Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Fall 1986 by Maine State Library

$1.75

Beaver, Preparing For Winter

Photo by Irene Vandermolen. c/o Leonard Rue Enterprises

~AINE

FISH AND WILDLIFE Governor Joseph E. Brennan

Department of Inland Fl8herle• and Wildlife Glenn H . Manuel, Commissioner Norman E. Trask, Deputy Commissioner Frederick B. Hurley, Jr., Director Bureau of Resource Management Peter C . Brazier, Director Bureau of Administrative Service John F. Marsh , Director Bureau of Warden Service

Advl8ory CoancU Marc S. Plourde, Eagle Lake, Chairman Carroll York, West Forks Vice Chairman Francis D. Dunn , Patten Nathan Cohen , Eastport F. Paul Frinsko, Port/arid Asa 0 . Holmes, Belfast Alva S . Appleby , Skowhegan F. Dale Speed, Princeton

Maine Fl8h and WUdlUe Magazine W. Thomas Shoener, Editor Thomas J . Chamberlain , Managing Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photo Editor All photographs in this issue were made by the Pubhc Information and Education Division unless otherwise indicated.

FALL 1986

VOL. 28, NO. 3

Features Maine Big Bucks, 1 985

We've Made Progress ... But We're Not Through Yet!

No One Hunts Chickadees by Larry Lindsay

Nuisance Wildlife: Everyone's Responsibility by Henry Hilton Sitting Ducks! There's A Shortage Of Belfries! by Robert L. Martin

By Air and By Land

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Accordingly, all department programs and activities must be operated free from discrimination in regard to race , color, national origin , age , or handicap. Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against should write to The Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S . Department of the Interior, Washington , D.C. 20240.

by Leslie Wiles

by Gary Anderson

CHANGE OF ADDIIESS: Send both old and new addresses to Circulation Section , MAINE ASH AND WILDLIFE Magazine , 284 State St., Sta. "41 , Augusta, ME 04333. Please allow six weeks for change to take effect. Your post office cannot forward copies unless you provide forwarding postage. POSTNASTEII: Send address changes to Circulation Section , MAINE ASH AND WILDLIFE Magazine, 284 State St., Sta. "41 , Augusta, ME 04333.

by Gary Anderson

Safety First ... And Second ... And Third MAINE ASH AND WILDLIFE (ISSN 0360-00SX) is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheties and Wildlife, 284 State St. , Station 41 , Augusta, ME 04333, under Appropriation 4550. Subsalption rate : $7.00 per year. No stamps, please. Second class postage paid at Augusta, ME 04330. © Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife , 1986. Permission to reprint text material is granted, provided proper credit is given to the author and to MAINE ASH AND WILDLIFE. Clearance must be obtained from artists, photographers, and nonstaff authors to reproduce credited work.

Our Lakes Are WINNING! by Waldo E . Pray

Departments KID-BITS FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS

13 30

THE COVERS Front: Ruffed grouse in prime habitat. Painting by Paul Boucher, 6 Judy St. , RR 1, Lewiston , ME 04240 . Back : Pushineer Pond , T15R9 , sunset. Photo by Hank Tyler.

Record Numbers

close to beating last year's top whitetail , but fell about six pounds short of the mark. Still, 294 pounds on the hoof is a BIG animal! Space doesn't permit the listing of all who entered their deer, but the following includes some of the largest entries. â&#x20AC;˘

NTRANTS into the famous Biggest Bucks in Maine Club for 1985 broke one record only - that of sheer numbers . Last year , a record 777 entries were recorded ; this year, 779. The largest deer entered into the club from the 1985 season came

BIGGEST BUCKS, Name

Norman B. Keddy James H. Cassidy Clark Dunham Tony Dempster John Carrier , Sr. Darrell Scott John Boutot Thomas Raboin Robert Peters, Jr . Scott Kieffer Frank Moridiglia Jim P . O'Neill Patricia Tuttle Jon R. Anti! Forrest T . Goodwin Ralph J . Goodwin Steve Zuk Jeffrey I. Denbow Stephen Dale Donahue John Kinney Anthony P . Castagna Brian Wharff Merton W. Blood Garth Nicholson George Stetson Ralph Chapman Stanley I. Sampson Roger J . Parlin Wendell Wentworth Robert Cercena Duane Olson Ellington C . Worcester Philip T. Gagnon Ed Bell Randy G. Haney James Mistark Newton J . Moyer William H. Reed Richard Blood Charles E. Robinson Ronald Allen Scott Bates Marvin McBreairty Dave Schneider John Simmons

