Landmark biodiversity plan for Massachusetts
Last month, Governor Maura Healey signed a historic executive order to conserve biodiversity in Massachusetts. MassWildlife, with the Department of Fish and Game, will take a leading role in this groundbreaking initiative! Read more about the executive order.
Wildlife-friendly fall clean-up tips
Autumn is here, bringing cooler temperatures, falling leaves, and shorter days. As you prepare your yard for winter, help your local wildlife with a few simple steps.
Leave the leaves
Although raking leaves seems synonymous with autumn, allowing some leaves to remain in your yard can provide benefits for plants and local wildlife. When they decompose, leaves return nutrients to the soil. In addition, fallen leaves provide cover and insulation to overwintering insects including many types of moths and butterflies.
Mow over fallen leaves to break them up and speed decomposition. Use a rake to spread out the leaves so underlying plants and grass are smothered. Excess leaves can be used as mulch in gardens and flower beds. Extras beyond that can be added to your compost bin.
Bonus: Leaving leaves in your yard can save you time in the fall, reduce the need for mulch in the spring, and keeps leaves out of landfills.
Make brush piles to help provide shelter for wildlife
During your fall clean up, make small brush piles along the edges of your yard. These piles may not seem like much to you, but they can provide shelter and insulation for many species of pollinators, birds, reptiles like turtles and snakes, amphibians like frogs and salamanders, and small mammals during the cold winter months. Especially in developed areas where natural shelter is hard to find, brush piles give wildlife a place to hide and rest.
Bonus: As the brush breaks down, it provides food for many of these animals and eventually returns nutrients to the soil.
Wait to clean up perennial plants and flower heads
Leaving your perennial beds a bit untidy can provide a boost to birds and insects. Not all birds migrate south for the winter; those that remain can survive on natural foods. Leaving flower heads on your plants can provide nutritious seeds with high fat content to birds throughout the winter. Pollinators like bees and butterflies can make use of hollow stems and other parts of the plants to overwinter.
Bonus: Using bird feeders can cause problems by attracting other types of wildlife to your yard, like bears, turkeys, and coyotes. Leaving natural areas in your yard can provide food for birds without the negative side effects of bird feeders.
Go native
Already dreaming about next year’s plantings? As you plan your gardening projects over the winter, use this list of native plants to select shrubs that provide food to many types of native Massachusetts wildlife.
Three benefits of hunting that may surprise you
Deer hunting seasons are just around the corner. You might be surprised to know that hunting is: 1. good for our forests, 2. good for our climate, and 3. helping to alleviate food insecurity in the Commonwealth.
Common throughout Massachusetts, white-tailed deer are an important part of the ecosystem and a valuable natural resource. Deer densities vary from an ideal range of about 12–18 deer per square mile in most of central and western Massachusetts to more than 30–50 deer per square mile in areas of eastern Massachusetts and on the islands where hunting access is mostly restricted. In places with too many deer, forests can become degraded when deer eat too many tree saplings and seedlings. When forests are damaged by over-browsing, they can no longer provide vital habitat for other types of wildlife.
Forests naturally store a significant amount of carbon dioxide, which is crucial for slowing climate change. When deer prevent regeneration of certain tree species and the composition of the forest is altered, forests become less effective at capturing and storing carbon. Excessive deer browsing can impact forests in other ways including increasing the risk of wildfires. Small dead or dying trees and shrubs can serve as “ladder fuels” that provide a pathway for fire to spread from the ground to the canopy of a forest.
High deer densities are also compounding impacts from climate change on coastal erosion along the shorelines of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. When large numbers of deer walk on worn-down trails along cliff edges, weak points are created causing cliff sides to break off. Bedding sites along the beach can damage the vegetation that stabilizes sand and prevents it from being washed or blown away.
Historically, deer populations in Massachusetts were controlled by three main predators: mountain lions, wolves, and humans. Now that mountain lions and wolves are absent from the Commonwealth, regulated hunting provides the main check to the deer population. MassWildlife uses regulated hunting to manage deer abundance across the state. In areas open to hunting, regulated seasons and carefully allocated deer hunting permits are effective ways to maintain deer abundance at levels the landscape can support.
