Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Spring 1982 by Maine State Library

--~7Â·. . . ~

":.;:'\

I\ ,

MAINE FISH AND \VILDLIFE Vol. 24, No. 1

Spring 1982

Governor Joseph E. Brennan

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Deputy Commissioner Director, Program Development and Co-ordination Superintendent of Hatcheries Chief Warden Director, Fishery Division Business Manager Director, Wildlife Division Director, Public Information Director, Regulations Division Chief, Engineering Division Chief, Realty Division Director, licensing Division Chief Biologist, Atlantic Salmon Commission

Glenn H. Manuel J . William Peppard Kenneth H. Anderson

David 0. Locke John F . Marsh Lyndon H. Bond Peter C. Brazier Robert W . Boettger W. Thomas Shoener Norman E. Trask Clayton G. Grant Henry R . Sleeper Lorenzo J. Gaudreau Alfred L. Meister

INSIDE Maine Fishing '81

Harry P. Vanderweide

Canoemanship: Don't Leave Shore Without It!

Gary Anderson

From The Fly Tying Bench: THE DEVIL BUG

Peter G. Walker

Wildlife Management Areas: Coast Of Maine

Alan E. Hutchinson

Letters To The Editor

Antler-Crafting

Index To Feature Articles

Maine Heritage Firsthand

Jack C. Sheltmire

Maine-made Canoes

Maine State Museum

Brown Trout Streams

Urban D. Pierce

KID-BITS

Fish And Wildlife Briefs

Glen P. Feeney

THE COVERS Outside: Rays of late afternoon spring sunshine create "diamonds on the water" all around this fly fisherman. Photo by Henry Harding of Cape Neddick. Inside Front: As the days get longer, and the maple trees get warmer, these sap buckets appear ih more and more places-until the spring runs are over for another year. Photo by Tom Carbone.

Advisory Council Rodney W. Ross, Chairman Brownville, Maine George E. Prentiss Dennis L. Smith

Rumford

Otter Creek

Nathan Cohen

Alva S. Appleby

Eastport

Skowhegan

Robert E. Moore

Francis D. Dunn

Casco

Patten Marc Plourde

Eagle lake

Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine W. Thomas Shoener, Editor Thomas J. Chamberlain , Managing Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photographer Patricia J . Hogan, Editorial Assistant

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

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE (ISSN 0360-005X) is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State St., Station 41, Augusta , ME 04333, under Appropriation 4550. Subscription rate : $6 .00 per year. No stamps, please. Second class postage paid at Augusta, ME 04330 . ÂŠ Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 1982. Permission to reprint text material is granted, provided proper credit is given to the author and to MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE. Clearance must be obtained from artists, photographers, and non-staff authors to reproduce credited work .

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send both old and new addresses to Circulation Section, MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine, 284 State St., Sta. #41, Augusta, ME 04333. Allow six weeks for change to take effect. Your post office cannot forward copies unless you provide forwarding postage. POSTMASTER: If undeliverable, send form 3579 to Circulation Section, MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine, 284 State St., Sta. #41, Augusta, ME 04333.

GUEST COLUMN

MAINE FISHING. '81

By Harry P. Vanderweide

F YOU'VE BOTHERED to give the matter any thought at all, you've probably come to the conclusion that Maine's freshwater fishing is a pretty static affair. Sure, we all know that every now and then an old mossback Junker will show up in a most unlikely spot, but generally fishing doesn't change much as time goes by. Right? Wrong! If there is one point which has become clear to me over the past half decade or so of operating Maine's One That Didn't Get Away Club, is that fishing in the Pine Tree State is a dynamic proposition. Consider what happened a couple of years after The Maine Sportsman, the publication for which I serve as editor, took over sponsorship of the Club from a state agency to prevent its demise during a budget slashing spree. We were being deluged by anglers entering bass in the Club while at the same time getting almost no trout or landlocked salmon entries. What happened was that bass fishing began to attract a following in the southern half of the state, particularly in the bass-rich lakes within 30 miles of Augusta. Up to that time there was very little interest in bass fishing by residents. Many anglers couldn't tell a largemouth from a smallmouth, and for that reason they were both lumped into the general category of "black bass" with a minimum Club entry weight of 5 pounds. Then new residents began to explore the state's bass ponds and even to organize bass fishing clubs. Suddenly 5-pounders were commonplace and 8-pound largemouths were not really unusual. At the same time it was clear that cold water entries in the Club were sadly lacking. It was becoming increasingly rare for a landlocked salmon to make the 8-pound minimum or

for a brook trout to reach the 5-pound mark required to make the Club. After consulting with Fish and Wildlife Department biologists, we decided to change these weights. Separate categories were made for smallmouth and largemouth bass, with the former remaining at 5 pounds while the latter went to 7 pounds. At the same time, the landlocked salmon minimum was dropped from 8 to 6 pounds while brook trout was lowered from 5 to 4 pounds. The changes quickly brought about the desired result. Bass entries fell off to more reasonable numbers and once again a good number of landlocked salmon and brook trout entries were submitted. Today we see things getting out of balance again, but this time around it is the landlocked salmon category which is being flooded, with brook trout and even lake trout showing surprising strength. There is little doubt in my mind that we owe this unexpected and totally delightful development to wise fishery management techniques which are now being employed, and primarily to the resurgence of our two largest lakes, Moosehead and Sebago. Currently it is Sebago which has the lion's share of the attention. Of course, nobody is going to scoff at a 6-pound landlocked salmon, but on

the other hand when dozens of fish that size and larger are caught in a single season, which was the case at Sebago last year, well, then obviously it's going to take a truly huge fish to get somebody's attention. Just such a fish was taken from Sebago on May 30. It was an 18-pound lake trout (togue) which fell to a Flatfish trolled by Delwin C. Sargent of Cornish. Several other lake trout in the 15-pound category were also taken at Sebago in '81. Meanwhile, things haven't been exactly calm at our very biggest lake, either. While Moosehead can't yet boast of landlocks to match Sebago's, it is doing very well in the trophy brook trout category. The largest we know of was a 7-pound IO-ounce fish taken on May 29 by Stanley Williams of Wilton. Moosehead is also coming up with some large lake trout and the Club had an entry of 18-pounds 3 Y4 ounces, taken on May 24 by Leamon McFarland of Palmyra. But the big fish blitz is far from over at these two big lakes. The biologists who keep tabs on them report that fall spawning runs turned up plenty of bragging-sized breeders. Do keep in mind, however, that you can never tell where the next big Junker will come from. The outstanding landlocked salmon of '81 was taken through the ice on January 8 at Mount Vernon's Parker Pond. It weighed 9 pounds 11 ounces. Two of the biggest bass taken in '81, both weighing 9 pounds 4 ounces, came from Alewife Pond in Arundel and Jimmy Pond in Litchfield, neither one a noted bass-producer. There were many interesting sidelights in studying the 1981 entries in The One That Didn't Get Away Club. One of these was the entry of two over-2-pound white perch. It is extremely seldom that white perch entries are made to the Club; whether because no one wants to enter them Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

or because 2-pound white perch are rare isn't clear. One comparison, which I found intriguing because of what it says about the difference in various fishing styles, is that while it took Stanley Williams 40 minutes to land his 7-pound IO-ounce brook trout,

Joseph Smith managed to wrestle a 9-pound 4-ounce largemouth bass out of Jimmy Pond in one minute flat! Most Fish and Wildlife wardens carry entry cards for The One That Didn't Get Away Club, as do regional fishery biologists. Each qualifying angler is awarded a jacket patch and a

THE ONE THAT DIDN'T GET AWAY CLUB FOR 1981

The Fish

Brook Trout {Qualifying weight 4 lbs.)

Brown Trout (Qualifyi ng weigh t 6 lbs.)

Rainbow Trout

II)

"O Cl) C (.) ::::, C 0::::,

s:.

C (.) Cl) C ..J -

TOP FISH IN EACH CATEGORY

II)

s:.

-C) Cl)

Cl)

::::,

ÂŤi as co

The Angler

wallet card to signify the accomplishment. Further information about the club can be obtained by writing : The Maine Sportsman, Box 507, Yarmouth, Maine 04096. The top fish of each species entered in The One That Didn't Get Away Cluh in 1981 are listed below:

Where Caught

Lure

Stanley Williams, East Wilton, ME

7- 10

5-29

Moosehead Lake

smelt st reamer

Jolyn M. Poulin , Fairfield, ME

6-6

6- 12

Great Pond {Belgrade)

night walker

Gus Monroe, Farmington, ME

6-4

22 3/.

5- 16

Dead Stream Pond

Light Edson Tiger

Kathryn Cameron, Bath, ME

5-8

6-8

Moosehead Lake

blue & silver Flashking

Winfield L. Stubbs, Sr., Bangor, ME

5-8

24 Yz

7-5

Moosehead Lake

live bait

Stan ley Piper, Richmond , ME

7-10

25 \/i

6-30

Sand Pond {Litchfield )

Rebel

Harry Klein, Philadelphia , PA

7-8

25 V,

8-2

Hancock Pond

live bait {minnow)

Leo Beaulieu , Norridgewock , ME

7-4

26 V,

6-9

Oak Pond

smelt

Ray LaChance, Augusta, ME

6-2

6-16

Three Mile Pond

small Rebel

Delwin Sargent, Cornish, ME

6-1

4-18

Hancock Pond

sewed bait {smelt)

Leslie Flanders, Bingham , ME

5-0

6-27

Kennebec River

Rapala

Earlon C. Richardson, Jr. Dover-Foxcroft

20-2

40 !!.

1-1 1

Sebec Lake

live shiner

Delwin C. Sargent, Cornish, ME

18-14

5-30

Sebago Lake

Flatfish

Leamon McFarland, Palm yra , ME

18-3

5-24

Moosehead Lake

sewed bait

Robert Genest , Oakland, ME

16-8

5-2

Moosehead Lake

sewed bait {smelt)

Paul Nichols, Pittsfield, ME

16-8

5-2

Moosehead Lake

sewed bait {smelt)

{Qualifying weight 5 lbs.)

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

Landlocked Salmon (Qualifying weight 6 lbs .)

Atlantic Salmon

John R. Gilley, Skowhegan, ME

9-11

29 Y.

1-8

Parker Pond

live smelt

William J . Dawe, Brewer, ME

8-0

27 V,

5-3

Hopkins Pond

sewed bait {smelt)

Richard Mayberry, Hollis Center, ME

7-8

4-4

Sebago Lake

streamer fly

Lyndon A . Hayford, Canton, ME

7-4

25 \/i

5-2

Sebago Lake

sewed bait (smelt)

David Colbath, Sebago Lake, ME

7-3

26 \/i

5-9

Seabago Lake

streamer fly (Sportsmen Say)

James Lewis, Calais, ME

16-10

8-16

Dennys River

fly

(Qualifying weight 15 lbs.)

Small mouth Bass {Qualifying weigh t 5 lbs.)

Largemouth Bass {Qualifying weight 7 lbs.)

