Maine Fish and Game Magazine, Spring 1970 by Maine State Library

Governor Kenneth M. Curtis

l='ISH AND GAME

Department of Inland Fisheries and Game Ronald T. Speers

Commissioner

George W. Bucknam Donald K.

Christie

Deputy Commissioner

STATE OF MAINE

Director, Planning and Co-ordination

Stanley P. Linscott

Supt. of Hatcheries

Maynard F. Marsh

Chief Warden

Lyndon H. Bond

Spring , 1970

Chief, Fishery Division

C. Keith Miller

Business Manager

How About the Ones That Didn't Get Away

Tom Sho e ne r

Director, Information and Education

Conservation Education

Mar shall T. Wie be

Chief Engineer

Penobscot Restoration Progress

Edward T . Baum

The New Look in Moose

Francis Dunn

Oxygen and Fish

Donald F . Ma irs

Howard E. Spencer , Jr. William C. Mincher

Chief, Game Division

John L. Ketner, Jr .

Advisory Council Dr. Alonzo H. Garcelon, Chairman Augusta, Maine Arthur M. Bennett Presque Isle Fred B. Howard South Portland

Vol. XII, No. 2

Hawks:

Friend or Foe

Dr . Sa nford D. Schc mnil z

Salmon on a Fly

Philip S . Andre ws

The Shrews

Robert W . Boe ttge r

Pesticides Primer

Hatchery Fish versus Wild Fish

Programs in Pictures

Good News from Sebago

Pickerel Fillets the Easy Way

Letters, N ates, and Comments

Winter Deer Losses

James Mendelson Belfast Burleigh Richards, Jr. Buxton

Reginald L. Parker Bath

Basil L. Smith Orono

Maine Fish and Game is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Game, State Office Bldg., Augusta, Maine 04330, under appropriation 4223. No advertising accepted.

O we n C. F e nd erso n

William C. Mincher. Edito r W. Thomas Shoe ner, Managi ng Editor David E. Dexter, Features Editor William W. Cross, Photo Editor Thomas L. Carbo ne, Photographer

o Maine Dept. of inland Fisheries and Game, 1970 . Written permission must be secured from the Department before reproducing any part of this copyrighted material. Subscription rates : $2 .50 for two years, $3 .50 for three years . No stamps, please. Second class postage paid at Augusta, Maine 04330.

THE COVER

CREDITS All photographs in this issue were made by the Information and Ed ucation Division unless otherwise indicated. Front and back covers by Bill Cross. In s id e covers by Tom Carbone. Maine Fish and Game - Spring 1970

This young fisher sat still just long enough for Bill Cross shoot his portrait for this issue's cover.

Dr . Fred eri c k F. Gilb ert

How About The Ones That Didn't Get Away? By Tom Shoener Managing Editor

on the application card that "The One That Didn't Get Away Club" is an organization formed to honor the angler who lands an extraordinarily large fish. The sponsoring agency -- the -Maine Department of Economic Development -- awards qualifying fishermen a shoulder patch and a certificate of membership signed by the Governor of Maine. The Club gets a fair amount of publicity, including the listing on these pages of the top few fish of each species entered the previous year. A few resourceful anglers have probably put this information to good use in planning their future ventures into the lairs of the "big ones." But the thought recently occurred to us that the Club application cards contain a great deal of information that we had never analyzed and summarized before -- information that might pay off again for some lucky fisherman. So--one winter evening when the tv schedule didn't show much promise, we sat down with the 1969 Club cards and, without the aid of a computer, tried to extract some useful information for our fishermen friends. Out of the forest of facts and figures, a few rather definite patterns emerged and a few less certain but nonetheless interesting trends became evident. There is no way of knowing for sure that these will hold true for the 1970 fishing season, but for what it is worth, here is the substance of what we learned about the biggest fish caught in Maine in 1969. Brook trout -- minimum qualifying weight, 5 pounds. Twelve fish entered; 7 of them caught in latter half of May. Pierce Pond (Somerset County) produced 4; Great Pond (Belgrade), 3; and Eagle Lake (Aroostook County), 2. Five were caught on Gray Ghost streamer flies, 3 on other streamers, 2 on sewed bait. Ten were taken by trolling, 2 by casting. Brown trout -- minimum qualifying weight, 8 pounds. All 5 fish entered are listed in the table. No noticeable pattern to information, except that 3 were taken in late April and early May. Lake trout -- minimum qualifying weight, 15 pounds. Six fish entered. Two caught at Moosehead Lake; 2 taken during first half of July; 4 caught on sewed bait; 5 caught trolling, 1 by still-fishing. Landlocked salmon -- minimum qualifying weight, 8 pounds. All 5 fish entered are listed. Notice that 4 out of 5 were taken in the middle or latter part of September, 4 out of 5 were caught on flies, and 4 out of 5 came from lakes in the Fish River chain. Atlantic salmon -- minimum qualifying weight, 15 pounds. Seven fish entered. Four came from the 2

T SAYS

This handsome five-pound brook trout came from a Maine lake that Paul DeRocher of Brunswick "knows about."

N arraguagus River, 1 each from the Machias, Sheepscot, and Dennys rivers. Two were caught in early June, 2 in early September. Black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) -- minimum qualifying weight, 5 pounds. Fifty-six fish entered. Thirty different bodies of water yielded Club bass; Cobbosseecontee Lake led with 13; next with 4 each Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

were Long Pond (Belgrade), Little Sebago Lake, and Pleasant Pond (Litchfield); Cobbosseecontee Stream yielded 3 Club bass. Twelve were caught during the latter half of August, 8 during early August, 7 in early June, and 6 each during late June and early September. Ten were caught on plastic or rubber worms, and a similar number were taken on real worms. Nine were victims of Jitterbugs, and 8 fell to various poppers. Most were caught by casting, a few by still-fishing, and only 2 by trolling. Pickerel -- minimum qualifying weight, 4 pounds. Thirteen fish entered. They were caught in 10 different lakes and ponds; Androscoggin Lake, North Pond (Belgrade), and Thomas Pond (Casco) each produced 2 club pickerel. Two were caught in first

TIJE ()NE TIIAT DIDN'T

GET AWAY CLUB FOR 1969 The Fish

half of December (ice fishing), 2 in early July, and 2 in early August. Each of the 9 fish caught in the open-water season was taken on a different lure, including plastic worms, spoons, plugs, and stre&mers. Most were taken by casting. What does all this mean? Maybe, nothing. The mathematically-minded will say that our sample is too small to yield any statistically-sound data. Tightlipped fishermen who caught big fish in 1969 and didn't enter them in the Club could have helped out only at the risk of sharing their secrets with the rest of the angling world. But if just one person gets an idea from this information and uses it to better his luck and have a good time in 1970, we will consider it worthwhile. •

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The Angler

Brook Trout (Mini mum weight 5 lbs .)

Brown Trout (Mi nimum weight 8 lbs .)

Lake Trout (Togue) (M inimum weight 15 lbs .)

Landlocked Salmon

Atlantic Salmon

Where Caught

Lure

7-12 7-12 7-0 6-8 5-10

24 24 27 24 22

5/29 5/29 5/22 5/22 6/2

Great Pond Great Pond Eagle Lake Eagle Lake Pierce Pond

sewed bait sewed bait Gray Ghost Gray Ghost Gray Ghost

Wayne A. Genthner, Waldoboro , Me. Donald C. Cogswell , Brewer, Me. William Fitzcharles, Jr., Pennington, N . J . Donald E . LaCroix , New Hartford, Conn . Leo E . Roy , Lewiston , Me .

10-1 9-5 8-8 8-3 8-0

27 28 25V4 2!W2 26

5/2 5/5 8/23 6/21 4/27

Damariscotta Lake Branch Pond Hancock Lake Webb Lake Lake Auburn

Rapala sewed smelt Live shiner Mooselook Wobbler Gray Ghost

Harry Frotton , Sanford , Me . Ralph C . Barkhouse, Groveland , Mass. Lionel C . Dumont , Augusta , Me. Harry Frotton , Sanford, Me. Roger Leblanc , Lewiston, Me.

16-12 16-0 16-0 15-10 15-3

36 33 30 33 1/i 35

8/16 6/23 7/1 7/19 7/6

Great East Lake Moosehead Lake Priestly Lake Great East Lake Moosehead Lake

White sewed sewed White sewed

9-3 8-12 8-8 8-2 8-2

25V2 27 27 27 25

9/25 9/13 7/15 9/29 9/28

Square Lake East Grand Lake Eagle Lake Eagle Lake thoroughfare St. Froid Lake

#10 Montreal home-tied fly live bait #6 Black Ghost Gray Ghost

23-8 19-0 18-0 16-13 16-12

41 36 1/i 36 38 1/i 35

7/12 5/13 6/6 9/14 5/30

Sheepscot River arraguagus River Machias River 1arraguagus River Narraguagus River

Black Rat Narraguagus Rat home-tied fly Blue Charm Cosseboom

Joseph Dunn, Randolph , Me . orman Hathaway , Brewer, Me . Floyd G . Barnett , Ellsworth, Me . Floyd G . Barnett , Ellsworth, Me . Earl Fletcher, Ilion, 1• Y.

(Minimum weight 15 lbs .)

EACI I CATECOTIY

Antonio J. Bellavance , Belgrade Lakes, Me. Romeo Bourque, Augusta , Me . Mrs . Philip Fairbanks , Jr. , Old Saybrook , Conn . Mrs . Paul Miller , Amston Lake, Conn . Anthony Malevich , Woburn, Mass .

orman A. Gilbert , Hartlancl, Me. Tom Mutch, Danforth , Me. James Thompson , Presque Isle , Me . Solomon Cote , Fort Kent , Me . Carlton Savage, Fort Kent , Me .

(Minimum weight 8 lbs.)

TOP FlSI JIN

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Miller spoon bait bait Miller spoon bait

I Black Bass (Minimum weight 5 lbs.)

Pickerel (Minimum weight 4 lbs .)

Kenneth Mitchell , Mechanic Falls , Me . Harold E. Rosen, Hartsdale, N. Y. Kenneth J . Green, Brunswick, Me . Brett C. Morrison. Cape Elizabeth, Me . John Pilkus. Uncasville, Conn.

7-8 7-1 7-0 7-0 6-12

23 26 23 23 22

9/6 8/25 9/30 6/29 8/10

Whitney Pone\ Annabessacook Lake Cobbosseecontee Stream Little Sebago Lake Cobbosseecontee Lake

Jitterbug frog lure Jitterbug Jitt erbug worm

Eugene Laughlin. Raymoncl. Me . Jac k D . Singer. Greenwich , Conn . Brian Allen, Falmouth , Me. Jack atalini. Pe nnsauke n, N. J . Paul H . Stone, 1orth Winclham . Me .