Address

Hampden , MA Pittsford , VT Machias , ME Mapleton , ME Presque Isle , ME Caribou , ME Mattawamkeag, ME Lexington , MA Lyndonville , VT Caribou , ME Farmingdale , NY Stratton, ME W. New Portland , ME Machias , ME Skowhegan , ME Lisbon Falls, ME Sanford, ME Lubec , ME Houlton , ME Scarborough, ME Hubbardston , MA Sangerville, ME Lovell, ME Mullican Hill, NJ Washburn , ME So . Portland , ME Norway , ME Westbrook , ME Liberty , ME Eustis, ME Harmony , ME Columbia, ME Westbrook, ME Calais, ME Caribou , ME Amherst, MA Nazareth , PA Ashland , ME Morrill, ME Westborough , MA Middleboro , MA Winthrop , ME Hampden , ME Hampton , NJ Charleston , ME

Date Killed

11-4-85 11-7-85 11-6-85 11-25-85 11-13-85 11-20-85 11-8-85 11-11-85 11-8-85 11-15-85 11-14-85 11-2-85 11-8-85 11-11-85 11-11-85 11-9-85 11-7-85 11-4-85 11-7-85 11-25-85 11-8-85 11-19-85 11-9-85 11-8-85 11-4-85 11-4-85 11-9-85 11-11-85 11-6-85 11-15-85 11-2-85 11-5-85 11-2-85 11-6-85 11-9-85 11-14-85 11-21-85 11-11-85 11-23-85 11-11-85 11-9-85 11-20-85 11-19-85 11-11-85 11-16-85

Where Killed

Kingfield Johnson Mountain Marshfield Mapleton T10R3 Perham Prentiss Hobbstown T10R13 Depot Lake Tomhegan Eustis New Portland Wesley Fairfield T11R15 Chesuncook Lubec Monticello T3R15 T17R13 Cambridge T1R3 Saddle Brook Wade Edmunds Stoneham Mercer Washington Coplin Pit. Wellington Twp . 19 M[? Byron Patten T9R8 Dyer Brook Weston Portage Lake Morrill Princeton , ME Danforth Canada Falls T6R14 TAR8&9 TARll

985 Firearm

.308 .30-06 .257 .30-30 .30-30 .270 .308 .30-06 7 mm . .308 .30-06 .308 .264 .358 .308 .306 .308 7 mm . .30-30 .257 .30-06

Âˇ.

.250 .308 .270 .300 .308 .35 .243 .300 .308 .308 .30-06 .308 .30-06 .30-06 .243 .30-06 .30-30 .30-06 8mm . .35 .30-30 .30-40 .30-06

Dressed Weight

Live Weight

294 280 273 272 268 268 265 265 263 262 260 260 256 255 255 255 255 253 253 253 252 252 250 250 250 248 248 247 247 246 246 246 246 245 245 245 245 245 244 244 243 243 243 243 243

382 364 355 354 348 348 345 345 342 341 338 338 333 332 332 332 332 329 329 329 328 328 325 325 325 322 322 321 321 320 320 320 320 319 319 319 319 319 317 317 316 316 316 316 316

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

''We've Made Progress...

VOTE OF CONFldence , in the form of four million dollars in bond revenues , was given the Maine Fish and Wildlife Department by Maine voters in 1974. In keeping with the operational plans set up at that time for the expenditure of these funds , the department has in the ensuing 12 years , acquired a total of 22 ,360 acres of land , located in seven wildlife management areas across the state , at a total cost of $4 ,170,000.