Dennis Piscopo, Tewksbury, MA

5- 14

7-31

Long Lake {Bridgton)

Crazy Crawler (green)

William Pooler , Pittsfield , ME

5-1 1

19 \/i

4- 14

Moose Pond {Hartland)

Queen Bee fl y shiner

Barry Dunlap, Gorham, ME

5-9

19 \1.i

2-1

Horn Pond

Timoth y Crouch, Winter Harbor, ME

5-4

21 V,

9-12

Flanders Pond

Mepp 's Spinner #2

Norman Lajoie, Augusta, ME

5-2

21 1/,

2- 14

Webber Pond

---

Jean Morin, Biddeford, ME

9-4

4-10

Alewife Pond

spinner bait

Joseph S. Smith, So . Monmouth, ME

9-4

24 \1.i

5-1

Jimmy Pond

H & H spinner bait

Joe Cummings, Kennebunk , ME

8-9

7-30

Cobbosseecontee Lake

Mann 's Jell y Worm

Fay Miles, Springvale, ME

8-4

7-31

Wadley Pond

Jitterbug

Mark Brihlant , Brunswick, ME

8-0

4-5

Cobbosseecontee Stream

white spinner bait

David Emery, Eliot, ME

5-12 1/,

28 \1.i

8-16

Great East Lake

Mann 's Jellyworm {8" black)

Lawrence Hansen, Raymond , ME

4-12

26 1/ ,

2-17

Little Sebago Lake

red fin shiner

Pickerel

Roger Saucier, Waterville, ME

4-12

2-15

Great Pond (Belgrade)

live bait (shiner)

(Qualifying weig ht 4 lbs .)

Yalere Poussard, Auburn, ME

4- 10

24 3/.

1- 10

Cobbossee Lake

minnow

Rick Labbe, Oakland , ME

4-9

2-19

Messalonskee Lake

shiner

Edward Tarbox, Bath , ME

2-3 \l.i

2-15

Nequasset Lake

li ve bait (ch ub )

John Tarbox, Bath, ME

2-2 Y2

15 3/.

2-15

Nequasset Lake

live bait (chub)

White Perch (Qualifying weight 2 lbs .)

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

Canoemanship

DON'T LEAVE SHORE WITHOUT IT! By Gareth S. Anderson Safety Officer

T'S DEBATABLE which outdoor sport-canoeing or hiking-is growing faster today. We all agree, however, that the current trend away from energy-consuming sports is growing. Unfortunately, many people are quick to jump into recreational situations for which they are ill-prepared-and canoeing is no exception. Maine has no equal in the Northeast when it comes to canoeing opportunities. As a novice, however, one should start on a quiet stretch of water and learn the basic strokesalone and with a partner. Balance is extremely important, and some experimentation will tell just how much or how little it takes to upset the canoe. A healthy respect for this information will help you develop into a confident, capable canoer. It is essential that your canoe-and even more important, your paddlesfit you. And probably the best way to ensure this is to visit a reputable dealer and let him match you to your equipment. Paddles should be about as long as your total armspan, or the distance from the ground to your chin. Try a few paddles until you find one you like, and always carry a spare. A 15- or 16-foot canoe with a fairly wide beam (38 to 40 inches across at the widest point) is quite stable. Stability is very important, and a very light canoe will be less stable than one of normal weight-consider this when choosing your craft. Also consider the pros and cons of a canoe with a keel. Keels protect the canoe bottom, and help the craft "track" in lake canoeing, but often catch or drag on bottom when running streams or rivers. Consider the primary use to which you will put the canoe-this will help you solve the "keel-no-keel" problem. Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

A brief mention of construction materials used in canoes is applicable here. Although there is much charm associated with wooden strip or plank-and-canvas canoes, I can't help mentioning how maintenance-free the modern materials such as ABS plastic, fiberglass, and aluminum are. Remember, though: if you're in an aluminum craft of any kind and an electrical storm comes up, get out of the

good idea in fast water, since the line could get caught in the canoe and drag you along).

ET'S SAY you've purchased your canoe and related equipment. Now you must learn how to use it. There are two basic strokes used in canoeing-the bow stroke and the

BOW STROKE UPPER ARM BENT. HANDS A LITTLE MORE THAN SHOULDER WIDTH APART. LOWER ARM STRAIGHT.

UPPER ARM FULLY EXTENDED WITH HAND OVER WATER. BOTTOM HAND STOPS AT HIP.

ooat and find safe shelter (this is good advice no matter what boat you're in)! Don't forget flotation devices for everyone-I recommend the vest type. If you also carry a cushion, tie a short length of nylon line to it, then fasten this line to yourself in some way. If you capsize, or fall out of the canoe, the line will keep the cushion within reach. (Note: this may not be a

"J" stroke. The first is essentially the propelling stroke, driving the canoe forward; the second is for steering. The bow stroke is accomplished by reaching forward with the paddle held near vertical, then pulling it directly back without trying to reach uncomfortably behind you. You will find your own comfortable reach and finish points with practice, but trying for too long a stroke is just wasted 5

effort, since the effectiveness of the stroke behind your shoulder is greatly reduced. The "J" stroke begins the same as the bow stroke, but finishes with a flex of the wrists, which kicks the face of the paddle at almost a right angle. The purpose of this ending maneuver is to pull the bow of the canoe back on course, since the force of a straight stroke will tend to push you off course toward the off-paddle side. As I mentioned earlier, the "J" stroke is a steering stroke-a big help when paddling stern with a partner in the bow. But the greatest single advantage of the "J" stroke is to allow you to handle the canoe alone from the stern seat-while keeping a straight course and without switching the paddle from side to side! This constant shifting of the paddle from left to right, in addition to being tiring, marks the greenhorn canoer more surely than any other thing. Take the time to perfect your "J" stroke! Always keep your canoe balanced fore and aft as well as sideways-if you're handling the craft by yourself, stow your dunnage forward; if you're with a partner, stow your gear amidships. An exception to this rule: keep the stern slightly lower when in rough water. In all cases, keep the weight low for stability.

shore, take stock of your situation. Get warm if you're cold, and something to eat if you're hungry. Don't take foolish chances trying to recover your gear by yourself-get help! Many people use canoes to troll and to travel fairly long distances in open water. These versatile craft can be easily adapted for use with outboard motors-be careful to use one of low horsepower. Go slowly at first, and experiment with turning both ways; a sidemounted motor can be tricky when it comes to steering. If you are seriously considering a lot of motor use, it may be wise to purchase a square-stern canoe; they are often slightly heavier and wider in the beam than regular canoes, but still carry and cartop well. A canoe equipped with an outboard motor must comply with lighting requirements and must be registered as a motorboat. But it is a good idea to register your canoe anyway-it does help foil thieves. Scratch your registration number in a secret place on the craft and you might even embarrass the thief! Many stolen craft are recovered by our registration office when someone tries to re-register them.

J-STROKE

F YOU TIP OVER (everybody does at one time or another-there's no need to panic), stay with the canoe if you can. Stay on the upstream side if possible, and watch for a calm spot and a chance to take the craft out. Let your canoe be a bumper for you. If in open water, try to empty the canoe by pushing it violently from side to side or by pushing it from either end, thus elevating the other end. Much water can be emptied from a canoe this way. Shore can be reached by holding on to the canoe and kicking to shore or, if you were successful in emptying it, by rolling into it and paddling with paddles or hands. When you reach 6

-Âˇ-

Ring Lifebuoy

Buoyant Vest

Life Preserver

Buoyant Cushion

Take the equipment with you that is required by law-but don't stop there! Take a sponge, a flashlight, a first aid kit, and a method of emergency fire-making (see MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE, Winter 1981). Many canoers carry a roll of duct tape for small crack or tear repair. We have already mentioned an extra paddle-but lash it inside your canoe, since that's where you'll need it if you need it at all!

SLIGHT DIAGONAL DRAW AT START OF THE STROKE.

HA VE OBVIOUSLY attempted to cover safe canoeing only lightly-I urge you to take a gradual approach to learning the art of canoeing, and take advantage of the resources available to you. The American Red Cross pamphlet, "Basic Canoeing," and "Canoe," published by the American Canoe Association, are only two of the many excellent books to be read by an amateur canoeist. Canoeing is a sport which is worth every cent and every minute spentgo about it in the right way, and you can enjoy the adventure of canoeing without being a party to the tragedies which await the foolhardy canoer.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

the Fly Tying B_ench

THE DEVIL BUG

SPECIAL FLY #1

By Peter G. Walker ABOUT THE FLY The peculiar little Devil Bug is one of the most popular brook trout flies in use in Maine waters. Since its anatomy is unlike either typical dry flies or wet flies, we put it in the special fly category. What does a Devil Bug imitate? With a lot of imagination, one could say it resembles a beetle or perhaps a moth. At any rate, it apparently looks very edible to most brook trout. And that's what really counts. There is no standard color scheme for this pattern . Practically every possible combination has been used successfully in some situation. The most common variations are natural deer hair with red, orange, yellow or green chenille bodies and white deer hair with red chenille body.

Lay a foundation of tying thread along the hook shank from fore to aft. Tie down one end of a length of chenille a short distance ahead of the bend in the hook as shown.

Many fishermen prefer flourescent chenille. There are several ways to successfully fish with Devil Bugs. Because deer body hair is hollow, the fly floats well. To fish it as a dry fly , allow it to lie still for long periods before twitching it slightly. When waterlogged, it can be very effective as a rather buoyant wet fly. It produces a trout-attracting surface disturbance when twitched along just below the surface. THE PATTERN HooKs: standard dry fly type in sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 THREAD: your choice (usually black is used) BODY: chenille (your choice of color) TAIL, BACK AND FOREHEAD: a good-sized bunch of deer body hair (your choice of colors)

As if finishing the fly, make a small head with tying thread , tie off and lacquer.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

Wind the chenille forward keeping the wraps snug to create a tight, uniform body. Tie down the loose end of chenille with thread and trim off the excess.

Now start the thread again behind the body. Select a fairly generous portion of deer body hair and snip it from the hide with sharp scissors. Holding the outer tips of the hair with thumb and forefinger, gently tease away the fuzzy underhair from the base of the bunch with your other thumb and forefinger.

Holding the outer tips of the hair aft of the hook as shown, bind it to the top of the shank with several tight wraps of thread. The tips of the hair should form a tail almost as long as the hook shank.

Carefully bend back the hair and take several wraps of thread around the shank between the belt and the rear edge of the body. Tie off the thread and coat the wrappings with a bit of lacquer.

As before, bend back the remaining loose hair and secure the thread on the shank, tie off and lacquer.

Start the tying thread again just ahead of the body. Carefully bunch the hair together over the shank. It may be helpful to twist the hair together slightly to help hold it in place. Lash down the hair with several tight wraps of thread.

To assure that your Devil Bug will be durable, coat the two belts with a small amount of lacquer.

Trim the forehead hair fairly close to the eye of the hook. The shape and size of this portion of the fly varies considerably with individual preference.

â&#x20AC;˘ 8

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

Use of the islands peaked during the late most were being used either for granite quarrying, for lumbering, as places for Coast Guard and lifesaving stations, as military installations, as fishing communities, for agriculture, as shipping and trading centers, as places to gather food through hunting marine birds and collecting their eggs, or as places to harvest birds and their feathers for the booming millinery trade of the time. As the economy and society changed, many of these activities ceased, islands were abandoned and a period of very low use began at the start of the 1900s. The use of Maine's coastal islands has changed dramatically in the past 60 to 80 years. Although a few people still depend on them for at least a portion of their livelihood, the vast majority of current island use can be termed recreational. This includes the construction and use of seasonal and year-round homes, camping, picnicking, hunting, and use by groups offering programs in self-sufficiency, survival training, group therapy, exploration, bird watching, natural history, photography, research and education. Long before mans' use of Maine's islands, a wide variety of marine~related wildlife-including seals, eiders, eagles, shorebirds, the now-extinct great auk and many other seabirds-depended on the islands for their ''bed and board.'' Early explorers and settlers Âˇfound great numbers of birds

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

Eider chicks and eggs in down-lined nest, inset in photo of The Sugarloaves, North Haven.

and seals on the islands. However, mans' use of the islands had a double-barrelled impact, resulting in the decline of wildlife associated with the islands. First, as the number of people increased, the number of birds and eggs harvested increased beyond the point of what could be annually produced. Secondly, and probably causing a drop in annual production, was the steady loss of nesting habitat available to the birds as mans' activities increased and spread to new islands . It's also theorized that a major climatic or other ecological change (i.e. ocean temperature) may have occurred and accelerated the decline of the marine bird population.