6-8° 5-8 4-10 4-9 4-9

28 25 24 27 25

9/10 7/11 12/29 8/11 5/1

Sebago Lake Anclroscoggin Lake Thomas Pone\ Androscoggin Lake Jordan River

Mooselook Wobbler Rapalla live bait Rebel streamer fly

•New State Record

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Conservation School, 1970 NEW COURSE OFFERED AT BRYANT POND AS MAINE ENTERS THE " DECADE OF THE ENVIRONMENT "

H E 1970 S EASON at Maine's Conservation School will include course changes and additions in keeping with the advent of the decade of the environment .'' At no other time in man 's brief existence on earth could the expression do or die'' be taken more literally. We have, in the process of building our affluent society , fouled our own nest; and the 1970 's must be used for the development of an environmental conscience. '' Education will be the key to the development of this awareness , and the Conservation School has accepted its share of the responsibility. Field Experiences for Environmental Education will make its debut at the Campus during 1970 . The course will be under the guidance of Dean Bennett , Co-ordinator of Environmental Education in the Yarmouth school sy stem. Mr. Bennett is highly qualified for the task , being a pioneer in the development of environmental education programs in Maine public schools. Participants in this three-week program will study the environment , both natural and man-made , from the viewpoint of planner , architect ,

T 11

1 1

and engineer as well as biologist. Concepts of sociology, economics , and political science will all be interwoven into a presentation intended to create an understanding of environmental problems in the neighborhood, community , and region. High on the list of objectives in the course will be the development of plans for the use of the school site as a teaching resource in environmental education. With many schools beginning to use nearby areas as "outdoor laboratories," it is essential that teachers have knowledge of their development and use in interpretive programs . A change in emphasis in the Basic Field Ecology course is also planned for the coming season. David Abell, graduate student at the University of Maine School of Forestry and former Park Service naturalist, will provide the leadership for this session. This course will stress the relationship between basic ecological concepts and man's environmental problems through field studies. In addition , the educators need to interpret such relationships for students will be recognized by the inclusion of interpretive techniques useful in conservation education. Three established courses, Conservation Education Workshop , Natural History of Inland Maine , and Field Course in the Earth Sciences , will be offered. These sessions, conducted by Dr. John Mudge of Farmington State College and Professor Robert Miller of Gorham State College, have enabled the Conservation School to enjoy its excellent reputation as a center for conservation education in the state. The Conservation Education Workshop is one of the original courses offered at the Conservation

School. This program gives students the opportunity to meet with natural resource professionals working in various state and federal agencies. For example , participants in this session may have for instructors a game biologist , a forester, a marine biologist , and a park and recreation planner during any four days of the three-week session. Because of this approach , the students are able to gain an understanding of what is going on in resource management among governmental agencies. Teachers who desire to enlarge their knowledge of natural hist ory may b e interested in the N atural History of Inland Maine pr ogram. This course emphasizes field studies of general ecology, geology , weather , climate , and h abitats including woods , fields , streams , lakes, and bogs. Dr. Mudge , course instructor, has designed this program for persons who desire a background necessary for a better understanding of natural resource conservation. Professor Robert Miller , one of Maine's outstanding teacher-scientists in the area of geology , makes full use of the excellent campus location during Field Course in the Earth Sciences. This program concentrates on the field aspects of geology, meterology, and soils. The nearby mountains provide an unexcelled "laboratory " for this undertaking and , when combined with the expertise of Professor Miller , make for an unbeatable session. So if you feel the need to sharpen up your environmental I. Q. in preparation for the new conservation education of the 1970 's, the Conservation School at Bryant Pond can provide the type of experience which will make you a more effective citizen conservationist, both in and out of the classroom. â&#x20AC;˘

By Marshall T . Wiebe S up erv isor of Conservatio n Educ ation

Penobscot Restoration Progress

By Edward T. Baum

The author with one of the 70 Atlantic salmon trapped at the new Bangor dam fishway in 1969.

Salmon Commission Biologist

of the Bangor-Brewer dam fishway on the Penobscot River in August 1969, the Atlantic salmon restoration program in Maine took another giant leap forward. A total of 70 salmon, ranging from 3 to 16 pounds, were captured in the fishway trap opelated by the Atlantic Sea Run Salmon Commission during August, September, and October. In addition, at least 7 salmon were caught by anglers at the once-famous Bangor Salmon Pool. Âˇ During the past several years, the Atlantic Salmon Commission has continued stocking the river with hatchery-reared smolts, with the knowledge that fish passage facilities would be completed by the time these salmon returned to the river from their sojurn at sea. The policy was obviously successful; about 80 per cent of the salmon examined by Commission personnel in 1969 were of hatchery origin. This was determined from scale growth patterns and fins which were removed before the fish were stocked as smolts. All salmon entering the trap at Bangor were tagged below the dorsal fin so that they could be identified later, measured, sexed, and a scale sample taken. Since fish passage facilities at the Veazie dam had not been completed, all salmon were taken by truck to a ITH TH E COMPLETION

Maine Fis h and Game - Spring 1970

holding pool at Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, East Orland, Maine. In November, they were sorted according to size and sex and about one-half were released in the Mattawamkeag and Piscataquis rivers, with the hope that they would spawn naturally. The remaining salmon held at the hatchery were artificially stripped and returned to the Penobscot River below Bangor. A total of 136,000 eggs were obtained from the salmon stripped at the hatchery. These eggs will be reared to the smolt stage of the Atlantic salmon life history sequence and stocked in their home river. Unlike their parents, when these salmon return to spawn as adults, they will be able to ascend the river and reproduce naturally in the abundant spawning and nursery areas of the Penobscot River drainage. With the Veazie and West Enfield fishways scheduled for completion during the spring of 1970, fish passage over all dams on the main stem of the river and major tributaries will be assured. About 75 per cent of the spawning and nursery area in the drainage will then be available to returning salmon. Assuming continued progress in pollution abatement, the Atlantic salmon will again be able in the not-too-distant future to ascend the P~nobscot River and its tributaries to spawn as their ancestors did many decades ago. 5

THE NEW LOOK IN

MOOSE

moves cautiously along the wellworn trail to the pond. Intent on reaching the water for the succulent aquatic plants and to obtain relief from the heat and flies, he fails to detect a slight modification on two of the trees that border the trail. Unsuspecting, he moves his head through the frame which supports the elastic collar. His front legs make contact with the trip string, and he triggers the trap. A muffled snapping noise follows, and the bull is now wearing a plastic collar from which hangs an identifying disk that is numbered and color coded. HE YOUNG BULL

By Francis Dunn Game Biologist

Automatic collaring device is mounted on two trees along moose trail .

Persons sighting moose wearing collars are asked to report the area, date, tag number, and tag color to a member of the Maine Fish and Game Dept.

Arriving at the shore, he patiently checks the pond for any lurking danger but sees only a cow busy feeding in the middle of the pond. When she raises her head, he sees that she is also wearing a collar and number but acquired in a different manner. Had he been on the pond earlier that morning, he would have seen a boat appear and stealthily approach the cow. When the two men in the boat paddled to a favorable position, they waited until the cow submerged her head to feed before starting their small motor. When she raised her head again and saw the approaching boat, she turned to swim away, but it was too late. As the boat pulled alongside , the bow man reached out with a long pole that had a frame attached to the end. With one swoop , he placed the frame over her head; an upward motion on the pole tripped the device leaving another collared moose. Having been caught off guard and somewhat confused with the entire procedure , she retreated to the woods. The biologists returned to their blind; and in about one hour , the collared cow , after regaining her courage and dignity , returned to the pond and continued feeding. Approximately 65 animals went through one of

Moose are also col la red manually with aid of a boat.

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

An unassembled transmitting collar showing four mercury batteries attached to transmitter. Dark wire attached to transmitter is the antenna. Transmitter and batteries are placed in flexible plastic tubing and sealed against moisture; plastic tubing is then attached to collar.

these experiences during the summer of 1969 as part of the Game Division's study on moose behavior. N ADDITION to these visual collars, four moose wear a transmitting device that enables the biologist to locate these animals by homing in on the signal. Placing the transmitter on the animal requires that the moose be maneuvered into deep water where it cannot touch bottom and is forced to swim. This is accomplished by two men in a small boat. Once the animal is swimming, his headway is controlled by keeping him directed toward deep water. The man in the bow places a lasso over the head of the cow or the antlers of the bull with the aid of a long pole. The lasso is equipped with a stop so the rope cannot be pulled tightly around the cow's neck. The rope then passes through a pulley arrangement in the bow, and the boat is pulled up next to the moose. The bow man reaches out, places the collar around the animal's neck , and snaps it in place. Once the motor is started and the approach begins , only a few minutes elapse before the collar is intact and the moose is released. Once alongside , the moos e loses most of his fight and usually tries to escape by putting his head under water. On one occasion , a young bull was lassoed while he still had a mouthful of acquatics . From the time of capture until the transmitter was placed , he made several attempts to escape by ducking his head beneath the surface of the water. When releas ed , he swam away still holding the mouthful of food; upon reaching the shore, he calmly munched the plants while keeping a wary eye on the men in the boat. Each of the four transmitting collars that have been placed on moose weighs less than one pound. They are designed so that they do not irritate the animal and will break if the moose happens to get caught-up. The transmitter emits a pulsating signal which will last for about one year. The newer , long-life batteries will give a theoretical life of more than 700 days . This system will provide us with information on moose behavior during all periods of the year. In the summer of 1970 , it is anticipated that 12 moose will be equipped with transmitters, and 100 will be wearing visual collars. This tagging project is part of the overall moose behavior study , and this phase will be completed in the summer of 1970. Information on moose movements will be recorded as long as the animals retain their visual markers and the trans-

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Assembled collar (lower left ) is shown with receiver and antenna used to track moose. Antenna is mounted on wing strut of search plane . Rece i ver contains speaker , but earphones are usually used by operator .

mitters continue to function. From this information we will be able to determine the size of an individual moose ' s range and seasonal changes in habitat preferences. We will also be able to appraise the amount and quality of Maine ' s moose range. Along with the tagging project , we are gathering valuable information on moose sex and age ratios . When combined with results from the Game Division 's aerial moose census , information obtained from the collaring work will provide much of the basis for future management of Maine ' s moose herd , including possible proposals for a managed harvest. in this project is evidenced by the number of sighting reports that we receive each P year. In people recorded observations , and UBLIC INT EREST

1968, 134

in 1969 , 154 people responded. Anyone who sees a moose wearing a collar is asked to notify a member of the Maine Fish and Game Department, giving the date and area where the moose was seen and also the color and number of the tag. â&#x20AC;˘ 7

OXYGEN and FISH -

A Matter of Life and Breath By Donald F. Mairs

of that's just as important to a fish as water itself? There might be a number of correct answers to that question, but it's a good bet that most fishermen would come up with oxygen as the best reply, and they'd be right. Water without oxygen isn't of much use to most fish, and, by the same token, oxygen without water won't sustain most North American species for very long. Many readers are familiar with the formula' 'H2 0,'' and realize that it represents the chemical symbol for a molecule of the compound we know as water, comprised of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. The oxygen of importance to fish is not the "O" part of the H 20, however, but rather oxygen gas dissolved in the water much as salt or sugar will dissolve when dropped into a tumblerful from the tap. Oxygen can enter the water in a number of ways, the most important of which are normally direct entry from the air and emission from green plants living in the water. As readers of the article on lake stratification in last summer's issue of Maine Fish and Game already know, most lakes and ponds are rich in oxygen from top to bottom during the spring and fall turnovers , but some develop severe oxygen deficiencies in the deep water during midsummer and midwinter months. Occasionally, these deficiencies are so severe in winter that mass mortalities of fish take place. This phenomenon is known as ''winterkill, ' ' and in some parts of the country it is very common; fortunately, major winterkills are the exception rather than the rule in Maine waters. "Summerkill," a result of low oxygen and high temperature during the summer months, is usually due to removal of oxygen by breakdown of organic pollution or to dense growths of algae which use much more oxygen at night or during cloudy periods than they produce. HAT CAN YOU THINK

oxygen is present in a lake or stream, just how does a fish go about extracting it from the water so that he can make use of it? The subject of fish respiration is a complex one, and it still contains unanswered questions, but the basics are fairly well understood and can be summarized here. Typically, the gills are the site where dissolved oxygen leaves the water and enters the fish's bloodstream; at the same time and place, the "waste" gas, carbon dioxide, is leaving the fish's body and passing off into the water. Other tissues are sometimes involved in this transfer of gases. Some scale-less fish species "breathe" through their skin as well as their gills, and very young fry of many kinds respire through their yolk sacs. The gills of such primitive fishes as lampreys and sharks differ in several respects from those of the so-called "bony" fish like trout, bass, and perch, but gills of the bony species are essentially similar to one another. From the hard, white base of the gill, called the "arch,'' extend the bright red filSSUMING PLENTY OF

Decomposition of organic material, along with respiration of plants and animals, can reduce the amount of oxygen in certain shallow lakes and ponds to the point that a "winterkill" of fish occurs.

