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

Local State legislator listens to sportsmen’s concerns

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At the December 11 meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s State Representative Gailanne Cariddi (1st Berkshire District) showed up to hear the concerns of local outdoor sportsmen. She is on the Environmental, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee.

Phil Hiser of Lee asked if anything can be done to speed up the process of firearms permits and renewals. He mentioned that he lives in a town where they are talking as long as 5 months for a permit. The letter of the law says they have 40 days to issue or deny it. Wayne McLain, of Williamstown, checked with reliable state sources and found out the average wait is 10 weeks.

BCLS President Mark Jester said that the Attorney General should come out to the Berkshires to explain why it takes so long for licenses to be issued/reissued. According to Jester, who quoted GOAL figures, there are instances statewide where it takes 6 months to a year to get licenses renewed. He stated that the Attorney General’s office was presented with 1,000 examples of licenses for lawful gun owners not having them renewed in a timely manner. On behalf of the sportsmen of Berkshire County he asked Representative Cariddi to look into it.

She stated that she has signed onto a bill that would extend the license period (if your license expired) for 180 days instead of the current 90 days.

Robert McCarthy of Williamstown commented that when people are picked up with gun violations they should get at least one year in jail. (The judicial system) harasses the legal gun owners who are just trying to get their licenses renewed so they can go hunting or target shooting, while armed criminals are running around in our streets. Whoever is responsible, DA’s office or the judges, should adhere to the strictest letter of the law

Jester mentioned another issue, the legalization of crossbows. He commented that 43 or 44 states that passed some form of crossbow legislation. “We are trying to find ways to keep the hunter in the woods and this is one more tool to provide that ability”, he said. Mass. law states, “Crossbows may be used only by persons who are permanently disabled in such a manner that the affliction prevents the person from using conventional archery equipment. The person must submit to MassWildlife a statement to this effect from a licensed physician and they will then be issued a free lifetime crossbow permit.

Michael Kruszyna, of Cheshire, commented that he had a rotator cuff operation during the year and his shoulder is still healing. He filled out an application for a crossbow permit, but the doctor wouldn’t sign it because his was not a permanent injury. He lost the whole archery hunting season this year because of it. .

There were other concerns expressed which will be covered in next week’s column. *****

The way things are going this winter, we may be out ice fishing shortly. Paula and Tom at the Onota Boat Livery are willing to assimilate the various ice fishing derby information. Here’s hoping the organizers of the derbies get together early to coordinate their schedules so that there aren’t 2 or 3 going on at the same date, thus drawing from one another. We need them all to be successful so that they can support the many worthy causes. *****

Tad Ames, President of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council reported that last week the Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded a grant of $35,632 to cover half the cost of buying and conserving 65 acres on the Hoosac Range. BNRC needs to raise the other half of the money by December 31 so that they can close the deal in January. If you donate $100 or so, the property could remain open to walkers, wildlife and everyone who lives, works and visits there. As Tad so eloquently put it, our donations guarantee that “the sun will rise and set over the hills where nature rules.” *****
Having a problem coming up with a gift for that outdoor enthusiast? MassWildlife has a few suggestions: How about a 2-year subscription to Massachusetts Wildlife magazine ($10), eight full-color issues of the Commonwealth’s best wildlife publication. The magazine is packed with award-winning articles and photos on the environment, conservation, fishing, hunting, natural history and just about everything relating to the outdoors in Massachusetts. Or how about their other publications: Critters of Massachusetts, Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies, Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools, or the Field Guide to the Reptiles of Massachusetts, The Introduction to the Threatened Turtles of Massachusetts ($5), is a video available from the DFW’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Contact the DFW Western Regional Headquarters in Dalton to see how to purchase them.
Trout Unlimited has an Angler’s Guide to Trout Fishing in Massachusetts ($20). The only local place where you can get one before this Christmas is Matt Tannenbaum’s Bookstore in Lenox. *****

Sorry, as of December 18 MassWildlife has still not disclosed how our deer hunters have done so far this year. Even figures from the archery season, which ended on November 30 have not been released. Such figures cannot be obtained from our DFW district offices because they don’t have the figures either. They don’t get to see a lot of the deer taken by archers or primitive arms hunters because most of them are now being checked in on-line. About all I could find out about the shotgun deer season is that the opening day and first week figures were down but the second week figures were better. So much for the highly touted automated check-in system, eh? We will probably find out these figures next month, when our interests have shifted to ice fishing.

Happy holidays!

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

Black bear had a long journey

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This past September 17, Alan Bongini of Hinsdale bagged a 250 lb bear (dressed) in Hinsdale, MA which had an ear tag. He registered it on line and brought it to the DFW Western Regional Headquarters in Dalton. DFW personnel determined that the tag was not a Massachusetts one so they contacted the VT Fish & Game and learned that it was tagged in Stamford, VT in 2011.

Bongini was in touch with a VT biologist and was told the following: In 2011, an outfit from Spain wanted to put a wind farm near Stamford, VT, somewhere near the Molly Stark Trail. The VT Fish & Game people were not too pleased with the idea because the area where it was to be located was loaded with beech trees and where bears fed in order to get fattened for the winter hibernation. They captured 4 or 5 bears and put radio collars on all of them except a smaller bear which weighed around 100 lbs. It was too small for the collar and they put an ear tag on that bear instead. That’s the bear that Bongini shot.

