Is it possible to escape hunters, ATVs and noise in a rural area? (Medford: restaurant, bars)

[massnative71]

Just take into consideration that if that area is anything like ME/NH/VT (which I imagine it is to an extent), that a lot of these rural earthy crunchy granola liberal hippies aren't going to share your views on guns and hunting. Some of them may even hunt themselves. We have kind of a unique redneck/hippie hybrid thing going on, which might be hard to understand for people from other areas of the country that lack this.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Just take into consideration that if that area is anything like ME/NH/VT (which I imagine it is to an extent), that a lot of these rural earthy crunchy granola liberal hippies aren't going to share your views on guns and hunting. Some of them may even hunt themselves. We have kind of a unique redneck/hippie hybrid thing going on, which might be hard to understand for people from other areas of the country that lack this.

Agreed - even if Mass has an overall liberal bias, there is still plenty of diversity of background and views here, as I am sure there is all over. One can't expect everyone to think just like them... you need to be a little broad-minded and allow for those differences and for some give and take to get along, no matter who you are, is my feeling.

[Tupaloop]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Just take into consideration that if that area is anything like ME/NH/VT (which I imagine it is to an extent), that a lot of these rural earthy crunchy granola liberal hippies aren't going to share your views on guns and hunting. Some of them may even hunt themselves. We have kind of a unique redneck/hippie hybrid thing going on, which might be hard to understand for people from other areas of the country that lack this.

Thanks for the clarification; I do understand.

Does anyone know if MA allows foraging for food and fungi on state lands? I'm not able to find concrete info. NJ prohibits foraging on all state lands. But we have legal spots we've located and have a freezer full of delicious berries in the summer. That is the biggest thing we will miss about where we are - we have access to an amazing array of wild foods. Blueberries will be ripening in the next two weeks. Do you guys have an abundance of wild berries up there? Anyone here into mushroom hunting? Of course I'm not asking anyone to give away their secrets. We guard our foraging spot like it's Fort Knox.

[Tupaloop]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Agreed - even if Mass has an overall liberal bias, there is still plenty of diversity of background and views here, as I am sure there is all over. One can't expect everyone to think just like them... you need to be a little broad-minded and allow for those differences and for some give and take to get along, no matter who you are, is my feeling.

That's actually pretty cool. MA sounds like a really unique place. We are honestly not looking to move somewhere to try to change it. I know people are sensitive about the influx of outsiders coming in and messing things up. That's not what we're about. My husband and I are serious oddballs anyway - we don't expect anyone to be like us. We are just trying to find a place where we can fit in with the least resistance. You know, square pegs in a square hole, that's all.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Archery hunting seems disgraceful. I imagine that would just injure the deer and not even kill it right away. Absolutely inhumane. If you're going to kill something why not just shoot it with a gun so it dies right away? Sick sick.

Deer don't die immediately most of the time. I've had deer where the bullet destroyed the heart and tore up lungs run 100 yards before collapsing. Other deer I've killed never moved after being shot. Putting an arrow through a deer's heart is humane. They blee dout pretty quickly.

Originally Posted by msRB311

I would think a gun shot would kill the animal instantly if the person had a decent shot and they wouldnt suffer.

I just dont know why anyone would enjoy hunting. Seems awful.

The only sure method of instant death for deer is a shot to the head. However, heads move, and no one who cares shoots them in the head.

I don't know why anyone would enjoy knitting, but I don't really care what other people do for enjoyment.

[msRB311]

Yeah you can't compare knitting to killing an animal. Nice try.

[FCMA]

Originally Posted by Tupaloop

That's great info thank you!

Do you think you could you try to describe how South Jersey might differ from Franklin County? Are you saying that FC is more progressive? Goodness knows SJ has its share of folks that we disagree with (trying to avoid the T word, both here and in everyday life). We sure are loving the voting map in FC. Even down-ballot is blue, which is a healthy indicator of how a town votes in general.

