OUTDOORS: Area still teeming with deer

The area deer population appears to be large and healthy.

After a long deer-hunting season, beginning in early October and ending Dec. 31, there still seems to be plenty of deer around. On the last three days of black-powder season I hunted with my brothers Barry and Dale and friend Bob. We saw over 20 deer and added two of them to our season total of five.

 This year, in an effort to control the expanding deer herd, MassWildlife extended archery season by two weeks in this area of the state and it will be interesting to see how the change affects harvest numbers. Last year bow hunters took more deer than shotgun hunters and most likely will again this year.

 The deer also seem to be in great shape with many heavier than normal. I’ve also seen a lot of photos of big bucks with huge antlers. State biologists at checking stations during the first week of the shotgun season said they were impressed with the overall health of the deer. Preliminary harvest figures should be released soon and I’m looking forward to seeing the numbers.

 Fall is my favorite season to be outdoors and, besides deer hunting, I spent some time upland bird hunting and waterfowl hunting. I also did a little fishing in late September and October.

 A few days ago I received an email and photo of a brown trout that made me wish I spent more time fishing. Jack Curley of Bridgewater caught the big fish on Aug. 24 in Marston Mills, casting and drifting a gold spoon from his boat.

 On his way home from the Cape he stopped to weigh the fish at the MassWildlife office in Bourne and submit it for a state pin. The brown trout weighed in at 6.5 pounds and measured 24¾ inches long. The impressive pin arrived last week and he said he attached it to his old fishing hat for good luck.

 In my last column I wrote about a recent duck-hunting trip with my brother Barry. We hunted from a blind in the middle of a swamp where, due to heavy rain this fall, we had to stand in knee-deep cold water for three hours. Barry was wearing neoprene waders that he’s had to patch numerous times and I was wearing a pair of rubber hip boots that are at least 40 years old and have never leaked a drop.

 In the last couple of years I’ve gone through three pairs of knee-high rubber hunting boots that end up leaking anywhere the rubber flexes. They also tear easily from sharp sticks or briars. I also bought a heavy-duty pair of waders for duck hunting and a light pair of waders for fishing and only wore them a few times before they started leaking.

 I don’t know what the difference is between the new boots and my old pair, but besides not leaking, the rubber is still in great shape. Since writing last week’s column I’ve been trying to find out more about the boots. I didn’t even know what brand they were, but when I got home from duck hunting I found a small rubber tag that said Avid. An internet search came up with some information about Avid rubber products, but it didn’t appear that the company is still in business.

 I did find an ebay listing, though, that showed a photo of the exact boots that I have. The heading said “Avid Outdoors, size 9 rubber hip boots ... pre-owned in great used condition. No leaks and very comfortable.”

 I’m so impressed with my boots I thought about making a bid on them, but I would still like to know more about the company and the history of its products. If anyone has any information to share, contact me at randyjulius19@gmail.com.

 Last week I received an email from long-time Enterprise reader and former paperboy Paul Chouinard of Bridgewater who commented that they do not make rubber products like they used to.

“I have an old Goodyear garden hose that is about 30 years old and it amazes me. I buy a couple of new hoses every year and ask myself, why? I also use my old hose all year long as it serves as a gravity drain to take water off my pool cover.”