Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Spring 1979 by Maine State Library

SPRING 1979

75 CENTS

FISH AND WILDLIFE

MA.Â·INE

MAINE FISH AND \VILDLIFE Spring 1979

Vol. 21, No. 2

Governor Joseph E. Brennan

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife J. William Peppard Kenneth H. Anderson David 0. Locke Alanson B. Noble Lyndon H. Bond Peter C. Brazier Robert W. Boettger William C. Mincher Clayton G. Grant Richard B. Parks Lorenzo J. Gaudreau Alfred L. Meister

Acting Commissioner Director, Planning and Co-ordination Superintendent of Hatcheries Chief Warden Chief, Fishery Division Business Manager Chief, Wildlife Division Director, Information and Education Chief, Engineering Division Chief, Realty Division Director, Recreational Safety and Regis tration Chief Biologist, Atlantic Salmon Commission

Advisory Council Rodney W. Ross, Chairman Brownville, Maine Ralph L. Noel Robert E . Moore Auburn Casco George E. Prentiss Dennis L. Smith Rumford Otter Creek Alva S. Appleby Nathan Cohen Skowhegan Eastport

INSIDE Maine Fishing, 1978

Commissioner Marsh Retires

Animal Life Of A Small Pond

Maine Rivers: The Big Machias

Forrest R. Bonney

Maine's Newest Fish: The Emerald Shiner

Fre4,rick W. Kircheis

SPECIAL COYOTE SECTION

Northeast's Coyote-Wolf

Problem Coyotes: What Can Be Done?

Lake Saint George: A Fishery Manager's Report

Peter G. Walker

Foam: A Cause For Concern?

David Courtemanch

Habitat And The Landowner

Dale F. Whitesell

KID-BITS

Choppers!

Fish And Wildlife Briefs

Harold M Blanchard

Jerome B. Robinson

John M. McPhee

THE (XJVERS Front: Canoeing is a sport ever growing in popularity - and Maine offers many good waterways on which to pursue this satisfying pastime. This particular scene encompasses a stretch of the Big Machias River in Aroostook ounty. See related story beginning on page 10. Photo by George "Pete" Sawyer.

Inside front: Signs of spring - the newborn members of families in the wild. Photos tiy Bill Cross and Tom Carbone of, clockwise from upper left, robin chicle. moose calf, beaver kits, and fox kit. Inside back: And yet another sign of spring - you can tell that wanner weathe is really on the way when the flocks of Canada geese again conÂˇ gregate at their favorite spring nesting grounds. Photo by Bill Cross.

Back: Pink lady slippers - a protected species of wildflower - grace the Maine woods in spring and summer. Admire them, photograph them but don't pick them! Photo by Bill Cross.

Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine William C. Mincher, Editor W. Thomas Shoener, Managing Editor Thomas J. Chamberlain, Features Editor William W. Cross, Photo Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photographer Patricia J. Hogan, Circulation All photographs in this issue were made by the Information and Education Division unless otherwise indicated.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE (ISSN 0360-005X) is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State St., Augusta, Maine 04333, under Appropriation 4550. Subscription rates to United States zip code addresses: $2.50 for one year; $4.00 for two years; $5.50 for three years. No stamps, please. Second class postage paid at Augusta, ME 04330. ÂŠ Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 1979. Written permission must be secured from the Department before reproducing any part of this copyrighted material. No advertising accepted.

POSTMASTER: Send Form 3579 with entire magazine to 284 State St., Augusta, ME 04333. 3

The first returns from that year's spawning were welcomed back in 1978. By season's end, the rod catch on the Machias was over 130, the second highest catch of record on that river. In all, according to Atlantic Salmon Commission records, more than 800 bright fish were reported taken in Maine in 1978. Even disregarding unreported catches, it was a super salmon year. It appears that all of the time, money, and effort that has been invested on behalf of Atlantic salmon run restoration - and water pollution abatement - are now really starting to pay dividends. And those dividends are, and will increasingly be, tallied in more ways than simply the Atlantic salmon rod catch. The best is yet to come.

MAINE FISHING~ ~7g ITHOUT QUESTION, the high point of Maine's 1978 fishing season was the continued resurgence of the king of the game fish, the Atlantic salmon. The previous year had been a good one for Atlantic salmon fishermen the best, in fact, in many, many years - and 1978 was even better. Although fishing was good to excellent on the other salmon rivers, most of the attention was focused on the Penobscot, where by season's end, the rod catch of 360 had exceeded the Bangor Salmon Pool record of 354, set a halfcentury earlier. A "new" 21/2 mile stretch of salmon fishing water was available

to Penobscot River salmon fishermen in 1978 due to the breaching of the Bangor dam. Numerous pools and lies, never before fished by sport fishermen, were quickly located and yielded salmon to anglers whose numbers grew quickly when the word got around that the Penobscot was ''hot.'' The first bright, or fresh-run, salmon was taken from the Salmon Pool on April 20, and angling action reached its peak in June. Dams, or rather the removal of dams, also played a role in events on another Atlantic salmon river. The last dam obstructing the Machias River was removed in 1973, allowing spawning fish free access throughout the drainage.

LSEWHERE on the Maine fishing scene, 1978 was a more normal year, filled with the personal, day-to-day joys and disappointments that characterize the sport. A major source of concern was a drought that began in early summer and lasted through the fall. Brook fishing ended prematurely in many areas as water levels dropped, but as the dry spell wore on, concern was for the fish, not the fishermen. Many brooks and streams were at extreme low levels for several months; some stretches even dried up completely. Aside from the direct effects that the drought had on stream fish and aquatic insect life, it resulted in unfavorable conditions in many spawning tributaries last fall for trout and salmon. On a happier note, The One That Didn't Get Away Club did well in 1978 despite some qualifying weight changes that cut down the total number of fishermen gaining membership. Last year the Maine Sportsman - sponsor of the Club - changed many of the qualifying weights for the various fish species "to reflect the realities of fishing in Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Maine today." The most significant change was the splitting up of the former "black bass" category into smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. The qualifying weight for bass used to be 5 pounds, a good standard for a trophy smallmouth but a bit too easily attained with a largemouth. Under the new rules, a largemouth must be 7 pounds to qualify for Club membership. This produced the desired result last year of reducing the large number of largemouths formerly entered in the Club. On the other hand, qualifying weights were lowered on some

THE ONE THAT DIDN'T GET AW A Y CLUB FOR 1978 The Fish

Brook Trout (Qualifying weight 4 lbs.)

Brown Trout (Qualifying weight 6 lbs.)

Lake Trout (Togue) (Qualifying weight 15 lbs.)

Landlocked Salmon (Qualifying weight 6 lbs.)

Atlantic Salmon (Qualifying weight 15 lbs.)

Small mouth Bass (Qualifying weight 5 lbs.)

Lar\emouth ass (Qualifying weight 7 lbs.)

Pickerel (Qualifying weight 4 lbs.)

White Pe~ch (Qualifying weight 2 lbs.)

awarded a jacket patch and a wallet card to signify the accomplishment. Further information about the Club can be obtained by writing to the Maine Sportsman, Box 507, Yarmouth, Maine 04096. For the record, last year's listing of 1977 Club fish somehow did not include that year's largest brook trout. Caught by Fred W. Chase of Falmouth on May 22, 1977, at Chamberlain Lake, the trophy squaretail weighed-in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. Listed below are the top few fish of each species entered in the Club â&#x20AC;˘ in 1978.

species to afford fishermen a more reasonable opportunity to earn Club membership. These changes also showed signs of producing the desired results. For the other species, the minimum qualifying weights are as follows: landlocked salmon, 6 pounds; brown trout, 6 pounds; rainbow trout, 5 pounds; brook trout, 4 pounds; pickerel, 4 pounds; lake trout (togue), 15 pounds; Atlantic salmon, 15 pounds; white perch, 2 pounds. All Maine fish and wildlife wardens and regional fisheries biologists carry Club registration cards. Each qualifying angler is

en en

"O G) C u :::, C 0:::, D.. 0

.r:. en -C) .r:. G)

CU Cl> C _._

TOP FISH IN EACH CATEGORY

~ Cl)

:::,

C (.)

Where Caught

The Angler

Lure

Peter Grant, Gardiner, Me.

6-1 Y.

3-11

Moosehead Lake

Smelt

Donald J . Doyan, Fairfield, Me.

5-4

6-12

Haymock Lake

shiner

Joel P. Morin, Madawaska, Me.

5-1

20 '12

5-17

Long Lake (Madawaska)

Daredevle spinnie

Paul Ward, Princeton, Me.

5-0

5-23

Indian Pond (T.7,R.12)

Mickey Finn streamer

Judith Groves, East Winthrop, Me.

4-8

5-27

Chamberlain Lake

Weeping Willow

Kenneth E . Goode, Bucksport, Me. Judston M. Gardner, Augusta, Me.

17-7 11-2

34 28

6-22 6-10

Harriman Pond

nightcrawlers sewed bait

Spectacle Pond (Augusta)

Michael J . Lowell, Biddeford, Me.

9-12

29 '12

5-7

Swan Pond (Lyman)

Grey Ghost streamer

Bradford Welch, Casco, Me.

8-15

27 \4

5-21

Pleasant Lake (Casco)

home-tied fly

William Day, Kezar Falls, Me.

6-12

22 '12

5-23

Burnt Meadow Pond

live bait

Dale R. Perigo, Parkman, Me.

6-24

Sebec Lake

sewed shiner

Omar L. Mel ver, Greenville, Me.

3-2

Moosehead Lake

cut bait

Elva Brown, Princeton, Me.

16-5

Feb.

West Grand Lake

Lead Fish

Clayton M. Blood, Searsport, Me.

9-8

5-12

St. George Lake

Grey Ghost streamer

Milo Blood, Brooks, Me.

8-4

9-30

St. George Lake

Grey Ghost streamer

Andrew P. Rowe, Jr., Madison, Me.

6-4

lronbound Pond (Solon)

sewed smelt Cosseboom

Leonard Ritchie, Lincoln, Me.

18-8

6-9

Penobscot River

Joseph R. Houston, Bangor, Me.

35 '12

10-6

Penobscot River

Blue Charm

Roger L. Bennett, Veazie, Me.

16-8

8-16

Penobscot River

Orange Blossom

Fred S. Callahan, Auburn, Me.

15-3

34 '12

6-25

Sheepscot River

Rusty Rat

Stan Foye, Gardiner, Me.

6-21

Sheepscot River

Wagstaff Special plastic worm

Joseph Stemm, Bangor, Me.

21 '12

8-2

Lake Winnecook

Noble E. Steeves, Saco, Me.

6-5

3-23

Moose Pond (Denmark)

tommy cod

Jeane C. Crispin, Norwell, Mass.

6-4

8-23

East Pond

Flatfish

Robert Gagnon, Hebron, Me.

7-28

East Pond

worms

Larry Nufer, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

5-12

8-8

Lake Maranacook

Jitterbug

Jim Doyle, Nashua, N.H.

9-12

9-1

North Pond (Smithfield)

black jelly worm

Eugene D. Osgood, Locke Mills, Me.

9-4

6-7

South Pond (Greenwood)

artificial crab

Scott Bradford, Sabattus, Me.

8-8

25 V:.

7-17

Pleasant Pond (Litchfield)

bl~ck jelly worm

Barry Partridge, Skowhegan, Me.

8-3

8-23

North Pond (Smithfield)

plastic worm

David A. Emery, Kittery, Me. Ted Case, Lewiston, Me.

8-3 6

23 26 '12

8-4 1-8

Kezar Lake Taylor Pond

plastic worm live shiner

Donald Walls, Mt. Desert, Me.