Can anyone describe the differences in vibe between the towns to the west of the CT River (Shelborne) vs the ones to the east (Wendell)?

Sorry if I haven't responded directly to others who have been posting helpful stuff. BUT THANK YOU! I'm taking notes left and right!

Towns east of the river have a bit heavier industrial history - such as Turners and Millers Falls, Erving, Orange. Less of a progressive feel overall but that element is still present just less overt. Wendell’s town motto is “we’re all here because we’re not all there” and is basically a rural Deadhead retirement community made a town. Some certainly own guns and hunt, others are vegan. Healing crystals abound. One interesting feature of New England is that certain far left rural hippies like guns too so that’s there and may be a good feature when society goes all Mad Max on us and the right has a scary head start on nihilist gun hoarding.

West of the river is more progressive feeling. Greenfield and Turners Falls are a synthesis of Athol and Northampton (those familiar with Mass know what I’m saying), with equal measures crunchy and progressive though with marginalized small-town poor and a brutal opiate wave always present. A few nice restaurants and shops, vaguely urbane, hipsters are moving in, excellent music festivals and venues when it’s not a pandemic, you can still buy a book from a storefront (several), things like that. Way less boring than many outer Boston suburbs but without a metropolis nearby to counteract its isolation, you just have to settle for a few more bustling towns within 30 min (Amherst, Northampton, Easthampton, Brattleboro). Becoming slowly more diverse over time but still quite white. No jobs except nonprofits, trades, a bit of academia, and telecommuting to places with an actual economy. But really you’re just in a cute forgotten node just 20 miles off the fringes of the northeastern megalopolis, where the festering hordes of overpaid urban vultures send their kids to college and locally unimaginable buying power is coming soon (already because of 2020) to displace us peasants. Before they just overlooked the area and kept driving because it hasn’t been kept artificially quaint by $$$$ like the tourist towns of VT and NH.

West of the county seat zone are the hilltowns which are truly rural but not all are isolated since Greenfield is just 15 min away from Shelburne Falls, parts of Conway and Colrain, or Leyden. Nice mix of local natives still farming and making syrup, managing woodlots, running small businesses in the area, and newcomers commuting afar (telecommuting even - some hilltowns are finally getting broadband) or just to the colleges or living quietly off a trust fund. Undercurrent of 2nd homes and big city transplants has been increasing while those folks are not so prevalent east of the river. Quite crunchy but you’ll still see a Trump flag here and there.

[charolastra00]

Bow hunting, as gruesome as I personally find it, is still more ethical and humane than the yields of factory farming that come conveniently packaged at the grocery store. You can't get worked up about one and politely ignore the realities of the other.

[Tupaloop]

^FCMA, thank you for the thorough description! The more I learn about MA, the more interested I am to get up there and check it out. It sounds truly unique in so many ways. I'm imagining a lot of colorful characters.

Thanks again for the info. BTW, I'm finding a TON of non-hunted lands in the Berkshires and PV areas. Things are looking promising.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Tupaloop

That's actually pretty cool. MA sounds like a really unique place. We are honestly not looking to move somewhere to try to change it. I know people are sensitive about the influx of outsiders coming in and messing things up. That's not what we're about. My husband and I are serious oddballs anyway - we don't expect anyone to be like us. We are just trying to find a place where we can fit in with the least resistance. You know, square pegs in a square hole, that's all.

That's cool. I don't want to be presumptuous, so pardon me, but I do see that you have strong beliefs and like to discuss them. I'd suggest that in mixed company, sometimes discretion can be the better part of valor. To pass along some advice I got from a Veep of Drug Discovery years ago when starting out in the drug biz... at the time I was noted for my open and direct communication - while good at times, one can have too much of a good thing, and she took me aside one day and advised me "You don't need to say everything, [OutdoorLover], just think about the desired outcome of the discussion!". That was good advice.