Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    
    I can't tell you an area as I'm from N.H. and travel to Marlboro every
    day, 60miles each way.
    
    Anyway, I was looking for an area to hunt close to the office in the 
    morning before work and found a couple of places. One, being the
    Westboro WMA. Now comes the strategy, As a N.H. hunter I've never
    seen so many hunters pounding an area as I did last year in this state.
    
    I could'nt believe it, All I did last year really was watch the show
    with amazement. So, how am I going to be able to hunt on the opener
    for pheasant in a WMA without a dog and alone. My idea is this,
    at lunch times I've been walking the area to get an idea of the layout
    and I figure what I'll do is take a stand in a wooded area rather than
    the field or somewhere in between. I should catch(hopefully) some
    birds coming thru.....If I can quickly get to the downside of where
    most hunters will be coming in from and pushing too and take up a
    stand don't you think I'll have just as good of a chance to bag a fine
    Cock in the woods rather than in the war-zone?
    
    What do think of this strategy?
    
    Rick
    

    Hey Rick,
    
    Sounds ok to me...Opening day in MASS is always an experience.  I have
    been hunting for ten years in it keeps getting worse.  What erks me
    is the fact that some of these morons have no idea how to handle a gun
    or have no idea that orange means that some hunter is there.  About
    3 years ago up in Georgetown, a friend of mine and I were hunting up
    on a small ridge.  He was covered from head to toe in orange and I was 
    half in orange.  We were just standing there when all of a sudden, two
    shots were fired and pellets flew just above our heads.  We saw the two
    clowns who had shot at us.  We yelled, but then two more shots were
    fired.  Both of us ran down to where these guys were standing.  These
    two had no clue that we were even up there.  Now if we could see them
    clear as day, they should of had no problems seeing us.  They wer only
    about 60 yds. away....
    
    Well back to your idea.  Not bad..Opening day is not too bad on a 
    monday, because most people will be working...I have done the same
    thing a couple of times.  My friend and I had out up a couple of birds
    last year when this three other hunter fired at them.  We argued that
    we put them up, so they should be ours.  We lost the battle, but turn
    about was fair play.  We moved about 100 yds ahead of them and just
    waited.  We ended up getting a couple.  Well anyway,  If you here any
    good reports let me know.
    
    Kevin

    re:.1
    rick,
         I sometimes hunt the wma in westboro and live in westboro.
    I have 2 springers and would not mind if you joined us.  Stan, Ollie
    and I can usually find a few but we also are very careful not to
    get near other hunters and we get very angry when people shoot in
    our direction :<) 
    Give me a call and if you want I can set up some  times.
    
    Bob

    
    Here's the stocked areas for the Central and Northeast Districts.
    
    
    Northeast District:
    
    Crane Pond WMA, Groveland/West Newbury/Georgetown/Newbury
    Harold Parker State Forest,North Andover
    Martin Burns WMA,Newbury-limited to 1st 200 hunters at sunrise on
    opening day,Veteran's day, all Saturdays thru 20-November.
    
    Central District:
    Barre falls WMA, Barre/Rutland/Oakham/Hubbardston
    Bennett & four Chimneys WMA, Charlton/Spencer
    Birch Hill WMA, Royalaston/Templeton/Winchendon
    Bolton Flats WMA, Lancaster/Harvard/Bolton
    Fort Devens WMA, Ayer/Shirley
    Hodges Village WMA/Oxford
    Moose Hill WMA, Paxton/Spencer/Leicester
    Quaboag River WMA,West Brookfield/Brookfield
    E.Kent Swift & West Hill WMA, Northbridge
    Westboro Field Trial area, Westboro
    Winimusset Meadows WMA, New Braintree
    
    Good-Luck!
    
    Rick
    

    RE:.-1  
    
    Rick, that must be an old list.  It's still mostly correct, but
    Fort Devens has not been stocked for a couple of years and will
    not be stocked this year :-(
    
    Mark,
    

    I don't know if things have changed for the better since I left the
    Westboro area back in '84, but Westboro WMA is the LAST place I'd ever
    take a dog.
    
    I've seen more than one hunter carrying a shot dog out of that area.
    
    Mark.

    
    RE:6
    
    Gee Mark, Beats me? I picked up the last a few weeks ago at the
    Westboro F&G.
    
    RE:7
    
    Thanks I needed that. I just returned from there at lunch. Took a walk
    to get the lay of the land. I have enough reservations of going there,
    now  what am I to do? Oh well, I'm going....I'll buy some armor
    tonight.
    
    See ya,
    
    Rick
    

    
    Still looking for recommendations?  Try Hubbardston.  I hunt alone and
    without a dog and yet I always bring home something.  I never bother
    with opening day and I try to give weekends a miss.  It's a large area
    and after the wait for the posted sunrise, I never see more than a half
    dozen hunters at any distance.
    
    					monty

    
    	I am *slightly* familiar with the Barre area, where abouts is 
    	the Hubbardston one?
    
    	Chuck

    Well, the 21st has come and gone, and I ended up empty handed again.
    All the birds were running.  I need to get a dog.  The only ones
    who got any birds were ones with dogs....And as usual, it was wall to
    wall hinters, but not as bad as last year...
    
    I would also like to know where to go un Hubbardston.......
    
    
    Kevin

    
    I don't have my F&G maps but I'll try to give directions to the
    Hubbardston WMA...  From the Worcester area, get on 56 and head north.
    You'll cross 62 and the road will become 68, I believe.  (At some point
    along here, 68 *might* fork off to the right of the road on the north
    side of a built up area.  If it does, take the fork.  My memory of the
    drive is a bit stale.)  After awhile, you'll pass through some lowlands
    with a cemetary on your left and a sign for Wachusett Lumber on your   
    right.  You'll soon climb a hill and near the crest on the left will be
    'The Farm on the Hill' or something similarly named.  At the crest is
    an intersection with a blinking light and a large, white building on
    the right.  Turn right here and drive for a mile or two.  You'll see a 
    road forking off to the left and a sign for Wachusett Lumber pointing in
    that direction (BTW, you were on New Something-or-Other road, you are
    now on Old Something-or-Other road) and take the left fork.  You'll pass
    the lumber yard, cross some railroad tracks, climb a hill, and follow
    the road to the left as it skirts a house/farm.  Another mile on the
    road makes a sharp, right turn away from a rocky road leading straight
    up a small hill.  That's the 'parking' area for the WMA which lies on
    both sides of the road though I've only hunted on the left.
    
    Sorry I don't have better directions.  I'll see if I can dig up my map
    and correct anything that is wrong.
                                                     
    						monty