A VT biologist contacted Alan and requested a map of Hinsdale where he shot the bear. Later on, he contacted Alan again and told him that the bear had traveled the farthest of any of their tagged bears. Depending on its course it could have traveled 50 or 60 miles. The biologist then sent pictures of the bear when they tagged it. A tooth was extracted and sent to the VT biologist to determine its age. Bongini will probably find out in the spring just how old that bear was.

The bear was skinned out by Clem Caryofiles of Pittsfield and Alan donated it to the Onota Fishing Club for its annual game dinner. There were four or five other bears and all kinds of game also donated by other hunters.

Todd Mancivalano, Director and President of The Onota Fishing Club, thanked Bongini and all who participated, donated and attended its annual game dinner which was held at The ITAM in Pittsfield on December 8. Over 240 people gorged themselves with all kinds of tasty game, expertly prepared by Chis Porter of Pittsfield and others. They had venison and bear meat prepared in several different ways (roasts, shish kebobs, sausages, etc), rabbit, wild boar, seafood, freshwater crappie, pheasant, game meat chili, fish chowder, polenta, etc. One of my favorites was the bear meat. Uum, Umm! I wonder if I had any of Bongini’s bear.

There were so many people there that the Club was able to donate $500 to the YMCA Youth Basketball program, pay out around $650 in its 50/50 raffle, plus another $500 in its own raffle. That didn’t even include the many other raffle items which were donated by local sport shops. *****

While on the subject of bears, the front cover of the 2014 Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife Guide has an excellent picture of one. In that guide, Wayne MacCallum, Director of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife reported that there are some 4,000 bears in Massachusetts. In the 1970’s bears were only found in Northern Berkshire but now they live and raise their young as far east as central Massachusetts in both rural and some residential areas. Their range has expanded further into eastern Massachusetts causing people and communities to adjust their behavior to learn how to live with them. Black bears can be hunted in September and November in wildlife management zones 1 through 9.

Incidentally, the only changes in the fishing and wildlife regulations are: 1) No harvest ( catch and release only) of American shad in inland waters except the Connecticut River and its tributaries and the Merrimac River and its tributaries. 2) The American shad creel or bag limit on those two rivers and their tributaries has been reduced to 3 per day. These changes reflect the fact that shad numbers have declined in most of the species range and the population, though certainly not endangered is at a level where more conservation measures are warranted.

Good news! There will be no increase in the license fees for 2014. *****

If landowners gave you permission to hunt or fish on their lands, now would be a perfect time to thank them. Here are some suggestions: Send a personal note or card thanking them for the opportunity to use their land. Consider giving a small gift such as a gift certificate, a bottle of hooch, a gift basket, or a subscription to Massachusetts Wildlife magazine. In the case of a non-profit landowner, such as the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, make a donation or join their organization.
We shouldn’t take those landowner for granted. Perhaps you might want to visit them at the end of the season to express your appreciation in person; if possible, provide them with some of your fish and game harvest, share images, or a list of the wildlife you discovered on their property.
Offer to assist with tasks around the property that would be helpful, or identify, clean up, and properly dispose of any illegal dumping that has occurred.
If they have no objections, assist them in protecting the property by documenting and reporting suspicious or illegal activities to the Environmental Police. *****
Shotgun deer hunting season ended yesterday and the harvest results have not yet been disclosed by MassWildlife. Tomorrow marks the opening of the Primitive Firearms (black powder) deer hunting season and it runs through December 31. During that season deer may be brought to a game check station or hunters can report them on line at MassFishHunt. Happy hunting and keep your powder dry

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

Getting kids to write- a real challenge

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Some high school principals and teachers are struggling to get kids to write – kids for whom reading and writing is of little interest; but outdoor skills are. For those kids who would rather be outdoors tramping through the woods than writing, The New England Outdoor Writer Association (NEOWA) may have the answer.

NEOWA is offering young people in our region the chance to be recognized for their writing in its Youth Outdoor Writing Contest. According to Ellie Horwitz, NEOWA Secretary, the contest was held for the first time in 2013 and was very successful in motivating students to learn, explore, and write about the many aspects of the great outdoors. The two young women who won last year’s contest are described by their teachers as having “blossomed” in both their confidence and continued motivation to write. Plus, it was found that the contest was a perfect opportunity for teachers and parents to connect with young people about the wonders and benefits of the outdoors.

Here are the particulars:
1. The contest is open to schools in New England and student entries must be submitted by school personnel. Individual students wishing to participate in the contest should contact a teacher or principal within their school in order to enter the contest.

2. Submissions from students in grades 6-8 will be entered in the Junior Division; grades 9-12 will be entered in the Senior Division. Junior and Senior State Level winners will each receive $125, and two New England-wide winners from the Junior and Senior levels will each receive an additional $150.

3. The written entries must be an outdoor-oriented topic and can include: hunting, fishing, boating, archery, shooting, field trials, sporting dogs, camping, woodcraft, skin diving, scuba diving, hiking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife watching, natural history, conservation, ecology, and similar activities that add to the knowledge and enjoyment of nature and natural resources.

