McClory: Hunting locally can bring some benefits

Firearm season for deer has arrived. For many, the deer season is a ritual get-together for families and friends. Although it’s a great time for fun and camaraderie with the guys when you head out to deer camp, there can still be some advantages to checking out some of the local backyard woodlots closer to home. You get to sleep in your own bed, for one thing! Actually, recent surveys have shown that staying close to home is a national trend among American hunters. However, gaining access to both public and private land can be a challenge for many hunters. Google Maps make it easy to start scouting at home, plus MassWildlife owns over 100 Wildlife Management Areas that are all open to hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor recreation activities. Detailed maps that show areas accessible by local hunters for over 100,000 acres can be found on the MassWildlife Web page. Additionally, privately owned lands can provide many deer hunting opportunities in Massachusetts. Even when private land isn’t posted, ask landowner permission. Farmers and other landowners will generally cooperate with sportsmen who treat them fairly. And please, whatever you do, don’t show up on Sunday the day before the season starts to ask for permission. Do a little homework before the season starts, especially since successful fall hunting often requires considerable pre-season scouting to locate deer and pattern their movements.New Hampshire’s archery deer season got off to a good start. The season started on Sept. 15 and as of Oct. 21, archers had taken a preliminary total of 1,943 deer. The season total is up significantly from this point in the season in 2010 and 2011 (years when the September archery season was bucks only) and is the second highest in the last nine years.Vermont’s traditionally popular 16-day November rifle season begins Nov. 10 and ends Sunday, Nov. 25. One legal buck with at least one antler having two or more points may be taken anywhere in the state. According to Deer Project Leader Adam Murkowski, “Vermont’s pre-hunt deer population is estimated at approximately 125,000 animals this year with the greatest numbers of deer found in the southwest, east-central, and northwestern regions of the state.”You will always be in style in the woods by wearing fluorescent hunter orange. According to a nationwide survey, you are seven times less likely to be shot by another hunter if you are wearing fluorescent orange. Hunters who wear it are just as likely to be successful because it’s highly visible to humans, but not to deer. Hunters moving into the line of fire of other hunters and mistaking other hunters for game are two common causes of hunting accidents. Both types involve visibility problems and both underscore the need for hunters to see and be seen during the fall firearms deer and small game seasons. Remember your hunter orange; don’t leave home without it!All for now.