Antlerless Deer Permit announcements
Check your Antlerless Deer Permit status
If you applied by the July 16 deadline, you can now check to see if you were awarded a permit.
Surplus Antlerless Deer Permits
Unlimited permits (zones 10, 11, 13, 14) and limited zone 9 permits will go on sale September 23. Limited permits in zones 1, 3, 7, 8, and 12 will go on sale on September 24. Get more information about surplus ADPs.
Break up with your bird feeder
It’s not you, it’s the bird seed. Here’s why it’s time to cut ties with your feeder.
Over 50 million Americans purchase more than 1 billion pounds of bird seed and suet annually. Are you one of them?
You may be surprised to learn that bird feeders cause more harm than good for wild animals. While feeders have some benefits for birds, they contribute to the largest sources of wild bird mortality in North America and are a major driver of human-wildlife conflict.
Let’s be honest—bird feeders do not only attract songbirds. Small mammals, like mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels, are attracted to these feeding stations too. Then come the predators, like foxes, coyotes, and bobcats, all hunting those smaller animals. Wild turkeys that eat from bird feeders can become indifferent to humans and develop bold behavior towards people, causing human-wildlife conflict that can affect entire communities. Black bears will also routinely visit (and destroy) bird feeders for a quick, easy meal, even during the day. A black bear that learns to visit backyard feeders may eventually come to find a neighbor’s unprotected livestock, potentially losing its life as a farmer takes lethal action to protect their property.
Bird feeders and feeding platforms are also hotspots for disease. Many wildlife diseases, like mange and avian pox, are spread by physical contact between healthy and sick animals. Bird feeders gather animals in unnaturally high concentrations, creating a place for disease to spread quickly and cause greater harm.
Seeing birds and other wildlife use your yard can be exciting. However, it’s up to us to make daily choices that help, and not harm, the animals we care so much about. Ease into your bird feeder breakup by taking down feeders and growing native plants, trees, and shrubs instead. Generally, hummingbird feeders cause less human-wildlife conflict, so you can continue to use those unless you start to see unexpected animal visitors. Attract songbirds with a source of water like a birdbath or fountain, making sure to replace the water weekly to keep it clean. If you have a cat, keep them indoors or directly supervise them whenever they’re outside to prevent them from hunting and killing songbirds and small mammals. And don’t be fooled into putting bird feeders out only during the day or winter—they will alter wildlife behavior and spread disease year-round, day or night.
Like any breakup, you might feel sad at first about cutting ties with your bird feeder. But with some time and willingness to support local wildlife in new ways, you may start to realize that you and your wild neighbors are better off without them anyways.
Learn more about creating a bird-friendly backyard without bird feeders.
Frost bottoms in the summer?
Hidden in plain sight within the rugged, dry barrens habitat of New England are unique landscape features known as frost bottoms. These “microhabitats” occur where just the right combination of sandy soil, topography, and vegetation allows cold air to collect and linger—often staying chilly or even freezing in late spring or early fall. Temperatures may fluctuate as much as 60° F in a single day, and growing seasons are shorter than the surrounding landscape. But in the summer, these globally rare places are full of wildlife activity.
Formed by melting glaciers 12,000 years ago, frost bottoms (also called frost pockets) are kettle hole depressions or small valleys that are 20 or more feet lower than the surrounding land. Picture standing in a large bowl-shaped area with a lot of scrub oak, lowbush blueberry, bracken fern, and unusual herbaceous plants such as wood lily, as well as scattered pitch pine trees. That is a frost bottom!
Year round, frost bottoms become chilly and foggy in the evening. Because hot air rises and cool air settles, this particular microhabitat is maintained in part by an open tree canopy. Habitats with closed canopies, like hardwood and pine forests, trap heat and have less variable temperature. In a frost bottom, the shorter growing season slows the growth of trees and can even exclude them entirely.
Wetland habitats may occur in natural depressions, but most frost bottoms do not retain water. Deep, sandy soils drain efficiently even during heavy rains. This combination of localized, cool temperatures and dry, sandy soils supports the growth of specialized barrens plants.
Scrub oak responds to frost in a specific way that benefits many species of moths, including rare species such as the buck moth and the Herodias underwing moth. Frost can kill new spring growth of scrub oak, resulting in resprout of fresh foliage for moth caterpillars to eat. The fresh leaves are high in nitrogen, therefore more nutritious for the caterpillars, and low in tannins compared to older leaves, making them more palatable. Caterpillars also need warm temperatures to grow, so fresh foliage in the warmer days of late spring is an ideal combination.