Whatever the primary cause, by the early 1900s, all that remained of Maine's seabird population, which probably once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, was several pairs of eiders and gulls on a remote island in Washington County. As mans' use of the islands peaked and then declined, and as laws and regulations governing the harvesting of wildlife were implemented, a recolonization of the islands by nesting and migrating marine birds occurred that has been every bit as dramatic as the historic decline was. The coastal islands of Maine now, as in the past, offer unique habitats to a similarly unique association of marine wildlife. The key to maintaining these unique populations and association is to provide adequate habitat. The most dramatic aspect of wildlife on the coastal islands is their use by colonial nesting birds. Maine's island colonies represent the southern breeding limit for several species, including the common eider (Somateria mollissima), common puffin (Fratercula arctica), razor-billed auk (Alea torda) and black guillemot (Cepphus arylle). They also mark the northern breeding limit for the snowy egret (Leucophoyx thula) and the glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus). Nesting colonies of the following also occur on the islands: arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea), common terns (Sterna hirundo), roseate terns (Sterna dougallil), herring gull (Larus argentatus), great black-backed gulls (Larus marinus), laughing gulls (Larus atricilla), Leach's petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), blackcrowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), and great blue herons (Ardea herodias). In addition, osprey (Pandion haliaetus), bald eagles (Haliaetus leucocephalus) and a wide variety of smaller birds nest on the islands. It's during the breeding season, starting in early spring, that these birds return to the islands for nesting and raising of young. These concentrations, called colonies, range in size from a few to over 1,000 nesting pairs. The seclusion offered by the island situation allows for such concentrations to exist and is a major reason Maine's seabird colonies persist. During this nesting period, however, the birds-particularly the young-are extremely vulnerable, and any human disturbance can disrupt the normal state and result in a tremendous loss of hatchlings and eggs due to predation and exposure. Recently completed inventories found approximately 350 of Maine's 3,000 coastal islands supporting one or more pairs of colonial nesting birds. Furthermore, historical records compiled during those surveys show the traditional importance of these islands. This information indicates that a rather small percentage of Maine's coastal islands are responsible for supporting these seabird populations and that an even smaller percentage (those with the larger colonies) support the major portion of the populations. Coast-wide population estimates, by species, are given in Table 1. Many of the nesting islands, including a large number supporting important colonies, are currently under private 10

Table 1. Summary of Coastal Bird Colonies in Maine, 1977.

Species Common puffin Black guillemot Razorbill Great black-backed gull Herring Gull Laughing gull Common tern Arctic tern Roseate tern Least tern Leach's petrel Double-crested cormorant Common eider Great blue heron Little blue heron Snowy egret Louisiana heron Black-crowned night heron Glossy ibis

Number of Colonies 1 116 2 223 224 6 24 9 3 2 17 105 240 18 2 4 1 8 3

Estimated Number of Breeding Pairs 125 2,665 25 10,009 26,387 231 2,095 1,640 80 21 19,131 15,357 22,385 903 4 90

117 75

Information from: Korschgen, C.E . 1979. Maine Coastal Waterbird Colonies 1976-1977. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Biological Services Program. Unpublished report.

ownership. About 70 percent of Maine's colonial nesting bird population is found on privately owned islands. Largely due to fate, but often as a result of the care and stewardship shown by their owners, many of these islands remain suitable for nesting birds. However, rising taxes and increasing pressures for recreational and industrial development provide little assurance that this will continue.

ITH THE GOAL of at least maintaining present levels of nesting seabird populations, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife initiated, in the 1950s, and continues efforts to protect the most significant colony sites. This is being done primarily through island acquisition for inclusion in the department's Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area. Other avenues of protection include private landowner agreements, encouragement of land use planning and zoning, and cooperative management with other island-owning government agencies and private organizations. The Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area, established in 1979, is comprised of department-owned coastal islands and ledges of importance to the state's marine wildlife populations, particularly, but not exclusively, the colonial nesting birds. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has a long history of involvement with marine wildlife-waterfowl in particular-and has actively acquired coastal bird nesting islands either through purchase or donation since the 1950s. By 1979, approximately 25 coastal islands were owned by the department and they were incorporated into the Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area. In April 1979, a cooperative agreement Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

with the Bureau of Public Lands, Maine Department of Conservation, resulted in 188 coastal islands and ledges being transferred into the management area. All had previously been identified as important to marine wildlife. The management area now includes over 275 individual islands and ledges which are grouped into 199 discrete management units. This includes 166 of the previously mentioned total of 350 colonial bird nesting islands on the Maine coast. The islands in the Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area span the length of the Maine coast, from Cobscook Bay in eastern Washington County to Kennebunkport in York County. All coastal counties are represented, with Knox County leading the way numerically with 62 management units. Hancock County ha~ 46. Washington and Cumberland counties have 34 and 33 management units, respectively, followed by Lincoln County with 13, Sagadahoc with 6, York with 3 and Waldo County with 2. The 199 island units are located in 48 townships, the distribution being fairly proportionate to the total number of islands in the various towns. Harpswell, as would be expected, being one of the largest coastal townships, has the greatest number of islands in the management area, with 17 units currently (1982) listed. Deer Isle, Isle au Haut and North Haven follow with 16, 14, and 12 units, respectively. All other townships include no more than nine, with most containing two to four. Nine species of colonial-nesting marine birds are found within the Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area. Additionally, two eagle nesting territories and several active osprey nests are located on the islands. The nesting species and their total estimated populations for all 199 units are given in Table 2. Also given is the approximate percentage of the total statewide population represented by the birds on the department's islands. It can be seen that with the recent acquisitions, a significant percentage of the population of several nesting species is accounted for through this program. (A complete list of islands in this management area, by town, along with more detailed inventory information for individual areas, is available on request, from the Fish and Wildlife Department.) Neither specific cover type nor exact acreage information is yet available for the islands in this management area, due to both their relatively recent incorporation into a management area and the logistics problems resulting from the expansive physical boundaries of the area. The size of the islands ranges from approximately 40 acres to less than ~ acre, with the majority being smaller than two acres. Many of the smaller ledges and islands are barren rock, possibly awash during extreme high tides and winter storms. Vegetation on these is limited to marine algaes in the intertidal zone. The larger or higher-elevation islands generally have ground cover ranging from bare rock ledge to herbacious and shrubby vegetation, most commonly characterized by the follow_ing species: meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), timothy (Phleum canadensis), Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

Table 2. Estimated Seabird Populations Nesting on Islands in the Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area.

Nesting Species Common eider Common tern Black guillemot Herring gull Great black-backed gull Double-crested cormorant Laughing gull Great blue heron Leach's petrel

Total

Estimated Nesting Pairs 6,070 600 410 4,425 1,560 7,100 70 150 20

% of Estimated Statewide Nesting Population 27 29 15 17 16 46 30 17 0.1

20,405

quack grass (Agropyron repens), cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and rose (Rosa virginiana). No buildings, roads or other structures occur on these lands, with the possible exception of some minor navigational aides on several of the islands. No specific sites of historic or cultural significance are known to occur on the islands; however, no complete survey has been undertaken. As noted earlier, many islands do have important historical/ archeological sites and it is possible that significant sites could be found on some islands in the management area.

HE PRIMARY PURPOSE for the Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area is to ensure the perpetuation of the state's marine wildlife populations-particularly colonial-nesting birds-at or above their current levels. The department's management policy for these islands has three basic objectives, discussed below. These objectives are also recommended to any other island owners interested in the protection of nesting birds. l. To provide adequate habitat for Maine's marine wild-

life populations and, in particular, for the colonial-nesting species. Existing conditions on a nesting island are assumed to be responsible for the presence of the nesting birds. On most islands, therefore, little or no habitat manipulation will be carried out, for the management goal is to maintain existing conditions. Most of the islands in the management area are relatively small, with sparse vegetation, and generally do not support resident wildlife populations, with the exception of occasional small-rodent populations. Some of the departmentowned islands and adjacent ledges are used by seals as pupping and haul-out sites, and others are important feeding and resting places for brant and geese during spring migration. Many of the islands are also important for migrating, nesting and wintering songbirds and shorebirds. These considerations add to the importance of 11

cases, it may become necessary to control problem species if they are limiting the nesting ·success of other species. Timber and mineral exploitation will be prohibited from these islands to avoid disruption of nesting habitat. 3. To provide for public use. Except during the nesting period, as stated above, the islands will be open for public use. However, only certain recreational uses will be permitted-including fishing, hiking, hunting, wildlife studies and photography, picnicking, wild crop harvesting, and trapping-provided no damage is done to the island habitat.

having protected islands. As further information becomes available on these "other species," management policies may have to be adjusted to protect their interests. Acquisition programs and liaison with other agencies and individuals responsible for coastal islands will continue, with the goal of increasing the number of islands managed for marine wildlife. 2. To protect ne_sting birds from human or other disturbance. During the nesting period, from May 1 through July 15, no human activity is allowed on nesting islands, except for emergency situations and department-authorized personnel involved in management or research. These dates may vary slightly on certain islands, depending on the species using the island. For example, Leach's petrels are late nesters, and their young may still be in the nesting burrows in September. In such cases, the dates of restricted activity will be adjusted accordingly. Signs are being erected on each nesting island, explaining the significance of the islands and requesting that parties do not land between the specified dates. To give further protection to nesting birds, the release of wild or domestic species-such as rabbits, cats, dogs, deer, raccoons, mink, fox, sheep, goats, cows, chickens, ducks, and pigs-is prohibited to avoid problems of predation and destruction of nesting cover. Developments of any kind are prohibited, with the exception of departmentauthorized research or management projects. In certain

,,_

~lly ll;o'"rge '14-h · ''Uf!:Jl. f::.~ces bu'!d fi.L itefisl. ,

/!:,, 'V'E:Jt{1solV

_. ,rct.''R

',\cup milk

1 lb. butter or oleo

SALMON STEAKS AT CAMP !h cup . lemn~ : ·

AINE'S COASTAL ISLANDS and their associated wildlife populations, particularly the colonial nesting seabirds, represent a unique and valuable resource to the people of Maine and the nation. The islands in the Coast of Maine Wildlife Management Area are owned by all citizens of the state of Maine for the primary purpose of ensuring a continuation of their wildlife populations for the enjoyment of future generations of Mainers. If you do happen to visit or pass by one of these special places, remember that the island plant and animal communities are very fragile and your presence will have an influence on them. Enjoy your visit, but do your best to avoid any disturbance. The understanding you gain through this effort should only increase your pleasure in experiencing the islands and their wildlife. •

'h cup ra1s1n UL""~~·--· 1 tap. ,alt

Cut v.. h,

TROUT WITH MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS

4 medium trout (cleaned)

J£1lI(y

-~It. pe~-~~t~~~our I

THE MAINE WAY

a collection of Maine fish and game recipes I

wooococK OUTooc

ROAST BEAR Remove ALL fat Cron with a handful o_f tabl in cold water. w,.th a places and to VP"'punct11•·

0~ srtf>"'

