Tim Smith owes a “thank you” to someone.
The Conway resident was sitting in a borrowed tree stand on Monday and shot himself a 186-pound, 10-point buck marking one of the largest deer killed during the Opening Day of the 2016 Massachusetts shotgun deer hunting season.
Smith checked the buck into Gould’s Sugarhouse in Shelburne, which finished with 26 checks on opening day. The five area checking stations reported 80 deer on the picturesque opening day, just off the pace of last season’s 97 checks, and far below the 109 checks on opening day of 2014, which is the highest total of the past nine years. From 2008 through 2013, checks all but one year was below 80 checks on opening day.
Weights were up this season, with eight deer checking in at 170 pounds and up, including a rare 200-pounder, which was harvested by Frank M. Glenowicz Jr., of Whately, when he checked a 200-pound, 5-pointer into the Sunderland Hatchery.
Grrr Gear in Orange had the most checks on opening day with 29, including Eric Harris of New Salem, who tagged a 166-pound, 5-point buck. Matt Edwards of Wendell showed up with a pair of deal, including a 161-pound, 9-pointer, and Ken Lowden of Winchendon brought in a 158-pound, 10-pointer. Jeremy Chace of Orange also tied for the heaviest doe check of the day with his 138-pounder.
Gould’s finished with 26 checks including three weighing in at 180-plus pounds. Kenneth Masdycz of Plainfield had the heaviest of the bunch at 189 pounds and seven points, while Harry Taylor of Buckland brought in a 188-pound, 8-pointer. Jonathan Pollen of Ashfield tagged a 180-pound, 8-pointer, and Jonathan Williams of Ashfield shot a 170-pound, 8-pointer. Adam Gleason, of Greenfield, also checked his first-ever deer with a 116-pound, 4-pointer. Gould’s also checked the only bear of the day, a 123-pound female shot by James Gamache of Shelburne.
Bitzer Hatchery in Montague checked 11 deer on opening day including a 176-pound, 9-point buck by Jonathan Labelle. Keith Kaczenski shot a 165-pound, 8-point buck, and Nicholas Gardner shot a 161-pound, 10-point buck. Bitzer also had Raymond Larochelle’s 138-pound doe, which tied for the heaviest doe of the day.
Overwatch Outpost in Charlemont checked eight deer including a pair of heavyweights. Edward Silva of Wilmington shot a 189-pound, 6-pointer, and Peter Wimmelman of Wilmington, Vt. shot a 170-pound, 9-pointer. Two men in the their 80s also stopped in to check their deer together. Leonard Brown of Rowe shot a 128-pound, 6-pointer, and Leonard Laffond of Rowe shot a 96-pound, 6-pointer.
Sunderland finished with six checks including the 200-pounder. Robert Adair of Hadley also checked a 176-pound, 6-pointer in.
Here’s a list of all the Day 1 checks. Some of the towns provided may be the town where the animal was killed, rather than the person’s hometown.
Grrr Gear (29)
Philip Stevens, Barre, 123, doe; Anthony Superchi, Athol, 104, 6; John Maguire, Northfield, 125, 4; Clayton Gaudette, Athol, 134, 6; Carlton Racie, Athol, 119, 4; Donald Vescovi, Petersham, 105, 6; Denison Hunt, Warwick, 122, doe; Doug Wooding, Rentham, 128, 7; Richard Gauvin, Orange, 104, 6; Joe Goody, Warwick, 108, 5.
Dan Smith, Orange, 121, 2; Matt Edwards, Wendell, 161, 9; Matt Edwards, Wendell, 117, 4; Brian Desreuisseau, Athol, 113, doe; Chet Hall IV, Royalston, 114, spike; Carlton Racie, Athol, 70, button buck; Shane Ladeau, Phillipston, 117, 6; John Stewart II, Athol, 115, doe; Ken Lowden, Winchendon, 158, 10; Andrew Howard, Wendell, 115, 6.
Matthew Grover, Northfield, 118, 3; Brandon Breault, Erving, n/w, button buck; Cody Pease, Erving, n/w, button buck; Jeremy Chace, Orange, 138, doe; Mark Bosworth, Athol, 107, 4; Steve Talbot Jr., Orange, 129, doe; Gabriel Vorce, New Salem, 116, 6; Christopher Celora, Warwick, 111, doe; Eric Harris, New Salem, 166, 5.
Gould’s (26)
Brian Sullivan, Colrain, 140, 8; Leonard Eastman Jr., Colrain, 104, 5; Angela Dassatti, Greenfield, 151, 8; James Freeman, Vernon, Vt., 130, 7; Paul Maggi, Agawam, 94, 4; Chris Jamrog, Conway, 94, 4; Michael J. Versailles Jr., Ashfield, 105, 5; Tim Smith, Conway, 186, 10; Kevin Warden II, Colrain, 121, doe; Malcolm Ware, Conway, 106, 2.
Kenneth Masdycz, Plainfield, 189, 7; Charles Rossi, Agawam, 132, 6; Harry Taylor, Buckland, 188, 8; Andrew Lively, Greenfield, 112, 6; Adam Gleason, Greenfield, 116, 4; Gary Hicks, Florence, 143, 4; Brian Johnston, Colrain, 143, 8; John Johnston, Colrain, 118, 4; Jason Kingsbury, Gill, 134, 4; Ralph Osgood, Conway, 111, 8.
Anthony Donofrio, Shaftsbury, Vt., 94, 2; Brian Clark, Hawley, 138, 8; Edward Caron Sr., Leyden, 116, doe; Jonathan Williams, Ashfield, 170, 8; Jonathan Pollen, Ashfield, 180, 8.
Bear: James Gamache, Shelburne, 123, female.
Bitzer (11)
Andrew Morawski, montague, 97, 2; Keith Kaczenski, Colrain, 165, 8; Nicholas Gardner, Leverett, 161, 10; Joshua Bassett, Montague, 126, doe; Charles Willor III, Montague, 88, 2; Ainslee Penfield, Greenfield, 110, 2; Raymond Larochelle, Montague, 138, doe; Stanley Miller, Northfield, 120, 6; Jonathan Labelle, Northfield, 176, 9; Chester Kozontkoski, Gill, 96, 3.
Joshua Jordan, Bernardston, 116, 4.
Overwatch Outpost (8)
Kyle Shippee, Rowe, 145, 6; Peter Wimmelman, Wilmington, Vt., 170, 9; Danny Brooks, Heath, 102, spike; Edward Silva Jr., Wilmington, 189, 6; Chester Wright, Rowe, 117, 3; Leonard Brown, Rowe, 128, 6; Leonard Laffond, Rowe, 96, 6; Steven Shultz, Lynn, 93, spike.
Sunderland (6)
Paul Bondua, Boston, 107, 6; Kurt Geissler, Chicopee, 95, doe; David Chmura, Hadley, 123, 2; John Mikolajczuk, Whately, 136, 2; Frank M. Glenowicz Jr., Whately, 200, 5; Robert H. Adair, Hadley, 176, 6.