A relatively mild 2011-2012 winter could mean a deer kill of more than 12,000 animals.
The shotgun season on deer opens Monday in Massachusetts,
The 2012 whitetail deer shotgun season, which opens Monday, could reach a high harvest of close to 13,000 animals, depending on several factors.
One thing for certain there are plenty of deer. This is due mostly to the transition of one level forest to two levels of trees, development of farms and an excellent MassWildlife deer project.
A relatively mild 2011-2012 winter could mean a deer kill of more than 12,000 animals, a far cry from the 1950 and 1960s where the total harvest a couple of times fell below 2,000.
As always, fresh snow can add to a total harvest while bitter cold winds and fewer hunters could mean a lower figure.
The herd itself appears in good condition. If a goodly number of hunters are selected to pick up additional permits to hunt Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, the total could go even higher.
The two islands, ravaged by Lyme disease because of over population, invited hunters last season. Then they set up barriers that turned off sportsmen.
The final figures for the 2011 deer seasons announced earlier this year by MassWildlife deer project leader David Stainbrook was 11,154 whitetails shot during the combined seasons.
There is good reason to expect an increase during each season. Again, it’s predicated on fresh snow and lack of bitter cold weather and winds.
There were eight deer shot during the paraplegic season, 3,765 during archery; 5,349 in shotgun, 1,959 primitive arms and 37 during the special Quabbin Reservation hunt.
Stainbrook said high deer densities in suburban areas of eastern Massachusetts where hunter access is limited, has been a problem but recent trends in towns opening lands to archery hunting have shown promise for reducing numbers.
The expertise of the MassWildlife deer project is pointed out by the fact that only 1,193 deer were harvested in 1967 and 1,427 in 1968. The next eight years the totals were in the 2,000 bracket.
The total was 10,699 in 2010; 10,381 in 2009; 11,217 in 2008.
The harvest came close to 13,000 in 2004. Both 2003 and 2005 saw more than 12,000 animals shot as the number of antlerless permits was increased due to over crowded conditions in some precincts.
There are precincts where the deer projects are attempting to bring back deer numbers, often where the needed two level forest is mostly one level as trees mature and grow.
SAD START: There are worse things than seeing a grown man cry. The worse is to watch Chumley, my English setter each deer season as I walk out the door, shotgun in hand, and leave him behind.
He always talks the good talk before the good walk bird hunting. After 30 days of telling me that he knows it doesn’t get any better than this.
This best for him is of course out cruising our favorite pheasant fields, his white banner feathered tail sailing above the high grasses and weeds. Then coming to a stop.
Grandsons ranging in age from 24 to teens work their way to the point, shotguns at port waiting for the long tailed, colorful, cackling rooster to lift off into the cobalt fall sky past leaves as colorful and wild as in a Salvatore Dali painting.
Then suddenly we have pheasant under glass to join the turkey on the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Yes, when I go out the door tomorrow morning to seek the wily whitetail, old Betsy in hand, my Panda-eyed friend at home and in the field will start his dog talk that will go something like “woo-woo, woo woo, woo who-who whooooo.”
I apologize, give him a loving kiss on the nose, and wish he brushed with Listerine.
I close the door on him, catching that wet eyed look as he takes one last peek through the closing door.
And then his crying starts.
But then the day will become beautiful as I sit alone in the whitetail woods, back against a big oak, part of the quiet, becoming part of nature, perhaps dozing off.
Maybe dreaming of a big eight-point buck sashaying by.
But more likely dreaming of warm autumn day pheasant hunts of the past; sitting in the shade of a pine, its sweet smelling needles drifting down to me and my dog, Chumley, who has a few soft purrs of delight, to both of our thoughts Old dad and old dog, they don’t make it any better than this.
RIVER LOVERS MEET: The Westfield River Watershed Association invites river lovers to the Dec. 4 meeting at the Westfield Athenaeum from 6:30 to 8 p.m. when conservation biologist Scott Jackson will talk on “Conserving River and Stream Biodiversity.”
Lynn Bannon said Jackson will talk on diversity of fish and wildlife in rivers and streams in this state. Admission is free. For more info contact Sheryl Becker at (413) 374-1921
ANGLER NUMBERS UP: U.S. Fish and Wildlife reports its latest survey shows an 11 percent increase in angler numbers as well as an increase in spending for equipment, $6.2 billion, and $25 billion on boats, ATVs and RVs. That amounts to a lot of tax money invested in environmental and wildlife health.
Among Massachusetts programs that have had exploding success are the American bald eagle and the American wild turkey programs, not to mention land and water purchases open to all; including antis, whose investments in positive programs probably could be written on the tip of a needle.
NORTHEAST RESIDENT LIONS?: Despite the opinions of some biologists there are many sources out that believer the Northeast has a resident mountain lion population.
A report from Wells, Vt., showed that a juvenile mountain lion not only attacked and killed domestic turkeys on Mack Hill Farm in Wells, it also killed one guard dog and severely injured a second.
A report received from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources confirmed to the farm owner that it was a juvenile mountain lion.
CALLING DEER CUTTERS: The call is out for the addresses of venison cutters as deer are checked in around the Northeast. Send your phone and address to this column for publication here. The only one I know is Costabile Cutters at 115 North St., Granby. Call 413-320-1564 in the daytime or 413-388-0086 evenings.