The author, a former research biologist with the Fishery Division, is now Supervisor of Pesticides Programs for the State of Maine. 8

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Photo cou rtesy of Fl orid.i Came & Fres h Wa ter Fish Com mission

aments known to all anglers. The filaments are subdivided into many tiny finger-like projections called "lamellae"; these lamellae contain a vast network of blood capillaries, and it is here that oxygen diffuses from water to fish. In order for this diffusion to occur, however, the fish must see to it that a sufficient amount of water passes over its gills. Passage of water over the gills is accomplished by closing the gill covers and opening the mouth to draw water inside; then the mouth is closed and, after a brief pause to allow for gas exchange at the gill surface, the gill covers are opened and the "used" water expelled through the gill openings. The typical breathing process described above is sometimes modified, depending on different living habits of various fish . Thus, the large, fat, and lazy ''show'' trout on exhibition at some fish hatcheries can often be seen lying with their heads facing the inflowing water supply and their mouths and gill covers open, letting the current do the work of passing water over the gills! Some fast-swimming marine species, such as mackerel and tuna, swim through the water with their mouths and gills open, apparently depending on simple displacement of water for their oxygen supply , and feeding at the same time. It has even been demonstrated experimentally that mackerel must swim constantly in order to obtain sufficient oxygen to stay alive.

E HAVE SEEN HOW oxygen enters the fish's bloodstream; how, then, does it reach the remote outposts of tissues and organs located elsewhere in the body? Basically, the mechanism from this point on is the same as in man and other vertebrates. Hemoglobin, a bright red protein and iron compound, is the respiratory pigment of fishes, and it is located in the red blood cells. Oxygen entering the bloodstream combines with iron in the hemoglobin and is thus transported throughout the body by red blood cells, to be unloaded where needed. It is interesting to note that the red blood cells of some fishes are much more efficient in taking on oxygen than those of other species; thus, the bloodstream of an eel, a hardy fish which can stand relatively low dissolved oxygen, becomes saturated with oxygen at much lower concentrations in the water than does that of a trout. Many readers are aware that some kinds of fish have developed special adaptations for extracting oxygen directly from the air. You aren 't likely to see any of these species in your favorite trout brook, as most of them are tropical, but they certainly are an interesting group. Best known are the lungfishes , found in Africa, South America , and Australia. The "lungs" of lungfishes are highly modified gas bladders (often called air bladders or swim bladders] containing spongy tissue much like human lungs; these fish can obtain

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

One species of fish that is specially adapted for air breathing is the "walking catfish." This imported tropical fish is infesting waters of Florida and threatening more desirable game and food fishes.

oxygen as do mammals, although functional gills are also present for water breathing. The African lungfish spends several months resting in a cocoon of hardened slime during the dry season, breathing through a tube leading to its mouth; with the onset of wet weather\ the tube fills with water and the fish awakens to commence "normal" gill breathing in its pond until the next dry season! Less spectacular adaptations of the gas bladder exist throughout the fish kingdom, allowing such North American species as the bowfin and various species of gars to survive in water entirely devoid of oxygen if they have the opportunity to surface and swallow air. In addition to gas bladder modifications, some fishes such as the now-infamous "walking catfish" have evolved gill chambers which are specially enlarged and branched to allow air breathing. The walking catfish, which has recently escaped from tropical fish importers in Florida, now infests many natural waters in that state. It can switch from water to air breathing at will and travels at night by squirming along the ground, propelled by its pectoral fins. This catfish is very destructive to native game and food fishes and is presently impossible to control by reclamation; when poison is applied to ponds in which it lives, the walking catfish simply climbs out and hikes off, crosscountry style.

E IN MAINE MAY well be thankful that we have no such spectacular creatures as the walking catfish to contend with although some of our hardier customers like the hornpout and eel would be well qualified to teach a survival course for their daintier --and more highly regarded--brethren. Regardless of how much oxygen a fish requires or which route it follows to reach his bloodstream , an adequate amount of this all-important gas is an absolute necessity for survival. Over the ages, fishes have developed a wide variety of efficient and fascinating respiratory mechanisms; to quote a current slogan , " .... it'samatter of !if e and breath!" a

Hawks: FRIEND OR FOE? Unfortunately, very few detailed studies of hawks have been conducted in Maine. Ralph Palmer described the general habits of hawks in his book Maine Birds. Howard Mendall wrote a detailed paper on the foods of hawks and owls of Maine in 1944. Although occasional mentions of the consumption of ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare, and woodcock occur in the various published food studies of hawks, the bulk of the diet includes such non-game foods as snakes, insects, mice, moles, red squirrels, and song birds. Oftentimes, game animals taken by hawks represent unwary and diseased individuals. Frequently, they are animals that are weakened and hence are vulnerable to predation. Therefore, the sportsmen must conclude that the feeding activities of most hawks does not affect the availability of game for the hunter. Nevertheless, hawks are shot frequently and

By Dr. Sanford D. Schemnitz Associate Professor of Wildlife Resources University of Maine, Orono

The brightly-colored sparrow hawk is commonly seen hovering over fields where it feeds on insects and mice. It is Maine's smallest and most abundant hawk.

E OF THE MOST PERSECUTED groups of birds in Maine is the hawks. Frequently they are considered as vermin and shot (illegally) on sight. Is this harsh treatment justified? Before we can intelligently answer this question, we should consider the hawks' feeding habits and other aspects of their life history. Hawks are variable in their size, habits, habitat, and behavior. Thus, it is dangerous to generalize. Certain individuals using learned behavior may feed largely on game or poultry while others of the same species feed on non-game animals.

indiscriminately by misinformed hunters under the assumption that local game populations are being benefitted. In the past, many people classified all hawks as "chicken hawks" -thereby justifying their slaughter of these birds. Admittedly, some species, including the red-tailed hawk, have been known to kill and eat poultry. However, recent changes in poultry husbandry methods have led to indoor housing facilities for chickens in large, multi-floored "chicken ranch" buildings. Thus, hawks nowadays have little opportunity to feed on poultry in Maine. Hawk populations have shown a precipitous deUndisturbed nest sites are cline in recent years. essential for nesting success. In some instances, oldgrowth, large trees essential for nesting have been cut and harvested. Another documented cause of hawk declines has been the increased intake of persistent pesticides such as DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons used for insect control. Analysis of body tissues from hawks, by personnel of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

has shown increasing amounts of pesticide residues. Also, recent research findings have shown a relationship between these pesticides and calcium metabolism, resulting in various female hawks laying thin-shelled eggs. This causes eggs to crack, and infertility results. The peregrine falcon (duck hawk), a spectacular and skillful flyer which attains a diving flight speed of 200 miles per hour, has shown a recent drastic drop in numbers which seems to be related to cracking of thin-shelled eggs in nests. in many ways. They are renowned for their keen eyesight and are able to detect the presence of a mouse, snake, or other prey by the slightest movement. Unlike most birds, which have side-directed sight, hawks have forwarddirected vision. Also unlike most birds, the female hawk is larger than the male. The shape and size of hawk wings and tail are associated with their flight patterns. Certain hawks-notably the buteos with broad, round wings and fan-

A WKS ARE UNIQU E

The broad-winged hawk is usually found in wooded areas. Its diet is mainly insects and insect larvae, mice and other rodents, frogs, snakes, etc.

shaped tails-tend to soar. In contrast, the falconswith their long-pointed wings and long tails-are adapted for rapid, flapping flight and high speed dives. Wing and body shape are aids in field identification. Sharp, pointed talons of hawks are aids in capturing food. The deeply hooked bill is adapted to tearing apart their food prior to swallowing. Certain admirers of hawks, since the days of the early Egyptians, have captured these birds alive and trained them by reward to pursue and capture game. This sport of falconry is increasing in popularity. (It is unlawful in Maine, however.) Today the hawks with their magnificent power of flight are appropriately the official mascot of the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hawks are variable in their nesting habits. Most species build their nests in tall trees. Adults defend their territory by loud and shrill calls. One species, the marsh hawk, nests on the ground. The sparrow hawk, our smallest and most abundant hawk, nests in cavities in hollow trees or in a man-made substitute, a nest box. Most Maine hawks are migratory and leave the state in the fall for milder climes. The goshawk and bald eagle are exceptions to the migratory routine and are fairly common winter residents. Other species that are sporadic in Maine in the winter are the red-tail, Cooper's, sharp-shinned, and rough-leg hawk. Some hawks exhibit distinctive changes in plumage with age. The goshawk, Cooper's hawk, and sharpshinned hawk are drab brown as yearlings but change to bluish-gray as second year adults. In one species, sex is readily distinguishable. Gray marsh hawks are the males, while brownish marsh hawks are females. status of hawks in Maine? They are protected by Section 2466 of Chapter 319 of Maine Public Law. However, it is lawful for the owner or occupant of land to kill hawks in the act of destroying poultry. Maine is not unique in legally protecting hawks since 47 of the 50 states now extend legal protection to these birds. But laws alone will not safeguard our hawks. Only a full appreciation and knowledge of the need for their protection by the general public will help to make existing laws successful. Fortunately, increasing numbers of people are interested in bird watching. These people are avidly concerned with the welfare of birds and especially about the survival of hawks. Nevertheless, if present trends continue, we can conclude that the hawks of Maine face a dim future unless each of us exerts more effort to protect these valuable birds. Also, we need to support programs to regulate the use of persistent chemical insecticides, not only for the sake of hawks but for the benefit of many kinds of birds and mammals including man. a

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H A T IS THE LEG AL

Salmon on a Fly By Philip S. Andrews Fishery Research Biologist

Better hurry up . Sun's almost down and I ought a' try that place by the flat rock upstream while there's still light enough to see the fly. Some bugs on the water ... maybe a #14 Lousy Nondescript will fool 'em. Yup, this is the place. If I can wade up this side and .... oop .... There he is! Holy cow, bet he'd go four pounds! Grabbed that poor stonefly like it was the last lobster at the clambake. 0. K. now, careful .... the boys in camp will never believe me if I don't put this baby in the icebox. That cast looked pretty good. Maybe I shoulda' used a finer leader .. .. maybe a different fly .. .. maybe I scared him ... maybe ... HE'S GOT IT! Set the hook! Get back to the bank! No! Stay put; he might go around that rock. Heading downstream, better go after him. Sure wish he'd quit jumping like that; this leader's kinda old .....

