WINTER 1974-7
55¢
MAINE Governor James B. Longley
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Department of Inland Fisheries and Game Commissioner
Maynard F. Marsh
J. William Peppard
Devuty Commissioner
Kenneth H. Anderson Director, Planning and Co-ordination
STATE OF MAINE
S11pt. of Hatcheries
tanley P. Linscott Charles S. Allen
Chief Warden
Lyndon H. Bond
Chief, Fishery Division
Vol. XVII, No. 1
Winter, 1974-75
Business M anagei·
Ralph C. Will Robert W. Boettger
Chief, Game Division
William C. Mincher
Directo1·, l nfonnation and Education
Clayton G. Grant
Chief, Engin eering Division
Richard B. Parks
Chief, Realty Division
Lorenzo J. Ga udreau
Director, Safety and Snowmobile Registration
Robert H . Johnson
Director, Watei·cmft Registration and Safety
Alfred L. Meister
Chief Biologist, Atlantic Salmon Commission
Advisory Council Dr. Alonzo H. Garcelon, Chaii·man Augusta, Maine Glenn H. Manuel Littleton
Asa 0. Holmes Belfast
Robert D. Steele Scarborough
Bu rleigh Richards, Jr. Buxton
Black Bear
2
Roy D. Hugie
Ice-Clearing Dates for Maine Lakes Kid-Bits
6
Charles B. Fob es
Will That Fish Die? 10 Coyote or Dog? 14 Letters, Notes, Comment 15 White Perch versus Yellow Perch versus Pickerel 18
K enclall Warn er Rodney D. Sirois
Sandi-ci Dugan,s
Annual Report Section 20 We Care About Wildlife Habitat 32
Reginald L. Parker Rodney W. Ross Bath Brownville Maine Fish a nd Wildlife is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Game, 284 State St., Augusta, Maine 04330, under appropriation 4223. No advertising accepted. William C. Mincher, Editor W . Thomas Shoener, Managing 'Editor Thomas J. Chamberlain, Features Edito1· William W. Cross , Photo Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photographer
© Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Game,
THE COVERS Front: Winter, with its cold, wind, and travel-restricting snow, is a critical time for Maine's white-tailed deer. These two appeared to be doing quite well, however, when they "posed" for Photographer Bill Cross and this issue's front cover.
Inside Front: A chilling chore is picking up traps at the end of a day's ice fishing, as both temperature and sun edge downward. Photo by Tom Shoener.
1975. Written permission must be secured from the Department before reproducing any part of this copyrighted material.
Inside Back: A handsome buck deer is symbolic of the many benefits Man can derive from the protection and management of wildlife habitat. Photo © by Leonard Lee Rue III.
Subscription rates: $2.00 for one year , $3.50 for two years, $4.75 for three years. No stamps, please. Second class postage paid at Augusta, Maine 04330.
Back: Three deer ( can you find them?) make interesting track patterns on the frozen surface of the Little Black River a tributary of the St. John River, in northern Aroostook Cou~ty. Aerial photo by Bill Cross.
Maine Fish and Wildlife-Winter 1974-75
1
black bear
2
Maine Fish and Wildlife- Winter 1974-75
By Roy D. Hugie Assistant Big Ga me Research Leader
Praised as a game animal ... cursed as a marauder ... the bruin is truely a "critter of contradictions."
I
MAGINE A HUMAN MOTHER
weighing about 110 pounds giving birth to a four-and-ahalf-ounce baby, and you have an idea of the weight relationship between a 300-pound sow black bear and her 12-ounce offspring. The tiny animals are born in midJanuary while the mother is inactive in her den. A cub may have from one to three litter mates with an average litter size of about two. Most young bears weigh from 5 to 10 pounds by the time they leave their dens in mid-April. Usually, cubs remain with their mother the first year and weigh from 45 to 90 pounds when they den up with mama in the fall. The youngsters of 11/2 years stay with the female until she seeks a mate in June or July. Thereafter, young females sometimes take up residency next to their mothers, and the young males wander until they find a "home" to suit them. Sometimes litter mates den together their second year. Females reach breeding maturity at 31/2 to 41/2 years and males at 5112 to 71/2 years of age, but often females do not successfully raise a litter until they are 6% years old. Although the black bear is more productive (reproducing at an earlier age and having a higher average litter size) than grizzles or polar bears, they have a much lower rate of reproduction than deer, moose, or most furbearers. This low rate of producing its own kind has been one of Mr. Bruin's problems in other parts of the United States.
It seems that whenever discussions of bears or fish get going, the questions of How Big? and How Heavy ? are naturals. As with "fish stories," bear weights and sizes tend to grow with the years. Black bears have reached weights of more than 700 pounds (live weight), but these are very exceptional. A trophy size male black bear in Maine goes 300-350 pounds (dressed weight), with a large female weighing about 100 pounds less. (Maine's record is a 540-pounder shot in Charleston in 1965.)
M
OST NON-MIGRATORY ANIMALS
have a "home" or "unit range" within which a vast majority of their activity takes place. The size of a bear's home r ange is usually determined by putting a radio transmitter around
its neck and following its daily movements. This has not been done with black bear in Maine, but other states have found that female bear require less land area for their home range than do males. Also, there are seasonal shifts in the amount of territory "needed" for a bear, depending on its age, food supplies, and other factors. Home ranges can overlap; usually when this occurs, the bears are related, such as a mother "sharing" some of her range with a daughter or two. Bear frequently make "marking post s" or "bear trees" wherever they travel. The exact meaning of these marks is not fully understood, but it is known that both sexes make the marks, using their teeth and/ or claws. Speculation that these marks record boundaries or the area occupied as home range may be accurate; however, no substantial evidence exists to prove or disprove this point of view. Another oft-stated reason for the bear trees is that the bear is marking his or her height as a record for other bears to see; this, too, may be true.
Illustrations courtesy of , vashington State Ga m e Department
Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
3
The bear is not a true hibemator like the woodchuck but does "den up" during all or pa1ts of December thl'Ough April. Denning bears may be awakened readily and will leave their dens upon s ufficient provocation; reports of bears being out for hort periods during the winter are not uncommon. The winter for black bear in Maine is a prolonged period of dormancy, characterized by reduced pulse, respiration, and temperatu1·e. The normal body functions of eating and excreting are discontinued. The amount of fat on the bear and the availability of food are believed to be impo1tant factors influencing the time when denning occurs. Captive bears
generally remain active when adequately fed but will promptly den when feeding is discontinued. ·ually, most Maine bears are down for the winte1· in December and reappear during early-April.
classified as an omnivore, which means he eats a variety of types of food. Other omnivo1·e in Maine include raccoons, pigs, and man. Vegetable material of one form or another contributes more than tlwee-quarters of the bear's food. atural foods like acoms, beechnuts, apples, grasses, wild raspbenies and bl uebenies, wild cherries, and other berries are staple
B
LACKY IS OFFICIALLY
grnceries of the bear. Insects of all types make up 7 pe1· cent of his diet, and the r emaining 15 per cent is of mi scellaneo us materials. Spring is the leanest time for Brnin, ,,·hen he must rely on early plants, insects, and canion (the remains of animals, like deer and moose that died dm'ing the winter). Black bears do not depend to any large extent on meat they kill themselves. In fact, animals killed by Blacky constitute less than 1 per cent of his diet. Alas, the myth of the wild and ferocious big, bad, meat-eating bear dies h al'Cl ! However, this is not to say that Brnin doe n't ha,·e his enemies. Ilis appetite favol'S blueberries, ra pbenies, ripening oats, corn, honey, and occa ionally sheep, goats, or cattle, which sometimes puts him in conflict with man's interests. The black bear is a critter of contradictions. He's considered a wary, intelligent, game animal by many, as well as a valuable economic reso urce. But hi s appetite for sheep, oats, and beehives brings him an evil 1·eputation with his host. Howe,·er, legitimate damages to livestock are reimbul'Sable by law. Some comme1·cial camp owners damn him as a nui sance for some of his antics, but guests at camps thoroughly enjoy watching bears at dumps. Although some natives of bear country look with di sfavor on the critter, many "down-statel'S" and "out-of-staters" ·eek him with camera and gun as a splendid trophy.
T
acreages of forest habitat, Maine ha one of the most plentiful populations of black bears east of the Mississippi . The bea1· earned the status of a big game tl'Ophy in most states nearly 50 yeal'S ago but has been a bona fide game animal in Maine since 1969. Before 1946, there were no la,,·s governing the HANKS TO VAST
Maine Fish and Wildli fe -
Win ter 1974-75
fir fore t. Tot all of our bea1· habitat is of equal value. A census of hunter in 1971 and 1972 indicated that hunters in l\Ianagement Units 7 and 8 aw very few bear . Management Unit 5 and the Moosehead plateau proved best for seeing bear·. Four years of registration data points out a few areas of common sightings of bears (see dot map). Superior pelts for rugs or mounting come from bears killed in early spring, and fall is the next best time.
of less than 200 pounds are often excellent eating, but a lot depends on field treatment. l\Iost bears have considerable fat and, consequently, poi! quickly. The hunter who wants to treat his friends to a bear roast will see to it that hi.animal is thoroughly cleaned out, propped open, and, if possible, hung to cool for several hours before being removed from the woods. The trophy should be skinned, cut up, and refrigerated as soon as possible. Driving around town on a hot October afternoon with Bruin la heel to the family hack for the neighbors to admire will probably pl'Oduce steaks that'll discourage the ha1·clie t of hunters. (Show 'em pictures and the rug instead). \\ 'hen it comes to cooking, eve1yhody has his own recipe. Some adhere to the olcl tried ancl trne method fo1· cooking a loon, but if a bear gets to the kitchen in good condition, no host need apologize for his menu. A l'Oa.·t, thol'Oughlr trimmed of fat, may be cooked well clone on the o\·en rack \\'ith a pan belo\,. to catch the cll'ippings. Given a fair chance, even the \\'ife \,·ill like it. The chef hould take the same precautions \,·ith bear meat that he "·oulcl with pork in Ol'Cler to kill the trichina cysts that cause ti·ichinosis in humans. Dy no means should bear meat be us cl to make jerky.
