By Mike Roche

This Irishman looks forward every year to celebrating St. Patty’s Day and enjoying a boiled dinner of corned beef and cabbage. The holiday always seems to come during a period of weather transition, where we have memories of harsh winter and the warm promise of spring.

As noted in last week’s column, there are a lot of signs of the changing seasons in the natural world. This week the very warm weather certainly accelerated the melting process and snowbanks were disappearing before our very eyes. Anyone who is trying to get in some late season ice fishing needs to use great caution as unsafe conditions appear suddenly. You should avoid going alone when possible and make sure you have ice picks and some rope handy. Fishing can be furious as things below the ice, like emergence of insect larvae, are set in motion by warming conditions.

One other thing that is set in motion by warming conditions is Mass Wildlife’s trout stocking program. The stocking trucks will begin rolling in March. Throughout the spring, MassWildlife will stock hundreds of thousands of spectacular brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout into 458 lakes, ponds, rivers and streams in 264 Massachusetts cities and towns. Right now, stocking in set to begin the second week of March in the southeast. Other regions of the state will begin as soon as weather conditions allow.

You can go to Mass.gov/trout to get daily stocking updates and find where trout have been stocked in the North Quabbin Region. MassWildlife raises trout that will provide both recreation and great eating at its five hatcheries in Sandwich, Palmer, Belchertown, Sunderland and Montague. If you are a veteran angler or if you are looking to get started in the sport, this is the time to pick up fishing tackle, and your Massachusetts fishing or sporting license, and then find a stocked water body near you and experience the thrill of reeling in a feisty trout.

This year’s fish are bigger and better than ever. While the quantity of stocked trout (measured in total pounds) has remained about the same for the last decade, MassWildlife has been steadily producing larger trout by adjusting hatchery growing techniques. Just 10 years ago, less than 60% of stocked trout were over 12 inches—now, over 80% measure longer than a foot. You can get your 2025 freshwater fishing license online at MassFishHunt or by visiting a license vendor location.

Turkeys are getting into the spring spirit as mature males are strutting, displaying and gobbling as they establish a “pecking order” and lay claim to places where they hope to attract hens when the ladies are ready to mate. Turkey hunters have begun scouting and soon, “roosting.” Roosting is listening for gobblers that are on the roost to gobble either just before dark or in the pre-dawn.

During the peak of the breeding season, toms sound off in response to many sounds. Hunters use owl calls – the “who cooks for you!” call of the barred owl is the standard – or crow calls, but fired-up gobblers will respond to ambulance sirens, dogs barking, coyotes howling or even truck doors slamming. The outdoors are becoming alive as male songbirds are calling from dawn to dusk as they seek to attract the attention of a mate. Almost everyone is hearing the hoots of mourning doves, as that call carries a distance.

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Word is filtering in that woodcock are returning to local covers. The ”timberdoodles” need open areas near seeps, alder thickets, and other special habitats. The male woodcock’s mating ritual is fascinating. He will sit and emit a call that sounds like ”preent” and then fly, wings whistling, straight up almost out of sight before spiraling back to earth to land in the spot he took off from. Many locals go to likely places at dusk to catch the show.

The following is a press release issued in response to the closing of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Office in Hadley and other locations across the country and the termination of staff.

“The National Wildlife Refuge Association is deeply alarmed by today’s Department of the Interior (DOI)-wide termination of approximately 370 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) employees, many of whom are critical to the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System). These firings, which disproportionately target biologists and natural resource professionals, are a direct attack on science-based conservation and the future of America’s wildlife.

According to reports, these positions were deemed ‘not in the public interest’ by DOI—an assertion that fundamentally ignores the role these professionals play in protecting and restoring our nation’s wildlife and wild places.

This sweeping, mass firing comes at a time when the Refuge System is already struggling with a decimated workforce. Today’s cuts will further cripple the agency’s ability to protect and manage America’s 573 national wildlife refuges, which span 95 million acres of land, 750 million acres of marine habitat, and supports countless species, many of which are keystone species, pollinators, and others vital to agriculture and the health of ecosystems.”

This action was especially disturbing to me. Over my life, my interactions with dedicated wildlife professionals have been extensive. People who understand and appreciate the fish and wildlife resources and the vast natural resources of our country are appalled by this action. My personal feelings and opinions will not be shared but anyone who has looked at the short-term and long-term impact of these measures is filled with disappointment and frustration.

Tomorrow’s MaharFish’N Game Club Game Supper will be another great meal and evening of some really good raffle prizes for a crowd at the Mahar Cafeteria. There are limited tickets left and you can contact club advisors Evelyn Cunha (ecunha@rcmshsr.org) or William Devine (wdevine@rcmahar,com) to inquire.

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 Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.