Also acquired with funds from that issue were 54 acres of salt marsh in Scarboro , a total of 439 acres of inland wetland , seven islands totalling 355 acres for use by nesting seabirds , and a deer wintering area (375 acres) in Cambridge . The remainder of the 197 4 bond issue was committed (in late 1982) to accelerated development and / or improvement of access to five wildlife management areas : Brownfield , Blue Hill , Jonesboro ,

Left, a hen wood duck leaving a departmentinstalled duck nesting box at the Brownfield WMA. Photo by Philip Bozenhard. Below, a section of the remote Sawtelle oeadwater, now the Francis Dunn WMA, photographed by Barry Burgason.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

Manuel , and Newfield . Properties acquired through use of the 197 4 bond issue bring total department land holdings to a little more than 47 ,000 acres. The first 23 ,000 acres took some 30 years , and the help of federal monies and private donations to acquire ; the last 23 ,580 acres were purchased in just over 10 years , nearly all with state bond monies. It may sound like the department simply sought and purchased large tracts of land (which met the habitat standards) in single-owner purchases . Although this does happen once in a while , the general way of things involves slow negotiations with many small landowners near or abutting land already held by the department. As a case in point, consider the Penobscot-Piscataquis area , a wildlife managemebnt area purchased entirely with funds from the 1974 bond issue. A total of 6 ,008 acres were acquired , but the acquisitions took some seven years

and involved 25 different landowners , half of whom finally sold us less than 100 acres each! The rundown of statistics on the last bond issue could take weeks . For those of you who would like to know just how many acres we acquired with the funds , and where they are , there is a chart in the middle of these two pages . What IS important now , we think is that the overall sucess of this first

habitat acquisition program be assessed , and that "what was planned" be compared with "what was done. " We made a lot of progress the Fish and Wildlife Department and the people of the State of Maine_ - with our acquisitions of the past decade. But the job must not stop here! We need publicly accessible quality habitat even more now than we did 10 years ago , as

HABITAT ACQUIRED WITH FUND

MAINE INIAND FISHERIES AND WD.DUFE Area UPLAND AREAS

Above, a typical aspen stand at the Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA in Hodgdon, photo by Mark Stadler. Below, hardwoods at the Bud Leavitt WMA, photo by Kevin Stevens. Below right, controlled beaver flowage on the Mud Mill Road in Augusta, part of the new Alonzo Garcelon WMA. Photo by Kenneth Anderson.

Alonzo H. Garcelon WMA, Augmta Brownfield WMA Frye Mountain WMA, dedicated to Gene Letoraneau Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA Newfield WMA, dedicated to Vernon Walker Bull Hill WMA, dedicated to Budd Leavitt Staacllsh-Baldwla WMA â&#x20AC;˘ new area, total acreage ( howa) a Scarboro WMA

INLAND WETLAND AND STREAM FLOW Northwest River WMA Sandy Point WMA Earle Kelley WMA Sawtelle Deadwater, dedicated to Francis Dunn SEABIRD NESTING ISi.AN

Coast of Maine WMA (seven ialaads added) MISCELLANEOUS

Cambridge Deer Wintering Area TOTALS

Maine grows in human population and industry . The Maine Fish and Wildlife Department is willing to commit the time and energy needed to continue our acquisition of land for the future of wildlife . All that is lacking is the money . Let us continue the job! • Aerial view of block-cut fields at the Gene Letourneau WMA, photo by Paul Fournier.

THE SITION FUND

Acreage Added

3,021 • 2,884 70 5,124 2,783 6,oos· 2,467* Fund 54

Cost

$485,797 746,200 9,300 702,008 762,104 965,602 498,880

33,500

TATION 46 3 190 200

7,500 2,800 19,000 32,000

355

158,975

375 23,580

37,500 $4,461,166

... But We're Not Through Yet!" This state's first bond issue for acquisition of wildlife habitat is history, as we have said. Thousands of acres of prime habitat of many different types were acquired, following very closely the plan devised for expenditure of that bond issue's funds. This November, Maine voters will have an opportunity to authorize "Issuance of a Bond Not Exceeding $5,000,000 for the Financing of the Maine Inland Fisheries anc.l Wildlife Acquisition Fund." We hope that voter attitudes have not changed in these last 12 years - at least towards wildlife because they need our assurance of quality habitat in their futures today as much as or more than they did a decade ago. We are currently involved in updating our long-term acquisition plan. Important in this process will be input from the citizens of Maine, people from a wide cross-section of user and geographic interests, giv-

ing us their ideas and impressions of the needs of Maine's wildlife. It is important that we get the most mileage possible from each bond issue dollar. We must not only establish priorities for types of habitat needed and locations where they are scarcest, but must also develop a workable mix of acquisition methods - gifts, leases, access easements - to complement actual fee purchases. In this way, total available dollars will go much further in the long-run goal of acquiring and preserving publicly accessible habitat. In 197 4, Maine voters gave us the green light to begin the important task of habitat preservation. We accepted the challenge, and the record, enumerated in the accompanying article, speaks for itself. This time has now come to approve the continuance of that work, upon which depends the healthy future of Maine's wildlife.