~f.~\S

~cot\

~:~eo

oV. ct

Published by the Maine Fish and Wildlife Department, this 100-page cookbook is entirely devoted to those types of game and fresh-water fish that a Maine sportsman might take . The recipes in THE MAINE WAYcollected by two game wardens' wives-are practical, time-proven, and call for nothing but ingredients, equipment, and know-how native to a Maine kitchen. Covers everythig from deer and bear to eels and snapping turtles. Paperback. Convenient loose-leaf binding . Total mail order price-$3.95. Make check or money order in U.S. funds payable to "Treasurer, State of Maine." Send order to COOKBOOK, Maine Fish and Wildlife Department, State House Station 41, Augusta, ME 04333.

t"icarter birds, splitting bre e for chicken. Fry slow

FOR COOK.ING

>Und the head •sen edges of

~n.fh of the

and fasten to a

i~~iki~ and quic~~ . "--ive the.

runn n both ~Ut filJ

,r With Ind ?eJ

,\ s\t\~et\,sot\d ,.i\t\e ~ \~··" oi'J t~,-

TROUT FILLETS I

pancake mix Seven-up 8 trout fillet&, salted com oil

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

LETTERS WHAT HAPPENED TO CARIBOU? I enjoy reading MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE very much, and leave the back issues in camps I rent in the summer for the out-of-state tourists also to enjoy. I would like to know what ever happened to the caribou that were released in Maine many years ago in an attempt to re-stock Maine with them? I have not seen the results of this attempt printed in the magazine . Robert A. Soucy Lewiston

• The attempted re-introduction of caribou to Maine (1963) apparently was a failure. There were periodic caribou sightings, confirmed and unconfirmed, for several years after their release, but nothing substantial in recent years. It is believed that the major reasons for the failure of the experiment are a parasite infection and lack of sufficient reproduction . It is now known that caribou are very susceptible to the same brain worm infection that causes "moose sickness," and some of the stocked animals could very well have been lost to this. That would compound the basic problem that the number of caribou stocked was small to begin with, and with their dispersal and long-distance wanderings, probably insufficient numbers of them were able to locate each other at breeding time. MISSED FLY TYING ARTICLE

long run, both groups will be losers if the moose herd overpopulates. And I don't buy it that we should wait until they are starving or disease-ridden before hunting moose. There is too much to be lost if we do. Another thing, wouldn't the poachers just love it if legitimate sportsmen couldn't hunt moose legally? The Save-The-Moose people are letting their hearts overrule their heads . I agree with youthey could put their wildlife concerns to much better use. K . Russell Windsor

GOOD ISSUE I think your publication is the best of its kind . MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE shows a continuing effort to further the cause of sensible conservation, with detailed accounts of specific fish and wildlife programs and information about various species. I thank you for that. Every so often one issue comes along which is outstanding, which further reinforces my opinion . The Winter 1981 issue was such an issue. The lead article , "A Time For Unity" by R.E. LeResche, exemplifies what today's conservationist stands for. Among all the pro and con articles I have read in my entire life, Mr. LeResche brought more sense and sanity to the hunting issue than any. With his permission I will be bringing his message to my students and many others. Please extend my subscription and start a gift subscription from me to my local public library. Perhaps I can bring a touch of the Maine outdoors to those who can't visit as often as they'd like , such as myself. Joe Wonoski New Haven, CT

Although this is my first subscription to

MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE, I have been

GOOD BLEND

reading it for a few years. The only fault I have is waiting so long for the new issues, as I enjoy it so much. I was disappointed in the fall issue, however. After waiting for the next fly tying lesson, all I found was the usual financial garbly gook . Are you going to resume the fly tying articles? You had quite a program planned, and with only four issues a year it would take some years to complete the project. Why not double up on the patterns? There, I've said it and feel better! Keep up the good work. Paul A. Groezinger Andover, MA

You folks really got to me with the Winter 1981 edition of MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE. Not that earlier editions were by any means shabby. Far from it. The latest issue, however, was as good a blend of effectively presenting research in a popular, easily comprehended manner-along with life history information, recreation and sportsperson techniques, as well as an offering of outdoor philosophy by means of Ernie Swift and "A Time For Unity," -as I can recall ever seeing in one small publication. In case you are interested, I was one of the first three individuals to graduate from the University of Maine (1938) with a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management. The others were Nathan Fellows and Russell T. (Ozzie) Norris. After working for a couple of summers with Dr. Gerald P . Cooper and Ozzie Norris on the initial lake and stream surveys in southern Maine, I migrated to the Pacific Northwest for graduate work and then a career with the Oregon State Game Commission. H. Ross Newcomb Lacey , WA

• Fly tying was dropped from the fall issue for space reasons. The series has been resumed, and we plan to continue with one pattern per issue. LOSE SOME I do not wish to renew my subscription as I do not like your policy on moose. R.D. Stimpson Boothbay

WIN SOME

FORMER LEGISLATOR

Your commentary on the moose situation is well taken. With good management, hunters and non-hunters alike can enjoy using the moose resource-each in their o~n way. In the

Your magazine is of particular interest to me because I was the sponsor of a bill in the Maine legislature for an open season on moose, in 1935. This bill came out of committee with the

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

unanimous report "Ought Not To Pass." Nevertheless, it finally passed both houses and was signed by the governor. Subsequently, while serving in the Maine senate, I had the honor of being on the legislative committee on inland fisheries and game for three terms . Albert B. Elliot Cushing

LIKES BIOLOGISTS' ARTICLES I have been receiving MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE almost since it was first published . I believe it is the best outdoors magazine published . Several years ago there was an article written by a biologist- I can't recall his name-that was the most readable , entertaining and understandable information I have ever read on fish management. The article compared the dynamics of harvesting fish in a lake to the harvesting of trees in a forest. Most people don't really understand what goes on under the surface of a lake . This article made it easy to grasp and understand . The biologists in your department have a wealth of information for more interesting articles like that one . . .. I hope this gives you some ideas . Arthur F. Bremilst Norfolk, MA

• The article you liked was in the Fall 1979 issue and was written by Fishery Biologist Roger P. AuC/air. Thank you for the long list of suggested articles, which we didn't print but will refer to in planning future issues. MORE IDEAS You asked for comments from the readers, so here goes: Overall, I like the magazine very much. The layout, design and the color photographs on the covers are excellent. Articles from the state biologists are always well written and entertaining, and never too heavy on the technical aspects. I do have a few suggestions, though. Why no regular "letters to the editor" section? The only one I've seen recently was the one with letters sent in in response to the picture of the dog-mauled doe on the back cover of the winter issue last year. Those letters in the following issue were very interesting. This should be a regular feature. The listing of the 1980 "Biggest Bucks" in the Fall 1981 issue was disappointing-only 17 listed, compared to an average of about 40 in other issues. Also, the caliber of the weapon was dropped from the list-an interesting feature for a lot of hunters. There are rarely any articles about individual Maine sportsmen or their achievements. A case in point: In 1979 the state record for brook trout was broken-a record that had held up for 20 years! A tiny paragraph was all that was mentioned on that one. But what an interesting story it would have made. More pictures of trophy fish and game from readers. Show people what can be had in Maine. Maybe photos of people holding up big trout or a big deer rack are considered corny by some, but they are interesting and inspiring to many. Bob Pierson Stratford, CT

Some j antle r boa rdJ butto~ rhe lil

Onew~::~; :ANTLER-CRA

Three~I made simi l I

I I

I 16

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

: I

,'You

WENT RIGHT BY this one twice!" hollered William Shelley, as he drove his snowmobile alongside mine, holding up a medium-sized moose antler. William owns and operates a service station in Jackman , and used to drag snowmobile trails from Jackman to Canada during the winter months. As a warden for the Fish and Wildlife Department, I have patrolled 17 townships in the northwestern portion of Somerset County for the past 14 years. I stopped into Shelley's one day about the middle of March to gas up my truck and snowmobile. William and I started talking about moose, and ended up talking about antlers . It turns out that we were both headed in the same direction-he was going trail-checking, and I wanted to check

amples of Feeney's afted items-a cribbage candlestick, checkers, , a tie clip , earrings, etc. is limited only by imagination.

A representative pile of antlers gathered by the author on trips to good antler-picking grounds.

By Glen P. Feeney District Warden

Photos by Tom Carbone

FTING

eautiful knife handles-all om moose antlers, which is o bone as a workable material.

out a moose yard in the same area. We ended up patrolling together all day. The weather was exceptionally warm for March-the blanket of snow had melted down to only a couple of inches, and mud was beginning to show on the woods roads. We hadn't been at it too long when William aced me by finding the one I had passed by. While he was securing it to his snowmobile, I realized that I had lost the axe from rpy machine, so Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

I backtracked a mile or so and located it. I knew we were in a good spot to find antlers, so I hurried to catch up with William. When I got back, he had only moved about 200 yards, and was standing beside his snowmobile, grinning and holding up a matched pair he had just found. His luck held for the next three hours, and we brought home 10 antlers that day. We had been traveling on old winter roads which had started to grow in with poplar and other small hardwoods. These roads are used heavily by moose, which spend the winter in yards much like deer but use these old road systems for their trails.

OOSE YARDS vary from mountaintops to the flat ground near highways, but they all have certain things in common: large quantities of moose browse

along the trails; water sources of some kind (they are frequently alongside brooks); and, as I said, a network of old roads to use as trails. These yards are easy to spot once you know what to look for. The small poplar trees in the area will be broken off about chest-high; the road systems wiÂˇll be covered with moose droppings. If the yard contained bulls, many of the small trees (three to four inches in diameter) will be rubbed clean of their bark where the bulls have tried to loosen the remaining antler after getting rid of the first one. Look in the vicinity of these barked trees-that's where the antlers will be. These trees will be rubbed clean anywhere between two and seven feet off the ground, and should not be confused with trees that the moose have fed on. You will find barked small white maple and mountain ash, for instance, but these are favored food trees for moose, and the clear areas will show teeth marks. 17

Moose antlers shed by natural causes are perfectly legal to possess in Maine. Bulls shed their antlers every year, usually in January or February. I found more than 30 and William found 15 or so during the spring of 1981. This pile half filled a pickup, and we managed to find five matched pairs, which is pretty good when you consider how far a bull could travel between dropping the first and the second antler.

The chair (above left), made from matched pairs and odd antlers gathered during several outings. The author (above right) points out a rubbed-bare sapling in a likely area for an antler search. Note the cleared area (remains of an old woods road), the browse in and near the road, and the higher cover close by.

HE FACT THAT EVERY BULL moose drops two antlers each year-and these can be readily found by anyone willing to spend some time looking in the right places-makes antler collecting a hobby anyone can enjoy. The early season fisherman or the late season snowmobiler can do their antler searching in conjunction with already-planned outdoor activities, or one can just put on the snowshoes and go looking. Another factor which makes this a good hobby is the workability of antler material with common ordinary tools. A fine-toothed saw cuts them readily, for example, and a regular portable electric drill will make neat holes in antlers. Commercially available enamel paints adhere well to the surfaces, and clear lacquer makes a fine top coat, giving the finished product a beautiful sheen.

The antlers can be made into many different things. I used one complete antler, for instance, and created a cribbage board, with holes drilled in the antler face and a hollowed-out portion of the beam for peg storage. In some cases, I have taken matched pairs and bolted them together for gun racks. Other items to consider making would include key chains, earrings, tie bars, checker sets, etc. Use your imagination! My most involved project, however, was the creation of a chair, made with a couple of matched pairs and a lot of odd ones. The result is shown in one of the photographs accompanying this article.