4. The written work should not exceed 500 words.

5. Teachers may have students write specifically for the contest or may use work submitted by the student as part of an assignment within the normal curriculum.

6. Teachers, principals, or other school administrators are encouraged to conduct a school-wide contest in order to gather entries for the NEOWA contest. School personnel may create a committee to assist with the judging within their school. Each school may select one school winner from each division—one from the Junior and one from the Senior division—to submit to the NEOWA state chairperson. Each school can acknowledge their own school winners at an award assembly or other recognition program.

The deadline for contest entries is February 15, 2014. Entries must be submitted in digital format via email to their NEOWA state chairperson. In Massachusetts, the chairman is Mike Roche at mikeroche3@msn.com. Additional information can also be found on NEOWA’s Web Site: http://www.neowa.org/youthwritingcontest.html. Also, outdoor writer Dave Willette of North Adams and I are both members of NEOWA and will be happy to assist in any way we can.

NEOWA is made up of dedicated outdoor writers concerned about natural resources, conservation and our outdoor heritage. It is the oldest regional outdoor writers organization in America and is a nonprofit, professional and educational organization.

Incidentally, local outdoorsmen and women may recall Horwitz. Before retiring from MassWildlife she was Chief of Information and Education and ran the Becoming an Outdoorswoman (BOW) program here in the Berkshires for many years. *****
The 2014 hunting, sporting, fishing, and trapping licenses should be available for sale at all license vendor locations, MassWildlife District offices, the West Boylston Field Headquarters, and on the internet at MassFishHunt.org. Anyone 15 or older needs a license in order to fish in freshwater or to hunt. Be careful, it is possible to purchase either a 2013 or a 2014 license this December. Be sure to select the correct year when buying a license. Minors 15-17 years of age may not purchase hunting or sporting licensees online, and must have certain documentation in their possession when making their license purchase at a MassWildlife District office or other license vendor location. Freshwater fishing licenses for minors ages 15-17 years of age 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, 2014. 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.

It is legal to hunt coyotes during the shotgun deer hunting season but special regulations apply while hunting them during that season: hunting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise and end ½ hour after sunset, manual or electronic calls and dogs are prohibited, rifles and handguns are prohibited, shotguns and muzzleloaders are permitted and hunters must wear a minimum of 500 square inches of hunter orange on their head, chest and back. Check the abstracts for more information. *****
MassWildlife reminds us that during the shotgun deer hunting season, Dec 2-14, deer hunters must bring their tagged deer to a check station within 48 hours of harvest. Hunters cannot check deer online during this time period. The information collected at the check stations provides valuable and needed information for the deer management program. Hunters trying to check a deer online will see a message that says “Sorry, there are no Harvest Reports available to you in this category.” As in past years, deer must be brought to a check station before processing it for the freezer or taxidermy. For a list of deer check stations, go to http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/hunting-fishing-wildlife-watching/hunting/checkstation-map.html.
Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone/fax: (413)637-1818.

Shotgun deer hunting season opens tomorrow

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Here we go again. Tomorrow marks another opening day of shotgun deer hunting season which automatically brings another sleepless night tonight. Some of us have been doing this for a long time. I wonder if the senior deer hunters ever think back to the 1950’s/1960’s and the many changes which have occurred since.

Do they think of their school days when teachers didn’t expect to see us on opening day and just looked the other way? It was expected that we would play hooky and go deer hunting. They were the first to ask the following day if anyone got a deer. Some students did and they were pretty popular on the school grounds for a while. It was a different mindset in those days and hunters were not viewed in the same light as today.

Back then, deer season lasted only one week, beginning the first Monday in December. There was no special bow/primitive arms season. We just took the bare necessities into the woods with us….gun, bullets, thermos, a sandwich, a drag rope, a knife and a compass. Not like today where we need a backpack to carry all of the extra stuff …hot seat, GPS, cell phone, binoculars, first aid kit, hand warmers, extra clothes, etc.

Our guns were smoothbore shotguns. The rifled barrel shotguns such as the Ithica Deerslayer didn’t come into being until sometime later. Because we traveled light and had to warm up our feet, we moved around a lot more and not just sitting on a deer stand and freezing. I remember those deer weeks as usually being cold with snow on the ground. Because of the short season, we hunted regardless of weather. Today’s deer hunting season, which includes separate bow and primitive firearms seasons, begins in mid October and lasts until New Year’s Eve, so if there is inclement weather, one could always go another time. Back then hunters could shoot only one deer, buck or doe, no such thing as an antlerless permit.

Hunters had to wear some red clothing, stuff like the black and red checkered Woolrich clothes or plain red suits with hoods. (Hunter orange regulations didn’t go into effect until1962). These days, I am dressed from head to foot in hunter orange, even my gloves, backpack and suspenders. The coats had pouches in them to carry lunch and thermos. Instead of insulated underwear like we have today, we wore red long johns. We didn’t want to show anything white for obvious reasons (after all, we were hunting WHITEtail deer) and didn’t want a jumpy hunter mistaking us for a deer.

We did have hand warmers and the most popular was the Jon-e. You filled it up with lighter fluid, lit it and you were good for the day, provided it worked properly. Your chances were 50/50 that it would either go out too soon or get too hot and burn you through your pocket. Between the lighter fluid smell and the fact that most of us smoked, it is a wonder that any of us got a deer. But we did.

