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MassWildlife
News Release
All Media Inquiries: Contact (617) 626-1809
MassWildlife News is published 1-2 times/month. If you are interested in receiving the MW News electronically, send an e-mail to the following address: Join-MassWildlife.news@listserv.state.ma.us
September 2012
- MASSWILDLIFE’S FIELD HEADQUARTERS MOVING TO A TEMPORARY HOME
- NO ONLINE GAME CHECKING THIS FALL
- MIGRATORY GAME BIRD SEASONS SET
- FALL FISHING EVENTS
- PADDLING A KAYAK OR CANOE? WEAR YOUR LIFEJACKET!
- GET THE FAMILY OUTDOORS AT THE MASS OUTDOOR EXPO!
- DRIVERS, BRAKE FOR MOOSE AND DEER THIS FALL!
- DFW CONTRIBUTES TO STICKWORK SCULPTURE AT SPRINGFIELD MUSEUMS, SPRINGFIELD
- UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS
- CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MASSWILDLIFE’S FIELD HEADQUARTERS MOVING TO A TEMPORARY HOME
As of September 10, 2012, the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Field
Headquarters staff will be relocating to temporary office space for
approximately two years at 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 200, West Boylston,
MA, 01583 while a new Field Headquarters building is constructed at
the existing site. Contact phone numbers and emails for Field Headquarters
staff will not change. Directions to the new office will be posted
at: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/facilities/westboro.htm.
Due to the move, inquiries to the Division should be directed to District
offices this Thursday (9/6) and Friday (9/7). Hunters, hikers, and other
users of the Westborough Wildlife Management Area may no longer access
the WMA from the old Field HQ hill as it will be an active construction
site. The parking lot located off Milk Street (Rte. 135) has been enlarged
and improved for access in anticipation of the building construction.
Access is also still available from the Fisherman’s Access off Oak Street
and the access point at Little Chauncy Pond on Lyman Street, both in
Westborough.
NO ONLINE GAME CHECKING THIS FALL
Due to continued development and testing of the online game harvest
reporting within the MassFishHunt system, there will be NO online checking
for the 2012 fall hunting seasons. Hunters are reminded that they still
must tag their game immediately upon harvesting the animal and must
check all harvested deer, turkey, bear, and furbearers at a traditional
check station location. To help get the word to all hunters, please
tell your hunting friends who may not get this newsletter! Check station
locations can be found in two ways; check the MassWildlife link at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/hunting/check_station_home.htm
or call a MassWildlife District office in Ayer, (978) 772-2145; Belchertown,
(413) 323-7221; Bourne, (508) 759-3406; Dalton, (413) 684-1646; or West
Boylston (508) 835-3607. As always, game can be checked at MassWildlife
District Offices. Online game harvest reporting will begin with the
2013 Spring Turkey season.
MIGRATORY GAME BIRD SEASONS SET
Migratory game bird seasons, bag limits, and methods of take for the 2012-13 seasons are posted at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/hunting/waterfowl/waterfowl_hunting_home.htm. Hard copies of the migratory game bird regulations will be available later in September.
Hunters planning to hunt ducks, geese, woodcock, and other migratory game birds must register with the Harvest Information Program (HIP) by completing a HIP survey. Waterfowl hunters obtaining a state waterfowl stamp automatically complete the HIP survey during the stamp purchase process. Waterfowl hunters who purchased a state waterfowl stamp to hunt early in 2012 are already registered for the entire calendar year.
Hunters who only hunt woodcock, snipe, or rails must complete a HIP survey as a separate step during or after their hunting/sporting license purchase, whether at their home (or public library) computer or through a sporting license vendor or DFW office.
To complete the HIP survey from a home computer or from a local library: Go to the MassFishHunt website at www.mass.gov/massfishhunt and enter your Customer ID number. A page with your personal information will appear. Click on the blue "Enter Sales" button at the bottom right of the screen. Click on "HIP Survey" in the menu at the left. A screen with eight questions will appear. Answer the questions, then click on the “Accept” button in the lower left corner. Click the blue "check out" button on this screen and then click "check out" again on the next screen. Even though the survey has no cost associated with it, you must proceed all the way through checkout complete to be registered. Be sure to reprint your license, it will read HIP Survey completed”.
