Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Summer 1977

MAINE Governor James B. Longley

FISH AND WILDLIFE

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Maynard F. Marsh

Commissioner

J. William Peppard

Deputy Commissioner

Kenneth H. Anderson

STATE OF MAINE Vol. 19, No. 3

Summer 1977

Director, Planning and Co -ordination

David 0. Locke

Supt. of Hatcheries

Atlantic Salmon Fishing in Maine

Charles S. Allen

Chief Warden

Tracks of the Wild Turkey

Chief, Fishery Division

Maine Rivers: The Tunk

Lyndon H. Bond

Business Manager

Ralph C. Will Robert W. Boettger

Chief, Wildlife Division

William C. Mincher

Director, Information and Education

Clayton G. Grant

Chief, Engineering Division

Richard B. Parks

Chief, Realty Division

Lorenzo J. Gaudreau Alfred L. Meister

Director, Recreational Safety and Registration Chief Biologist, Atlantic Salmon Commission

Advisory Council Dr. Alonzo H. Garcelon, Chairman Augusta, Maine Glenn H. Manuel Littleton

Asa 0. Holmes Belfast

Robert D. Steele Scarborough

George Prentiss Rumford

Ralph L. Noel Auburn

Rodney W. Ross Brownville

Maine Fish and Wildlife is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State St., Augusta, Maine 04333, under appropriation 4550. No advertising accepted.

William C. Mincher, Editor W. Thomas Shoener, Managing Editor

2 Richard M. Jordan

6 Philip A . Bozenhard 9 J. Dennis McNeish

Saving Things Worth Saving 12 Harry R. Tyler, Jr. and Peter A . Cross

Great Blue Herons: Rookery Roundup 14 Elizabeth C. Pierson Baxter's Bears 16 Roy D. Hugie Back Yard Trout Fishing 18 Peter M. Bourque The Maine Warden School- 20 Tom Chamberlain and Springboard for Learning Tom Carbone Rainbows and their Place in Maine 23 Raymond A . DeSandre How's Your Water Safety IQ? 25

26 What Worth Weeds? 28 Charles F. Ritzi Letters, Notes, Comment 30 KID-BITS

THE COVERS Front: How's this for a fine summer beginning? Long time Damariscotta fly fisherman Paul Wagstaff landed this 20-pound, 37 -inch Atlantic salmon June 5 while angling the Sheepscot River with a home-tied fly . The angler, whose previous record was a 12-pounder, registered surprise at the time of year this one was caught - nearly two weeks early by his "salmon calendar."

Photo by Bill Cross.

Inside Front: Whether plying a rod or just paddling a canoe, you'll find a spring lake a pleasant place to spend time. And if you land a fish, it's like icing on the cake! Photo by Bill Cross.

Thomas J. Chamberlain, Features Editor William W. Cross, Photo Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photographer

Š Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife,

Inside Back: This marsh exhibits a kind of beauty, with the mist rising from the waters, which is second to none - but marshes frequentlyreserve thissightforMaine's early risers. Photo by Bill Cross.

1977. Written permission must be secured from the Department before reproducing any part of this copyrighted material.

Back: Some consider him a nuisance, some a blessing. But all agree on one thing - the beaver is one of Maine's most industrious animals. Photo by Bill Cross.

Subscription rates: $2.50 for one year, $4.00 for two years $5.50 for three years. No stamps, please.

Second class postage paid at Augusta, Maine 04330. Publication Number 326280.

All photographs in this issue were made by the Information and Education Division unless otherwise indicated.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Summer 1977

1

of the pre-dawn sky silhouetted the anglers moving into position along the river banks. Below a dam, a young man cautiously picked his way along the unfamiliar, slippery ledge. Steadying his feet against the current, he stripped line from the reel and cast backward, then forward, landing the fly in a slick beside a rock. As the fly completed its swing, the V-shaped wake of an Atlantic salmon shot from beside the rock. The fish swirled, grabbed the fly, and headed downstream.

The angler's rod arched, and the reel screamed as the fish ran out across the heavy rapids.

"Fish on!" came the cry from the clubhouse porch as Old John grabbed the net and hurried upriver.

Other fishermen reeled in their lines to watch the duel of man and salmon.

"Don 't rush him!" cried Old John, straining to make himself heard over the roar of the water. "That salmon won't be ready to net for ten or fifteen minutes," he advised. "Enjoy it, son; this is what salmon fishing is all about. You've got to enjoy playing the fish 'cause half of 'em will get away before you can land 'em."

The young man began to settle down. Slowly, his shaking knees relaxed, and he thrilled to the fight of playing his first Atlantic salmon. "What a sight," he thought as the fish leaped from the water, "three feet of shining silver - a ten-pounder at least."

Several determined runs later, the salmon began to tire. Finally exhausted, the silver beauty turned on its side, and Old John slipped the net under it. The small crowd of fishermen gathered on the shore looked at the fish in admiration and congratulated the young man.

Old John spoke, "Son, that fish right there is going

T

2

HE PINKISH GLOW

to make you forget trout and bass. You'll fish for salmon in April when the water is cold and no one has seen a fish, because there might be a salmon out there. You'll fish for 'em from daylight to dark every chance you get when the salmon are in and the run peaks. Then you'll fish for them in July and August when the water is too warm and too low, because there might be one out there. Yes, son, that fish right there has hooked you for life on Atlantic salmon fishing."

Those of us who have caught Atlantic salmon know Old John's words are true.

AINE IS THE ONLY STATE in the country with self-sustaining runs of Atlantic salmon. Eight Maine rivers have fishable populations of Atlantics.

Two rivers, the Penobscot and the Union, have salmon runs that have been re-established and are currently maintained by stocking hatchery-reared salmon.

When is the salmon fishing best? Where are the best places to fish in Maine? What are the techniques and tackle? This article will attempt to answer these commonly asked questions.

Generally, Atlantic salmon begin to enter Maine rivers in early to mid-May. The best salmon fishing

M

Sta n Grey p lays a leapi ng sa lmon at t he Narraguagus Rive r' s Ca bl e Poo l .

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

occurs between Memorial Day and June 25 when water conditions are most favorable. By the time the water warms to 70° F., many fishermen abandon the rivers because salmon become more difficult to catch.

The westernmost of Maine's salmon rivers is the Sheepscot, a small river with a small run of salmon.

Most salmon fishing takes place at the tidal falls in the Newcastle-Alna area or below the Head Tide Dam. The Penobscot River, of historic fame, once again boasts runs of Atlantic salmon. One thousand salmon returned to the Penobscot in 197 5, and there is every indication that the run will increase as more salmon are available for stocking and as production in headwater areas once again returns the Penobscot as a major salmon-producing river.

Most anglers fish from the Brewer side of the socalled Bangor Salmon Pool below the Bangor-Brewer dam. This section of the river is wide, swift, ledgy, and under tidal influence. Tides fluctuate about seven feet, causing constant changes in the salmon lies and pools. Anglers fish from shore, wade, or fish from double-ended rowing canoes called "pea pods." Because the water is turbulent, large flies up to size 5/0 often pay off. Favorite fly patterns are the brightly colored Cossebooms and Mickey Finn, as well as the Rat series and some of the classic featherwings such as Jock Scott, Black Dose, Durham Ranger, Blue Charm, and Silver Wilkinson. Flies tied with both orange and black material are common, such as Orange Butt Black Bear and Thunder and Lightning.

Because the water is swift, most fishermen use 10 to 12 pound test leaders.

Thirty miles east of Bangor lies the Union River, where salmon are caught from about mid-June until the season closes in October. Tidal influence and alternate periods of hydro-electric generation cause fluctuating water levels. Fishing is confined to a short stretch of the river below the hydro-electric dam at head of tide. There are a blind fishway and fish trap at the dam, where salmon are captured and

transported to a broodstock holding facility. Progeny from these salmon are reared at the Green Lake national fish hatchery for use in Maine's restoration programs. Most anglers on the Union prefer bright flies with some orange and yellow or orange and black in them, such as Orange Blossom, Orange Butt Black Bear, Black Spider, Copper Killer, Cosseboom, Shrimp, and Mickey Finn.

The Narraguagus River flows through Cherryfield, about 60 miles east of Bangor. Of the several fine salmon pools in this small town, the best is the heavilyfished Cable Pool. About one-half of the salmon caught on the Narraguagus each year are taken from this pool. During the peak of the season, fishermen wait their turn to fish. Usually, four rods fish the Cable Pool at the same time. Each begins at the upper end and moves downstream after several casts.

In this way, each fisherman can completely fish the pool's lies in about a half-hour. Other good pools are the Maples, the Railroad Bridge, Stillwater, Gull Rock, Blueberry, Pumphouse, Bulldozer, Dynamo, and Academy, as well as Tidal Falls Pool, five miles south of Cherryfield. Upriver pools are Little Falls, Schoodic, and Deblois Bridge.

About ten miles east of Cherryfield, the Pleasant River flows through Columbia Falls and enters tidewater. The Pleasant is a small, quiet, lightly-fished river with a small run of Atlantic salmon. Salmon holding pools are few, and fishing is difficult due to heavily forested banks. Deep water along the shore makes wading a problem. The Pleasant River is best fished by canoe in the area below Saco Falls.

The Machias River has the largest self-sustaining salmon run in the state. All dams on the Machias River were removed in 197 3, and salmon now have unimpeded access to the entire length of the river.

Now that the dams are out, fish appear to spread out along the complete course of the river rather than being concentrated in the pools below Whitneyville. Fishermen who explore upriver pools at Great Falls, Wigwams, Holmes Falls, Little Falls, and Route 9 now have increased chances for success. Entrance of salmon into the Machias River depends upon the river's flow. When the river is high, salmon encounter turbulent water in the Machias Gorge at the head of tide. In years when the spring flow is heavy, salmon may not enter the Machias River until mid- or late June. Early in the season, fishermen concentrate on fishing the tidal area of the river below the Gorge, then Munson's Pitch, the Railroad Bridge, Mony Island, and the Point Pool in Whitneyville.

The East Machias River lies just four miles east of Machias. Its salmon run is small and variable, but it provides some angler success each year. There are three pools on the lower end of the river - Hydro Pool, Berry Pool, and Mill Pool.

The Dennys River, most easterly salmon river in

3

John Haley of North Carolina keeps a tight line on his first Atlantic salmon as Marty Jordan wields the net.

Maine, enters tidewater at Dennysville, 30 miles east of Machias. Although it is a small river, the Dennys provides good fishing and a modest run of salmon.

Fish enter the river by mid-May, providing a month of fishing before rising water temperatures slow the angling success.

The local sportsman's club has cleared one bank of the river for more than one-half mile, providing ample room for casting. Fishermen concentrate their efforts on the Dam Pool, the Rips, the Gut, Charlie's Rips, Lower Cathance, Fisher's Stump, Community Pool, mouth of Cathance, and Ledge Pool. Farther upstream, salmon may be found at the Trestle, Dodge Pool, and the Narrows. Catch records reveal that some of the more successful wet flies on the Dennys have been the Squirrel Tail, Cosseboom, Bear Hair, and Mickey Finn. The Bomber, Pink Lady, and Wulff patterns have been effective dry flies.

