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Successful anglers to be honored
In the Freshwater Sport Fishing Awards Programs, anglers receive bronze pins for catching fish of certain minimum weight requirements for 22 species. They must have their catch weighed at a certified weigh station and submit an affidavit and photo of their catch to the Sportfishing Awards Coordinator. Beginning in 2005, a youth category was added to recognize anglers 17 years and younger for their accomplishments.
Anglers who catch the largest fish in each category in a calendar year receive a gold pin and plaque commemorating their accomplishment. During 2013, Berkshire waters yielded four trophy fish
In the Adult Division, Richard Garhartt, of Berlin, NY, took the largest brown trout. It came out of Onota Lake in Pittsfield weighing11 lbs 4 oz. In the Youth Division, Nathan Luczynski, of Cheshire caught the largest bullhead out of Cheshire Lake weighing 6 lbs 1 oz. (You may recall seeing a picture of that fish and the 6 year older in my March 3, 2013 column). Tauri Adamczyk, of Taunton, MA caught the largest carp weighing 23 lb 2 oz out of Woods Pond (Housatonic River) in Lenox Dale/Lee. The largest northern pike, one weighing 21 lbs 4 oz was caught out of Lake Buel by Hunter Kempf, of Sullivan, NH.
It is interesting how so many out-of-area fishermen are focusing on our waters. I hope the Chamber of Commerce is paying attention.
Since 2002, the Angler of the Year Award has been given to the person who weighs in the largest number of species that meet minimum weight requirements for the previous calendar year. The award promotes awareness of the Commonwealth’s underutilized fish species and recognizes an angler’s ability to catch a wide variety of trophy species. Beginning in 2013, the Angler of the Year is now awarded in two categories: Youth and Adult.
The 2013 Adult Angler of the Year was Mark Mohan Jr., of Pembroke, MA. He caught 16 bronze pin fish. They were: 1 smallmouth bass, 2 bullhead, 1 crappie, 2 white perch, 1 yellow perch, 6 sunfish, 1 brown trout, and 2 rainbow trout.
The 2013 Youth Angler of the Year was Jake Souza of Berkley, MA. He was also Angler of the Year in 2012. Last year he caught 21 bronze pin fish. They were: 2 largemouth bass, 1 smallmouth bass, 2 bullhead, 1 white catfish, 1 crappie, 2 white perch, 2 yellow perch, 1 chain pickerel, 4 sunfish, 2 brown trout, 1 rainbow trout and 2 tiger trout.
None of the above fish were caught in Berkshire waters but rather down east or on Cape Cod. *****
Hard water anglers (ice fishermen) will be able to take advantage of an early February stocking of broodstock Atlantic salmon. Each district received a limited number of them ranging in size from 3-11 pounds from the Nashua National Fish Hatchery in Nashua, New Hampshire. Last week, DFW personnel stocked an undisclosed number in Windsor Pond in Windsor and Stockbridge Bowl. *****.
John Burns will be the guest speaker at the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s monthly meeting at the Bass Water Grill in Cheshire this Thursday evening. He is a River Steward, botanist, and TU Crooked Staff winner. He has been involved in watershed associations in VT and MA., while also working with state fisheries in electro-sampling, stocking, shoreline surveys, and macro-invertebrate inventories. He will be presenting a watershed approach to fishing and conservation efforts focusing primarily on the Housatonic, Westfield, Deerfield, and Hoosic Rivers. The event is free and open to the public. Social hour starts at 5 PM, the presentation at 6 PM and dinner off of the menu (if you so choose) to follow at 7 PM. For more information, contact Ron Wojcik at (413) 684-4141 or rwojcik@bcn.net. *****

The Springfield Sportsmen’s Show is taking place on February 20-23, 2014 at the Big E, West Springfield, Massachusetts. The show includes the best of hunting, fishing, boating and adventure recreation that the outdoor world has to offer all bundled together in one great event. For those interested in purchasing 2014 MA hunting and fishing licenses, MassWildlife staff will be on hand to assist; however, those purchasing licenses must use a credit or debit card for the transaction. Cash or checks will not be accepted. Click onto http://www.osegsportsmens.com for more information. *****
There have been some big fish caught through the ice this winter. Usually, I show those caught by youngsters. Lest people think we old timers can’t catch big fish any more, take a look at the 18 lb, 40 ½ inch northern pike caught out of Pontoosuc Lake recently by grandpa Tom Tatro of Dalton.

Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (413)-637-1818.