To complete the HIP survey at a license vendor or MassWildlife office: Tell the clerk that you need to complete the HIP survey (remember that you must purchase a hunting/sporting license before you can complete the survey). The clerk will need either your Customer ID number or your birth date to look up your information. They will ask you the questions for HIP registration and print out a new license, which will read “HIP Survey Completed.”
FALL FISHING EVENTS
Join MassWildlife’s Angler Education Program staff and volunteers for a free fishing event this month. Participants are provided with loaner equipment and basic instruction and can then try out the sport of fishing.
Saturday, September 8: Harold Parker State Forest Family Fishing Festival,Sudden Pond in the Harold Parker State Forest, Andover, 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. Open to the public, ontact the Harold Parker State Forest at (978) 686-3391.
Sunday, September 23:15th Annual Massachusetts Outdoor Expo (The Big “MOE”) at the first pond, Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, Sturbridge, 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Open to the public; contact Gary Zima at gary.zima@state.ma.us or go to www.fawnsexpo.com for more information.
Saturday, September 29: Friends of Myles Standish State Forest’s 5th Annual "Take Me Fishin'!" Event, Fearing Pond in the Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth, 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. Open and free to the public, pre-registration is requested by contacting Sharl Heller at slheller@comcast.net.
PADDLING A KAYAK OR CANOE? WEAR YOUR LIFEJACKET!
People in kayaks and canoes are reminded that from September 15, 2012
to May 15, 2013, paddlers must wear their personal flotation devices
(PFDs) while boating. According to the Massachusetts Environmental Police,
most boating fatalities in Massachusetts are due to boaters who fail
to wear PFDs while in small craft in cold water or cold weather situations.
Waterfowl hunters using canoes or kayaks are reminded that this law
also applies to them.
GET THE FAMILY OUTDOORS AT THE MASS OUTDOOR EXPO!
Families, friends, Scouts (Boys and Girls), and other youth groups are invited to a free day of outdoor activities and demonstrations on September 23, 2012, 9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M, at the 15th annual Massachusetts Outdoor Expo (The Big MOE), held at the Hamilton Rod and Gun Club grounds in Sturbridge. The Big MOE, sponsored by the Facts About Wildlife and Nature Society (FAWNS), is a free, family-oriented event celebrating outdoor skills, nature, art, and wildlife. The Big MOE is the perfect opportunity to introduce young and old to outdoor skills and activities such as fishing, kayaking, shooting, building a bird box, geocaching, mountain biking, forest management, nature arts and crafts, eastern and western pioneer encampments, live birds of prey, native reptiles, and tree stand safety demonstrations. New this year will be demonstrations by the Boston Sled Dogs, New England Fly Tyers, and a live bobcat from Jungle Encounters. The Big MOE is cosponsored by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, the Hamilton Rod and Gun Club, the Weatherby Foundation, Whitetails Unlimited, and the Worcester County League of Sportsmen's Clubs. Sportsmen's clubs; locally-based, outdoor-related businesses; and other conservation groups host a variety of skills stations, craft tables, and other exhibits relating to wildlife and the outdoors. More information and a Big MOE flyer to share with others can be found at www.fawnsexpo.com.
DRIVERS, BRAKE FOR MOOSE AND DEER THIS FALL!
Because fall is the breeding season for both moose and white-tailed
deer, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) remind motorists to be
mindful of increased deer and moose activity, especially during early
morning and evening hours. September and October is the peak of the
breeding season for Massachusetts' expanding moose population in central
and western Massachusetts. The breeding season (also known as "the
rut") for white-tailed deer closely follows the moose breeding
season from late October through early December. Because moose have
no natural predators in Massachusetts and are protected by law from
hunting, these large (500-1,000 lbs) members of the deer family are
unconcerned as they move through populated areas. During the mating
season this indifference is magnified by the "tunnel-vision"
created by the urge to reproduce.
