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By Mike RocheFor several years, my guiding experiences in New York have put me in contact with bird hunters using GPS tracking devices on their dogs. The first account came from my good friend who guided a hunter whose dog had a GPS collar with a long...

By Mike RocheEarlier this week an email from MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa shared with me a thoughtful article from the Boone and Crockett Club which put into focus some realities of today relating to conservation. For my entire life, this writer...

By Mike RocheMassachusetts has a number of youth hunting opportunities that are in place to provide supervised mentoring conditions for young people interested in getting involved in hunting. On Sept. 23 and Oct. 7, the Massachusetts Youth Waterfowl...

By Mike RocheThis writer and his wife spent this week in Maine on a long-awaited vacation. We house-swapped with Sue and Jim Richardson.Sue and I go back a long way. We were classmates in the legendary Mahar Regional Class of 1969 and neighbors for...

By Mike RocheWe frequently ask questions about what is going to happen in the future. No one has a crystal ball, and we look at things we do and have traditionally been involved with and in many cases, we see change seemingly happening in the way we...

By Mike RocheMore than ever, the weather has become the main news story. That is true here in the North Quabbin Region, Western Mass, across the state, throughout New England, New York, down the Eastern seaboard and across the United States. A...

By Mike RocheMassWildlife annually involves the public in gathering data on the turkey population in Massachusetts. Each year, from June 1-Aug. 31, wild turkey reports from members of the public help MassWildlife biologists determine productivity,...

By MAX BOWEN

ATHOL — Olivia Paras got to see one of her favorite shows from a different angle when she joined HGTV’s “House Hunters.”The episode, “Family Basecamp in Massachusetts,” aired on May 17, and Paras, who works as a realtor at LAER Realty Partners in...

By Mike RocheTuesday morning dawned beautifully. For a change, this writer had not hopped out of bed at 4 a.m. to match wits with a gobbler but instead had slept in until 7. Since turkey season in Kansas in early April, most days have begun early. Not...

By Mike RocheOn many occasions, my good friend and mentor Gig Darey would proclaim that he was “huntin’ history.” The statement would usually be uttered after an unsuccessful deer hunt. He would explain to anyone who was not familiar with the term...

By Mike RocheThis writer spent the past week in Kansas “visiting my sister” Pat. For years, she has been kind enough to buy me a Kansas hunting license, and so I fly out to hunt turkeys. It has become a very enjoyable getaway. During those years, a...

By Mike RocheAs this writer sits at the computer in the home of my sister Pat in Kansas on Day One of my annual trip to the Sunflower State (AKA Oz), there have already been a few things that perhaps might have been done differently. First, never book...

By Mike RocheSpring has grudgingly arrived and that means trout stocking of local waters is underway. Those of us ‘Old Codgers’ remember when fishing season in Massachusetts started on the third Saturday of April and it was a much-awaited event. Many...

By Mike RocheThere are spring migratory bird hunting seasons, but they are primarily focused on snow geese, which have become a problem in many states. The snows are growing in number and they are capable of devastating a crop field in a short time....

By Mike RocheDuring their annual convention in February, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) presented MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa with its new Innovation Award. The award recognizes MassWildlife’s use of creative strategies to address...

By Mike RocheMarch 17 is a day when everyone is Irish and celebrates the Patron Saint of Ireland. A lingering myth is that he drove away the snakes, but in truth he is credited with bringing Christianity to the island.St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated...

By Mike RocheThe recent return of “the winter that never came” has been a bit of a disappointment to many folks in the North Quabbin Region. A lot of us were eagerly looking forward to spring and it seemed to have arrived early. This present spate of...

By Mike RocheIt seems like one of the fastest growing outdoor pursuits is shed hunting. Whitetail deer drop or shed their antlers (they are not true horns) each year. That process can happen anytime after the peak of the rut in November. All animals...

By Mike RocheThe unseasonably mild January we are either enjoying or cursing has gotten a lot of people’s attention. If you are one of us who is dreading the delivery of heating oil, the warmer-than-normal temperatures are saving us a little money on...