Commonwealth Conversations: The Great Outdoors

Buying Sporting Licenses Using MassFishHunt

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

View Marion's Bio

You just found out your local town clerk or other favorite license vendor is no longer selling hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses. That’s because the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) has eliminated handwritten licenses, permits, and stamps. Many town clerks and vendors chose not to participate in the new MassFishHunt system. No more depending on the mail for Division permits!

MassFishHunt License search - click for larger image

It’s easy to buy a license, stamps, turkey or bear permits, take the Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey and apply for an antlerless deer permit. Here’s how:

• Go to www.mass.gov/dfwele/licensing/index.htm which explains the new MassFishHunt electronic license system. Follow the instructions, and print out your license, permits, and tags! You need a credit card and will pay a $1.50 MassFishHunt convenience fee per license plus a 3 percent credit card fee for the total transaction. 

• Visit your local MassWildlife office. MassWildlife District Offices are located in Ayer, Belchertown, Bourne, Dalton, and West Boylston; or visit the Westborough Field Headquarters or Boston office. Only checks, cash and money orders are accepted.
  

• Go to an official license vendor in your area to buy licenses, turkey and bear permits, and stamps. You can also apply for an antlerless deer permit and complete a HIP survey. Contact your local MassWildlife office for a list other license vendors. You can pay in cash, checks, or credit card at these locations.

• What if you don’t own a computer or printer, or you’re computer-phobic? Visit your local library where staff can help you in the process. A number of people use libraries to download tax forms and conduct e-commerce. You will need a credit card and be prepared to pay a small fee to the library for printing out your paperwork.

• Remember, minors ages 15-17 may not buy a hunting or sporting license through home or library computers, but must go through a license vendor or MassWildlife office. They (or their parents) need to provide a hunter education card and/or letters of consent.

• NEW for 2012: Antlerless Deer Permit Procedure. Antlerless deer applications are still due by July 16 and can only be applied for through MassFishHunt. Here’s what’s new:  between July 31 and December 31, applicants must go back online to MassFishHunt (at home or any license vendor) and go through a menu which will immediately notify the applicant if they were selected for a permit in the zone of their choice.

• NEW for 2012! Freshwater fishing Licenses for minors ages 15-17 are now free.  They still need a license to fish, but it’s free. Youths under age 15 can fish, but don’t need a license.

Need more information? Call the nearest MassWildlife office about the new system or go online. Click the link to the FAQ section and a detailed explanation on the new system. 

My final suggestion to the computer-savvy license buyer: Be a good sport by offering to help your computer–phobic friend or family member to purchase their license on line. That way you can ensure that you all will be ready to enjoy the great outdoors together throughout the year!

Fall Pheasant Stocking

Haley Hillesland

Multimedia Intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

View Haley's Bio

 

Despite unseasonably early snowfall and relentless rains, the fall pheasant stocking season continues through the Saturday following Thanksgiving. 

On average, almost 40,000 pheasants are stocked statewide – with 13,000 being allocated to the Central District.  Most locations stock at least once a week, while others stock two to three times a week. Hunters are allowed to hunt from sunrise to sunset, with the proper permits, on any Wildlife Management Area. Revenue from the sale of hunting licenses pay for the stocking of all 40,000 pheasants.

Please note: Access to several hunting locations was interrupted by damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene and the October snow storm – including Birch Hill, Bolton Flats, Barre Falls, Quaboag, Richardson, and Winimusset. With the exception of Quaboag, all locations have been reopened. Only one pheasant delivery from the vendor was delayed, and is planned to be made up later in the season.

This recreational activity has been enjoyed by residents of Massachusetts since 1906, when open fields dominated the state’s landscape. Each year thousands of hunters enjoy this recreational bird hunting throughout the state.

For safety, a high visibility orange cap is required for hunters on Wildlife Management Area land. Hunting hours on other properties vary, as do the regulations. The daily bag limit is two pheasants, and the season bag limit is six.

For more hunting information, visit the MassWildlife website.

Hunting workshop for women

Ellie Horwitz

Chief of Information & Education, MassWildlife

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On Saturday, March 19th MassWildlife staff will host a Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop called Hunting 101. This is a session for women who would like to plan a hunt – either with gun or camera -- but don’t know where to begin. It is for novice hunters who have always wondered how the expert hunters locate hotspots. It’s easy. With a solid knowledge of the target species and a set of topographic maps, anyone can learn to identify promising locations.