5-8

28 '12

2-1

Long Pond (Mt. Desert)

live shiner

John Maloney, Scarboro, Me.

5-2

27 '12

2-3

Little Sebago Lake

live bait

Michael Hammond, Belgrade, Me.

4-12

3-5

Messalonskee Lake

live shiner

Frederick Olsen Portland, Me. Darrell A. Wentworth, Camden, Me.

4-8

24 '12

1-21

Panther Pond

2-11

16 \4

1-29

Sennebec Pond

live bait shiner

Lloyd R. Spahr, Brewster, Mass.

2-1

8-16

Sebec Lake

live frog

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Commissioner Marsh

Retires It was December 1943 when Maynard F. Marsh joined the Warden Service of this Department and February 1979 when he retired from the Department as its commissioner. The years between, Maynard spent as a district warden, warden supervisor (1953), deputy chief warden (1960), chief warden (1961), deputy commissioner (1970), and commissioner (1971). When George W. Bucknam appointed Maynard as his deputy in 1970, he said, "I have watched Maynard Marsh make a major contribution to the Department's overall efforts and will be pleased to have his continued assistance ... Mr. Marsh is a dedicated public official and in his new capacity will make an even stronger contribution ... " Maynard Marsh's contribution to the cause of conservation, as Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Marsh, got off to a brisk start. One of the first problems he ran into was the deer season of 1971, in which our weekly registration figures showed that too many deer were being taken from a statewide herd that had been depleted during three severe winters previous to

that season. When the total deer kill approached a danger point, Maynard took action that was praised by some and decried by others: he closed the season several days early. Studies subsequent to this action showed that the recovery of the deer herd - faster than expected - was undoubtedly helped by the early closure. Âˇ We have space to mention only a few of many other noteworthy events during his tenure. Our species management plans became operational in 1975 (1968 was the start of our formulation of a comprehensive long range plan). Warden Service expanded slightly to help handle some of the increasing demands placed on our law enforcement people by environmental regulations and other laws not strictly fish and wildlife legislation. Maine's trapping regulations were given a close scrutiny and revamped, with the objective of regulating this activity according to the long range species management plan. As recommended in the final report of the management and cost survey in 1973, there was a realignment of certain of the Depart-

ment's divisions. Snowmobile and watercraft registration and safety functions were combined into one division ... the game farm was placed under the Wildlife Division ... and our hatchery operations were placed closer to the Fishery Division. Maynard Marsh was involved with the Baxter State Park Authority, the Pesticide Control Board, and the Atlantic Sea Run Salmon Commission, both as member and as chairman of each group. He devoted many enthusiastic and hard working hours to each and had the satisfaction of seeing the Atlantic salmon program produce dramatic results before he retired. Rules and regulations for these agencies have been extensively changed during the past eight years, to meet the changing needs of today's pressures. Maynard was commissioner when the Fisheries and Wildlife Acquisition Fund was authorized by Maine voters in 1974. Much of this $4,000,000 bond issue was earmarked according to plan before the voters said yes, and most of the portion that has been used to date has gone for land to enlarge the Department's wildlife management areas. Despite the fact that there was a mild recession plus disturbing inflation over the past eight years, the Department had to ask the Legislature for a license fee increase only once. With careful management, the additional revenue served to the end of Maynard's tenure. Continued inflation, along with recently negotiated pay increases, will, however, soon bring a need for more income. Maynard has now left all this and retired to his home in Gorham, where he was born. He and his wife, the former Frances Knight of Westbrook, were honored by sev~al hundred guests at a retirement party in Augusta. They have the best wishes of all of us for many pleasant years of relaxation, and thanks for a job well done. Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

AN/MALL/FE OFA SMALL POND By Harold M. Blanchard Wildlife Biologist

OU MIGHT BE surprised to learn that one of the most interesting and complex wildlife habitats in central and northern Maine is the small pond. Let us define a small pond as less than 50 surface acres, with varying water depths. Much of the pond will be less than 10 feet deep with both emergent vegetation and submergent plants occupying a sizeable proportion of the bottom area. Among the common submergent plants are water weed and coontail. The emergent types might consist of cattail, pickerel weed, water lilies, or spatterdock. Chemically, the typical small Maine pond would be acid rather than alkaline, and it might suffer periods of low oxygen content and high temperatures. These factors would influence the type and quantity of fish that the pond can support. It is not, however, my purpose to discuss the fisheries aspects of a small pond but, rather, to review this habitat type as used by other animals. Basic production and subsequent use of a small pond habitat depends on the fertility of the water, much as a garden plot's production depends on soil fertility. The microscopic plants called phytoplankton are the basic food converters in the pond environment. Phytoplankton contain chlorophyll and in the presence of sunlight can convert water-carried nutrients to an abundant plant

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

food source. This plant food is used by the tiny animal organisms called zooplankton, which in turn are fed on by fish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and higher life forms. Typical insect life in a small pond includes mosquito larvae and mayfly, dragon fly, and caddis fly nymphs. The crustaceans include crayfish; and the mollusks include the fresh-water mussels and snails. As we progress upward on the food chain, we will see how the abundance and distribution of these animals predicate a pond's use by the birds and mammals that feed upon them. First, we should consider briefly other animals that are found in our typical small ponds. These are the reptiles (i.e., snakes and turtles) and the amphibians (newts, salamanders, and frogs). Our typical small central Maine pond will likely be inhabited by the

common water snake and by snapping and painted turtles. The water snake can grow quite large; some individuals attain a length of 30 inches or more. They are often seen sunning themselves on hot summer days on brush hanging over the water or on old stumps or dri-ki floaters. Painted turtles, also, seem to have an affinity for sunshine and are commonly seen during hot days on partly submerged logs or other floating material. These turtles, with their colorful black and yellow marks, seldom grow very large. The snappers, on the other handshy and seldom seen - may grow to enormous proportions, sometimes weighing as much as 30 or 35 pounds. Their massive heads, dull coloration, and serrated shells give them a ferocious appearance. They often have a number of leeches attached to them, and this further adds to their unattractiveness. However, in some areas, snapping turtles are eagerly sought by man for food, as their flesh is delicately flavored. They are the turtles most commonly used in making turtle soup. Snapping turtles have often been accused of feeding heavily on young waterfowl, but studies in Maine and elsewhere have shown

Waterfowl and shorebirds are commonly found around many small ponds in Maine. The ponds usually fulfill all the birds' needs, including nesting , breeding, and feeding areas.

that fish and common water plants make up a large part of the snapper's diet. Common frogs found in small pond habitats include the pickerel frog and green frog, but spring peepers, tree frogs, and even toads use these water areas for breeding purposes. The eastern newt, too, is common in our small ponds, and the spotted salamanders use the ponds for breeding, while tiger salamanders, Jefferson salamanders, and even mud puppies may occur on a year-round basis.

A GROUP, aquatic fur-

~ bearers are probably most dependent on the small pond habitat. Muskrats, the most common of this group, use small ponds for permanent residences. Essentially vegetarians feeding on the aquatic vegetation that grows in these water areas, muskrats also utilize freshwater mussels for food; shell heaps in shallow water along shore lines reveal the rats' feeding areas. A common sight in our small pond is what appears to be floating banana stalks. These are really the root systems of spatterdock or dog lilies which muskrat feeding activities have freed from the pond bottom. Beaver are also commonly found in our small ponds. Their dams and lodges of wood and mud are sure indicators of their presence. Beavers are vegetarians, feeding primarily

on aquatic and woody vegetation in and around the ponds. Bark and leaves of poplar, alder, birch, and other hardwoods are their staple food items, and their habit of storing woody brush for a winter food source is well known. The pond provides the room for these activities to occur. Mink and otter are also prime users of small pond habitats, although they tend to be wanderers as compared to muskrat and beaver. Mink often den and bear young in this pond environment. They are primarily carnivorous in food preferences, eating fish, frogs, salamanders, small birds, mice, and virtually anything else they can catch in and around the aquatic habitat. Otters are somewhat more restricted to water than are mink although their overland journeys are well documented. Otter are primarily fish eaters, but frogs, crayfish, and even muskrats rate high among their preferred food items. The small ponds provide otters with nearly all the things important in their life cycle. The number of this group of animals to be found in a typical small central Maine pond varies both between and within years. It would be safe to say, however, that virtually no pond or lake in Maine goes without at least a visit by mink, beaver, otter, and muskrat, and most have resident populations of muskrat. The most common semi-aquatic furbearer that use our small pond habitats are raccoons. Coons, which feed on both plants and animals, are extremely opportunistic and adaptable in regard to their food habits. Frogs and crayfish rank high on their preferred menus, and coons frequent the shallows around ponds searching out these chosen delicacies. The group of animals which can be classed as upland furbearers utilize the small pond environment in many ways. This group of ani-

mals includes the fox, fisher, marten, coyote, skunk, and weasel. The margins of ponds, because of varying degrees of soil moisture and other factors, create an "edge effect" of a multitude of vegetative types that are interspersed so as to offer a variety of conditions that benefit many mice, birds, insects, and other life forms used for food by these upland furbearers. The frozen, snow-covered surface of a typical small Maine pond in February would certainly be laced with the tracks of breeding foxes.

IG GAME ANIMALS - moose, deer, and bear - use small ponds and their associated vegetation for many purposes throughout the year. Moose feed heavily on aquatic vegetation in the summer months, and the open water offers them some relief from the pesky flies. Deer utilize the ponds for drinking, and they feed somewhat on the emergent aquatics around the shore. They also take advantage of the cooling summer breezes that help to keep away the flies. Bears, of course, are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal matter. They frequent the cool, damp edges of our small ponds in summer, and their signs are to be found most often in the bluejoint swales and alder runs associated with the areas around the small pond habitat. Waterfowl and shorebirds are common inhabitants of many small ponds in Maine. In most instances, the ponds fulfill all of these birds' requirements, including nesting, breeding, and feeding areas. Our native waterfowl, the black duck, wood duck and ringneck, are the species most often found. Migratory game and shore birds such as woodcock, snipe, rails, and sam:lpipers may be present, as well as that king of upland game birds, the ruffed grouse. These ponds are also used by migrating waterfowl as resting and feeding areas. AlMaine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

The wary fox finds the area around a small pond a good place to find prey species.

though the puddle ducks are the most frequent inhabitants, the divers, such as whistlers and bufflehead, as well as sheldrakes (mergansers), are often found. Many other types of birds use small ponds for nesting and feedmg areas. This group would include eagles, hawks, herons, bitterns, and kingfishers as well as a variety of song birds including swallows and the redwing blackbirds. Yes, a typical small central Maine pond is an important habitat type in the life cycle of nearly all of our native wildlife species.

F YOU WOULD, come with me and spend an imaginary summer day on a small Maine pond. We will rise early, leaving home in the cool, damp darkness of early morning and arrive at our vantage point overlooking '' Secret Pond.'' The pond is about 35 acres, with an irregular shoreline. There are two long, shallow coves where spatterdock and pickerel weed nearly cover the water surface. The fringes of the pond are completely wooded with mixtures of hardwoods, softwoods, and even an alder run where an intermittent stream enters.

