June 7–8, 2025 is free fishing weekend
Mark your calendars for this year’s Free Freshwater Fishing Weekend on June 7 and 8! No license is required to fish any public lake, pond, reservoir, stream, or river in Massachusetts from 12 a.m. Saturday, June 7 until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 8.
- Other than Free Fishing Weekend, you need a license to fish in fresh water if you are 15 or older. If you're 15–17 or 70 and older, your license is free. Funds from fishing license sales support MassWildlife’s fisheries research, fish stocking programs, and angler education programs. Buy your fishing license here.
- All other regulations, including catch limits, apply during Free Fishing Weekend. Before heading out on the water, make sure you know the rules. Review fishing regulations.
- For saltwater anglers, 2025 Free Saltwater Fishing Days are May 11 and June 15.
Where to fish
Use the Go Fish MA! fishing map to find places to fish near you! You can also explore trout stocked waters or handicapped accessible fishing sites.
Sharpen your skills
It's easy to learn to fish. All you need to get started is some simple gear and a little practice! Read fishing tips and watch tutorial videos.
Veggie Vandals: Protecting your gardens from wildlife
We all know the feeling. You spend winter drawing up your garden plan. You dream of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and more that you’ll be able to harvest from your backyard. When the weather warms, you get outside and start to prepare your garden beds and, eventually, get seeds or seedlings into the ground. In summer, when it’s finally time to reap the rewards of your hard work, your heart sinks as you find that something else got to your garden first.
You’re not the first, or last, person to have your veggies vandalized by wildlife. Wild animals, like woodchucks, rabbits, squirrels, and deer, see our garden greens as a natural part of their diet and will snack on it if they have easy access. While there often isn’t a single solution to keep wildlife out of our gardens for good, a combination of effective approaches and a little creativity can ensure you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor.
Exclusion
The best way to prevent garden damage from wildlife is to exclude them from the area with a physical barrier, like fencing. Three-foot-tall metal mesh fencing buried at least 1 ft down and 1 ft out in an L-shape can help keep critters like rabbits and groundhogs out. If you’re trying to exclude rabbits specifically, make sure the mesh holes are ¼ inch or smaller to prevent young from getting through. Woodchucks are surprisingly agile, so consider using electric wire 4–5 inches off the ground and 4–5 inches from the fence, powered by an approved fence charger, to prevent them and other squirrel species from climbing over. If deer damage is your biggest concern, wire mesh fencing must be at least 8 ft high with an overhang to discourage them from jumping over. Eight-foot-tall electric fencing, regularly baited with peanut butter on tin foil, can also be used.
Eliminate shelter
Close off structures, like under sheds, porches, and walkways, that may provide shelter for wildlife on your property. Be proactive and block up all possible crevices and holes prior to any use. Be careful not to block such places when animals may be trapped inside. Clean up or cut back brushy areas or weed patches to remove potential shelter or nest sites.
Repellents
Scent-based repellents, like cayenne pepper, soap shavings, or predator urine, are commonly used to deter wildlife from gardens. While this can be an appealing option because it’s quick, easy, and inexpensive at first, scent-based repellents do not appear to be hugely successful on their own. They also require regular refreshing, which can make them more expensive yet less effective in the long run compared to other more reliable solutions like fencing.
Scaring is caring
Most animals that damage gardens are prey species, meaning they can be scared off fairly easily. When you’re home, step outside and shoo them away by walking toward them, shouting, clapping, or spraying water in their direction. Try placing shiny pinwheels, draping plastic streamers, hanging metal pie pans, and staging scarecrows to keep wildlife wary when you’re not there. Motion activated moving statues, like owls, or predator eye balloons can also be effective. Deer tend to return at night, so a motion activated sprinkler seems to be a promising deer deterrent. Want to get really creative? Break out your motion activated Halloween decorations early to spook away wildlife.
Pro tip: Keep veggie vandals on their toes! It’s essential to move frightening devices around the yard every few days so the animals don’t get used to their presence and no longer view them as a threat.