On the Sunday before opening day, we would put tire chains on so that we could get up into the mountains. (Does anyone use chains anymore?) Those were the days before everyone had a SUV or a 4WD truck. The few motels were always filled with visiting hunters and the diners opened early to accommodate them. It was claimed that visiting hunters added $1,000,000 to our local economy each year. Some of them owned deer camps and had good old times there during deer week. Others brought campers and set up in pull-offs in our forests. The State put a stop to this, at least in the state forests. The hunters didn’t bother anybody, and I believe the discontinuance led to some hunters ceasing to hunt in the Berkshires any more. Too bad for we local hunters needed these guys from Boston and elsewhere to roam around, get lost and make noise. It got the deer moving, often times toward us.

There was no need to worry about deer ticks if we sat down on a log or leaned against a tree. They just weren’t around, nor were coyotes and bears. The days are gone when we could shoot a deer late in the day and go back to retrieve it the next morning. Chances are good that these predators will feast on it during the night.

It seems there were fewer deer around here back then and one was lucky indeed to bag one. It was such a big accomplishment that every day, Berkshire Evening Eagle reporter Ted Giddings would list the names of all the lucky hunters along with the weight of the deer, its sex and town in which it was taken. Sportsmen really loved Ted for taking the time to do this. It must have been a lot of work.

I clearly remember my oldest brother Joe and I driving around the neighborhoods looking for deer hanging from backyard trees. Hunters would hang them there for a few days to tenderize the meat, and possibly show them off. We knew who the good hunters were and would be sure to drive by their homes checking. Can you imagine doing that now? Besides getting a wave of complaints from the neighbors, the coyotes or bear would devour them. Also, with the wild temperature swings these days, I would be afraid that the meat would spoil.

Yes, those days are gone but not forgotten. Some of us will be thinking about them while out on our cold deer stands tomorrow.

Here’s hoping you deer hunters have a safe and enjoyable season. If you bag one, all the better.

Become a Berkshire Wildlife Tracker

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Become a Berkshire Wildlife Tracker

We are invited to attend a presentation by acclaimed presenter and wildlife tracker, Susan Morse, to learn more about how climate change is affecting wildlife in the far north. It will be held on Thursday, December 5 at 6:30 PM in the Paterson Field House at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West St., Pittsfield, MA. Tickets are $5.00 at the door – students with ID free. There will also be an opportunity to sign up to become a Berkshire Wildlife Tracker.

Susan Morse of Keeping Track® will present: Animals of the North: What Will Global Climate Change Mean for Them? Canada lynx, moose, American marten, caribou, polar bears, arctic fox and arctic marine and waterfowl ecology are some of the species and subjects covered in this show.

According to Jane Winn of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), this program is not about climate change itself, or even how it will affect us; rather, it is designed to inform audiences about ways in which northern wildlife species are already being affected – and the serious challenges they will face in the future. Attendees will not be overwhelmed with bad news. Instead, this program will devote equal time sharing remarkable images of animals and their northern habitats—all in the spirit of Jane Goodall’s “reason for hope.” The intent is to inspire young and old alike, to join in the vital crusade to change our fossil fuel-burning ways, conserve natural resources, and share a healthy planet with all that lives.

After the presentation, BEAT is offering the opportunity for people who want to get out doors, have fun, and work hard to protect our wildlands by joining the Berkshire Wildlife Trackers program. Participants sign on for six full-day training workshops in the field plus two classroom sessions spread over one year.

During the training, the following issues are addressed: detection and interpretation of tracks and sign of agreed upon focal species for your region (bear, moose, bobcat, fisher, mink, and otter), conservation biology as it relates to data collection and resulting land protection, forest ecology and plant identification as they relate to mammal uses of habitat, ‘search imaging’ – Sue Morse’s technique for predictably looking in the right places and finding sign, and an introduction to science-based field studies. The Keeping Track Project and Data Management Protocol is distributed to all trackers, to serve as the manual for developing a monitoring program and provide standards for data collection.

“By engaging people in monitoring their local wildlife, Morse turns the notoriously abstract issues of biodiversity and habitat fragmentation into an earthy, firsthand relationship with wild animals on their home turf” says Audubon magazine.

The presentation is sponsored by Berkshire Community College Green Team, MCLA Department of Environmental Studies, Bard College at Simon’s Rock Sustainability Studies, BEAT, Berkshire Wildlife Trackers, Project Native, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, Housatonic Valley Association, The Nature Conservancy, The Trustees of Reservations, Green Berkshires, Greenagers, the Climate Reality Project, and the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen.

A physician friend joined this program the last time Morse came to town and he is absolutely having a ball tracking, filming, etc. For the last couple of years he has been emailing me some remarkable pictures of the wild critters that share the Berkshires with us. Many thanks, Doc.

For more information contact Jane Winn at Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) at jane@thebeatnews.org, or phone 413-230-7321.*****

Hunting season is upon us and it may be a good time to refresh our memories on some statutes. Any landowner permitting use of his or her property for recreation without charging a fee is not liable for injuries to recreational users of the property except in cases of willful, wanton or reckless conduct by the owner. (MGL28, Section 17C).