Y
RIG\ STER ED BEAR. KILL \C\70-73
taking of black bears in l\Iaine. From 1946 to August 13, 1957, a bounty of 15.00 per bear was paid by the state, regardless of age or sex. The bounty proved to be of no value in achieving control of the bear population and was repealed in 1957. Even after the bounty \\'as eliminated, the1·e wm; a dosed season but no bag limit until 1969. Since then, a one bear per year pe1· hunte1· limit has b en in effect, with a "season" running nearly the entire time bruin i n't denned up. Since 1970, all bears legally taken have to be registered at a game inspection station. i\Iuch valuable and inte1·e. ting information is available through the registration 1·eco1·ds. The regi terecl kill for 1970 m1s 970 bear, 9 9 in 1971, 7 6 in 1972, and 1,071 in 1973. Before 1972, about 60-70 per cent of ihe bears regi. terecl \\'ere taken during the deer season. but in 1ain e Fis h and Wi ldlife -
1972 and 1973, more than 2 3 of the kill was taken befor e the deer season. This means that hunters are seeking bear as a trophy and not .i ust as a sicleligh t to deer hunting. l\Iales are taken more often than females, e pecially clu1·ing mid-summer. This is probably because male move about more and have larger home ranges than females. There are everal prefened method for taking bears. Some hunting camps have specialized in "bait hunting" for bear, others "run" bear with dog , and a fe"· put their "sports" at clumps or orchards. The most sporting of nimrocl seek bruin with a bow and al'l'ov,·, either over bait or near natural feeding areas, and they have moderate success. The amount of success enjoyed by sightseer, camera bug, or hunter in finding bear depends on many facto1·s. Of :i\laine' 31,000 squcll'e miles of land, mo1·e than 23,000 square mile.· ai·e con.·iclerecl as good bear habitat-large, unbl'Oken tracts of mature spruce-
Wint er 1974.-75
OUNGER BEARS
5
1 e e - ~ Z)au4
pn 1ltauee L~e4
(Editor's note : The author of this article is a retired employee of the National Weather Service. His address, for readers who may wish to get in touch with him in connection with the request he makes at the end of the article, is 11 Garrison St., Portland, ME 04102.)
I
1969 Maine Fish and Game, Mr. Tom Shoener described the many factors of the ice-clearing phenomenon of Maine lakes. The following paraN THE SPRING
graphs present a few statistical facts that have been derived from a study of the ice-clearing dates of Maine lakes. A map with isoJines of the mean dates at which Maine lakes clear of ice has also been prepared. The writer has been fortunate in obtaining some long term records of the ice-clearing dates. Acknowledgment and appreciaation is now given Mr. Grove of the Union Water Power Company for data on the Androscoggin River Basin lakes. The Moosehead Lake record was fur-
~u( MOOSEHEAf) LAKE'-~
April
28
By Charles B. Fobes
nished by Mr. Harry Sanders of the D. T. Sanders & Sons store of Greenville, Maine. The Cobbosseecontee Lake material was furnished by the Gardiner Water Works. The late Henry Dennison of Framingham, Massachusetts, sent the 65-year record of Sysladobsis Lake in Washington County. A series of ice-clearing dates is ideal from the standpoint of homogeneity, for the forces of ature control the day any lake clears. Man has little influence in the process although, in some parts of the world, coal dust has been spread on the snow-ice surface to hasten the melting. A fresh snow surface reflects 80 to 85 per cent of the incoming radiation while dark-colored objects readily absorb the heat of the sun. As pointed out by Mr. Shoener, temperature, radiation, rainfall, and wind are involved in the spring break-up. Ice-clearing observations should be taken at the same point year after year, for a large lake with many coves and bays would not clear in all areas at one time. In contrast, a lake with a uniform shape usually clears completely in a short span of time when the wind flow is unobstructed The table shows the ice-clearing record and length, the average opening date, the earliest and latest opening dates, and maximum range of the extreme dates for 12 lakes in Maine. The Moosehead Lake record is 126 years in length, and Lake Auburn has a 103 year record.
April
28
I
April 21 Mean date isolines at which Maine lakes clear of ice. April 14
6
that the limit of the maximum range of the extreme dates for long term record lakes in Maine is reached after 50 or 60 years. The extremes vary from 33 to 46 days. The average variability of the opening date ranges from 8.6 days for Sebago Lake to 5.8 days for Moosehead Lake. These figures are averages based on long T HAS BEEN FOUND
Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
term records, but the vagarie of Nature are great so there is also a wide range of possible opening dates of Maine lakes. The year 1888 must have been characterized by an unusually "late spring," for in that year, Cobbosseecontee, Sysladobsis, Moosehead, and Highland Lake, near Bridgton had record late openings. Many records for the earliest opening dates were recorded in 1921 and 1945. In New Hampshire, lakes Winnipesaukee and Sunapee recorded the earliest openings in 1921 and the latest clearings in 1888. This fact would indicate that weather conditions were quite similar in Maine and New Hampshire during those years. The map with isolines shows the average opening dates of the lakes in Maine. The south-north axis of Maine extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Quebec boundary; it passes through 4 degrees and 38 minutes of latitude. Everything in Nature responds to the northward advance of spring; the opening of the lakes from their winter-cover is no exception. It is not surprising that the lakes lying on the coastal plain from the New Hampshire border eastward to Rockland are the first to become clear in Maine. The average time of opening in these lakes is about the second week of April. They lie in an area that has milder temperatures and less snowfall than other parts to the north. To a large degree, the moderating influences of the Atlantic Ocean are felt in this part of Maine. The April 21st clearing line lies approximately 25 to 30 miles inland in southern Maine but is nearer the coa t after reaching Penobscot Bay. In part, this is due to the fact that the coastline trends in a northeast direction, with this end of the line resting nearly one degree more northerly in latitude. As a consequence, the warming trend lags in this section. Furthermore, the ocean waters are much cooler than the offshore waters from Casco Bay southward. By the last week in April, the ice ha cleared in the Belgrade lakes area and the lakes in the St. Croix River Basin namely West Grand Lake and East Grand Lake. The isoline for May 5th stretches through the Rangeley Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Maine Lake Ice-out Records 1Range of Latest Extremes Opening (days)
Lake
Record Period
Average Opening
Earliest Opening
Sebago
1880-1944 (65 years)
April 17
March 25 (1903)
May 8 (1880)
44
1901-1951 (broken) (45 years)
April 23
elev. 376 ft. area 3.9 sq. mi.
April 3 (1921)
May 6 (1939)
33
Highland (Bridgton) elev. 426 ft. area 4.4 sq. mi.
1887-1952 (broken) (66 years)
April 21
March 31 (1946)
May 10 (1888)
40
Auburn
1870-1972 April 23 (103 years)
April 3 (1921,1953 & 1945)
May 14 (1874)
42
1850-1944 (65 years)
April 22
April 1 (1921)
May 9 (1888)
39
1880-1944 (65 years)
April 29
April 6 (1896,1902 & 1910)
May 16 (1888)
41
elev. 262 ft. area 44.7 sq. mi. l{ezar (Lovell)
elev. 259 ft. area 3.5 sq. mi. Cobbosseecontee
elev. 168 ft. area 8.5 sq. mi. Sysladobsis
elev. 304 ft. area 9.9 sq. mi. Moosehead
elev. 1028 ft. area 115 sq. mi. Rangeley
elev. 1518 ft. area 9.7 sq. mi. Richardson, Lower
elev. 1448 ft. area 13.1 sq. mi. Mooselookmeguntic
elev. 1467 ft. area 25.9 sq. mi. Aziscohos
elev. 1514 ft. area 10.5 sq. mi. Umbagog
elev. 1245 ft. area 15.8 sq. mi.
1848-1973 May ( 126 years)
8
April 14 (1945)
May 29 (1878)
46
1880-1974 (95 years)
May
8
April 14 (1921 & 1945)
May 23 (1972)
40
1880-1974 (95 years)
May
7
April 14 (1945)
May 23 (1888)
40
1910-1974 (63 years)
May
7
April 14 (1945)
May 22 (1972)
39
1913-1972 (broken) (58 years)
May
6
April 14 (1945)
May 20 (1972)
37
1900-1974 (broken) (73 years)
May
1
April 10 (1921)
May 14 (1972)
35
lakes system and trends northeast just south of Moosehead Lake, passing about over Millinocket and terminating just south of Houlton. Lake Umbagog, the most shallow and southerly of the Rangeley lakes system, opens on the average on May 1st, about one week earlier than the other lakes in that group. The May 12th opening line is based on only a few records, but it is considered reasonably accurate. It should be emphasized that any line showing average lakeopenings is to a large degree only approximate. Many small, mountain lakes in northern Maine are slow to clear; in fact, their actual
Winter 1974-75
clearing dates are sometimes not even known.
I
it can be stated that as the warm air-masses advance northward over Maine every spring, the lakes of Maine clear of ice with a certain degree of regularity. However, deep snow cover, a lack of sunny days, and little wind may delay the actual opening day for a considerable length of time. The writer would welcome any ice-clearing records of Maine lakes - there is much to be done in this field of work. N CONCLUSION,
7
Who Made The Clean , Slanting Cu ts?
G)
EA.IDS
C()(./J.D BE
1-f' to Z'
SEE# 19FrEI'(.
AN OUTDOOR QUIZ
A~Ol/~
SNOWS /'1EJ.T
G-!t.OUN 0
YOUNGffrROWTH OF /1APLE, 0/1/K ANDDT"Hcl'e..
-~~~~-- WOODY VEG-.E,"9TIDN
@
®
Whose
Sign?
What Caused These Scars?
about-
'• t·\\
,
Se'cN o~ SOHc
Sl'1w,1rr (t:oilr~e, {.SoFr l,6rou.s ON Pte-r
i¥'1-<it.;.;··..:. ·· .. W1A1r~1' .
.
· ·· !J
Ci_(.(STEA!?. OF Dlet:PPIN&S
@
m,t1ter1<11_)
:
Bt:t:Clf
ne~~s
or G-~EEAI
(o~
Fo()PS_)
What I s I t ?
07HE/f..S)
IN T/1/F ,VO/trH COUIJT~Y
Who Made The Mess? 0PIIV9i...WG-
@
ST/e.l:AK Fte.()M rol' ()Fr/?££
Who Ate The Snail?
TO BorroM
~..
.
..
..
....... .
-
~\
E:MPTY L;rA.ID S'Nt'fl~
.JHt=J.J.. - Ho~£ t:JIV
Letters should be addressed to: KID-BITS MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine 284 State Street Augusta, Maine 04330
..S/0£
Answers on page 17
yJ FISNl 9. 0
0
in the world. They should be - they have been doing it for billions of years. But did you know that all fish do not swim alike? Some use their tails to push them through the water, while others use fins in addition to their tails. Scientists use three special words to describe the different ways fish swim.
O
0
°0 0
o
~
0
0
0
°
0
ANGUILLIFORM
The first type of swimming, called anguilliform (ang-GWIL-uh-form), is that used by the creature whose tail forms almost its whole body - like an eel. By moving his body from side to side, the eel is able to move through the water. CARANGIFORM
•
The third type of swimming is called ostraciform (aw-STRASS-uh-form). Only fish with stiffer bodies use this method, in which only the tail is free to move back and forth, pushing the fish ahead. Some of these swimmers use small side fins as "paddles", and use their small but strong tail for quick movements.
•
DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT
PRESSURE AGAINST WATER
The fas test, and most common, type of swimming, is carangiform (ku-RAN-juhform). When a fish uses this method of swimming, it moves its tail from side to side, keeping the front part of its body stiff. And it uses its fins for steering and stopping. Most of Maine's fish species are carangiform swimmers - salmon, trout, bass, perch, and others. OS TRAC/FORM
No matter which method of swimming is best for a certain fish, one thing is sure. They can all swim better than we do. Isn't that right?