TACKLE AND TECHNIQUES ATLANTIC SALMON

are more readily caught by

_t\_ fly fishing than by any other angling method. A

drifting fly can be made to swing directly across a salmon's field of view when the fish is resting in a known salmon lie. The rod should be heavy enough to cast 50 to 80 feet consistently, allowing the angler to fish the pool completely and to cast farther in the wind which is often a problem on large rivers. Today's lighter fly rods of fiberglass, bamboo, and graphite increase the ease and enjoyment of fly casting. Most salmon fishing rods are 8 112 to 9 112 feet long and are balanced with a weight 8, 9, or 10 line as recommended by the manufacturer.

Floating fly lines are used for both wet and dry fly fishing, but sinking-tip fly lines are commonly used early in the season when the water is high. Weightforward lines make longer casts possible with less effort, and double taper fly lines allow a more deli4

cate presentation of the fly. The reel should hold plenty of backing (100 yards or more if possible), and it should have an adjustable drag.

Between the fly line and the fly is an all-important piece of fishing tackle - the leader. This is usually the weakest link in the connection of man to salmon, and many fish are lost because of too light a leader or faulty knots. Leaders should be of high quality and of 10 to 12 pound test tapered monofilament. During low water, anglers use lighter leaders of 6 and 8 pound test. Frequent checks of the leader are recommended as knots can be cast into them on windy days, and many an angler has lost a fish by failing to remove a knot in his leader. Connecting the fly to the leader should be either the Turle knot, clinch knot, or improved clinch knot. The angler should be sure that each knot in the line from the reel spool to the fly is tied securely.

Salmon flies are as numerous as the fishermen themselves. It has been said that it does not matter what fly you are using if you are fishing over a "taking" salmon; supposedly, they will grab the first fly they see. But one fact emerges clearly: many years of fishing records in Maine show that most Atlantic salmon here are taken on one of three flies, the Cosseboom, the Black Bear Hair flies, and the Rusty Rat. Often, the Black Bear Hair flies are tied with a fluorescent orange, red, green, or yellow butt to increase visibility. Hairwing wet flies are preferred over the classic, ornate, featherwing wet flies. Hairwing flies exhibit more action and movement due to the "breathing" of the hair fibers in the water currents.

In addition to the flies listed above, the Butterfly, Priest, Red Abbey, and the other patterns in the Cosseboom and Rat series are tried and true producers.

As the water warms, many fishermen turn to dry flies. In contrast to the tiny midges often used on trout, salmon dry flies are very large, usually two to three inches long. One of the most productive dry flies in recent years has been the clipped deer hair Bomber. Its cigar-shaped body produces a V-shaped wake when allowed to drag across the water, often evoking a rise or a strike from a waiting salmon.

The Bomber is also effective fished "dead drift."

The Irresistible, Pink Lady, MacIntosh, and Wulff series round out the local list of proven dry flies. must a fisherman use to try to W catch a salmon? Basically, he must know where in the pool the salmon are likely to be; he must know HAT TACTICS

how to cast and work the fly in front of the salmon; and he must know what to do when the salmon strikes

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

and when it is hooked.

During their migration up the river, Atlantic salmon stop to rest in specific locations called "salmon lies."

Characteristically, lies are places where there is a moderate current. Lies may be found next to a large boulder; in the V-slick between two large boulders where the current strikes the bank and bend; or just above, below, or beside a ledge running across the river. By fishing known salmon pools and casting at the portions of the pool which have a moderate current along with boulders and slicks, the angler is assured that his flies will cover the water where a salmon could be expected to rest. This is the first step: spend your time where the fish are.

Adult Atlantic salmon do not feed once they enter their home river, and therein lies the challenge. Catching a non-feeding fish requires considerable time and effort. Even when Atlantic salmon are abundant, numerous hours of actual casting may be required to hook one. Salmon anglers must possess more than the normal measure of patience! Not every trip will produce a salmon, a take, or a rise. But this is as it should be, for the title "King of Sport Fish" is not easily earned.

Assuming that you have proper gear and you are located on a known salmon pool, you are now ready to fish for Atlantic salmon. Stand on the bank or wade slightly into the water. When using wet flies, cast diagonally across stream in a downstream direction, and allow the fly to drift across the river until it is directly below you. You may let the fly hang there a few seconds before stripping in line for the next cast, or you may retrieve it in a series of short jerks.

Successive casts should be slightly longer until you make your longest cast; then shorten the line, move downstream slightly, and repeat the process until the pool is covered. Be sure to fish each slick thoroughly and also the area around each boulder or ledge where salmon may be resting. When using dry flies, standard dry fly techniques are employed, but a dragging dry fly creating its own wake will sometimes induce a strike.

The average Atlanti c salmon is thirty inches long and weighs ten pounds.

anticipated moment in salmon fishing is the "take." Salmon may take the fly savagely in a frantic dash and swirl, or they may take it slowly and deliberately, being visible for seconds before the fly is in their mouth. Many salmon are never hooked because the fisherman pulls the fly away in attempting to set the hook before the fish has actually taken the fly. Set the hook when you feel the salmon, rather than when you see it. Snap the rod upward in a short, rapid motion, firmly enough to drive the hook into the salmon's mouth but not hard enough to break the leader or rod.

Once the salmon is hooked, there are several things to remember. Do not forcefully try to reel the salmon in. Keep the rod tip nearly vertical so the fish must fight the rod's power. Adjust your drag so that it will tire the fish. Try to keep the line taut. If you can move downstream below the fish, it will have to fight the current as well as the rod. As long as your reel has plenty of backing, let the fish make its strong, determined runs. These runs tire the fish, and once it stops, you can usually reel in line rapidly. Be sure to drop the rod tip when the salmon jumps, or the fish may land on a tight leader, snapping it or pulling the hook free.

Once the salmon is tired, it may be landed. Probably the best way to land a salmon is to have a partner net it for you. Nets should have an opening of about two feet. Angler and netter should try to coordinate their efforts so that the net is held under water until the angler can lead the fish into or over the . net. For a real thrill, try hand tailing a salmon.

Grasp the exhausted fish firmly ahead of the tail and lift it from the water. The weight of the fish will immobilize it.

T

HE MOST EAGERLY

"\-X THEN THAT long-awaited day arrives, and you're l' l' ready to fish for salmon in Maine, don't forget your license, and remember your stream manners.

Good fishing! •

Tracks of the Wild Turkey

By Philip A. Bozenhard Wildlife Biologist

to southern Maine , the eastern wild turkey, Meleagris gallapavo silvestris, may be on its way back to the Pine Tree State, after an absence of 150 years or more. During the winter of 1976-1977, an attempt was made to reintroduce the wild turkey to York County. These were wild turkeys trapped in Vermont and released in Maine within 48 hours. Two releases made in February consisted of 14 hens and 5 toms. Although the winter was abnormally cold and there was considerable snow on the ground, some of the birds have been sighted and appear in good condition. However-, lets turn back the clock to the beginning.

Ancestors of today's wild turkey were present in this country thousands of years ago. Fossil remains of turkeys have been found dating back to between 15 and 50 thousand years ago in the eastern and southwestern Unite~ States. Turkey bones have been found in large numbers among Indian remains, supporting the idea that these birds were of great importance as food to the eastern forest Indian. The bones often were second in numbers only to deer bones. Although turkeys were mainly a source of food, their feathers were fashioned into woven garments by the Indians of the eastern portion of the country. Arrows were tipped with the spurs and fletched with the stiff wing feathers.

Early colo~ists in eastern North America were surprised at the great number of wild turkeys which they found, also at their greater size and deeper brown coloration than the domestic variety which they brought with them from Europe. Early reports on the abundance and size of the wild turkey are almost unbelievable. Flocks were reported as large as 200, and weight ranges for gobblers were from 30 to 60 pounds, with weights of more than 40 pounds spoken of frequently.

Early settlers had varied comments regarding the value of the wild turkey as food. Most reported the bird as a delicacy; however, some reported a species of wild turkey which was not edible. The flesh had a most disagreeable odor and a nauseous flavor much different from the ordinary turkey. It has been speculated that possibly turkey vultures were mistaken for NCE NATIVE

O

6

turkeys because of their naked, reddish heads. One familiar with these foul-smelling carrion eaters can imagine their unpalatability.

THE SETTLEMENT of the eastern United States, the presence of humans adversely affected the turkey in a variety of ways. Turkeys subsequently disappeared from large sections of their original range. They were subjected to hunting, trapping, and snaring throughout the year. Their range of large, mature forests was drastically reduced as land clearing progressed. Food supplies were also depleted.

The mature, mast-bearing trees were burned, and the tall pines which the turkeys used for roosting were cut for lumber. CatUe grazed in the woodlands, often trampling turkey nests; and other nests were destroyed by fire. The settlers also had no hesitation in robbing nests for the eggs.

A disease known as blackhead, introduced from domestic poultry, may have aided in the rapid reduction of the original turkey population. During the mid and late 1800s, turkeys were eliminated from many states; among these are Connecticut, 1813; New York, 1844; Massachusetts, 1851; Ohio, 1878; and Michigan, 1897.

One dramatic change which should be noted is that through much interest and research in wild turkey populations, the bird is more widely distributed today than it was during the early part of the present century, due to improvement of habitat, reintroductions into new and historic ranges, and greater control of hunting regulations. Through trapping and transplanting projects, wild turkeys are presently thriving in areas where they were not historically known to occur.

F

OLLOWING

has been subdivided into several races, depending upon the geographic area of the country in which they are found. Among the several races are the Merriams turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami), Rio Grande turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia), and the Eastern wild turkey, which is presently found in the northeast states.

The historic records show the turkey range in Maine restricted to the most southern and coastal towns. These areas contained large tracts of mixed hardwood/coniferous forest and had relatively mild winters (less than 70 inches of annual snowfall). Extensive development, especially along ocean frontage in coastal towns, has changed much of the historic turkey range for the worse.

T

HE WILD TURKEY

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

Photo Šby Leonard Lee Rue Ill

Wild turkey tom and harem in the spring.

of the tom have a continuous black margin while those of the hen are buff-tipped.

Hardwood trees such as oak and beech make up an important part of good turkey habitat by providing an abundant source of food during the fall, winter, and spring in years of good mast crops. Mild winters are important to turkeys in Maine since soft, powdery snow in excess of eight inches seriously reduces their movements. Although turkeys do eat buds in winter, they are basically ground feeders.

The turkey has large, powerful feet , and its threetoed tracks are several times the size of a crow's (adult male tracks measure six to six-and-one-half inches and adult females four to four-and-one-half inches).

Other signs, too, are readily seen after a flock of turkeys passes through an area. Droppings, scratchings, and dusting sites cannot be mistaken since they are much larger than those of other upland game birds.

The tom's dropping is two to three inches long with a curlicue or upturn at one end and may be onehalf inch in diameter. The hen's is not elongated but is in a compact looped or spiral form. Feathers, also, are an indicator of sex. The breast and back feathers Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

are the largest of the upland game W birds, with weights of 16 to 24 pounds for toms and 8 to 12 pounds for hens. They are a streamlined ILD TURKEYS

version of their domestic relatives , with long legs, neck, and tail , and a relatively slender body.