Hunter harassment is against the state law. Remember, you paid for a legal permit to hunt; it is called a hunting license. Report violations to the MA Environmental Police (800)632-8075 or to state or local police. Be prepared to provide a description of violators and/or a description and license plate number of the vehicle. (If you have an I-phone and can safely do so, take a picture).

The archery deer hunting season ends this Saturday; however, if you insist on getting your deer with a bow, you can still do so during the shotgun season which opens on December 2. Sorry I can’t give an update on how the archery season is going. With the new on-line reporting system, such figures are not available. Guess we will have to wait until DFW releases them.

I should be able to get interim figures during the two week shotgun deer season. That is because shotgun deer hunters must check their deer in at an official check station for biological data collection and not on-line. A list of those stations and operating hours can be found on the MassWildlife web site. You will see that many check stations have different hours for the first week of shotgun deer season. Some have additional hours, whereas others are asked to not check deer so that deer can be funneled to nearby check stations to increase biological data collection. Special checking hours for the first week of shotgun season are listed on the website..

Also ending this Saturday are the pheasant and grouse hunting seasons. *****

Another reminder, you only have until December 6 to comment on the proposed new DCR regulations which determine what the public can/cannot do while visiting their parks and recreational facilities. If you do not like the proposals, don’t complain to your fellow sportsmen or to the DFW. You must contact Laura Dietz, DCR, 251 Causeway St., Suite 600 Boston, MA or email : regs.comments@state.ma.us. If you choose to do nothing, then don’t complain later.

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

PCB’s remain in Hoosic River, but it is in good health overall

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The Hoosic River Watershed Association’s (HOORWA) annual State of the River Conference which was held recently was quite interesting. There was a presentation addressing the current status of the river with regard to the PCB contamination levels. Williams College chemistry professors David Richardson and Jay Thoman and students from Williams College, MCLA and Bennington College reported on the results of their studies of PCB levels in crayfish taken from various sites in the river and feeder streams.
“Ground Zero”, the site near where the Sprague plant was located had levels from 8 to 15 ppm (parts per million). The EPA sets the maximum safe level as 2 ppm. This sounds bad until one considers that before remediation, the levels there were as high as 1,000 ppm. The research shows the PCB levels are not decreasing, but remain stable. The crayfish collected farther downstream appeared to fall within the safe level.

Although PCBs normally sink to the bottom of water and stick to tiny grains of dirt, some did move downstream, presumably with the sediment which got washed downstream. Crawfish eat organisms that live in the sediments which eat and break down the detritus. They are ideal for analysis because they live on the river bottom and don’t travel far. They contain high amounts of fat in their tails which store nutrients as well as contaminants, said Williams sophomore Austin Paul.
They would like to expand their studies to include critters higher up in the food chain, such as trout. They eat lots of crayfish and the concentration levels of PCB’s in their body fat should be higher. They need help in obtaining these sample fish and are calling out to local fishermen. (Now there’s an excuse for getting out of yard work ………must go fishing to help the scientific community….we have an obligation to help out.)

Incidentally, HOORWA is doing a lot of good things on the Hoosic River these days. Executive Director Stephen McMahon reported that thanks to a remediation settlement, they are one of the beneficiaries of funds which will allow them to fund river monitoring programs for the next two or three years. These funds are dedicated to maintaining the quality of the Hoosic River from Cheshire Reservoir through North Adams.

They have been working with the Green Mountain National Forest staff to take temperature readings of streams (some in Pownal, VT) that are tributaries to the north branch of the Hoosic River. They have had successful river clean-ups. They have been working with the Bennington Conservation district and the village of North Bennington VT to remove a dam/bridge which created a dangerous scouring pool. They have been working with the town of Bennington, VT trying to conserve a piece of land, where the South Stream and Jewett Fork come together to form the headwaters of the Walloomsac River. They have also had successful Riverfest events.
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In 2014 they plan to work on removing dams, especially those that are classified as significant threats, to increase fish passages. They plan to sustain the river monitoring program, and this data will determine whether there are certain streams in MA and VT that must be protected for fish habitat and to evaluate the aspects of rising temperatures due to climate change. *****

Conservation-minded citizens are invited to attend an event being offered to share information about resources for managing and protecting private land for wildlife. Staff from the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (DFW), Department of Conservation and Recreation Service Forestry, and Natural Resources Conservation Service will be available to discuss some options. Topics will include the New England Cottontail Initiative, the benefits of woodland management, options for protecting private land, programs that offer financial assistance and opportunities for private landowners or land managers to become engaged in conservation efforts. The habitat tour will take place rain or shine. The dates are as follows:
Wednesday, November 20, Sandisfield Arts Center, 5 Hammertown Road, Sandisfield, from 3:30 to 4:30 PM habitat management tour, from 5:00 to 6:00 presentation, and from 6:00 to 7:00 open house. Staff will be available for questions
Friday, November 22, Monterey United Church of Christ, Tyringham Rd. and Rt. 23, Monterey, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM presentation and from 6:00 to 7:00 open house – Staff available.
For more information, contact Marianne Piché, DFW Habitat Lands Biologist, at 508-389-6313 or email, marianne.piche@state.ma.us. *****
This year there were 5 participants in the Northern Berkshires paraplegic deer hunt, of which David Alderman of Petersburgh, NY got a button buck. There were 8 hunters in the Southern Berkshire hunt, of which Brigette Buzalsky of Lawrence, MA got a button buck on Thursday. ( I believe this was Brigette’s fifth buck bagged in paraplegic hunts). Sidney Eichstedt of Lee got a 130 lb buck also on Thursday. Elsewhere, 2 deer (one buck, one doe) were taken at the Quabbin site, and 1 doe was taken at the Devens site. *****

