Overview:
Mike Roche, a retired teacher and conservationist, discusses the evolution of purchasing Massachusetts sporting licenses from paper licenses to online sales. He highlights the benefits of the digital world, including the ability to purchase licenses in multiple states and provinces. Roche also emphasizes the importance of investing in quality hunting and fishing for future generations. Additionally, he celebrates the achievements of young anglers, including Kyler Leslie, who is featured on the cover of this year's MassWildlife abstract.
The new year has arrived and that requires us to do all of the things that come with the arrival of the next calendar year.
The way we keep track of what day it is and what things we have coming up on our schedule has certainly changed in my lifetime. There was a time when we all had a calendar, with all the appointments and other notable events, usually in the kitchen of the home. Some busy people had pocket calendars or notebooks where their schedule was written.
Then the electronic world introduced us to devices like the BlackBerry and the succession of improved devices that have now become a central part of our lives – like it or not. Remember when a telephone message was returned the next day? Now, if you have not responded in five minutes, it’s pure chaos! There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to the way that technology has taken over our lives, and it is not about whether we like it, because it is here to stay.
One thing that the new year always made a priority was getting my new Massachusetts sporting license. That paper license in the red plastic case was the most important Christmas present under the tree, long before deer hunting season ran until the last day of December.
During my 35-year tenure as a member of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, the issuing of licenses changed in keeping up with the digital world. When the first few states issued licenses using online companies, we watched the process. A government agency, like any business, needs to keep up and manage costs and MassWildlife was no different. My education began with the change in our abstracts, from a folding printout to a glossy printed booklet, as my time with that vendor opened me up to the ways fish and wildlife agencies were upgrading to provide better information and service.
The information businesses were gearing up to service states in the selling of licenses. Here in Massachusetts, we have had some issues, including the sale of licenses by vendors rather than town clerks exclusively, and change is never welcome or easy. We all had concerns about online license sales as it was a new area, but it has evolved and changed over time. My experience has included buying licenses in nine states and two Canadian provinces and it is now routine.
So, this week it was time to sit down at the laptop (you can also use your smartphone, but that is still a bit more challenging) to buy my 2026 license. At the start, there was an option to enroll for automatic renewal, and it was not selected, but it will be the next time. When the Massachusetts state link was added this spring, it did complicate things a bit, but it really was a straightforward way of getting into the MassFishHunt site to begin the process.
For me, being of the age of a free license, it required me first to shop for the permits that I want, So we added an archery permit (just in case), a turkey permit, a waterfowl permit (and the HIP survey), a black powder permit, a bear permit, a pheasant stamp and we were ready for the antlerless deer permit entry, which required zone selection. Then add that sporting license and it was checkout time.
The license is compact and after cutting away the instructions, it folds and fits neatly in my wallet. That Massachusetts sporting license and permits gives this sportsman a year of hunting and fishing enjoyment and is a bargain if you put it to use. For me, we all make choices and a round of golf, one trip to a Bruins, Celtics or Patriots game, or almost any recreation experience is also an expenditure of money, and the comparative value is there as far as I am concerned.
There may be bias as my time on the board also educated me as to the costs associated with providing high-quality hunting and fishing, as well as the 365 days of wildlife enjoyed by everyone. Like everything, this is impacted by rising costs and inflation. The quality is worth the investment, not only for now, but for future generations to enjoy.
Speaking of future generations, how cool is it that Petersham’s own Kyler Leslie is on the cover of this year’s MassWildlife abstract of hunting and fishing laws, with a great picture of him holding a monster northern pike, just one of the lunkers he landed on his way to being (along with his brother Ryker) MassWildlife Youth Angler of the Year in 2025.
The Leslie brothers are great ice fishermen, and the recent cold weather has created good ice that should lead to a long and enjoyable ice fishing season locally. Go online and get your 2026 license and get out there!
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.