Attention hunters: Apply for ADP before July 16
The deadline for applying for an Antlerless Deer Permit is July 16. Click here to learn how to apply.
Game of Fire - Benefits of prescribed fire for game animals
MassWildlife and other agencies in the Northeast are using prescribed fire more frequently as a habitat management tool to benefit rare and declining wildlife and plants. You might not realize that many game species like deer and turkey also benefit from prescribed fire.
Fire is an ancient and proven habitat management tool, used by people all over the world. There are many reasons people have used fire on the land, one of which was to improve habitat for game species. This use of fire fostered a reciprocal relationship where the fire enhanced habitat conditions for game populations to thrive and people were able to harvest some of that game. Today’s use of prescribed fire by MassWildlife is no different; it provides immense benefits to declining species, as well as common game species that can be hunted.
Prescribed fire is used to manage and maintain open habitats like grasslands, pine barrens, and oak woodlands where a lot of sunlight can reach the ground and promote vigorous growth of native understory vegetation. It is this “ground” vegetation that provides animals the critical resources of natural food and cover throughout the year at the level where they can use it.
For white-tailed deer, fire-maintained habitats provide important resources during some of the most critical parts of their lives. The abundant mix of shrubs, grasses, and herbaceous vegetation on the ground provide cover for fawns to hide and evade predators while a diverse mix of flowering plants ensure optimal summer nutrition for fawns to grow quickly. In the fall, those flowering plants develop fatty, protein rich seeds that deer consume to add on weight for winter survival. Fire rejuvenates this ground vegetation and burns up the competition, like tree saplings, that would have eventually shaded these plants out if left unchecked.
The wild turkey’s most crucial life stage is during nesting and poult rearing. Fire-maintained habitats provide excellent cover on the ground to hide not only the eggs but the hen when she’s sitting on the nest. Once the eggs hatch, the turkey poults depend exclusively on protein-rich insects. The more insects available, the faster the poults can grow, evade predators, and ultimately survive. Fire promotes a diversity of ground vegetation that then supports an abundance of insects, exponentially more than a shaded forest. Fire also removes the dense thatch allowing turkey poults to move easily when foraging for insects while native vegetation provides overhead protection from avian predators. At Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), where MassWildlife uses prescribed fire to manage a diversity of habitats across a large landscape, game animals like turkeys have a variety and abundance of food, nesting, and roosting resources throughout the year. Having all these options reduces the turkeys’ need to travel far which significantly limits their chances of run-ins with a predator or a car.
The use of fire to maintain and improve habitats has incredible benefits to game species and the hunters that pursue them. Not only are these lands more productive for game, but the diversity of open habitats just makes them plain fun and exciting places to hunt. If you’d like to explore a WMA where prescribed fire and many other habitat management practices have been used, visit:
- Montague Plains WMA – Montague, get info | go to map
- Herman Covey WMA – Belchertown, get info | go to map
- Quaboag WMA – Brookfield, get info | go to map
- Birch Hill WMA – Winchendon, get info | go to map
- Frances Crane WMA – Bourne and Falmouth, get info | go to map
- Noquochoke WMA, Dartmouth - get info | go to map
Check out mass.gov/prescribedfire to learn more about the use of planned fire to manage healthy habitats. Visit this webpage for a complete list of sites where MassWildlife will be conducting prescribed fires this year.
Great Marsh project wins leadership award
MassWildlife is a leading partner in a cooperative large-scale salt marsh restoration project in Essex County. At 16,000 acres, Great Salt Marsh is the largest salt marsh in New England. The sprawling coastal marsh provides many benefits including maintaining water quality, storing carbon, providing habitat for many types of wildlife, supporting recreational opportunities, and protecting 7 coastal towns from flooding.
Along the Atlantic Coast, the loss of salt marsh habitat is occurring at an alarming rate. Great Marsh contains a network of ditches, berms, and roads – relics from historical agricultural activity and mosquito control – that have degraded the marsh and made it more vulnerable to sea-level rise and associated impacts from climate change. Without intervention, the Great Marsh is projected to convert to low marsh before 2070 and tidal flats before 2100.
Rising to the urgent need, MassWildlife and a group of several organizations, including The Trustees and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, joined together to explore restoration options in 2018. Since then, many more partners have joined the effort and work has been done to complete preliminary salt marsh platform restoration designs, pilot restoration techniques, apply for funding, streamline regulatory requirements, and design monitoring protocols. Today, restoration activities using proven nature-based techniques, such as ditch remediation, runnels, and creation of nesting islands, are now in process on over 8,000 acres.