NoOneHunts Chickadees... by Larry Lindsay

SPORTSMEN and birders are making an amazing discovery: they have common interests, concerns, and goals. Both groups enjoy the out-of-doors, and both have been known to get up early to wander around in swamps crouching in the ooze while waiting for some elusive critter to get closer. There was an interesting article in Audubon magazine last year about Indiana's first modern mourning

But that doesn't mean they' re not im-hortant to sportsmen. Here's how dove season . The writer implied r that those who opposed the dove many states are keeping their nongame hunt were a bunch of fuddy-duddy know-nothings. This from the Wildlife healthy and abundant ___ Audubon magazine! And recent 6

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

But who pays for nongame projects, or for the preservation of wetland, woodland and grassland habitat used by all wildlife? For decades, sportsmen have been the prime supporters of the wild and its creatures through funds raised by taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, license fees , and duck stamps, and through donations to private organizations such as Trout Unlimited , Quail Unlimited , and Ducks Unlimited. Last year's distribution of fed erally collected tax dollars on hunting equipment (Pittman-Robertson ...J funds) for wildlife restoration was $64.9 million. In 1984, sportsmen paid $292 million for hunting licenses, tags, permits and stamps. During the 1984-85 waterfowl season , nearly 1.8 million federal duck stamps were purchased, raisAcross the U.S., sportsmen, birders, Reprinted with ing over $13 million for the hikers, and other wildlife enthusiasts permission from purchase of wetlands. Donations to are joining together to make sure that chickadees, eagles, and other Ducks Unlimited are over $50 Fins and Feathers nongame critters stay healthy and million a year. This total of about magazine. happy. $420 million a year doesn't even include donations to the Izaac Walton League, Quail Unlimited and other national groups, or the That seems fair enough. Duck money raised by the thousands of issues of Ducks Unlimited have ineluded a full-page piece about the hunting seasons across the United local sportsmen's clubs across the black-capped chickadees found on States were shortened last fall to country. its projects and - brace yourself protect some species of ducks, and Though non-hunters have made two pages of prairie wildflower that was primarily the decision of contributions - some of which biologists working to preserve have been extensive land donations photographs! The days are long gone when sporting magazines only waterfowl hunting. - through the Audubon Society, ran stories titled "I Was Mauled by In short, hunters and nonthe National Wildlife Federation, a Bear, Gored by a Moose, and hunters (conservation departments and the Nature Conservancy, the Gnawed by a Shark;' and when sometimes call them "nonconsumptotal amount is nowhere near that coming from hunters. But in the birders' publications featured tive users" because they do not exclusively such articles as take game) are no longer living past eight years, the money raised worlds apart. For the deerhunter exclusively for nongame conserva"Hummingbirds Among My Honeysuckle." and the backpacker to have fulltion has been increasing. In 1978, The Audubon Society is now a color memories of otters and nongame dollars began to flow in broadly based conservation organeagles, the otters and eagles need when Colorado created the first ization whose members are not some place to live and breed . This nongame state income tax checkonly birders. Contrary to the belief is the rallying point for all outdoor off, a.k.a. the "chickadee checkoff." of many hunters, the Audubon enthusiasts: if you want to bring This year, 33 states have income Society is not anti-hunting. "We are together people with supposedly tax checkoffs that enable people to not for or against hunting," says divergent outdoor interests, pick up indicate on their tax forms how information offic~r Michele Ball. a shovel and threaten to drain a much money, if any, they would "That is a personal decision. If, wetland. A duck, marsh wren or like to contribute to their state's however, we believe that a parheron could care less if its home is conservation department to aid ticular species is being threatened , saved by the Audubon Society or nongame species and endangered we will advocate reducing or endby Ducks Unlimited ; it is only lookspecies (which can include plants, ing the hunting of that species." - - - - ing for a place to live. - - - - - - - amphibians, even lizards). _ _ _ _ _.. Q)