Shortly after we arrive at the pond, the creeping, grey, foggy light of early morning allows us to witness a scene alive and beautiful. On the calm surface, there appear small dimples made by emerging insects. The air is filled with croaking of frogs, and heavy splashes as they feed on the insects. Here and there a sizeable V cuts the water - muskrats making hurried use of the remaining darkness, feeding on the water plants. A loud splash near an island draws our attention to a beaver, warning his companions of our presence. As dawn nears, swallows dart gracefully back and forth above the water, gorging themselves on emerging mayflies. Soon, a hen wood duck appears as if by magic amongst the pickerel weed, leading her brood in the endless search for food. A kingfisher leaves its perch high in a hardwood snag and dives noisily into the water, then takes flight with a small fish. Followed by four smaller, blackmasked offspring, a mother coon wades along the pond's edge, stop-

... the creeping , grey, foggy light of early morning allows us to witness a a scene alive and beautiful.

ping here and there while their front paws probe and reach into all sorts of hidden places as they gaze about without apparent concern. If we are lucky, we'll see a solitary mink or perhaps a pair of otter swim across the pond. Full daylight has not yet arrived when a furtive doe and her spotted fawn emerge from the bordering woodlands to drink at the water's edge. As the sun crests the horizon, and its full light glares, the pond quiets; except for the birds, the activity we have been watching slows down. About mid-morning, a ripple near shore reveals a painted turtle crawling out of the water onto a floating grey log. During the heat of the day, little activity is obvious in the pond although in the late afternoon, a large bull moose with velvet antlers makes his way into shoulderdeep water and submerges his head to come up with mouthfulls of green weeds. Even from here, we can see the mass of flies that seem to be ignored by the huge animal. As the day wears on and early evening approaches, a sow bear appears at the edge of the alder run, followed by two mischievous cubs. They come to the pond's edge, pause warily, then drink and silently melt back into the forest. Dusk is now evident, and once again the pond becomes alive. The placid surface is dimpled first with emerging insects, and the birds again begin to feed. Just before black night, little brown bats dart and glide across the surface. The wake of a muskrat is clearly visible, and a crescendo of sounds from the frogs creates a concert that for me, at least, sounds better than Beethoven. â&#x20AC;˘ 9

The true delight of our holiday began when we put on the vesture of the woods and took our seats in the canoes. The confusion and uproar of the world is left behind and we begin the simple amiable life for another season and our thoughts are now of tents and camps and their beds of balsam boughs and the camp fires that burn under the blue skies with the twinkling stars for illumination; what the camp lacks in elegant luxury it makes up in freedom. Photos on this page by George C. Sawyer; others by the author.

By Forrest Bonney Fishery Biologist N THE EARLY 1900s, William Simpson of New York, who had spent many summers in Aroostook County, vacationed "on the headwaters of the Machias River in Maine, where we would have a combination of forest, mountain, lakes, ponds and river." An account of Mr. Simpson's trip appears in the 1916 edition of In the Maine Woods, published by the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. While Simpson was perhaps the earliest sportsman to recount the details of his Machias River trip in a magazine article, he was by no means the first to explore this northern Maine river. The area had been traversed by th_e white man since the eighteenth century. Some of the earliest explorers of the Machias drainage were Canadians who travelled up the branches of the St. John River to cut the virgin timber along its banks. The timber was floated to the mills of St. John, New Brunswick, on the next spring's high water. In those days before Maine's northern boundary was determined to everyone's satisfaction, small logging camps were set up by the Canadians on the Aroostook River and presumably on the Machias, too. Sometime between 1780 and 1815, the Machias River drainage was penetrated by the California Road (later replaced by the American Realty Road) which cut through Ashland and Garfield, then continued westward through the Maine wilderness. Settlement along the Machias, however, was confined to the lower stretches of the river at Garfield and Ashland. In 1843, a sawmill was built in Garfield and blocked the access of the Atlantic salmon to the river. Charles Atkins wrote in 1874 that the Big Machias had been one of the salmon's favorite streams in old times. By the early 1900s, when William Simpson ventured up the Machias River, the river had lost its salmon; but there were still brook trout to be had, and Mr. Simpson reports catching a 3Y4 pounder. His statement shows

that the drainage had been explored and the waters named: "The Machias River waters consist of Little South Branch, Greenlaw and Sam Hayden brooks, Center and Spectacle ponds, Big Machias Lake, McGowan, Pratt, Billings, Caribou, Horse-shoe and McNally ponds, Twenty Mile, Fourteen Mile, Indian, Farrar, Rowe, Conn!:>rs and Lucky brooks and Rowe Lake." In addition to the above lakes and ponds, Greenlaw, Farrar, Round Mountain, and Lost ponds also lie within the Big Machias River drainage. Virtually all of the lakes, ponds, and streams of the drainage contain brook trout. Big Machias Lake, Rowe Lake, and Pratt Lake also support limited salmon fisheries. Rowe Lake, the deepest lake of the drainage, also contains whitefish and smelt. HE BIG MACHIAS River drains a total of 313 square miles. Its headwaters arise in the hilly terrain of central Aroostook County and flow eastward, draining many of the lakes and ponds directly or indirectly into Big Machias Lake, the outlet of which forms the Machias River. The major tributary to the river is the South Branch, which enters the main river at The Forks and drains the brooks and ponds of the sou them part of the drainage. Most of the brooks and streams of the drainage are too small and alder-choked to provide enjoyable canoeing, but the main river and the lower part of the South Branch are canoeable except at low water levels. The Machias River from the outlet of Big Machias Lake contains nearly continuous whitewater for about seven miles; then the going becomes easier. The Pinkham Road bridge provides a convenient launching site for those who prefer to put in below the rapids of the upper section of river. There is a five mile-long deadwater where the South Branch enters on the right. At the foot of the deadwater is Twelve-mile dam, which is now washed out. Below the dam are three miles of rapids of intermediate difficulty, then easier going for nine

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

miles. The final obstacle is an old dam just above the bridge on the Garfield road. Then there is one more mile of easy going to the mouth of the river just above Ashland. Our camp was on the edge of a pond in a dense plantation of balsam pine and yellow birch and it was pleasant to be awakened at the break of day when the voices of the birds began to break the silence of the night ... Nature seems to hold a never ending festival in which the trees and their inhabitants, the sunbeams and the shadows join in disclosing "nature's embroidery" of delicate wild flowers growing up through a carpet of green moss. Twentymile and Twentyfivemile brooks, named for their approximate distances from Ashland, drain the hilly northwest section of the drainage. There are no ponds in this area, but the brooks provide good brook trout habitat. The west end of the drainage contains several ponds, all drained by Rocky Brook. At the upper end of this subdrainage is Lost Pond, a shallow trout-pond. Several miles downstream, Rocky Brook picks up the outlet from McNally Pond. Upper McNally contains large populations of warmwater fish in spite of reclamation attempts, and brook trout are no longer stocked there. Lower McN ally pond was created many years ago with the construction of what was reputedly the world's largest wooden dam, built for log-driving purposes. The dam is now gone, and with it went the pond.

Horseshoe Pond lies in the Rocky Brook Mountains. Its outlet is steep and impassable to fish; brook trout were introduced years ago. Caribou Pond and Farrar Pond also drain into Rocky Brook. These two ponds, very Âˇshallow, contain limited brook trout habitat. Rocky Brook flows into Pratt Lake and re-emerges as Pratt Lake Stream. Rowe Lake and several ponds drain into this stream. Round Mountain Pond potentially has the best brook trout habitat of any of these ponds, but a large population of yellow perch competes seriously with trout. Furthermore, the possibility of chemically reclaiming the pond is complicated by the presence of a long brook which would be extremely difficult to treat effectively. McGowan Pond outlet enters Pratt Lake Stream just above Big Machias Lake. McGowan Pond is very shallow and contains many warm-water fish species which make it poor brook trout habitat. Relatively few ponds drain into the main Machias River below Big Machias Lake. The South Branch drains Spectacle, Center, and Lost ponds. All of these ponds are shallow but contain brook trout. Greenlaw Stream drains the northern part of the Machias River drainage. The stream begins at Greenlaw Pond, which supports brook trout in spite of the fact that its maximum depth is only six feet. Since the Realty Road runs parallel to much of Greenlaw Stream, the stream is relatively accessible to fishermen.

HE BIGGEST "flurry" of fishing activity on the Machias and its tributaries takes place in the lateÂˇ spring and early summer when the waters are still cool enough to allow brook trout to expand their range throughout the drainage. As water

BIG MACHIAS RIVER DRAINAGE AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Twelve Mile Dam, around 1950. Almost washed out now, it should still be examined before running 'it with a canoe.

temperatures increase in the latter part of June, however, trout seek out the cool spring holes, as Simpson notes in the following passage: As the season advanced the water became warmer and the fish did not rise as frequently or so actively. We tried at the spring holes early in .the morning or in the evening. At twilight one evening when fishing in a favorite place I hooked what I hoped to be a record breaker. The conclusion was not reached so much by his activity as by his strength. After playing him for a while I managed to get him close up to the surface near the canoe several times so we could see his sides glisten in the clear water but in a fatal moment he dashed under the canoe, parted the leader and got away. Damon exclaimed "Oh, what a pity, he looked like a fiye pounder': but do you know I really believe that our spectacles · of regret often magnify as I have heard so often of ''the big one that got away''.

In the 1950s, many of the waters of the Machias River and other drainages of Northern Maine were altered by the construction of log-driving dams and by the bulldozing of streams to facilitate log driving. In the Big Machias drainage, 21 such dams interfered with the inovement of fish up and down the streams. In some cases, streambeds were straightened by bulldozers, thereby destroying the brook trout habitat. Over· the years, most of these impoundments have washed out or have been removed, and fish passage is no longer limited within the drainage. The advent of mechanized wood-harvesting has increased the incidence of siltation within the drainage. Construction of road networks., along _w ith log skid-

ding activity result in the disruption of vegetation, leaving exposed soil vulnerable to erosion into brooks and streams. Siltation decreases water quality, fills in deep holes, smothers fish eggs, and creates in the aquatic environment many other subtle changes which adversely affect fish and other organisms. The Fish and Wildlife Department, the Land Use Regulation Commission, and other state agencies are working with landowners to minimize siltation incidents and to keep our forested waterways clean. Most of the area making up the Big Machias River drainage lies within the jurisdiction of the North Maine Woods, an organization of landowners and state agencies which manages the area for multiple use. A fee is charged for day use and for campsites. Attendants at the gates will provide information about locations and availability of campsites. EOPLE HA VE TRAVELLED the Big Machias River drainage for nearly 200 years to cut timber and to hunt, fish, canoe, and camp. Permanent settlement, however, has been confined to the extreme lower end of the drainage. And although the area has been cut over the years, accompanied by the building of road systems, the drainage still offers a setting where, as Simpson noted, ''you can be familiar with the trees and their outlines in the horizon, the rocks and rapids of the stream are familiar landmarks and memory the greatest faculty of the human mind will imprint lasting pictures of yqur outings - that has a secret power to bring you back to the pleasant land of old times in the Maine woods.'' •

REFERENCES In the Maine Woods, published by Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, edition of 1916.* A~ostoo\ River Sa!mon Restoration and Fisheries Management, Mame Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Game, 1956. • Our Heritage - Garfield Plantation, 1977. AMC River Guide - \ Northeastern New England, Vol. 1. *Out of print but may be available at Maine libraries.

Aerial of Horseshoe Pond, in the Rocky Brook Mountains. The outlet is steep and impassable to fish; brook trout were introduced here long ago.