As demonstrated by the author, ordinary tools are quite effective when working with antlers. A portable drill (inset) or any sharp handsaw will work just fine. Sanding attachments for the drill can speed up the work, and normal nuts, bolts, and screws can effectively fasten this material. Finish your products as you would an item made of wood, ending with a coat or two of varnish.

HE ITEMS which could be created from this raw material are almost unlimited. One needs only an active imagination, a few simple tools, and the time and desire to check out the moose yards for antlers. And the act of creating these items, while it may be a very enjoyable pastime, is no more thrilling than the time when you look down and see your first moose antler on the ground in front of you!

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

1980-1981 AN INDEX TO MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

Vol.. 22, No. 1 through Vol. 23, No. 4 ANIMALS

Making The Most Of The Moose Season . .. .... . ..... . ....... Smr. ' 80 Deer Facts Of Life ................. . . . ....... . ... . ....... Smr. '81 NON-GAME

Poor Cousins . . ...... ... . . ... . . .... ................... ... Spr. ' 81 The Coyote: A Look At His Lifestyle ... . ............ . ....... Wtr. '81 RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT

Dealing With Deer Predators: Coyotes . ...... . .. .... . ... Wtr.-Spr. ' 80 Dealing With Deer Predators: Dogs .... ... .. . . . . ..... ... Wtr .-Spr. '80 Moose Tuesday .... . ........... .. . . ....... . . . ..... .. ...... Fall '80 Winter Bear Hunting ..... ..................... . ....... Wtr. ' 80-81 What 's Happening With The Bears ....... .. ...... ... .... Wtr. ' 80- 81 The Moose Season In Review ....... .... ... .. ........ .. . Wtr. ' 80-81 What We 've Learned From Moose Week .. .. ....... . ......... Spr. ' 81 Predator And Prey: How Do They Relate? ................... Wtr. '81 BIRDS NON-GAME

Poor Cousins . . . .. . ..... . . . . . . . . ... ... . . ................ . Spr. '81 The Common Loon: More Than A Symbol Of Wilderness ..... . Smr. ' 81 RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT Fowl Cholera: Disease Hits Sea Bird Islands .............. .. ... Fall '80 The WHY And HOW Of Waterfowl Regulations ..... . . ..... .. Fall '80 Blasting For Waterfowl .. .... ..... . . .... . . ......... . ... Wtr. '80-81 Banding The Downy Ducklings . .. ........ .... .............. Spr. '81 BOATING SAFETY

There's No Excuse! ..... . .. . . .. . ... .............. . ....... Smr. ' 80 ENVIRONMENT

Acid Rain-The Invisible Threat .... .... ... . .. . ......... . .. Smr. '81 FISH

Is It A Salmon Or A Brown? . .................. . ... .... . Wtr. ' 80-81 GAME

New Record Atlantic Salmon . ...................... . ....... Spr. ' 81 RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT Landlocked Salmon Management at West Grand Lake, Part II . . .. .... . ... . . . ............ Wtr. - Spr. ' 80 Trapping The Penobscot ....... ... . . ... ........... . . ... ... Smr. '80 Flying Fish .. . Then And Now . ........ ... .. .. . .... .. . ... . . Smr. ' 80 Spawning Sites: Look, But Don 't Touch ........ ..... ....... .. Fall ' 80 Imported Baitfish : Let' s Keep Them Out Of Maine ..... . ................... . ....... Wtr. '80- 81 Maine Fishery Regions: The Penobscot ...... . ......... . ..... Smr. '81 Those Telltale Rings! ..................... . ............... Smr. '81 Guidelines To Fish Stocking In Maine . .................... . Smr. ' 81 D-J Expansion: Financing For The Future ...... .... ....... .. Wtr. ' 81 FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, GENERAL

Coping With The Crunch .... . .................. . ....... Wtr . '80-81 FISHING

1979-The Year Of The Trout . .... ........ ............ Wtr.-Spr. '80 Line Can Be Litter! . . .. . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . .. .. . . . ... ....... . Smr. ' 80 Is It A Salmon Or A Brown . ........... ... ......... . . ... Wtr. ' 80-81 Winter Perching . . .. ............... . ... ... . . . . ... .... . Wtr. '80-81 New Record Atlantic Salmon ................ . ... . . . . . . . . ... Spr. '81 Fish Season Review , 1980 ..... ......... . ......... . .. ... .... Spr. ' 81 Maine Fishery Regions: The Penobscot ...................... Smr. '81 CRAPPIE! ....... . .......... . ............... .. ..... ... . Smr. '81

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

D-J Expansion: Financing For The Future ......... . . . . .. .... Wtr. ' 81 Angler Attitudes . ............ .. .......................... Wtr. ' 81 HOWÂ·TO

Sew A Bait ... .... ... ....................... ...... .... . .. Smr . ' 80 Fly Tying: The First Few Steps . ............................. Spr. '81 From The Fly Tying Bench : THE LIGHT CAHILL ... . . . ...... Spr. '81 Get The Lead ()ut! . ........... . ............... . . . .... . ... . Spr. '81 Warm Weather Woes . .. ............. ... .................. Smr. '81 From The Fly Tying Bench : THE WHITE WULFF .... ... ... . Smr. '81 Build That Fire .. . The Right Way! .. ... ... . ................ Wtr. '81 From The Fly Tying Bench : THE GREY GHOST . . ..... . . .... Wtr. '81 HUNTING

Making The Most Of The Moose Season .. . . .. .... . .......... Smr. '80 Maine Big Bucks, 1979 ..... .... . .. ..... . . . ...... . .... .... .. Fall '80 Operation Respect: The First Five Years ..... . . ... . . .. ... . ... . Fall '80 Moose Tuesday . .. .. . . ...... . . . . . . . . . ..... . ... . . .... ... . . . Fall '80 The Moose Season In Review ....... . . . .. . .............. Wtr. '80-81 1980 Deer Season-One For The Record ......... . . .. .. . . .... . Fall '81 Hunting In Maine-Who , What, Where, And Why, .. .. .. . . .. . . Fall '81 SAFETY

The Case For Hunter Orange ....... .... . . . . ........ . ... Wtr. ' 80-81 "LOST HUNTER" ................ ... ... . . . ... .. ..... .. . . Fall '81 KID-BITS

BATS! . ....... . ........ ... ................. . ........... Smr . '80 Moose ..... .... .. . ... . ..... . ............ . ... . ........ Wtr. ' 80-81 Fishing ......... .. ....... . ......... . . . ...... .. ..... . ... . Spr. '81 Weather Watch I (Clouds) . ..... . ................. . .... . ... Smr. ' 81 Weather Watch II (Other Indicators) ........... . . . ... .... .... Fall '81 Ice Fishing . ......... . .......... . ......... . .. . . . ..... . ... Wtr. '81 LAW/REGULATION

Public Rights To Maine' s Inland Waters . . . . . . . . . ...... .. Wtr.-Spr. Public Rights To Maine's Tidal Waters . .. . ......... . . .. . . . . . Smr. LURC And The Maine Sportsman ....... . ......... .... . . . . . Smr. The WHY And HOW Of Waterfowl Regulations .............. Fall

'80 ' 80 '80 ' 80

ENFORCEMENT

Leave Them Be! . ... .............. . . ...... .. ..... ........ Smr. ' 80 Imported Baitfish: Let 's Keep Them Out Of Maine ................................. Wtr. ' 80-81 Warden Service K-9s .............. . ................. . .... . Fall '81 " LOST HUNTER " ..... ........ ................ . .... . ... . Fall '81 MISCELLANEOUS

Line Can Be Litter! . ................... . . . .... . . . ..... . . . . Smr. '80 Maine Woods Hospitality ... . ... . . . ........................ Spr. ' 81 RIVERS & STREAMS

Maine Ri vers: The Allagash ... . ...... . .. .. . . . . . . . . ........ Smr. ' 80 SAFETY

Hypothermia : This Article Could Save Your Life . . ............ Spr. '81 Warm Weather Woes ............... . ............... . .. . . . Smr. ' 81 BOATING

There's No Excuse! .. . . . ..... .... . ........ . . . .......... .. Smr. '80 SPORTSMANSHIP

Operation Respect: The First Five Years .. . . . . . ..... . ......... Fall '80 A Time For Unity ..... . ... . ..... . ......... ... . .. . ... . ... . Wtr. '81 WILDLIFE

Wildlife Management: Some New Ideas . ............. .. ...... Spr . ' 81 Poor Cousins . ...... . ............... .. ...... .. .. . ........ Spr . ' 81 What Do People Think About Wildlife? .... . . . . . ... . ........ Smr. ' 80

Maine Heritage Firsthand UNIVERSITY STUDENTS GAIN RESOURCE APPRECIATION-AND INCREASED SELF-CONFIDENCE-THROUGH PRACTICAL OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES.

By Dr. Jack C. Sheltmire Photos by the author

NE OF THE requirements of the Recreation/ Leisure Service program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle is that students participate in an outdoor education practicum, or practical experience. This laboratory takes place after the spring semester of the junior year and focuses upon two of Maine's premier outdoor recreational resources: Baxter State Park and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. The primary objectives of this course are not only to experience these two resources, but also to develop a better understanding and appreciation for their management. To help accomplish this, the class does a considerable amount of work on campus prior to the actual outdoor phase of their learning. During this time, the students review some of the historical perspectives so unique to these areas. Some of their discussions focus upon the legislation that regulates these resources, user impact, group size limitations, user fees, and so on. During this period the members of the class also become involved in planning their menus and other details of their upcoming trips. This is quite a learning experience in itself, as it takes a considerable amount of planning and foresight to develop a two-week menu for 25 people. And to compound the problem, they have three different types of trips to plan

The author is acting chairperson of the Division of Education, Health, Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

for; these include a canoe trip, a backpacking trip, and a base camp with day excursions. While in class at the University, the group is divided into three separate trip groups and assigned a faculty leader, who serves as a group advisor. The students make the actual decisions about all aspects of the trip.

URING THE two-week outdoor portion of the course, the group will canoe the Allagash, backpack to Russell Pond, and base camp at Trout Brook Farm and South Branch Pond in Baxter State Park. Due to group size limitations for both areas, the groups are developed accordingly. The maximum group size eligible for a permit on the Allagash is 12. In the event a larger group wishes to travel together, a special permit can be requested in advance. In Baxter, the maximum group size allowed outside a group camping area is eight. These restrictions, for example, might lead the students to discussion of a question such as, "How large must a group be before it detracts from a wilderness experience?" It might be the consensus of our class that a smaller group size limitation might add to the quality of these two recreational experiences. Upon arriving at Baxter State Park, the students are scheduled for three days of orientation and training. At this time, the students have the opportunity to fine tune their outdoor skills. They also have the pleasure of meeting and learning from Baxter Park's naturalist, Gerald Merry. Mr. Merry has done an excellent job of not only familiarizing the students with Baxter's history, but its flora and fauna as well. After completing the orientation session, the

three groups pack their food and equipment and set out on their individual trips. On the Allagash, the students gain a better appreciation for the region by canoeing the famed waterway. They become familiar with the history and the legends associated with the Allagash. The old steam locomotives deserted at the tramway between Chamberlain and Eagle lakes, serve as an excellent stimulant for discussion. Another appreciation one readily develops while on the Allagash is for the weather. How long can one talk about wind? I am sure some of my students could go on for quite some time! During the trip, students encounter various kinds of wildlife-the most exciting being moose and, perhaps, the loons. As the trip progresses Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

Umsaskis Lake in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Rain and wind are often part of the experience.

towards Allagash Village, the students have had the opportunity to fish for togue and trout. A fine meal of fish may be enjoyed while camping at the ledges on Umsaskis. Surprisingly, perhaps, but this is a first for some students-to catch fish, clean them, and then eat them. As a group paddles down the meandering waterway, they can sense what I term, "the Allagash mystic." This awareness could never be developed in a classroom. The students gain a sensitivity for one of Maine's greatest outdoor resources. Similar group experiences have been expressed by the two groups that have remained in Baxter State Park. While backpacking ten miles into, Russell Pond, one certainly questions the value of every item in the pack. Next time, some of the articles may be left behind. There is only one way to experience the offerings at Russell Pond, and that is to hike! To experience the beauty, solitude, and wildlife found in this region of the park is well worth the effort.