2013 Preliminary deer season results are in

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Recently, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) reported that the preliminary deer harvest for 2013 (excluding Quabbin and any data not yet received) was 11,413. Although preliminary, this figure is up 4% from last year’s total harvest. The harvest figures for the previous four years beginning with year 2009 were as follows: 10,381, 10,699, 11,081 and 10,938. In the Western District (WD), which includes all areas west of the Connecticut River (Zones 1 – 4) some 1,664 deer were taken. For the previous four years beginning with year 2009 the figures were 1,667, 1,568, 3,417 and 1,626. Interestingly, Zones 10 and 11 in eastern Massachusetts yielded over 5,000 deer in 2013.
The statewide archery season harvest was 4,474, up 15% from last year. Harvest figures for the previous 4 years beginning with year 2009 were as follows: 3,492, 3,778, 3,765 and 3903. In the WD, 577 were taken with the bow last year. The WD archery harvests for the previous four years, beginning with year 2009, were as follows: 449, 466, 522 and 453. Zones 10 and 11 yielded 2,321 in 2013.
The statewide shotgun season harvest was 4,625, down 7% from last year. For the previous 4 years beginning with year 2009 the harvests were as follows: 4,927, 4,846, 5,349 and 4,950. The WD shotgunners checked in 739 in 2013, which compares with the previous 4 years beginning with year 2009: 857, 815, 904 and 842. Zones 10 and 11 yielded 1,661 in 2013. Some 660 more deer were taken with the bow out there last year than with shotgun.
The statewide primitive season harvest was 2,314, up 11% from last year. The previous 4 years beginning with year 2009 were: 1,958, 2,068, 1,959 and 1,958. In the WD, muzzleloaders checked in 350, which compares with the previous 4 years as follows: 360, 285, 251 and 301. Zone 10 and 11 muzzleloaders checked in 1,020 deer in 2013.
Online reporting was available during deer season for the first time during the 2013 archery and primitive arms seasons. Over 70% of the deer taken during those seasons were reported by hunters through the MassFishHunt system.
Not only is the online reporting system convenient for hunters, DFW claims it allows them to provide preliminary harvest totals much earlier than in previous years. It also allows them to break down the preliminary harvest information by Wildlife Management Zones (WMZ). While total harvest by zone can be informative, it doesn’t provide the complete picture for monitoring trends in deer density because total harvest is influenced by antlerless deer permit allocations in each zone.
The DFW Deer Project Leader analyzes harvest, biological, and hunter effort data, along with hunter success rates, female versus male harvest, and other factors to manage deer populations in each zone. A complete harvest summary will be posted on the DFW website shortly after the annual deer review. Hunters who included their e-mail addresses in their MassFishHunt profile will receive a hunter survey by email in February. *****
The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club will be having its annual Valentine’s Dinner Dance next Saturday evening at 7PM at the clubhouse on New Lenox Road. Tickets costing $25 pp are available from all board members. There will be a roast beef dinner catered by That’s Amore Fine Catering and dancing to DJ Russ Davis. BYOB.

Members should be in great shape for the 6AM registration for their annual Hard Water Open, ice fishing derby on Stockbridge Bowl the next morning.

If that isn’t enough, on the following day (President’s Day) the LSC will be having its 32nd annual rabbit hunt. Pre-registration is required, (Ron Carr at (413)442-5122). The entry fee is $10 with prizes for the heaviest dressed hare and cottontail. Weigh-in deadline is 4 PM followed by a venison goulash dinner. *****

Starting next Friday and running through Sunday, the 17 annual Northeast Fishing and Hunting Show will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center at 100 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT. Click onto http://www.fishinghuntingshow.com for more information. *****

Congratulations to 12-year old Dylan Sondrini of Pittsfield who caught the above pictured largemouth bass last weekend and winning the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club Ice Fishing Derby on Echo Lake. It weighed 6 pounds, was 22 inches long and had a girth of 17 inches. Although he was ice fishing with his dad, Nathan, he set up his own tip-ups and figured out how to catch that big fish. Thanks to his proud mom, Nina, for sending in the picture.

Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (413) 637-1818.