Paddy Sullivan, son of JoAnn and Shawn Sullivan of Lee and a 14 year old Freshman at Lee Middle School, is a member of the Lee Sportsmens’ Association and Holyoke Revolver Steel team. The team has won two recent Steel Challenge matches. The first match, held on October 5, was the Maine Scholastic Pistol Program Challenge held at Camp Hinds in Raymond, ME resulted in a gold medal in the Rimfire Senior division. The second match, held on November 2, was a Scholastic Steel Collegiate match, held at the Pioneer Sportsmen’s Club in Dunbarton, NH resulted in a first place win in the Center Fire Junior/Senior Division, and a first place win in the Rim Fire Junior/Senior division. Congratulations to Paddy who, according to his parents, was the top shooter in both matches. *****

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

Part 2Celebrating the protection of state’s open space

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Last week, I mentioned that there were five speakers at the Maple Hill Celebration which took place on October 29. In addition to Energy and Environmental Secretary Sullivan and Division of Fish & Game Commissioner Griffin the following people spoke:

Narain Schroeder, Director of Land Conservation for Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) spoke of its conservation partnership with DFW/DFG. To stress his point, he pointed to Mt Greylock and nearby FlatBrook WMA to the north, the Taconic Range to the west, the 900 acre Alford Springs Reserve and the Alford Valley with the state’s APR protection program further south and the Maple Hill WMA to the east. “ In our county there is a tradition of conservation that runs deep. We are lucky to have a governor and citizenry that values conservation. It is a privilege to work with and for these folks.”

To help explain how DFW/DFG reached the 200,000 acres of conserved land, DFW Director Wayne MacCallum spoke about the Division’s history of its land conservation program. In the 1950’s funds for land acquisition came out of license fees which were paid by the hunters, fishermen and trappers or through the excise fees collected and administered by the US Fish & Wildlife. They were to be used solely for conservation of state fisheries and wildlife. Back then approximately 13,000 acres had been acquired.

In 1968 sportsmen lobbied for a 25% increase in license fees with a dollar to be charged specifically for land acquisition. In doing that, the state was supposed to match those funds dollar for dollar. It never happened, but it did provided the ability for the state to take out a 20 year $5 million bond to purchase property.

In 1984 Governor Dukakis passed the first bond issue targeted for acquisition of wildlife conservation land. In 1988 there was another one.

In 1990 the sporting community advocated for a tax on themselves with a $5 fee (called the Wildlife Conservation Stamp), to be added to their hunting and fishing license fee. It was to provide a stable stream of monies for land acquisition. The State started bond issues which matched the monies coming in from the land stamp.

Also, a significant amount of money comes out of the Federal aid program. Also, the North American Conservation Act (excise tax monies) provides a significant amount of monies to MA for land protection. All of this comes out of the pockets of hunters, fishermen and trappers. In addition, funds come in through the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation which is managed by a separate board and is not part of DFW/DFG funds.

According to MacCallum, fishing and hunting generates $1.5 billion directly to the economy of MA, indirectly almost double that amount.

Fish & Wildlife Board Chairman George (Gige) Darey of Lenox. thanked the Patrick Administration for its conservation efforts. “I’ve been around a long time but never has there been an administration that put so much land into conservation”, he said. In addition to the various agencies, a lot of people were involved in the conservation movement: John Drummond Kennedy (Kennedy Park acquisition), George Wislocki former executive director of the BNRC (Post Farm acquisition). Green Berkshires and Eleanor Tillinghast (who led the way in getting the ACEC near Woods Pond on the Housatonic River, MassAudubon and others. He specifically mentioned Charles Liston of Lenoxdale., who was a surveyor for the state. It was him who tipped off Darey and Wislocki about land along the Housatonic River. He provided them with a map listing all of the pieces of property and who owned them. The State ultimately purchased it and it became the Housatonic Wildlife Management Area.

Darey also mentioned Attorney Sarah (Sally) Bell who did a lot of pro bono work for the DFW, HVA and the Town of Lenox. “People have no idea of the impact that she had – nobody ever knew about it”. He mentioned several others who also made significant contributions to land conservation. He mentioned the “Guns and Roses” coalition where sportsmen and conservationists united to help push for bond bills, river bills, etc. “Our natural beauty in Berkshire County is one of our greatest selling points” “We have just about everything we want here and this natural beauty is one of the things we have to preserve”. *****
A NRA Basic Pistol Course will be held on November 18 and 21 from 5:30 to 9:30 PM at the Lee Sportsmen’s Association. . It is an introduction to the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary for owning and using a pistol safely. It gives information regarding pistol parts and operation, ammunition, gun safety, pistol shooting fundamentals, and pistol shooting activities. These are 2 mandatory sessions. Successful completion of the class qualifies one to apply for a MA LTC Class A or FID. Contact Larry Karlquist at 442-7807 or gramps@berkshire.rr.com. *****-
The MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has scheduled 5 public hearings statewide regarding the adoption of a new CMR which will regulate what the public can do while visiting DCR park and recreational facilities. The closest hearing location to us is The Notch Visitors Center, Mount Holyoke Range State Park, 1500 West Street (Rte. 116), Amherst. It will be held on Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 P.M.
The Berkshire County League of Sportsmen and GOAL urge sportsmen to attend this meeting or, at a minimum, submit a letter to DCR expressing their concerns.
Verbal and written testimony may be presented at the public hearing. Written comments will be accepted beginning November 4 until 5:00 PM on Friday, December 6. Submit written comments to Laura Dietz via mail to DCR, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA. 02114 or via e-mail: regs.comments@state.ma.us