Be aware and heed "Moose and Deer Crossing" signs erected by highway departments. Motorists are advised to slow down and drive defensively should a moose or deer be spotted on or by the road. Moose are less likely to move from the road than deer; braking for moose is your best policy! Police and other departments involved in moose or deer/car collisions are reminded that while drivers are allowed by law to keep white-tailed deer they have hit, only the DFW or the Environmental Police can make decisions regarding the disposition of moose involved in vehicle collisions. All moose or deer/vehicle collisions should be reported to DFW Wildlife District offices. The Environmental Police radio room can be reached at (800) 632-8075.
DFW CONTRIBUTES TO STICKWORK SCULPTURE AT SPRINGFIELD MUSEUMS, SPRINGFIELD
This summer, the Springfield Museums commissioned artist Patrick Dougherty to create a massive woven Stickwork sculpture for the Springfield Quadrangle Green. The sculpture is made of nearly eight tons of saplings taken from managed forests at MassWildlife’s Phillipston Wildlife Management Area in Phillipston and the Smith Vocational Demonstration Forest in Leeds. The resulting artwork, entitled “Room by Room,” is reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss-style house and will be on display for the next 12 months. Dougherty has built more than 230 of these massive sculptures all over the world, though none larger than the one in Springfield. In addition to being a work of art, this sculpture has benefitted wildlife. The removal of saplings from the WMA will allow emerging red oaks and pin cherries to produce food and cover for wildlife that depends on young forest habitat. For more information, go to: www.springfieldmuseums.org/the_museums/fine_arts/exhibits/view/222-stickwork_an_original_sculpture_by_patrick_dougherty.
UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee will be meeting on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at the USFWS Assabet National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center at 680 Hudson Road in Sudbury from 1:30- 4:30 P.M. For directions go to http://www.fws.gov/northeast/assabetriver/visit.html or call the Refuge at (978) 562-3527.
The Fisheries and Wildlife Board will hold its September meeting on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 1:00 P.M. at the USGS Silvio O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center, One Migratory Way, Turner Falls, Montague, MA. For directions, go to http://www.lsc.usgs.gov/?q=cafb-directions or call the Lab at (413) 863-3800.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS -- Visit www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/calendar/calendar.htm for regular updates.
September 6-9 – MassWildlife at the Franklin County Fair, Greenfield--Visit the DFW exhibit in the Fish and Game Building while you stroll around the fair. Learn about some of the common wildlife living in your neighborhood and have your wildlife and outdoor recreation questions fielded by DFW staff at the display. Find more detailed information about the Franklin County Fair at the Franklin County Agricultural Society’s website: http://www.fcas.com/.
September 13 – Protecting Wildlife With Conservation Design, Wellfleet--Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuarywill be hostingDr. Eve Schluter of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program from 7 – 9 P.M. for a program entitled “Protecting Habitat for Endangered Species and Other Wildlife with Conservation Design”. For more information, visit www.massaudubon.org/shapingthefuture or contact Stephanie Elson, at selson@massaudubon.org or call (781) 259-2146.
September 19 – Sandwich Hatchery 100th Anniversary Celebration, Sandwich– Join wildlife and environmental officials at the Sandwich Hatchery at 11:45am to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of MassWildlife’s fish rearing facility. Agency displays and a tour of the hatchery will be available. More details will be announced on the agency website later this month.
September 28 - October 8 – MassWildlife at the Topsfield Fair--Visit the DFW exhibit in the Sportsmen’s Building while you stroll around the fair. Learn about some of the common wildlife living in your neighborhood and have your wildlife and outdoor recreation questions fielded by DFW staff at the display. Find more information about the Topsfield Fair at the Essex Agricultural Society’s website: http://www.topsfieldfair.org/index.php.
September 30– MassWildlife at the Natural Resources Trust of
Easton’s Harvest Fair, Easton—Visit the DFW exhibit in
the Sheep Pasture, learn about some of the common wildlife living in
your neighborhood and have your wildlife and outdoor recreation questions
fielded by DFW staff at the display. Find more information about the
Harvest Fair at the Natural Resources Trust of Easton’s website:
http://www.nrtofeaston.org/home.html.
Last Updated: 09/07/2012