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2014 ICE FISHING DERBIES
Cost
Day(s) Date(s) Organization’s Name Lake Time Adult Child Notes:

Sat 02/08/14 Great Barrington Fish & Game Mercers Pond 7AM – 2PM $15 $5 All kids win something! Includes spaghetti dinner
Sat 02/08/14 Ashfield Rod & Gun Club (Kid’s Derby) Ashfield 8AM – 12PM N/A Free Prizes for kids only & spagehetti dinner ($5 for adult)
Sun 02/09/14 Jimmy Fund Onota 6AM – 2PM $15 $5 Free food with ticket!
Sun 02/09/14 Lee Sportsmens Association Goose Pond 6AM – 2PM $10 $6 Includes dinner @ Club House (565 Fairview St, Lee)
Sun 02/16/14 Cheshire Rod & Gun Club Cheshire Daybreak-4PM $10 Free 1st & 2nd lakes only
Sun 02/16/14 Lenox Sportsmen’s Club Stockbridge 6AM – 2PM $10 Free Kids under 12 free with registered adult
Sun 02/16/14 Tom Wren 9th Annual Memorial Pontoosuc 5AM – 3PM $10 $5 100% of fees paid out
Sat 02/22/14 Megan Babcock 1st Memorial Pontoosuc 6AM – 3PM $10 $5
Sun 02/23/14 Onota Fishing Club (Gelaznik Derby) Onota 6AM – 12PM $10 $5 Includes breakfast, lunch and prizes @ Pavillion
Sun 02/23/14 The Locker Room (Lee Youth Football) Laurel Dawn – 2PM $10 $5 All kids win something! Includes pasta dinner.
Sat 03/01/14 Wayne Mickle Memorial Pontoosuc 6AM – 5PM $10 $5 100% of fees paid out

Schedule of 2014 ice fishing derbies is now available

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The above is the schedule of upcoming ice fishing derbies this winter. The Lanesboro Voluntary Fire Dept. and Izaak Walton derbies have already taken place and the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club Echo Lake derby ends today at 1:30 PM. No information has been received as to whether Smitty’s is having a derby this winter. Our thanks go out again this year to Paula Dailey at the Onota Boat Livery in Pittsfield for compiling the 2014 schedule of ice fishing derbies and posting them on its web site Simply log onto Onotaboat.com to access that list.
While there, check out the leader board current standings in the Onota Boat Livery Ice Fishing Contest. If you are entered into that contest and catch fish smaller than a 20 lb 1 oz northern pike, a 5 lb largemouth bass, a 1 lb 10 oz perch, or a 5 lb 9 oz trout, throw it back, unless of course if you intend to eat or mount it. Actually, the leader board is updated frequently and you might want to check it before going out ice fishing. *****

This year the New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo will be held on four days at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. The hours are as follows: Next Thursday from 3 to 8 PM, Friday from 12:30 to 9 PM, Saturday from 10 AM TO 7 PM and Sunday from 10AM to 5 PM. It is advertised as the region’s biggest, most talked-about annual fishing and outdoor sports show. Attendees can experience the latest innovations in fishing, hunting, boating and camping. They can try out the best gear, talk to top manufacturers and learn from world-class outdoor sporting professionals. Click onto http://www.newenglandfishingexpo.com for a listing of exhibits, guest speakers and more.

MassWildlife reports that they will have a booth at the Expo and will be selling hunting, fishing and sporting licenses. They will only make credit card sales (no cash or checks). Staff will be available to help people purchase their licenses.

Also, the MassWildlife Sportfishing Awards will not be presented at the DCU Center this year like they have in the past. Instead, the winners will be notified by mail, probably next week, if they won the gold pin and trophy. The awards will most likely be presented to the winners this summer in the new energy-neutral Westborough Field Headquarters building. I hope to announce the award winners in next week’s column. ****

Hey tree huggers (term of endearment), did you know that there are trees in our state that are very, very old? For example: there is a yellow birch that is 386 years old, a northern red oak that is 336, eastern hemlock 285, white ash 256, black birch 255, pignut hickory 253, American beech 252, pitch pine 229, red maple 228, sugar maple 225, white pine 198, shagbark hickory 197 and hop- hornbeam 183? According to an excellent article written by Joe Choiniere in the most recent issue of Massachusetts Wildlife magazine, they are located on Mt. Wachusett in Princetown/Westminister. Most of that issue is devoted to managing our forests. If you can get ahold of that issue, it is well worth the read. Better yet, get a subscription, 8 quarterly issues for only $10.

Karen Kruszyna, of Cheshire, last year recipient of the Berkshire County League of Sportsman Lifetime Achievement Award, made an excellent suggestion at a recent League meeting. She suggested that each sportsmen’s club check with the various town and school libraries and donate subscriptions to Massachusetts Wildlife if they are not already receiving it. I’m sure kids and adults alike will enjoy this publication. *****

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will have a prime rib and chicken marsala buffet dinner at the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club on Saturday February 15 at 5:00 pm. The cost for an individual supporting ticket is $70 which includes meal and membership in the RMEF. Couples tickets cost $105 and include two meals and one supporting membership. Many quality items will be offered through live and silent auctions, drawings and door prizes. Contact Gary Johnston at (413) 298-3623 or Howie Wilson at (413) 528-2497 for more information. Don’t delay for there is an early bird special (2 for 1) on the general raffle tickets if you purchase a ticket by February 8.

Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (413) 637-1818.).

Retired trapper reflects on olden days in the Berkshires

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I love listening to the old timers describe how it was in the old days, especially as they relate to the outdoor sports in the Berkshires. When I heard that 96 year old Renee Wendell, of Pittsfield, was once an avid trapper, I just had to meet him. I had never done a column about trapping and wanted to hear about it

Renee came from a family of outdoor sportsmen and any wild game that was shot was not wasted for his mother was an expert cook of wild game. He still talks about her cottontail rabbit and noodle meals she used to prepare. He also was fascinated with the outdoors, considering the woods his “outdoor playroom”.

His grandfather used to babysit him while his father and mother worked. To keep him occupied, gramps would pay him five cents for every mouse or mole that he trapped and skinned, a skill that became very useful to him in the future This went on for some time until he saw gramps throwing a pelt into their woodstove. That ended his mouse skinning career.

When he was ten or so, his dad bought him a trap in a hardware store. Shortly afterwards, Renee found a freshly dug hole in the woods in back of their house and he set up the trap, staking it well. He couldn’t sleep at all that night, wondering what he might find in the trap the following morning. He got up early and ran to the trap to check. Something had been trapped. He couldn’t make out what it was, for it was half in the hole and half out. He ran and got his father, who shot it. It was a skunk. He brought it home and while he was skinning it, someone offered him fifty cents for it. He sold it to him.

One day he was trapping muskrats and while coming out of a swamp near Pontoosuc Lake with 2 or 3 muskrats, a guy asked him what he was going to do with the meat. Use it for bait, he said. The man then and there offered him a couple of dollars for it. Turns out that he was from Louisiana and they ate muskrats down there. So Renee got the pelt and a couple of bucks.

He trapped raccoons for an Italian fellow who paid him two dollars each. One day he trapped a fox and when asked what he did with the meat, he told him he threw it out. Too bad, that fellow would have given him two dollars for it. Hey, what to heck, meat is meat.

He used to get $2.50 for a muskrat pelt, $10 to $20 for raccoons and a dollar an inch for a beaver pelt. A pelt measuring 30” by 36” would yield $65. Fur buyers used to come around buying up all of the pelts. Toward the end of the trapping season they would have two auctions in Sheffield. He enjoyed his hobby and made money doing it. He always made $300+ each year to help buy Christmas presents, pay taxes, etc. He was helping his family as well as the environment because “Animals weren’t getting managed. If you don’t harvest them, something else will. You can’t stockpile game.” he said.

Later on, when he worked a 2nd shift, he would get up early to check his traps. Over the years he had some interesting experiences. He recalls one early morning when he was trapping near Richmond Pond and he heard a fellow calling for help. He was ice fishing and the ice broke under him. Renee ran to a nearby cottage and they called for help. Rescuers arrived quickly and saved him. One time in Becket, he also broke through ice near a beaver lodge. They usually keep the waters open there and the ice was thin and covered with snow. Before he knew it, he was up to his neck in water and muck. What saved him was one little stick about ¼ inch thick and he grabbed hold of it and got out.

Fox were always a challenge because they could smell a trap under an inch of dirt and he had to treat his traps. He boiled them in tree bark and leaves and then waxed them with bees wax (fox aren’t afraid of bees). Then he would set the traps under an inch of wet leaves or moss.

Renee quit trapping when steel traps were banned. “Can you imagine carrying a bunch of box traps with you? And what do you do with them in the trap? Some of these new laws don’t make sense.”, he said.

I was fascinated listening to him but it turned out that he had much more to tell. That will be covered in a future article. *****

The Pittsfield Sportsmen’s Club will be holding its 4th Annual Hunt Raffle and Buffet Dinner at the ITAM in Pittsfield on Saturday evening, February 8. Doors open at 5PM and dinner at 6PM. Cost is $15 for adults and $8 for children under 10. The proceeds from the event benefit PSC Land Development. Tickets are limited. This is a serious raffle with a whitetail deer hunt in Illinois, a fishing charter on Lake Ontario, a drift boat fishing trip on the Salmon River and many more prizes. For more information, contact Travis Delratez (413)441-7979 or Ed Bushey (413)443-9371. *****

Still no schedule of ice fishing derbies occurring this winter. In the meantime, I will list those that are approaching within a week. Next Sunday, the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club will be holding its 37th Annual Raymond M. “Skip” Whalen Ice Fishing Derby from 7AM-1:30PM on Echo Lake in Stockbridge. Click onto its website Stockbridgesportsmensclub.org for the details.

Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (413)637-1818

Hooligan bears roving our neighborhoods

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On Thursday, January 9 at 3:30 PM, John and Linda Morse of the Beachwood area of Stockbridge heard a thumping on the side of their cottage Investigating through the large picture window, they observed not one, two or three but four young bears attacking their bird feeder which hung on the eave and a suet feeder which hung on a shepherds-hook pole in their yard. When John and Linda made loud noises, they “hightailed it through the woods with feeders in mouths”.

John believes they were yearlings and found it very strange they would be out of hibernation given the very cold temperatures being experienced this winter (it was 18 degrees that day). Rattlesnake Mountain is home to many Stockbridge bear sightings and he suspects these four wandered in from there, obviously quite hungry.

The food must have been so tasty that they returned for another helping last Sunday. This time the Morses saw them coming and removed their new bird feeder. They then called the police. The bears made a hasty get-away when the cops arrived, probably heading back to their secret den. Talk about a den of thieves!

With this on again–off again winter, they probably just can’t get a good winter’s sleep and decided to get up and grab a midwinter snack. Perhaps we all should bring in our bird feeders at night until Mother Nature decides where she is headed with this winter.
Incidentally, according to the January issue of the MassWildlife News, 147 black bears were harvested during the 2013 September and November bear hunting seasons. Licensed hunters in western and central Massachusetts took 120 of them in the early season, and 27 in the late season. Successful hunters took advantage of the online harvest reporting system which was available for the first time during the 2013 season. They checked 102 bears using the online system; 45 bears were checked in person at check stations.
Statewide bear harvests for the last 5 years beginning with the year 2009 were as follows: 169, 144, 131, 185 and 147. Western District stations for the same period reported: 61, 57, 45, 47 and 57. *****
The Harrison Brothers, trout fishing guides, will be the guest speakers at this Thursday’s Taconic Chapter Trout Unlimited meeting which will be held at the Bass Water Grill on Rte 8 in Cheshire. They had great experiences guiding in other parts of the world, but their loyalty remains here in western MA where they have guided year round since 2007. They grew up fishing rivers around the area and will share slides and stories about fishing the Deerfield and other rivers of western MA. The event is free and open to the public. Social hour starts at 5 PM, the presentation at 6 PM and dinner off of the menu (if you so choose) to follow at 7 PM. For more information, contact Ron Wojcik at (413)684-4141 or rwojcik@bcn.net. *****
According to Berkshire Beagle Club spokesman John Demary, the rabbit hunt last Saturday was an overall success considering the rainy conditions. There were no hares taken so they awarded prizes for the 2 largest cottontails. The winners were. Paul Viale of Lee, with one weighing 3.04 lbs, and Tim Cahoon of Pittsfield with one weighing 3.00 lbs. Twenty five people attended the dinner of venison pasta, venison stew, and venison Chili. *****
Next Sunday, the Lee Sportsmen’s Association (LSA) will be having a turkey, steak, spiral ham or pork shoot from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Following that there will be a fund raiser dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 PM with roast moose, moose stew, and spaghetti and meat balls. The cost is $12/adult, $6/under 12. The money will be used for raising pheasants which will be stocked onto local public lands next fall. Contact John Polastri at (413)822-8278.
An NRA License-to-Carry course will be held at the LSA on January 27 and 31 from 5:30 to 9:30 PM. The course, with 2 mandatory sessions, costs $100 and preregistration is required. Successful completion qualifies one to apply for a MA LTC Class A or FID. Contact Larry Karlquist at 442-7807. *****

Congratulations to 11-year old Caleb Pollard of Lee for recently catching the above pictured 24 inch 5 lb chain pickerel out of Laurel Lake. He was ice fishing with his family when it hit and fought like the dickens, making 5 runs. He caught it using a shiner and 6 lb test leader. The fish would have qualified for a State Freshwater Sportfishing Award ( bronze pin) or perhaps even the gold pin but it was not weighed on a certified scale. That’s ok though for his dad Jeremia made a batch of tasty fish cakes using that and several other fish they caught that day.

Qestions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: 4(13)637-1818.