OU CAN WRITE your own ending to this little vignette. Maybe our hero finally slid that four pounder onto a gravel beach downstream, or, almost as likely, filled the air with black oaths as his line snapped back and draped around his head and shoulders. Whatever the outcome, you can bet that it made his day and that he'll be back for more. He won't be alone, though. Plenty of other anglers have had similar engagements with landlocked salmon in Maine's streams and rivers. Understandably, the number of advocates continues to grow, for few would argue the statement that fly casting for these spectacular fish ranks with the finest fresh-water sport fishing available. The best part is that you need not be an " expert" fly fisherman to enjoy it. Where do you go? A list of all the spots could fill this page, but some of the better known and most productive are listed below by county:

Eagle Lake outlet Matagamon Lake Outlet 12

Aroostook Penobscot

W. Branch Penobscot River (below Ripogenus) Grand Lake Stream St. Croix River at East Grand Lake Kennebago River Rapid River below Middle Dam Upper Dam Pool-Richardson Lake Crooked River

Piscataquis Washington Washington Oxford Oxford Oxford Cumberland

There are other good salmon streams and rivers, and those who would find them should be equipped with open ears and silvery tongue. Don't neglect the lakes and ponds simply because you are a strict fly caster. Salmon sometimes concentrate on the heels of a smelt run in the spring or begin to assemble near the entrances to their spawning streams later in the season. A well-fished streamer or wet fly can yield some exceptional fish at these times. Occasionally, throughout the season, salmon may feed at the surface of some lakes when terrestrial insects are abundant. This behavior is a local phenomenon peculiar to specific lakes or regions at specific times , but it can provide excellent dry fly fishing. Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

~~ ~~_J

Dry Fly

Wet Fly

For the most part, however, the fly casting salmon angler is confined to the river and stream. He is further restricted in most waters by the time of year. Many streams will produce few, if any, legal salmon unless fished at the proper time. In Maine, most landlocked salmon spend their adult lives in lakes or ponds, where forage fish ( especially smelts) are most abundant. The salmon return to the stream environment primarily because of activities associated with spawning. In this respect, their behavior is very much like the Atlantic salmon. In typical streams, the early spring fishery is confined to spent adults which remain in the stream from the previous fall spawning. Later in the summer and fall, new would-be spawners enter the stre.;m t J provide more fishing. Factors such as prevai!mg weather, water temperature, and variation in stream flows are important in determining when these fish will be present. In addition, some streams may hold mature salmon which reside in the stream for an entire year or more. These fish commonly show slower growth rates and are slimmer than lake-dwelling salmon. Incidentally, the harvesting of spawning run salmon appears to have little effect on the salmon production of a stream. Intensive study by this Department has shown that other factors affecting juvenile salmon survival [stream flows being of prime importance] are far more important in determining how many young salmon will be produced. Although spawning behavior parallels that of the Atlantic salmon, the landlock's feeding habits do not. Fortunately for us, the landlocked salmon feeds actively on terrestrial and aquatic insects and other food items during much of his time in the stream. Thus, a logical implement with which to off er your imitations to him is the fly rod. Almost any rod suitable for trout or pan fishing is perfectly adequate. An adjustable drag and one to three hundred feet of backing on your fly reel may one day prevent the loss of a good fish. One of the new quick sinking lines can be a great help when fishing streamers or wet flies in high water and fast flows. Overall, however, a good floating line is more versatile and much easier to cast. The leader is important, and becomes more so as wat ers clear , flows drop, and temperatures climb. For be tter casting and lower visibility , a leader should be tapered and from eight to twelve feet long , depe nding on water clarity. The breaking strength could be aro und eight pounds (1X size] for large flies and turMaine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Nymph

Streamer

bid water; but to be successful, anglers might have to use leader tips as light as one pound [6X size] when very small flies are used, and the water is low and clear. A sizeable fish can be landed on a very light leader if he's not hurried, so don't hestitate to go light; it can greatly increase the number of strikes .

of what flies to use, and how to use them, can be very sticky business. There is much room for argument, and as many schools of thought exist as there are fly fishermen . Streamers, wet flies, nymphs, and dry flies are the basic categories. All are fished differently, and all are effective at the proper time and place, but don't depend on any single method to insure consistent success. Versatility and a will to experiment are valuable traits for the fly fisherman. Streamers and bucktails are popular on many waters and are especially effective in large pools, at the mouths of streams, or in high, cloudy water where a large fly is needed for higher visibility to the fish. Some fishermen use these flies to the exclusion of all others. The Grey Ghost, Black Ghost, Nine-Three , DI SCUSS IO N

Mickey Finn, and Muddler Minnow are only a few of the favorites. No. 4 or 6longshank hooks are about right for size. The standard approach is to cast across or a bit downstream, retrieving at various speeds as the fly swings with the current. Try to cover the water systematically unless you know just where the fish are usually found. Deeper water can be fished by casting upstream and allowing the fly to sink before starting the retrieve. Sometimes a salmon will follow your fly for quite a distance before taking so be sure to fish out each cast. Fishing wet flies and nymphs requires a bit more finesse. Wet flies can be fished in the same manner described for streamers although generally the retrieve is a little slower. Strikes frequently occur just as the downstream swing of the line ends, and you begin to pull the fly back for another cast. Some anglers use a "dropper" rig in which a second fly is attached several feet from the fly at the tip. A bright colored dropper is helpful in gauging the position of the fly and enables the angler to fish more than one pattern at a time. This system is not legal in some waters so check carefully before using it. One of the best methods for fishing both nymphs and wet flies is the slack line or "dead drift" method. The fly is cast across or upstream and simply allowed to drift down with the current as a natural insect would. A salmon may take the fly quite obviously, or you may only see a slight movement of the line. Unlike brook trout, salmon are quite deliberate in striking the fly, but some practice is necessary in setting the hook when using this method. The well equipped wet fly angler might stock a variety of light to dark flies in sizes from no. 4 down to no. 16, including some standard Atlantic salmon flies in the larger sizes. Size 12 is a good compromise if your budget is limited. Dry fly techniques for salmon are essentially the same as those used for trout. In the author 's experience, specific patterns of dry flies have not been particularly important in landlocked salmon fishing. A collection of flies ranging from light to dark shades of brown and gray should cover most situations. Sizes 12 and 14 would be adequate for use in most Maine waters. However, very large dry flies, tied in Wulff or bivisible patterns up to two inches in diameter, can sometimes bring rises even when salmon are not actively surface feeding. Conversely, an angler might have to use flies as small as no. 18 or 20 in order to " match the hatch" when salmon are feeding selectively on small insects. A useful trick in dry fly fishing is the ability to cast so that the leader lands in a "J" or "L" shape with

the tip downstream. The idea is to allow the fly to drift over the fish before the leader and line come into its field of view. With very fine leaders this little gimmick is probably lesÂˇs important. The fly should float down the current without noticeable drag and pass directly over the point where the fish is rising. As previously mentioned, salmon (especially large ones) often take the fly fairly slowly. A fish may appear several seconds before it actually takes a dry fly in its mouth. "Brook trout reflexes" can yank the fly away too soon so grit your teeth or use some other diversion if necessary. A dry fly technique which is occasionally productive on landlocked salmon is called ''skating.'' It works best with a short line and the wind at your back. The fly is allowed to skip and bounce on the surface of a riffle or fast slick, with about the same action as a fluttering moth, or it can be pulled back on the surface in long strokes. When successful, this method produces some spectacular strikes.

article can only scratch the surface of the vast and complex sport of fly fishing. The avid angler can gain much by reading some of the books listed below. But the best instructor is your own experience so grab your landing net and head for the stream. You can't catch 'em unless your fly's in the water! â&#x20AC;˘ HIS BRIEF

BOOKS OF INTEREST H ew itt , Edward R. 1948. A Trout a nd S almon F ishe rm an for S eve nty-five Yea rs . C. Scribner's and Sons, New York . LaBranc he, Ge orge M . L. 1951. The Dry Fl y and Fast Water and S alm on and the Dry Fly. [one vo lume). C. Scribne r's and Sons, New York . McCla ne, A . J. 1953 . Th e Practical Fl y Fisherman. Pre ntice-Hall , New York . M cclane, A. J. 1965 . M c Clane's St andard Fishing Encyclopedia a nd Internatio nal Angling Guide. H oll, Rinehart and Winsto n. New York. Ovi ngto n , Ray. 1969. T actics on T ro ut. Alfred A. Knopf , ew Yo rk .

Spectacular leaps ore among the challenges-and rewords -- that come to anglers who toke salmon on flies .

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

seen one running across a road or an open Y spot in the woods and wondered OU MAY HA VE

about that small odd-looking mole traveling so fast and erratically above ground. Perhaps you just happened to find one of these creatures dead in the back yard , or maybe the family cat caught one and was acting as if it smelled bad . In any case, whether you realized it or not, you probably observed a shrew. Shrews are the smallest of all North American mammals. One species, the pigmy shrew, is probably the smallest living mammal by weight; a full grown specim en weighs about as much as a dime. Although shrews live and travel above groun d and somewhat resemble meadow mic e or voles , they are not memb ers of the rodent family but are classified as insectivores , the same as moles. The shrew 's fur is velvetlike and brushes easily either way like mole fur , but these diminutive predators lack the mole 's powerful front feet adapted for digging . A shrew has short legs , tiny feet, a rather insignificant tail , and a head that is drawn out into a probing snout. Its eyesight , while weak , is better than a mole 's , and its body build is more slender. A current field guide to North American mammals lists 29 different species of shrews occurring on the continent. Five .of these , the smoky shrew , masked shrew , pigmy shrew , short-tailed shrew , and northern water shrew, are found in Maine . All live in moist but well-drained land habitats except the northern water shrew which lives along and in streams. It would be difficult to exaggerate the prodigious nervous energy of these tiny mammals. They are almost constantly dashing and darting about, their movements accompanied by a continuous highpitched twittering . If caught in a live trap , one of these little dynamos may fret and worry himself to death in a matter of a few minutes. All this activity gives the

Âˇ Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

THE SHREWS

Live Fast and Die Young By Robert W. Boettger Ass istant Chief, Ga m e Division

shrew a voracious appetite. He can and does eat his own weight in meat approximately every three hours. As fierce as he is active, a shrew will attack and kill animals two and three times his size. Fellow shrews are fair game, and if a group of them is put in a cage, they will usually kill and eat one another until only one is left. About the only animal that a shrew can get along with is his mate during the breeding season. Young shrews are born in a ballshaped nest of leaves and grass in a shallow burrow , a hollow stump, or under a log and are about the size of honey bees. There may be three to ten young in a litter , and a female will have two or three litters a year. The youngsters are weaned in about a month and then put out on their own.