Remove other food sources
Your garden may not be the only thing attracting wildlife to your property. Bird seed feeds more than songbirds – it attracts mice, squirrels, chipmunks, turkeys, and more. If an animal finds food at your bird feeder, they could visit your garden next. To avoid this, create a bird-friendly area without bird feeders. Outdoor pet food can also attract wildlife, like squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, and skunks, so feed pets inside or clean up immediately after feeding.
Protect backyard chickens
Wildlife killing unprotected chickens and damaging coops is becoming the number one source of human-wildlife conflict in Massachusetts. A standard chicken coop is not enough to prevent damage from all wildlife. So, while you’re working on your garden, take a moment to protect your chickens with properly maintained electric fencing.
Relocating wildlife
It may seem easier to relocate the veggie vandal somewhere else to prevent garden damage. However, relocating wildlife off your property is not only ineffective at solving wildlife problems, it’s also illegal in Massachusetts. Learn why moving wildlife is harmful and what you can do if you’re experiencing conflict with wildlife.
Discover birds, pollinators, and wildflowers on a guided walk
MassWildlife is hosting a series of spring walks at locations across the Commonwealth. From whip-poor-will calls to bumbling bees, come learn about wildlife and the natural communities that support them.
Spring is the perfect time of year to see and hear native wildlife in Massachusetts. Join MassWildlife’s experts for a guided walk to explore a biodiversity hotspot near you. Birders of all experience levels are welcome. Walk dates and locations are listed below.
Space is limited, and registration is required. You’ll be emailed additional information leading up to the event, including parking instructions. Participants will be notified by email if a walk is cancelled due to weather. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy, closed toe shoes for walking on uneven ground. Bring binoculars, water, insect repellent, and a flashlight or headlamp for evening walks. Email Meghan Crawford at meghan.crawford@mass.gov with any questions.
| Event | Site | Date/Time | Description | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Migratory Bird Walk | Stafford Hill WMA, Cheshire | Sat. June 7, 8–10 a.m. | With open shrublands, grasslands, forests, and wetlands, Stafford Hill WMA is a great place to see a diversity of migratory birds. Join MassWildlife experts for a 1-mile guided walk to learn about birds and the habitats they need for courtship, nesting, and raising their young. | Click here to register |
| Evening Whip-poor-will Walk | Muddy Brook WMA, Hardwick | Sat. June 7, 7–9 p.m. | Thanks to over a decade of habitat restoration, Muddy Brook WMA is home to one of the largest inland congregations of whip-poor-will in the state. Join experts from MassWildlife and East Quabbin Land Trust to experience the iconic whip-poor-will song on this 1.5-mile moonlit walk (weather permitting). | Click here to register |
| Birds, Bees, and Wildflowers Walk | Frances Crane WMA, East Falmouth | Sat. June 14, 9–11 a.m. | Get fired up and ready to grow! Join MassWildlife for a 1.5-mile guided walk through the Frances Crane WMA and learn about the many fire-adapted birds, native pollinators, wildlife, and wildflowers that make their home in this amazing grassland. | Click here to register |
Dragonflies are emerging
As spring moves towards summer and temperatures start to rise, native insects begin to take flight. Perhaps none are as extraordinary as dragonflies and damselflies. Dragonflies and damselflies are part of the order (scientific grouping) known as Odonata, an ancient group of insects that have been found in the fossil record as far back as 300 million years! There are over 160 species of "odonates" found in Massachusetts ranging in color from drab brown to bright red, blue, green, and even purple.
Keep reading to learn about dragonflies and damselflies, then look for them on your next outing. Simply sit near, walk close to, or boat along the edge of a lake, pond, river, or small stream to see these impressive hunting insects in action!
Life cycle
These majestic flyers don’t always look like their adult forms. Wingless dragonfly and damselfly larvae (or nymphs) spend 10-36 months living underwater in rivers, lakes, and ponds. These juveniles swim and stalk through the submerged muddy terrain in search of other aquatic insects, tadpoles, and even small fish to prey upon. As they grow, nymphs undergo a series of moltings, shedding their exoskeleton for a slightly larger one each time.
