Bay State hunters began their annual fall wild turkey and Canada goose season Tuesday, and shots will be fired at one target or another for the rest of the year.
Turkeys will be targeted in New York and Vermont at roughly the same time, with the Mass Canada Goose hunting ending Sept. 25, along with the black bear hunt. But the bears will not be able to relax for long, as a second season will take place Nov. 15 through Nov. 20.
The Canada goose and wild turkey seasons, as well as Bay State bear hunting times, are relatively new in Massachusetts as there were virtually no bears around until about 25 years ago, and the Canada goose did not become almost year-round residents until a decade ago. In the past, the migrating geese might spend a few days in the spring and fall, but local golf courses and ponds proved to be too enticing.
The geese, for example, made it rather unpleasant to swim or wade in the pond at Clarksburg State Forest, despite daily cleaning up their droppings. And playing some golf courses near bodies of water made putting extra tricky.
But the geese appear to be onto the fairly recent fall hunting season. A couple of mother geese and their goslings spent most of the summer near the pond on the ninth hole at Waubeeka Golf Links and ignored passing golfers. But a few weeks ago, they headed south.
There were no wild turkeys in the Northeast until about 1965, when birds from the Midwest were introduced by state wildlife officials. From a few dozen imported birds, the Massachusetts turkey flock is now estimated to be about 20,000 and some 2,000 were brought down by shotguns or arrows in the spring season.
Vermont also had zero of the big birds until 1969, when 31 birds were introduced. Now there are an estimated 40,000 turkeys in the Green Mountain State, with around 3,000 gobblers “harvested†each year. Locally, a flock has been known to hang out at the golf driving range in Stamford — with no injuries reported, despite the temptation of moving targets.
There were always bear in Northern New England, but few were seen in Massachusetts until a ban on hunting them in the ’60s. Now there are thousands around, with scores, if not hundreds, shot each year.
But restrictions on the use of baits, traps or dogs have seen the bear gain the upper hand in Massachusetts, and a similar ban on those tactics will be on the Maine ballot this fall. There is extreme opposition from the hunters, who take some 4,000 bruins each year. They claim the ban is the work of “radicals seeking to end the Maine traditions of hunting and fishing.â€
And trapping restrictions have seen an explosion of beavers in Massachusetts, with valuable land flooded as the number of ponds and dams also increases.
Removing a beaver dam is as difficult as removing a governor, with the state wildlife folks adamant in the beavers’ right to live and work just about anyplace. Add an increasing number of moose to Northern New England and Massachusetts, along with thousands of deer, and the problems continue.
The hoofed animals cause death and destruction when they are hit by motor vehicles or when cars crash as drivers try to avoid collisions. A moose can weigh more than half a ton.
A few years ago, a man was killed by a deer’s slashing feet when it came through the windshield in a collision on Route 2 in nearby Grafton, N.Y. But the greatest danger from deer is from the Lyme disease carried by ticks on the animal. The debilitating ailment is becoming more and more of a threat, not only in the forests and fields but in backyards, where deer forage during hard times.
The newest wildlife threat comes from coyotes, which range all over New England and have even invaded back yards in Boston suburbs.
While attacks on humans are rare, the wily carnivores have thinned down the cat population and have also gone after small dogs, sometimes on back porches.
The 1996 Wildlife Protection Act ended trapping, and hunting is not possible in densely settled areas, so the coyotes have little to fear, as they have no natural predators.
That’s not the case for wolves in Alaska, where they shoot them from airplanes or chase them until they collapse from exhaustion. One of the reasons for the aerial assaults is to reduce the threat to moose and elk from the wolves, giving a boost to the business of hosting visiting hunters.
Defenders of Wildlife, a conservation organization based in Washington, D.C., is leading the fight to stop the killing of the gray wolves, not only in Alaska but also in the Northern Rockies. Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park only a few years ago, but they are apt to be shot if they venture outside its boundaries.
Defenders of Wildlife has launched a campaign to halt the aerial gunning of wolves and to support the provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act. For 55 years, Defenders has worked tirelessly to protect and restore America’s wildlife and the special places it needs to survive.
According to the Defenders, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton has argued that the U.S. Endangered Species Act is unconstitutional and is imperiling not only wolves, but also Polar bears, caribou and migratory birds that live in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is under constant attack by the oil industry.
“Overall, the Defenders seek to protect our national forests, parks and refuges from powerful interests and their political allies in Congress, and the Bush administration that wants to open America’s last remaining pristine lands to exploration,†stated Margaret Tirs, associate director of the Defenders.
For full information on the threats to our wilderness areas and their denizens www.defenders.org.
GOLF NOTES
At age 52, Waubeeka Golf Club Champion John Bradbury had to overtake 64-year-old Fran Esposito on the back nine to win his third straight title and the seventh in the past decade. But Bradbury’s 17-year-old son, John Michael, is coming up fast, and he vows to beat his dad soon.
The winner had rounds of 73-78-77 for a total of 228, to top Esposito, a former golf pro, by three strokes. Pete Baran was third, one stroke behind Esposito.
John Michael, a standout last spring for the Hoosac Valley High team, shot 82-82-81 for 245 in the championship division. He is a senior at Hoosac and worked part-time at Waubeeka this summer.
After six straight years as women’s champ, Kathy Duguay had to settle for second behind former champion Jan Carroll, who recorded a 238 to Duguay’s 244. Senior champion was Dan Gliwski for the second year, with 253.
Men’s first division champ was Dennis Tassone with 254, a playoff winner over Andy Vidal. Second division winner was Jason Groth at 263.
Upcoming fund-raising tournaments, open to all if there are vacancies, include the following:
“Reach Out for Youth Northern Berkshire YMCA,†Friday at Waubeeka.
“Friends of Wild Acres,†Sept. 19 at Skyline Country Club.
“2004 Elvis Open,†at Arlington Recreation Park, Sept. 19.
“Hayden’s Heroism,†Sept 19 at Waubeeka.
“Joe Zavattaro MCLA Classic,†Sept. 20 at Berkshire Hills.
“Taconic High Hockey Team Benefit,†Sept. 25 at Skyline.
Call the host club for information. Enjoy fall golf!
John Hitchcock of Williamstown writes the weekly outdoors column for The Advocate.
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Governor Healey Signs Breast Cancer Screening Bill
BOSTON — Today, Governor Maura Healey signed An Act Relative to Medically Necessary Breast Screenings and Exams for Equity and Early Detection.
This comprehensive legislation will ensure that patients have access to follow-up breast cancer screenings and exams, while also preventing any increase in patient cost-sharing by 2026.
"We know that early detection of breast cancer saves lives. This legislation will help ensure that cost is not a barrier for women to get the screenings and care they need," said Governor Healey. "I'm grateful to the Legislature for their leadership on this bill, and to the patients, providers and advocates who made their voices heard in support of more affordable and accessible care for Massachusetts residents."
This legislation would, starting in 2026, require insurers to cover diagnostic exams for breast cancer, digital breast tomosynthesis screening, and medically necessary and appropriate screening with breast MRIs and ultrasounds. This legislation would also prevent any increase in patient cost-sharing, thus removing cost barriers for patients who need more rigorous screenings due to dense breast tissue or abnormalities seen in their initial preventive screening mammograms.
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