A shrew 's diet is not limited to fresh meat ; it may also include berries, seeds , nuts , insects , and carrion. The northern water shrew swims, dives, and walks on stream bottoms , catching fish and aquatic insects. These pint-sized predators are in turn preyed upon by larger animals including owls , hawks , snakes , weasels , foxes , and bobcats , and in the case of water shrews by large fish, herons , and sometimes mergansers . The old motto " live fast and die young " is particularly applicable to these tiny assassins. Even if he escapes a violent death , the average shrew will die of old age at 14 to 16 months . Besides being rather fascinating members of the wildlife community, shrews perform a service to mankind by helping to control the populations of rodent and insect pests. However , let's be thankful that they are not as large as â&#x20AC;˘ dogs! 15

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Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Hatchery Fish

versus

Wild Fish

a study of their comparative behavior

creatures held in captivity, hatchery fish are forced to conform to man 's world. It 's a world quite cliff erent from their native stream or pond, and the fish have to make rapid adjustments when the stocking truck rolls around. In the hatchery, they are thoroughly pampered with unlimited amounts of food, doctored with medicines, given protection from natural enemies, and may become so adapted to the soft life that they become over-weight and under-exercised. The day of reckoning comes when they are thrust from the planter's pail into a more hostile environment. There they will have to def end territories, compete for a limited food supply, learn to avoid predators, and have sufficient stamina to ride out the spring floods. The results of a five-year study to determine how well hatchery fish make this adjustment between two worlds is the subject of this article. The fish we studied were young landlocked salmon and brook trout E ALL WILD

By Owen C. Fenderson Fishery Research Biologist

up to l1/z years old. We were primarily concerned with their behavior; that is, how they acted in a given situation and why . We had to have some standard to go by in evaluating the behavior of hatchery fish so we used naturally-reared fish as the standard. We assumed that wild fish, because they had survived the rigors of the natural environment, would exhibit "normal" or "adaptive" behavior, and any departure from these norms exhibited by hatchery fish might represent "abnormal" or "maladaptive" behavior which could make them less fit to survive. To compare the behavior of hatchery and wild fish in a natural setting, we constructed an outdoor experimental stream aquarium where we could observe them for extended periods (for details of this structure see ''Fish With No Secrets,'' Maine Fish and Game, Fall, 1964). Fish put in the experimental

stream were subjected to an array of temperatures, water d~pths and velocities, natural drift-food concentrations, and weather conditions. They fed on natural drift foods; sought shelter; held territories; escaped from, and succumbed to predation. To supplement our observations in the stream aquarium, we also observed the natural activities of young salmonids in other streams with the aid of snorkeling and other underwater viewing devices . We also watched them in hatchery rearing pools to see how they behaved in the man-made environment. In still another study approach, we took both hatchery and wild fish into laboratory aquaria where we could control the environment a little better and study their behavior in more detail. From all these observations, we gained some insight into the factors that govern the behavior of young salmon and trout, and we were able to make some judgments about the adaptability of hatchery fish. Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

this study led us into a fascinating subject: social behavior. It seems that young salmon and trout are compelled by nature's scheme of things to seek out a specific area of the stream bottom and defend it vigorously against all intruders, including their own kind. This is known as territorial behavior. Its function is not clearly understood, but it probably serves to divide up available space and food most efficiently. Within the territory a fish chooses one or more locations, known as feeding stations, where it spends most of its time feeding on food drifting by. If not disturbed or displaced bys ome other fish, it will remain within this territory, which may cover only a few feet of the stream bottom, for days or perhaps all its stream life. Any angler who frequents a pool and has discovered the precise spot where he can raise a trout every time appreciates this phenomenon. Young salmon and trout threaten, bite, and chase each other in a never ending assertion of territorial rights. Actual fighting (nipping) usually gives way to threat, and each fish learns its place in the community as the result of a "peckorder" of dominant and subordinate individuals . Since territorial behavior plays an important role in the lives of these fish, we were interested in determining how well hatchery fish can defend territories and compete with wild fish for social position. We found that when given an equal chance , they were capable of def ending a territory as well as their wild counterparts. Apparently, much of this behavior is inherited and is not modified by the hatchery environment. To our surprise, in some cases hatchery fish were even able to dominate wild fish. However, we found this was due to NE PHASE OF

"size-dominance." Large fish tend to dominate small fish, and our hatchery fish were of ten larger due to their superior growth in the benign hatchery environment . There are other factors that influence dominant-subordinant relationships in addition to size, such as inherited differences in aggressiveness and the effects of prior residency that gives a fish an advantage over another that has just been stocked in the stream. In this situation, newly planted fish may suffer a disadvantage if resident fish have taken up all the available territories. This factor has been known to cause heavy mortality of hatchery fish, and biologists have learned to avoid planting trout in situations where well established populations of wild fish are already present.

N MOR E DETAILED analyses of social behavior , however, we did find some rather interesting differences between hatchery and wild fish. In some cases, we found that hatchery fish tended to threaten other fish and engage in combat more frequently than wild fish. This seemed to be related to population density. We investigated this phenomenon in laboratory experi-

ments and found that as population numbers were increased, the aggressiveness of hatchery fish increased from a low level at low density to a high level at high density. Surprisingly, wild fish displayed an opposite response to crowding; their aggressiveness decreased as density increased. We speculate that this odd behavior may reflect differences in the development of social behavior patterns in different environments. Through territorial behavior, young salmon or trout can disperse, maintain optimum distances between individuals, and establish stable social hierarchies and territorial boundaries. In other words, there is a place for everybody and everybody knows his place. Unnatural crowding and confinement in a hatchery pool may intensify social interactions, prevent formation of territorial boundaries and peck-orders, and lead to unstable social behavior. The question "Who's boss? " may be as important to fish as it is to us . The wild fish in our crowding experiments were probably inhibited by a strange situation and were not able to express normal social behavior . It's also possible that wild fish can change their ter-

The author observed and photographed behavior of wild and hatchery fish under various conditions. Much of this work was done at the outdoor experimental stream aquarium shown.

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

ritorial behavior to one of "peaceful coexistence" during times of environmental adversity when many individuals may be forced to share the same resources. Such conditions may exist, for example, in spring holes during hot summer months when many fish have to seek out a very limited living area. Our hatchery fish, of course, did what they had been trained to do: fight your way out when you're in a crowd. With only one other fish to fight with, however , our hatchery fish in the crowding experiment apparently did not know quite what to do. Perhaps they couldn't decide who was boss sotheydidn'tbother to fight ·at all.

j \ NOTHER INTEREST ING difference ~ shown by hatchery and wild fish in our experimental stream, and perhaps the most significant in terms of survival, is that hatchery fish did not conceal themselves under cover as often as wild fish. During bright daylight hours , wild fish spent part or all their time underneath rocks or logs. From these hideouts, they would feed with lightning rapidity. They were very nervous about exposing themselves and always returned quickly to their hiding place after getting their food. However, this shelterseeking behavior was not in the nature of hatchery fish. They preferred to do their feeding in the open, and this got them into trouble. At the Jellison Brook stream aquarium, we had a built-in natural experiment waiting for us. A predatory bird, the kingfisher , frequented the study area and provided us with a good opportunity to observe the reactions of hatchery and wild fish when confronted with a natural enemy. The kingfishers soon learned that our experimental stream was a good place to fish, and they did so frequently. We observed that when a kingfisher hovered in flight over the stream, as was their ··abit in locating prey, wild fish in aiding ceased their feeding and did not move.

Those caught in the open either "froze" on the spot and changed their color to blend with the bottom as camouflage, took evasive acti.on by darting to cover in a zig-zag fashion, or made a bee-line directly to cover, apparently knowing in advance just where to go. In contrast, hatchery fish, although displaying a natural fright reaction, would most often swim about in a confused manner. Sometimes they would even resume feeding in the presence of the predator. The result of this behavior was predictable: about 80 per cent of our wild fish survived the ordeal, whereas only 57 per cent of the hatchery fish survived. We are quite certain the kingfisher was largely responsible for this mortality because when we covered the stream with a protective net , we experienced nearly 100 per cent survival of all fish in the experiment. We should qualify the statement that hatchery fish are more naive about seeking cover than are wild fish. We found that the frequency with which young salmon and trout utilize cover varies with age. Young-of-the-year fish were found to be more naive than older fish, and in this respect, very young wild and hatchery fish show the same lack of hiding behavior. It is among older fish that hatchery and wild fish differ. Young salmonids ap parently have to learn to hide and avoid predators. If they survive initial encounters by the time they are a year old, they have learned that they can escape being molested by predatory birds by staying under cover. Hatchery fish of the same age, coming from a shelter-free, protected environment , hav e to learn this behavior when they enter the stream. Hatchery fish in our experimental stream did learn to use cover after a time, but during this initial learning period, they were especially vulnerable to predation.

fish are usually fed artificially prepared foods by hand and on fixed feeding ECAUSE HATCHERY

schedules, it was of interest to determine how well they utilize natural foods and respond to changes in ,the stream environment that effect their feeding behavior, such as temperature, flow, light, time of day, and natural food concentrations. In general, we found that hatchery fish were able to utilize natural food readily and that they responded to changes in the environment in a manner like that of wild fish. For example, both hatchery and wild salmon exhibited a daily cycle in their feeding patterns that is well known to fishermen : their feeding rates were highest during the dawn and dusk periods and lowest during mid-day. However, our studies did reveal some subtle differences in the feeding behavior of hatchery and wild salmon that were difficult to interpret. In one case, we observed that the feeding rate of hatchery fish was considerably lower than that of wild fish of the same size. In another study group, there were no differences found in their feeding rates, but hatchery fish grew slower, indicating they had obtained less food than wild fish. We suspect that the lower feeding rates and infer ior growth of hatchery fish in our experiments may have been due to the more intense social interactions among hatchery fish that caused them to expend an excessive amount of energy in defense of territories. We are not sure, though, whether these results represent a special case peculiar to the conditions of our experiment. We need further studies to determine how this complex relationship between feeding, territorial behavior, and population density may effect the well-being of hatchery fish under various stocking conditions. Another interesting observation that we made when comparing the feeding behavior of hatchery and wild fish almost led us to the wrong conclusions; and it illustrated how careful one has to be when interpreting the behavior of animals. We noted that in some Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

cases, wild salmon took more of their food from the bottom and less food from the surface than hatchery fish did. Because the food of young salmon consists largely of aquatic insects that live on the bottom, we first concluded that hatchery fish were not as able, or at least did not prefer, to utilize this food source. We discovered, however, that the old bugaboo , social behavior, accounted for this apparent difference in behavior. It turned out that smaller salmon, and therefore the most subordinate individuals in the social peck-order, fed more often on the bottom than larger, more dominant individuals. Apparently, wild salmon fed on the bottom more often as the result of being dominated by hatchery fish because in situations where there was no disparity in size, the two groups fed on the bottom at the same rate. Probably, subordinate fish were restricted in their movements to feeding areas near the bottom where they were less exposed to attack by dominant fish that had complete freedom of movement. Another possible explanation of this behavior is that some of the salmon's bottom feeding is not feeding at all but instead is displacement activity. This is a name coined by animal behaviorists to describe behavior that is shown Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Among many behavior differences observed was that hatchery fish (left) did not concea l themselves under cover as often as wild fish (right). Some hatchery fish fed on the surface more than wild fish, which took most of their food from the bo ttom; this is believed due to the dominance of the larger hatchery fish. (Photos by the author.)