Cozy winter hours spent in the man cave

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Ladies, if you haven’t seen your spouse/mate lately, you might find him in his man cave, his special room in the house. Now that the Christmas tree and decorations are put away and deer hunting season is over, he finally has time to clean his deer hunting guns and put them away until next fall. Perhaps he’s getting out another gun to hunt rabbits or coyotes. Maybe he is tinkering with his winter sports stuff such as his ice fishing equipment or snowshoes or maybe he is busy waterproofing his boots. These things are usually done in the man cave.
If he is a fly fisherman, he is probably in there quietly tying up a new batch of killer trout flies. The only time you will hear him is when he breaks the thread on a nearly completed fly. Block your ears, don’t listen. Or he might be oiling his fishing reels, changing the line or doing a myriad of things that must be completed before the spring fishing season begins. He is probably listing gadgets that need to be purchased – new reel, rod, line, lures, fly tying stuff, etc.
Somewhere in the rubble of his man cave, if you dare to go in, you will probably find him amidst an assortment of catalogs from Cabelas, LL Bean, etc, and copies of Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, MassWildlife News, etc. Perhaps he is quietly reading a book from his hunting and fishing book library located in there.. Be careful when you enter not to knock over the fishing rods which are stored behind the door nor step on the hunting dog. He is probably in there somewhere keeping him company, enjoying the smells of the gun cleaning oil, old pop tarts left over from last year’s ice fishing trips, mounted animals, fly tying material and such.
Pay no attention to any clucking sounds that emanate from there. He is just practicing his turkey calling for the upcoming spring turkey hunting season. And whatever you do, don’t touch anything, not a piece of paper …. nothing. There is a place for everything and he knows exactly where it is. Some people I know will not allow anyone into their man cave, especially when they are not there. In fact, some have suggested mounting a motion sensitive trail camera to photograph anyone who enters.
Aah, there is nothing like tinkering around in the man cave after dinner while the cold winter winds and snow are swirling outside the window. It’s a cozy place where one is surrounded by pictures and other memorabilia and where one can reflect on past feats and enjoy the anticipation of the upcoming year’s outdoor sports activities. *****
If you are a fly fisherman, you might want to attend The Fly Fishing Show next weekend at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA. Fly fishing isn’t part of the show, it is the show. There will be over 50 talks and demonstrations each day. While there, you might shop for the newest tackle, book your next dream trip, watch tying and casting demos and learn from the experts.
All the new rods, reels, fly tying materials, books, DVDs and latest equipment will be on display to test and purchase. There is a casting pond for casting demos and it is available to test your new rod. Some of the celebrity authors include Gary Borger, Jay “Fishy” Fullum, Bob Popovics, Dave Klausmeyer, Ben Furminsky and others, and they will be happy to autograph your books. Click onto flyfishingshow.com/Marlborough__MA.html for more details.

While there, you might want to take in the MA/RI Council of Trout Unlimited’s annual banquet on Saturday evening at the Best Western Plaza Hotel (adjacent to the show center). Social hour is at 5:30 pm, buffet dinner at 6:30 and then raffles and auctions. You can get tickets from Paul Knauth (413)441-8559. *****

The Onota Boat Livery is once again having its seasonal ice fishing contest. Entrants must sign up by January 26 and the contest ends on March 16. Participants must be at least 18 years old and purchase at least $25 worth of store merchandise. They may fish anywhere in the Berkshires and all fish caught must be through the ice and brought to the Livery for measuring. Contestants must have previously signed into the contest. The prizes are $50 store gift certificates for the largest pike, largemouth bass, trout, pickerel, perch, crappie, salmon, and new this year, smallmouth bass. Tiger muskies have been dropped from the list as their stockings have been discontinued. Check out the web site at Onotaboat.com for a listing of the derby rules. *****
To prevent needless killing of nice fish, may I suggest that you check the Onota Boat Livery leader’s board to see what the leader fish are, and bring a copy of the minimum weights which qualify for a State Sportfishing Award (page 18 of the Fish & Wildlife Guide). Bring along a scale, too. That way you know whether or not you caught a money/pin fish and if not, you can release it unharmed if you wish.
As of this column’s deadline, the Onota Boat Livery’s listing of upcoming ice fishing derbies is not available. Much of the derby information has not yet been provided by the derby organizers. I will list it as soon as completed. Incidentally, there is a new derby this year, a fund raiser being put on by the Lanesboro Volunteer Firemen’s Association on January 25 on Pontoosuc Lake. (If unsafe ice, it takes place on February 1). It will run from 6AM to 3:30PM. registration and weigh-in to take place behind the Narragansett Park. Entrance fee is $10 for adults, $5 for kids. For more information contact Jeff Dechaime at 443-2321. *****
Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (413)-637-1818.

