On Oct. 23, Gov. Deval Patrick joined state officials, citizens, and members of the Berkshires land conservation community to mark the completion of the Hudson Conservation Project ? a two-phase public-private partnership protecting 800 acres of forest and meadow in Tyringham and Monterey. Adjacent to MassWildlife’s and now part of the original 101-acre Tyringham Wildlife Conservation Easement (WCE) parcel in Tyringham, the new property will be open to wildlife recreation such as fishing, hunting, hiking, birdwatching and other wildlife-related activities. Combined with nearby 12,350 protected acres, the newly-completed conservation project creates a virtually contiguous block of open space spanning 13,344 acres of the southern Berkshires.New Hampshire’s regular firearms deer hunting is going well in the final weeks of the season, as hunters look forward to time afield during the Thanksgiving holiday. Estimated statewide deer harvest numbers so far are below last year’s levels, but similar to those seen in 2006. The regular firearms season runs through Dec. 7 in most of the state, with the exception of Wildlife Management Unit A in northern New Hampshire, where it closed on Nov. 30. Through Nov. 16, hunters statewide had taken an estimated 7,886 deer. Last year, hunters had harvested 9,290 deer by this date. Notable decreases in harvest have been recorded in eastern and northern areas, where last winter’s impacts were most severe.Vermont deer hunters are finding plenty of deer, according to early reports received by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Reports were up for the rifle season that started Nov. 15 and continued through Nov. 30, with 756 legal buck reports received by the Fish & Wildlife Department on Nov. 19. The average for the previous three years on the same reporting day was 465, for an increase of 291 deer or 63 percent. Deer season reports are tallied weekly on Wednesdays by the Fish & Wildlife Department, and totals can vary from year-to-year according to the regularity with which reporting stations mail in their report forms.It’s nice to see some deer being harvested; heck, our crew’s been putting in the time up in Maine and our meat pole is still empty! This has been one of the leanest years so far. The weather hasn’t helped us much. So far this season the temperature has ranged from a high of almost 70 degrees on opening day to last Saturday’s blustery 8 degrees with a 20-mile-per-hour wind! As far as we have experienced, the biologist predictions of a slow season are true. The checking station in our area is down 25 deer to date. We haven’t given up yet. Traditionally we all headed north to the hunting camp in Maine after a hearty Thanksgiving meal with our families. Friday morning prior to first light, we headed to the woods searching for the elusive whitetail deer. Friday evening, everything eatable was cooked as part of the last supper.After spending a few days at camp, it doesn’t take long for us to realize the true meaning of deer camp. You see, for us, it’s not just about harvesting a deer, it’s more about the camaraderie and the classic stories from seasons past and whitetail sightings that evoke heart-pounding excitement. There is teasing and bantering while sipping a glass of good Scotch. There are discussions about the harvest from the vegetable garden, Rocky boots, 308’s, under armor, and Gore-Tex jackets, Topo maps, the play book, scouting new areas, the old hunting camp, and the memorable 12-point mount on the wall. It’s about GPS units, wind direction, Burnell Road, the Valley, the back yard or a lost hunter, and the importance of the sun. And who can forget about the previous Friday’s dinner of baked chicken balls, mako and thresher shark, Cabot’s hunters cheese, garlic bread and beef stew? This is what hunting camp is really about, and most of all, we are thankful that we have been able to return in good health each year to create memories for years to come.The Maine Warden Service is