Sunday, May 22, 2011

MassWildlife

Stocked Brookie
My son, a junior in high school, participated in "Job Shadow Day" last week. The students search out companies and organizations for jobs that might interest them after school, make contact with an employee and "shadow" that employee during a typical work day.

My son is very interested in wildlife management and contacted the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game for his job shadow. I dropped him off at the Northeast District Office at 8 AM.

We got a quick tour of the office and met the fish and game biologists.  They are just completing the spring stocking of the district's rivers and ponds.

After I left, my son traveled with the game biologist to a game check-in station. He was able to help with the measurement of a wild turkey brought in by a hunter. They travelled out to Plum Island, a coastal barrier island north of Boston, to monitor and count waterfowl that is part of an effort to protect their nesting sites.

His last stop was at a pond to meet a stocking truck. The guys in the truck left the district at 1 AM to drive to the Cape and pick up the fish at a hatchery and then drive them back to the ponds and rivers on their stocking schedule.



In addition to fish stocking and hunting management, much of their work involves monitoring and reporting on all things related to the health and well being of the fish and game in the district.  They cover a lot of territory with a very small staff.

Some of the reporting work helped with the creation of the Massachusetts BioMap2. This comprehensive biodiversity mapping of the natural resources in the state is a work of art. BioMap2 helps the state manage its natural resources and make sure that new developments don't damage the most fragile parts of the ecosystem.

Part of the planning and protection envolves strategic land acquisition. They recently acquired a 840 acre parcel of undeveloped land in Tolland that will help protect some of the Farmington River watershed. Last year, the Department of Fish and Game acquired 245 acres of land around Red Brook in Plymouth and Weymouth which will help protect and restore sea-run brook trout.

I have to applaud Mass Fish & Game on their forward thinking land management and planning to protect our natural resources.

Stuffed Trout with Bacon Wrap
Meanwhile back on the stocking pond, that brookie shown above was not doing very well in his new pond. He was plucked from the water, field dressed and handed to my son for dinner.

The stocking in this state is "put & take" -- meaning the state stocking program is for recreational fishing and the taking of fish from the stocked waters is allowed within a daily creel limit.

Overall, it was a great experience for him (and me). I appreciate the efforts of Mass Fish and Game which facilitate outdoor recreational opportunities today while conserving our natural resources for future generations .

4 comments :

  1. The states DEP do great work especially with limited manpower. I salute them on a job well done.

    Also that prepared brook trout looks delicious.

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  2. Very cool post. Wish I had the opportunity to do that.

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  3. What a great opportunity for your son...I'm sitting in my cube right now a little jealous!

    bacon wrapped trout...does it get any better?

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  4. Bkt Trt, I couldn't agree more. I hear others in New England complain about their Fish & Game. I also hear people bitching that Mass Fish & Game don't put enough of the right kind of trout in their home river - my thoughts to them "get a life". They raise the fish, publish a schedule of where and when they are stocked and them put them in for anyone to legally catch. Maybe these whiners want them caught and cooked for them as well. Rant off. While I'm sure Mass Fish & Game could do better, given what limited resources they have, I think they do a fantastic job keeping our fisheries active and provide us ample opportunities to catch hatchery fish.

    Thanks, Cofisher. I'm sure you could volunteer with CO Fisheries and help with stocking. Most of these state programs will bend over backwards for volunteer help.

    In your cube and reading a fishing blog, Sanders. Hope you have one of those boss keys that throws up a spreadsheet with the touch of a button. Don't loose your day job over fishing (although I'm in transition now and don't start my next gig for another week -- you know what I'll be doing all next week ;-))

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