The coloration of the bird is black to brown with metallic purplish and greenish reflections on the exposed feathers. The head of the adult tom is bare and red or bluish-white , depending on the bird's emotional state and the season of the year. The most distinctive feature of the adult tom is the beard of long horsehair-like bristles hanging from the breast, reaching lengths of 8 to 12 inches.

Breeding and nesting usually occur between the middle of April and the middle of May. On a quiet morning, from a high vantage point, gobbling toms may sometimes be heard a mile away. It is by no means a continuous calling. A tom may gobble for only a few seconds, and again perhaps a half minute later, then say nothing for half-an-hour. Spring gobbling surveys are important because they indicate that breeding may be occurring and that the site will 7

be a logical place to look for a brood in the summer.

During gobbling, the tom will call the hens to him; after mating takes place , the hens often nest nearby.

A turkey's nest is a tramped-out depression, lightly lined with leaves. Eggs are usually laid during the morning, and it takes about two weeks for the typical clutch of 10 to 12 eggs to be laid. The eggs are about twice the size of a chicken's, and the incubation period is twenty-eight days. Hatching usually peaks during the first weeks of June in the northeast.

Young turkeys, or poults, are precocial, leaving the nest with the hen soon after hatching. Their first movements are slow, but by 48 hours, their pace approximates that of adults.

The first few weeks are a critical time for the poults since they are very susceptible to chilling and wet weather. They contract pneumonia easily, and often, all or most of a brood is wiped out. Exposure and exhaustion, rather than predation , are generally believed to be the main cause of death in poults less than six weeks old. After reaching the age of six weeks the chances of the poults' reaching adulthood are quite high. The poults grow fast and at the age of two months are already half the size of the adults; by the fall the young are nearly full grown. Wild toms are very rarely seen in the company of hens with poults. are frequently referred to as "omnivorous opportunists"; that is, they eat just about anything readily available and abundant. Plant foods make up the bulk of the turkey's diet, up to 90 per cent; and although animal foods are readily eaten, they account for only about 10 per cent of the turkey's yearly diet. Acorns are an important food throughout most of the year. Beechnuts are a preferred food, but their irregular production from year to year makes them an unreliable source of food.

Blackberries, blueberries, grapes, cherries, and hawthorns are readily eaten, as are the fruits of various dogwoods and viburnums. The nuts and seeds of the following are also utilized: hickory, pine, maple, ash, birch, elm, and hazelnut. Incidental foods which may be of local importance are sumac, poison ivy, juniper, rose hips and Solomon 's seal. Grass and weed seeds are consumed in great amounts. Grasses and ferns are sought out in the early spring and comprise the bulk of the turkey diet at that time.

Animal foods include grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, snails, millipedes, spiders, ants, caterpillars, salamanders, and even crayfish. Animal foods are of particular importance in supplying large amounts of protein to the growing poults.

The ability turkeys have for consuming large amounts of food has been shown in studies where turkey crops were collected and examined; one contained 221 large acorns and another 432 beechnuts.

Spring seeps are important to turkeys in northern

T

8

URKEYS

climates because here they can get down to bare ground and find food while surrounding areas are covered with several feet of snow. The volume and variety of food in these seeps is surprising. With a little scratching, a turkey may find greens, flower bulbs, insect larvae, snails, and seeds.

The turkey, like the grouse, is able to survive periods of food shortage on bulky, low nutrient food such as browse, due to much longer digestive systems than found in other upland birds like quail and pheasants.

Natural predation has little effect on turkey populations. Foxes, bobcats, and fisher seldom prey on adult birds. By roosting on the outer portions of tree branches 30 to 60 feet off the ground, turkeys are secure from most predators. Some predation does occur with nests being destroyed by crows, skunks, and raccoons; and great horned owls will take some poults. However, at the present time, the major limiting factors for turkeys in the northeast are still the severity of the winters and the lack of good habitat. which should not be overlooked concerning the reintroduction of wild turkeys is the A danger of mixing wild and non-wild turkeys - either PROBLEM

game-farm-raised varieties or pure domestics. Studies have shown wild turkeys are more wary and shy than their domestic cousins. Also, they breed later, thereby avoiding earlier unsettled weather and food shortages faced by earlier hatched domestic poults. Over the centuries, domestic turkeys have become relatively immune to many common poultry diseases which are readily transmitted through wild turkey populations not having these immunities.

Another problem is from genetic contamination.

There is evidence that the introduction of inferior genetic traits from game farm birds may adversely effect wild populations through poor survival of the young and in the loss of much of the wild strain.

Many states have experimented with stocking penreared or game farm turkeys and have had failures in establishing populations in the wild in areas where wild-trapped turkeys later become established. The refinements in using a cannon net for capturing birds has made transplanting wild birds much easier. These are several reasons why the Wildlife Division plans on stocking only pure wild stock and is opposed to any further turkey introductions by other groups at this time.

Field work will be done during the spring and summer to verify reported sightings and determine the survival of the 19 transplanted birds, as well as breeding success. This information will be used to determine the numbers, population structure, and distribution of the birds. If this stocking is successful, it may be possible to trap and transplant turkeys to other sections of Maine in the future. • Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

DOWNING BOG

THE TUNK By J. Dennis McNeish Regional Biologist 1/2

and draining just 48 square miles, the Tunk River drainage is contained almost entirely within Township 10, S. D., in eastern Hancock County. Despite its size, this diminutive drainage offers fishermen a fine variety of angling pleasures. Landlocked salmon, lake trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, and Sunapee trout are all found in the Tunk River system. This impressive list of game fish contains all but one of Maine's salmonid species. On the other hand, warmwater game fish enthusiasts will find little to please them in Tunk River waters. However, this lack of spiny-rayed fish species ( except for sticklebacks, a group of small forage species), coupled with exceptional water quality, greatly enhances cold-water fish management in the drainage.

The diversity of angling experiences afforded Tunk River fishermen does not end with a list of fish species present. For instance, open water anglers find Tunk Lake a worthwhile place to troll for salmon or togue.

Ice fishermen can also find an afternoon on Tunk Lake to be rewarding. The state-owned landing at the lake's northern end makes this lake readily accessible, winter or summer. But anglers beware! Ice conditions on this deep ( over 200 feet), 2,000-acre lake can be dangerous, and a northwest wind during the open water season can produce difficult wave conditions for anglers trolling from small boats.

Most of the legal game fish taken from Tunk Lake are in the 14-inch to 17-inch range, but occasionally a salmon over 20 inches is creeled. And anglers take a few togue over 10 pounds each year. Once in a great while, a Tunk Lake angler will capture a brown trout, usually a nice one. This close relative of the salmon was stocked in Spring River Lake many years ago. The brown trout program was subsequently discontinued in Spring River Lake, but the browns established a naturally reproducing population throughout the drainage. No matter - the brown trout population of the Tunk River drainage causes no serious management problems and occasionally provides a pleasant surprise to a lucky angler.

IXTEEN MILES

S

miles

LONG

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

&wit, betlJ11Lful...

MIL good f~' f Spring River Lake is the only other goodsized lake in the drainage. This 704-acre body of water has a maximum depth of 28 feet and, consequently, has only a small volume of cool water in the summer time. Management in the 1960s emphasized annual sto<;kings of landlocked salmon. Early returns from these plantings were good and included some nicesized salmon. But returns from the salmon program fell markedly after a few years, and analysis of scale samples indicated a possible growth problem. Smelts were not observed in any salmon stomachs analysis, nor were smelts captured by netting. The salmon program was terminated with the 1969 stocking.

A ngler petitions in the early 1970s led to massive ..t\_ plantings of hatchery-reared brook trout in an

attempt to produce a brook trout fishery in Spring River Lake. A total of 35,000 brookies were planted in the period between 1971 and 1973, with little evidence of any positive results. Existing strains of hatchery-reared brook trout are, apparently, unable to survive and grow in the face of the lake's warm water and abundant populations of competing species.

The brook trout program has been abandoned in favor of a new attempt to provide a stable salmon fishery in the lake through reduced stocking rates of salmon along with plantings of smelt eggs. The annual stockings of salmon and smelt eggs will continue for at least three years, at which time an evaluation of the program will begin. Summer and winter 9

anglers alike can expect continued slow fishing at Spring River Lake, at least through 1977. Improved salmon fishing should be forthcoming by the summer of 197 8. Long Pond and Round Pond are the only other lakes in the drainage which offer landlocked salmon fishing. While both lakes are approximately 200 acres in area and have nearly the same maximum depth (Long Pond is 28 feet deep, and Round Pond is 26 feet deep), they do have some striking differences.

For instance, Long Pond stratifies (has temperature layers) in the summer, while Round Pond does not.

Round Pond, aptly named, has a relatively regular, sandy shoreline, and Long Pond's shoreline is highly irregular and quite rocky. Perhaps most important, physical and legal access to Long Pond is good summer and winter, while legal and physical access to Round Pond is difficult at best in the summer although quite good in the winter. These access problems have led to the termination of the Department's salmon stocking program at Round Pond. Anglers will continue to catch salmon at Round Pond, both as a result of recent stockings and also from dropdowns of salmon from Long Pond.

Round and Long also differ in their capacities to support salmon growth. For example, a sample of three-year-old salmon captured at Round Pond in 1968 averaged 17 .2 inches in length while three-yearold salmon taken at Long Pond in the same year averaged just 15.3 inches. This discrepancy in growth exists despite the fact that both ponds were stocked with salmon at approximately the same rate.

Another interesting difference between the two ponds is the presence of rainbows in Long Pond as a result of a Department-instituted stocking program.

The program was begun in 197 4 with a stocking of 2,000 fall fingerling rainbow trout in Land Pond.

This year-class of fish did reasonably well. In fact, more than 500 rainbows were taken at Long Pond during the 1975 ice fishing season. Only one rainbow from the 197 4 stocking was known to have been taken by ice fishermen in 1977. Subsequent stockings of rainbow in Long have failed almost completely.

Though the reasons for the failures are not readily apparent, we feel that the strain of hatchery rainbow used may have played a role. The Department will be testing this hypothesis by parallel stockings of 1,000 fish each of our "regular" strain of hatchery rainbows and a strain of fish which originated in New Zealand.

One dismal characteristic Round and Long ponds have had in common over the years has been their failure to produce consistently good brook trout fishing, despite annual stockings of fall fingerlings in rather large numbers. This type of phenomenon is not peculiar to Long Pond and Round Pond. Some Maine waters, noted in the past and even now for producing at least a few large native trout, nonetheless fail to respond to a stocking program. Regretfully, in some seemingly excellent waters, our hatchery-reared brookies just can't cut it! This is not to say that a brook trout stocking program has no role at all to play in these two waters. For instance, nearly 60 per cent of a 197 5 stocking of 8- to 10-inch fall yearling brook trout in Long Pond were taken by anglers in the 1976 ice fishing season. This type of stocking program does not appeal to all anglers, but, judging from the positive response of anglers in 1976, I feel that the 197 5 brook trout stocking at Long Pond was well worthwhile.

To close this chapter of the Tunk River saga, I'll just say, "If you Tunk Lake and Spring River enthusiasts are driven off those waters because of adverse weather conditions, don't despair! Pack up your trolling rod or ice fishing gear and give Long Pond or Round Pond a whirl. Sure, these two lakes have been slow fishing in recent years, but both lakes are well protected from all but the most severe weather, and if you keep at it, maybe, just maybe, you'll be surprised as I was this past spring with a three-pound landlocked salmon!"