12 ·

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

.MANY

ANGLERS buying . Âˇ live bait from local bait dealers in Maine have been. noticing a new "smelt" which is being offered for sale. This fish is 11 little broader than a "regular" smelt but otherwise is quite similar: it has shiny, silvery scales with bluish, greenish, or pink highlights; the scal~s come off easily when handled; and the fish is long and smelt-like in appearance. It does not, however, have an adi.pose fin which is a characteristic of the, smelt family. The adipose is the small fin, also found on trout and salmon, on the back just ahead of the tail. This "new" fish that is showing up in bait pails is not a smelt but rather a shiner, the emerald shiner, sometimes called lake shiner, lake emerald shiner' or common emer-

aid shiner. If you prefer to be taxonomically proper, call it Notropis atherinoides, Rafinesque: The emerald shiner is a very co~mon fish in central North America. Its native range includes all of the Mississippi River drainage and the major river systems which are tributary to Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes in Canada. The emerald shiner is not native to Maine although there are reports of a few being found in the Piscataqua River on the Maine-New Hampshire border and niore recently in some other waters throughout the state. The emerald shiner is a fish of lakes and large rivers. It usually schools in large numbers near the surface, where It can be seen dimpling the water as it feeds on tiny Âˇ aquatic plants and animals. The

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

By Frederick W. Kircheis Fishery Research Biologist

species reproduces in the late spring (Canada), and the eggs hatch in 24 to 32 hours (Scott and Crossman, 1973). Spawning may take place in shallow waters along the shore (McPhail and Lindsey, 1970) or in open water (Scott and Crossman). The emerald shiner may Âˇspawn more than one time in a year if temperatures and conditions are favorable. These fish may be 66 millimeters (2.5 inches) long by the end of the first year, and 84 millimeters (3.3 inches) at the end of their second year. The maximum age is usually three years and the maximum size about 90 to 100 millimeters (3.5 to 4 inches) (McPhail

and Lindsey). The fish will mature and spawn when only one year old. The principal food for the emerald shiner consists of the tiny but abundant phytoplankton and zooplankton found in all waters. On the other hand, the emerald shiner provides food for larger predator Âˇ species. Bass, lake trout, and almost all other large fish prey upon the emerald shiner. Thus it constitutes a vital link in the food chain in many waters where it exists. The emerald shiner seems to occupy the same niche in the ecology

To help stop spread of unwanted species, fishermen should not release unused live bait.

of lakes that our smelt does. Both can be found at any depth, and they feed on the same food organisms (although smelt grow larger and sometimes prey on other small fish). They occur in large numbers and have the same "boom or bust" population characteristic, where they can be very abundant one year and hard to find the next. It is for these reasons and others, like parasite and disease introduction possibilities, that fishery biologists are concerned about the fairly recent use of these fish as bait in Maine. There is no way of knowing what the effect might be on our native

fish if the emerald shiner were to become more firmly established in Maine waters. The emerald shiner could compete with the smelt, our most important forage species for landlocked salmon. In cases of direct competition, there is no way of predicting what the outcome would be. The shiner might prosper and reduce smelt numbers; the smelt might dominate and the shiner never become established; or both might do poorly, much to the detriment of the larger fish which require forage fish for good growth. It is illegal to import any live fish or eggs into Maine. No permits can be issued for the importation of emerald shiners or any other bait fish. Bait dealers selling emerald shiners have usually purchased them from bait wholesalers, and the wholesalers claim they net them in Maine waters. Fishermen find the emerald shiner an attractive bait although it is very fragile and dies very shortly after being placed on a hook. Also, they are often short-lived in a bait pail, unlike other common bait fish which will usually live all day or even several days. It may be too late for us to prevent this new species from becoming established in Maine, but we can try to prevent its becoming more widespread. On many waters, the use of live fish as bait has been prohibited. On waters where its use is legal, fishermen should refrain from releasing their unused live bait after their day's fishing. Take them home to the cat, or give them to someone else to use, but don't release them into our lakes where they may prove hazardous to the health and survival of our native fis~ â&#x20AC;˘ References

McPhail, J.D. and C.C. Lindsey. 1970. Freshwater fishes of northwestern Canada and Alaska. Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Bulletin No. 173. Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1970. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Bulletin No. 184.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

A new predatory animal - the eastern coyote - has become well established in Maine. Debate continues about its effect on native species and about what should, or effectively can, be done about it. The first of the following two articles takes a close look at this controversial creature; the second outlines the Department's views on this new, and no doubt permanent, member of Maine's wildlife community.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

New beast in the woOds

ORTH EAST'S VOTE WOLF By Jerome B. Robinson Editor's Note: Although it is not our normal policy to r~print articles from commercial magazines, we felt that an exception was in order for this one which originally appeared in the August 1978 issue of SPORTS AFIELD. Well researched and objective, its major points are the same as those w~ would have had in an article of our own. The author, a field editor of SPORTS AFIELD, lives in New Hampshire. He is a former Maine resident and for a while was a parttime staff member of MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE. Copyright 1978 by The Hearst Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

HE TIMBER WOLF disappeared from the mountains and forests of the northeast so long ago that no one alive in this century remem-· hers the thrill of hearing its wild calls. For the past dozen years or so, however, northern New Englanders have been hearing a new sound in the forest and finding new tracks where wolves once prowled. The new animal is the eastern coyote, a unique hybrid that combines the crafty cunning, prolificacy, and adaptability of his western cousins with extra size and

strength contributed by the · wolf genes that course through his blood. The eastern coyote is indeed a new animal, carrying the genes of both .the western coyote and the eastern timber wolf. He's . the strongest and the largest predator. in the eastern forests and he's here to stay, reproducing at rate that has caused his range to extend throughout the forests of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire . and Maine, southern Quebec and New Brunswick in the past ten years. Already, in some sections where the coyote population is high, the new forest dweller-is expanding his range closer to civilization, visiting remote farms and scavenging at garbage dumps. Coyote sightings are commc;m now ~n northern New England,·particularly in deer season when there are more people in the woods. In Maine alone more than 300 coyotes were killed in 1977 by hunters, trappers and automobiles. Local reaction to the new coyote is mixed and often bitter. There is no questiQn that coyotes sometimes kill deer and occasionally livestock. Some deer hunters who believe that it is a waste when a deer dies from any cause other than a hunter's bullet tend to denounce the coyote as a danger to the deer herd and call for a bounty to be placed upon his head. Likewise, farmers who have lost sheep or newborn calves to coyotes often

find it hard to appreciate Nature's ·newest gift to·New .E ngland. · Game manageme1_1.t people who are watching the actual effect the coyote is having on other 'Yildlife are less concerned. They know that attacks on· livestock are made by ir1dividual coyotes, not all coyotes, and they oppose pressur~ to reinstate a bounty system ·that has proven to be obsolete, ineffective, and wastefully ·non-selective wherever it has been used. As for the coyotes' effect on deer and other wildlife populations, it · appears that the coyote eats whatever is most easily available, from grass and fruits and small rodents to deer and beaver when they can hr easily caught. Rather than limiting the deer population, numbers of coyotes will be limited by the amount of vulnerable prey that exists, say biologists. In his role as predator, the coyote fills the niche formerly occupied by ·the wolf, and as his numbers swell he will be pursued by men with guns and traps and killed for his predations as well as for the value of his pelt. The timber wolf was driven from -these same forests by the pursuit of man and the diminishing wilderness. But this time the story will end differentlj, for Nature has replaced the manshy,. wide-ranging, wilderness-craving timber wolf with one of the most ·adaptable animals known to man. An old Indian legend predicts that the cQyote will be the last Maine Fish·and Wildlife - Spring 1979

animal on earth, a tribute to the coyote's ability to live on whatever is available, reg~rdless of how the surrounding habitat changes. ForÂˇ more than a hundred years western farmers and ranchers have tried to exterminate coyotes. Mil\ lions upon millions of dollars have been spent on poison bait programs, on paying gov~rnment trappers and government hunters to kill coyotes, and on expensive bounties in a continuing, year in, year out warfare against coyotes. The result? More coyotes than ever before. Despite giant programs aimed at his elimination and the almost total alteration of his habitat from prairie and forest to farm and woodlot, the western coyote has not only held on to his original range, he's expanded it,Âˇ pushing eastward into regions that he did not occupy even when the first white men stepped upon North American soil. The eastern coyote will endure, there is little question of that. If prairie farmers have been unable to reduce its numbers in regions where the coyote must operate in the open where he could easily be seen and shot at, imagine how tenacious he will prove to be in country that is thick with forest. A hundred years ago in northern New England the fore~t had been cleared from more than 75 percent of the land. That's what the wolf could not tolerate. But today New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont are again more than 80 percent forested. The old hill farms have been abandoned and old pastures have reverted to forest. Walk the hills of northern New England and you will find stone walls marking off the boundaries of farms that disappeared years ago, faint reminders of an age when rural families lived off what they produced with little emphasis on cash crops. Today northern New England produces timber for saw logs, paper pulp, and other wood products - and agriculture is limited to flat river valleys. The woods have Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

returned and with them the woods animals: deer and bear and moose, fishers, bobcats and beaver have reappeared in far greater numbers than existed at the beginning of the 20th century. It is the old story of Nature filling every niche. Where a food source is available there is an animal species that thrives on that food. In the old days, the wolf roamed northeastern forests and preyed upon deer and smaller animals. When the forests were cut and cleared to pasture, that habitat no longer suited a predator of the wolf's nature. Since the wolf disappeared, however, economic forces have been at work remaking the face of the northeast. Completion of railroads connecting western grazing ranges with eastern markets in the mid-1800s killed the New England wool industry, and the huge flocks of sheep that grazed the old cleared hill pastures disappeared. In a few years the woods began to grow again as the neglected pastures reverted to forest. World War I and the Great Depression stole two generations of young people from the New England hill farms who never returned to take up the plow or mow the high pastures. Agriculture became increasingly competitive; only the big farmer with modern machinery could produce the volumes necessary to clear a profit. The steep hill farms that had been cleared and worked with horses could not be farmed with modern machinery. The New England hill farmer gradually disappeared, his fields and pastures reverting to woodland. And so today again we have a forest that covers more than 80 percent of northern New England. With the return of the forest has followed a return of forest wildlife, deer and bear and beaver to harvest the bounteous forest growth, fisher and bobcat to prey upon the smaller forest dwellers - and now the eastern coyote filling the role played formerly by the wolf as the

chief predator of them all. Like the wolf, the coyote has the capability of killing animals as large as deer and will do so when deer are the most easily obtainable food source. When times are poor the coyote can exist on the forest's most meager fare.

CIENTISTS HA VE DISCOVERED wolflike characteristic in the skull structure of the eastern coyote that do not appear in coyotes from the west. This has led biologists to believe that as western coyotes extended their range eastward vanguards of the movement became established in the marginal wolf range of northern Minnesota and southern Ontario and Quebec, where enough crossbreeding took place to send east a type of coyote with some of the stature of the wolf. Undoubtedly, there was also some crossbreeding with dogs, particularly when lone coyotes drifted into ranges where they could find no other coyotes as the breeding season arrived. For some time it was commonly believed that the new predators were crosses of occasional coyotes with numerous freeroaming dogs. Even today throughout New England, eastern coyotes are still often mistakenly referred to as coy-dogs when really they areÂˇ something far superior. Biological studies have proven that while coy-dogs do occur when coyotes first move into a new range and breed with dogs, the hybrids seem to die out as more coyotes move into the area. Several reasons for the coy-dog die-off are apparent. In the first place both male and female coyotes come into breeding condition but once a year, usually in February which assures that their pups will be born in the warmer weather following a 63-day gestation period. The offspring of the coyote-dog cross, however, suffer a shift in the breeding cycle that causes them to come into breeding condition three

months earlier, usually in November. Their pups are produced in the dead of winter when chances of survival in the wild are extremely thin. Furthermore, where the male coyote assumes responsibility for his family and helps hunt for food to bring back to the den to feed the lactating mother and the pups, studies have shown that male coydogs do not help rear the litter and thus further reduce chances that the pups will survive in northern latitudes where winters are long and perilously cold. On the other hand, biologists have found that the wolf-coyote cross produces off-spring that retain an annual February breeding season, assu:ring spring-born litters, and the males retain the characteristics of wolves and coyotes in hunting for the family and helping to rear the young. Add to that a measure of extra strength and size and the result is an animal 15 to 20 pounds heavier than the western coyote, combining the wolf's keen hunting sense with the coyote's ability to coexist in an environment he must share with man.