We need to know about hooking mortality ... and work has started on a study to answer some important questions
By Kendall \\' arner Fishery Research Biologist
Thi question i often asked by anglers when they catch and then release short or even legal- ized fish. The answer is "maybe," depending on a variety of factors, including species and size of fish caught, where it was hooked, water temperature, degree of fatigue, and type of gear being used. So you can see there is no simple answer to this question . The que tion of ju t how many of the game fi h that are hooked and released will die from hooking injuries concerns both the fishermen and the fishery scientists who manage the resource. A high mortality of released fish could possibly result in reduction of the fishable populations to a point where fishing success might be affected. In these situations, restrictive regulations to minimize hooking loss may be justified in waters receiving moderate to heavy fishing pressure. There are everal hypothetical situations where hooking mortality might adversely affect fisheries. Catch-and-release ("fish for fun") fisheries are gaining popularity in some areas; a significant hooking loss would result in a wa te of otherwi e harve table fi h. l\linimum size limits requiring release of sublegal fi h may result in high hooking mortality with some lures 01· bait . This situation is potentially mo1·e serious where a high length limit 01· slow gl'Owth rate necessitate release of a high percentage of the fish caught. Angler habits and local customs often influence the number of fish released and, hence, potential 11101-tality rate. After killing their "limit," some angler catch and 1·elease more fi h strictly for ,· port.
W
ILL THAT FISH DIE?
10
Some fishermen set a "per onal size limit," relea ing all fish smaller than this prefel'l'ed size. A few anglers voluntarily release nearly all fish caught, rnrely keeping any unless they are severely injured by hooking. Sportsmen sometimes assert p1·essure for enactment of gear restriction , assuming that some particular baits or lure cau e injury or death to most of the fish released. We should know, therefore, how much hooking mortality 1·eally is caused by different types of lures 01· baits (terminal gear) for each species under each set of circumstances and in each geographical area. Since the early studies in the 1930's, emphasis of research on hooking mortality has been toward evaluating fish lo es caused by hooking with different types of hooks and lures. The most recent studies have dealt with effects of fatigue on hooked fish, influence of water temperature, effect on fish rnatt1ring to spawn, and the comparative mortality of worm-hooked fi h where bait was swallowed with some hooks removed and ome left in place. Most studies have been made on rainbow trout in the hatche1·y and natural environment, the cutthroat trout in a Wyoming lake, and bl'Ook and brown trout in i\Iichigan ·treams.
hooking mortality of brook, brown, and rainbow trout on "hardware" lures and flies was studied in Michigan streams (9). Hardware lures killed more trout ( 4.6 per cent) than did flies, but the difference ,ms mall and not significant.
C
OMPARATIVE
Main e Fis h and Wildlife -
Wint er 1974 -75
Deaths per hour of fishing for trout under seven inches long indicated that hardware lures were not significantly more lethal than flies with a size limit of seven inches. Studies were made on the relative hooking mortality of rainbow trout caught in a Colorado hatchery on single and treble-hook "hardware" lures ( 4). Mortality was less in April than in July. Mortality on single-hook lures was higher than for treble hook in July, as indicated below: Mortality with Single-hook Treble-hook Month April 1.3 % 1.8% July 10.3% 4.8 % At Parvin Lake, Colorado, hybrid "splake" and rainbow trout (less than 14 inches long) hooked on artificial lures showed the following mortalities in two years of study (5). Mortality of Rainbows "Splake" Year 1961 11% 6% 1962 5% 1.4% The conclusion was that losses due to hooking mortality in this situation would not significantly affect the fishery. Comparative hooking mortality of rainbow trout caught on three types of terminal gear was studied at Pennask Lake, B. C. (10). Mortality of trout caught on flies (8 per cent) and treble-hook hardware lures (3 per cent) was not significantly different. Mortality using a single hook baited with worms (35-46 per cent) was significantly greater than with flies or lures. In a Wyoming lake, it was found that cutthroat trout caught on treble-hook "hardware" lures suffered an average mortality of only 5 per cent (6). In the same lake, in another study (3), an overall hooking mortality of 40 per cent was found for cutthroat released after capture with a single hook and worm. It was concluded that restrictions on treblehook lures would contribute little in reducing overall mortality of released trout.
brook, brown, and rainbow trout in Michigan streams (8) showed that hooking mortality from worm fishing was significantly higher than mortality using artificial flies. The question of whether fish that are deeply hooked suffer a higher mortality was studied in a
S
TUDIES ON
Fish that ha ve been hooked by anglers are held for periodic examination. Author, center, checks a salmon , while data are recorded b y co-workers.
Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-75
Wisconsin hatchery (7). Rainbow trout were deeply hooked (purposely) with worms (No. 8 hooks). Trout with hooks removed suffered much higher mortality (82 per cent) than trout with hooks left in and the leader cut near the mouth (34 per cent). Mortality of fish with hooks removed by fingers (without extractor) was significantly higher than for those where hooks were removed with longnose pliers. After 4 months, 58 per cent of the rainbows with hooks left in (leader cut) had managed to rid themselves of the hook. The study group concluded that nearly all deeply hooked trout probably die soon after release if hooks are removed ; but if hooks are not removed, about two-thirds of them would survive. Studies in a Wyoming lake (3), showed that mortality of cutthroat trout that had swallowed a single hook and worm was significantly higher than for those where the bait was not swallowed. The value of using barbless hooks was also evaluated in the study mentioned above, and mortality was no different between barbed and barbless flies or between barbed and barbless treble-hook lures. The influence of water temperatures on hooking mortality has been considered in several studies (3, 4, 6). Survival of hooked cutthroat trout in Wyoming was not affected by water temperatures of 37 to 62 °F. Results of another study in the same lake were essentially similar; there was a general trend toward higher mortality with increased water temperatures, but it was not significant. Similar results were shown for rainbow trout in a Colorado hatchery. Several studies have shown that excessive exercise can cause fish mortality by raising the lactic acid level in the blood. The effects of fatigue on
hooked fish have been studi ed in , everal experiment.. Rainbow trout hooked and "played" to exhaustion in a IJ:ichigan hatchery s uffered 87 per cent mortality as a resu lt of tre s causing hock, excessive lactic acid, and clotting (1). Similar te ts with rainbow in a Colorado hatchery, however, showed only negligible (8 per cent) mortality (2). In Wyoming, cutthroats "played" 5 and 10 minutes showed essentially similar (5-6 per cent) mortalities (3). It appear from these studie that mortality from fatigue is not of great concern with normal "playing" times, but excessive "playing" to exhau tion should be avoided.
I
hooking mortality studies in other areas of the country, and by now you may be asking "What about Maine?" The fact is that until recently, no detailed hooking mortality studies had been undertaken in our inland waters. However, s uch studies are definitely needed to assess the value of special gear restrictions in reducing hooking mortality of our fresh-water game fish populations. Regulations restricting certain types of lures or baits fill our law book. Each year, many new gear re trictions are proposed, based on the assumption that hooking mortality will be reduced. Yet, we do not really know that these restrictions are doing the job intended. An initial step in gathering some of the needed information has been taken. A study designed to evaluate hooking mortality of landlocked salmon began in 1973 (11). The study, planned for a four-year period, will assess hooking mortality of salmon in two situations, the hatchery environment and the natural lake environment. Lake studies are being conducted to simulate as closely as possible, actual conditions and angiing HAVE DESCRIBED
To capture control fish-unhooked but con fined the same as the hooked ones-biologists use a trap net. Control fish are needed to evaluate properly any changes in the survival rate of the angler-hooked salmon.
One study con idered the effects of "spawning condition" (cutthroats) on hooking mortality (6). There was no increase in mortality of "spawning" (1 per cent) over "non-spawning" (3 per cent) trout. Most studies have shown little effect of size of fish hooked and degree of mortality. One researcher (10) generalized on the findings of hooking mortality studies as follows :
"A consistent pattern emerges from resu lts of a number of hooking mortalit y studies. Deaths from hooking with a fly is in the order of 10 ver cent or less, w hereas death resulting f roni hooking with a single hook and worm is greater and may vary from 30 to 70 ver cent more. The ver cent mortality for bait caught sa1nvles will be dete1'niined, in part, by the area of hook penetrntion . Trout caught in the gill a1¡ch or esophagus generally die within a few hours of cavture." 12
methods in Maine salmon lakes. The study lake will be closed to public angling during the experiments; H was stocked with salmon to provide a fishery, and smelts were introduced as forage. Mortality attributes being evaluated include overall hooking mortality, mortality by various terminal gear types (lures, flies, baits), mortality in relation to hooking location, mortality distribution through time, and mortality "rates" of angled salmon in relation to time spent fishing. These data should provide some of the basic facts needed for evaluation of the possible effects of mortality caused by hooking on salmon populations and fisheries under a variety of regulations. Studies in the hatchery will supplement work in the lake environment. The hatchery situation may not be strictly comparable to natural lake conditions, but hatchery studies have the advantage of controlled conditions and a known supply of fish for sampling. Results of hatchery studies, however, may Mai ne Fi h and Wildlife -
Win ter 1974-75
be more representative of hooki ng mortality to be expected for young salmon in r ivers and stream . Obj ectives of the hatchery st udi es are similar to those of t he lake stu dies but more limited in scope. Results of our ongoing salmon hooking mortali ty studies are too pr eliminary to present at this time, but more detailed informatio n will be given in a future article in Maine Fish and Wildlife.
(5)
Klein, W. D. 1966. "Mortality of trout caught on artificial lures and released by fishermen." Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 95 (3): 326-328.
(6)
Mame!!, Leo F. a nd Don Hansaker II. 1970. "Hooking mortality of lure-caught cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki) in relation to water temperature, fatigue, and reproductive maturity of released fish." Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 99 ( 4) : 684-688.
(7)
Mason, John W., and Robert L. Hunt. 1967. "Mortality rates of deeply hooked rainbow trout." Prog. FishCult. 29(2): 87-91.
( )
Shetter, David S., and Leonard N. Allison. 1955. " omparison of mortality between fly-hooked and wormhooked trout in Michigan streams." Michigan Dept. Cons. Misc. Publ. No. 9, 44 pp.
(9)
Shetter, David S., an d Leonard N. Allison. 1958. "Mortality of trout caused by hooking with artificial lures in Michig¡an waters, 1956-1957." Michigan Dept. Cons. Misc. Pu bl. No. 12, 15 pp.
(10)
Stringer, G. E. 1967. "Comparative hooking mortality using three types of terminal gear on rainbow trout from Pennask Lake, British Columbia." Canadian Fish-Cult. 39: 17-21.
(11)
Wamer, K . 1974. "Hooking mortality of landlocked salmon." Prog . Rept. No. 2 (1973). Me. Dept. Inland Fish. and Game. 24 pp. (mimeo.)
References (1)
Bouck, G., and R. Ball. 1966. "Influence of capture methods on blood characteristics and mortality in the rainbow trou t, Salmo gairdneri." Trans. A mer. Fish. Soc. 95: 170-176.
(2)
Horak, D. and W. D. Klein. 1967. "Influence of capture methods on fi shing success, stamina, and mortality of rai nbow trou t, Salmo gairdneri in Colorado." Trans. A mer. Fish. Soc. 96: 220-222.
(3)
H unsaker, D., L. F. Marnell, and F. P. Sharpe. 1970. "Hooking mortality of cutthroat trout at Yellowstone Lake." Prog. Fish-Cult. 32 ( 4) : 231-235.