A nglers who dislike the noise and smell of out~ board motors will, of course, have to pass up the

larger, more readily accessible waters of the drainage.

Still, the "hike-in" types will find plenty to occupy them. Little Long Pond and Tilden Pond are "classic" walk-in brook trout waters. Located just north of Spring River Lake, both ponds are accessible by foot

White water such as this affords plenty of opportunities for canoeists to try their skills along the Tunk River.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

In mar ked co nt rast t o t he ra pid water of th e river , th e pla ci d waters of Tun k La ke offer solitud e, sceni c beauty - and good fishing . But th e ca lm ca n be deceiv ing - watch th e weath er !

trail only in the summer, but they can be reached by snowmobile in the winter.

Little Long Pond anglers can expect a bonus in the next couple of years in the form of Sunapee trout.

Let me explain. Floods Pond in Otis contains the only self-sustaining population of Sunapees in the world. Recently, the Maine Fisheries and Wildlife Department has initiated a Sunapee stocking program in an attempt to increase the range of this rare fish and thus provide a "hedge" against some unforeseen disaster to the Floods Pond population. Little Long is one of seven waters in the state selected for this program.

Anglers who capture a Sunapee at Little Long are asked to report their catches to Mr. Fred Kircheis at the Department's headquarters on Idaho Avenue in Bangor or to me at our Machias headquarters. Sunapees are, of course, an entirely different animal from brook trout, and so the successful pursuit of this species requires the adoption of a different set of fishing tactics. Anglers who wish to catch Sunapees should restrict themselves to fishing on the bottom in deep water except during the colder months of the year. While some exotic baits such as lobster or shrimp meat are in vogue with some Sunapee fishermen, more conservative anglers will find worms just as effective and a good deal easier on the pocketbook.

Jigging a small lure just off bottom can also be a successful technique for taking Sunapees in the winter.

A hike into Rainbow Pond or Anderson Pond can be a worthwhile trek for the more adventurous brook trout anglers. Rainbow Pond is about one mile west of Tunk Lake on the east face of Caribou Mountain, and Anderson is nearly 1 1h miles north of Spring River Lake. In past years, both ponds were noted for producing some nice brook trout although fishermen report slow angling in recent seasons. recreation in the Tunk drainage is not 0 utdoor limited to the pleasures of fish and catch. For instance, spring runoff provides plentiful water for canoeists to run the Tunk River. The bridge on Route 182 just West of Cherryfield is a good place to launch your canoe. If you exercise ordinary caution, the canoe trip from Route 182 to Route 1 should prove uneventful but interesting. And if you dangle a Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

worm in the more likely looking holes along the way, you may pick up a nice brookie or two to sweeten your trip. If you are not confident in your ability to run a river but would still like to try your hand at canoeing, I would recommend Downing Bog as a good, afternoon, flatwater trip which might pay off with a few pan-sized trout.

I've already mentioned a few walk-in fishing trips on the Tunk drainage, but I've by no means exhausted the possibilities open to just plain hikers! Tunk Mountain, Caribou Mountain, and Black Mountain provide just a few of the excellent short hikes available in the Tunk area. Consult a topographic map for the best trails.

And you winter sport advocates, take note! Many of the same trails used by hikers in the summer provide excellent opportunities for cross country skiing or snowmobiling.

All who enjoy outdoor sports will, of course, agree that the best assets of the Tunk River area are its pristine waters and striking natural beauty. It behooves us all, then, to do our utmost to protect this marvelous heritage. The consequences of even relatively minor transgressions were brought home to me recently when, upon completing the 10-minute walk into Little Long Pond, my appreciation of this splendid jewel nestled in her rocky bed at the foot of Tunk Mountain was shattered by a mound of refuse left at the lake's western end by thoughtless users. At such a moment, one's mood of quiet contemplation turns to shocked astonishment and then to plain anger. The anger usually passes, but these episodes - all too frequent now - leave a bad taste in one's mouth that lingers long after the abandoned garbage is cleaned up.

One has reason to hope, of course, that a new generation of outdoorsmen, reared in an atmosphere of increasing concern for the environment, will learn to view a discarded beer can or a carelessly thrown paper plate as brothers in kind, if not degree, of such major environmental disasters as the Torrey Canyon oil spill. Anglers and all other outdoorsmen who enjoy the beauties of the Tunk River look forward to that day! â&#x20AC;˘ 11

By Harry R. Tyler, Jr.

The least tern, very rare in Maine, is one of t he first wil dlife species to receive Critical Areas Program protection.

Planner /Biologist State Planning Office

for natural areas of state significance that are worthy of preservation is the task of the Maine Critical Areas Program an activity which should be of interest to all who are concerned with the State of Maine in years to come.

The Program is administered by the State Planning Office, with co-operation by numerous governmental and private agencies as well as landowners across the state.

The C. A. P. has been directed to inventory critical areas in five major fields: zoology, botany, geology, scenery, and history. Critical areas are defined as either highly unusual natural features or outstanding examples of more common features. They may be either public or private lands and may include exceptional plant or animal habitat, areas of great geological or historical significance, and outstanding scenic areas. Some specific examples include great blue heron nesting areas; eider nesting islands; a rare orchid species; black gum trees, and geological features such as fossil localities, eskers, and emerged glacial deltas.

Critical areas are an important part of the natural heritage of Maine, representing a cross section of the places where rare and unusual plants and animals are found. Some areas contain exceptional concentrations of common species - such as colonial bird OKING OUT

L

12

nesting areas or winter waterfowl areas. Critical areas are often vital to the survival of species in Maine.

Researchers use these areas for studies of rare and common plants and animals. The areas also contain a significant portion of the gene pool of rare and unusual species. By providing protection for this component of the natural system, we help maintain its diversity and stability .

Inventorying Maine 's natural areas began in 1971 when the planning firm of Reed and D 'Andrea conducted the Natural Areas Inventory of Maine for the Natural Resources Council. This inventory produced a listing of 2,000 natural areas; there was detailed information on 700 of them. The data were computerized at Yale University, and a limited number of printed reports listing 700 areas were distributed to conservation organizations, state agencies, and planning groups. A summary report of the Natural Areas Inventory recommended that the State of Maine continue the inventory, the special session of the 106th Legislature in 197 4 passed the Critical Areas Act, and the program began that fall.

T

HERE ARE TWO phases of the Critical Areas Pro-

gram: (1) the identification and registration phase, and (2) the co-ordination of the long term conservation of registered critical areas.

The first step is locating the areas - an important initial action because in many cases, the location and Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

significance of the area are unknown to the landowners, planners, wildlife biologists, and conservation organizations. Realistic protection can be given only to areas that are known. In its two and one-half years of existence, the Program's primary emphasis has been to identify and register areas. An eleven member citizens advisory board assists the State Planning Office in compiling the Register.

The process for identifying critical areas is well organized. Suitable topics are selected for investigation, with the report, "A Preliminary Listing of Noteworthy Natural Features in Maine," as a guide for the State Planning Office in selecting the topics for study.

Because many of these topics are very specialized, experts identify areas where the topics are found.

They visit the areas, collect information, and prepare a planning report. In addition to summarizing the general information on the subject, each report also gives a comprehensive listing and description of the areas where the subject is found in Maine.

The planning report recommends which areas should be evaluated by the Program staff. After evaluation, areas that qualify are presented to the Critical Areas Advisory Board for approval to initiate the registration process. When an area is approved, the landowner is notified, and a 60-day waiting process begins.

After at least 60 days, the Board reviews the material again and votes on whether to include the area on the Register of Critical Areas.

So far, 54 areas are registered. They include the nesting areas for Leach's petrels, black guillemots, razor billed auks, Atlantic puffins, common terns, Arctic terns, roseate terns, least terns, black terns, and piping plovers; and a number of rare trees, shrubs, and plant species areas are in the process of being registered.

The Critical Areas Program is having a wide range of topics researched to identify areas. These include eider nesting islands, wading bird nesting areas, rare butterflies, horseshoe crabs, quahogs, rare Maine invertebrates, a number of rare plant species, fossil localities, and significant tourmaline areas. During the next year, the Program expects to register between 100 and 150 areas.

Conservation interests use the Register of Critical Areas to aid them in directing conservation efforts.

Likewise, developers use the Register to identify sensitive areas that should be avoided. The Register has been used by organizations preparing environmental impact statements and by planners at all levels of government.

The Fish and Wildlife Department has worked closely with the Program on the development of the various planning reports on wildlife species and has made recommendations regarding appropriate topics to be researched. The Department has provided information on the location of several critical areas, has

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

reviewed drafts of reports, and has carefully evaluated management recommendations for the various species. of the program, the long term conservation of registered critical areas, will be co-ordinated by the State Planning Office. The Critical Areas Program staff will be working with landowners and private conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and Maine Audubon Society, as well as state agencies such as the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department of Conservation, to provide long term protection for these areas.

An example of the second phase is the management of least tern nesting sites. The management suggestions contained in the least tern report were developed with the aid of the Wildlife Division and implemented as a co-ordinated effort.

The Maine Audubon Society has volunteered to co-ordinate a least tern management program during the summer of 1977. A meeting of parties interested in conserving least tern nesting sites included staff of the Critical Areas Program, Fish and Wildlife, Maine Audubon, and landowners. A co-ordinated effort has been undertaken, following the management suggestions of the report, to monitor and manage the nesting sites, which are on sandy, ocean beaches.

The specifics of the program are many. Local volunteers will be enlisted to watch over the actual nesting sites. This is necessary because beaches are favorite areas for people, too. These sites will be marked by signs and partitioned off with stakes and twine. The volunteers will help with minimizing disturbances at these areas. Brochures will be distributed locally to inform the public. Articles and press releases will be used as well. And finally, the volunteers will be asked to keep records of the number of terns nesting and their success at hatching, rearing, and, finally, fledging their young. It is an intensive program which is possible only through a co-ordinated effort of this kind.

The Critical Areas Program will be continuing its efforts at identifying and co-ordinating the conservation of areas of critical importance to Maine and its wildlife. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will continue to work closely with the Critical Areas Program to provide the management suggestions. Working together may produce more cooperative efforts like those developed for the least tern. This will be another step forward in managing the state's wildlife resources.

Because the program is essentially non-regulatory the long term conservation of critical areas depends upon the co-operation of landowners. The Critical Areas Program has been gratified at the overwhelming willingness on the part of the landowners to see that critical areas are not destroyed. â&#x20AC;˘

T

HE SECOND PHASE

13

Great Blue Heron

ROOKERY ROUNDUP

By Elizabeth C. Pierson Massachusetts Audubon Society Intern Maine State Planning Office

are as characteristic of the Maine coast as the great blue heron, Ardea herodias. From early April, when the first migrant arrives from the south, until its departure in late November, this majestic bird is an integral part of Maine's environment. The largest and most conspicuous of the wading birds, it is easily recognized by its long legs and neck and its bluish-gray plumage .

Although most abundant along the coast, the great blue heron breeds along marshes, ponds, lakes, and rivers throughout Maine.