While many people may not have a deep appreciation for moths or scrub oak, maintaining their populations is crucial for the survival of other wildlife. A variety of birds and bats, like the whip-poor-will and the big brown bat, frequent these open areas to hunt and feed on moths. The eastern towhee feasts on fruits, seeds, and insects on the ground, and the prairie warbler nests in the shrubs. Moths are also pollinators! Lowbush blueberry, bearberry, teaberry, native bush clovers, wild indigo, and many others rely on moths, butterflies, and native bees to spread their pollen. In fact, frost bottoms are ideal places for both wildlife and people to forage for blueberries and huckleberries.
Foraging is not the only benefit people receive from frost bottoms. The deep and highly permeable sands beneath frost bottoms filter and hold water from rainfall and snowmelt, protecting critical groundwater aquifers.
On MassWildlife properties, staff take action to restore these special habitats to benefit native wildlife. Dry barrens and frost bottom habitats require an open canopy and periodic disturbance to stay healthy. Habitat specialists plan and conduct selective tree removal and/or prescribed burns to keep these habitats thriving.
5 birds every angler should know
From swooping swallows to stealthy herons, there’s a whole world of birdlife waiting to be discovered along the water’s edge. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or just out for a relaxing day by the lake, learning to identify common birds can turn a slow fishing day into a rewarding wildlife experience. Get started with these 5 birds that frequent the waters of Massachusetts.
Tree swallow
Tree swallows can be seen near most bodies of water where they can find their favorite food—aerial insects! These birds are relatively small, measuring less than 6 inches tall with an average wingspan of 12 inches. The males can be recognized by their blue-green feathers on their back, blackish feathers on their wings, and white bellies. Females are a duller brown and may be more difficult to spot and identify.
Tree swallows feed from dawn to dusk on dragonflies, bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies, and moths. Like a tiny airplane, they do acrobatic turns and glide right above the water to catch their dinner. They are a very social species, so it is common to see multiple of these birds together around the same waterbody.
Belted kingfisher
Belted kingfishers are very vocal and make their presence known along shorelines, with their calls often being described as a “piercing rattle”. They can be identified by their large heads with a crest of feathers on top. An easy way to remember this bird is to think of those crested feathers as a “crown” for the KINGfisher. Both males and females are a blue gray color, with a white band around their neck and white bellies. Females also have a band (or belt) of rust-colored feathers across their bellies, making them one of the only bird species where the females are more colorful than the males.
As their name suggests, these birds primarily eat fish. They can be seen hunting from a perch or by hovering over the water. To catch their food, they will dive in the water and grab their prey with their bill. If you see a belted kingfisher, they will likely be alone, except when they pair up for the breeding season in May and June. Watch out though! They establish territories and will defend them loudly if there is an intruder.
Great blue heron
Often lurking on the shoreline, great blue herons are the largest herons in North America, with some reaching over 4 feet tall. As indicated by their name, great blue herons are a grayish blue color with an orange or yellow colored bill. Their feathers are often described as shaggy and they have long, wispy feathers on the backs of their heads. Another notable feature is their long necks which they often fold into an S shape.
Great blue herons use the element of surprise to catch their prey. They wade slowly through the water or stand still while they look for their next snack. Once they find something tasty, they use their long necks to quickly pluck it out of the water. They aren’t picky eaters, eating anything nearby including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and insects.
Osprey
If you’re headed out to open water with plenty of fish, be on the lookout for ospreys. These raptors are large birds, averaging around 22 inches tall with a wingspan that can reach almost 6 feet! They have brown feathers on their wings, but have a white belly and a broad brown strip through their eyes. They like their nests to be elevated and close to the water so take a look around for a nest on treetops, or human-built platforms.
Ospreys stick to open areas and are drawn to shallow fishing grounds since they can only dive about 3 feet below the surface. Don’t try to compete with ospreys for who is the better angler—they catch fish on at least 1 in every 4 dives and usually average only 12 minutes spent hunting before making a catch!
Hooded merganser
Some of your feathered friends may be in the sky, but others you may see swimming like the hooded mergansers. These small ducks are hard to miss with their prominent crest on the tops of their heads. Males can be identified by their black and white heads, with brown feathers on their sides. Females blend in more with mostly gray and brown feathers.
As they swim, hooded mergansers will often put their heads underwater while they look for prey. They use their serrated bills to grab and eat small fish, aquatic insects, amphibians, and vegetation. To help protect their eyes, they have an extra eyelid that is transparent and act like a pair of goggles.
Next time you’re waiting for a bite by the water, take some time to observe the birds around you and you’ll add a whole new layer of enjoyment to your fishing experience. Check out MassWildlife’s Get Started Birding guide for more tips for beginners, and get hooked on birding!