(4)
Klein, W. D. 1965. "Mortality of rainbow trout caught on single and treble hooks and released." Prog. FishCult . 27: 171-172.
ecologogriphs ...... ....... ....... ...... ........................ ... test your outdoor knowledge ACROSS 1. Near the stern of a vessel. 4. Amphibian that goes to water for breeding only. 8. A heron . 9. Cat with bobbed , comp letely black tipped tail. 10. The Show Me State (abbrev.) . 11 . Small, plu mp bird that carries the tail cocked over the back. 12. A slow, easy gallop. 13. Hearing organ . 14. Large, two-toed flightless bird. 16. A sea eagle . 17. The Granite State (abbrev.). 18. A small , lake trout of Maine. 20. Female deer. 21. Vehicle that many convert to a camper. 22. Initials of common names of : Canis latrans ; Lynx canadensis. 23. Six make a fathom (abbrev.). 24. Mountain (abbrev.). 25. A parcel of land . 26. Frozen rain . 28. A bivalved shellfish. 30. Fin running along backbone of a fish . 32. Compass point. 33. Two directions. 34. A specialized hab itat within a larger region. 35. Fishermen have the reputation of being one. 38. Parcel Post ( abbrev.) .
39. 40. 43. 46. 47. 50.
Bulky piece of timber. Tropical shocking fish : ee l. A male sheep. A sh ipworm . Low-ly ing , soft, wet ground ; marsh . Sugar-l ike substance used in the synthesis of vitamin C. 51 . Deciduous shade trees. DOWN 1. Field of science dealing with crop production . 2. Freshwater streams that flow into the sea . 3. Canvas shelter. 4. The catta il. 5. Number of feet of a clam . 6. Chopp ing too l. 7. Large tract of land covered with natural growth of trees. 8. Oppos ite compass points . 9. N. A. tree of the bean family. 10. Animal most respon sible for pol lut ion and destruction . 12. Alcoholic liquid. 13. A histo rical period . 15. The Cal iforn ia white oak ( pl). 16. Perenn ial rush- like grass of sand y reg ions. 19. A group of fish . 23. The door of a tent. 27. A line connecting points on a map . 28. A young owl. 29 . A male peregrine falcon .
Maine Fis h and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
30. Nation 's Capital. 31 . Football position (abbrev.). 34. A fungus parasitic upon an animal : _ _ phyte. 36. The ho lm oak. 37. The nest of an eagle. 38. Professionals. 41 . Total Digestive Organ (abbrev.). 42. Clouds having pouchlike protuberances on lower surfaces (abbrev.) . 44. Long-eared equine smaller than ordinary horse. 45. Master of Science (abbrev.). 48. Omissions expected (abb rev.) . 49 . Initials fo r: Sylvilagus ; Gaviidae.
ANSWER ON PAGE 16
Š Doug Jackson 1974 13
......
COYOTE
dR ••• •.-..
DOG? ... •••• By Warden Rodney D. Sirois T.15, R.15, St. Pamphile, P.Q.
... ou ARE rapbit or bobcat hunting, or snowmobiling, or ice fishing, or just out for a tramp in the winter woods. But the good time you've been having suddenly comes to an end when you discover the bloodied carcass of a deer. Closer examination reveals doglike tracks all around it, and you mutter a few oaths about people who let their dogs run loose. Then you remember those stories you've been hearing lately about the spread of coyote,S in Maine, and somehow the possibility that you've found a coyote kill offers a fascinating alternative ... so a coyote kill it becomes. The truth is, however, that even for an expert at such matters, distinguishing between coyote and dog tracks and between coyotekilled deer and dog-killed deer is at best difficult. Yet, if an accurate account is to be obtained of the predator-prey relationship between coyotes and deer, a general method of identifying the animal responsible for a deer kill is necessary. Since I've been a warden
Y
and stationed in a district where both the coyote and an occasional feral dog can be encountered, I've tried to learn as much as possible about their habits and to distinguish between them by the signs they leave. The following are a few general observations about these two canines. The term 'pack' is often applied to dogs and coyotes; however, the coyote tends to hunt in a family unit rather than in a true pack fashion. Both animals kill deer in a nearly identical manner. While being chased, the deer is usually weakened by hamstringing and is continually being attacked from the flanks when trying to escape. The deer's carcass will often be found in an opening where footing is good, affording a better chance to use its hoofs during the attack. It is not unusual to find the deer in open water or on the ice as they seek relief from the attackers. If not disturbed, the coyote will return to a kill until every morsel has been eaten. This does not seem to be the case with dogs which are often less interested in a meal than in the excitement of the chase or the sheer pleasure of killing. A good indication of whether a dog or a coyote killed a deer is by the characteristics of the tracks around the carcass. These tracks must be relatively fresh, compared with the time of the deer's death, in order to give fair judg-
C oyote (left) and dog trac ks . Minor differences wh ich mig ht be detected under good tracking conditions are described in the article .
ment as to coyote or dog as the killer. To the untrained eye, at first there is great similarity between the tracks made by a coyote and those made by a dog. But as we look closer, a distinguishing feature of the coyote track is that the front toe marks are closer together than those of dog tracks. The prints of the two front toenails seem to leave a more pronounced impression, and the lateral toes generally leave a larger print. When one measures the track of the coyote, he will find the track is elongated and narrow, whereas the dog's is more circular in form . Close observation of track patterns reveals that the coyote steps similar to the fox, but not quite one paw directly in front of the other. The coyote usually has a larger and longer step than the fox. The coyote seems to meander more frequently than the dog, and the paw of the coyote is more heavily furred than most dogs during the winter months. In deep, powdery snow, the coyote tends to drag his paws, leaving clear marks in the snow from one track to the other. Powdery snow tends to blur the track and makes track interpretation very difficult, even for an expert. It is often necessary to follow a track several miles before we get a clear enough print to be relatively sure whether it was made by a coyote or a dog. I once read that in poor tracking conditions, to be absolutely sure of the track one must know the animal like a mother knows her child. This seems to be the case. The more we know about the coyote's habitat, social behavior, feeding habits, and the type of environment preferred, the more accurate we will be at identifying its tracks. The knowledge we gain in general will also give us a better understanding of the deercoyote-predator-prey relationship, and no coyote will be blamed for deer kills made by dogs.
Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
14
....••,
LETTERS NOTES
COMMENT FIRST ACQUISITIONS MADE WITH BOND ISSUE FUNDS Negotiations were completed recently for purchase by the Fish and Game Dept. of 2,500 acres of woodland in the towns of Hodgdon and Cary. The property is an addition to the 800-acre Gordon Manuel Wildlife Management Area in Hodgdon. Dick Parks, director of our Realty Division, says the property is being purchased over a period of four years, with the first acquisition being made this year. The land purchase represents the third acquisition agreement utilizing funds from the $4 million land acquisition bond issue passed by the voters in June of this year. The purchase price is $287,500. Although the property is not adjacent to the present acreage in the management area, it is very close, and the Department hopes to be able to acquire some of the intervening acreage in the future. The new acquisition is largely woodland, varying from hardwood ridges to cedar bogs, and is a nice complement to the present 800 acres, which is primarily a flowage surrounded by woodlands. The new property includes several miles of frontage on the south branch of the Meduxnekeag River, and will be utilized to benefit deer and grouse. The Gordon Manuel Wildlife Management Area was initiated in 1958 with the purchase of 500 acres containing the flowage. Since that time, two parcels of woodland totaling about 300 acres have been added. This new addition boosts the total acreage to 3,300, increasing by four times the state ownership in the area. In addition to this most recent acquisition, bond monies have been committed for two other parcels of property. The first represents a 950-acre addition to Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
the Newfield Wildlife Management Area in York County, at a purchase price of about $120,000. A 47-acre purchase, for about $7,000, is the first purchase in a proposed new wildlife management area on the Northwest River in Sebago. The optioned parcel is mainly woodland, with considerable frontage on the river. While negotiations have been completed on all three acquisitions, closings are being held up pending availability of the bond money.
WARDEN SCHOOL IN SESSION Enrolled in the eight-week Warden School this year at the University of Maine in Orono are 10 representatives of our own Warden Service, as well as three Marine Resources Department coastal wardens, one Baxter State Park ranger, and a security officer from Loring AFB in Limestone. These attending the school each year are exposed to a wide variety of subject material, much of it specifically designed for those in the fish and game law enforcement field. Many of the courses, however, are related to general law enforcement and are of great benefit to anyone in that field. The work of each of the Department's divisions comes in for attention, too. Included in the eight-week course of study are courses in wildlife and fishery biology, public speaking, firearms training, self defense, Departmental operation, and first aid, to name only a few. In addition to these "field-oriented" courses, candidates are educated on Maine'_s legal procedures in courses covering rules of evidence, courtroom procedure, report writing, and interrogation. Warden School was initiated in 1937 as a one-week, Augusta-based training program. It was expanded and moved to its present location at the University of Maine at Orono in 1965.
STOCKING REPORT PRINTED Our Hatchery Division says that the 1974 Fish Stocking Report is now available, summarizing fish stocking activities for the 197 4 calendar year. The report includes water by water listings of the type, size, and number of fish stocked, and the date of each stocking. It covers all the fish from our state hatcheries, as well as the Atlantic salmon and brook trout from the federal hatchery at Orland. This 20-page summary can be obtained, at a cost of 25 cents, by either visiting us or writing to the Maine Fish and Game Dept., 284 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04330.
15
ABOUT OUR NEW NAME: For 16 years, starting in Spring 1959, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game published a magazine called MAINE FISH AND GAME. paralleled the Department ' s first level objective:
From the beginning, the maga zine ' s primary editorial concern To insure that all species of wildlife are perpetuated to be
used and enjoyed by the people in this state now and for the forseeable future. Beginning with this issue, the Department is publishing a magazine called MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE with exactly the same editorial concern but with a name that more adequately reflects the interest in all wildlife that has existed right along. but a new name .. . that's all.
Same appearance, same kind of articles, same price, same publication frequency ,
Ice f ishermen who have shacks on Maine Zakes shouZd watch them cZoseZy for the r es t of the season . RapidZy changing ice conditi ons Zate in the season can make it difficult or impossibZe to bring t hem ashor e . It i s aZ so in the winter angler's best inter est to pic k up any Zitter found on the ice or at acce ss points . Litter i s often a cause of e ffor t s t o cZose Zake s to ice f i shing . 19 74 DEER SEASON REPORT: More deer, more hunting pressure, and generally good hunting conditions. In a nutshell, that's what happened in 1974 to cause a big jump in Maine's legal deer harvest.
The
final tally of registered deer was 34,667 last fall, an increase of nearly 10,000 over the 1973 season. By counties, the 1974 harvest was as follows : land (1,884),
Franklin (1,743),
Androscoggin (768), Aroostook (2,738), Cumber-
Hancock (2, 226), Kennebec (1,731), Knox (903),
Oxford (2,929),
Penobscot (4,018),
Waldo (2,234),
Washington (2,597),
Piscataquis (2,174), York (3,506),
All counties showed increases in 1974. counties, each up 1,244 deer over 1973.