By nature a colonial nester, the great blue heron builds a substantial nest of sticks, lined with twigs, from 15 feet above ground to quite near the tops of tall trees.

As many as 11 nests may be crowded into one tree.

Following a period of elaborate courtship displays, by late April the female lays three to five eggs.

Both sexes incubate and care for the young.

The young herons stay in the nest 50 to 60 days and are fed and protected by the adult birds.

Like other colonial nesters, the great blue heron is vulnerable to disturbance during the nesting season. At this time, large numbers of birds gather in dense, small colonies where they nest and raise young. It is a critical period in the heron's life cycle, and only a successful breeding season can ensure the survival of the species. Continued disturbance in and around a

F

14

EW BIRDS

heronry may disrupt breeding activities, increase nestling mortality, and cause the herons to abandon the colony.

For centuries now, the great blue heron has nested undisturbed in Maine. With a rapidly increasing human population and accompanying development, though, the heron faces increasingly stiff competition for its preferred habitats.

The very areas the herons seek out each spring for nesting sites are also the areas most frequented by people.

In Maine, the great blue heron breeds primarily along the coast, which is also where nearly half of Maine's people live. Residential and industrial sites, especially in southern Maine, are rising along the shores of estuaries, a favorite nesting site for herons. Coastal islands, where great blue herons have nested undisturbed for years, receive more use each year, as increased affluence and leisure time give more people the opportunity to visit them. Clearly, if Maine's people are to continue to share their shallow coves and grass fringed inlets with the great blue heron, heronries must be identified and preserved to minimize the disturbance to nesting birds.

Among those dedicated to preserving Maine's heronries is the Maine Critical Areas Program. This non-regulatory program identifies, documents, and registers outstanding natural features in Maine that are worthy of preservation. Then, by working co-operatively with landowners, the Critical Areas Program encourages the development of long term protection for these areas.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

Since 197 5, the Critical Areas Program, with the assistance of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, has identified 20 great blue heron rookeries in Maine. Fourteen of the heronries are on offshore islands, and the remaining six are inland, all close to rivers and lakes.

There are clear differences between offshore and inland heronries. Offshore heronries are distributed evenly along the coast from York County to Washington County, with at least one large heronry in each major bay. Many of the offshore heronries support well over 50 breeding pairs of great blue herons. The largest great blue heron rookery in Maine, situated in Casco Bay, has over 150 active nests. Inland heronries, on the other hand, are fewer in number and generally support far fewer birds.

In the spring of 1977, the Critical Areas Program initiated the registration process of signifi-

cant great blue heron rookeries in Maine. Inherent in this process is the evaluation of each heronry to determine if it meets the criteria for a Critical Area. The Program hopes to see all 20 heronries officially registered as Critical Areas by this fall.

Because the Critical Areas Program is non-regulatory, the preservation of Maine's heronries ultimately depends upon the co-operative actions of landowners, planning agencies, state and federal agencies, and private conservation organizations. of identifying and preserving Maine's great blue heron rookeries is an ongoing one.

Although coastal islands¡ have been surveyed extensively, Maine has many remote rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes which have not been surveyed adequately and which may well support breeding colonies of herons. The fact that established heronries may shift location, as nesting trees die off or

T

human disturbance increases, complicates the task.

If you know of any great blue heron rookeries, especially inland, the Critical Areas Program asks that information on them be sent to either the Fish and Wildlife Department or the State Planning Office, Critical Areas Program, 184 State Street, Augusta, Maine, 04333 (telephone 207-289-3155).

The location and size of the heronry, if known, should be included. Such reports will assist the Critical Areas Program in staying as up-to-date as possible on Maine's heronries.

HE TASK

is a well established breeding species in Maine. It is a creature of exceeding grace and beauty, a bird to be admired in marshes and sluggish brooks throughout Maine.

By initiating conservation measures before this species is endangered, we can continue to share our unspoiled marshlands with the great blue heron. â&#x20AC;˘

T

HE GREAT BLUE HERON

Great blue heron rookery.

Photo by Tom Jones

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

15

By Roy D. Hugie Assistant Big Game Project Leader BEARS were once indigenous and abundant to all of New England but since the late 1700s have been generally decreasing in numbers and distribution in the eastern U. S. Nearly 70 per cent of Maine is still suitable habitat for black bears, and Baxter State Park is located in the heart of Maine's bear habitat.

The 312-square-mile park is home for an estimated 80 to 110 black bears. People privileged enough to have enjoyed the park know of its rugged terrain, expansive forests, and splendid wetlands. The black bear is truly at home there, making a living on succulent grasses and greenery in the spring and summer, switching to luscious blueberries and raspberries in late summer, and finishing off the season with nuts and berries in the fall. In the park, there's room for bears to roam, cover to shelter them from the elements, and concealment for evading each other and man.

Were the area known as Baxter State Park to have remained unused and untouched by man, there would be little need for concern about the bears there. However, the recent past and present situa-

B

LACK

16

tion is far from the pristine tranquility of 1,000 years ago. Since the 1930s, when former Governor Percival Proctor Baxter presented the State of Maine with the generous gift of what is now generally Baxter Park, recreational use of the area has increased tremendously.

Nine campgrounds, several day-use sites, primitive logf ing roads, four open dumps, and the thousands of people who use the facilities created a problem for the bears and those who administer the park.

The problem centers around black bears' chief weakness: they can't refuse a free meal. Campers and open dumps have provided this incentive in the past. uring 197 5, the Baxter State Park Authority under the chairmanship of Commissioner Maynard Marsh embarked on a planning effort for the park. Included in the project was a plan for the management of the bears.

The problem, simply stated, was that some bears had become panhandlers and had lost their fear of humans, thus creating a hazard and a nuisance. Also, the bears people were seeing in the park were not wild bears in the sense of being shy and reluctant . to be near people. There were several solutions available ranging from removing all the bears to

D

severely restricting visitor use of the park. Following the selection of a bear management goal and objective for the park, a plan was developed to meet that objective.

The goal selected was: Decrease bear numbers; encourage natural distribution and existence of bears; maintain nonconsumptive use opportunity at managed natural feeding areas; and discourage consumptive use of bears in the park.

The objective chosen was: Maintain bear numbers in the park at 50 to 80 ( 4 to 6 square miles per bear); create or encourage conditions for maintaining bears under natural conditions; gradually eliminate the need for removing more than 2 to 5 bears per year; and reduce consumptive use (through voluntary co-operation).

To meet this objective, a stepby-step plan was developed. First, the incentive for bears to be in campgrounds was to be removed.

A system of handling garbage was developed that phased out garbage cans at campgrounds and eliminated the need for dumps in the park. The dumps are now closed, and strict regulations for "sanitizing" the campgrounds are in Use of these bearproof "dumpsters" has helped al leviate the problem of the garbage-seeking bears in Baxter State Park, but the hungry bruins continue to seek out accessible food, sometimes creati ng a real nuisance.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

It's a fact - bears and dumps go together (left)! In the rig ht photo, Baxter Park personnel get together on one so lution to t he bear nuisance problem - d rugging , transporting from t he park, and re leasing t he pesky critters.

effect and being enforced. Without food easily available at campsites or day-use areas, fewer bears will be attracted. Obviously, no feeding of bears by visitors is tolerated.

The reduction of incentives for "a free lunch" certainly will help to return the bears in Baxter to a more natural situation, but the problem as it existed in 197 5 and before, required that something be done about the bears already "hooked" on free food. Removing bears from the park could have been done by simply shooting them. Although this option will be used to protect human life, it was decided that a capture-tag-andtransport removal system be used.

Problem bears were caught by park or Department personnel, drugged, tagged, and transported from the park.

By taking advantage of some research done in Alberta, Canada, it was considered best if only young (particularly males) and female bears be removed. In this way, the larger, more aggressive males would remain in the park

(l)

C

>

co co

>

.D 0

0

.c

a..

to " police" the ranks of the bears that remained. Ultimately, it is hoped that the bear population will keep itself at a lower, more natural level through a social system enforced by the large, dominant males. It is also hoped that the bears will be typically shy like black bears in the deep woods of Maine and not be roadside nuisances.

From 1975 to June 1977, 14 bears have been captured, tagged, and released outside the park. Of the 14, four were later shot by hunters, three hit by cars, and the rest not heard from again. Interestingly , one adult barren female was captured in the park in 1975, taken 87 miles away, and released.

She returned to the park in about a week. She was again captured and taken 126 miles away. She was shot by a hunter in May 1977, about six miles from her original capture site near the park.

or l~ave "temptation" in the campsites. If the food is available, the bears will probably get it. If they do, it's a reward for them, and soon they become a hazard problem bears. They then must be removed in one way or another for the safety of the rest of the visitors. All this can be avoided if visitors obey the rules of keeping a clean campsite, putting garbage only in the bear-proof dumpsters, and never deliberately feeding the bears.

A final but continuing phase of Baxter Park's new bear management program includes public education and research. Black bears are an interesting and intriguing part of Baxter State Park's heritage. Seeing a wild black bear has been the highlight of many a trip to the park. Through the cooperative efforts of all those involved, such memories will be perpetuated. â&#x20AC;˘

he management of Baxter Park's bears would not be complete without an attempt at providing the public and visitors with information on bears in the park and why it's so important to keep them free and wild. Director of the park, Lee Tibbs, and Park Supervisor, "Buzz" Caverly, have provided information on the whats, hows, and whys of the changes on bear management in the park in leaflets distributed at the Park gates. They stress that if a visitor likes the bears, he not feed them

T

17

Back Yard Trout fishing

By Peter M. Bourque Regional Fishery Biologist

OW WOULD YOU LIKE to pick up your fishing rod, step up behind your house, and fill your creel with plump trout from your own pond?

Good back yard trout fishing can be yours with a properly built and managed pond.

Within the past several years, the number of privately owned trout ponds in Maine has grown by leaps and bounds. According to the most recent count (July, 1976) by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, there are 4,445 farm ponds in Maine. These ponds have been built under supervision of the S.C.S. for a variety of purposes, but fishing is high on most pond owners' priority lists.

Fortunately, our native brookie does best in Maine ponds. Although other areas of the United States report good success with various combinations of warm-water fish, these species seldom do well in our ponds, and they present many management problems.

Trout require cool water and plenty of oxygen. If the bottom temperature of your pond stays below 72°, trout are likely to survive. Trout can sometimes stand water up to 80° for short periods of time.

Ponds fed by surface runoff may be successful if they are quite deep (greater than 12 feet) and the water does not get too warm, but "spring-fed" ponds are the best bet.

H

Before Construction. If you must depend on a brook for a water source, you should first check the Inland Fish and Wildlife laws by contacting the warden supervisor or regional fishery biologist at one of the regional offices. If a brook is to be dammed, you must first file

18

a declaration of intent with the commissioner of inland fisheries and wildlife specifying the brook to be dammed. The site will be inspected by a fishery biologist, who will make recommendations regarding the need for a fishway in the proposed dam. If the dam construction involves the alteration (bulldozing, dredging, or filling) of more than 100 feet of streambank (example: 50 feet on each bank), then the applicant must obtain a Stream Alteration Permit from the Department, too.

