McClory: Deer season begins Monday

This Monday deer hunters in this state will enter the woods at sunrise, dressed in hunter orange for the traditional opening day of the 2011 deer season.Because of the severe winter conditions of last year, wildlife managers are predicting deer will be harder to find than during the last few record-breaking seasons. We may have to work harder this year.If you are planning to hunt this season, take advantage of the opening day crowd. Remember, the average hunter never travels any more than two to three hundred yard into the woods from their vehicle. Get up and go out an hour earlier and put your compass or GPS unit to work. Take a reading and get in deep!Determine where the most hunting pressure will come from, and position yourself to be on the receiving end of a wary buck. Typically on opening day, whitetails will be out of their comfort zones and moving unnaturally.Set up near a major escape route that leads to the thickest of the thick, and play caution to the wind. Be patient and stay put, and be ready because it usually takes a while for deer to get there. Remember, mid morning is when antsy hunters get up to move and could unknowingly push a heavy-weight bucks by patient hunters.Locally the season will be open for two full weeks until one half hour after sunset on December 10. The best opportunity to encounter a deer is still from the central part of the state to the east. As a bonus, Black Powder Season starts on December 12 and runs to the end of the year. Don’t forget you need a doe tag to shoot a doe and a primitive firearm stamp. Good luck, and be safe.uAt our hunting camp, we haven’t given up yet. The best few days of our season have yet to happen. Traditionally we all head north to the hunting camp in a Maine after a hearty Thanksgiving meal with our families; Friday morning prior to first light we hit the woods searching for the elusive whitetail deer. Friday evening, we have what we call “the last supper,” where the tall tales of seasons present and past are remembered and everything edible is consumed.uIf you are lucky enough to harvest a deer they must be checked in within 48 hours from the time of kill. The following is a list of local deer checking stations in this district: MassWildlife Northeast District HQ, 85 Fitchburg Rd.(Rt. 2A), Ayer, 978 772-2145; Willard Brook State Park, Rte 119, Ashby, 978-597-8802; Martin Burns WMA, Orchard St., Newbury, 978-465-8012; Harold Parker State Forest; 301 Middleton Rd. North Andover, 978-686-3391; Hunter`s Trading Post, Zero Winter St., Weymouth, 781-331-1151; Haverhill Hounds R&G Club, Chadwick Road, Haverhill, 978-290-0705; The Sportsman’s Den, 666 Southern Artery, Quincy, 617-770-3884; Danvers Fish and Game, 20 Birch Rd., Middleton, 978-774-9870; Essex Aggie, 562 Maple St. Danvers 978-265-3220; North Walpole Fish and Game, 40 Brook St., North Walpole 508-668-6991; Merrimac Sports, 130 E. Main St., Merrimac, 978-346-8835; A. Arena & Sons159 Ash St. Hopkinton 508-435-3673.uOn the fishing front, lots of trout are being caught at Sluice Pond, night crawlers are the bait of choice. Smelt are around the doc’s and bridges in Winthrop, Salem, Beverly, Swampscott and Gloucester. Don’t forget to stop in Ippi’s bait and tackle for the annual Black Friday Sale 9 am-5 pm.uNext year, to eliminate paperwork, save postage and printing costs, and to provide sportsmen and sportswomen with 24-hour licensing and game reporting services, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) is announcing that all licenses and permits will be obtained electronically from either a home computer, participating license vendor, or from a DFW office.Licenses, stamps, and permits for the 2012 calendar year will be available for purchase in early December.The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) has been selling licenses, permits, and stamps online for over a decade, said Wayne MacCallum, Director of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.By replacing the traditional handwritten licenses with MassFi