out of its normal context-in this case , aggressive behavior. An animal may re-direct its aggressiveness toward a substitute object when it is prevented from expressing its aggressive tendencies toward the real source of its anger. For example , a chicken which is pecked by a superior may turn around and vent its aggression on a subordinate or may even find satisfaction in pecking the ground. Our bottompecking, subordinate salmon may have displayed similar behavior in conflict situations arising from territorial disputes with dominant fish. Because young salmon and trout frequently take and spit out a varied assortment of debris wherever they are feeding, it was impossible to determine when they were actually searching for food and when they might be performing displaced aggressive behavior. It was probably significant, however, that we observed them nipping at non-food items on the bottom more often than when they were

HESE

ing

and many other interestfacts about the early life

history of young salmon and trout were learned by simply watching them act and react to their environment. Finding that some behavioral traits of fish may be altered by the hatchery environment does not detract from the fact that many stocked fish do adapt and survive in the wild. The survival of hatchery fish and their contribution to Maine 's sport fisheries has in many cases exceeded our expectations. This fact is due in large measure to improvements in management techniques and increased efficiency of hatchery programs. However, there is room for more improvement. Much effort has been devoted to improving the quality of hatchery stock in respect to better diets, increased stamina, fast growth, and increased longevity through selective breeding and improved rearing procedures. Studies of fish behavior can provide the fish-culturist with information on the basic life requirements of the fish that they propagate and how the hatchery environment can best be designed , improved, and manipulated to increase further the potential for survival of hatchery fish. 21

PrograIU_S â&#x20AC;˘ J_I)_

Picttires Warden John Crabtree of Eag le Lake checked this snow measuring station bi-weekly for the Game Div ision as part of a study of deer wintering conditions. Snow depth reached a little over 30 inches at this northern Aroostook County site, and deer in the area wintered quite well, according to Crabtree.

Realty Division Chief Richard B. Parks (left) and Game Division Chief Howard E. Spencer, Jr ., with sample of signs posted on Fish and Game Departm ent's eider duck nesting islands . Twenty such coas tal islands are now owned by the Department.

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Fishery Biologist Peter Bourque (left} of Ashland and Warden Pilot Jack McPhee of Plaisted flew in to some Aroostook County ponds to check on water quality in late winter, a time of year when oxygen is liable to be in short supply for fish .

Pheasant chicks to be raised by the Department and co-operating sportsmen are hatching this spring at the Game Farm in Gray .

Among those attending a special computer course conducted for the Fish and Game Department and Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries were (left to right}, Robert Young; Fish and Game Warden Inspector Homer Edgecomb of Bucksport; Richard Ridgway; and Chief Sea and Shore Warden Vinal Look of Gardiner . Young and Ridgway, both of Albany, N. Y. are with Computer Applications, Inc., the firm which conducted the school.

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Eddie Nadeau, superintendent of the Casco Hatchery, with a Sebago Lake salmon trapped on the 1969 spawning run. Salmon of this size were unheard-of a few years ago in Sebago.

Good News From

Sebago

OW ABOUT THIS for good news?

-- Sebago Lake salmon are growing better now than they were before the fishery entered its DDTinduced doldrums in the early 1960' s. DDT levels in the fish are now but a small fraction of what they had been. And the smelts are back in huge numbers. That's not all. Salmon fishermen are having a lot better success and are catching bigger fish. Bass fishing, which also went into a bad slump, is now reported better than ever. Among the many who are delighted with Sebago' s recovery is Regional Fishery Biologist Stuart E. DeRoche of Gorham, who with his former assistant, Richard B. Anderson , was responsible for finding out what hap-

pened in Maine's second largest lake to cause the fishing to deteriorate so drastically. Salmon growth had dropped off from 1957 -- when the average four year old fish was 18.7 inches long and weighed two pounds -- to 1962 when fish of the same age averaged 15.l inches and weighed a mere 13 ounces. In 1962, the biologists discovered that DDT spraying along the tributaries and shorelines to control blackflies and mosquitoes had resulted in exceptionally high concentrations of this pesticide in the lake 's fish ; some salmon had as much as 700 parts per million of DDT in the body fat. Further study led DeRoche and Anderson to conclude that DDT was a factor involved in the decline of the smelt and minnow populations and was therefore an indirect cause of the poor growth rate of the salmon. With mounting evidence against DDT, the biologists enlisted the cooperation of camp operators , cottage owners, and others, asking them to stop spraying DDT on or around Sebago Lake. Nearly everyone in the area did stop, and the results have been dramatic. By 1967, DDT in Sebago salmon had declined to a level of only 15 per cent of what it was in 1962. Smelts increased in numbers rapidly, and in 1965, the growth of salmon started to improve. The average four year old fish that year was 17 .0 inches long and weighed one and a half pounds. Salmon growth has continued to improve since 1965, and in 1969, the average four year old was 19.3 inches long and weighed 2 pou ncls , 2 ounces -surpassing the 1957 level of salmon growth. Fishing success has also improved since 1962 when only about 3 per cent of the salmon fishermen caught

salmon in Sebago Lake. By 1965, successful salmon fishermen increased to better than 9 per cent , and in 1968, over 20 per cent of the salmon fishermen caught salmon . In 1969, more than one-third of all fishermen checked on Sebago Lake caught salmon , and on many days , practically every fisherman checked had at least one salmon on his stringer. Not only has the quality of the fishing improved, but the quality of the fish themselves has improved many times over the past three or four years. Fishermen are catching many two to four pound salmon now , whereas only a few years ago, fish of this size were unheard-of. Although famous as a salmon lake, Sebago also has smallmouth bass fishing. This sport deteriorated to a point of near extinction in the ear ly and mid-sixties. The summer ofl969 saw bass fishing return , and guides on the lake reported that bass fishing in Sebago had never been better. In addition to the discontinuation of DDT spraying and the return of large runs of smelts , DeRoche credits the adoption of a realistic salmon stocking program with helping the recovery of the Sebago salmon. The Department decreased the number of hatchery-raised salmon stocked in the lake to reduce the competition on the available food supply. Full co-operation between the general public, cottage owners and recreational interests on Sebago Lake, the Maine State Park Commission, and the Maine Fish and Game Department has made this project a complete success. Without this coordinated effort, Sebago would not have recovered to its present level, perhaps holding the distinction of being the best landlocked salmon lake in Maine. Work is continuing on Sebago Lake to insure that a high level of salmon fishing is maintained , but it is just as important now as it was in the early 1960's for the Maine Fish and Game Department to enlist the support of all persons and groups around Sebago Lake in order that continued success may be guaranteed. â&#x20AC;˘

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Pickerel Fillets the Easy Way M

ost Maine fishermen like their trout and salmon pretty well and tend to look down their sunburned noses at anything else that may come along. Although there will never be a flaming love affair between Mainers and pickerel, more anglers might take advantage of the excellent fishing for this species if they realized what fun they are to catch and how good they are as table fare. "Too many bones," you say? Well, the Vermont Fish and Game Department has come up with a method to help fishermen cope with the Y-bones and prepare delicious bone-free fillet of pickerel. We pass it along and hope you'll give it a try -- you may change your thinking about old Mr. Chainsides!

Cut off head

Top view, belly up

® Cut each aide of backbone

Ansles for Y bone cuts 0

To bake fish whole, first scale the fish; then follow steps l through 4, but leave fillets attached to skin. Then skewer or sew skin together to form a pocket for stuffing. For pan frying or baking, there is no need to scale fish , just wet scales and work scale-side clown 011 dry newspapers-no slipping. Follow teps l through 4; then with a thin, flexible knife , press blade flat against kin and with sawing motion, slide ·nife along, freeing fillets from the ·in. Your efforts should result in ur bone-free fillets ready for the ·rying pan or for dusting with pre-

\.faine Fish and Game - Spring 1970

pared baking mix for fish before placing them in the oven. The narrow strips along each side of the back can be rolled up pinwheel-fashion and held together with an hors d'oeuvre toothpick run through flatwise. If you like this system, strip the flank flesh and make pinwheels. The pinwheels come out with a handle for easy eating or clipping in sauces. Delicious! Caution: Cuts at 2 and 4 are only made down to the tough skin, not through it. Notes 011 the Y-bone cuts(4): Until you have dressed a few, nt II the tip

of an index finger along the fish to locate the line of the butts of the Ybones. Ease the knife through the flesh on these cuts , slightly twisti11g the blade edge away from the bones. The knife is pushed through, as opposed to regular cutting action. It wi II follow the bone-Ii ne easily. If it catches a bone, back up, increase the angle and continue. The Y-bone strip and the back-bone will rip out in single strips if pinchecl bet\\·ee11 the thumb and index finger next to the skin to lift the head end front the skin. Grasp the lifted portion and rip out toward the tail. •

LETT.ERS NOTES

COMMENT Wildlife Quiz ANNUAL CONGRESSES l. A brook trout six inches

long and weighing two ounces might be how old? A. Six months. B. One year. C. Two years. D. Four years or more. 2. Deer antlers with ten or more points might occur how often in Maine? A. Once i II ten deer. B. Once in twenty. C. Once in forty. D. Once in fifty. 3. True or false : The American eels in Maine were born south of Bermuda. 4. Beaver seem to average one pound in weight at birth (the last half of May in Maine) . How much would one probably weigh six months later? 5. The burbot (cusk) is a member of what family of fish? 6. True or false: The large fin on a fishÂˇ s back is called a dorsal fin . 7. Black bears are said to be omnivorous. What does the word mean? 8. True or false: Sturgeons are among the kinds of fish found in Maine. 9. What is the main difference between the bobcat and the Canada lynx? 10. What is another name for the finny section of a fish Âˇs tail? (Answe r~ are on page 27)

The Department concluded in April a series of three Sportsmen's Congresses held throughout the state, and the results have been termed "most gratifying." The concensus of the Commissioner and the division personnel who took part is that much was learned from those people who attended the sessions concerning the Department 's overall program, as well as getting many suggestions to be taken under advisement in determining future policy. The meetings, sponsored by the Department in conjunction with various sporting and conservation groups, were held in North Berwick, Bangor , and Presque Isle. Following an outline of the various programs , the meetings went intEl question and answer sessions which ran "j ust as long as people wanted to stay and talk .'' '' This was a chance for conservationist-sportsmen not only to hear , but be heard. The judgment of people who know the peculiarities of various areas of the state is always valuable information in developing comprehensive plans for the future ,'' officials agreed. "Maine is a big state--more than 33,000 square miles--with varying factors influencing our wildlife and conservation programs. People on the local scene bringing data to us is of great help; it complements the information which our experienced personnel in all fields are compiling every day of the year."