Licensed hunters serve a vital role in conserving Massachusetts forests while providing healthy food to their communities. Each year, harvested venison provides more than 1.8 million family meals to hunters across the Commonwealth with a lean, healthy source of protein and a low carbon footprint. MassWildlife’s new Hunters Share the Harvest Program provides an opportunity for hunters to donate wild game meat to Massachusetts residents in need. After a successful pilot in 2022, in which generous hunters donated more than 1,500 meals of venison, the program is expanding in 2023.
Hunting is a safe and highly regulated activity; all hunters must be properly trained and licensed. Revenue from hunting licenses is used to conserve all wildlife species and their habitats right here in Massachusetts. Learn more about deer management in Massachusetts and view the 2023 hunting season dates.
Watch for wildlife on the road this fall
Because fall is the breeding season for both moose and white-tailed deer, MassWildlife reminds motorists to be mindful of increased deer and moose activity, especially during early morning and evening hours. Moose, found in central and western parts of Massachusetts, breed in September and October. White-tailed deer breed from late October to early December.
Moose on the road are especially hazardous. The dark color and height of moose make them difficult to see in low light; moose eyes rarely shine like deer eyes because their eyes are above headlight level. In addition, long legs and heavy top bodies make moose very dangerous to motorists when struck. Observe road signs for moose and deer crossings and slow down. Do not swerve to avoid hitting a deer because it may lead to more risk and damage than hitting the deer. Moose are less likely to move from the road than deer, so stay alert and brake when you see a moose in or near the road.
Deer and moose/vehicle collisions should be reported to the Environmental Police at 1-800-632-8075. In the event of a deer/vehicle collision, the driver or passengers of the vehicle involved (MA residents only) may salvage the deer by bringing it to a MassWildlife Office to be officially tagged.
Virtual Deer Hunting Q&A
New hunters looking for advice about deer hunting can ask questions at 1 of 3 free virtual mentoring sessions this fall. A panel of experienced hunters will share their knowledge and answer questions about scouting, gear, field dressing, and anything related to hunting deer. Feel free to join for a few minutes or for the entire session. Register to receive a link to the event.
- Friday, Oct. 20, 12–1 p.m. Register now
- Thursday, Nov. 2, 6–7:30 p.m. Register now
- Tuesday, Dec. 5, 6–7:30 p.m. Register now
All outdoor users: Wear blaze orange this fall
Hunting is a safe activity. The widespread use of blaze orange has helped dramatically reduce hunting-related firearms incidents in the field. While hunters are required to wear blaze orange during certain seasons, all outdoor users who are in the woods during hunting seasons should wear blaze orange clothing as a precaution. If you're curious about the effectiveness of blaze orange, watch the short video above for an eye-opening demonstration. If you plan to enjoy the outdoors during hunting season, review these tips:
Notes for non-hunters
- Know when and where hunting is allowed. Review the 2023 Massachusetts hunting season dates. Hunting on Sunday is not permitted in Massachusetts. MassWildlife lands, including Wildlife Management Areas and Wildlife Conservation Easements are open to hunting. Most state parks and forests are open to hunting, and many towns allow hunting on municipal lands. Learn about lands open to hunting in Massachusetts. Research the property you plan to visit beforehand to learn if hunting is allowed. If being in the woods during hunting season makes you uneasy, find a location where hunting is not allowed or plan your outing for a Sunday or another day outside of hunting season.
- Keep pets leashed and visible. Place a blaze orange vest or bandana on your pet to keep it visible.
- Make your presence known. Talk loudly or whistle to identify yourself as a person. You may also consider wearing a bell. If you see someone hunting or hear shots, call out to them to identify your location.
- Be courteous. Once you've made your presence known, don't make unnecessary noise to disturb wildlife or hunting. Hunter harassment is against state law. Avoid confrontations with hunters. If you think you've witnessed a fish or wildlife violation, report it to the Massachusetts Environmental Police at 1-800-632-8075.
Tips for hunters
Wearing blaze orange is a legal requirement during some hunting seasons.