Sagadahoc (528),
Lincoln (1,467),
Somerset (3,218),
unknown (3).
The largest increases came in Penobscot and York
The largest percentage increases were in Androscoggin and
Cumberland counties, up 86 per cent and 82 per cent, respectively . In the record department, Kennebec and Lincoln counties slightly exceeded their previous high deer kills.
Sixty-five deer were taken statewide by bow and arrow -- also a new record.
Projections of license sale figures available at press time show that the number of Maine residents who were licensed to hunt deer increased to about 177,000 -- a gain of about 7 per cent. Nonresident license sales will probably show an increase of about 1 per cent to a total of about 33,000.
Of the total deer kill, residents took 26,704; nonresidents, 7,877; and 86 were shot by
hunters of unknown residence.
16
Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
Maine ' s record lake trout (togue) was presented to the Fish and Game Department recently and is now on display in the Augusta office . Making the presentation was Hollis W. Grindle (center) of Ellsworth Falls . Grindle caught the 31 lb . 8 oz . fish at Beech Hill Pond in Otis on Augus t 3, 1958. Accepting the mounted trophy for the Department were Deputy Commi ssioner J . William Peppard (left) and Commissioner Maynard F. Marsh .
CHILDREN'S PAGE ANSWERS
ffi
i
Rabbits Grouse -a roosting spot Black bear Lightning Red squirrel Shrew
... il
'-'='--
---e:::: <- L _ - ---C 11
t HAV~N'r H~P 50 MUCH FUN 61NCE: :t CL-~AN~D 1'141S OV~Nf
Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
11
17
White Perch versus Yellow Perch versus Pickerel a study of interspecific competition
By Sandra Dugans are aware that some fish grow better in certain lakes than in others. Those fish that do not grow so fast are usually called stunted. They are smaller, may not live as long, and are usually in poorer condition than the same species in other lakes. The most frequent reason for the occurrence of a stunted population is over-crowding: there are just too many fish for the food and space available. When these conditions occur in nature, the fish are said to be in competition. \Yhen the fish involved are the same species, we call it intraspecific competition; when the fish are two or more species, it is called interspecific competition. Dr. Richard Gregory's article in the spring 1974 issue of Maine Fis h and Game has already deM SURE MOST FISHERMEN
The author was a student at the Maine Cooperative Fishery Unit when she wrote this article; she is now employed by the U.S. F ish and Wildlife Service at the Craig Brook National F ish Hatchery at East Orland. The Cooperative Fishery Unit is jointl y sponsored by the University of Maine, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game, and the U .S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
18
scribed some of the previous work on South Branch Lake. While these studies were being done, we noticed that the yellow perch were usually quite small. A large percentage of them were under 6 inches long. There were a few larger fish (8-12 inches) but not nearly as many as you would find in a lake such as Rangeley or l\foosehead. \\'e asked ourselves why the yellow perch in South Branch were not growing as fast as they did in other lakes in l\Iaine. We didn't capture very many yellow perch so we could rule out intraspecific competition; in other words, the yellow perch were not competing with other yellow perch for food or space. However, there is a large population of white perch in this lake, and information from other biologists suggests that this small yellow perch large white perch combination is not uncommon in i\Iaine lakes. On the basis of this information, we theorized that interspecific competition from white perch was limiting the growth of yellow perch. To test this theory, we attempted to grow yellow perch in the absence of white perch. If the yellow perch grew faster in the absence of white
perch, this could be used as indirect evidence of interspecific competition between the two species. To carry out this part of the study, we selected Bloods' Cove on the nortlrn:estem shore of the lake. The cove was 11.2 acres (4.5 hectares) in area, with an island 160 feet ( 18.8 meters) long located in the entrance. On June 1, Bloods' Cove was enclosed by two sections of net (see photo), the north section 460 feet (178 meters) long and 10 feet (3 meters) deep, and the south section 250 feet (73 meters) long and 8 feet (2.5 meters) deep. The net mesh size was 3 16 inch to allow passage of water and plankton through the net, but not fish. Initially, the bottom of the net was weighted down with large rocks by SCUBA divers to keep the net from floating up off the bottom. The following day, liquid N ox fish was used to remove all fish from the cove. These fish were counted and weighed by species. After the cove had detoxified (about 10 days), we collected the same numbers and weights of fishes except white perch and pickerel, and put them back in the cove, marking each restocked fish with a fin clip.
Maine Fish and Wildlife -
0
Winter 197-1 -7:5
In this way, we established a blocked cove with everything except white perch and pickerel. \\' e would reclaim the cove again in the fall, recapture the marked yellow perch and see if they grew faster than the yellow perch in the rest of the lake. Unfortunately. it was not as simple as it seemed. While trapnetting the co\'e during the summer, we disco\'ered that the cove had become contaminated: white perch and pickerel had entered it. A combination of high water and windy conditions in June had allowed passage of fish over and under the blocking net. Now we no longer had a cove with an absence of white perch. Throughout the summer, we removed white perch and pickerel from the cove with trapnets; and in October, we reclaimed the cove again to recover our marked yellow perch and white perch. \\'e found that the number of white perch we remo\¡ed during summer and fall was much less on a per ac1¡e basis than the density of white perch in the rest of the lake; so the blocking net had kept out a majority of the white perch. Even though we could not measure yellow perch growth in an absence of white perch, we did measme their growth under conditions of
reduced competition from white perch. The marked yellow perch reco\'ered from Bloods' Cove in October did not show fa ster growth than the yellow perch in the rest of the lake. Thus, we can sa:v that even under conditions of reduced competition from white perch there is no change in growth of the yellow perch. Another aspect of interspecific competition is competition for food. During the summer, we also studied the diets of the two kinds of perch. Diet analysis in fi shes consists of cutting open the stomachs and identifying all the organisms that are found there. Using this method, we found that the two kinds of fish were eating the same things, but each fish in each species was eating a wide \'ariety of food. Since their diets are so flexible, we cannot say that they are directly competing for a particular kind of food. yellow perch grow slower in South Branch? I would like to discuss one possible explanation. During the course of the study, we noted that these fish mature sexually \'ery early in life. A large percentage of oneyear-old yellow perch (2-3 inches) were spawning that first spring. ' O WHY DO THESE
Blocking nets we re used to enclose Bloods Cove . (Photo by the a uthor.)
Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-7:i
Thi: is very unusual, as most yellow perch in other lakes don't mature until they are two or three years old (5-8 inches ). So what does this have to do with slow growth'? \\'ell, for the gonads or sex glands to grow, it takes food energy; and once this energy is used for development of sex products, it cannot be used for growth in length. Therefore, a fish that matures earlier will have less energy for growth in length than a fish that matures later. So, the earlier maturing fish will be smaller at a given age. This produced the question of why do these yellow perch mature early, and what do the white perch have to do with it? First, you must consider the habits of some of the other fishes in the lake. Pickerel are the major fisheating fish and seem to prefer yellow perch to any other species of food. It is entirely possible that, over the years, heavy predation on yellow perch by pickerel has cleaned out the larger yellow perch and allowed the smaller, earlier maturing yellow perch to s urvive. At the same time, the presence of yellow perch as food for the pickerel has allowed the white perch to escape this predator and establish a sizeable population. Thus, it may not be competition for food or space between the two perch species that is causing the stunted population of yellow perch, but their respective availabilities as food for the fish-eating pickerel. So the next time you land a small fish, pause and reflect back on why this fish is small. It could be because it is a young fish, but just possibly it is an older fish that just hasn't grown as fast as it could.
19
Financial Statement Ralph C. Will, Business Manager
Nonresident hunting licenses 29.7 %
Nonresident fishing licenses 14.0 %
The Department reflected a sound financial condition for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974. Revenues increased approximately 4.5 per cent from the prior fiscal year, largely as a result of increases in resident and nonresident hunting and fishing license sales. The revenue increases, however, have been more than offset by increases in costs. Expenditures increased 9.3 per cent from the prior year, primarily due to inflation and payroll increases granted by the Legislature. As anticipated, the Department has been under increasing pressure to maintain operations at present levels without a significant license price increase. In the future, careful planning and frugal management are demanded, if current programs are to be maintained in the face of increasing inflationary pressure.
Federal aid 13.4 %
The
REVENUES 1970-74 YEARS
Income
REVENUE ( x 1000)
69-70 70·71 71·72 72-73 73-74
Dollar
$4,007 4,182 4,540 5,008 5,231
Fines and fees 3.2 % Resident hunting licenses 16.3 %
Miscellaneous licenses and permits 1.5 %
JI!.. , ,
from W,t,maft and Snowmobil, R,gist,aUon l.1 11
""
Resident fishing licenses 16.8 %
Contributions from General Fund .2 %
20
,~J
-
~ ..•
All other revenue 3.8 %
Fishery Division 8.0 % Warden Service 46.3 %
Administration 8.9 %
'
~
..
··....,;::1
-~ •
.
Game Division 14.3 %
The Expense Dollar Hatchery Division 9.6 %
Planning Division 2.7 % ~
~:Y'
r~
~ -
Information and Education Division 2.5 %.
'
me Farm 1.9 %
Safety Programs 1.5 %
Summary of Operations Cash Balance July 1, 1973 Add: Revenues & Transfers $5,231,089.78 Deduct: Expenditures, Transfers & Encumbrances $5,308,364.61 Net Decrease in Cash Balance
$
Unencumbered Cash Balance June 30, 1974
$1,660,604.87
Less Cash Reserves: Operating Capital Reserve for Emergencies Reserve for Radio Replacement
Balance of Unreserved Cash
$1,737,879.70 Hatchery Improvements 2.6 %
77,274.83
$ 600,000.00 $ 600,000.00
J~' v •
Miscellaneoust 1.7 %
$ 300,000.00 $1,500,000.00
$ 160,604.87
t Includes engineering and land acquisition
LICENSE
SALES
1968 - 1973
200_.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
180
160
0 0 0
------
140
..........
.....
..... ----,
''
/
'
/
/
' //
)C
....... u,
120
c(
"' 100
...
