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By Mike RocheTo start this column, it seems only appropriate to acknowledge the passing of Leslie Barnes. He was a true sportsman and lover of the outdoors. His lifelong passion for hunting and fishing was obvious to all who knew him.Whether hunting...

By Mike RocheIt is time for this writer to turn the page on his hunting activities from upland hunting to deer hunting. It has indeed been a great ride this “bucket list” fall, beginning with a trip to northern Vermont for the upland opener on Sept....

By Mike RocheThis column is being written at the Dream Catcher Lodge in the Village of Deposit, New York, located on the Delaware River. The dogs joined me in the Silverado for the four-hour drive on Monday, and we arrived to join Chris Standish and...

By Mike RocheThis writer believes that his lifestyle is dependent on keeping his feet healthy. My upland hunting usually results in over three and sometimes six miles of walking in challenging terrain each outing. Foot care is critical and that means...

By Mike RocheThe Silverado pulled into the driveway Monday at dinnertime, returning from northern New York and the third leg of my odyssey.It began with a drive to Jay, Vermont, to join good friend Dean Scudder for the opening day of grouse and...

By Mike RocheThe middle of October is a special time. Fall is in full swing with brilliant foliage, cooler temperatures, and so much great stuff to do outdoors. Stripers are feeding furiously off the coast, trout (including the fall stocking of over...

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 RocheAt the September meeting of the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, held at Field Headquarters in Westborough, the agenda included a review of the management of the black bear population.Dave Wattles, who serves as Black Bear and...

By Mike RocheIt seems like this year, the production of wild turkeys was good in the Mount Grace region.Conversations with several other folks seem to point towards abundant broods of wild turkeys being hatched and most are now nearly as big as the...

By Mike RocheHuman beings are generally not big fans of change.That trait plays itself out countless times in our personal lives and in the things that make up our society. Walk into a retail store and you are faced with a choice to follow the...

By Mike RocheMy weekly training trips to Hedgerow Hunt Club with Tessie include shooting chukars over her. Her staunchness has been excellent. She is great at finding downed birds and bringing them back, almost all the way. What we are working on is...

By Mike RocheAs more details of the new Massachusetts gun law come to light, the opposition to this action passed by the legislature and governor grows.It is a long and complicated law and the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) has already mounted...

By MIKE ROCHE

As the details of the gun law passed in Massachusetts, which took effect on Aug. 2, are brought to light, it is obvious that this law goes beyond controversial to being — not just to this writer, but to everyone who is a responsible gun owner — an...

By Mike Roche This writer has long been considering making a change from 12-gauge to 20-gauge for deer hunting in Massachusetts. Since Mass does not allow the use of rifles, shotguns have always been the firearm used for deer hunting. It must be noted...

By Mike RocheMonday was a day of change for me. It began at 8 a.m. when we pulled into Hedgerow Hunt Club in Royalston. By we, I mean my 2-year-old French Brittany Tessie and her neglectful owner. For a variety of reasons, my responsibilities as the...

By Mike RocheIt is only the middle of July but fall and hunting seasons will be here before you know it. Now is the time to get busy planning for the hunting seasons, taking care of details and getting your gear in order.One of the important details...

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 RocheLocal observations seem to indicate that locally, whitetail numbers are good. Does are dropping fawns and again remind you to leave young wildlife where you find it. Whitetail does leave fawns unattended for long periods of time while...

By Mike RocheThis past week, the tradition of the Mahar Fish’N Game Club Trap Shoot continued with the help and support of the Orange Gun Club. Since the club was founded in 1957, members have held a trap shooting competition. While there were a few...