HIS OUTDOOR educa-

tion practicum was developed in such a way that each student participates in each trip. During the two-week period, the group encounters all types of weather, from snow to balmy spring days. Everyone is outdoors for two entire weeks. They sleep on the ground, in a tent or lean-to, and cook all meals on open fires. The television and hot shower are absent but not forgotten! Through this experience, the students gain a better appreciation and understanding for two of Maine's finest outdoor recreation resources, and they also gain increased self-confidence-important qualities in toâ&#x20AC;˘ morrow's leaders. Base camp in Baxter State Park, an outdoor classroom without parallel.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

MA IN E CANOES

A Bit of History, A Bit of Mystery Reprinted from the Maine State Museum's newsletter, "Broadside," Spring 1981

O WATERCRAFT in use today are more clearly identified with the Northeast and Maine than are canoes. These elegant vessels were apparently developed and perfected by native Americans in northeastern North America centuries before the arrival of the first European explorers. Some fine examples of early, Maine-made canoes are now on display at the Maine State Museum in Augusta. The exhibit is the Museum's first attempt to deal with this most appropriate theme in Maine's history. The late Howard I. Chapelle, well-known marine architectural historian and coauthor of the standard reference on canoes (Adney and Chapelle, Bark and Skin Boats of Aboriginal North America, 1964) considered the canoes "among the most highly developed manually propelled primitive watercraft.'' Europeans who first visited the coasts of North America were impressed by canoes used by local Indian populations. Martin Pring, who explored the New England coast in 1603, described examples he saw in detail, listing materials and dimensions. Six years later, James Rosier, a scribe for George Weymouth's 1605 expedition to the central Maine coast, described local canoes in glowing terms:

thought canoes remarkable enough to include in their return cargoes. Once settled here, Euro-Americans quickly adopted the canoe as a standard mode of transport in the New World wilderness. Frequently purchased from local Indian manufacturers, canoes following native patterns remained remarkably unchanged through the centuries . With FrenchCanadian bateaux for heavy work, canoes constituted the mainstay of travel in the Maine woods until the advent of automotive roads. During the mid-19th century, the emerging urban elite of America discovered the Maine woods as a source of recreation and spiritual enrichment. This trend was heralded by Henry David Thoreau's The Maine Woods, published in

Their canoes are made without any iron, of the bark of a birch tree, strengthened within with ribs and hoops of wood, in so good a fashion, with such excellent ingenious art, as they are able to bear seuen (sic) or eight persons, far exceeding any in the (West) Indies. While Weymouth felt compelled to kidnap five natives to take back to England, both Pring and Weymouth also 22

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

1864. It was presumably under the pressure of timber cutting (fewer large birch trees) and increased demand, that the first major inroads were made in traditional canoe construction. Sometime around 1880, painted canvas began to replace birchbark as the "skin" for Maine canoes . This trend was soon followed by manufacturers in other New England states and the eastern Canadian provinces. By 1900, several Maine companies were producing canvas canoes for sporting and industrial markets. These craft bore such trademarks as Kennebec, Skowhegan, Morris, White, and Old Town, to name only the major makers. Further innovations followed during the early decades of the 20th century, including sponson and square stern canoes, the latter being designed to accept the newly developed outboard motor.

HE MAINE-MADE CANOE exhibit presents a variety of vessels depicting the important stages in the evolution of Maine-made canoes . Bark canoes, including Indian examples and an 18th century specimen purportedly made for the Willard family for use in the Williamsburg area (near Brownville Junction); and canvas canoes, including an exquisitely decorated example and two superb paddles made by Oscar Farrington of Kezar Falls for use in the Allagash during the late 19th century, are exhibited . The decorated canoe has undergone conservation treatment in the Museum's painting conser-

vation laboratory to bring out the lively hunting scenes and other landscape views painted on its sides. Also exhibited is a St. John River canoe made by Asa Gallup of Fort Fairfield during the 1930s for use in the Eagle Lake region. This type of canoe was often fitted, as this specimen is, with an outboard motor bracket. Finally, the Museum's contribution to the exhibit includes a sponson canoe of the 1930s and a 17-foot Morris canoe made in Veazie. An additional point of interest near the display is the "half-built"-an old canoe form with cedar ribs and planking only partially constructed over it. This portion of the display, courtesy of the Old Town Canoe Co., gives the viewer a pretty good idea of the construction process-and it's out front, where it can be closely examined and touched. The Museum exhibition is expected to remain on display through this summer.

The Maine State Museum is located in the State House Complex in Augusta. The hours are as follows: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. There is no admission charge. Be sure to visit the museum sales area where Maine-made crafts and Maine books may be purchased.

By Tom Chamberlain Managing Editor

When George Fatula first came across the canoe, he didn't really know what to think. "Here I am, with boat painting as a profession and canoes as a hobby," George said, "coming across a shining example of a birchbark canoe right on my own property." The canoe, when first spotted, was pulled up on shore near some fallen birches in an area which, according to Fatula, represented the first good sheltered landfall one would raise when coming down the

St. Croix River from Calais. A good place to beach a canoe. But some other factors make the story more interesting. First: the canoe was not alone there on shore. With it were paddles, a bow and arrows, clothing, food bags, water bottles-in short, a complete woods campsite. But no sign of life! Fatula didn't touch anything at first, but returned the following day and recorded the scene on film before lugging the canoe through the woods to his house one-quarter mile away. Then he started checking out the situation, beginning with a search for a body-it certainly ap-

peared as if someone were planning to return. But no body was found. Second: In the course of his investigation, Fatula made contact with someone who reported seeing an old gentleman dressed in animal-skin clothes and carrying a musket, portaging the dam where the St. Croix leaves Spednik Lake-with a birch-bark canoe!- about six to eight weeks before Fatula's discovery. George says it almost has to be the same canoe, since the time frame involved allows about a month for a paddler to make the 70 miles from the Vanceboro dam to where the canoe was found. But what happened to the canoer? George is continuing his efforts to find out, following up leads from Ontario to Blue Hill. He says he

A Question Of Identity.

I I

No Question Of Talent!

Left, the Farrington paddles, signed and dated by the artist. Top right, the starboard beam of the Farrington(?) canoe-two buckskin-clad sportsmen carrying their birchbark boat. Above, the waterfowl scene (note the small canoe in background; this is a salesman's sample made around 1920 for Old Town salesmen to display). Below left, the Kineo House painting, uncleaned. Below, a close-up of starboard bow detail, showing the exquisite scrollwork (note the effects of cleaning). Photos by Gregory Hart, Maine State Museum

I I

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

really doesn't want to keep someone else's canoe, but will surrender it only to the r ~al owner. The canoe, whose estimated age is about 10 to 15 years, is sealed at the seams with tar instead of pitch. But other than that, construction methods are traditional (it seems to be based on Abenaki designs), its condition is excellent, and it is a "great handling little canoe," says Fatula. Whatever happened that prompted the owner to abandon such a fine little craft, we may never know. George Fatula is still intrigued with

the "mystery" surrounding the canoe, but promptly loaned it to the Maine State Museum to use in their display. "If the owner is out there somewhere," Fatula says, "he'll just have to wait until the museum is through with it." There are four birchbark canoes included in the Maine Canoes exhibit- two which were probably constructed during the late nineteenth century, and one which dates back to the early nineteenth century. And Fatula's discovery-the newest of the four, and one of the most finely shaped ones in the collection.

Oscar Farrington: Canoe Builder? Who was Oscar Farrington? Research continues in an effort to learn more about this mid-nineteenth century western Maine craftsman who fabricated and beautifully decorated two canoe paddles, currently part of the Maine State Museum's display of Maine canoes . Farrington, who saved researchers a lot of trouble in the case of the paddles (they are autographed "0. Farrington 1864"), wasn't quite as cooperative when it came to the beautifully decorated wood/ canvas canoe, a featured piece in the exhibit. As a matter of fact, attributing the creation of this masterpiece to Farrington is highly educated conjecture on the part of museum staffers. The donor of the canoe attributed the work to Farrington, listing his home town as Kezar Falls and the date of the canoe's construction as 1861. This all fits with research done by the museum and is, of course, reinforced by the date inscribed on the paddles. Basically, the reasoning used by the museum involved the extreme similarities in painting styles between the paddles and the canoe, plus the closeness in dates mentioned. One observation in support of the 1861 date: on the port side of the stern (not visible in the display, but pictured here) is a painting of the Kineo House. Researchers determined that the famous lodge, nestled at the foot of Mount Kineo on Moosehead Lake, only looked like the painting on the canoe for a short period in its history-a period co-incident with the Civil War years, the years during which Farrington is reputed to have created this masterpiece. For those who have not viewed this canoe: it is truly beautiful! I won't say that these photographs don't do it justice, for they are excellent likenesses. But any intricate artistic creation loses something in the translation to filmMaine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

George races canoes in his spare time, and says the craft's shape is very close to those of some modern racing canoes. All in all, the "bark boats" are an interesting section of the display. As varied, interesting, and attractive as the rest of the canoes in the exhibit are, one gets a certain special feeling when viewing the birchbark canoes- the pioneers of the lightweight canoe industry, and the preferred type of canoe until the late 1800s, when wood/ canvas construction began to replace them. They're all worth seeing!

By Tom Chamberlain Managing Editor

and, of course, the canoe's decorations are not all reproduced here. Conservation work on the canoe took many weeks, and involved painstaking application and re-application of cleaners, followed by extremely detailed repair of the paintings themselves. If Oscar Farrington were to visit the Maine State Museum today, he would no doubt be pleased with the efforts expended on the vessel. Only the side exposed to view in the exhibit has been extensively cleaned. On the bow, bordered by exquisitely shaded scrollwork, are two scenes, one depicting hunting and one depicting fishing. Amidships, a long scene of two outdoorsmen carrying a birchbark canoe fades into the steely blue of the background toward the bow and stern. And on the stern is a magnificent painting of waterfowl hunters at the water's edge-the hunters, the birds, the lake, and the sails out on the water all depicted in period style and extremely eye-pleasing detail. The Kineo House painting, pictured here, has not been cleaned, and our picture of it gives a good idea of what the canoe looked like before the conservation work was done. The donor of the canoe stated that Oscar used this vessel when he went into the Allagash (no date given) to ''prove that man could survive in a wilderness area." If he did in fact make that trip, did he prove what he set out to prove? We really don't know, because after all ... who WAS Oscar Farrington? Editor's Note: We at MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine, as well as the Maine State Museum staff, are interested (seriously) in knowing more about Oscar Farrington and his work. Let us know if you can supply any information about him generally, or about the featured canoe specifically. Write to us at the address given on the contents page-we'd appreciate it!