200,000 acres and counting

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200,000 acres and counting

Some 85 sportsmen, hikers, bird watchers and conservationists gathered last Tuesday in West Stockbridge on top of Maple Hill, in a field across the road from the Maple Hill Wildlife Management Area. We were there to celebrate the State’s landmark achievement of acquisition and protection of 200,000 acres of open space for the benefit of the public and, fisheries and wildlife and natural communities of our state. All of it is open to the public for passive recreation.

There were 5 major speakers and I will cover their comments in this and next week’s column.

Department of Fish & Game (DFG) Commissioner Mary Griffin thanked Governor Patrick and Energy and Environment Secretary Rick Sullivan for their conservation leadership and commitment to land protection. Over the last 7 years more than $64million has been invested and 40,000 acres of open space was conserved. During that period the DFG and Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (DFW) worked with 75 partners to preserve that land. Partners such as the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC), various land trusts, private landowners, etc. Support from the legislature in the form of passage of environmental bond bills was crucial.

EEO Secretary Sullivan said that we are celebrating the hard work of land owners and land trusts in putting the lands into conservation. “We are preserving a quality of life”. Referring to Governor Patrick’s conserved 40,000 acres, he said the administration will have left the Commonwealth in a much stronger position in terms of quality of life preservation than they found it.

These acquisitions were part of the State’s economic development, for every $1 invested in land conservation, $4 in natural goods and services were returned to our economy. It is part of an economic development strategy, especially in Berkshire County. He said that recreation generates some $10 billion in consumer spending and return some $739,000 in state and local revenues and produce 90,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. But it is time to do more, he said, time to double down on those investments. In the recently initiated Landscape Partnership Program, they are looking to create partnerships with land trusts, state and citizens to put together large tracts of land of 500 acres or more.

Comments from Narain Schroeder, Director of Land Conservation with the BNRC, DFW Director Wayne MacCallum and F&W Board Chairman George (Gige) Darey of Lenox will be covered in next week’s column. *****.

Congratulations to the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club skeet shooters. For the eighth time out of
the last nine years they won the annual Tri-Club Skeet Championship, defeating Sheffield and Lee clubs. According to the Club newsletter, top shooters were: Tom Gansowski who hit 146 out of 150 clay targets, followed by Joe Ary and Gary Johnston with 143, Gregg Charbonneau and Darren Coffey with 139, Gary Harrington with 138 and Bob Cameron with 131. *****

If Vicki and Cliff White of Pittsfield have their way, the Berkshires will continue to produce expert skeet shooters. With help from other members of the Lee Sportsmen’s Association, they are heading up a youth skeet shooting group called the LSA Buckshots.

They are affiliated with SCTP (Scholastic Clay Target Program) which includes 23,000 athletes in 43 states. SCTP provides youth development through the shooting sports. Girls and boys 5th-12th grade can participate in skeet, trap, & sporting clays with supportive, trained coaches while learning lifelong skills, such as goal setting, leadership, teamwork, self confidence, and safe firearm handling.

They currently have 5 students who this year competed at the Mass ATA Shoot in Billerica, MA, the Northeast SCTP Championships in Walpole, MA, the GOAL Crushing Clays in North Leominster, MA and at the Fall Addieville Sporting Clays in Mapleville, RI. The Buckshots had 4 medal winners at the MA ATA event, and in Addieville they beat many college groups.

Vicki White is the Head Coach and she is assisted by three assistant coaches Doug Frank, Ken Pixley and Cliff White. They had to be certified as a coach in order to work with the athletes on the field. In order to become certified, they had to attend a two day course. They also accept adult volunteers to do other jobs and any adult volunteer or coach must pass a CORI check. If you are interested in joining, please contact Vicki at 442-8107 or lady45white@gmail.comThere are turkey shoots, ham shoots, etc, but have you ever heard of a turkey trial? That’s what they are having at the Berkshire Beagle Club next Sunday. It is a fundraiser being used to help a well known field trial judge who has run into some bad luck, health wise. Tom Chaney, a field trial judge, who has judged everywhere from Kentucky, Michigan, New England and Canada for over 17 years developed lung and brain cancer. He does not have health insurance because he recently changed jobs.

National Championships will run a raffle to help out, but such raffles do not typically make a lot of money. So they decided to hold a turkey trial. Instead of ribbons, the winning dog owners will win turkeys. Each beagle club in the Northeast will contribute something to the effort. Because their running grounds are so highly regarded, the Berkshire Beagle Club in Richmond was asked to provide the grounds for the trial. Other clubs will contribute in various ways, marshals, turkeys, food, etc.

