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By Mike RocheThe use of technology in our lives seems to advance with each passing day. Our cars park themselves and brake automatically, our phones know more about us than we are comfortable with, artificial intelligence is everywhere and great...

By Mike RocheTomorrow, Sept. 28, young hunters with a Youth Deer Permit will be able to hunt deer for one day in an exclusive deer hunt. Hunters aged 12 to 17 who possess the required free permit must be accompanied by a licensed adult. Youth hunters...

By Mike RocheThe weather always provides plenty to talk about and the recent prolonged dry spell is getting a lot of attention. According to recent reports, we are approaching 30 days without measurable rainfall. That makes this event, or lack of...

By Mike RocheThe dog days or dog days of summer is an expression that dates way back in history. The hot, sultry days of summer in the northern hemisphere have historically been the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius, which...

By Mike RocheThis writer is old enough to remember when the first “fish finders” appeared on the market. The technology that had been used for decades for marine and military purposes was used to create “flashers” that would show images on a screen of...

By Mike RocheJune is the month where most bird and wildlife species are rearing young. This is when most species are tending offspring, and coyote pups and fox, skunk, and raccoon kits start to emerge from their dens to join their adults for a crash...

By Mike RocheThis writer spent the week on Webber Pond in Vasselboro, Maine, at a lakeside home which was found by my wife’s twin sister Pam on Airbnb. This trip was a repeat of an adventure we undertook two years ago when my wife and I were joined by...

By Mike RocheLast week, this space whined about some of the things that make life in May unpleasant. One of the most miserable was not mentioned and, needless to say, reared its ugly head.Everyone reading this has a poison ivy (or poison oak) story...

By Mike RocheThis writer has often said that May and October are the best two months of the year. There are so many enjoyable outdoor activities and generally great weather conditions. There is, however, a dark side of May and the bothersome parts of...

By Mike Roche Here we are in mid-May and there is so much happening! Turkey hunting is in full swing, and gobblers are definitely active. The issue is hens, and it is hard to compete with the “real thing,” believe me. Trout fishing, however, is never...

By Mike RocheThe Orange Gun Club is inviting everyone up to age 14 to participate in the club’s annual Kids Fishing Derby. Located off West River Street in Orange, this is the oldest gun club in Massachusetts and they hold an outstanding event for...

By Mike RocheQuabbin Reservoir will open for fishing tomorrow, April 20, at 6 a.m. The reservoir is the principal drinking water supply for 3 million of Massachusetts’ 7 million residents. Since 1946, shore fishing has been allowed and since 1952, a...

By Mike RocheA visit Tuesday morning to the MassWildlife web site revealed that Lake Mattawa was stocked with rainbow trout on March 21. A search for “Massachusetts Trout Stocking” gets you started, and the trout stocking report gives you the ability...

By Mike RocheLast Saturday my brother Chris joined me and a bunch of other folks fishing on White Pond in South Athol, where my wife and I own property. The pond community is close and one of the pond residents has undertaken to put together a day of...

By Mike RocheLast week, this writer finally got to do some ice fishing. Granted, it was an hour or two at a time, but it was quite enjoyable.After visiting Crack of Dawn Bait for some lively shiners, meal worms and spikes (AKA maggots) local ice was...

By Mike RocheThe recent run of colder nights has produced some ice, and fishermen and women have begun doing some ‘hard water’ fishing locally. This writer first ventured out last Friday and found about four inches of ice. That is OK for ice fishing...

By Mike RocheThe passing of Rodney Flagg and the subsequent closure of Flagg’s Tackle on Daniel Shays Highway in Orange left a huge void for local sportsmen and women, particularly those who enjoy ice fishing.The key ingredient to ice fishing is the...

By Mike RocheMassWildlife annually involves the public in gathering data on the turkey population in Massachusetts. Each year, from June 1-Aug. 31, wild turkey reports from members of the public help MassWildlife biologists determine productivity,...

By Mike RocheYou may remember a reference a few years ago to a brown trout study in the Deerfield River which was chronicled in this space. At the time, MassWildlife biologists were beginning to look at population dynamics of the Deerfield River....

By Mike RocheThis writer spent the past week in Kansas “visiting my sister” Pat. For years, she has been kind enough to buy me a Kansas hunting license, and so I fly out to hunt turkeys. It has become a very enjoyable getaway. During those years, a...

By Mike RocheMarch 17 is a day when everyone is Irish and celebrates the Patron Saint of Ireland. A lingering myth is that he drove away the snakes, but in truth he is credited with bringing Christianity to the island.St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated...