In this space it was previously noted that a number of hunting seasons were starting in September with the Early Goose Season kicking things off on the first day of the month and closing today.
The black bear season opened Sept. 7 and runs through Dec. 12. Check the regs if you are interested in bear hunting as the allowed implements change as the season progresses. This year the Youth Deer Hunt will include two days and take place Oct. 2 and 3. It is important to note a change in regulations that has banned the use of scent attractants derived from deer tissues or fluids. That includes urine, scent glands and bladders. The ban is one way to help prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease into Massachusetts.
Another deer hunting change removes the requirement of a deer being visible during transport before being checked in and sealed. Additional liberalizations of seasons have been added to deer hunting on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, as an effort to increase deer harvest to improve human health and reduce the negative impact of deer on the fragile island environment due to high deer density.
Fall trout stocking time is here and beautiful brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout will be stocked soon. MassWildlife will stock over 70,000 trout into water bodies across Massachusetts starting later this month. Included will be 10,750 brown trout over 12 inches, 16,300 rainbow trout between 12–13 inches, and 43,500 rainbow trout over 14 inches long.
When you consider that over 400,000 trout were stocked in the spring, you can expect some really good fall fishing! Stocking season will begin around the last full week in September depending on water temperatures and will conclude in mid-October. You can get information on stocking by visiting mass.gov/Trout for a stocking report that is updated daily.
Things are starting to fall into place with my preparations for my upland bird hunting season. Last Saturday the two French Brittanys finally got some attention and we did a little combination running and bird cover exploration, and the results got me fired up. Tessie had two producing points, Laney had one and Laney backed perfectly twice. They both ran and hunted really well.
My main gear issue is learning to pack lightly when traveling. My mind always wants to include too much stuff! After cutting down, we are going with two pairs of bird hunting pants. That will be the new Pyke Gear Tongass pants and the L. L. Bean Gore-Tex pants that have served me so well for a decade. Three upland shirts will also be in the duffel bag and the question is whether we pack two or three pairs of boots.
Weight is everything and these early season openers really require clothing suited for warmer temps. Darn Tough socks are a must. They can be worn multiple days as they wick away so well. Two guns are ready with the Franchi Instinct 20-gauge backing up the Ruger 28 Red Label. Plenty of ammo for both is aboard and the two dog boxes are in place. A new seven-gallon water jug is also secure.
Hunter education in Massachusetts has a new head. Astrid Huseby is now the Hunter Education Program Leader and Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) Coordinator. Huseby brings more than a decade of experience with MassWildlife to the role. Since 2012, she has served as the agency’s R3 Coordinator, leading efforts focused on the recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters. She has coordinated and advanced programs including Learn to Hunt, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, Youth Hunts and National Archery in the Schools. She has also led implementation of the Massachusetts R3 Plan, working with state, regional, and national partners to advance hunting and shooting sports education and participation.
In her new position, Huseby will lead MassWildlife’s Hunter Education Program and its network of volunteer instructors, continuing the program’s work to prepare the next generation of hunters to take the field safely and ethically. Having Hunter Ed and R3 under the same direction is a great move, as the future is educating as many as possible about the management of wildlife resources.
This writer has been a volunteer instructor for the MassWildlife Hunter Education Program for 50 years. In that time so much has changed with so many improvements in curriculum, instruction and the delivery of courses moving education forward in so many ways. Locally, the strong support of the Mahar Regional School Administration and School Committee have resulted in thousands of Hunter Ed graduates locally going on to be safe, responsible and involved hunters.
In most of the early years of my instruction, classes were full of 15- and 16-year-old boys. In recent years, the percentage of females has increased substantially and the age and ethnic diversity of the classes reflects the state’s population, and classes still have among the highest number of attendees of any location in the state.
On Wednesday, this writer and Hunter Ed volunteer was honored to be named the National Hunter Education Association’s Massachusetts Hunter Education Volunteer Instructor of the Year. There was a presentation following the September MassWildlife board meeting in Westborough and it was a great honor. It was a chance for me to thank those who have worked with me as volunteers over the years, including Al Mexcur and Al and Len Crossman, who have both retired. My present team of Tim Donovan, Evelyn Cunha, Anthony Cunha, Don Theriault and William Devine are all top-notch educators and extremely dedicated to keeping hunting safe, enjoyable and a major part of the conservation of our wildlife resources.
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, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor for over 40 years and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.