A LTHOUGH COYOTES

~ and

coy-dogs have been reported in northern New England since the 1930s, it has been just within the past dozen years that the coyote population has become generally strong over much of its potential range. It was 1969 before biologists suggested that the larger eastern coyote was more likely a wolf-coyote hybrid rather than a coyote-dog cross. And it was not until 1971 that the wolf's genetic influence on the eastern coyote was clearly verified through skull and tooth structure analysis. One of the most authoritative students of the eastern coyote is Henry Hilton, a biologist with the Maine Fish and Wildlife Department who wrote his master's degree thesis on the animals after

conducting Âˇimportant studies of coyote physiology, behavior, and feeding patterns in the remote St. John River country of northern Maine. Hilton literally lived with coyotes. When snow covered the ground each day he followed coyote tracks noting where the animals moved and what they hunted. Through analysis of droppings he collected and from stomach contents of animals turned in for study, he det~rmined what the coyotes were feeding on at different seasons. Study of uterine scars indicated the large average size of coyote litters. Eventually he removed a litter of seven baby coyotes from a den and raised them in captivity where growth and behavior studies have continued. From Hilton's studies and the observations of others it appears that the coyote's main effect on the deer herd is felt from January through March when deer are at their weakest and most vulnerable and the nutritional needs of pregnant female coyotes are greatest. Coyote families generally break up in autumn, parents and offspring going off singly. In November and December tracks indicate that most coyotes are hunting on their own, feeding largely upon rodents and small mammals which are at their population peak just before winter sets in. Deer become a major staple of the coyote diet after deer-hunting seasons close. Coyotes are quick to find the crippled deer that die of gunshot wounds. Flesh of deer left behind by hunters and those that are wounded by automobiles probably makes up a large part of the coyote's early w.inter diet. Hilton found that single coyotes, traveling widely, crossed the fresh tracks of many deer and occasionally followed the tracks and made brief pursuits when deer were actually encountered. He found no case where a single coyote actually attacked a deer although pursuits testing the deer's ability to get

away were frequent. With the approach of the February breeding season coyotes pair up and hunt together. Now they become adept at catching rabbits, one coyote trailing while the other lies in wait. As a pair, coyotes also become formidable predators on deer. Hilton's extensive tracking indicated that pairs of coyotes pursued deer more often than single coyotes, although they actually crossed less deer tracks due to the restrictions placed on both coyotes and deer by deep snow. He found that pursuits of deer by pairs of coyotes resulted in a kill in 79 percent of the cases he studied. In March coyotes often regroup, the mated pair apparently being joined by two or three of last year's pups. It is the end of winter and all wildlife, coyotes as well as deer, has been weakened by the lean months when food is short and bodies need extra fuel to fight the cold. Pregnant females feel the extra energy drain as developing young take nutrients from the mothers' bodies. By hunting in small packs at the end of winter coyotes pool their remaining strength and seek the most vulnerable, most easily available source of food - the weakened, winterstarved deer now restricted by deep crusted snow and low energy reserves to hanging about in overbrowsed yarding areas. Hilton's studies showed that when coyotes in pairs and small packs pursued and caught a d~er, they always killed it. When a kill is made the coyotes clean it up, eating all the flesh, hide and smaller bones within a few days. Birds, other predators and wild scavengers make quick work of what odd bits are left. Hilton's studies also revealed that eastern coyotes kill beave1 with some regularity, particularly during the early spring when beaver first emerge from a winter under the ice and venture ashore to cut fresh saplings. Coyotes also catch beaver in the autumn when

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

the beaver travel away from water, cutting and dragging back a supply of winter food. Again, the coyote appears as harvester of whatever is easily available, killing beaver when they leave the security of their ponds and depending on other food sources when beaver are unavailable to them. N APRIL THE FEMALE COYOTE gives birth to a litter averaging seven pups and sometimes numbering ten or more. With such a large reproductive capacity, the

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

coyote has the capability of spreading his range quickly into new areas where habitat and food sources permit. It is believed that the coyote's rapid emergence across northern New England may have been prompted by severe winters in the 1960s that caused widespread starvation among deer herds and littered the woods with easily available deer carcasses on which coyotes fed, prospered and raised large litters. Normally the reproductive rate of coyotes is much lower, with less than 50 percent of the pups surviving their first winter. Coyote pups

reared in captivity have shown fearsome competition among themselves, fighting mortally over scraps of food. In the wild it is easy to picture furious battling among the pups overÂˇ whatever food the parents provide. The weaker pups will get the least of the mother's milk. Once they are able to eat solid food, the stronger pups will take all they can gobble up before the weaker ones have a chance to get a bite. In a season when hunting is poor, mortality among the pups is very high. At best only the most fit survive, and weaker ones perish early of starvation or abuse.

Mother coyotes make only rudimentary dens, often only scooping out a hole in the snow beneath a downed tree ·Or stump where they bear the pups. Once the snow melts completely, no sign of the den exists: Sometimes they use natural crevices, but frost often prevents digging out a den in the earth. Once the pups are born, the mother moves them to another roughly scraped-out den almost immediate-. ly and may move them several ·more times before they are weaned. Fast growers, they are capable of joining their parents in the hunt for mice and small rodents by ~arly . summer and by summer's end are · capable of trailing rabbits and running them down or lying in wait on rabbit trails while other members of the family drive rabbits from hiding. The hardships of winter and hunting alone take their toll, however, and only the best hunters survive until spring. Once he has survived his· first year the coyote's only mortal enemy is man. Full grown and healthy, he need no longer worry about being attacked by bobcats or fishers, and if he can avoid the traps men will set for him, the·guns and dogs with which they will pursue him and the cars they drive. fast on highways, the coyote may live for a dozen years or more before old age slows him down. Then,. weakened by the inal?ility to feed fully, parasites or disease will take hold and further lower his re- . sistance and his energy. That winter he will find himself too weak to hunt one crucial day and then it will just be a matter ·of time before his tired old body feeds his successors in the never-ending food chain. It's nature's cycle.

HERE IS A TENDENCY among hunters to judge the coyote harshly because of his capability as a killer of deer. And there is a natural fear that the coyote may, in taking his rightful share of wild meat, leave less than enough for the man with 20

the gun. That is an age-old conflict that will not likely be more easily settled in the future than it has been in the past. Men will hunt coyotes relentlessly and believe that in doing so they are saving deer. Game managers, aware of the strong sentiments of those who oppose predators, will leave the coyote to fend for himself without the benefit of closed seasons or bag limits. The ~oyote will be hunted the year-round, with hounds or without, and traps will be set for him wherever he becomes a nuisance and whenever his fur is worth taking. A lot of coyotes will be killed for their fur. Eventually hunters in the Northeast will come to realize that the coyote, with all his intelligence and craftiness, is a challenge to hunt, a game animal in his own right: And as more people become coyote hunters, the coyote will become craftier and harder to kill. Where large numbers of coyotes are killed, the remaining coyotes will raise larger litters to adulthood, for food will be easily available. Where coyotes are left alone their numbers will limit themselves, since large litters can only reach maturity where an abundant food source is available. Winter starvation among the deer herds of northeastern states is so severe in extreme winters that some regions report starvation losses outnumbering the deer killed by hunters, automobiles and other known causes. Even in mild winters deer that are in poor physical condition due to wounds, .disease or parasites, and small.deer that have trouble reaching feed in overbrowsed deer yards are considered "walking carrion" by game managers who know that the weakest individuals will not survive the winter. Although coyotes are probably nonselective when they choose a deer, the weaker deer are easiest to catch and therefore probably make up the largest part of the deer coyotes kill. · Biologists have demonstrated that predators do not limit the numbers of the animals they prey

upon but rather are limited themselves by the number of easily available food sources that exist in a region at any certain time. Thus, the fact that coyotes have moved into the Northeast and are rapidly spreading throughout the region indicates that there is an excess of prey, be it mice, rabbits, deer or what have you, that is not being taken by man or other predators, and on which coyotes can exist and multiply. And as long as those food sources last, the adaptable .coyote will endure. The new eastern coyotes come in a variety of colors from dark gray to reddish brown and even blond. This lack of standardizati9n among fur colors has led fur buyers to discount prices on eastern coyote pelts, much to the consternation of trappers. Buyers are paying $25 to $45 for coyotes while fox pelts are bringing up to $75. The range of colors among coyotes is expected to standardize, however, in the future as the coyote population stabilizes and more inbreeding occurs. In winter, coyotes are less vocal than during the rest of the year. But in the spring, summer and fall, they become quite communicative and their high-pitched yipping and long crooning howls have added a new quality to the night sounds of the northeastern woods. Some observers have found it possible to make coyotes howl by activating a loud siren after dark. Often coyotes howl in answer to barking farm dogs in remote areas; distant train whistles seem to turn them on. It is ·a lonesome sound, the kind that stiffens the hairs along your spine, for it strikes an elemental chord in the listener and reminds you that wildness is still awake and doing well despite man's own savage predations upon the land. The emerg.ence of the new super coyote in states that have been settled for more than 200 years is proof that our land sti~l supports a bounteous • abundance of wildlife.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

t .

Problem Coyotes: What Can Be Done? REDATION is a natural process which affects most species of wildlife - it is the method by which many wild animals acquire their food. Howev~r, predation upo.n species which are highly valued by man has often stimulated programs aimed at re. ducing Âˇpredator population levels in an attempt to increase the numbers of favored wildlife species available for human use. Although past efforts to control predators in Maine have never achieved this goal, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife feels that it has the basic responsibility to explore possible ways of improving living conditions and population levels of wildlife species which are favored by the citizens. of Maine.

By any standard of measurement, the white-tailed deer occupies a most favored position with most of Maine's Âˇ citizens. The coyote, a relatively new deer predator in Maine, hasÂˇ attained a disfavored status. This article summarizes the relationship between coyotes and deer in Maine, as well as the Department's present coyote management. Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Overview. The following facts must be weighed in considering coyote management: 1. The coyote has become established in Maine; and due to its reproductive potential and demon- . strated adaptability, we must assume that it is here to stay. There is little if any possibility that any legal control program would endanger or even appreciably reduce the overall coyote population. 2. There is no simple explanation for the recent decline in deer numbers in some portions of Maine. Although flexible and adaptable, Maine deer are near the northern limit of the range of this species and are, therefore, under considerable stress to survive. Apparent increases in the severity of recent winters coupled with more intensive timber harvesting in deer wintering areas (yards) could possibly be more than the animal can endure. Predation is only one of several limiting factors which affect deer. Others are habitat changes, weather, legal and i]Jegal hunting, and destruction by dogs. We do not believe that coyote predation is a

major cause of our lower deer population, but we do recognize that seve;re coyote predation may well accelerate local drops in deer abundance or keep small herds from increasing. 3. Intensive coyote control over large geographical areas is not a practical (Department) management strategy. It would carry a high cost and be of limited effectiveness. In addition, many coyote control methods also kill other wildlife. 4. Lengthening the trapping season for coyotes to encourage trappers to take more of these animals, which may at first seem to be a good idea, is not desirable, because of the potential impact that a longer season would have on other species. In recent years, the trapping season on all upland furbearers has been greatly reduced to insure that the take of such species as the fi~her, fox, and bobcat - which is now near maximum acceptable levels - does not exceed the annual surplus of these animals. Since it is extremely difficult to trap for coyotes without accidentally catching other animals, an ex~