- All hunters during shotgun deer season and deer hunters during the primitive firearms season must wear at least 500 square inches of blaze orange material on their chest, back, and head. (Exception: coastal waterfowl hunters in a blind or boat.)
- All hunters on Wildlife Management Areas during the pheasant or quail season on WMAs where pheasant or quail are stocked must wear a blaze orange cap or hat. (Exception: waterfowl hunters in a blind or boat, and raccoon and opossum hunters at night.)
Some hunters may worry that wearing blaze orange will hurt their chances of harvesting an animal. While deer are not colorblind, they lack the ability to detect colors like red and orange from green and brown. Wearing blaze orange will not matter to the deer, but may save your life.
Celebrate Bat Week this October
Bat week starts October 24 and is designed to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation and to celebrate the role of bats in nature. Bats are often misunderstood or even feared. But these fascinating flying mammals play a critical role in our environment and many bat species are in decline. Massachusetts is home to nine species of bats, five of which are considered endangered. One of the greatest threats to bats is White-nose Syndrome, a fungal disease that has devastated populations of bats that spend their winters hibernating in caves and mines. Other threats include habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.
Despite the threats, there are ways to help bats. Get ready to celebrate Bat Week at the end of the month by learning about what you can do to protect the bats in your backyard!
How you can help bats
One of the best ways you can support bat conservation is to put up an artificial roost, like a bat house. Bat houses give females a safe, warm place to raise their young. Since most female bats only have one pup each year, bat populations grow very slowly. Habitat loss and degradation is making it more difficult for bats to locate natural roost sites. Installing a bat house on your property can provide a safe environment for bats, while ridding your yard of pest insects, like mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. Bat houses can be purchased or you can build your own. MassWildlife offers instructions for building and installing a bar house.
Other ways to help:
- Educate yourself and others to help dispel myths and fears about bats. Read the Massachusetts Wildlife magazine article Bat Myths Debunked, to learn more about the fascinating and beneficial features of bats.
- Be a citizen scientist. If there is a colony of 10 or more bats on your property, please report it here. Colonies may be found in trees, buildings, attics, barns, sheds, or other outbuildings. This information will be used to help conserve the state’s endangered population of little brown bats.
- Protect habitat for bats. If you have old, dead, or dying trees on your property, leave them standing as potential roost sites for bats.
- If you must exclude or evict bats from your home, ensure the process is safe and humane by following MassWildlife’s recommendations found in the Massachusetts Homeowner's Guide to Bats.
- Reduce pesticide use to ensure there are plenty of insects for bats to feed on.
- Create a bat-friendly landscape in your backyard by adding water features, such as a pond, and night-scented flowers.
Run for Wildlife
Last month, MassWildilfe hosted the Run for Wildlife race at our Field Headquarters in Westborough. Thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, and over 160 registered runners, the event was a huge success! All proceeds from the event will support endangered species conservation in Massachusetts.
Runners in the 5K, 10K, and kids fun run traversed parts of the beautiful, 900-acre Wayne F. MacCallum Wildlife Management Area. And despite some rainy weather, it was a perfect day to be outdoors.
Before and after the Run, guests learned about some of the 430+ species that are protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) by visiting educational displays and speaking with MassWildlife biologists. Learn more about some of the animals and plants that benefit from MassWildlife’s conservation work.
For even more photos, follow MassWildlife on Facebook and view a photo album of the Run for Wildlife.
MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) protects the most vulnerable animals and plants in Massachusetts and their habitats. This work is only possible because of support from people like you. All money donated to NHESP goes towards conserving the hundreds of animal and plants listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. Your donation goes toward equipment and services needed to give these species a fighting chance. These rare species play an important role in keeping the Commonwealth's natural communities thriving. Learn about conservation success stories in Massachusetts and about ways to support this work.
Thanks again to our generous sponsors:
- Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
- Cabela’s/Bass Pro Shops
- Marathon Sports
- Mass Audubon
- Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation
- Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council
- Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
- The Nature Conservancy
- The Trustees of Reservations
- Wegmans
- Worcester County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs
- Zoo New England
Special thanks to the Wachusett Running Club!