MassWildlife Monthly September 2022

News from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Fall trout stocking

Over 63,000 trout will be stocked across Massachusetts starting around mid-September. Go to mass.gov/trout to see a map and list of fall stocking locations.

Summer may be winding down, but the fishing opportunities are still going strong! Fall is a great time to fish, get tips for fall trout fishing and fall bass fishing.

Antlerless Deer Permit announcement

Antlerless Deer Permits (ADPs) are required to harvest antlerless deer (deer without antlers or antlers less than 3” long). You can only harvest antlerless deer in the zone specified on your ADP. Allocations are set by wildlife management zone to help meet deer management goals.  

ADP award period underway

Hunters who applied for an Antlerless Deer Permit before the July 16 deadline can now return to MassFishHunt to see if they were awarded the $10 permit. You can check your permit status any time between August 1 and December 31; your chances of being awarded a permit are the same regardless of when you check your permit status. The easiest way to check your award status and purchase your ADP is online through MassFishHunt. In-person sales are also available at select license vendor locations and MassWildlife offices. 

New licensing system

MassWildlife transitioned to a new MassFishHunt licensing system in December 2021. MassWildlife is aware that some hunters who attempted to apply for antlerless deer permits before the July deadline this year did not successfully complete the submission process. After thoroughly investigating the issue, it was determined that some hunters selected a zone in the online system but did not complete the checkout process required to fully submit their application. Therefore, these customers did not receive a receipt of a completed transaction and were not entered for a permit. While the great majority of customers applied without issue, MassWildlife is working with our licensing vendor to improve the ADP application process for next year to ensure a successful application process for all customers. MassWildlife sincerely apologizes to all customers who did not have their application successfully submitted this year. 

Surplus Antlerless Deer Permits

All hunters will have the opportunity to buy surplus permits in September for zones 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. MassWildlife makes surplus permits available for zones that have permits remaining after the Application/Award process. Surplus permits provide additional opportunity for hunters and minimize the number of permits that go unused. Anyone with a valid hunting or sporting license can buy a surplus ADP. You do not need to have applied for an ADP by the July 16 deadline to be eligible for surplus permits. The easiest way to buy a license or a surplus permit is online through MassFishHunt. In-person sales are also available at select license vendor locations and MassWildlife offices.  

Limited permits available for Zones 3, 9, and 12: A limited number of Antlerless Deer Permits are available for zones 3, 9, and 12. Surplus ADPs for zones 3, 9, and 12 will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, September 28. Limit 1 ADP per zone per day until they sell out.  

• *TIPS: Limited surplus permits for Zones 3, 9, and 12 will sell out very quickly. To improve your chances of getting a limited surplus permit in zones 3, 9, or 12, prepare ahead of time. Make sure you know your email address and password to log in. Have a credit card ready. Log in by 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday, September 28 and refresh your page beginning at 9 a.m. Do not log in on more than 1 internet browser or device. After you add a surplus ADP into your cart, it will be reserved for 15 minutes. If you do not complete the checkout process in 15 minutes, the permit will be removed from your cart and other customers will be able to claim it. Once all permits have been claimed, you won’t see these products available for purchase and you will not be able to add permits to your cart. There is a limit of 1 permit per transaction. This keeps the surplus process fair for all hunters. 

Unlimited permits available for Zones 10, 11, 13, and 14: There is no cap set for Antlerless Deer Permits in zones 10, 11, 13, and 14. Surplus ADPs for zones 10, 11, 13, and 14 will go on sale starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 27 and will be available throughout the entire deer season. Limit 1 ADP per zone per day for Zones 10 and 11; Limit 4 ADPs per zone per day for Zones 13 and 14. 

After purchasing a surplus ADP, you will receive an email with your permit attached so you can print it from the convenience of your home. You can also access your permit to reprint at any time by logging into your MassFishHunt account. To reprint:  

• Log into MassFishHunt 

• Once you’ve logged in, click on My Account  

• From the My Account menu, select Active Licenses, Permits & Privileges 

• Select Print Active Licenses (make sure pop-up blockers are turned off) 

 

Number of surplus ADP available by zone

Zone	Surplus permits
3	351
9	3,153
10	No cap
11	No cap
12	203
13	No cap
14	No cap

 

Read this if you keep backyard chickens

Black bears killing chickens and damaging coops is becoming the number one source of human-bear conflict in Massachusetts. MassWildlife and the Environmental Police receive calls daily about bears breaking into chicken coops. Almost every bear in Massachusetts has learned this behavior. As backyard chicken farming has increased in popularity across the Bay State, conflict with black bears has also greatly increased.

The state’s bear population is estimated at over 4,500 animals. Common in central and western Massachusetts, black bears are expanding their range east to the Route 495 corridor. Bears will spend time in areas where human-associated foods like poultry feed, garbage, compost, livestock, and beehives are easy to find. Bears will revisit the same areas repeatedly if food is readily available. As the bear range expands eastward toward the most densely populated communities of Massachusetts, bear sightings are increasing in these areas and residents, especially those who keep backyard chickens, should take steps to prevent conflicts with bears.