The workshop attendees will get this training, then check their findings with staff to confirm whether they had selected good areas. The last time this workshop was offered, participants walked into unfamiliar territory and were able to select areas right away where the group found an abundance of tracks and wildlife signs. Preregistration is required and a few spots remain. If you want notification about future BOW events, sign onto the program’s email notification list.

 

Weekly outdoor events

Kate Samp

Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

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Have you ever wanted to try tapping your own maple syrup? Head on over to Milton this Saturday, March 12 or Sunday, March 13 for a maple sugaring event. The program is suitable for all ages, and kids age 2 and under are free. Also on Saturday, the East Boston YMCA will be holding an oceanside campfire on Constitution Beach. Hot chocolate will be provided.

Just a reminder: don’t forget to register for “Hunting 101 for Outdoorswomen” if you want to perfect your hunting strategies. Registration closes on March 11, and registration materials can be found here.

Check out more Massachusetts Outdoor Events on The Great Outdoors interactive Google Calendar.

Winter outdoor safety tips

Colonel Aaron Gross

Director, Massachusetts Environmental Police

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With the winter’s snow and brisk weather comes an abundance of outdoor activities to enjoy. Whether you are fishing, snowmobiling, skiing or hunting, remember to make safety your top priority.

Our officers are outdoors this winter across Massachusetts using four-by-four vehicles, ATVs and snowmobiles to patrol off-road areas and operating a fleet of vessels to patrol coastal and inland waters.

Year after year, we see tragic recreation accidents, so I am urging everyone to take some simple precautions while enjoying the winter weather.

Here are some winter safety reminders:

• Always wear a U.S. Dept. of Transportation-approved helmet when operating a snow machine, dirt bike or off highway vehicle. 
• When operating recreation vehicles, ride at reasonable speeds for existing conditions and be especially cautious when operating at night. 
• Never operate recreation vehicles under the influence of alcohol. 
• Check frozen ponds and rivers before going onto the ice – be aware of soft spots in places where there are currents or natural springs below the ice, and exercise extra caution when temperatures creep above 32 degrees F. 
• Dress in layers and wear waterproof outerwear. 
• Pack water and first aid supplies with you before venturing outdoors. 
• Remember kayak and canoe operators must wear a life preserver from September 15 through May 15 as cold water temperatures can cause hypothermia.

Enjoy all that nature has to offer this season and be safe.

FIELD REPORT: Deer hunt check station (Part 2)

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

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During the first week of the shotgun deer hunting season, DFW biologists are stationed at deer check stations across the state to collect data from the deer brought in by successful hunters. This is part two of my day at the Nantucket check station. My companion was Jim Cardoza, a volunteer DFW retiree, who headed up the bear and turkey programs and who has worked at the island check station for years.

10:30AM—One of the few women hunters we see pays us a visit after successfully killing an eight-point buck. She had been in the day before with a deer, but this deer had her bouncing with excitement. Lorraine lives in New Hampshire, but in the past few years has been hunting on the Island with a relative and one of his friends. She graciously allows me to take a picture of her and her deer after we load it back into the truck. Her ear-to-ear smile tells the whole story!

NOON—As we munch on our sandwiches, a hunter comes in, apologizing for disturbing our meal. He’s got a deer and wants another deer permit, but encourages us to finish lunch. After checking his deer, more hunters begin to appear at a steady pace. By 3 P.M. we have checked at least 50 deer.

4 PM—Visitors arrive in the form of students, a newspaper reporter and a local physician. Dr. Lepore collects ticks from the hunters’ deer; they will be sent to Tufts Veterinary School to be examined by a tick researcher. Two students from Nantucket High School plan to use ticks in a science fair project. The other students are college juniors from Worcester Polytechnic Institute working on a class project that relates to communicating about tick-borne diseases to the public. Jim Cardoza gives the group an overview on deer management as I continue to check deer and chat with the hunters piling into the building.

6:15 PM—We check our final deer. There were so many deer to check, we close the station gate at 5:30 and document nearly 20 deer in the last 45 minutes. Our total for the day is 96 deer. Jim mops the floor, while I shut down the computer and printer and then we pull off our coveralls. Dr. Lepore is pleased with his sample of ticks. We load the car with our coolers, computer and deer records and drive back to our lodging. My final task is to call the local reporter with the day’s deer count. It was a long yet interesting day.