“The synergy created between project partners, coastal scientists, and regulators is having a positive impact on MassWildlife’s ability to meet saltmarsh sparrow habitat restoration goals,” said Patricia Huckery, MassWildlife’s Northeast District Supervisor. “Restoring the marsh also protects coastal communities, fish nurseries, and the myriad other benefits of a healthy salt marsh ecosystem.”
In June, the Environmental Business Council of New England presented the following organizations with the Merit Award for Leadership: The Trustees of Reservations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Wetland Restoration, Mass Audubon, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control and Wetlands Management District, Greenbelt, Essex County Greenbelt Association, University of New Hampshire, Rimmer Environmental Consulting LLC, Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership, and MA Division of Ecological Restoration.
Habitat highlight: Salt marsh
Salt marshes form in areas subject to ocean tides that are mostly sheltered from waves. Peat develops in the higher marshes, with marsh plants extending into flats. Many kinds of birds forage in salt marshes and over 300 bird species are documented in Great Marsh. A few nest there as well, such as seaside sparrow and the saltmarsh sparrow which is state-listed as Special Concern pursuant to the MA Endangered Species Act. In fall and winter, short-eared owls, snowy owls, and northern harrier hunt in salt marshes. In summer, snowy egrets, American black ducks, and many shorebirds forage in pools at low tide. Thousands of birds rest and forage here during migration.
If you’re interested in viewing salt marsh wildlife, try visiting one of these locations:
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
William Forward Wildlife Management Area
Great Marsh North Wildlife Management Area
Salisbury Salt Marsh Wildlife Management Area
Protect your poultry from predators
As backyard chicken farming has increased in popularity across the Bay State, conflict with wildlife has also greatly increased. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and the Environmental Police receive calls daily about predators taking chickens or breaking into coops. Any poultry that is unprotected, including free range chickens, are viewed as part of the natural food chain and will make an easy meal for predators like coyotes, black bears, foxes, fisher, birds of prey, and more. Read below for tips on how to protect your poultry from predators.
Fencing
- Poultry should be contained within predator-proof fencing. Remember, chicken wire is designed to keep birds in, but won’t always keep predators out. Use a sturdy fence that is at least six feet tall.
- Properly maintained electric fencing is the only way to protect chickens and other poultry from bears. Electric fencing is easy to set up and safe around people and pets. Basic electric fencing kits can range from $180 to $600. You can also read MassWildlife’s Electric Fencing Guide to Prevent Bear Damage to learn how to build your own electric fence.
- An outward overhang fence design or free spinning PVC pipe on a tight wire at the top of a fence can prevent some predators, like coyotes, from climbing over a fence.
- If you plan on moving your birds from one location to another, consider a portable electric fence design.
- For predators that can dig beneath fences, like foxes and coyotes, bury fencing at least 1 foot into the ground.
Enclosure Design
- Make sure your coop is sturdy and has doors and windows that can be closed tightly and securely.
- Protect poultry from aerial predators, like hawks and owls, by providing overhead cover. Crisscrossing overhead wires can also help to disrupt the flight patterns of raptors. Covering poultry runs with plastic netting or well-supported welded-wire fencing will reliably prevent attacks from above.
- Raising coop enclosures off the ground can prevent predators from sneaking in beneath the enclosure.
Additional Tips
- Store feed in a lockable and secure area. Use tight-fitting galvanized trash containers that will reduce attractive odors for wildlife like bears. Clean up any leftover food that may attract pests and predators.
- Provide adequate lighting and remove brush and large bushes from around the pen area perimeter.
- Noise making devices can scare off predators or alert you that something is in the area.
For more advice on how to prevent or address damage from wildlife, please contact your nearest MassWildlife District Office.
10 Tips for taking kids fishing
The only thing better than catching a fish yourself is helping your kids do the same! While a family fishing trip can be fun, young anglers may become bored or lose interest quickly. With a little preparation and some patience, your kids will be reeling in their first catch in no time! These tips will help you share your love of fishing with the whole family.
1. Teach them the rules. A fishing trip is a great opportunity to teach kids about conservation and the environment. Teach your children how ethical anglers follow the rules. Pick up a fish ID guide to show them the types of fish they might catch. Share the current fishing regulations and make sure you have your license. In Massachusetts, kids under 15 can fish for free and do not need a license. If you plan to help your kid cast or reel in their catch, you will need a fishing license to assist them. Click here to get your fishing license.
2. Get the right equipment. Start your kids out with a simple push-button spin-casting rod and reel combo that is light-weight. Leave the bait-casting and fly rods at home. With basic equipment, children will spend more time with their line in the water and less time dealing with technical problems. Rig up a basic hook, sinker, and bobber, and watch your kids light up as they see the bobber go under.
3. Practice at home. Get kids excited and ready for a fishing trip by practicing at home first. Let them get the feel for casting by practicing (without hooks) in your yard or in a park. This will help them develop timing and coordination in a low-stress environment. You can even put out targets so they can work on their aim.
4. Pick nearby locations. Go somewhere close to home. To avoid untangling line from trees, look for an open space with room for kids to cast. Find a great place to fish with our Go Fish Ma! interactive map—select the "Featured Sites" filter in the map for staff recommendations with easier access to the water. If you want to make a day of it, state parks often offer amenities like picnic tables, grills, and bathrooms.
5. Use good bait. While fishing isn't all about catching, kids have more fun when they get a few bites. Opt for bait instead of lures. Try using garden worms, mealworms, crickets, or small, dense pieces of food like cheese, chicken, hot dogs, or bread.
6. Target easy fish. Some adults care about catching big fish, but most youngsters are happy with anything at the end of their line. Forget about trophy fishing, and instead target panfish like pumpkinseed, bluegill, and yellow perch, which are plentiful, easier to catch, and require less technique. Panfish usually hang out in shallow, weedy beds next to the shoreline.
7. Make it fun (for them). Be patient, stay positive, and focus on creating an amazing experience. Keep trips short when kids are younger. An hour or two is enough to keep them wanting more. If they get bored, encourage them to explore the shoreline to look for critters or skip rocks. Kids care more about having fun with you than what they catch.
8. Keep them comfortable. Snacks, drinks, sunscreen, and bug spray keep kids happy. Make sure everyone is in appropriate clothing for the weather.
9. Be safe. A fun day fishing can be quickly ruined by injury. Consider using barbless hooks or using needle nose pliers to bend down barbs on your hooks. If kids are going to bait their own hook, teach them to be cautious. Even along shore, children should wear life jackets as they learn to fish. Polarized sunglasses help protect young eyes from the sun and from tree branches or hooks. Remember to pack a small first aid kit.
10. Keep going! As your kids practice and grow more comfortable, fishing trips will become more fun for them (and for you). Keep it interesting by switching up your routine with a new fishing spot or type of bait. As your children get older, they will become more independent and want to try learning new techniques. You can find online resources to learn new fishing skills here.
Biodiversity Listening Sessions
Give your feedback to shape biodiversity conservation goals for the Commonwealth by attending a listening session on July 17th or July 23rd. You can also submit written feedback by August 30th. Get more details on biodiversity goals in Massachusetts and sign up for a listening session.
Report fish kills
Seeing dead or dying fish can cause distress and prompt concerns about pollution, but the vast majority of summer fish kills are natural events. As warm weather arrives, lakes and ponds heat up, and natural fish kills may occur. To ensure there is not a pollution problem, please report all fish kills by calling the Environmental Police Radio Room at 1 (800) 632-8075.
Natural fish kills are most often caused by low oxygen levels, fish diseases, or spawning stress. Depletion of dissolved oxygen is also a common cause. Water holds less dissolved oxygen at higher temperatures, and in shallower or weedier ponds, levels can drop further as plants consume oxygen at night. Fish spawning, including sunfish and bass spawning, occurs in late spring and early summer in shallow waters near shorelines. These densely-crowded areas can grow more susceptible to disease outbreaks as water temperatures rise. The result is an unavoidable natural fish kill, often consisting of only one or two species of fish.
When a fish kill report comes in, MassWildlife fisheries biologists determine if it is natural or potentially caused by pollution. Because pollution impacts all aquatic life, the most important evidence biologists look for is the number and variety of fish associated with the incident. When pollution is suspected, MassWildlife notifies the Department of Environmental Protection, who then conducts a formal investigation of the water and the affected fish to determine the source of pollution.
Public archery range dates extended
Due to popularity, the dates have been extended for our temporary public archery ranges. Find the dates and locations here.