that we can put it in a glass case and observe how wonderful it is and pat ourselves on our backs for having set it aside.  We work together to conserve land so that people can feel the touch of bark under their hands, so that they can be startled when a grouse explodes from the brush, so that they can taste the sweet corn or the venison stew, so that they can see the wind in the canopy.   If we can’t get people out on the land and enjoying it and becoming richer for the experience, then we have not accomplished our whole job”.

 

“That is how we feel and we know we have great partners who feel that way, too.  Not only at the state agencies but at the statewide conservation organizations and local land trusts.  We at the BNRC have a vision for what this award means and what it will mean going ahead.  We want to see our great state wildlife management areas, state forests, farm blocks and land trust properties not as isolated islands of conservation but part of an uninterrupted and continuous network of conservation land that offers safe and healthy passage for animals or even plants that seek to adapt to a changing climate.  A continuous network that offers pathways from my house to yours, from town into nature and back again so that men, women and children alike can walk with a hiking stick in their hand or a fishing pole.  So that they can walk with a hunting bow, a pair of binoculars, camera or calipers and that they do so with a fine awareness of how much all of us depend on the benefits from nature and how deep our obligation to care for it.”

 

“We call this vision of a continuous, uninterrupted network threaded by paths, the Berkshire High Roads.    The Francis Sargent Conservation Award is not only about celebrating all that we have done together in laying the cornerstone over the last 50 years, but that we are rededicating ourselves for the next 50 years to finish the job that we have all done so much to advance.”

 

Wow!  This wonderful acceptance speech was delivered from the top of his head without the use of notes. *****

 

After 9 years with the Western District Office of the DFW, Aquatic Biologist Dana Ohman will be leaving to take on a new job with The Nature Conservancy in Ohio working with the Stream and Wetland Mitigation Program.  In her announcement, she stated that it was not an easy decision because she genuinely respected and enjoyed working with everyone in the Division.    Her last day in the office will be October 9, following the fall trout stockings.

 

On behalf of the local anglers, many thanks Dana for your hard work in keeping an ample supply of trout available for our pleasure.  Thanks also for your various presentations to the classrooms and meetings of Taconic Trout Unlimited.