Berkshire sportsmen/environmentalists lose a champion

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Local sportsmen and environmentalists were saddened to learn that George Hamilton, Jr. of Lenox passed away last Sunday. His obituary in the December 30, 2013 Berkshire Eagle lists many of his accomplishments. Here are a few more. He was a well known sportsman who had a passion for rabbit hunting with beagles and was a long time member of the Berkshire Beagle Club. He frequently took top prize in the rabbit hunts put on by that club and the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club. I heard that he and his wife Cecilia had a rabbit and wild mushroom recipe that one would die for.
He was also an expert turkey hunter and was one of the best turkey callers around. He and his son George “Gige” Hamilton III, gave area seminars on the art of calling in wild turkeys. The first time I met him was at one of these seminars. He was also a long time member of the Alford Brook Club; he helped to get the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited established in its early days, he was a key member of the local Ducks Unlimited Chapter and was a teacher and served on the Advisory Board of Pleasant Valley Sanctuary. He was recognized by the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen which named him the 1999 Sportsman of the Year. He was nominated to receive that award by just about every outdoor sportsmen’s club in Berkshire County.
In the 1970’s, I was one of many who benefitted from the new Environmental Science program that he helped set up at Berkshire Community College. It definitely changed our ways of thinking about how we should treat our natural resources. When he retired from his teaching position there in 1995, BCC officially named his room after him in his honor. I could go on and on listing his many accomplishments.

He was a close personal friend and an esteemed member of the ROMEO’s (Retired Old Men Eating Out), a group of older sportsmen who get together weekly for lunch. Our condolences go to Cecelia and family. He will be missed. *****

In its December 19 meeting, the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited presented John Burns of Framingham with its most prestigious award, the Crook Staff. This award is presented to the person who best exemplifies the ideals of TU, those being the conserving, protecting and restoring of North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds In his own words, he was born “a naturalist like a fish out of water; in the suburbs of Boston.” He quickly learned his place through camping and fishing trips with his family and committed to escaping to the wilds of Vermont and western Mass when he had the chance. This came to fruition during his undergraduate studies at Middlebury College in Vermont, and later in graduate school at Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, NH.

Having been at the YMCA Camp Becket in Becket, MA for over 30 years, Burns became familiar with all that the Berkshires had to offer and considered everything from Stratton Mountain to the CT border his backyard. While trying to settle in the area, he taught science, math and computers at The Academy at Charlemont. He has worked devoutly with Trout Unlimited in the four chapters which cover this region as well as the Deerfield River Watershed Association and many river studies with both the States of MA and VT. He is currently on the Board of Taconic TU and serves as the Vice Chair of Environmental Affairs for the MA/RI TU Council. He built a great web site for the Council and the resources are available to all of the chapters in both states. A botanist with New England Wild Flower Society, Burns’ conservation work in rare plants covers all over New England.

The similarities of Burns and Hamilton are interesting. Both were born near Boston, both were educators, both loved and could live off of the land, both commanding the respect of local sportsmen, both loved the flora and fauna that inhabited our earth. Let’s hope there will always be people like them. *****

Incidentally, the Berkshire Beagle Club on Sleepy Hollow Road, Richmond will be having its annual bunny hunt next Saturday. The entrance fee is $10 and includes a game dinner which follows the 4:00 PM check-in deadline. No Hunting is allowed on the club’s grounds. Prizes will be awarded for the largest hare and largest cottontail. To register contact: John Demary 413-441-2253 or 413-684-2228. *****
This year’s Cheshire Rod & Gun Club Truckload of Goodies Raffle winners were: First Prize – Truckload Winner – Marty Becker of Hinsdale, 2nd Prize – 10 lbs Roast Beef & 1 Liter Captn Morgan – Phil Hiser of Lee, 3rd Prize – 10 lbs Fresh Ham and 1 ltr Jack Daniels – Jim Loughman of Adams, 4th Prize – 20 lbs Turkey and 1 Ltr of Wild Turkey – Carol Fortier of Lanesboro, 5th Prize – 1/2 ltr of Kahula.- Carl Deluce of Pittsfield. Good time to pay them a visit

Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (13-637-1818).