BROWN TROUT IN STREAMS With the help of Trout Unlimited, fishery biologists are learning more about managing brown trout in the stream environment. By Urban D. Pierce Fishery Biologist OR DECADES NOW, the Fish and Wildlife Department has been stocking many Maine lakes and streams with brown trout; however, very little data have been gathered on the dynamics of our stream fisheries. The lack of stream information has prompted a general investigation to evaluate our brown trout stocking program and to determine the best strategies needed to enhance our stream management program. The whole story of brown trout in Maine began in 1885 when a shipment of eggs arrived at a federal hatchery in the Bucksport area and were stocked at Branch Lake in Ellsworth. By 1900, several waters were being stocked with this species and early fishery workers felt that the brown was going to be the answer to help bolster sagging trout and salmon fisheries. Many native trout and salmon populations were on the

decline due to changing land use and water use practices, such as dam building and log driving, and also from introductions of many highly competitive warm-water fish species. Many of these early introductions were not successful, however, and interest in brown trout waned considerably around 1920. By the 1940s the brown trout promoters again attempted to establish this species around the state. Large numbers of fish were being stocked and literally hundreds of waters throughout Maine received at least one stocking with this species. As a result of this massive stocking program, several careless introductions were made, but amazingly enough, very few populations became self-sustaining, which still is the case today. There areÂˇ virtually no natural viable fisheries existing in any lake environment. Nearly all the lake fisheries are supported through hatchery stocking

programs. However, the opposite is true regarding streams. Nearly all our stream populations have wild selfsustaining populations. There are approximately 90 streams in Maine currently supporting brown trout, most of which are located in southern Maine. This represents over 760 miles of habitat utilized by this species, with only 150 miles or so being stocked with hatchery fish. Most of the existing habitat is shared with the native brook trout, but brown trout are also found in several streams where warmer water temperatures preclude a brook trout fishery.

ERY FEW population studies have been made on brown trout streams in Maine. A complete assessment as to the quality of fishery existing in each of these streams is lacking at this time; however, attempts are being made through electrofishing surveys and stream inventory work to qualify more of these stream populations. A iew studies in southern Maine showed these streams supporting approximately 18-20 pounds of trout per acre of habitat. These figures are very low when compared with figures of 50 to 100 pounds for many well-known trout streams in other parts of the United Stat.es. Much of this difference is due to the low fertility of Maine water versus highly productive water existing in other parts of the country.

The author gathers and records water quality, temperature, and stream flow information on the Little Ossipee River.

By completing and returning their creel census cards, fishermen provide biologists with valuable fishery management information.

A study was initiated in 1978 on three streams systems in Maine to gather some pertinent quantitative baseline data. This study ~as the first of its kind in Maine and it was concluded that despite the demand for brown trout fishing in Maine, current stocking practices were inadequate to provide a sustained quality fishery. It was also seen from this study that much more information was going to be needed if we were going to manage this fish adequately in a stream environment. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, concerned about meeting the increasing demands for more opportunities and better fishing quality on all the state's fisheries undertook a comprehensive planning effort in the early 1970s. This included an assessment of the current habitat supply, demand, and use opportunities available to anglers for brown trout fishing in Maine. As a result of this assessment, the Department chose a rather ambitious goal of increasing use opportunities and improving the fishing quality for brown trout available to Maine anglers. The stream management objectives set forth included diversifying fishing opportunities through general management areas, special regulation sections, and areas designated for intensive management, all designed to provide increased opportunities available to the angler and to improve the overall fishing quality. To achieve this management goal, much information is needed on the specifics of habitat requirements and suitability, survival, exploitation, etc., of stocked trout in order to determine the best management alternatives and strategies needed to attain this goal. Hence, it became the intention of the Fishery Division to undertake a stream study to provide the necessary information regarding these parameters. Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

HE Little Ossipee River, located in York County, was chosen for this study because of its location in the Newfield Wildlife Management Area, owned by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and its abundance of apparent suitable habitat and use by anglers . The project was started in the spring of 1981 and will continue for several years, studying the many facets of stream management. No doubt it will be several years before many questions will be answered, but we have started. The Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited has joined our effort and has

committed money, materials andmost important-manpower to help make this project a success. We also need your support and cooperation in providing the much-needed information if we're to be successful in our endeavor. We hope this project will set a trend for the future where anglers, local sportsmen groups, and their Fish and Wildlife Department can join hands and work together to help insure more opportunities and better fishing in the years to come. Funding help for the Little Ossipee study came from the Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited, which also donated materials and manpower. Receiving a check from TU representatives is Commissioner Glenn Manuel (3rd from left) and the author.

Feathered friends will beat a path to your door if you ...

BUILD A BETTER BIRDHOUSE! PRING IS THE TIME of year when our thoughts switch from the warmth of the woodstove to the upcoming warmth of sunny days. And with spring comes the return of our favorite songbirds. Because of the gradual recession of woodlands and the use of dead trees as well as live trees as an alternate fuel source, birds are being deprived of homes. You may be able to help the little fellows by having some bird houses built and weathered.

Only boxes intended for wrens and martins should be hung from limb; others should be fastened securely to a post or tree trunk.

When building a birdhouse , an important step to consider is easy access for cleaning.

This will enable them to settle in and start their families upon arrival. In erec_ting these houses, there are several things to take into consideration. First, try to suit the house to the tenants. Build the house for a particular species native to your region. Maine has several species of birds which could be possiLetters should be sent to: Patricia Hogan, KID-BITS Editor Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine 284 State Street, Sta. #41 Augusta, ME 04333 28

ble candidates for some of your houses. They include Bluebird, tree swallow, house wren, chickadee, flicker, house sparrow, house finch (a Maine newcomer), purple martin, sparrow hawk, and maybe even a saw-whet owl! The next thing to remember is to build a one-family box, as most songbirds are territorial and will not allow another family under the same roof. This is true in most cases-one exception is the purple martin. Materials vary, but wood is by far the best building choice. Rough ~awmill slabs with the bark still attached are best and produce a rustic looking house which blends in well with the environment. This will help attract the birds to it.

SPECIES

ENTRANCE DIA. OF FLOOR OF DEPTH OF CAVITY CAVITY ABOVE FLOOR ENTRANCE

Bluebird

5x5''

1 Y2 "

Ch ickadee

4x4 "

8-10"

6-8"

1Ya"

House Finch

4x4 "

8-10"

6-8"

11/.i"

House Sparrow

4x4 "

6-8"

1-6"

Flicker

7x7 "

16-18"

14-16"

2Y2 "

Purple Martin

6x6"

2Y2 "

Tree Swallow

5x5''

1-5''

1 Y2"

Saw-whet Owl

10x18"

15-18"

Sparrow Hawk

8x8''

12-15"

9-12"

House Wren

4x4"

6-8"

1-6"

1Ya"

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

A sheet metal ridge tacked on only one side of box allows the lid to be slid off when screw is removed for easy cleaning of box.

When a house is placed atop a metal pole, the pole acts as a deterrent to cats and squirrels.

If the wood needs to be stained or painted, it is important to let it weather outside a bit before securing it in place. The birds will not use a house unless all odors of paint and stain are gone. The pitch of the roof should be enough to shed water easily, and should extend about two inches over the opening to protect it from the weather and to provide adequate shade. In building the houses, drill one or two one quarter inch holes through the walls near the top of the house to ensure proper ventilation. Wrapping sheet metal around the bottom of the tree or pole will prevent predators from entering the nest. And drilling a few holes in the bottom will allow drainage during torrential rains and will prevent the babies from drowning. Do not install perches on the outside of the house except in the case of the sparrow, who is a bit clumsy and

needs something to cling to before entering. A perch on the outside could also be a distinct advantage to an enemy, because he can perch there and prevent the parents from returning. An inside perch would be helpful to the young as they are fed, and also when they are ready to fly and leave the nest. Cleaning of the house can be easy if the box is constructed with easy access, as illustrated in the drawings. Placement of the houses should be in open locations such as poles, dead trees, or open tree

This made by tion of ing out a

A house like the one shown is easy to make and also blends well with the environment.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

rustic house is splitting a seclog, then carvnesting cavity.

trunks. A good rule of thumb is four or five boxes per acre. They should be placed where the birds may be free from the danger of cats. With a few materials and some effort on your part, you will soon be able to enjoy the beauty of having different species of songbirds around your home. 29

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS HUNTING'S BIG BUSINESS

In addition to the excellent table fare and outdoor recreation it provided, Maine's 1981 hunting season contributed nearly $70 million to the state's economy, according to Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Glenn H. Manuel. . Manuel's figure is based on projections made by Alan S. Kezis, assistant professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maine at Orono. Kezis used data obtained in a 1977 research study on hunting in Maine, updated to take into account inflation and increased numbers of licensed hunters. Total short-term expenditures by hunters in 1981 were estimated by Kezis to be $68,637,997. Resident hunters studied were found to hunt an average of 14.5 days and spend $22.01 per day, for a total of $247. 72 per hunter for the year. Nonresidents hunting in Maine averaged 9.4 days and daily expenditures of $64.63, for a total of $529.83 per hunter. Manuel points out that purchases by hunters have a widespread effect on the Maine economy, particularly in rural areas. He also notes that the more than $19 million spent by nonresident hunters represents new money in the state's economy. The study included hunters' expenditures for such items as transportation, food, lodging, guides, clothing, ammunition, meat-processing, taxidermy, and other short-term goods and services. Not included in the survey were long-term expenditures-hunting camps, vehicles, campers, rifles, etc.

PERSONNEL NOTES

The accidental death of a fish hatchery foreman and a number of retirements are among the recent 30

personnel news within the Maine Fish and Wildlife Department. Thomas W. Spring, foreman of the New Gloucester Hatchery, died in February when a private plane he was flying crashed at Sabbathday Lake. Spring had been an employee of the Hatchery Division since 1973 and was promoted to hatchery

foreman in 1978. He is survived by his wife, Elaine and two children . Recent retirements: Fishery Biologist Stuart E. DeRoche (31 years); Game Warden lieutenants Walter R. Bisset (30 years), Gene E. Mallory (27 years), Gray B. Morrison (25 years) and E. Leonard Ritchie (27 years); Game Warden

1981 Warden of the Year Corporal Charles E. Davis of Shirley is Maine's Game Warden of the Year for 1981. "Steady, dependable, dedicated ... '' are among recurring adjectives describing Davis by his peers and superiors who selected him as their top warden for last year. Colonel John Marsh, chief warden, cited Davis as having been one of the original members of the department's search and rescue unit and continuing today as one of its more active members. Davis, 45, has received commendations for high-risk rescues of mountain climbers on Mount Kineo and for his efforts in breaking up a large moose poaching operation conducted in Maine by Canadian hunters who were selling illegal meat to hotels and restaurants. Davis' immediate supervisor, Sgt. Michael Collins of Greenville, in his recommendation for the warden of the year, wrote of Davis that ''he has been doing quality game warden work for 20 years

and is continually one of the top producers in Division E. He is very conscientious and willingly alters time off to meet the section's need for coverage, and has on numerous occasions sacrificed time off to the benefit of the department. He is highly respected by his fell ow officers and by the public he serves.'' Davis was born in Rumford and is a graduate of Stephens High School. He was employed in the forestry department of Oxford Paper Company in Rumford before joining the Warden Service in February 1962. His first assignment was to a warden district at Daaquam on the Quebec border. He became an original member of the search and rescue team in 1964.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

Sergeant Duane G. Lewis (20 years); and Game Wardens Norman A. Gilbert (33 years), Charles A. Bessey (20 years) and Charles A. Cochran (33 years). DEER WINTERING REPORT Although it may not set any new temperature or snowfall records, the winter now ending has served as an abrupt reminder of what winter is like in the northern latitudes. The several exceptionally easy ones that preceded winter 1981-82 may have allowed many to forget what a real Maine winter is ... and what a toll it can extract. Of greatest concern at press time is the condition of the state's deer herd. December was severe on deer in southern and western wildlife management units (units 8 and 3). January was relatively severe in all areas of the state. February brought more problems. A crust that developed early in the month in coastal and southern sections, although permitting deer to move about a bit more, also allowed the first serious dog-deer problems in several years to develop. Under the direction of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Glenn Manuel, a law enforcement and news media blitz brought the deer-killing dogs under relative control within a few weeks.