What a wonderful way to acknowledge and help Chaney. As one local beagle owner said, with tongue in cheek, “I would rather win a turkey any day over a ribbon. They are better tasting.”
*****

The late black bear hunting season opens tomorrow and runs until November 23. Be sure to check the regulations to see DFW’s request for assistance in aging your bear

Fish & Game to celebrate 200,000 acres of protected land

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This Tuesday, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) invite us to celebrate the protection of 200,000 acres of conservation land for Massachusetts citizens and wildlife. We are encouraged to join Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan, DFW Commissioner Mary Griffin, DFW Director Wayne MacCallum, and the Fisheries and Wildlife Board at the Maple Hill Wildlife Management Area in West Stockbridge. The recent 192 acre acquisition and addition to the Maple Hill WMA made by the DFW with the assistance of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) helped them to achieve this significant milestone. The celebration begins at 10 A.M.
Readers may recall that a couple of weeks ago I did a column about a habitat site walk on this new acquisition. Tuesday may be a good opportunity to see for yourself how valuable and beautiful this land is. It would be nice if a good contingency of local sportsmen and conservationists show up to demonstrate their support of the land conservation program. If you plan to attend, please let them know by emailing mass.wildlife@state.ma.us or by contacting the folks at the DFW Western Regional Headquarters in Dalton.
I only wish the late Attorney Sarah (Sally) Bell could be with us to share this celebration for she played such an important role in the acquisition of several parcels of land by the DFW here in the Berkshires. She passed away earlier this month. Tad Ames, President of the BNRC, in his October 14, 2013 Berkshire Eagle commentary Remembrance of Sally Bell put it this way: “She habitually underbilled the Mass DFW for legal services and she did even better for the BNRC.” Most of the time, she refused to take a penny for her time. The Lenox Land Trust also benefited greatly from her assistance.
A couple of years ago, I wanted to nominate Sally for the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award and asked if she would accept it. Although greatly honored, she declined saying “maybe a little later”.
I’m sure Sally will be with us in spirit this Tuesday morning on Maple Hill. *****
Readers may recall my columns regarding the discontinuance of the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Restoration program due to poor returns and federal budget cuts. Well, as anticipated, the Merrimack River Atlantic Salmon Restoration program drew to a close on September 5 for the same reasons.

According to Glenn Normandeau, Executive Director of the NH Fish & Game Dept (NHF&G) things had looked promising as recently as 2011, when more than 400 Atlantic salmon made their way to the Essex Dam Fish Lift in Lawrence, Mass. But in 2012, just 137 sea-run salmon returned, and this year only 22 returned.

The NHF&G would prefer to continue the program, but, like MA DFW they cannot take on the costs associated with a salmon hatchery operation. Normandeau noted that the US Fish & Wildlife Service will continue to focus on restoration of Atlantic salmon in the Saco and other Gulf of Maine rivers, the last remaining wild Atlantic salmon in the country.

“This was a hard decision, but the science tells us that there is little chance that we will successfully restore Atlantic salmon to the Merrimack,” said Wendi Weber, the USFWS Northeast Regional Director. “While the science is driving our decision, our declining budgets hastened it. We need to prioritize. With the lack of success, we need to shift our scarce resources to priority restoration efforts where we can make a difference.”

I have a bad feeling that we have not heard the last from her. Now we will have to watch out for hatchery closings. Hope I am wrong. *****

The Hoosic River Watershed Association is holding a State of the River Conference in Williamstown at the First Congregational Church on Saturday, November 2, from 9:30 to 11:30 am. The main discussion will be on PCB’s in the Hoosic River. Williams College chemistry professors David Richardson and Jay Thoman, along with students Amanda Schott and Austin Paul have analyzed crawfish taken from the Hoosic River and most recently from the Green River and North Branch. Professors Richardson and Thoman and Mr. Paul will report on their research findings and on other PCB studies going back to 1991. The conference is free and open to the public. *****

On another watery subject, the fall trout fishing has been excellent this year. The folks at the DFW have been saying all along that they stocked very nice rainbow trout this fall, some exceeding 14 inches. Its true! I had a spectacular afternoon flyfishing the Westfield River last week. How good was it? To quote a phrase sometimes used by expert local fly fisherman, Dr. Charles Wohl of Lenox, in describing a good fishing day, “It was obscene”. *****

According to the most recent Lenox Sportsmens Club newsletter, Board member Cliff White of Pittsfield competed at Camp Perry and came in as the highest Non-Distinguished revolver shooter, thus earning the distinguished badge #156 (that’s the total number of such badges in the country). *****

The Whitetail Unlimited (WTU) banquet which was held recently at the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club was a success. Some 120 folks attended and had a great time. Chris Sweet of Great Barrington won the preseason raffle called the “Pick of the Herd”. It is the top prize and if your ticket is drawn, you win your choice of any items in the auction. He chose the Mathews Z7 bow. Have you priced one of those bows lately? Incidentally WTU wants to form chapters in Berkshire County and if anyone is interested in starting one contact Bill Bailey, New England Field Director at 413-244-2304.