FIELD REPORT: Deer hunt check station (Part 1)

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

View Marion's Bio

During the first week of the shotgun deer hunting season, DFW biologists are stationed at deer check stations across the state to collect data from the deer brought in by successful hunters. I’m assigned to the Nantucket check station, one of the busiest stations in the state—so busy that it needs two people to staff the station for the first few days of the week. My companion is Jim Cardoza, a volunteer DFW retiree, who headed up the bear and turkey programs and who has worked at the island check station for years.

Here’s a summary from one day at the check station this year.

6:15 AM—The dawn glow of orange and red greets me when I lift the curtain in my bedroom. Nearby buildings and a new wind turbine are shadowed silhouettes as I look out onto the frosty landscape.

6:45 AM—Breakfast at the Downy Flake, patronized by Jim for years. We are invited to sit with island residents who know Jim and they pepper us with questions about the number of deer checked and hunter activity before turning the conversation to other topics. Today is the second day of the season; we tell them we checked 91 deer and were at the station until 6:45 pm, despite the fact that the check station gate closed at 5:45.

7:45 AM—We head to the check station and open up a storage building located at the wastewater treatment plant. We’re fortunate that our check station is self-contained in a heated building. Weighing deer, cutting jaws and writing information in the wind, cold and darkness is, to say the least, very uncomfortable. Many biologists at other stations have to take refuge in their vehicle or in a store which hosts a check station. We pull on coveralls, set up the computer, and lay out our tools for the day. Knife, calipers, sharp pencil, flashlight, scales and data forms are in readiness.

9:30 AM—A few hunters come in with deer. We record information on the weight, sex, and age of the deer. Aging a deer requires us to look at the teeth. Deer, like horses, grind their food with their molars and over time their teeth wear down. We can age deer by looking at tooth wear patterns, a technique first used by wildlife biologists in the late 1940s and still the easiest method to use today. Looking at teeth means I have to open the jaw and cut the cheek to see the whole lower mandible. Some jaws are stiff and require some muscle and a metal framed “jawbreaker” which helps pry the mouth open. Hunters are fascinated with the aging technique and try to guess their deer’s age. When there is time, I take a few pictures of deer teeth for our Deer Project leader to use.

See Marion’s blog from November 2009 for more information on deer aging.

Great outdoor gifts for the holidays

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

View Marion's Bio

Here are some ideas for a wildlife-related gift for the outdoor or wildlife enthusiasts of all ages on your holiday gift list! For more information on these items or to order publications call our MassWildlife Field Office Headquarters at 508-389-6300 or stopping by the office in Westborough.

• A two-year subscription to Massachusetts Wildlife magazine ($10) delivers eight full-color issues of the Commonwealth's best wildlife publication.
• For the budding conservationist, try a copy of Critters of Massachusetts book ($5). Critters is a great gift for the curious youngster or the beginning adult naturalist with an interest in backyard wildlife and beyond.
• For the more advanced naturalist, the Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies ($20) or A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools ($12) might be just the ticket. In-depth descriptions and detailed photographs help the reader identify and learn more about these creatures.
• For the budding herpetologist, there are a couple of options: The Field Guide to the Reptiles of Massachusetts features information on breeding, feeding habits, range, habitat, and conservation issues.
• The turtle enthusiast in your life may enjoy an Introduction to the Threatened Turtles of Massachusetts, a video available from DFW’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program for $5. Threatened turtle information. 
• For the sportsman and woman, the 2011 hunting/fishing licenses make great gifts. Licenses are available for sale online or through license vendors throughout the state by mid-December. License purchases support wildlife conservation, management and restoration of wildlife and wildlife habitat protection in Massachusetts and licenses. Licensing information.
• For women, purchase a gift certificate for one of the 2011 Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops. Workshops on skills such as animal tracking, shooting, fishing, kayaking and photography are designed for women new to that particular skill. The 2011 schedule of one-day and the weekend workshops will be posted in January. Becoming an Outdoors Woman information.
• A wonderful outdoor experience for teen girls and boys, ages 13 - 17 years old is the Junior Conservation Camp, a two-week overnight camp session packed with outdoor skills learning such as shooting, fishing, canoeing and camping and taking field trips with biologists. The camp is located in Chesterfield and will be held in August. Camp information. 
• For the person who has everything, make a donation in his or her name to support a wildlife or habitat conservation fund.

The Wildlands Fund is dedicated to acquiring important wildlife habitat open to wildlife-related recreation. Send a check made out to Comm. of MA – DFW Wildlands Fund and send it to DFW Wildlands Fund, DFW Field HQ, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.

The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund supports efforts to protect rare and endangered wildlife. Donations in the form of a check made out to Comm. of MA - NHESP should be sent to the DFW Field HQ, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.