tended general trapping season for coyotes is bound to result in an additional take of the above species. The Department feels at this time, that this would constitute taking an unacceptable chance with the welfare of these species. 5. Substantial control efforts can reduce coyote numbers in small areas. Past Predator Control. Predator control by the Department has involved destruction of domestic and wild dogs killing or harassing deer in southern portions of the state, and trapping and snaring of coyotes around deer wintering areas in western and northern sections. Generally, lack of skill has limited the success of efforts to take problem coyotes. Alternative Control Methods. The Department has opposed all recent attempts to establish a bounty on coyotes or other predators. The elimination of bear and bobcat bounties was supported by the Department because bounties are generally not effective in reducing predation, are subject to fraud, and generally serve only to subsidize a small number of hunters and trappers with no increase in overall numbers of the prey species the bounty is intended to protect. The use of poison baits, M44 cyanide ejectors, trapping, snaring, predator calling, den hunting, and hunting from aircraft are all considered possible control methods, but only under certain favorable conditions and where federal and/or state laws do not prohibit certain materials and activities. There is no currently known single method orÂˇ device, except certain poisons, which could radically reduce coyote numbers. Federal restrictions prohibit the use of the poisons for predator control, largely because of their impact on other species of wildlife. Livestock Protection. Any Maine landowner or his representative

may, without permit, kill wild animals preying on his livestock. A nuisance-wildlife trapping permit may be obtained from this Department for predator control on adjacent lands if this is necessary to solve a problem of livestock destruction or harassment. Because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and u,.e Maine Department of Agriculture have responsibility for predator-related livestock problems, it is the policy of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife not to undertake direct predator control for this purpose; all requests of this type are referred to the local representative of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife Protection. The current relationship between coyotes and white-tailed deer deserves special attention. The precise relationship and the end results of predation on deer abundance are not known. The possibility of predation's contributing to a deer decline does exist. Coyote control in localized trouble spots is warranted to reduce the impact of coyote predation on deer in areas where the deer population is especially vulnerable. In view of this, the Department has set up the following coyote control program: 1. Actions by Department personnel to reduce coyote numbers will be limited to specific deer wintering areas subject to excessively high losses of deer to coyotes. 2. Specific individuals in the Warden Service will be designated as Coyote Control Co-ordinators, and will be assigned the following responsibilities: a. Liaison between Warden Service, regional wildlife biologist and the Furbearer Management Project. b. Work with Wildlife and Planning divisions to develop and modify Department policies and procedures relating Âˇ to coyote control. c. Co-ordinate the distribution of coyote control policies,

procedures, and related information to all Warden Service personnel within specified geographical areas. d. Determine if coyote control is warranted and identify problem areas within a specified geographical area and perform or co-ordinate the implementation of coyote control work. e. Identify and contact trappers to carry out coyote control activities if additional support is needed. f. Approve the issuance of coyote control permits to trappers by the Warden Service personnel. g. Maintain records of all authorized coyote control activities. h . Judge the effectiveness of control activities and recommend appropriate changes. 3. In situations where the use of snares is approved by the Coyote Control Co-ordinator involved, any trapper issued a permit will also be issued a letter from the Commissioner establishing the trapper as an agent of the Commissioner for the purpose of taking coyote as specified in the permit. 4. Training sessions on the use of snares for taking coyote will be arranged for an appropriate number of wardens and regional wildlife biologists. 5. Special studies or evaluations regarding snaring will be jointly planned and carried out by the Coyote Control Co-ordinator and Fur&earer Management Project personnel. PECIAL STUDIES or evaluations regarding Maine coyotes are also being planned and will be carried out cooperatively by the Departmeht, University of Maine, and the Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit to further our knowledge about these animals and their impact on other species of wildlife.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Lake Saint George: A Fishery Manager's Report By Peter G. Walker MONG A fishery management biologist's many duties is responding to the complaints of concerned anglers who have experienced poor fishing on a particular body of water. As often as not, these complaints are based on a single fishless excursion and frequently prove to be unfounded. At other times, the reports are wellfounded and may be the first indication of trouble that a biologist receives. Keep in mind that a region- . al biologist and his assistant are responsible for all of the inland waters in more than 130 towns or townships! For this reason, regional fishery biologists always welcome voluntary fishing reports regardless of whether successful or unsuccessful.

The author was an assistant regional fishery biologist when he wrote this article. He is now the Department's fish hatchery biologist.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

A biologist's response to fishing complaints varies with the circumstances. In some instances, he may just write a simple, personal letter. At other times - especially when several sportsmen express concern over a particular body of water the biologist may choose to investigate the situation in detail. If a problem does, indeed, exist, steps are taken to remedy the situation. The following report was originally prepared for the benefit of the sportsmen who had expressed concern or interest in the salmon fishery of Lake Saint George in Waldo County. The studies cited in the report typify the investigative methods employed in fishery management.

T. GEORGE LAKE is a 1,017-acre lake in the Town of Liberty. It is a fairly deep lake with approximately 260 acres more than 30. feet deep; maximum depth is 64 feet. Late-summer water quality tests were made during 1971 and 1975. Little change was noted in these tests from a

check made in 1960. Thermal stratification occurred between the 30 foot and 35 foot levels. A mild dissolved-oxygen deficiency with values below 4 parts per million was found below 50 feet. One of Saint Gtorge Lake's most outstanding characteristics is its extremely clear water. A secchi disc (water clarity measuring device) lowered from a boat is still visible .at 30 feet. Nets of varying lengths and mesh sizes were set overnight six times during the summer of 1976. The total catch from these sets is as follows: Species

White sucker

No.

Range in Length

18 & 21"

Smallmouth bass

8"-19"

White perch

8"-11"

Salmon

20.7"

Brown trout

12"

In addition, we caught 266 smelts ranging in size from 3 to 7 Y2 inches. From these results, it was concluded that Saint George Lake's smallmouth bass and smelt populations are healthy and very 23

abundant at this time. Additional fish data were obtained during 1977. Two salmon and one brook trout were ·recorded at area fisliing derbies during ·the 1977 ice fishing. season. Another was examined at a taxidermist's shop shortly after ice-out. In addition, two other large salmon were reported through Mr. Arthur Blood, manager of Lake Saint George State Park. Five of the six salmon recorded were from the same year class of 4,000 4-6 inch spring yearlings stocked in 1975. The other salmon was an age 5 + fish stocked as a spring yearling in 1973. The lengths and weights of these salmon are as follows: Season

Length

1976 Open Water 20.7" 1977 Ice

21.7"

Weight

Age

3 lb. 12 oz. 2+ 3 lb. 9 oz.

22.4"

3 lb. 10 oz. 3+

1977 Open Water 25.2 "

6 lb. 14 oz. 3+

26.3"

8 lb. 14 oz. 3+

27.8"

7 lb. 1 oz.

Saint George Lake salmon exhibit exceptionally fast growth - probably the fastest in the state at this time. This is attributed to a relatively small population of salmon

.coupled ·with an extremely abundant population of smelts. It has been many years since brown trout were stocked in Saint George Lake. It appears that salmon competition from brown trout is now minimal. Even though we caught one· brown trout in a sampling net, none have been reported by anglers for several seasons. The presence of largemouth bass · in Saint George Lake was verified in i°977. Mr. Bfood was kind enough to save a specimen for us, obtained from one of the campers. It is believed that largemouths reached the lake via Cargill Pond where they were introduced several years ago. Saint George Lake contains little largemouth bass habitat. Establishment of this species is not expected to have a significant impact on the lake's other fisheries. There are increasingly fewer opportunities for anglers to catch trophy-size landlocked salmon these days. It is, therefore, desir-.

Water quality tests are an important part of a fishery management investigation.

~ble to maintain the Saint George Lake salmon fishery in its present state as long as possible. Management plans for the lake include a con~inuation of stocking relatively light numbers of spring yearling salmon annually. The Department stocked 2,500 in 1976, 2,000 in 1977, 1,000 ·in 1978. The increased size and improved quality of the fish ROW being provided by the Hatchery Division, as well as improvements in s·t ocking techniques, are enabling us t9 achieve equal or better results from the· stocking of fewer fish. The 1977-78' winter_' creei census on St. George Lake revealed that the salmon catch was dominated by age 2 salmon stocked as 4-6'' spring yearlings in 1977. In about 6 months time, these fish had grown to 12-16 inches and weighed up to 1 '/.a pounds! During the 1978 .open water season,. at least one more exceptionally large, trophy salmon was reported. Clearly, the fast growth trend for St. George Lake salmon continued during 1~78.· We have revised .and published the St. George Lake survey, noting the changes in the lake's fishery. Of course, even careful management practices are no guarantee of a stable salmon fishery. Of all of .Maine's fishes, salmon and smelts are the most unpredictable. The causes of mysterious dips in smelt populations are still unknown. When they occur, salmon growth always follows suit. This is ·not to say that it will definitely occur in Saint George Lake. However; the possibility exists. •

UR THANKS to the concerned sportsmen . who have contributed information and/or expressed interest in Saint George Lake. Information g~hered through creel census is very helpful to us, and we hope that sportsn:ien fishing this lake or others wher·e we conduct creel censuses will report their catches to us. II

Maine Fish and--W ildlife- Spring 1979

By David ·courtemanch Aquatic Biologist Maine Departme"nt of · ·· ·Environmental Protection Photos. by Matt Scott, D.E.P.

Foam on a lakeshore or on a stream is probably not due to detergent contamination. The most usual cause is simply wind and wave action - left and below.

DECADE OR TWO ago, people became alarmed by the pollution that was obviously occurring in some lakes. A large part of that visible pollution was caused by the ingredients · in home laundry agents, and people often felt that pollution was only what one could see. However, the case is' more likely what we do not see. Today, although laundry ingredients still have the potential to harm our lakes, their influence is less obvious. Other, non- aundry, uses of detergents also pose a threat to Maine lakes. This article discusses one aspect of the changing nature of lake problems. Detergents and Foam. Every summer, one of the most common inquiries made by people to the Department of Environmental Protection' s Lakes Division is "does foam on the shore of a.lake indicate detergent pollution and declining water quality?" Before answering that question, . we need to . know a little abbut detergents and the processes which produce foam. Foam is created when the surface tension of water (attraction of surface molecules towdrd the center,

which gives a chop of water its round shape) is reduced and air is · mixed in, causing bubble formation. Many substances, besides soap and detergents, will reduce surface tension. "Soap" is generally defined as compounds of fats, fatty acids, and caustic soda. These materials, oy reducing the sorface tension of water, increase its cleansing ability and produce suds. The term "detergent" usually refers to synthetic compounds which c~me on · the market after World War II. They also work by reducing surface tension but have

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

the added properties · of "softening" water and emulsifying (or mixing with) oils. The ability to soften water gives detergents their great advantage over soap. Calcium and magnesium . in ''hard'' waters tend to combine with soap, binding soil particles and causing the characteristic yellowing of clothes: Phosphates in the synthetic detergents.tie up the calcium and magne~ium, thus increasing cleaning efficiency. The first ~ynthetic detergents to come on the market were usually compounds of alkyl benzene sul. fonate (ABS). In the late 1950s ·and

early 1960s, many communities experienced tremendous foam problems in lakes, rivers, sewage treatment plants, and even water faucets because of contaminated wells. These events were highly publicized, and foam became a common indicator of pollution. Unlike soap, the structure of the ABS molecule was in a branched form which could not be broken down by bacteria. Hence, the detergent accumulated in the water and was labelled "nonbiodegradable." To combat this problem, the detergent industry changed the chemical structure to a simple linear form, LAS, which could be attacked by bacteria. Virtually all detergents today are of this simple "biodegradable" form, and great quantities of foam which had occurred from accumulation are thus prevented. To answer the original question then: ''No, foam on a lakeshore or in a stream probably is not due to detergent contamination.'' Most foam is a product of nature. Small trout streams often have pools of foam where fish will hide. "Natural" foaming occurs when small aquatic organisms (such as algae) die and decompose, releasing a variety of organic compounds. Organic compounds leached from soil also cause foam. The Indians were known to have used various materials, such as bark and plant roots, to clean items. Like soap and ABS, these compounds also reduce surface tension. As wind or currents stir the water, foam is produced and may accumulate in quantities on windward shores, in coves, or in eddies. The natural foam has a somewhat earthy or fishy aroma, and it breaks down rather quickly. Foam from silt or erosion is usually a