"'z
..,
u _,
----- __.. . - --------- - -80
60
40
20 .........,.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~. . . .~. .. 68
69
70
71
CALENDAR - - R • 1 id•n t hunt ing
-
-
72
73
YE ARS -
-
Re1 id•nt l i 1hing
- N onresident hunting - - -Nonresident fishing
Warden Service
For the first time, vehicles which needed to be replaced were sold at public auction, rather than traded for new models. This resulted in a much better return to the Department. Replaced during the fiscal year were 65 motor vehicles, 11 snowmobiles, 10 boats (including canoes), 12 outboard motors, and 13 trailers. The ninth annual warden school was held at the University of Maine in Orono, starting on January 21, with graduation on March 15. Warden Carlton Hill, nine new wardens, two Baxter Park rangers and four Marine Resources wardens were in attendance. As in the past, Dr. Malcolm Coulter was in charge of the school and certainly should be commended for keeping things running smoothly. Survival swimming courses were held during the winter and spring at Rockwood and Ellsworth for wardens who hadn't completed the previous course . This was very well received by the wardens attending. Warden Supervisor John Marsh attended the F.B.I. National Academy at Quantico, Virginia, during April, May, and June. Warden Inspector ·Norman Trask attended a two-week supervisory school at the Criminal Justice Academy in Waterville, and Warden Michael Collins attended the Basic Police School, also in Waterville. Warden John Robertson attended a two-week school on handgun repair at the Smith and Wesson factory in Massachusetts. Hopefully, John will now be able to do all repair work on our service revolvers. The annual shooting program for members of Warden Service, conducted by Supervisor Alanson
Charles S. Allen, Chief Warden This past fiscal year brought about the usual number of changes within Warden Service. Wardens Er win Bonney, G. Norman Harriman, and Chief Warden Jack Shaw retired, with a total of 81 years of service. One warden resigned for personal reasons, and another resigned and transferred to the State Police. Nine new men were hired during the past year. One new warden district was created in the southern part of the State. Several warden transfers resulted from these changes. For the first time in several years, no transfers or changes occurred in our supervisory personnel. Remodeling of the Eagle Lake warden camp was completed, and remodeling was also done at the pilot's home at Eagle Lake. A new storage building is being built at the Greenville base, along with a garage in which automotive repairs can be carried out. This work is expected to be completed some time this fall. Warden Charles Howe will be in charge of the garage, and will assist the aviation division as much as possible. 22
Commun icatio n is vita l to the operation of any law enforcement agenc y. And it's Radio Technician Harold Knight' s job to install and maintain the mobile and base radios operated by the Warden Service.
Noble, saw Warden Dave Spencer winning t he Commissioner's Trophy with a score of 98, and Division B, headed by Supervisor Noble, winning the Advisory Council Award with a divisional average of 87.4. This past year, wardens from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine participated in a team shoot held in New Hampshire. New Hampshire was the winner. Interest in shooting has improved greatly this past year as indicated by the scores. The search and rescue unit participated in 10 underwater searches - eight for drowning victims, and two for criminal investigations. The drowning searches involved ten victims, nine being recovered. The unit held a three-day training session on rock climbing in the Bingham area in April. The unit Maine Fish and Wildlif e -
Winter 1974-75
also attend ed a three-day schoo l in ew Hampshire on new techniques in l'Ock clim bing. Warden Speciali ·t Don Gray attended a 10-da)· school on advanced techni ques in sc uba cli ving ancl und erwater r escue. Thi s knowledge will be pa:secl on to the other members of the team . The total num ber of violations prosecuted la t year was down by 171. The largest decrease was in snowmobile violation. which ·bowed a decrease of 236. Both hunting and trapping violations showed an inc1·ease. Pl'Osec utions by category were as follows: Hunting Trapping Fishing Dog Law
1226 G 1306 235
Snowmobile -136 Boating 707 Littering 2 .) Environmental 32
Game Division Tiobert W. Boettge1·, Chief As in the past, the Ga me Divi ion ope1·ated primarily on funding provided by the Pittman-Robertson Federnl Aid in Wildlife n estoration Act. Under thi program, 75 per cent of the total cost of approved research and management projects i reimbur ·ed by federnl fund , from an 11 per cent excise tax on sporting arms, bows and anow , and ammu nition. Tl1l'ee majo1· research projects m·e funded in lhi s 'Jaine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-75
manner: Big Game - including whitetailed deer, black b ar, and moose; i\Iigratory Game Birds - including clucks, anacla gee e, and woodcock; and Small Game and Furbearers - which presentl y includes most ot her wildlife species. Within th e e project· are va ri ous jobs ranging from the determination of the sex and age compositon of the Iaine dee1· he1·d to waterfowl population studies and the appn1i al of the adequacy of present management pl'Ograms for all wild life. Thi s latter job, entitled "Development of Long Range Species Plan and Management Pl'Ograms," is included under all projects and is one of the most important jobs being undertaken by the Divi sion and the Department at this time. Over the yea1· , con iderable time has been spent collecting fac ts abo ut l\Iaine wildlife and their habits. This information is available in various places, but, with few exceptions, little time has been spent putting it together into a working plan. Thi s year we have actively undertaken this task because we believe that until we can answer s uch basic and seemingly simple questions as how many acres of living pace me available for various wildlife species throughout the state and what will be available in future years, we cannot make rational attempts at solving our wildlife problem . ot all the information that is necessar y to manage wildlife is available, of co urse, and inventorie are necessary to determine the location and value of certain areas. Vi etlands are va luable to all forms of wildlife, and they al. o provide the benefits of flood co ntl'Ol and water suppli es for human populations. An inventory to determine the type, size, and location of all ,Yetlands in i\Iaine was initiated in 1961. All areas have been located and mapped, and those areas lacki ng ·ufficient data are being more thoroug hl y examined. This s ul'\'ey ca n pl'Ovicle us the necessary facts to dete1·mine uch things as potential waterfowl production, bea,·er population den ities, and allowable fur han·ests in various areas of the tate. In addition, this in\'entor y pl'Ovicled, and is continuing to provide to town data on which they can ba e decisions for shoreland zoning. In the wildlands, thi · info m1ati on is :ervi ng as a ba,·is for zoning of va luable wetland habitats by the Land Use Regulation Comm ission . ~..\nother critical and important habitat is winter s helter areas for deer - often called deer ya1·d ·. Th ese area of dem;e oftwoocl stands, commonl y located along brooks or str eams and protected slopes, ,u·e critical fo1· deer s urvi val during severe winter co ndi t ions. Without an in ventor y of s uch areas, we can do li tt le to affo rd protection from develo1)ment, O\'er-cutting, 01· oth el' activitie that would reduce the va lue of the ·e area to deer. Initiated in 1971 , 23
the deer wintering area inventory is continuing with increased funding, both from our Department and the Land Use Regulation Commission. The purpose of the inventory i to confirm exi ting historical records of deer wintering area locations and uncover new ones, a "·ell as to determine deer numbers and availability and condition of food supplies and shelter within these areas. Our basic goal is to provide a succession of various age classe of trees within the area by allowing continuous small planned cuts within the e boundaries. Such cutting will in ure that natural mortality will not eventually destroy the value of the area for deer and that sufficient winter cover is pre ent on a continual basis. Increa ed co-operation with other tate agencies - primarily the State Planning Office, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Land Use negulation Commission - in providing technical assistance and in inve tigating and prncessing applications affecting wildlife resources, has re u lted in the establishment of new position within the Division during the past year. The first, a biologist aide position funded by the oastal Planning Group of the State Planning Office, allo\\'ed the Department to compile and provide wetlands inventory and wildlife population and usage data to the Planning Grnup for inclu ion in their Coastal Over View - a base which in future years could provide prntection for critical wildlife habitat along the coa ta! sections of our state. Two wildlife biologist aide positions funded by the Land U e Regulation Commission provided additional manpower for deer \\'intering area inventories in the unorganized townships. Another position funded by the Department wa also e. tablished to supplement this effort. Management i the second major cateO'ory of work canied out by this Division. Using principles and techniques derived through research, regional wildlife biologists in ·even adminisfrative region throughout the state implement management practices on state-owned and lea. ed lands; they also provide technical assistance to large private landowners for the benefit of wildlife populations. Our field biologi ts have been placed in a position to review practice affecting wildlife habitat - specifically deer wintering habitat. In an effort to provide a uniform and workable . olution to the problems as. ociated with wintering area management, the Divi ion chief established a Deer \\ 'inte1'ing Area l\lanagement Committee composed of regional management and deer 1·e. earch personnel. This committee formulates policies and :tandard relating to deer winter shelter management. \Vith increased forest operntions affecting deer wintering area:, a ne\\· position entitled Forest \\"ildlife Habitat Management Leader was created to coordinate Divi ion acti\'itics ,,·ith LURC and various foresl lando\\'ners.
In addition to the effort to encourage deer management on industrial forest lands in the unorganized towns, two habitat management project· - one ending during the coming year and one ongoing - are underway. One is a log road eeding study on Seven I ·lands Company land in T.11, R.8 and T.9, R.8, the purpose of which was to evaluate the effects of variou soil and planting treatments on the use of log roads and landings by wildlife. It will be written in final form next year. At Lyle Frnst and Jonesboro Wildlife Management area , a project to determine the effects of variou: cutting practices on rnffed grouse ha been initiated. At Newfield Wildlife l\Ianagement Area, a timber inventory was completed which will serve a· a ha is fo1· fm-ther habitat management on this area. Passage by i\Iaine voter · in June of a $4 million bond issue 1n·o,·ided badly needed funds fo1· the acquisition of additional \\'ildlife land . An acquisition plan e!:italilished for the most logical u ·e of these funds should prnvid valuable additional acreage to our management prngram. Sure!~· \\'e hm·e not discussed all the prnjects unclc1taken during the past ~·ear. 'v\'e have outlined l'lianges in our normal operating procedures and pointed out their significance to us and the state's \\'ildlife resom·ces. This year has been one of change, ,,·ilh considerable emphasis being placed on establishing a direction for future \\'ildlife re:ource management and protection . In addition, our efforts \\'ill provide a ba:is hy \\'hich \\'e, as ,,·ell a,· others interested in i\laine's \\'ildlife, can a. se s how succes:ful \\'e "·ill be. :\1a in e F ish a ncl W ildlife -
\\ int er 1974-7!'i
'le fairly acc urate method of aging whitetailed ee r is by examining their incisors. H ere, Wildlife ologist Peter Cross ext racts a tooth at one of - e d eer checking stations ma intained throughout -e state during the deer season .