COMPUTER COURSE

The Fish and Game and Sea and Shore Fisheries Departments have completed a special, two-week computer course for members of the new Planning and Co-ordination Unit. The course w as in conjun ction with a statewide fis h , wildlife, and marine resources planning project being initiated by the state. The departments' approach to natural resources planning is considered to h ave national significance by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. These agencies of the U. S. Department of the Interior are funding the largest segment of the project. As part of the immediate action program , the departments will develop a fully operational pilot test system within one year. To assist in this they have retained Computer Applications, Inc. , Albany , N. Y., a nationally known consulting firm . Commissioners Ronald T . Speers and Ronald W. Green said that the purpose of the project is to provide a method for overall natural resource planning. It will form a solid foundation for executing and recomm ending programs consistent with Maine 's overall environmental objectives. The intent is to develop a land and water use inventory system which will allow the agencies to compile and evaluate habitat information on all species of wildlife and aquatic resources and insure their perpetuation for use and enjoyment by the state's residents and visitors. This system approach will provide greater ability to maintain these resources for their ecological values as well as their direct benefits to the state. It will further enhance the economic contribution of thes e resources for the state's healthy development. Attempts will b e made , through us e of this study , to increase the diversification of recreational, educational, and scientific uses of the resources through the foreseeable future. The plan is to take advantage of the latest technology in aerial photo interpretation, systems design, Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

m.apping sciences, and computers for resource mapping and analyses. CAI's Planning and Transportation Systems Division will have responsibility for the segments of systems analysis, design , and pilot implementation . The division has been involved in many statewide physical planning studies, r ecreation and resource planning studies , educational systems development, and urban planning. They have designed and implemented sophisticat e d cartographic and electronic data processing oriented mapping systems.

SNOWMOBILE REGISTRATIONS

Snowmobil e r egistrations are over the 28,000 mark, the figure estimated by Lorenzo J. Gaudreau, director of the office. This is about 8, 000 more than last year. Gaudreau said that on the whole, the new office functioned smoothly, and only some minor changes will be made in the operating procedure next year. Registration w ill continue to be either by mail or in person at the office, Room 215, State Office Building, for residents and nonresidents. Special nonresident agencies will continue to be operated for the convenience of out-of-staters, he said. ''During the peak period, the office was running several days behind on mail , but with the cooperation and conscientious effort of my staff, we were able to catch up with the back log by mid January, ' ' Gaudreau said. · 'This new endeavor could never have been successful without their dedication. '' Although we are still receiving applications for registrations, most of our efforts are now concentrated on coding the registrations for key punching on data processing cards. Once this is done, a breakdown by town or city, county, make, and serial number will be available. This information will be invaluable for refunds to communities, tracing of stolen snowmo biles, trail making, etc.," according to Gaudreau. Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

EIDER NESTING AREAS

The Fish and Game Department is hoping to build up its eider duck nesting areas, and has just acquired two more islands off the coast , according to Richard B. Parks , chief, Realty Division . The total of islands now held by the Departmen t is about 20, and it is hoped that some 50 will be acquired eventually. Fifteen of the islands were under the Forest Service but have been transferred to Fish and Game. Two hav e been donated. '' We are in hopes that various conservation groups - throughout the state will assist in the acquisition of this typ e of nes ting area," Parks said. "Actually there are numerous islands off Maine's coast suitable for nothing but n esting areas , and they will gladly be accepted by the Department. " Parks also explained that all of the Department - owned offshore islands will be posted with signs urging the public , " Please do not disturb nesting birds ... your presence on this island between May 1 and July 10 will cause high nest losses. "

MAIRS NAMED PESTICIDES SUPERVISOR

Donald F. Mairs of Minot , a research biologist for the Fish and Game Department for more than seven years, has been named supervisor of pesticide programs for the Maine Board of Pesticides Control. The announcement was made by Agriculture Commissioner Maynard C. Dolloff who is chairman of the Board. Prior to joining this Department, Mairs was with the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service working on marine and fresh water biology. A native of Oakland, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in entomology from the University of Maine. He is author of several nontechnical and scientific articles on various aspects of the fish and wildlife field. In his n ew position, Mairs will be responsible for co-ordinating the work of the Board with activities of other state and fe deral agencies and for expediting the Board's programs regulating the sale and use of pesticides.

Answers to Wildlife Quiz 1. The fish could be any of th ese aies. You can't tell the age of a fish by looking at it , but fishery biologists can learn the age by examining t he scales with a microscope. A trout grows muc h less, and more ,lowly, in a cold . spring-fed broo k than in a warmer, richer lake, where a four-year-old might weigh four pounds and be up t o twenty inches lo ng.

2. According to examination of 5,150 sets of antlers checked during hunting seasons of 1954 through 1957. such racks appeared o n about one in every forty antlered deer exa mined . 3. True. Eels in l>laine mature and live in fresh water streams and lakes for up to twe nty years, then go to the Sa rgasso Sea where they spawn and die. The young, or elvers. make the ir way back to fresh water. 4. In a study of: beaver in ;'-.laine, the average weight of beaver kits at six months was about sixteen pounds. 5. The cod famil)•. 6. True. Another (s maller) back fin - o n ,ome species -

is ca lled the adipose fin.

7. Om11ii;orous mea ns eating both animal and vegetable food. 8. True, although they are not ,een very often . In the past. sturgeon were reported from nearly all of our large coastal rivers and streams. 9. The main differences are three: The tip of the lynx's tai l is completely black. whi le the bobcat's is black on the upper side and white be low: the I) nx has co nspicuous ear tufts . while the bobcat's are usually less than one inch long or are not prese nt : because of thicker fur. a lynx of, say, twenty-five pounds, would appear larger than a bobcat of that " ·eight, and th e ly1n 's footprints-especia l!) in winterare much bigger than the bobcat's. Lynx are not common in :-.laine. 10. The ca udal fin .

LAW BOOK CHANGES

Open water fishing law booklets have been mailed to license agents around the state and should be available for anglers buying licenses. Two errors appear in the law booklets. First, the minimum length of landlocked salmon in Sebago Lake is 13 inches rather than 14 inches , as the booklet says. The second error refers to the bag limit on white perch in Kennebec and Somerset counties and to Boyd Lake in Piscataquis County. The bag limit has been removed on all these waters although the information in the booklet indicates otherwise.

Maine's Record Fish

the Spring 1969 issue of Maine Fish and Game, we announced plans to compile an official list of record fish for the various fresh-water species. At that time , we listed the largest ones we knew about and invited verifiable challenges in an attempt to make our list as accurate as possible before we called it ' 'official.'' Subsequently, we sent out several news releases on our record fish search and received coverage in outdoor columns, on Maine radio and television, and in at least one national sporting magazine. Our efforts resulted in the establishment of one new state record -- a 7 lb. 8 oz. whitefish. Information on this fish is found in the accompanying list of state records. Our previously-recognized state record pickerel was topped by four ounces in 1969 with a fish from Sebago Lake. Information on this fish is found below, also. N

BROOK TROUT

8 lbs. 5 oz.

Dixon Griffin . Dixfield

Pierce Po nd

1958

Sebago Lake

1958

Beech Hill Pond

1958

BROWN TROUT

MOVING?

Norman Stac)1 , Fitchburg, Mass.

If you are moving, please drop us a line and give both your present mailing address (exactly as it appears on your mailing label) and your new one, including zip codes. We must have this information at least four weeks in advance of the next publication date. The magazine is not forwarded automatically, and undeliverable copies are not returned to us.

19 lbs. 7 oz.

LAKE TROUT (TOGUE )

Holli, G rind le. Ell,worth

31 lbs. 8 oz.

LANDLOCKED SALMON Sebago Lake 22 lbs. 8 oz. Edward Blake ley, D arie n , Conn .

1907

ATLANTIC SALMON

Harry Smith. Cherryfield

26 lbs. 2 oz.

Narraguagus River

1959

Moose Pond

1968

Messalon skee Lake

1949

Sebago Lake

1969

Sebago Lake

1958

BLACK BASS Robert Kam p, D enmark

11 lbs. 10 oz. WHITE PERCH

Mrs . E arl Sma ll , Wate rville

4 lbs. 10 oz.

CHAIN PICKEREL Eugene Laughlin. Ray mo nd

6 lbs. 8 oz. WHITEFISH

Neil S ul1ivan , Wo rceste r, ~lass.

SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRING?

Don't take a chance on missing a single issue of Maine Fish and Game - check to see when your subscription expires. If you see LAST COPY printed on your mailing label, the current subscription has run out. The last two digits on the top line of the label code indicate your last issue-13, for example, stands for the 3rd (summer) issue of 1971. A subscription that has been extended before running out will have four characters (no zeros) in the second line of the coding. 28

7 lbs. 8 oz.

certain that several of the fish we have listed as official state records are not the largest ever caught in Maine. Verifiable challenges to this list--whether the fish was caught in 1902 or 1970 - - will still be accepted. In fact , we hope we are challenged because we want to give proper recognition to these catches and also have our list as accurat e as possible. To qualify for state record honors, the fish must have been taken by rod and reel or handline in Maine. Ice fishing catches are eligible. The fish must have been caught in accordance with state fishing laws. Fish taken in hatcheries or from private pools or ponds are not eligible. The weight of any fish entered in competition must be verified, preferably by an inland warden ,or fishery biologist. Verified records are also sought for rainbow trout, yellow perch, bullhead (hornpout), eel, cusk, etc. E REMAIN

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

LONG-RANGE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Ronald T. Speers

Editor's note: This is the second of a series of monthly newsletters to be issued by Department Commissioner Ronald T. Speers. The letter dealt with the Maine Deer Herd. From time to time, MAINE FISH AND GAME will publish newsletters that may not otherwise come to the attention of our readers, and that may be of particular interest to them. If you would like to receive future issues of the newsletter, write to NEWSLETTER, Maine Fish and Game Dept., State Office Bldg., Augusta, Maine 04330; be sure to give your name and address exactly as it appears on your magazine mailing label.