Site Location and Pond Construction. The choice of the pond location is very important. A slight depression surrounded by gentle terrain with good plant cover is the best. Dug-out ponds (not involving a brook) cause the fewest problems and do not require permits for construction. If you use a brook, the drainage area of the watershed should not be too large for the size of your pond; otherwise, the pond may wash out. All ponds should be provided with an emergency spillway to take care of excess run-off.

Provision for draining is essential in cases of emergency. The soil used for construction should contain some clay, or you may wake up some morning with an empty pond. To be on the safe side, you should consult an engineer to help you with the technical problems of construction. The U.S. Soil Conservation Service which has engineers skilled in the art of pond building, can be contacted at their district offices throughout Maine.

The best trout farm ponds are between one-half and one acre in size with a maximum depth of 10-12 Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

feet. The sides should drop off sharply to have a maximum amount of deep water and to discourage excessive aquatic weed growth. Shallower ponds are sometimes successful if there is an abundant supply of cold, spring water.

Stocking. As mentioned earlier, brook trout are the best bet for small pond stocking in Maine although rainbow trout also work out well in some instances.

Most farm ponds require periodic stocking to provide good fishing. Initial stocking should not be done until four to six months after pond construction so that aquatic insects have time to become established as food for trout. The initial stocking can be done with two-to-three-inch trout fry in late spring or four-to-six-inch fingerlings in the fall. After trout become established, the larger, fingerling size is recommended, as the larger trout in the pond often feed on the smaller trout fry.

Numbers of trout stocked and frequency of stockings can be determined by trial and error. The "rule of thumb" used for the average pond is about 300 fall fingerlings per acre, but ponds vary tremendously in their ability to support trout. Some "rich" ponds will support and grow 600 fingerlings per acre. If a pond owner wishes to have fast fishing for 8-to-10inch trout, he should stock the pond on an annual basis. If he will settle for slower fishing for larger trout, he should stock on an alternate year basis. The two-year-old trout often are in the two-pound class in the second season.

Fish can not be sold by any state or federal agency so all pond owners must purchase their trout from private hatcheries. The operators of Maine's private hatcheries have been authorized to handle the required stocking permits for brook trout only. If some other species of fish such as rainbow is wanted, the pond owner must obtain the stocking permit directly from the commissioner. The Fish and Wildlife Department does not permit the stocking of rainbows in drainages being managed for Atlantic salmon or in drainages where rainbows do not now exist. Intro-

LEAST DESIRABLE

ductions of rainbows would result in increased competition for our native trout and salmon. A fish importation permit must be obtained from the commissioner before the stocking of any fish obtained outside the State of Maine. These fish must be certified disease-free to help protect our own native species.

Some pond owners are fortunate enough not to have to stock their ponds after the initial introduction.

Natural reproduction of trout is sometimes successful enough to provide good fishing without restocking.

These ponds usually have an abundant supply of very cold, spring water percolating through small gravel to allow aeration of the trout eggs. Reproduction in some ponds can be improved by the addition of gravel (pea-size) to spring areas or at the mouths of cold tributaries.

Stockpiling: A Fallacy. Unfortunately, not all trout stocked in farm ponds will live to be caught by fishermen. Trout are naturally short lived so stocking your pond and then not fishing it for two or three years (to build up the population) just does not work.

Very few of these fish will live longer than two years.

For example, if 300 fingerlings are stocked in October, only about one-half of these trout will be alive the following summer. By the second summer, you would be lucky if you had 30 trout - even with no fishing. If you don't catch them within two years after stocking, you probably will never see them again.

Frequently Asked Questions

â&#x20AC;˘ ¡ Do I have to feed the trout in my pond?

Most all small, shallow ponds have an abundant supply of aquatic insects, leeches, and other invertebrates that provide an excellent diet for trout. Feeding trout might be fun, but it becomes expensive, adds more organic matter to the pond, and isn't necessary. Pond owners who have plans of selling fishing permits and charge by "the pound of trout

MORE DESIRABLE

Continued on page 32

MOST DESIRABLE

,~,

=--~-----~ BROOK ~

POND

L

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

19

The rags were really flying, above left, when the wardensto-be tried out, on each other, bandaging and sp l inting techniques learned in first aid classes. Above right, department biologist Roy Hugie demonstrates snow depth measurement during a "classroom " check of a deer wintering area.

The Maine Warden School

By Tom Chamberlain Photos by Tom Carbone

H

ow MANY PLACES are there

where one can go to school and, in about eight weeks, study the basics of more than 30 subjects, ranging from biology to motor vehicle care?

Nearly every year since 1938, the Maine Fish and Wildlife Dept. has sponsored just this type of training for new wardens , or for those who feel the need for a refresher. Enrollment in the course, now held at the University of Maine at Orono, runs somewhere between 12 and 18 students (the 1977 school graduated only 11, the smallest class ever).

And the school is frequently attended by

Department biologists assisted the students in identification of fish species (top photo) and plant specimens (bottom photo), in addition to wildlife species. Tests were given later, after more classroom identification practice and private study.

Warden Inspector Eric Wight checks a score during a course in firearms training . Each warden schoo l stu dent must score a 200 or better on t he ra nge as a prerequ isite to graduat ion.

law enforcement personnel from other agencies and even other states.

Dr. Malcolm W. Coulter, coordinator of the school since it was located at UM-0 12 years ago, says the 8- to 10-week course is a good platform for beginning in t he conservation law enforcement field. "Much of t he real learning is done in the field after the districts are assigned," he said, "but we give the men a good springboard from which to start."

After the first day, which is primarily involved with checking in to quarters and being " welcomed," the students are launched in to an

intensive stretch of classroom, field, and study time, interlaced with some free and recreational periods. And study they must!

Anyone looking over the class schedule would see such subjects as report writing; self defense; safety; plant, animal, and fish identification; courtroom procedure; search and seizure; first aid; map and compass; equipment care; interrogation; use of dynamite; public speaking ... and that's only part of it! Each subject is handled on a staggered basis, with some exposure one day and more a few days later - a proven effective educational setup.

Studying - a habit that warden school students must practice in order to pass t he extensive series of written examinations.

The great majority of those attending the school find it very enjoyable.

And a very good natural offshoot of the warden school is the development of course-instructors from within the Maine Warden Service. In 1977, 13 of the courses were taught by our own wardens - and some have become quite expert in their sphere of instruction.

In addition to the warden instructors, seven other Department staffers take their turns in addressing the classes. University personnel, state police representatives, and (in 1977) even warden's wives round out the teaching staff, except for the numerous guest lecturers, who Coulter says are picked from the "front lines of Maine conservation."

Orono State Police Dispatcher Nolan Beale ran t he wardens through instruction on using t he statewide communications system, which is now in use in all Maine Warden Service ve hicles.

21

Setting up and detonating charges of dynamite is a technique used frequently by wardens, chiefly for the destruction of nuisance beaver dams. Warden school students are taught the basics of this operation.

"Look for the unordinary" when on patrol new wardens are taught to patrol their district on foot, searching for unusual sights such as this fishing set.

Coulter adds that this is "a lot for the students to take on" in the short time allotted. "It's interesting," he says, "to watch wardens' attitudes change as they progress from day to day. They frequently have misgivings, for instance, abol,lt taking a field examination of duck identification. After a few hours of study, almost all can score 80 to 85 per cent identifying a variety of specimens the first time. It's good for their morale to see that they really can do it."

In summing up the theory of warden school, Coulter admitted that it was a "touch-the-basics" type of environment. "We are obviously not out to produce experts in all facets of conservation law enforcement in only a few weeks," he said, "but our graduates are aware of what they need to know, and of how much there is to learn.

The rest is up to them." a

On graduation day, Chief Warden Charles Allen spoke to the wardens and their wives about the Warden Service in general.

The wives of two warden supervisors were also there that day to fill the new wardens' wives in on what to expect.

22

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

RAINBOWS AND THEIR PLACE IN MAINE

By Raymond A. DeSandre Fishery Biologist

THOUGH RAINBOW TROUT are not native to

A

Maine, they are present in portions of six major river drainages. They were introduced to Maine from the West Coast where their original distribution was from southern California to southern Alaska, inland to the Rocky Mountains. Successful propagation in hatcheries led to their introduction to many sections of the United States.

In Maine, self-sustaining rainbow populations are found in the Kennebec, Androscoggin, Aroostook, and Saco River drainages. The Kennebec River rainbows were introduced in 1940 and today are found in greatest numbers from the village of The Forks to a few miles below Solon Dam; the species is not found above Indian Pond dam.

In the Androscoggin River drainage, the major concentration of rainbows is in the Rumford-Dixfield area.

They are present above Rumford Falls and in several of the small rivers draining into the Androscoggin.

Rainbows are found in the Fryeburg section of the Saco River.

In the Aroostook River drainage, ranbows occur in the Caribou-Limestone area of the Aroostook River, the lower reaches of the Little Madawaska River, and Otter Brook.

Other states report rainbow trout living and reproducing in streams, lakes, and reservoirs of varying physical and chemical characteristics; but in Maine, self-sustaining populations are found only in rivers and streams. The waters vary in size from large rivers - such as the Kennebec - to small, clear, Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

mountain streams; the fish generally prefer fast-moving sections of water. "Steelheads" - rainbows which live part of their lives in the ocean - are not found in Maine.

Rainbows tolerate warmer waters than do brook trout. While rainbows prefer waters below 70°F., they can live in water up to the mid-eighties if it is well oxygenated. They are also reported as being better able to withstand lower oxygen levels than brook trout.

Rainbows are generally thought to require alkaline water (pH greater than 7 .0) for successful natural reproduction. In Maine, they are reproducing in several acid waters which vary in pH from 5.9 to 6. 7. Their distribution within these waters is quite limited, however. Perhaps Maine's acid water is preventing rainbows from naturally expanding their territory.

There is considerable variation in the time of spawning season among strains of rainbows. In Maine, they are spring spawners. Studies in the Kennebec River indicated that spawning started about April 20 and was observed in one brook which did not maintain a flow through the summer.

Females usually spawn as three-year olds, while males spawn one to two years earlier. The majority of the spawning run are fish spawning for the first time. Repeat spawning occurs, but the fish often skip a year.

When the fish become mature and enter tributaries to spawn, they are quite silvery in appearance. As actual spawning time approaches, this silvery coloration darkens. Prominent pink or reddish stripes

23

develop along the sides, and the black spots on the body and fins show very clearly. Older male rainbows develop a prominent, hooked lower jaw and take on the typical slab-sided characteristics of an adult spawning male. The spawning female is more silvery with less prominent reddish stripes on the sides and with a rounded body conformation.

Areas selected for spawning are in fast moving, riffle areas of a stream, on gravel and rubble bottom free of silt. Size of the redd or nest, constructed by the female, varies from one foot to two feet wide and from two feet to four feet long, depending on the size of the spawning fish. Excavation of a rainbow trout redd in the Kennebec River study confirmed the efficient fertilization of naturally spawned eggs.

Young rainbows remain buried in the gravel until the yolk sac is absorbed; then they swim up through the gravel to begin active stream life. In the Kennebec River tributaries, fry emerge from the nest by July 15.

Feeding begins on minute particles of food that flow by as the small fry remain on or near the stream bottom. Food of young rainbow trout consists of insects and crustaceans and, as the trout reach adulthood, fish become an important item of their diet.