Coops and chicken wire provide inadequate protection from black bears. Properly maintained electric fencing is the only way to protect chickens or other poultry from bears. Electric fencing is easy to set up and safe around kids and pets. Failure to use electric fencing will likely result in loss of birds and coop damage. Read on for more tips.

Best practices

• Install electric fencing around coops to protect birds and coops regardless of flock numbers. (see electric fencing tips below).
• Keep open, mowed areas on all sides around chicken coops, beehives, and livestock pens. Do not set up chicken coop or hives in abandoned areas or close to overgrown vegetation. Bears will climb trees to get into adjacent coops and use the brush as cover when approaching.
• Do not place supplemental food nearby as a distraction. This can attract or habituate bears and is counterproductive.
• Contact local bear hunters to hunt your property. Contact a MassWildlife District Office or a local sportsmans’ club for help connecting with bear hunters.
• If you are (or anticipate) suffering property damage caused by a bear, please contact the nearest MassWildlife District Office right away. MassWildlife biologists will provide you with advice that can lessen the problem.

Electric fencing tips

• Keep the power on at all times (minimum of 6,000 volts).
• Check and maintain chargers and batteries on a regular basis.
• Teach bears to avoid electric fences. Place bacon strips, foil strips with peanut butters, or honey on the hot wires to deliver a shock to the bear's nose. A bear will remember the shock and associate the fence with pain.
• Remove vegetation on and near wires to prevent shorting out the fence.
• Review the Electric Fencing Guide to Prevent Bear Damage and contact your MassWildlife District Office for advice on electric fencing.

New members appointed to Fisheries and Wildlife Board

Governor Charlie Baker has appointed four new members to the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, the citizen-board that oversees the management and operations of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). The new members are Sasha Dyer of Barre, Emma Ellsworth of Orange, John Organ of Buckland, and Matthew Sisk of Braintree. Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon announced the Governor’s appointments and introduced the new members at the Board’s July monthly business meeting. “All four citizens joining the Fisheries and Wildlife Board are lifelong outdoors-people and conservationists,” the Commissioner said, “and I and MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa look forward to working with the new members and the entire Board to continue to advance the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and habitat in the Commonwealth.” The new members join current members Bob Durand of Marlborough, Ernest Foster of Scituate, and Stephen Sears of Dalton.

The departing members are Bonnie Booth of Spencer, the Board’s Secretary for the past five years and a member for 13 years; Dr. Joseph Larson of Pelham, who had served for 22 years, for the past five as Chair; Michael Roche of Orange, who had served on the Board for 35 years, including as Secretary and as Vice Chair; and Dr. Brandi Van Roo of Douglas, who served on the Board for 17 years. “The four outgoing Fisheries and Wildlife Board members have worked very hard over the years on a wide variety of issues, from numerous regulatory reviews and amendments to the agency’s finances to MassWildlife’s engagement with its longtime constituents and the citizens of Massachusetts at large. We are a stronger, more professional agency because of their tireless service, and we salute their individual and collective accomplishments on MassWildlife’s behalf as we enter the next chapter,” said MassWildlife Director Mark S. Tisa.

The Fisheries and Wildlife Board is responsible for supervising and directing the work of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The Board's mandate is to protect and manage the wildlife of the Commonwealth as an essential public natural resource for the use and enjoyment of all people. This includes all mammals, birds, and freshwater fish, plus insects, invertebrates and plants that are listed under state and federal regulations as rare, endangered, threatened, or of special concern—over 400 species in total. The Board has the authority to make regulations, set policy, oversee personnel appointments, and make decisions concerning the acquisition and protection of land and water for wildlife. The 7-member Board serves without compensation, meets monthly, and holds public hearings as part of the regulatory process; its meetings are open to the public. 

Only the unseen survive

Awe-inspiring adaptations allow many species of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) to disguise themselves from hungry predators. Click here for the full story.

Habitat site walk schedule

MassWildlife is leading a series of walks at locations across the Commonwealth. The public is invited to hear from habitat specialists and to view habitat restoration in action on MassWildlife lands.

MassWildlife's management activities are focused on declining habitat types that provide homes—food, cover, and space—for the state’s most common and most rare animals and plants. The goal is to create and maintain native grasslands, shrublands, vibrant young forests, woodlands, and dedicated forest reserves. Habitat site walks will demonstrate a range of habitat types. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes for walking. Site walks will be held rain or shine, but will be cancelled or cut short if there is thunder and lightning.

If you are interested in attending one of these walks, please pre-register here.

Site walk schedule (Click the link under location for directions to the meeting location.)

