A History of MassWildlife: 1866-2012

This book chronicles the events that shaped the agency from its inception in 1866 as a Fish Commission.

A History of MassWildlife: 1866-2012 was written by retired MassWildlife biologist James Cardoza and published in 2015. This manuscript outlines significant dates; statistics on fish and wildlife populations through time; facts about hunters, anglers, and licenses; stocking data; along with information on staff.

The book in its entirety is available for download enabling readers to peruse and search the whole document. For those who want to read one section at a time, the book has been divided into chapters, each covering about 25 years.

• A History of MassWildlife: 1866-2012 (complete text)
• Introduction
• The Board of Commissioners Years 1866-1919
• The Division of Fisheries and Game, The Early Years, 1920-1947
• The Division of fisheries and Game, The Later Years, 1948-1969
• The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 1970-2012
• In Summary, Acknowledgements and Tables
• References and Notes
• Errata Sheet