Tree stand safety

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

View Marion's Bio

During October and November, Bay State archers hunting deer are perched in treestands, waiting for a deer to walk by within range. During the shotgun and black powder deer season in December, some deer hunters will also be found waiting patiently for their quarry in a treestand. Wildlife photographers also take to the trees in hopes of capturing images of elusive wildlife.

This photo was taken during a training workshop I attended for volunteer hunter education instructors. We were learning the safest way to set up different treestands and how to emphasize these safe practices in the courses we teach during the year.

Using a tree stand while photographing/watching wildlife or hunting game is a safe, recreational activity. By using common sense, treestand use by outdoor users will stay that way.

Anyone using a treestand needs to be mindful that falls from treestands can result in serious injuries and sometimes even death. Treestand safety has evolved over the years as new research and statistics become available. According the MassWildlife Hunter Education Program, treestands and placement methods that were once considered to be 'safe' equipment and practices 10 years ago are simply not considered 'safe' today.

Follow the safety tips below from the Hunter Education Program and the Treestand Manufacturers Association (TMA) to avoid becoming an accident statistic!

• ALWAYS wear a Full Body Harness/Fall Arrest System (FAS) meeting TMA Standards even during ascent and descent. Single strap belts and chest harnesses should NOT be used.
• ALWAYS read and follow the manufacturer's warnings and instructions before using the treestand each season. Practice with the treestand at ground level prior to using at elevated positions. Never exceed the weight limit specified by the manufacturer.
• ALWAYS inspect the treestand and the Fall Arrest System for signs of wear or damage before each use.
• ALWAYS practice in your Full Body Harness in the presence of a responsible adult, learning what it feels like to hang suspended in it at ground level.
• ALWAYS attach your Full Body Harness in the manner and method described by the manufacturer.
• ALWAYS hunt with a plan and if possible a buddy. Let others know your exact hunting or photography location, when you plan to return and who is with you.
• ALWAYS carry emergency signal devices such as a cell phone, walkie-talkie, whistle, and flashlight on your person at all times and within reach even if you are suspended in your FAS.
• ALWAYS select the proper tree for use with your treestand. Select a live straight tree that fits within the size limits recommended for your treestand. Use three people to set-up any ladder-type treestand.
• ALWAYS use a haul line to pull up your equipment, bow or unloaded firearm to your treestand once you have reached your desired hunting height.
• ALWAYS know your physical limitations. If you start thinking about how high you are, don't go any higher.
• NEVER use homemade or permanently elevated stands or make modifications to a purchased treestand.
• NEVER hurry!! While climbing with a treestand, make slow, even movements of no more than ten to twelve inches at a time.

Details on the tree stand safety tips.

Take an online Treestand Safety Course! A 15-minute interactive, narrated treestand safety course to learn about the latest Treestand Manufacturers Association's safety standards and guidelines.

Autumn outdoor safety

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

View Marion's Bio

Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors with its dazzling colors, crisp air, and wildlife activity galore. Whether your passion is hiking, hunting, fishing, birding, or just taking in the scenery, a few common sense safety reminders will add to your enjoyment during a day in the field.

Know your limits. Don't take off on a long hike, hunt, or bike ride if you're not physically ready.

Always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return.

Watch the weather. New England weather is notoriously unpredictable. Be ready with extra clothing.

Expect the unexpected. Carrying a pack with a few first aid items, matches, water, pocket knife, cell phone, map, compass, whistle, extra food, and flashlight can help prevent small problems from becoming big ones.

Wear blaze orange for visibility. Whether you're a hunter, hiker, birder or dog walker in rural areas, it's a good idea to wear a cap or vest of highly visible blaze orange clothing while you're enjoying the great outdoors.

Respect the water. Canoeists and kayakers are required to wear life jackets from September 15 to May 15, but all water enthusiasts, especially anglers who wade in larger rivers, would be wise to wear floatation devices now that water and air temperatures are cooling.

Respect other outdoor users. Mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife watching, hunting, and hiking need not be and are not mutually exclusive activities. Know the hunting seasons and who is likely to be sharing the woods and waters with you. Keep dogs under direct control and respect other outdoor users' rights to enjoy our open spaces.

Finally, licensed hunters are reminded to take the basics of hunter safety to heart. Treat every firearm as it were loaded, keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times. Positively identify your target and what lies beyond it.

More wildlife and outdoor safety information and tips.

Hunting Season information.