When young dragonflies and damselflies are ready to take their adult form, they crawl out of the water for one final transformation. This metamorphosis does not occur within a cocoon, nor does it take days like with butterflies. Instead, adult dragonflies and damselflies hatch out of their own juvenile skins by cracking joints along the back of their exoskeleton and pushing themselves out of their nymphal form. The emerged adult rests in place, pumps blood into its wings to help them harden and spread, and finally takes to the sky. The entire process occurs within hours from the time they crawled out of the water.
Hunting adaptations
Odonates have large, compound eyes that provide almost 360-degree vision. Each dragonfly eye contains up to 28,000 lenses; damselflies may contain 7,000 lenses. The extraordinary optical ability makes it easy for these insects to pinpoint moving prey. In the air, dragonflies are the most skillful of insect flyers. They can move in virtually any direction. This is a skill that is nearly unique to dragonflies and damselflies and makes capturing prey rather easy. Dragonflies eat large insects including damselflies and even other dragonflies. Though they are more delicate fliers, damselflies are equally efficient hunters and consume large amounts of mosquitoes.
Damselflies vs dragonflies
Damselflies:
- delicate and small-bodied with narrow abdomen
- head is wider than long, with eyes separated by more than their own width
- forewings and hindwings are similar in shape
- hold their wings pressed above the body or only partially open at rest
- weak fliers
Dragonflies:
- stout and large-bodied
- head rounded, with eyes covering much of the top and sides of the head
- forewings and hindwings are different shapes
- hold their winds out straight to the sides when at rest
- strong fliers
Fun facts
- The name "darner"—a family of large dragonflies—comes from the insects' resemblance to a darning needle.
- Like birds, male odonates are often more colorful than females—a trait evolved to help attract a mate.
- Dragonfly ancestors soared the skies before dinosaurs dominated the earth and had a wingspan of over 2 feet, making them the largest insect ever to live.
Outdoor scavenger hunt
Who says you have to travel far to find excitement? From coastal trails to forest paths, Massachusetts is full of hidden natural wonders just waiting to be discovered. A nature scavenger hunt is a great activity for all ages—perfect for families, friends, or even solo adventurers. All you need are some pencils, a camera, or a few friends to turn your favorite nature spot into a wild game.
The possibilities for a nature scavenger hunt are endless. Download a printable checklist or bingo card or mix and match using the ideas below to create your own game. Grab a checklist, a friend (or the whole family!), and see how many treasures you can find.
- Find colors in nature: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, grey, or white.
- Find animals that have different physical features: legs, visible ears, a tail, an exoskeleton, wings, fur, scales, or fins.
- Find textures and patterns in nature: smooth, rough, pointy, furry, soft, bumpy, hard, squishy, slippery, striped, spotted, wavy, spiral, or symmetrical.
- Find species of different taxon: a mammal, plant, reptile, amphibian, insect, mollusk, bird, or fish.
- Find different signs of wildlife: scat, tracks, pellets, bones, fur, feathers, or nests.
- Find things in nature that resemble letters of the alphabet or different shapes: circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, star, or hexagon.
- Find wildlife in different locations: on a plant, under leaves/rocks/debris, in sand, in the sky, in the water, in a place they aren't supposed to be
- Listen for different sounds in nature: rustling on the ground, animal calls, buzzing, water moving, crickets, and wind.
Stay connected to nature all summer long! Visit MassWildlife's wildlife viewing guide for birding and wildlife viewing tips, information on wildlife viewing hot spots, and wildlife viewing ethics.
Did you find something interesting? Send it to MassWildlife on Facebook or Instagram.
Public archery ranges opening for summer and fall
MassWildlife is opening temporary public archery ranges on Wildlife Management Areas across the state this summer and fall. If you have your own archery equipment and need a place to practice, sign up for a range pass at one of 6 locations.
Forest management projects
MassWildlife is planning the next round of forest management projects to benefit common and rare wildlife. Learn more about this important work and share your feedback by 7/6.