MassWildlife calendar

Read the September newsletter

2021 fishing & hunting season dates 

Sept 8: Family Fishing Clinic, Stoneham -- Join MassWildlife for a family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Straw Point on Spot Pond in Stoneham from 4 to 6 p.m. This free program is co-sponsored by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). All fishing equipment and materials will be provided at this event for people of all ages. Pre-registration is required, as space is limited. Email brett.power@mass.gov to sign up. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Bring water, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Rain will cancel program.

September 9–12: MassWildlife at the Franklin County Fair, Greenfield – MassWildlife will host an exhibit at the Franklin County Fair. Stop by the booth and find out about the wildlife in your area and the wild places you can visit in the area as well as the rest of the state.

September 11: Harold Parker State Forest Family Fishing Festival, Andover – This is a free, non-competitive, family friendly, learn to fish event. Bring your fishing equipment, or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. This event is in cooperation with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) at Sudden Pond in the Harold Parker State Forest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click here for directions. This event is open to the public but pre-registration is required. RSVP to Jim Lagacy at jim.lagacy@mass.gov or (508) 389-6309 if you’d like to attend or for more information.

September 15: Family Fishing Clinic, Lexington – This is a family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Old Reservoir in Lexington (Parking area off Rt. 2A) from 5–7p.m. This event is in cooperation with the Lexington Recreation Department. The event is open to the public, pre-registration is required. Contact the Lexington Recreation Department via their website or by calling 781-698-4800.

September 18: Family Learn to Fish Event – Are you interested in giving fishing a try, but maybe don't know where to start? As part of the 2021 Blue Space Angler Event Series join the MassWildlife Angler Education Program and the Tatnuck Brook Watershed Association to learn the basics of fishing at 9 a.m. Participants will be provided an overview of rod and reel fishing equipment, techniques, rules, and the safety elements required to enjoy a day of fishing. Following this virtual event, participants will get the opportunity to give fishing a try at Coes Reservoir beach. All fishing equipment and materials will be provided at this event for people of all ages. While no fishing license is required, online registration is, as space is limited. Event contact: dangiza@hotmail.com.

September 22: Family Fishing Clinic, Medway – This is a family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Choate Park Pond (7 Oak Street, Medway) from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This event is in cooperation with the Medway Parks and Recreation Department. The event is open to the public, pre-registration is required. Contact the Medway Parks and Recreation Office through their website or by calling 508-321-4740.

Sept 25: Fearing Pond Family Fishing Festival, Plymouth – This is a free, family friendly, learn to fish event. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours. The event takes place at Fearing Pond in the Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event is in cooperation with the Friends of Myles Standish State Forest and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) The festival is open to the public, no pre-registration is required. Contact Jim Lagacy at jim.lagacy@mass.gov or 508-389-6309 for more information.

September 25: Muldoon Park Family Fishing Clinic, Lowell – This is a free, family friendly learn to fish event. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours. The event takes place at Muldoon Park (5 Billerica St, Lowell, MA 01852) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Mass Audubon, and the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust.  Pre-registration is required via the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust website.

Sept 28: Family Fishing Clinic, Lincoln/Sudbury – Join us for a family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Sewataro Fishing Pond (1 Liberty Ledge Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776) from 4:30 – 6:30pm. This event is in cooperation with the Lincoln-Sudbury Adult & Community Education Program. Open to the public; pre-registration is required. Visit  https://lsrhs.ce.eleyo.com/  to register or for more information.

September 28: Fisheries and Wildlife Board Meeting – The September monthly business meeting of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board will be held on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 9 a.m. The Fisheries and Wildlife Board August business meeting will be held virtually via a Zoom video meeting of the Board members and MassWildlife staff, with the public joining via computer or phone line. On the same date, in the same webinar, MassWildlife will hold a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on proposed regulatory amendments to 321 CMR 3.02(6): Hunting of Pheasants, Quail, and Ruffed Grouse and 3.03(2): Special Regulations for Northeast Wildlife Management Area (Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area). Attendees may enter and exit the webinar at any time. 

• To join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device, click here and use passcode: tirQM3. To join by phone, dial: (312) 626-6799. Webinar ID: 869 9911 0010, Passcode: 476480.

September 28: Public Hearing on Pheasant Hunting Regulations – MassWildlife will hold a public hearing on Zoom at 9:30 a.m. on proposed regulatory amendments to 321 CMR 3.02(6): Hunting of Pheasants, Quail, and Ruffed Grouse and 3.03(2): Special Regulations for Northeast Wildlife Management Area (Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area). The proposed regulations would establish a pheasant/quail permit, eliminate the seasonal bag limit for pheasant and quail, remove rooster-only restrictions, and eliminate the hunter registration process for pheasant hunting at Martin Burns WMA. The full hearing notice, including the text of the proposed regulations, is available on MassWildlife’s Public Hearings page. 

• To join the public hearing from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device, click here and use passcode: tirQM3. To join by phone, dial: (312) 626-6799 and use webinar ID: 869 9911 0010 and passcode: 476480 when prompted.
• Please note: Due to filing requirements, the Fisheries and Wildlife Board must vote on the proposed regulatory amendments at the close of this hearing. Therefore, there will be no written comment period after this public hearing. To submit written comments prior to the hearing, please email susan.sacco@mass.gov to the attention of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, or mail comments to Chairman, Fisheries and Wildlife Board, c/o Director of MassWildlife, Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581. 

November 6, 2021: Growing Up WILD: Professional Development Workshop, Paxton—GUW is an early childhood education activity guide that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, it provides a foundation for developing positive impressions about nature while also building lifelong social and cognitive skills. Workshop participants will receive a copy of the guide and a certification of completion. Click here to learn about this workshop. To register contact Pam Landry, MassWildlife, pam.landry@mass.gov. Registration deadline is October 29, 2021. Space is limited, so register early.