Sportsmans Corner: Antlerless permit deadline nears

By Mike Roche

This is your last reminder to get your antlerless deer permit, AKA Doe Tag, application in by July 16. In Massachusetts, Antlerless Deer Permits (ADP) are required to take a deer that does not have at least one antler a minimum of three inches in length.

Obviously, having a permit in the zone you are hunting increases your odds of taking a deer. Route 2A is the line between zones in the North Quabbin region and Zone 5 extends north to the New Hampshire border and Zone 6 surrounds the Quabbin Reservation, where separate permits—available by application through the Department of Conservation and Recreation—are required and hunting is by lottery.

The Zone 5 allocation for 2023 is 1950 while the number of permits issued for Zone 6 is 400. You can apply online at MassHuntFish or by going to a MassWildlife installation, including district offices and the field headquarters in Westborough.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has announced that the agency was recently awarded $773,300 in Zoonotic Disease Initiative grant funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These funds will be used over a three-year period to develop a wildlife health and public outreach program for Massachusetts and research wildlife diseases and prevent their spread within the northeast region.

Under the direction of MassWildlife, the new MassWildlife health program will be guided by an inter-agency task force of subject area experts and cooperating partners, including the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, Cornell University, UMass-Amherst, University of New Hampshire, Tufts University, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and USDA Wildlife Services.

Zoonotic diseases are defined as those that can be transmitted between wildlife and humans. This federal funding provides grants to states, Tribes and territories to address wildlife disease outbreaks before they become pandemics. The highest priority for the initiative is to increase organizational readiness and ensure there is a network of partners across the nation who are prepared to respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks. Strengthening partner capacity for wildlife health monitoring will allow for the early detection of diseases.

“Recent disease issues like Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in birds and white-nose syndrome in bats have highlighted the need for building capacity within MassWildlife and other groups in the region to respond quickly using the latest science and best practices,” said Mark S. Tisa, director of MassWildlife. “This funding will help us formalize working relationships with our partners to conduct surveillance and improve public outreach.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s One Health approach to zoonotic diseases includes working closely with experts who specialize in public, animal and ecosystem health to develop comprehensive plans and appropriate responses to zoonotic disease events. This funding will provide critical financial resources to agencies like MassWildlife, which can help prevent and combat global pandemics before they start.

Grants awarded under the Zoonotic Disease Initiative will be used to establish and enhance the capabilities of Tribal, state, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to effectively address health issues involving free-ranging terrestrial, avian, and aquatic wildlife. Authorized under the American Rescue Plan (2021, H.R. 1319, Section 6003.3), the initiative will provide up to $9 million in funding to strengthen early detection, rapid response, and science-based management research to address wildlife disease outbreaks before they cross the barrier from animals to humans and become pandemics. It is certainly great news to see that there will be preemptive measures put into place to protect the health and safety of people and wildlife going forward!

This ongoing rainy spell reared its ugly head last weekend when a flash flood washed out a section of Route 10 in Winchester, N.H. As this column is being written, we are still not “out of the woods.”

As we turn the calendar page to July it is time to look ahead to fall. No, I am not wishing summer away but there are always things to do to get ready for hunting season. Shooting is always something to get started early. We are blessed with great bow courses at Petersham Gun Club and The Pequoig Bowmen’s Club. Both are excellent organizations, and you should consider joining if you do not already belong.

Trap, sporting clays or skeet are good to sharpen up your shotgun shooting eye. In a few weeks, scouting for deer will pick up and everyone can always use some new gear. With online shopping so tempting and Cabela’s and Bass pro Shops within easy driving distance, it is time to use those gift cards!

Those of us with hunting dogs are always doing some training and Tessie has been outstanding at Hedgerow in our sessions with Pat Perry. She is the first of my bird dogs that will be trained to be steady to wing and shot and she quickly grasped the concept and is holding beautifully during training, and retrieving well to boot.

She will have big shoes to fill as Dinah was an athlete and a legend leaping off the dock to retrieve a dummy. Tessie is content to wade the shallows, but she did go after and repeatedly retrieve a chukar from the pond at Hedgerow. It just will take some time and work to improve that part of her game. The drive and energy she has demonstrated and her progress to date is promising and although she is very young, she may be ready come October.

As mentioned last week, you can report turkey sightings to MassWildlife, and your info will be helpful. Not a lot of reports of broods of turkeys locally at this point.

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the MaharFish’N Game Club, Counselor and Director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.