Site	Date/Time	Description	Location
Montague Plains WMA	Saturday, Sept. 10, 1–3 p.m.	Montague Plains is the largest intact inland glacial sandplain ecosystem in Massachusetts. Learn about over two decades of restoration work and upcoming projects.	Old Northfield Road, Montague
Eugene Moran WMA	Tuesday, Sept. 13, 4–6 p.m.	At the Eugene Moran WMA, MassWildlife staff will lead a pre-treatment site walk and discuss the need for young forest habitat to support many state and regional species of greatest conservation need.	Driscoll Road, Windsor
Frances Crane WMA, North	Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2–4 p.m.	MassWildlife has been restoring native sandplain grasslands, barrens, and woodlands at Frances Crane WMA for many years. Biologists and ecologists involved in the project will discuss how these restoration projects have provided habitat for many rare species.	Nathan Ellis Highway, East Falmouth
Mashpee Pine Barrens WMA	Thursday, Oct. 6, 5:30–7 p.m.	Come see the Mashpee Pine Barrens WMA, an exemplary example of rare pitch pine barrens. You will see habitat restoration in various phases, and MassWildlife staff will discuss the restoration process, important wildlife that depend on the habitat, fire ecology, wildfire risk reduction, and the partnerships that make the work possible.	Great Hay Road, Mashpee
Birch Hill WMA and USACE Birch Hill Dam Project	Thursday, Oct. 6, 4–6 p.m.	Join us at the US Army Corps of Engineers Birch Hill Dam Project for a pre-treatment site walk of upcoming oak woodlands and barrens restoration. MassWildlife staff will discuss the need to remove a dying red pine plantation and to restore large areas of native oak woodland and barrens habitats.	Elm Street, Baldwinville
Mill Brook Bogs WMA	Thursday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m.–noon	MassWildlife and the Division of Ecological Restoration are partnering on a combined wetland and upland restoration project. The woodland restoration has begun, providing both important upland habitat and the native woody material which will be used in restoring the cranberry bog to a native wetland system.	Howland Road, Freetown, Assonet
Leyden WMA	Thursday, Oct. 13, 3–5 p.m.	Leyden WMA's ridgetop woodlands and blueberry and heath barrens not only provide habitat for rare species, but also stunning views. Join MassWildlife staff to learn about the next phase of this restoration project.	East Glen Road and Croutworst Road, Leyden

 

Can’t make it to one of these walks? Learn about MassWildlife’s efforts to manage and restore wildlife habitat at mass.gov/habitat. 

Wood is good

Trees alongside a pond or river help shade a waterbody and moderate water temperatures. But it’s large wood in the form of fallen tree trunks and branches that is of particular importance to fish and, therefore, anglers. Organic matter trapped by woody material in streams and ponds provides nutrients and a food source for algae, plants, aquatic invertebrates, and a host of microscopic organisms at the base of the aquatic food chain.

When a tree falls into a waterbody it offers instant habitat and cover for many species, including trout and largemouth bass. Many aquatic invertebrates rely on woody structure for different stages of their lifecycle as a source of nutrients and shelter. For example, aquatic invertebrates like caddisflies attach to instream wood and other hard surfaces in their aquatic juvenile stage before they transform to their terrestrial adult life stage. Freshwater mussels reside under and around wood in rivers, streams, and ponds. Anglers like to seek out downed trees where forage fish species hide and predators like largemouth bass seek cover to ambush prey.

Downed trees aid in the formation of stream ecosystems because they can narrow the channel and create a diversity of habitats. They increase the flow in certain areas to create riffles and slow the flow in others to create pools with little current where fish lie in wait for food to drift by. Dissolved oxygen increases as water moves over and around woody material. Downed trees also help to decrease stream bank erosion by slowing strong rushes of water during heavy rain events.

Benefits to wild trout
Large wood is particularly important in wild brook trout streams, where it provides brook trout with important cover against predators like kingfishers, great blue herons, and river otters. Trout are often found close to wood, boulders, and other large objects in a behavior called thigmotaxis, which in this case means that they feel safer when closer to objects. The more complex the wood is in terms of branches the more fish are attracted because it offers many more hiding places. A study in northern Vermont found that water temperature and large woody material were two of the most important limiting factors for brook trout streams. The number of brook trout approximately tripled at sites following the addition of large woody material.

Decreasing drought impact
This summer finds us in various stages of drought across the state. In addition to the benefits already outlined, streams with large woody fragments make streams more resilient to the impacts of drought. Many streams have been channelized or simplified so they run straight. During extended dry periods, these streams tend to dry up more completely. Woody habitat provides shade to reduce stream temperature and also increases stream channel complexity. Water flowing in a more complex stream encounters lumps, bumps, and crags of woody habitat and is pushed left, right, up, and down. These changes in flow make eddies and scouring currents that create pools and undercut banks. These habitat features are very important for climate resilience since deeper pools are more likely to hold water and maintain closer contact with cold groundwater. These factors help keep fish alive during the doldrums of drought.

Do your part: Don’t remove wood!
The benefits of downed trees and branches to waterbodies and aquatic ecosystems is difficult to overstate. So, even if downed trees can snag the occasional lure or make canoe or kayak passage a bit more difficult, anglers and paddlers should recognize the importance of wood and leave it in place. Help spread the word that wood is good!

A version of this article, by Steve Hurley and Travis Drudi, appeared in Massachusetts Wildlife magazine’s special Fisheries and Aquatics Issue from in early 2022.