State Wildlife Action Plan
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is announcing the Draft 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) for Massachusetts is ready for public review and comment. An approved State Wildlife Action Plan is required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order to be eligible for State Wildlife Grants, a key federal funding source for states to conserve plants and animals of greatest conservation need and the habitats on which they rely. Plans must be revised every ten years to evaluate the health of rare, declining, and vulnerable species and to identify opportunities to conserve these species and their habitats.
Participation by conservation partners and the public is critical to updating the SWAP and putting its recommendations into practice to proactively conserve vulnerable species and their habitats.
Click here to watch a presentation about the 2025 SWAP and to access all SWAP components.
What’s new for 2025?
MassWildlife developed its first State Wildlife Action Plan in 2005 and updated it in 2015. We are now sharing our draft revisions to the 2025 SWAP with some exciting new highlights. The 2025 Massachusetts SWAP:
- Is available entirely online;
- Builds off of BioMap, which is an online tool that guides the strategic protection and stewardship of lands and waters that are most important for biodiversity conservation in Massachusetts;
- Features 619 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) with an updated dashboard and fact sheets;
- Describes 35 habitat categories containing 106 natural communities that are essential for conserving SGCN in Massachusetts; and,
- Identifies key actions needed to help conserve and restore SGCN.
Public comments on the Draft 2025 SWAP will be accepted up to Monday, August 18 online via a feedback form or in writing by mail to: MassWildlife Re: SWAP Public Comment, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.
2025 youth pheasant hunt
Hunter Education graduates aged 12–17 are invited to participate in the 2025 Youth Pheasant Hunt. Participants learn hunting basics and firearms safety from experienced adults. Classes are offered on different dates at locations around the state. Register for an event by August 31.
Know your milkweeds
As their name suggests, many milkweed species produce a milky-white substance that can be seen if their stem is broken. Milkweed flowers are often fragrant and produce nectar for a wide array of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Caterpillars of the iconic monarch butterfly (pictured above) feed exclusively on milkweed leaves and cannot complete their lifecycle without these plants.
Many of us had our first encounter with milkweed as children, popping open a milkweed pod and plucking out the white fluff then releasing the feathery strands and attached seeds into the wind. Those seeds must land in a patch of bare soil for a new milkweed plant to take root. Areas like this, along with open habitats preferred by many milkweeds, are becoming scarce, making some of our eight native milkweed species rare. Habitat management projects, including prescribed fire, that restore open habitats can help reverse this trend.
Learn about the eight milkweed species native to Massachusetts:
Common milkweed
Description: Stout, upright stems with broad oval leaves grow to 3–5 feet; clusters of flowers that range from pink to white. (See flower in top photo, seed pod in right photo.)
Habitat: Grasslands, open woodlands, floodplains, disturbed areas.
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is native to all 14 counties in Massachusetts. It’s the plant most often thought of when you hear the word “milkweed.” Common milkweed spreads through underground stems (rhizomes) that branch out from the main plant. Once established, common milkweed does not need to reseed often. Common milkweed produces nectar both night and day, providing food for moths at night and butterflies during the day.
Monarch caterpillars feast on the leaves of common milkweed and adult monarchs feed on nectar given off by the flowers. The leaves of all milkweed species are toxic to most insects, but monarchs have evolved the ability to isolate the toxic chemicals in specialized internal structures. This allows the monarch to avoid harm from the chemicals and serves as a defense against predators. Birds have evolved to recognize and avoid fowl-tasting, toxic monarch caterpillars.
Butterfly weed
Description: Typically grows in clumps of upright stems reaching 1–3 feet tall; flowers range from orange to yellow.
Habitat: Grasslands, open woodlands, pine barrens.
The brilliant orange flowers of butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) light up meadows on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and areas of Cape Cod. This species has a wide range in North America, found in prairies in Texas and Oklahoma, all the way to Florida and northern Minnesota, as well as in New England.
At one time, butterfly weed was found throughout Massachusetts, but almost all populations have disappeared. Like most milkweeds, butterfly weed prefers open habitats and their seeds need to land on bare soil to germinate and grow. Some milkweeds flourished in the far more open landscape of the early-to-mid-19th century, when Massachusetts forests were almost entirely cleared for farming and other uses and fire was relatively widespread. Currently, Massachusetts is about 70 percent forested, which limits butterfly weed. Today, butterfly weed can flourish after controlled burns or wildfire.
Swamp milkweed
Description: Grows about 4 feet tall with attractive clusters of pinkish-purple flowers; leaves are long and narrow, tapering to a point.