At the end of the first summer of growth, young rainbows are three to four inches long and are known as fingerlings. At this time, the parr markings of dusky vertical bands on the sides are clearly visible.

Some rainbows move downstream as advanced fry, some remain in the stream a year or more, and others may become resident in the stream of their birth and remain throughout their lives in a limited area.

Rainbows are reported to have a maximum life span of from seven to eleven years, depending on their genetic strain and living conditions. In Maine, the oldest recorded age is six years. Age and growth of wild rainbow trout taken by fishermen in the Kennebec River and tributaries from Pleasant Pond Stream in Caratunk to Solon Dam in Solon follow:

2 3 Total Length (inches) 10.0 14. 7

Age 4 17 .3

5 20.1

6 21.1

Most of the rainbows taken by fishermen are ages 2 and 3.

AINBOW TROUT MANAGEMENT in Maine

prior to 1968 was limited to protection of spawning fish in the tributaries of the Kennebec River by delaying fishing in the tributaries until June 1 instead of the statewide opening day of April 1. The minimum length limit was 6 inches. The distribution of rainbows into other waters of the state was discouraged because of their reported migratory tendencies and possible competition with native trout and salmon for food, space, and spawning area. No rainbows were raised in Maine hatcheries until 1968.

R

24

Beginning in 1968, rainbow trout were stocked in six selected ponds and one river for the purpose of comparing them with brook trout in terms of growth, holdover ability, summer fishing opportunity, and resistance to competition. The ponds ranged in size from 1 7 to 60 acres and had no spawning areas.

Fishing in these ponds had previously been provided by annual stockings of fall fingerling brook trout.

Rainbow trout evaluations ended on these waters in 1973. Results indicated that rainbows provided as good fishing as brook trout when stocked as fall fingerlings. Rainbows were typically most important to the fishery the year following stocking. They were as vulnerable to fishing as brook trout, but in waters where fishing pressure was light to moderate they contributed to fishing three or more years. Where rainbows and brook trout were stocked in combination, neither species suppressed the other. Rainbow fishing remained good longer into the summer in some waters.

The study also showed that rainbows grew exceptionally well in waters where forage fish were available.

In 60-acre Egypt Pond they averaged 16.8 inches as 2-year-olds by feeding on insects, fathead minnows, and sunfish. They also grew well in 32-acre Peep Lake by feeding on insects and sticklebacks. This suggested that rainbows might be useful in providing fishing opportunity in waters where landlocked salmon production is limited because of an unreliable supply of smelt - the salmon's preferred forage fish - but where other forage species are available.

AT THIS

TIME,

Maine's rainbow program centers

.t\.. around a hatchery production of about 50,000 fish annually.

Approximately 36,000 are being stocked in 10 waters where the fishing they provide will be evaluated. These are waters between 100 and 1,000 acres that were formerly managed for salmon.

The remaining 14,000 rainbows are scheduled to be stocked annually in five ponds and one river formerly stocked with brook trout.

The main purpose of the rainbow program is to find out where they can be used to best advantage.

The emphasis is on introducing them into various habitats and evaluating their performance. Waters selected thus far have been restricted to drainages where rainbows now occur, those which drain directly into the ocean, or waters such as kettlehole ponds which are isolated from other waters with good coldwater fisheries.

Caution is exercised in selecting waters for rainbow introductions b~cause they have habitat and food requirements similar to our native salmon and brook trout and thus are potential competitors. The rainbow trout can provide good fishing in certain circumstances, but we don't want that to be at the expense of an existing brook trout or salmon fishery. a Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

-

---

-------- ----------c.,:-r.

2.

3.

4.

5.

You are swimming in heavy surf and find yourself being carried out to sea. You should: (a) Swim toward shore at an angle .. .... _ __ (b) Swim to one side and not against the current .... .. .. ........... .. (c) Stop swimming and float with the current ......................... ...... ..

You are swimming in open water and get a severe cramp in your leg. You should: (a) Roll over to a face-down position and massage the aching part ..... .. .. .. ..... ... .... .................... . (b) Swim to shore as quickly as possible ..... .... .... ... ..................... . (c) Tread water and call for help .... ..

To avoid succumbing in cold water, a swimmer should: (a) Swim rapidly to keep the body warm .......................... .. ............ .. (b) Swim at a moderate pace to keep the body warm ................ .. (c) Move as little as possible to stay afloat .......... .. .. .. ................ ..

A wooden rowboat with a hole through the bottom and carrying a proper load in deep water should: (a) Sink to the bottom .................... . (b) Float and still support passengers ....................................... . (c) Always be abandoned by the passengers .................................. .

You are out in a boat in rough water and the boat capsizes. You should: (a) Get away from the boat, tread water, and call for help ............. .. (b) Try to swim to shore ................ .. (c) Hang on to the boat .................. .

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

The (a) (b) (c)

7.

A person fully clothed in jacket shirt trousers etc., who accidentally finds himself' in dee~ water should swim to safety using: (a) The American crawl ........ ......... .. (b) The breaststroke ...................... .. (c) The back crawl ......................... ..

8.

A person who has fallen into water over his head while wearing rubber boots should : (a) Have to work real hard to stay up .............. ..... ... ................ . (b) Float readily as a rule .... ..... ... .... . (c) Sink to the bottom and stay there ....... ............ ... ..... ...... ..

9.

A human body immersed in water should become: (a) Lighter than it was on land ...... .. (b) Heavier than it was on land ....... . (c) The same weight as on land ...... ..

.---

Adapted from an article by the American National Red Cross l.

6.

greatest cause of boating accidents is: High speed turns .................... .. .

Wakes from passing boats ........ ..

Overloading .............................. .

10. There must be one Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) for: (a) Every person in boat ................ .. (b) Every person in boat including water skier ........ ............. .......... .. (c) Every person in the boat and a ski belt for waters lei er .. ... .. ......... .

11. After a hard game of running about on the shore and getting overheated, the best thing to do is: (a) Run and dive into the water to cool off ................................ .. (b) Wade into the water gradually right away ................................ .. (c) Sit down on land until the superheated condition disappears 12. You are fully and legally responsible for your wake: (a) True ... ........ ................... .. ..... ... .. (b) False .. ........ .............................. . . (c) Sometimes, depending on situations ·······································

13. The first step in planning boating trips is: (a) (b) (c)

Make sure you have plenty of gas ............................................ .

Check the weather forecast ..... ..

Invite friends who are swimmers

14. Boats must be registered in Maine if they are: (a) At least 16 feet in length ............ _ _ (b) Propelled by any motor ............. . ( c) Propelled by a motor over 1 O horsepower .............................. ..

Answers on Page 32

25

BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! I wonder why he does?

Have you, lik Winnie the Pooh, ever wondered why be s make honey? The answer is simple - the honey is used as food for the bee colony. But bees, as they are gathering nectar and pollen - the two ingredients necessary to keep the hive's food chambers filled - perform a very important job. They make it possible for flowers to reproduce, and without bees, these flowers would eventually disappear from our environment.

A bee visits a flower and crawls deep inside the blossoms to collect nectar, which is stored in the bee's "honey stomach." The bee finds the nectar at the base of a long, vase-shaped stalk in the center of the flower.

This is called the pistil (PIS-tul), and is the female part of a flower.

As the bee moves about inside the blossom, its body and leg hairs brush against several smaller stalks within the blossom. These are called stamens (STA-mens), and are the male parts of a flower. They are coated with pollen, some of which clings to the bee's body.

26

With millions of pollen grains clinging to its body, the bee moves on to another blossom to find more of the valuable nectar. As it enters the second blossom, some of the pollen from the first flower clings to the sticky tip of the pistil. The bee, in gathering food for its colony, has cross-pollinated these flowers, ensuring at least one more year of their beauty.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

FIND THE TREES! Hidden in this maze of letters are the names of 25 different Maine trees. The names are listed below, but they go all different directions in the puzzle - forward, backward, up and down - even diagonally! One of them is circled for you, but the rest is up to you!

B J A 0 u AuM T C A s T K p N E E s R N 0 s 0 R T A s u s F s T A R A u RA s N F s K T AwA E s y C H s A N C Aw p E s s B

After the bee has done its work, a tube from each grain of pollen will grow into the pistil to · the plant's eggs. Then, each egg which is touched by one of these pollen tu bes will be fertilized by a sperm in the pollen grain. And each of these eggs becomes a seed, ready to travel and sprout the fallowing spring.

We all know how good honey tastes, and we are happy that bees make enough to share. But the other job they do is another reason to be thankful. Bees and flowers depend on each other to live - and give us nice things to see, smell, and eat, also.

So the next time you see a bee buzzing around a flower, don't run away. He's doing you a favor!

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

K C A p E L R R J D u0 N 0

I H C H E s L E H E N D EM A N D E D L D L D A 10 G 0 D s T C A s L E u KA A s B

IW N p s T E s s R A E R B H A N C IA T L 0 C L A C

T B N w 10 E R H K C A K H L E E C N u 0 E C u

L E N R D

R D L

A

R H I M R R p

Kw T T

s

T R 0 A R

u

N 0 M G N y

uu L p

C A I E w0 10

R A L EM L Rw0 0 Ew M A T

p B

u

T T A H C E C K 0 R y p (E N s p Ru KC A T

B F A 0 L B s p A D R M 0 p E D L E I L p 0 E B y p I p"'I T E s R

MNE HEMLOCK JUNIPER MOUNTAIN ASH HICKORY BASSWOOD SPRUCE BIRCH SYCAMORE BALSAM BEECH CEDAR SASSAFRAS DOGWOOD CHESTNUT ALDER TAMARACK RED OAK POPLAR MAPLE BUTTERNUT WILLOW BLACK CHERRY ASPEN AMERICAN ELM Answers on page 31 27

What Worth Weeds? concerned with lakes and streams have found out that not many people appreciate weedy, mucky shorelines. Most people want to dredge them or fill them with sand to make these areas more pleasing for swimming and boating, or to create more land. Perhaps, if you "think like a fish" for a while and we give a "quicky" basic biology course, we can explain our concern for the preservation of this kind of habitat.

Some of the value of marshy habitat is obvious. You can see fish swimming there, see herons feeding and ducks raising broods, see muskrat gathering weeds, and, at the right time of day or night, you can catch big bass that move into the shallows to feed. Some

R

EGULATORY AGENCIES

By Charles F. Ritzi Environmental Co-ordinator

28

kinds of fish spawn in these areas.

So various fish and wildlife use these areas for feeding, cover, and reproduction.

Other values are not easily recognized.

These shallow ¡ water areas provide the basic productivity, the base of the food chain, the source of the "life" of the pond. Big fish don't just happen - they are the end product of a long, complex process.

By photosynthesis, sunlight and dissolved nutrients combine to produce plant material, both rooted plants and plant plankton.

This vegetable material is eaten by insects and animal plankton, which in turn are eaten by small fish, which are eaten by big fish.

So the prized game fish that we like to catch are the result of a food chain which started in the "gunk" and weeds in shallow water. In terms more familiar to us, the steak we eat is dependent on a field growing grass or grains; without enough forage-p.r oducing

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

agricultural land, we wouldn't have the meat production that we take for granted. Pave the field, or plant it to trees, and you have less steak to eat.