Access to hunting areas should be increased and maintained

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In last week’s column, I mentioned that State Representative Gailanne Cariddi showed up at a recent Berkshire County League of Sportsmen meeting to hear some of the concerns of sportsmen. The sportsmen really appreciated her taking time to hear their concerns. Here is part 2 of that meeting:

Massachusetts Fish and Wild Board Chairman George (Gige) Darey raised a very important issue that has local sportsmen very upset, that of closing or barricading access to DCR state lands for hunting. He cited cases where access is blocked off on Mt Greylock and Pittsfield State Forest. Although October Mountain is not blocked off, the roads are not being maintained from the north and western access points. DCR is doing nothing to improve our forests, just barricading them, he said.

Darey said that years ago the F&W Board supported what is called the Presumption of Openness Rule, which Governor Weld signed. It states that all public lands have to be open for passive recreation, which included hunting, fishing and trapping. “Now we are noticing lots of DCR lands are closed, were they should be opened to hunting”. He noted that the problem is not only the inability of hunters getting access to these lands, it also prevents DFW from managing wildlife properly. “If they keep blocking access, we will start to see an overpopulation of deer, deer ticks and Lyme disease, damage to people’s gardens and shrubs and more auto/deer accidents.” Darey mentioned some communities in the eastern part of Massachusetts are already experiencing this problem. “This situation should be taken care of right now, not when everyone has Lyme disease or their gardens eaten up. We are talking about the health, safety and welfare of people in the Commonwealth”.

(According to the Insurance Information Institute, 200 Americans die each year in more than 1.2 million collisions with deer, causing more than $4 billion in repairs.)

I share Gige’s concerns regarding our public lands. Seems to me the last thing we should be doing is blocking hunting access to them. Here’s why:

On the December 9, 2013 issue of Time Magazine, the front cover shows a doe with a heading “America’s Pest Problem, Why the rules of hunting about to change”, written by David Von Drehle. In the feature article, he makes a solid case for stronger management of wildlife. “Time to Cull the Herd”, he writes The whitetail deer population in the US today is estimated to be 30 million, more than when Columbus arrived, according to the National Wildlife Research Center.

“We now live, work and play in closer proximity to untamed fauna than any other generation of Americans in more than a century”. Von Drehle is not advocating for unregulated indiscriminant hunting such as what occurred in the 19th century which brought several species of wildlife to near extinction, but rather well planned hunting which can safely reduce the wildlife populations to levels that won’t invite an invasion of fangs and claws.”

“Too many animals can be almost as bad as too few. We built suburbs next to forests and threaded them with green space and nature trails, then stocked their neighborhoods with vegetable gardens and fruit trees and big plastic cans full of yummy garbage. At random intervals they installed even bigger metal dumpsters overflowing with pungent delectables, not to mention pet bowls heaped with kibble and barbeque grills caked with succulent grease”.

Anti-hunters advocate for bear proof garbage cans, hidden pet food and birdseed, locked sheds and garages. If these steps were taken tomorrow animals such as bears would be restored to their paleo diet. Being cut off from human feed will likely cause them to become more desperate and brazen. Slow starvation, Von Drehle writes, is no happier a way for bear to die than a hunter’s arrow or bullet.

Non lethal strategies such as loud noises, nipping dogs, strobe lights, etc. are advocated by some, but experiments in New Jersey show but the lure of the dumpster quickly overwhelms a bear’s memory of such traumas. Birth control methods may work on captive populations, but without an enclosure they mingle with non-medicated ones and have more fawns.

“Now it is wise”, he writes, “to correct the more recent mistake of killing too rarely. By shouldering the role of careful, conservative minded predators, hunters make the coexistence of humans and wildlife sustainable”. *****

Say, remember those wonderful Ducks Unlimited banquets which were held in the Berkshires several years ago? No question, they had the best raffle items, prizes and auctions. Anyone who has ever attended one will tell you that. But to put on banquets of that quality requires a lot of help from volunteers and the people who put them on in the past either got burned out or are no longer with us.

Well, I received an e-mail from Ray Ilg who reported that he and some other folks are bringing back the Berkshire County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. They plan on putting together a dinner event this spring and welcome everyone to help make it a success. Two fellows, Joe Delsoldato and JP Murphy have already agreed to co-chair the event. They are planning a meeting sometime in January and are looking for volunteers to help out. If interested, contact Ilg at 603-748-3111 or rilg@ducks.org. *****

Still no deer harvest figures from DFW yet. I was able to find out that a 205 lb buck was taken in Becket, one weighing 197 lbs in Hinsdale, another weighing 184 lbs in Hinsdale, Windsor yielded a 173 and 169 lbs buck. One weighing 166 lbs also came out of Becket. These are all field dressed weights. Sorry, I didn’t get the sizes of the racks.

Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (413)637-1818