Habitat: Moist grasslands and ditches, edges of ponds, streams, wetlands.
Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is found in all New England states and is the only milkweed species to thrive in wetlands. There are two distinct varieties; one with a stem covered in short, white hairs (A. incarnata var. pulchra) and the other (A. incarnata var. incarnata) has no hairs. Readily available in the native plant nursery trade, swamp milkweed attracts many pollinators and is a great choice for planting in rain gardens.
Less common types of milkweed
- Four-leaved milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia)
Description: Reaches about 2 feet tall with a delicate spray of off-white flowers. As its name suggests, the plant has 2-4 leaves attached to the stem at the same location (node).
Habitat: Prefers open oak woodlands and deciduous forests with light to moderate shade. Although it can be found throughout Massachusetts, it’s not common.
- Poke milkweed (Asclepias exaltata)
Description: Grows to about 4 feet tall with cream-colored flowers arranged in starburst clusters.
Habitat: Open oak woodlands on fertile soil, especially with a history of fire.
- Clasping-leaved milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis)
Description: It grows to 2–3 feet tall with drab green leaves that “clasp” the stem and features uniquely wavy leaf edges.
Habitat: Full sun, sandy soils. Found mainly on Cape Cod, the Islands, and parts of Plymouth County. Historically, it was found statewide when Massachusetts had more open habitats.
- Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillate)
Description: Grows to about 12 inches, with very narrow leaves and a small spray of white flowers.
Habitat: Dry soils with full sun.
Status: Listed as threatened under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. Loss of open habitats, fire suppression, and deer browse pressure have greatly diminished the range of this species.
- Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens)
Description: Reached 4 feet in height, with deep reddish-purple clusters of flowers.
Habitat: Dry soils in open areas.
Status: Listed as endangered under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. Threats include loss of open habitats, development, and deer over browse.
Want to learn more?
This information comes from “Marvelous Milkweeds,” an article written by MassWildlife Botanist Robert Wernerehl, published in Massachusetts Wildlife magazine in 2019.
Read the full article to delve into the fascinating story of milkweeds—learn how the milkweed's unique flower shape evolved to aid pollination and find out how milkweed fluff was collected here in Massachusetts to help the US Navy during WWII!
A new partnership to protect 39.5 acres in Ashby
In collaboration with Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust (Mount Grace), DFG and MassWildlife has successfully protected nearly 40 acres of forest and fields in central Massachusetts along the New Hampshire border. Learn more about how this property will link key habitats for wildlife and expand outdoor recreation opportunities.
Bear aware camping
Are you planning a camping trip in Massachusetts? If so, you are camping in bear country. Massachusetts is home to at least 4,500 black bears. They are commonly found in western and central Massachusetts and the population is growing and moving eastward. Black bears will visit RV parks and campgrounds during the camping season in search of food. If they find food, bears will return more often and can become a danger to people. Your actions while camping have a direct impact on bear behavior. Do your part to keep your campsite clean and keep bears wild.
Here are 5 easy ways you can be “bear aware” and prevent bear problems when camping.
Never feed bears and other wildlife.
Intentional feeding can cause bears and other wildlife to lose their fear of people. When this happens, bears can become a threat to human safety and may need to be euthanized.
Stash trash out of sight, smell, and reach of bears.
Store your trash and recyclables in your RV or put it in a dumpster. Do not leave garbage outside. Use bear-resistant waste containers and dumpsters when available.
Secure all food and never store or eat food in tents.
Store food and beverages in bear-resistant containers where bears cannot see, smell, or reach them. Don’t store food, beverages, or coolers outdoors or on porches or patios. Clean up picnic tables immediately after use and never leave food unattended. Don’t throw food scraps or trash into the campfire or nearby woods. Burn off food on the grill and cover the grill after each use.
Close and lock RV, cabin, and vehicle doors and windows to discourage bear break-ins.
Bears will break into vehicles or through a screen door to access food they can smell or see. When you leave your site, lock doors and windows to RVs, vehicles, and cabins. Always keep exterior doors to RVs and cabins closed, even when you’re there.
Leash and supervise pets outdoors.
Supervise and leash dogs whenever they’re outdoors. Never let dogs chase or interact with bears as the presence of a dog could trigger a bear to be aggressive. Feed your pet indoors or clean up after outdoor feeding.
Black bears are naturally wary of people, but they can become less cautious if they repeatedly find food around people. By being “bear aware” when camping, you help keep bears wild and make the outdoors enjoyable for everyone. View and share this printable flyer for additional tips for camping in bear country. Visit mass.gov/bears to learn more about black bears in Massachusetts.
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| Date published: | August 6, 2025 |
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