Foam can be produced when wind or currents stir the water. It may accumulate in quantities but is often gone by midday.

dirty brown color. Foam is often seen in the early morning hours and is gone by midday. Detergent foam, in contrast, will have a noticeable perfumy smell from additives which give your wash that "rosegarden" or "lemon fresh" smell. Detergent pollution and foam can be a problem, but the foam will be localized close to the source of the discharge. A simple experiment demonstrates that widespread foaming on a lake is probably not from detergents. Using two common brands of detergent, we found that it took about 0.07 grams of detergent per liter of water to create suds in the laboratory. To put this in terms of a lake, it would take about 43,178 kilograms (95,207 pounds) of detergent to suds-up a 40.5 hectare (100 acre) lake with an average depth of 1.5 meters (5 feet). That's quite a few boxes of detergent! Detergents and Phosphate. Although unnatural foam may no longer be a problem in lakes, phosphates in detergents definitely are. Phosphorus has been positively shown to be the most important cause of blooms of algae in Maine lakes. Research has shown that algal blooms may be expected if the concentration of phosphorus exceeds about 15 parts per billion. Maine's water quality statutes presently restrict the phosphate level of detergents to 8. 7 per cent by weight. This is still a considerable amount, however, when it comes to preventing eutrophication (premature aging) of Maine lakes.

If we reconsider our hypothetical 100 acre pond, it is easy to see how vulnerable it is to phosphorus inputs. At the 8.7 per cent level, there are about 13.1 grams of phosphorus in 0.45 kilograms (1 pound) of detergent. At this rate, it would take only about 20.9 kilograms (46 pounds) of detergent to raise the phosphorus concentration of the pond by one part per billion, assuming all other inputs and outputs remained equal. This is a very realistic threat, considering activities such as laundering, washing boats, cars, and so forth which might occur around a lake. The potential for phosphate overloading in any of our developed lakes should not be brushed aside, as it is very real. For this reason, people in lakeshore areas should use only non-phosphate detergents, or better yet, take their wash to a laundromat away from the lake. People who like to bathe in a lake should use only plain soap, such as Ivory, which contains no phosphate. They should consider, however, that although bathing may not degrade water quality standards, their neighbors may not appreciate using the same "bathwater" for their activities. In areas of the country such as Maine where waters are naturally soft, phosphate detergents are not necessary. Vermont has recently banned the sale of all phosphate detergents. In Maine, the town of Bridgton which has several recreational lakes has also banned their sale. Perhaps the time has come for Maine to consider a similar ban on phosphates in detergents. â&#x20AC;˘

OBSERVATIONS

on the shooting SID1S HABITAT AND THE LANDOWNER by Dale F. Whitesell Executive Vice President Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

Today the sportsman's role in our society is being tested as never before. Both the quantity and quality of his outdoor environment are being steadily eroded by a torrent of economic growth and an insolvent modern world. And though sportsmen have spent impressive dollars in the past to ensure adequate wildlife populations, these expenditures will be

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

of little consequence unless the myriads of private landowners can be made to realize the economic significance of a healthy upland and wetland habitat base. Under the influence of the almighty dollar, concepts of land use change rapidly. As our hunger for energy drives us deeper into the vitals of the wilderness, wildlife habitat will continue to starve until this nation either gets its belly-full of those natural resources required to nurture its thriving citizenry or provides a means of compensating landowners for their wildlife habitat. If this cannot be accomplished, then the sportsman, with his cries of conservation, is merely postponing the inevitable-vast destruction of wildlife habitat. And his singular attempts to keep wildlife habitat fertile will continue to be quietly sabotaged by those who dwell in the shadows of brick and mortar. As sportsmen, we can be slaves to the economics of our nation and watch remorsefully as wildlife habitat diminishes, or we can harness this economic system to help free enterprise work for us. Private enterprise still controls the vast majority ofhuntable land in North America. If hunting can be packaged into an economically attractive alternative and sold to these private landowners, then their incentive to maintain habitat for the wildlife is insured. Financial deficits created by state and federal government "free" public hunting programs will eventually bankrupt those agencies (fish & wildlife) designed to manage and perpetuate habitat areas. Habitat, its wildlife and the hunter will always fare better if under private tenure. Presently, private dollars are being used to maintain wetland habitat throughout the U.S. The majority of wetland acres in this country are privately owned, and most of this acreage is maintained primarily for hunting reasons.

This land has provided a stable habitat base for many species of wildlife, both hunted and nonhunted. If these wetland owners were not sold on the economic incentives generated by hunting, then these wetland environments would probably have already become marinas or other brick and mortar manifestations. If wildlife funds were to be made available to subsidize land in agricultural areas, much like the Soil Bank Program of the 50 's and 60's, more wetlands and upland habitat might be spared the plow's dispassionate bite. But as long as U.S. land-use philosophy considers its wildlife as "spare land" species, non-subsidized wildlife habitat will continue to fall prey to the developer's transit and the futures market. The hunter's role in all of this is simple and has been emphasized for years. Keep peace and pace with the private landowner! Improved relations here will not only help save habitat but very possibly the future of hunting. Also, by understanding and supporting legislative proposals which provide private landowners with incentives to restore and preserve wildlife habitat, regulated hunting, as a management tool, can survive. Without private landowner cooperation in the conservation arena, wildlife, its habitat and "public hunting" will, most likely succumb to the insouciant gavel of progress. Collectively, the sportsmen of America have already had a positive impact on wildlife and its habitat. Individually, they must make an effort to shake the hand that rocks the cradle of future hunting in America-the private landowner.

Provided as a public service by The National Shooting Spor ts F ounda.tion

OAK BULLET GALLS

"LooK AT THosE "But there's nothing in the house to eat!" Have you ever been faced with this problem? You're hungry, but there doesn't seem to be any food around. Well, did you know that there are many species of creatures that eat their houses!? Take a walk in the spring or summer sometime, and look for swellings or lumps on the stalks of weeds, grasses, or trees. These are

B~rn~u BIBfil~~mB08" GOLDENROD BUNCH GALL

GOLDENROD

BALL GALL ~

GOLDENROD ELLIPSE GALL

called galls (gawls), and they are the "edible" homes for many types of insects, bacteria, and fungi. On just one type of plant - goldenrod you might find three different types of galls. A round swelling on the stem is a ball gall; a pointed oval lump is known as an ellipse gall; and what looks like a bunch of wrinkled leaves at the tip of a goldenrod plant is called a bunch gall. Many other plants can be found to have galls. But before we discuss some of them, here's how one type of gall is formed. An insect called a gallfiy finds a tender spot on a goldenrod stalk, deposits an egg, then flies away. The egg hatches, and the gal\lfly larva bores into the plant, where it lets out a tiny bit of liquid, causing the plant to swell. Throughout the summer months, the larva eats away at the inside of the gall. When autumn comes, the plant dies, and the gall Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

BLACK KNOT GALL

becomes hard and brown. The larva then bores it way out to, but not through, the skin of the gall, and there it spends the winter, safe and warm inside the protective shell. When spring comes the larva changes to a pupa, then to an adult gallfly. The adult breaks through the gall skin and flies away. Oak trees have several varieties of galls. Bullet galls are small, hard swellings on oak twigs, while "oak apples" look like wrinkled ping-pong balls stuck to the leaves. Hedgehog galls on oak leaves look like miniature porcupines, all covered with bristles! KNOT GALL

OAK APPLE GALL

PINE CONE GALL

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Many varieties of galls are harmless to the plants on which they occur - but some do create problems for the plants. The black knot gall, caused by a fungus, causes the branches of fruit trees to swell up and die. And another gall prevents clover from reseeding. Some other galls are helpful to the plants and even to man. Some change chemicals in the soil into chemicals that plants need others are used by farmers as good for livestock - still others provide bees with a substance from which they can make honey. Take some unopened galls home, along with the twigs to which they are attached. Put each one in a separate jar with a little soil, stick the end of the twig into the soil, cover the jar with cheesecloth, and sprinkle water on the soil occasionally. Be sure to leave air space all around the galls, keep the jars out of the sun and away from heat sources - and you may be able to watch the adult insects emerge from their "nurseries." But if nothing happens, don't be surprised. Some gall dwellers are eaten by other insects or by woodpeckers. Or maybe the inhabitants died for some other reason, or came out before you found the galls. Whatever happens, galls are an interesting part of our ecosystem - they're fun to find and fun to study! 29

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By John M. McPhee Warden Pilot

IMPLY ST A TED, the helicopter is the

best flying machine available for the search and rescue missions so often carried out by the Warden Service. Its ability to hover, to fly slowly and even sideways and backward, and to land in small open spaces as well as on water or ice, make it invaluable. Choppers are very effective in other aspects of Fish and Wildlife Department operations, too. Perhaps the classic example of a helicopter search and rescue operation involving a lost hunter occurred in Deboullie Township in the fall of 1975. The chopper was temporarily assigned to the George E. Townsend Aircraft Base in northern Aroostook County on Eagle Lake. Three Maine game wardens were involved besides myself: Brian Carlton (then of Eagle Lake); Chuck Allen (then of Fort Kent); and John Robertson of Portage Lake. The hunter had been reported to John as overdue the previous day. A preliminary search by local wardens on the night of November 17 proved fruitless. Brian notified me of the situation so I could be available to fly in the morning. At 8 p.m., November 18, Chuck, Brian, and I readied chopper N32FG. Brian and I departed in the helicopter, and Chuck followed in his four-wheel drive vehicle. We knew this lost nimrod had been in the woods more than 24 hours. We had to assume him to be in a four township area, somewhere in 144 square miles! 30

0 In ten minutes, I had the chopper over the general location. As always, we hoped to see a signal fire, which would make our job much easier, but there was no luck on that account. We flew the perimeter of the search area and set up an east-west search pattern. I immediately got on our "squawk box" and transmitted blind. This "squawk box" is our public address system mounted underneath the helicopter. It enables us to communicate with people on the ground. ''This is your game warden. I know you are lost. I am here to get you out. Please build a fire and put on green boughs so I can see your smoke.'' In about 20 minutes, up came the smoke! The lost hunter had responded to our call. He was in an evergreen area so dense that he was impossible to spot. Speaking again of our PA system, I gave him instructions to walk to an opening on a stream. I landed Brian, directed him to the hunter, and meanwhile instructed Chuck to bring in the four wheel. By 10 a.m. we were all having coffee at the Red River Camps, served up by proprietress Chris Norris. Another good example happened a few days before this. A Presque Isle resident became lost while hunting near Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill, and an qverdue report was filed with Sergeant Charles Merrill on the afternoon of November 6. Charles remembered observing the lost man's pickup truck and was able to pinpoint the search area. An all-night effort by local wardens and members of the Presque Isle Search and Rescue Unit failed to locate the missing hunter. Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Friday morning, the search resumed, with local radio stations broadcasting an urgent call for more help. I heard this call on my FM radio while hunting in the Allagash region. I knew my absence at the search scene would be covered by Warden Pilot Gary Dumond of Old Town. But I also realized that chopper N32FG was sitting in my front dooryard with no one to fly it. A\though on official day off, I changed my uniform and flew home to Eagle Lake plane base. By noon, I arrived at Castle Hill with the chopper and joined the airborne efforts of Gary Dumond and Forest Service Pilot Charlie Robinson. We held a short meeting in the Castle Hill warden camp to bring all facets of the search up to date. With a sandwich under each man's belt, we launched an intensive afternoon effort. I went to an area where Charlie Robinson and Brian Carlton had located part of the lost man's fluorescent vest. A ground crew headed by Sgt. Merrill started overland to meet me. I co-ordinated the fuel stops with the Forest Service pilot so that one of us would be over the search scene at all times. Warden John Robertson, who like many others had spent the previous night "in the bush," volunteered to act as my observer.