Covering weedy areas of a lake with sand is like paving a field its productivity is lost. Sand is

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

poor habitat for food organisms and weeds. Sure, fish may be seen there, and sunfish might spawn there, but that habitat now has much less basic productivity. Manmade beaches a).so have a tendency to spread out and affect areas larger than the original fill.

A few small fills along a shoreline are usually insignificant in their effect on the total productivity of a body of water. But at some point - and no biologist can

tell you when that point will be reached - the cumulative effect of fills will be significant. Then it is too late.

Those of us concerned with the long-term preservation of Maine's waters are deeply committed to the preservation of these rich shoreline areas, weedy and mucky though they are. We believe they should be protected now - before their worth is recognized because of their loss. â&#x20AC;˘

29

DEER DATES SET Maine's 1977 deer hunting season will open for all hunters on Monday, October 31, in Management Units 1 and 2 and Monday, November 7, in Management Units 3 through 8.

For Maine resident hunters, however, the season in both sections will open on the Saturday preceding those dates - October 29 in the northern two units and November 5 in the rest of the state. The one day reserved for resident hunters only is the result of a law recently enacted by the 108th Maine Legislature.

The season will close statewide on November 26, the Saturday following Thanksgiving, which is also the closing day for the bear season.

The special archery season will open statewide on Monday, October 3; it will close Friday, October 28, in Management Units 1 and 2 and Friday, November 4, in the remainder of the state.

The management units - and the two deer hunting "zones" are the same as they have been for the past several years. The hunting regulations booklet will carry a map to aid hunters in locating management unit lines. In addition this year, signs will be posted in areas where previously there has been confusion.

30

The seasons were set in June by Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Maynard F. Marsh after hearing reports from wildlife biologists and game warden supervisors on the condition of the deer herd in their areas.

Most observers reported that in spite of a winter that was severe for a time, the deer managed quite well, and populations are about the same as last year.

Deer Season Comment I have several comments on Maine game seasons, etc. First, I would like to see us go back to the traditional statewide open season on deer, no zoning, month of November. Keep the either sex deer hunting. Don't increase any license fees. It's very important to try to get young hunters to take a hunter safety course.

The deer herd is now in fine shape and in prime, healthy condition. I shot a young buck, and I must say it was fine venison on the table.

B. C. Milo, Maine

• Although we agree with most of your comments, there are a few things we would like to point out about deer seasons and license fees.

The widespread notion that a statewide open deer season is traditional is erroneous.

According to Big Game Project Leader Chester Banasiak, differing seasons based on early and late opening counties, or other boundaries, have been in effect since at least 191 :j.

It was recognized long ago that conditions for both the deer and the hunters vary a great deal from Kittery to Fort

Kent. Earlier opening, longer seasons in lightly hunted sections provide for both needed additional harvest of surplus animals and for greater hunting opportunity . A statewide season would tend to increase hunting pressure in southern portions of the state, which are now the most heavily hunted, and decrease hunting pressure in the north. Although the length of the seasons flnd location of the lines will always be controversial, "zoned " deer hunting encourages equitable distribution of hunters and the deer kill.

This is in keeping with good wildlife management principles (and tradition!) .

As far as license fees are concerned, no increases are pending at this time.

Any future increases will be dictated largely by inflation, which affects this Department just as it affects individuals and household budgets. Unlike most other state agencies, we are supported almost entirely by license fees, not general fund tax revenues.

BOAT SAFETY ADVICE Due mainly to the time of year that they engage in their sports, hunters and fishermen are much more likely than other boaters to be involved in fatal boating accidents.

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that hunters and fishermen are involved in only 10 per cent of all boating activity but make up some 43 per cent of all the fatalities.

The figures also indicate that sportsmen have ten times greater chance of having a fatal accident in the fall, winter, or spring than in the summer. So with the waterfowl season and fall fishing activities not far off, sportsmen should take time to become familiar with the following survival tips and information: • Always wear a personal flotation device (PFD).

• Cold water drastically reduces survival time.

• If trouble occurs, do not panic. Move slowly. Conserve energy by using a minimum of movement.

• Keep your lungs full of air; yelling and screaming reduce buoyancy.

• Practice H.E.L.P. (Heat Es-

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

cape Lessening Position). Hold arms tightly to sides, cross hands over the chest. Hold legs together, ankles crossed, and draw knees toward chest.

Loss of body heat (hypothermia) is the greatest threat in many outdoor accidents. â&#x20AC;˘ As a safety precaution, tell someone your planned schedule, destination, and the estimated time of return.

THE LABEL HELPS If you are renewing your subscription, notifying us of an address change, or have any other reason to write about your subscription to MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE, please include a label from your magazine, or at least a copy of all the information on the label. It will greatly help speed the processing.

If you are moving, we also need your new mailing address, including zip code. We must have this information at least four weeks in advance of the next publication date. The magazine is not forwarded automatically.

LIFE JACKETS SA VE LIVES The value of wearing a life jacket while on the water has seldom been more dramatically illustrated than by an incident reported in July by Game Warden Charles Adkins of Oquossoc.

Adkins, the investigating officer, said that a canoeing tragedy of major proportions was narrowly averted on Mooselookmeguntic Lake when 7 canoes carrying 23 children and counselors from a Belgrade summer camp were swamped by high winds.

The incident occurred three to four miles from shore on Maine's fourth largest lake, which Adkins said was very rough at the time.

Most of the 15 pre-teen boys and their 8 counselors were in the water for several hours and all were wearing life jackets. Had they not been wearing the jackets or had with them only buoyant cushions, Adkins is convinced, there would have been multiple drownings.

Two Maine Forest Service rangers and two citizens pulled most of

the campers from the water to their boats. One rescue boat was swamped during the recovery.

All but one of the canoes and all the gear aboard were lost, "but all the warm bodies were saved," said Adkins.

RANGELEY FISHERY REPORT Twenty years of fishery research at one of Maine's most famous trout and salmon lakes is summarized in a new booklet now available from the Department for 50 cents.

"Rangeley Lake Fish Management" details the history, present status, and recommendations for maintaining and improving landlocked salmon and brook trout fisheries in the 6,000 acre, western Maine lake.

Copies of the 64-page booklet may be obtained for 50 cents each from the Maine Fish and Wildlife Department, 284 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333. Do not send cash or stamps. Make check or money order payable to Treasurer, State of Maine.

Whlt.Talled Deer

}I

ll!!ni

Mml.i

In 1900, an offlclal survey estimated lesa than 500,000 wtiltâ&#x20AC;˘talled deer in lhe nat!on.

Today there are about 12,000,000~nks in major part to the more than $250 mMHon that sportsmen pay for conservation each year. To learn more about America's wildlife visit a National Hunting and Fishing Day program in your community.

NATIONAL HUNTING and ASHING DAY September 24, 19n

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 1977

31

BACK YARD TROUT FISHING Continued from page 19

caught" might consider feeding. Incidentally, the sale of fish also requires a special license from the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and all fish taken from a private pond use for commercial purposes shall while transported or possessed at place of storage, be tagged with the name and address of the pond owner.

• Should I stock minnows or other fish in my pond as a source of food for the trout?

Minnows introduced for fish food are certainly unnecessary and are usually harmful. Minnow populations build up quickly and crowd the trout for their insect food supply, resulting in poorer trout growth and poorer trout fishing.

• How do I get rid of "trash fish" in my pond?

This problem can be solved easily and inexpensively if your pond can be drained dry to eliminate all of the fish. If this is not the case, it is possible to kill all of the fish in the pond and start anew. Reclamation of a pond is done with a chemical called rotenone that kills fish and all other gill-breathers. A complete kill can be attained in a small pond by using one gallon of 5 per cent emulsifiable rotenone for every six acr_es of water one foot deep. Therefore, you must know the average depth of the pond and the acreage to determine the amount of rotenone. The use of rotenone must be approved by the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department and the State Pesticide Control Board.

• Should I put lime or fertilizer in my pond?

Fertilization or liming of a pond is usually not necessary in Maine. Ponds adjacent to farmland receive nutrients from the soil and the leaching of crop fertilizers. Many farm ponds in northern Maine are overfertilized for these reasons. Overfertilization can be bad for your pond, resulting in a heavy increase

in filamentous algae and other aquatic plant growth.

As these plants die, they decay, using up the precious oxygen needed by trout. In the worst cases, all the oxygen is used up, suffocating all fish in the pond.

Profuse plant growth can also cause an overabundant supply of oxygen on bright, sunny days, as these plants grow and give off large amounts of oxygen.

Too much oxygen will kill trout, too.

• How do we get rid of the algae and aquatic plants in our pond?

If possible, weeds should be removed by hand - by pulling or raking them from the pond. Mats of algae can be removed with rakes or pitchforks. The use of herbicides is discouraged since only a slight overdose can kill the trout in your pond. Also, when algae and aquatic plants are killed and decompose, oxygen depletions often occur, which seriously threaten trout survival. Recommendations and permits for applying herbicides can be obtained by writing the Pesticide Control Board in Augusta. Anyone applying any type of chemical to a pond with an outlet must have a permit from this Board.

Y

OUR FARM POND is your own private property.

No fishing license is necessary if the pond is on your own land. State regulations on seasons, length limits, bag limits, and method of capture do not apply.

The trout are your property to use as you see fit.

In Maine's climate, farm ponds have the best possibilities if they are managed for brook trout. Although the proper construction and maintenance of a farm pond is a costly undertaking, it's kind of convenient to be able to slip out behind the house in the evening to bag a few nice squaretails.

For additional information, your local Soil Conservation Office can supply you with an excellent bulletin entitled, "Trout Ponds for Recreation," USDA, Farmer's Bulletin No. 2249.

•

ANSWERS TO WATER SAFETY QUIZ ON PAGE 25 1. (b)

2. (a)

3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (c) 6. (c)

7. (b)

8. (b)

32

This maneuver takes you away from the current and conserves your energy so you can swim back to shore in a straight line.

The face-down position enables you to float while you are relieving the cramped muscle.

Exertion brings fatigue and loss of heat.

A wooden rowboat or a canvas canoe full of holes will still support the proper load each carries normally.

Boats usually float.

Overloading and improper loading cause the most drownings.

Keep all the weight of water-soaked clothing in the water where it is lighter by far, and by so doing the swimmer makes his way to safety with less effort.

Although the use of the legs is sharply reduced in propelling the body, the body has about as much buoyancy as without the boots.

9. (a) 10. (b) 11. ( c) 12. (a) 13. (b) 14. (b)

Water is a heavier medium than air, hence the body in water is lighter than it was in air.

Even though a water skier is not in the boat, an approved PFD must be available.

Sudden great change is a shock to the system.

You are always legally responsible for your wake.

Checking your weather forecast should always be the first step in planning your trip.

Any boat equipped with a motor no matter how large or small must be registered.

Give yourself 2 points for each correctly checked blank.

The maximum score possible is 28. If you scored less than that, better investigate your Red Cross chapter's water safety classes! If you reached the top mark, you might qualify for water safety aide or instructor courses.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Summer 197 7

RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Postmaster: If undeliverable, please return entire magazine with form 3579

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

284 State St.

Augusta, Maine 04333