Elsewhere in the state, the snow was deep and powdery through February. Deer were tightly yarded, with mobility restricted but improving. On the plus side, the almost-impossible travel conditions are believed to have cut down on predation on deer in these areas. How long winter will last is now the important question. The latewinter / early-spring period is particularly important for pregnant does as fetus development demands more and more nutrients. A prolonged winter can result in significant mortality. Deer hunting seasons will be set for 1982 after wildlife biologists have completed their post-winter assessment of the herd's status, probably in June. Readers who would like to be informed of the '82 seasons immediately after they are set should send a self-addressed return envelope to DEER SEASONS, Maine Fish and Wildlife Dept., Sta. #41, Augusta, ME 04333. FISHING LAW CHANGES Some noteworthy changes in the general laws on fishing will greet anglers when Maine's 1982 season opens on April 1. The biggest change is in the bag limits on salmon, trout, and togue (take trout). In most counties, the

WE CARE ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION! MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine is now using an entirely new and more efficient system for maintaining subscription and circulation information. We are also involved in a program to build our circulation, and have been mailing some promotional material designed to encourage renewals and new subscriptions. A recent promotion mailed to all records on our filesboth active and inactive-apparently caused some concern among active subscribers that their subscriptions had expired. So we felt it was time to tell you how the new label is set up. The two most important parts of the label to us now are: your zip code-please make sure it is correct-and the top Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

daily limit has been reduced on lakes and ponds but increased on brooks, streams, and rivers; the aggregate weight limit remains 7 Yi pounds, however. By counties, the following are the new daily bag limits on trout, salmon, and togue during the open water season: ANDROSCOGGIN, CUMBERLAND, OXFORD AND YORK COUNTIES daily limit on trout, salmon and togue : 5 fish, not to include more than 2 salmon, 2 togue, 3 brown trout, 3 rainbow trout. All 5 may be brook trout, except in lakes and ponds in CUMBERLAND and YORK Counties where not more than 3 may be brook trout. WASHINGTON COUNTY - daily limit on trout, salmon and togue: 8 fish, not to include more than 3 salmon and 3 togue . All 8 may be trout. ALL OTHER COUNTIES - daily limit on trout, salmon and togue: 10 fish-except in lakes and ponds where it is 5 fish-not to include more than 2 salmon, 2 togue, 3 brown trout, 3 rainbow trout. All IO (5 in lakes and ponds) may be brook trout.

Also, the daily limit on Atlantic salmon has been reduced to one fish, but anglers may have two of them in their possession; it should be noted that this is the only exception to the rule that a person shall not possess more fish than he or she may lawfully take in one day. General law open seasons are unchanged from last year, but there are several changes in minimum legal length limits. The limit on togue is now 18 inches statewide.

line of letters and numbers, by which your subscription is identified. Please give us at least this information when making any inquiry about your subscription. The most important part of the label to you, however, is the group of four digits in the upper right corner. This tells you when your subscription is set to expire; the first two digits are the year, and the last two are the issue (01 = Spring, 02 =Summer, 03 = Fall, 04 = Winter). So, before you write us with a concern about your subscription, look at your label. If it says 8301, for instance, your subscription does not expire until after you receive the Spring 1983 issue. And whenever you do correspond with us about your subscription, send a label, if possible, but at least the letters and numbers on the top line, including the expiration date.

The limit on brown trout and rainbow trout on brooks, streams, and rivers has been reduced to 6 inches, except in Washington County where it remains at 8 inches. Brook trout, blueback trout, and Sunapee trout must now be at least 8 inches to be legal in lakes and ponds in Oxford County. There are also a number of fishing regulation changes on individual bodies of water that anglers should note in their copy of the 1982 fishing laws.

'82 BEAR SEASON Maine's 1982 bear hunting season will run from September 1 through November 30, except there will be no hunting in northern Maine (north of the Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks) during the moose season (September 20-25). Increasing hunting pressure on bears and growing concern that too many were being taken, combined with lessening public acceptance of certain bear hunting practices, have led to major changes in recent years. Chief among these has been a shortening of the open season, including total elimination of spring bear hunting. The Maine legislature last year passed a law giving the fish and wildlife commissioner authority to set the bear hunting season within the framework dates of September 1 to November 30. The commissioner was also empowered to terminate a season in progress, if necessary, to protect the resource. DECOYS AND DOGS AID WARDENS Sometimes game wardens must employ the latest in sophisticated equipment and techniques to catch lawbreakers. At other times, though, all it takes is a little ingenuity, or maybe a bit of luck. Two examples of the latter occurred last fall. Warden Philip Dumond, who lives virtually on the Maine-Canada boundary in Estcourt, went hunting 32

"The Wood Duck Man" Honored James A. Dorso of the department's Wildlife Division has been named recipient of Down East Magazine's 1982 Environmental Award. Dorso, who has been credited for his efforts to bring the wood duck back from near-extinction in Maine, has been chosen to receive the award that is bestowed annually by the Camdenbased magazine on a person, institution, or group that has been in the forefront of efforts to renew and preserve Maine's environmental heritage. Dorso today maintains more than 1,300 nesting boxes in wetlands in the mid-coast and central Maine areas, oversees the maintenance of at least 600 more in other parts of the state, and leads educational efforts to encourage others to promote the wood duck population. Now a wildlife technician with the department, he started his wood duck program as

for night hunters with a decoy. Having reason to believe that knowledge of his comings and goings from home was being put to ill use by his Canadian neighbors, Dumond stuffed a warden's uniform with pillows to make it appear that he was asleep in a chair in front of his television set. After peeking in the windows of Dumond's house and satisfying themselves that the local warden posed no threat, a jacking party went on what resulted in an expensive junket. Caught in the act and jumped by Wardens David Allen and Dennis

a hobby in 1953 in the Richmond, Litchfield, and Winthrop areas. His work was so successful that it attracted the Wildlife Division's attention, and soon he was working for the department in a statewide program. The wood duck is now the second most common waterfowl harvested by hunters, next to the black duck, and Dorso's efforts have been applauded by hunters and naturalists alike. The nesting boxes, some statemaintained and some kept by individuals or conservation groups, now number more than 2,500 statewide, and well over 8,000 young are hatched each year in just the 1,300 boxes that Dorso personally maintains. A detailed tribute to "The Wood Duck Man,, and his work was included in Down East Magazine's special January 1982 annual issue.

Burnell, who were in on the ruse, the jackers put for Canada but were apprehended following a confrontation in which Allen lost two teeth. The responsible party paid a $1,500 fine and spent three days in an Aroostook County Jail. On the other side of the state, near the coast in Hancock County, Warden Mike Favreau with the help of his dog, turned tables on some out-of-season trappers. The dog's first encounter with a trap was an accidental one, being seized in an illegal set as he accompanied Favreau on his rounds. But after that, the dog would sniff-out and

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Spring 1982

locate traps, then bark, calling his master to the sets. In this manner, the pair located over 100 traps set illegally in closed season.

OPINIONS SOUGHT As part of a crackdown on illegal hunting activity, Maine is onsidering adopting a program , hich pays rewards to citizens who turn in poachers. But before going any further than the discussion stage, the Fish and Wildlife Department wants to determine whether there is enough public support for this kind of effort in Maine. Warden Lt. William J. Vail, who is leading the review of the program says that about twelve other states have adopted informant-reward systems in recent years, with favorable results. Vail says key elements of these programs are toll-free phone numbers, for citizens to use in reporting violations, and that the callers remain anonymous. Rewards are paid if an arrest is made or a summons is issued; they are not contingent upon getting a conviction. The size of the reward is based on the seriousness of the offense. A citizens' committee administers the reward fund, which is maintained by private contributions. Vail would like to hear from anyone with opinions either for or against the proposed paid-informant program in Maine. Write to Lt. William J. Vail, 328 Shaker Rd., RR#l, Gray, ME 04039. MOOSE PERMIT DRAWING By press time, 45,000 resident and 11,000 nonresident 1982 moose hunting permit applications had been processed. The permit drawing will be at the Augusta State Armory, beginning at 5: 30 PM, May 19th. The 900 Maine residents and 100 nonresidents whose applications are drawn will be notified by registered mail soon after the drawing. They will then have about six weeks to

buy their hunting license, select their subpermittee, and acquire the moose hunting permit. The open season, in northern Maine only, will be September 20-25. Having failed for the second time to gather enough petition signatures in time to stop this fall's hunt, opponents of moose hunting in Maine now say they are contemplating other legal action. The Fish and Wildlife Department is confident the moose hunting law and the biological facts involved can withstand legal challenge.

BALLOU FLIES DONATED TO ST ATE MUSEUM An important collection of over 300 Atlantic salmon flies has been donated to the Maine State Museum in Augusta through the generosity of Donald Everett of Sabattus. The collection contains fully dressed English and Scotch patterns that were tied by the late Ai Ballou of Winthrop, in the 1930s. Ballou is a

prominent figure in the history of fly fishing, perhaps best known as the inventor of the marabou streamer. This collection is an important addition to the Maine State Museum's collection of historic fishing tackle. Many of the patterns cannot be duplicated today because the materials used are from species of birds that are protected. Among the single- and double-hooked flies in the English tin box are several examples of shanks with gut eyes, a style of hook that was not often used after the turn of the century. The Museum has plans underway for a large "Made in Maine" exhibit that will include an area devoted to the art of bamboo rod making, a craft for which Maine was famous. This portion of the exhibit will focus on the F. E. Thomas Company of Bangor. The exhibit will be several years in development. For further information contact the Maine State Museum, State House Station 83, Augusta, Maine 04333.

Each fall we set trap nets in Moosehead Lake to catch salmon that have been stocked in the lake, to evaluate their growth and survival. Since 1976, we have observed substantial improvements in the growth of the stocked fish. For example, five-year-old fish averaged less than 17 inches in length in 1976 but are now about 22 inches. The improvements can be attributed to better quality in the fish that are being produced in our hatcheries and to the fact that we are now stocking fewer salmon in Moosehead. This means more food for those fish that are stocked and for the wild salmon in the lake. We also believe there is a much better smelt population in the lake now than there was in the early 1970s. Last October we caught 167 salmon in the trapnet at Greenville Junction. The fish were anesthetized, measured and weighed. Most were tagged with metal jaw tags before being released. We are interested in learning more about the movements of these fish throughout the lake, how many are caught by fishermen, and when they are caught. We would appreciate reports from people who catch a tagged salmon. Each report should include the number on the tag, the date the fish was caught, the exact location of the catch, and the length of the fish. This information should be sent to the Fish and Wildlife Headquarters, Box 551, Greenville, Maine 04441. The first tagged salmon we had a report on was caught in January, between Deer and Sugar islands. The 21-inch female salmon had traveled at least eight miles from the tagging site since October. -Paul R. Johnson Fishery Biologist Greenville