These two rescues are classic exemplifications of helicopter search and rescue operations. To say the least, the results were fruitful and satisfying. By the same token, they typify the professionalism and gusto Maine game wardens bring to the job. I am happy and proud to be counted on the Fish and Wildlife Team!

HE WARDEN SERVICE Aircraft Division has been using helicopters for eight years, during which time our choppers have performed numerous and varied missions. On June 21, 1976, a drowning victim was located when the chopper pilot spotted the victim's fishing rod in five feet of water, enabling ground units to retrieve the body. In the early '70s, former chief pilot George Later hauled Atlantic salmon fry into remote regions of the Mattawamkeag River watershed, promoting our salmon restoration program on the Penobscot River. During October 1978, when moose and deer poaching hit huge proportions in Aroostook County, warden helicopter patrols accomplished an immediate reduction of such thievery primarily by being seen and reckoning with every hunting party in sight! During February 9, 10, and 11 of 1975, a moose census was performed in northern Maine. Warden Jack McPhee piloted a chopper over predetermined routes while wildlife biologists Francis Dunn and Keith McElroy estimated populations. During August 1976 and September 1977, a Warden Service helicopter equipped with inflatable floats was used to transport fishery biologists and equipment to remote .ponds to perform initial surveys.

Flying "open-air", with a second occupant as "spotter," proves a valuable tactic for Warden Service chopper activities, whether searching for someone or running down deer-chasing dogs.

This combined effort continued toward darkness. I told my observer that we were down to 50 minutes of fuel and this was our last pass. By good fortune, John spotted the lost man on our final run! I radioed the location to the Fish and Wildlife Department plane flying overhead, piloted by Warden Gary Dumond with Warden Maurice Gordon as observer. They co-ordinated the pick-up and kept the lost man in sight while Sgt. Merrill set his crew in action. I dropped my observer in a near-by clearing and John hastily made his way to the hunter's side and rendered him assistance. As I headed home, very low on fuel, Charlie Robinson in his float-equipped chopper effected the pick up and hauled one very tired and weak hunter to the Presque Isle hospital. Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

In recent years, "Mainers" have become increasingly aware of the dog-deer problem that has plagued central and southern portions of the state. Particularly during the winter months, large numbers of canines attack our deer herds. The Fisheries and Wildlife Department feels that prudent employment of the choppers has gone a long way towards heading off trouble ... bring attention to the problem and trust most dog owners will restrict their dogs. Along these same lines, the helicopter has become an effoctive tool against moose poaching on our northern boundaries. Since the provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec sanction annual moose hunting seasons, it is convenient for some nimrods to kill their quarry in Maine and tag them in Canada. Well planned chopper

A Warden Service chopper " on the trail " of a free-roaming dog . The dog-deer problem fluctuates with the winter weather, but when it 's bad, the chopper pilots are busy!

the forest of the State of Maine year round, all sorts of emergencies will arise. Some one organization needs the tools to deal with them. The Army National Guard's 112th Aviation Division stationed in Bangor has effected some timely rescues. With their fleet of Vietnam-proven Bell UHlH's, they are well equipped and trained for this type of mission. But their regulations allow only mercy flights where it is known a life or death situation exists. The Department of ConservationÂˇ s Maine Forest Service has also proven helpful in time of ex-

Helicopters enable wardens to quickly and efficiently reacl remote areas of Maine - in emergencies, or, in this case, jus routine contacts with Maine's ice angler~

flights over these "areas of opportunity" make potential poachers realize there are "eyes in the sky" that can land at any time and issue an arrest! In this modern world, a law enforcement organization is only as efficient as its communications. Even in the back woods of Maine, this statement is pretty much true. The Maine Warden Service, as well as State Police and other Maine based enforcement units, have acquired sophisticated avionics equipment that enables every officer to be in constant contact. This equipment utilizes "relays" that are located on hills or inaccessible mountains. Especially in the two cases of the Clear Lake relay in northern Piscataquis County, and the Squaw Mountain relay near Moosehead Lake, the helicopter is the only machine that can provide quick maintenance service. Both of these relays were originally installed by use of Warden Service helicopters.

GOOD SEARCH AND RESCUE vehicle is in more demand than ever before. This fact is a direct reflection of the numbers of outdoors people using our great environment. It was estimated, for example, that during the month of June 1977, some 500 canoeists were plying the waters of the Upper St. John River. Ten years ago, it would have been a rarity to see anyone. With such numbers of outdoorsmen in

treme need; technically, their aircraft are provided for fire control only. Today, as in the past, the Maine Warden Service shoulders the responsibility for the welfare of our outdoorsmen, no matter who, or what their activity might be. On November 12, 1976, an International Paper Company woods cruiser became lost on the upper reaches of the St. John River. International Paper called Warden Service for assistance. Outside of all the man-hours our field wardens and our scuba diving team provided, it's a matter of record that Warden Service provided all the necessary helicopter support. And again, on May 5, 1977, when a passing pilot reported two fishermen trapped in the ice on Chamberlain Lake, it was the Maine Warden Service who received the call. We provided the float-equipped chopper that effected the rescue. The operations of Warden Service Aviation pave changed little since they were outlined by Andy Stinson in his article entitled, "Five and One Are Six" (Maine Fish and Game, Summer 1969). We are still basically a fixed-wing division, except that we have added two Bell G-3, B-1 supercharged helicopters to our aircraft inventory. Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

Sadly, we have lost the services of Warden Pilot Richard Varney; Dick gave his life on Maranacook Lake in September 1972, while piloting one of our early helicopters. His presence has been sorely missed by many people besides his wife and family, and especially by those of us who worked with him. To Dick, this article is dedicated.

Personnel-wise, we line up now as follows: Dana Toothaker, chief pilot, Greenville; Gary Dumond, warden pilot, Old Town; Jack McPhee, warden pilot, Eagle Lake; and Everett Welch, warden pilot, Bowdoinham. Our maintenance chores are in the capable hands of Jules Ouellette in Greenville. Recent retirees from Warden Service Aviation include former chief pilots George Later and Andy Stinson, former pilot Malcolm Mahew, and aircraft mechanic Howard Lambertson.

Warden Pilot Richard Varney

EARCH AND RESCUE must be considered the prime mission of our helicopters. Maine statute places firmly in our hands the responsibility of all lost hunters. When lives are at stake, nothing but the best should do. There is no questioning the superiority of the helicopter over conventional aircraft for this work. Choppers operate at slower airspeeds and lower alt~tudes. These factors combine to give the Âˇp ilot and crew the best possible view of the terrain. Quite often the chopper pilot can land on the spot or find a suitable site nearby. A chopper stationed permanently in each flying district would â&#x20AC;˘ prove invaluable.

The Warden Service choppers have been of great help to Department biologists in their efforts to stock some of the remote waters of the state, as well as acting as transportation for them during the stocking period.

A SUMMARY O.F RECENT NEWS MOOSE SEASON SET For the first time since 1935, moose hunting will be legal in Maine in 1980. A recently-passed law provides for a six-day open season in September 1980 in northern Maine. Moose hunting will be limited to 700 Maine residents, selected by lottery, each of whom may select one hunter to accompany him on the hunt. Together they may take one moose, either bull or cow. Applications for the moose hunting permit drawing must be on a standard form to be made available to license agents at a date yet to be determined. ~etails will be announced. The moose hunting area is north of the Canadian Pacific Railroad main line tracks running from Vanceboro west through Mattawamkeag, Brownville Junction, Greenville, Jackman Station and to the Quebec border. It excludes the closed hunting areas of Baxter State Park and several game sanctuaries. No more than 2 to 4 per cent of the area's moose population is expected to be taken during this open season. NEW FISHING REGULATIONS Maine fishermen are reminded of several important changes in the rules governing their sport. Among the changes contained in the 1979 fishing regulations summary are the following: • Revised daily bag limits on bass, trout, and other game fish, except in Aroostook County. • Increased (16-inch) general law length limit on lake trout (togue). • Reduced (2-quart) daily limit on smelts, except in Aroostook County. • Restored 6-inch length limit on brook trout and 8-inch limit on 34

brown trout and rainbow trout in brooks, streams, and rivers, except in Aroostook County. • Increased (14-inch) length limit on landlocked salmon in Aroostook County. • Revised regulations on border waters between Maine and New Brunswick and on most waters in the Allagash Waterway. Atlantic salmon fishing regulations have been extensively revised and are contained in a separate publication available from wardens and license agents in the vicinity of Atlantic salmon rivers. 1978 BIG GAME SEASONS Deer hunters took 29,002 whitetails in Maine last fall, about an 8 per cent decrease from the 1977 season. On the other hand, the bear kill climbed to 1,320, the highest since records have been kept. By counties, the 1978 tally of deer registrations was as follows: Androscoggin (592), Aroostook (3,085), Cumberland (1,082), Franklin (978), Hancock (1,566), Kennebec (1,715), Knox (789), Lincoln (1,107), Oxford (1,604), Penobscot (4,296), Piscataquis (2,028), Sagadahoc (518), Somerset (2,854), Waldo (2,334), Washington (1,744), York (2,675), Unknown (35). Four counties showed increases in deer registrations in 1978, led by Sagadahoc (up 5 per cent) and Penobscot (up 7 per cent). The sharpest drops were in Oxford and Franklin counties (down 24 and 22 per cent). Leading all counties in deer kill per square mile in 1978 were Waldo (3.8) and York (3.6). Of the 29,002 total deer kill, 23,080 were taken by Maine resident hunters. Ninety-seven archers were successful in 1978, 81 Maine residents and 16 nonresidents. This marks the second year in a

row of record high archery deer kills. The bear kill of 1,320 represented an increase of 254 over the previous year and is considered too high to be sustainable year after year. An annual bear harvest in the range of 800 to 1,000 is the Department's objective to assure stability in the bear population. Of the 1978 total, 869 were registered by nonresident hunters. The top county was Aroostook (345), followed by Somerset (230). More bear were registered in November (593) than any other month; next was June (221). The November bear kill ·was unusually high in 1978 (45 per cent of the total, compared with a normal 30 per cent). This was caused primarily by a heavy beechnut crop and unusually late denning. These two factors made bears easier to locate and available to hunters through the end of the season. WINTER EASY IN CENTRAL AND COASTAL AREAS At press time, deer in most of Maine's eight wildlife management units were well through one of their better winters in recent years. Barring a delayed spring, the winter of 1979 will rank as an easy one for deer in Units 4 to 8, less severe than normal in Units 1 and 2, and severe only in Unit 3. These evaluations are based on weekly temperature and snow condition records taken at 46 deer wintering areas or "yards" throughout the state. The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will set the 1979 deer hunting season date~ in late May or early June after wildlife biologists have completed their assessments of how the deer fared through the winter and early spring. Maine Fish and Wildlife - Spring 1979

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Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

284 State St.

Augusta, Maine 04333