Fishery Division
Lake studies to evaluate mortalities of salmon caught by fishermen using various types of tackle were conducted by Project Leader Kendall Warner at Big Bennett Pond in Guilford during the spring and fall of 1973. The lake was stocked with salmon and smelts and closed to public fishing for the duration of the experiments. The fishery was almost entirely for "sublegal" salmon. An overall mortality of 29 % of the salmon hooked by all types of tackle occurred in the spring, while only 3 7c of the fall hooked fish died. Preliminary results showed the highest spring mortality (50 % ) to be caused by treble-hooked streamer flies, while ingle-hooked hardware lures were responsible for none of the deaths. Mortalities caused by singlehooked streamers and treble-hooked hardware lures were very similar (27 and 25 % respectively). Of the total spring hooking mortalities, 71 % occurred within 24 hours after release. In two similar hatchery studies, there was an overall hooking mortality of 4.6 % for all tackle types, compared with .5 o/o for the control group (in similar holding pens, but unhooked). Highest mortality in these studies was suffered by salmon hooked on worms (7.5 % ) and artificial flies (6.5 % ). Rainbow Trout Project Leader Raymond DeSandre has had prepared a mimeographed report summarizing results of stocking in six ponds and two rivers. The selected waters were trout type ponds ranging in size from 20 to 60 acres. Rainbows were evaluated and compared with brook trout in terms of growth, holdover ability, summer fishing opportunity, and resistance to competition. The second phase of the rainbow project is to attempt to produce fishing in ponds 100 to 1,000 acres in size where food fish other than smelt are abundant. Work in the Sebago Region was highlighted by completion of the fish passage facility in Chute's Dam on the Northwest River. Stuart DeRoche, leader of the Sebago Lake salmon study, says that all Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-75
major spawning and nursery areas on Maine's second largest lake are now accessible to Sebago salmon. The legal length limit on salmon in Sebago was changed from 14 to 17 inches to help increase the recruitment of salmon into older age groups and create a more desirable fishery, both in terms of larger salmon for anglers and older, larger fish in the spawning migrations. Pond Reclamation Project Leader Roger Marin reports that five ponds were reclaimed with rotenone during the fall of 1973. The ponds are: Bartlett Pond, Livermore, Androscoggin County; Fox Pond, T.10, S.D., Hancock County; Little Round Pond, Lincoln, Penobscot County; and LaCoute Lake, Vanceboro, and Six-Mile Lake, Marshfield, both in Washington County. The Moosehead Lake study, headed by Roger Auclair, has yielded invaluable information on the catch of salmon, lake trout, and brook trout by sport fishermen on this 75,000 acre oligrophic lake. Total estimated angler trips per year ranged from 28,500 to 36,000 (mean of 32,000) during the past seven years. Mean annual catches were 13,000 salmon, 7,000 lake trout and 4,000 brook trout with mean total weights of 31,300 pounds for the three species. The wild salmon have contributed from 25 to 50 per cent of the annual salmon harvest. Marked lake trout groups are being evaluated also, but due to their slower growth, greater longevity, and a change in legal length from 14 to 18 inches during the project, returns are not complete. Wild lake trout and brook trout contribute more than 75 per cent of the annual catch of these two species. In 1973, we stocked 10,000 marked fingerling salmon, of known outlet spawning origin, into the outlet river in an attempt to increase salmon spawning there. These young salmon should enter the lake through the fishway as one and two-year old fish during 1974 and 1975. Stabilized water levels from lake trout spawning through hatching for the past three winters, plus the additional escapement of mature fish, should result in an increase in the lake trout population during the next few years. One of several investigations connected with the trout pond management project, conducted by Phillip Andrews, involves the effects of a smelt introduction on a stunted population of wild brook trout at Johnston Pond, T.B, R.10, Piscataquis County. Since the introduction of smelts in 1965, a few large trout have been produced in the pond. This year, however, showed the lowest number of trout present since the beginning of the project. Apparently the smelt, which are now abundant, are competing with younger trout and reducing the trout population. Netting and creel censuses are continuing this year on other project lakes where effects of various early 8,000 fishstocking rates are being studied. 25
ermen have been interviewed and close to 20,000 trout tallied in the catch on three of the ponds since 1971. Maine forage crustacean studies are continuing under the leadership of Phillip Andrews, aimed at transferring and establishing certain types of fresh-
water shrimp in selected Maine waters. One kind, which resemble terrestrial "sow bugs," and provide an important food source for brook trout elsewhere, have been found in only three Maine lakes. A capture technique was developed, and transfers were s uccessfully made from Echo to Eagle Lakes, both in Mt. Desert. So far, the isopods have survived the new habitat at Eagle and may establish themselves to provide a boost in growth for resident trout. A different, deeper dwelling shrimp was again stocked in Jordan Pond, Mt. Desert. These, known as Mysis 1¡elicta, have been introduced for several years as an alternate food for young togue.
Regional Fi shery Biologist Peter Bourque takes a water sample from beneath the ice to check oxygen and Ph levels, two factors which strongly affect development of fish populations.
The Sunapee trout project has showed some progress and some promise of success during this past year. Project Leader Fred Kircheis says that Coffee Pond, the site of the first introductions, is now producing good numbers of fish between 14 and 18 inches long. Anglers at the South Branch ponds in Baxter Park, are being s ubjected to a creel census in 1974, and co-operation has been excellent. Growth, catch rates, and food habits for the Sunapee and the native brook trout are being taken by the creel census clerk. New waters will be located and stocked on a fishavailable basis. Floods Pond was stocked with 9,000 fall fingerling Sunapee trout in 1973 in an effort to obtain some valuable growth information from this water.
Planning Division Kenneth H. Anderson, Director The administration of MIDAS, Maine's computerized resource information system, was transferred to the State Planning Office with the signing of a memorandum of understanding November 1, 1973. The Departments of Inland Fisheries and Game, Marine Resources, the State Planning Office and Central Computer Services were the signatory agencies. Under State Planning Office administration, other agencies which have information in, or are about to enter, MIDAS will be signing the MIDAS agreement. Since the acceptance of MIDAS as a State Inventory System, the project has been able to concentrate on species planning. The committee approach to planning has been implemented with the formation of the Commissioner's
26
Steering Committee and divisional planning committees. Guidelines and the format for writing species plans have been developed and distributed to individual species authors. The Game and Planning Divisions continued work on long-range species planning during the past project year, with particular emphasis on the development of a land and water, and fish and wildlife, use and abundance data base. To this end, 11 summaries of basic information have been completed, to be used as a basis for making assessments of present habitat conditions and species distribution, abundance and use, as well as for developing alternative management goals and Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-75
impact assessment for state and federal agency project as well as the review procedure required by state a nd federal environmental laws. And we are developing the procedure for administering the Stream Alteration Law (Bulldozing Law). In order to be added to the co mputerized d ata syste m utilized by the Departme nt's Pla nning Divis ion, info rm atio n must be coded (top) on special for ms, which then go to keypunching (bottom) for translation into tabu lati ng ca rd format .
Realty Division Ri chard B. P a rk , Chief
objectives for consideration by the various committees. Meetings have been held with the authors of individual specie plans. Segments of the various plans are in the proce s of being written. The Fisheries Divis ion has also concentrated its efforts on preparing basic informaticin for species plans. This information includes water area, abundance, distribution, fi shing opportunity, fi s hing quality, pressure, and reproduction for the major sports fish. Two surveys to obtain data which was previously not available were completed. They are a freshwater smelt urvey and a statewide angler questionnaire survey . Meetings with plan authors have been held to evaluate the status of inventory data and to formulate species goals and objectives. Plans for 15 game fish species are now being written. First drafts of two have been completed, and others will be ready for review soon. The coordinative function of the Planning Division has been wide and varied. The division has coordinated joint projects with the Land Use Regulation Commission and the State Planning Office Coastal Zone Planning Group to develop department policy and obtain basic information for wildlands a nd coastal zone management. The di vision is administering the environmental Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-75
Acquiring ownership of the remaining 126 acres in the Weskeag River marsh in Thomaston, South Thomaston, Rockland and Owls Head completed the acquis ition phase of thi s project. This increased ownership was primarily due to the taking by condemnation of the final parcels for which, for one reason or another, negotiations could be completed in no other way. Two hundred fort y-six acres were added to the Scarborough Vi ildlife Management Area during the year through direct negotiations with landowners. Most of this acreage was in the Little River section behind Old Orchard Beach. This brings our total acreage for thi s management area to 2,794 acres. Eighty acres of woodland were added to the Manuel Wildlife Management Area in Hodgdon. This was a most desirable addition, as we had previously owned on three sides of this tract, the fourth side being a road. An easement for a road into our plane base at Eagle Lake in Aroostook County was obtained. This solved a legal access problem of the base. Several small tracts of land were purchased by the division, including 31 acres of woodland adjoining our Newfield Wildlife Management Area, eight acres adjoining the Bowdoinham Wildlife Management Area, and seven acres giving hunter access to the Eas tern River near Merrymeeting Bay. An agreement was signed for purchase of an estimated 1100 acres in Shapleigh to be added to the Newfield Wildlife Management Area. Several other agreements were negotiated, including 160 acres adjacent to the Mudd y River in Topsham and 47 acres in Sebago as a part of a new project along the orthwest River. Our first two conservation easements were signed during this period. The first was for all of Monroe I land off Owls Head, and the second for 43 acres of land with 2000 feet of shore line on Long Pond in Belgrade. 27
Safety and
Snowmobile Registration Lorenzo A. Gaudreau, Di1·ector
Realty Agent Henry R. Sleeper examines a deed for accuracy and form prio r to completion of a land p urcha se for preservation of valuable wildlife habitat.
A lease was signed with the Scott Paper Company for the so-called Tiger Hill l\Iarsh in Sebago, together with a s urrounding buffer strip of woodland. This lease was for 25 years. The division also acquired a 250-acre parcel in Harpswell with some salt mar h and several thousand feet of shore frontage (but essentiall y a wooded tract) for the Maine Fo1·est Authority. This will be u ed as a demonstration fo1·est and was once owned by Austin Cary, an early pioneer in American forestry. l\lany appraisals, titles, and landowner contacts, as well as routine paper work, also took up much of the time for division personnel. Future plans for the acquisition of wi ldlife lands were given a tremendous boost with the passage of the 4 million bond iss ue in June. A wildlife habitat
The Division of Safety and Snowmobile Registration registered 60,623 s nowmobiles in 1973-74. This \\"as 5.337 fewe1· than the p1·evious year. The lack of snow and the energy crisis were the main reasons for th is drop. \ \' e al ·o regi tered 508 snowmobile dealers and issued 101 duplicate registrations . All 1·egisfrations are p1·ocessed in Augusta by mail or ove1· the counter on a "here-today, gone-tomonow" basis. With an ordinary s no\\"fall, snowmobile regi strations should increase to approximately 70,000 in 1974-7::5. The Snowmobile Safet~, Training Program was started in October of 1973, and four part-time regional co-onlinators were appointed to assist the Depa1tment in soliciting for sponsor s and volunteer instrnctol'S . Even with the adverse snO\\" conditions, the fil'St season was quite successful. The volunteer instrn ctors gave 61 courses and graduated 1,566 students. A new snowmobile safety slide series was shown to 40,050 students in l\Iaine sc hool s by three part-time instructors. Th is is a mini-cour e, used to introduce the training program. Next season we expect to double the student certifications.
Becoming familiar with the sta te 's system of snowmobile trail marking is one important part of the Department' s Snowm obile Safety Training Program , which is educating more and more snowmobilers each y ear.
acq ui sition plan h as been fo1-mulated and vvill be initiated soon. Considerable thought has been put into this plan, and a numbe1· of areas have been , ingled out fo1· acquisition. The various habitat types which have been included in the plan are 1) upland a1·eas, 2) coastal salt marshes, 3) stream fiow augmentation and inland wetlands, 4) eide1· cluck nesting islands, and 5) a miscellaneous category including dee1· wintering areas. We feel this bond issue is one of the most important acts for the benefit of Maine's wildlife to become law in many years. lt looks like busy times ahead. 28
The Hunter Safet.v Training Program had another suc cessful year. The Department has eight part-time co-ordinators to a sist in soliciting for sponso1·s and volunteer instrnctors . The instrnctors gave 100 courses and graduated 3,191 st udents last year. Since the safety prngTam sta rted in i\Iaine, 33,336 students have passed the hunter. afety course. A ne\Y hunter safct~· slide seri es \\°ill be ready this fall and \Yill be s hO\\·n h)· four of the regional co-ordinators to students in all schools that want to participate. noth the Sno\\·mobile and Hunter Safety programs lrn\·e been a b'emendous help in teaching participants to en.ior their spo rt s in a safe, respon ible manner.
Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-75
Hatchery Division Stanley P. Linscott. Supt. \\'ate1· filter and ultraviolet light ystems were installed and activated at the Grand Lake Stream Hatchery in June. Although the sprny system used to clean the filte1· ha,· not worked propel'ly, \\'e haYe had no occunence of funmculosi s fish di sease v.:hich the equipment was in ·tailed to p1·event. \,\ e have since purchased la1·ger pumps to p1·oduce greater pre sure, and the equipment is working properly. Department personnel constructed a ·mall hatchery building at New Glouce te1· for the hatching of bl'Own trout. This will pl'Ovicle the mean · of 1·etaining the bro,rn tl'Out at the New Gloucester tation and not having to hatch them at Dry l\Iills. In the past, the brook trnut and brown trout have been unavoidably mixed, cau ing ome stocking problems. A new two-car garage was constructed at Grand Lake Stream. There was none previously. All of the building at thi station are now connected to the generator, so power failure i now no longer a problem. The following number of eggs of various pecies were taken from local sources or pm·chasecl during the year : landlocked salmon, 765,000; lake trout (togue), 451,000 fo1· genernl stocking and 100,000 from New York State for the Sebago Lake stocking, fo1· a total of 551,000; Sunapee trout, 39,500; brnok trout, 2,0 7,000; and brown trout, 495,000. The follo\\'ing number of fi ,· h were s tock ed m 1973 from our hatcheries and rearing tation.- : 1
Brook Trou t 1,178, 198 Brown Trou t 146,310 Rainbow Trou t 26,657 Sunapee Trou t 23,995 Lake Trout ( Tog ue) -1 06,075 Atlantic Sa lmon -14,4 6 Landlocked Salmon 759,584
61, 176 15,093 1,25 1 802 1-1,1:37 4,506 39, 165
pounds pounds pound pounds pounds pounds pounds
---Total 2,585,405 136,130 pounds F_oocl, fuel, and ala1·ies increased considerably clunng the year, and the cost of prnducing one pound of fi h increa ·ed 561· to $3.4-3 for the year. We have an increase of at least $83,000 due in 1974-75 to cove1· the above items. The fi herie management unit has requested an increase in the brown trout and rainbow trnut programs. The increased cost of feed will be considerable for the period of time these fi sh will have to be fed. Since fish meal i an important part of the diet fed in the hatcherie , the carcity and increased cost of this item has contributed to the increase in cost of om fish feed s. \\' e believe the fish feeds will be poore1· quality and this will be reflected in fi ·h vigor and growth. The Swedi ·h feed, which we think is superior to any of the feeds manufactured in the U.S., and used I_)~' the Depa1-tment to start all species feeding, has 111c1·ea ·ed from 34( to 54¢ a pound. Most of the American-made feed s have increased about 7¢ a pound.
Game Farm James A. Maxwell, Supt. There was an outbreak of encephalitis in three of the co-operato1·'s birds in York County. This is the farthest north this disease has been repo1ted . New Hamps hire experienced an outbreak of thi disease and de troyecl all of the pheasants at their game farm. None of our other pheasants were afflicted. l\Ieasures \\'ere taken to insure that there wou ld not l e another outbreak next year in these same pens. The Department reduced the number of pheasants fo1· the co-operator program from 38,000 to 30,000 clu e to increased feed costs, and to hold the Game Farm operations to the $108,000 allotment. We allotted 13,375 six-week old chicks to the 109 co-operatol'S; 6,725 mature birds were tocked as matchinO' birds. \Ve retained 1,800 birds as b1·eeder and th: remainde1· were stocked on game managem~nt areas.
Superintendent of Hatcheries Stanley Linscott utilizes a specially designed box to transport eyed eggs from the Dry Mills hatchery to another location .
29
Engineering Division Clayton G. Grant, Chief During the year ending June 30, 1974, the Engineering Division completed design work, let contracts, and supervised construction of fishways at Dover-Foxcroft and Ellsworth. A concrete dam and fishway were completed at Meddybemps. These structures are to provide migratory access for Atlantic salmon. A timber crib dam was completed at the outlet of Abol Pond in Baxter Park to replace a deteriorated structure. Design work was completed for a water filter facility at the Enfield Fish Hatchery, found necessary to remove from the water material detrimental to fish growth. Several small fishway and dam design projects are in progress, and will be scheduled for construction during the coming year. Routine maintenance projects were carried out on a continuing basis.
Personnel changes included the retirement of one field worker and the transfer of one engineer to another state agency. Both positions will be filled as the workload demands. It is anticipated that future projects will include water and waste treatment facilities for our various hatchery installations to keep pace with the increasing emphasis on environmental problems. In addition, this division will continue design, construction, and maintenance functions.
Work was completed this year at this construction site in Meddybemps. The concrete dam and fishway provide migratory access for Atlantic salmon.
Information and Education Division William C. Mincher, Director
The I & E Division put in another active year, as public interest in our fish and wildlife resources and the problems they face does not seem to diminish. Maine Fish and Game magazine's complimentary subscription list was trimmed considernbly because of increasing costs of production. A new law passed by the 106th Legislature requires that mailing lists for free publications be surveyed yearly, and those addressees who do not respond are dropped. Complimentary magazines decreased from about 4,200 to 1,642, while paid subscriptions increased from 12,123 to 12,415 despite an increase in rates effective January 1, 1974. The other lists maintained by the I & E Division also decreased noticeably as a 30
result of the survey, and there should be noticeable savings in postage and printing costs. I & E made the annual revisions of the hunting & trapping, ice fishing, migratory bird hunting and open water fishing regulations pamphlets ; revised and updated the publications catalog (we now have more than 400 public~tions) ; and began a revision of the bear hunting guide, which will be completed by spring of 1975. Producing the hunting and trapping regulations, especially in a year when the Legislature is in session, has always been a touch and go operation because of the relatively short time available. A special effort in 1973 was intended to get the booklets Maine Fish and Wildlife -
Winter 1974-75
out early, but a major problem with the printers caused a delay of two months. The 1974 regulations were designed as a folder instead of a booklet much faster and less expensive to produce - in an effort to eliminate the delay. Our film library, circulated by the Instructional Systems Center at the University of Maine in Orono, is undergoing renovation, with old prints being replaced and some new ones added. "When this is accomplished, probably in the winter of 1974-75, the catalog will be revised. We produced 10 monthly Commissioner's newsletters during the year, 107 news releases, and several special articles written for news media on request. A group of information and education personnel from several state and private agencies began to meet monthly during the year to discuss common problems and attempt common solutions. One product of this group (known as the Maine Environmental Education Forum) is a series of packets of materials on various environmental topics, which will
this winter or spring. The accent of the film will be on the critical importance of habitat. In the planning stage at year's end was a renovation of the Department's exhibit at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts. This exhibit is handled by I & E with co-operation of Warden Service and the Hatchery Division (Game Farm). A new wooden front for the display is among the major changes planned; the wear and tear of more than 10 years' use was beginning to show. Routine activities during the year included: filling news media requests for black and white pictures ... revising slide shows on hunting and snowmobile safety ... revision of the clerical system for Maine Fish and Game subscriptions ... improvement in the computer system which handles all our mailing lists
A view of the Department's display maintained by the Information & Education Division at the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Mass. each fall. The display is staffed by game wardens and other Department personnel, and is a valuable source of information for sporting enthusiasts.
be handled through the co-operation of the Maine State Library. These are intended mainly for teachers and students, and should be in circulation by fall 1974. Our television news clip program -which turns out one- to two-minute film reports for TV news and sports programs - continued during the year, but we still found it a problem to find time to produce them. Only six were completed and distributed, and there are several others awaiting completion; the film has been shot, but scripting, editing, and narrating are yet to be done. We produced two oneminute film announcements for TV on the subject of the vital importance of conserving wildlife habitat. And we distributed two others made for us at no cost by the Wildlife Management Institute. When the eagle eggs from Minnesota were put into two Maine eagle nests by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with our Department co-operating, we began a film record of this unusual operation. The intent is to edit the film into a short film (perhaps ten minutes or so) covering the project up to the time when the surviving young eagle learns to do things on its own. Some summer footage for the Maine deer film remained to be shot this summer, so production slowed. We are now looking for finished prints on the film Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
. . . planning and shooting color pictures for use in the magazine ... answering thousands of written requests for information about wildlife and related fields . . . and participating in numerous meetings relating to wildlife resource conservation. Considerable time was put in on discussions and planning for provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (extended in May 1974 to include state employees) and Maine's new collective bargaining law. Two members of the Division became actively involved in the Department's Affirmative Action Committee's project of making up a Departmental Affirmative Action Plan, to be submitted to the Human Rights Commission and the Personnel Department. The purpose of the plan is to insure equal employment opportunity for all. Final approval of the plan will rest with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The year was busy, which means interesting, and the coming year will undoubtedly be the same.
31
"We Care About Wildlife Habitat" will be the theme for the 38th annual National Wildlife Week. More than 7,000,000 students, teachers, and members of state and local organizations will participate in the nationwide, week-long observance from March 16 to 22, 1975, according to Thomas L. Kimball, executive vice president of the National Wildlife Federation, the 3.5 million-member conservation organization that sponsors the event with its state affiliates each year. "This year's theme focuses on the vital relationship between wildlife and its habitat," said Kimball. "All of us who are concerned about the future of wildlife in this country must spread the word that protection of habitat is the key to healthy, abundant wildlife populations. Many wildlife habitats are now trampled by the march of unplanned growth and development." Habitat, Kimball explained, is not just the place where an animal lives. "It includes all the things an animal needs to continue living," he said. "The four basic requirements of habitat are food, water, cover for protection, and a place to raise young." The 1975 National Wildlife Week poster shows a healthy deer standing in an ideal wooded setting, symbolizing the fact that wildlife cannot live without adequate habitat.
we care about
WILDLIFE HABITAT "This year's observance is going to be one of the most exciting in the long history of this event," said Kimball. "There are many things all of us can do to improve habitat right where we live. It's amazing, for example, how a few new plantings in a backyard can pay dividends for wildlife and people. But Wildlife Week has an even larger goal," Kimball noted. "We all have to raise our level of consciousness and be concerned about the broad habitat probems facing wildlife. It is not going to be easy and it is going to take careful planning of our use of land. To have a good life for wildlife and people, we have to preserve wetlands, woodlands, wilderness areas. We have to take care of our rivers and oceans. We have to save our open spaces and fields and prairies. "I am optimistic. I think it can be done, if all America gets behind the effort." President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the first National Wildlife Week which the National Wildlife Federation sponsored in 1938. In that first observance, the emphasis was also on the preservation of wildlife habitat. Over the years, there has been a wide variety of themes. In 1955, it was "Save America's Wetlands." "Waterfowl for the Future" was the 1962 theme. In 1968, people were encouraged to "Learn to Live With Nature." From its beginnings to the present, National Wildlife Week has been a yearly reminder to Americans of the continuing need to protect our wildlife resources. 32
Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1974-75
MEISTER, A L
INTERNATIO AL AIRPORT 34 IDAHO AVE BANGOR HAINE RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED
04401
D C 0241C
Postmas ter: If undeliverable, 11lease return entire magazine with form 3:ii9
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Gam e
284 State St.
Au g usta, Maine
04330