A PARAGRAPH ON DEER

Once again I have the opportunity to put out a monthly newsletter for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Game, and I must report that I am most pleased by the reception given to the newsletter on the deer situation. There is considerable worry as to the possible effect of the previous winterthat is , the winter of 1968-1969-on our deer, and this, coupled with the drop in the deer kill for the hunting season as compared to the season of 1968 , gave rise to much concern and a call for some legislative action to " protect " the deer herd. However , since the publication of the first newsletter, I have receiv ed much support for the Department's position that our Maine deer herd is not threatened and that we can maintain a healthy deer herd-but only as long as we understand the ecological relationships involved. The recent special session of the Legislature apparently went along with the Departmental position on this matter, and our present deer seasons and deer management programs will continue throughout 1970. Again , I would like personally to thank all of the interested citizens of our state who took the time and trouble to express to me their thoughts relative to the Department's position and to offer us their support in the matter. LONG-RANGE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

Upon the re-institution of this monthly newsletter, I stated that I would try to cover various topics of interest to the sportsmen and of importance to the Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

management of our fish and wildlife in the Pine Tree State. There are many such topics that I could touch upon, but possibly , in a general sense, one point that may have escaped us in our everyday management of the resource is: What do we do from the standpoint of the long-range programs? In other words, how do we manage the fish and game for the forseeable future and not just for today or tomorrow? We know many of the problems that we face. We know that we are in a period of constantly increasing human population with a subsequent decreasing of natural environment , and yet we also know that the increasing population certainly will demand the same opportunities for outdoor recreation that have existed in the past. And , in fact , undoubtedly because of more leisure time and more economic opportunity, even more will be demanded of the resources than has been demanded in the past. CAN WE INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY?

The question , then , is: How can we possibly meet this demand? Or perhaps the question should be: Is it possible for us to meet this demand? In all honesty , I don 't think that anyone can predict what we may be able to do twenty or thirty years from now. I do say, however , that there may be ways in which we might be able to increase our productivity in our wildlife populations as we have in other resources in the past. For example, we are still operating our Fish and Game Department in a manner calculated to meet the demands of the present. I do not feel in the least guilty about this since we are in the same boat as all the other fish and game departments in the country. In other words, we have a budget and staff that are adequate to do little, if any, more than keep up with current needs. We are constantly running at top speed in order to be able to stay even with the demand upon our financial picture and our manpower. There are many things that we should be doing to meet the demands of the future, but within our present framework, we cannot do them. For example, in our hatchery program, we are producing hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish each year to stock our ponds and streams , and I might say that we are doing an excellent job as far as it goes. However, the criterion for efficiency, not only in our Department but in departments throughout the 29

country, seems to be the number of pounds of fish that can be raised per pound of feed, exactly as the broiler industry operates in raising chickens for the market. What we are doing then, in a sense, is raising a commercial product. We are raising a trout not for its ability to exist in the wild, nor for its sporting qualities nor for any of the other factors that we might prefer to have, but instead for its maximum gain for the amount of money expended. This is fine if we are raising a fish for restaurant purposes, but certainly this is not the reason that we are raising fish in our Departmental hatcheries. We should, instead, be raising a trout for a specific purpose-either for its superior ability to live in a stream environment or for characteristics that would specifically adapt it to a lake or pond environment. Perhaps, we might seek a more sporting characteristic or a longer life period and heavier growth. In other words, we should be raising fish in our hatcheries on a genetic basis rather than on a pounds of weight versus pounds of feed ratio. As a further example of what I am talking about, we have been worried for quite a long period by the steady reduction in coastal marshland areas and in our inland waterfowl areas. Each new development along our coast that takes acres of marshland, or on our inland waters, that fills or drains a swampy area, decreases the acreage available for waterfowl on their migratory travels and as a consequence, decreases the amount of food and cover available to them. Most of the areas throughout Maine that are acceptable to waterfowl contain many types of feed ranging from the duck potato to the much desired wild rice. However, I have noticed over the years that though many of our wildlife foods such as wild rice grow in great profusion in many areas, they are found to be subject to many diseases or insect infestation, and they do not produce the crop that they should. I know of one rather large acreage of wild rice which is seriously damaged each year by insects; close examination reveals probably only 50 per cent of the heads actively filled out and producing a crop. A GENETIC APPROACH IS NEEDED

Now, in looking at both of these problems-the question of the hatchery product and the question of our wildlife foods-I think it should become abundantly clear to all of us that we are looking at a basic problem in genetics, and that if we are to improve the situation for generations still twenty to thirty years in the future, we must produce a better crop to make better use of the waters and the growing spaces available. The obvious objective is to plan a long-range genetic breeding program both in our hatchery stock and in our wildlife foods, so that we produce a better fish for stocking and a better plant to utilize the space available. In other words, should our marshland be reduced over the years to perhaps 50 per cent of what we now have, if we could make the remaining marshland produce twice as much in the way of cover and feed, we would not have lost too much in the 30

offing as far as our maintaining our waterfowl is concerned, with the exception of the territorial space requirements of a species, which would be a limiting factor. With theÂˇ loss of the marshlands, we certainly would have lost a great deal of the aesthetic value, but we would not have lost the wildlife species that we could have lost. Needless to say, genetic studies are not something that can be done overnight; they are long-range and long-term activities, and under our present Fish and Game Department operations and those of any other state in the Union, such studies are just not possible. They take both time and money, and as previously stated, practically all departments such as ours throughout the country are running at top speed in order to stay abreast of current demands in the face of today's economic situation. WE NEED A COOPERATIVE APPROACH

It seems to me that the only answer to a problem such as this must lie with either a regional or a national operation. I personally would favor a regional proposition in which all of the New England States and possibly New York and some of the other northern states would agree to establish a regional genetic laboratory to work out many of these problems that are of mutual interest to all of us. In the long run, the fish and wildlife resources and the people who enjoy them will receive the benefit from this. One further point might be made in support of this proposition. Many states have already banded together in an effort to solve some of their wildlife problems in this manner. A prime example of this is that the states of the northeast region have established a wildlife disease center at the University of Connecticut at their new school of veterinary medicine. This wildlife disease center will service all the states from West Virginia to Maine and will be supported in a cooperative manner by all of them. By operating in this way, each of the states will have the services of a top-notch disease center at an excellent university veterinary center, a facility that none of the states could actually afford alone. Obviously, an effort of this type requires time and long-range planning, but it is my very honest feeling that it is the basic answer to preserving, maintaining, and managing our wildlife resources in the years ahead. â&#x20AC;˘

RONALD T. SPEERS Commissioner

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Winter Deer Losses -

-what Do They Amount To?

during early spring have long been used as a general index of winter mortality. Chief causes for mortality are starvation, predation, and crippling loss. In Maine, winter predation is usually limited to deer killed by bobcats and dogs, with losses to dogs being high in some arep.s of southern and central Maine. Crippling losses - deer that die from wounds suffered during the open season - are dependent upon hunting pressure, deer numbers, forest type, weather conditions, etc. Losses of wounded deer have been estimated to be 10-15 per cent of the legal harvest in Maine. Conservatively, this would suggest that crippling losses of 3,000 to 4,000 deer might occur annually. Starvation sometimes becomes the grim reaper in this state. Severe winter conditions occur in Maine on the average once in every five years. When deer mobility is drastically reduced due to unfavorable snow conditions, the animals cannot obtain enough food to see them through until spring. Therefore, after a hard winter, remains of starved deer can be found. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Without such periodic reduction of the deer herd, overpopulation due to underharvest in some parts of Maine would ultimately develop, and range conditions would eventually suffer. For example, Vermont and New York have heavy deer starvation losses annually. Their winter range has deteriorated as a result of overpopulation and lack of harvest in some areas. EARCHES FOR DEAD DEER

since leaf-fall the previous autumn can be obtained from the information gathered in the crotising counts. As dead deer searches are only occasionally fruitful in Maine, for the reasons given above, we give priority to estimates of the over-wintering deer populations. In March, just prior to the time deer normally leave the yards, biologists observe selected winter concentration areas from the air, and map distribution patterns from deer tracks in the snow. Based on these aerial observations, transect lines are developed on a triangular sampling base to give about 100-150 plots for the crotising counts. These plots occur at regular intervals along the transect lines, and the intermediate portions of the lines are used for the dead deer searches. It is estimated that an observer under average conditions can see 50 feet to either side of the line. Computed in this manner, the total sample area gives an estimate of dead deer per square mile for the vicinity of the particular yard being surveyed. The spring deer surveys for 1968-69 indicated average winter mortality for Maine. However, locally severe losses occurred in parts of Aroostook, Piscataquis, and Somerset counties. This information By Dr. Frederick F. Gilbert Big Game Project Leader

INDING D EAD D EER in the field does not involve any elaborate procedures. The most important point is to assure that a large enough area is checked around each study yard to give a real picture of how deer fared during the winter. In Maine, dead deer searches are but one part of our regular spring deer surveys. These surveys are done to estimate the number of deer that spent the winter in particular yarding areas. This is done by counting pellet-groups or "crotisings" produced by the deer. Since a deer deposits an average of 11-12 pellet groups per day, a measure of the number of deer using the area

Aerial observations of deer yarding areas in late winter enable biologists to map deer distribution from tracks in snow. Typical winter concentration area includes heavily wooded portion for shelter and cut-over or more open area where deer find browse .

Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

Part of spring ground survey includes taking information on all dead deer found along transect line. Regional Game Biologist Doug Marston of Gorham, right, and his assistant Lee Perry check one they found.

supported data obtained from our snow checking stations, which suggested that winter losses might be expected in these areas due to non-supporting crusts on the deep snow cover. Since winter losses were average, no important decline in population levels were anticipated for the 1969 hunting season. However, the unusually poor hunting conditions that existed this past fall, coupled with the late killing frosts which prolonged the period of fruitful foraging for deer in the woods, thus keeping them away from open fields and roadsides until late in the season, resulted in an actual kill figure of about 30,500 deer. This low figure was, in my opinion, not representative of the actual deer population available to the hunters last hunting season, and it points up once again the importance of weather conditions during the late summer and fall in determining the harvest figure. a sampling procedure for dead deer searches similar to Maine's, in that the rectangular searching plots have one side used as a pellet group survey line. New York samples deer wintering areas generally following the contours of the local watershed. Vermont makes use of large crews covering selected segments of the winter range as an index of its winter loss. While the sampling techniques may vary from state to state, what the biologist does upon finding a dead deer is fairly standard. Based upon certain characteristic features of the carcass ( Is it intact or strewn about? Is the animal curled up or stretched out ?J, a preliminary judgement can be made of whether starvation or predation, etc., was the cause of death. A quick, on-the-site autopsy is then made. Does are examined to find if they were pregnant and if so, the number of young they carried. Other data collect-

ICHIGAN USES

Game biologists and wardens also count pellet groups found along transect line during the spring ground survey.

ed include marrow condition of the thigh bone (red, gelatinous marrow usually means malnutrition), signs of external or internal parasitism, obvious mechanical injuries, and age of the deer. While this type of survey is definitely not easy work and often means travelling through rugged country during the fly season, and although working with decaying animal carcasses is hardly a pleasant occupation, wildlife biologists and wardens are collecting valuable information necessary for the wisest management of Maine's deer resource. Eventually, management of habitat and hunting pressure and identification of "trouble areas" by snow condition reports from deer yards may help to reduce the waste of Maine deer from winter losses. By then, dead deer searches may not be needed. But until that time, records of winter deer mortality will have to be kept to follow the welfare of the Maine deer herd. â&#x20AC;˘ Maine Fish and Game-Spring 1970

RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Game

give my pledge

as an American to save and faithfully to defend from waste the natural resources of n1y country--its soil and minerals, its fores ts, waters, and wildlife.

State Office Bldg .

Augusta, Maine 04330