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Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

The 1984 chickadee checkoff income in 30 states (Mississippi and Nebraska did not yet have programs, and Louisiana did not report its figures) , which covered the 1983 tax year, was $8.96 million. This was up from the $6.53 million reported by 18 of the 20 states having a checkoff in 1983. The most money donated was in New York ($1 ,701 ,000) , followed by Minnesota ($643,500) and California ($511 ,000). New York also had the most donors, 345,000; Minnesota had 192,000; and 132,600 ÂŠhioans donated . The rate of participation among those eligible to contribute was highest in Minnesota (11.2 percent) , followed by Utah (10.9 percent) , and Colorado (9.5 percent) . The highest average donation was Delaware's $8.98, then $8.32 for New Mexico and $8.06 for North Carolina. I asked John Torres, chief of non-game and threatened species in Colorado, if the idea for a nongame income tax checkoff came from another checkoff program: "No, it came from someone who is on our state nongame advisory council. We were discussing fundraising ideas when he came up with the checkoff concept. Legislation was drafted , we got a legislative sponsor, and the bill passed almost unanimously. Everyone liked it because it made our nongame program selfsupporting and because it was totally voluntary." In 1978, Colorado collected $338,264 from the nongame checkoff for the 1977 tax year, in 1979 the figure rose to $511,405, and in 1981 it peaked at $746,506. by 1983, it had dropped to $571,725, and in 1984 it slid to $447,700. What happened? The success of nongame checkoffs has attracted other groups that need money. In 1984, 13 states had multiple checkoffs and even more states will have them this year. The Nongame Wildlife Asso-

ciation reports that in 1984 the average nongame donation by all eligible contributors in all states without competitive checkoffs was .248 cents. The average nongame donation in states with multiple checkoffs was only .188 cents. Though checkoffs can help nongame programs, they are not adequate if they are the only source of funds . Six states have no general income tax; hence no checkoff is possible. Georgia has authorized a checkoff which goes into effect in 1990, while North Dakota and Rhode Island hope to receive legislative approval this year. Tennessee is in the unusual position of having no income tax, but if it does get one, the checkoff has already been approved . Nongame programs in states with checkoffs are doing far better than they did before the checkoffs, but they still don't produce enough money for adequate nongame programs. Lonnie Williamson , Wildlife Management Institute official, put it this way "Only $9 million (the total 1984 checkoff) for 90 percent of our wildlife." Luckily there are other funding sources for states. At the federal level, about $4 million is available annually under the Endangered Species Act, though when the act was first passed , up to $6 million was available to the states. One nongame biologist said , "You put together your wish list (projects for funding) , submit it and a request for $50,000 to the Fish and Wildlife Service, then hope for $5,000." Another source of federal dollars for nongame projects will surprise many hunters: Pittman-Robertson funds. The only restriction on the use of these dollars collected through taxes on hunting equipment is that they must be used to benefit wild birds or mammals, not amphibians, reptiles or plants. Many states use some P-R funds for nongame projects, even though the dollars are generated by

hunters. I talked with conservation department officials in about 30 states, and none knew of any sportsmen complaining about this nongame use, which is primarily for endangered species. Âˇ Theoretically, all P-R funds could be used for nongame birds and animals, and some hunters fear a possible union of anti-hunters and non-hunters to "preserve" everything. It's not likely, however. For one thing, state conservation departments receive all or most of their funding from hunting and fishing licenses. Other types of funding are hard to find , and a conservation department that eliminates hunting and fishing eliminates itself. All states have nongame programs, and some of the finest are in states that don't have chickadee checkoffs. Florida has no checkoff, but it established a Nongame Wildlife Trust Fund in October 1984. The fund is financed by a $4 registration tax on cars transferred to Florida ownership, and a $1 voluntary contribution that can be made when any automobile is registered . In its first nine months, this brought in $1 .4 million from transferred cars and $62,561 in voluntary contributions. Tom Logan , who helped start the program, said , "We went to a professonal fundraiser for ideas to finance our nongame program, and he had all kinds of ideas. This was a new idea no one was looking at. As long as people move to this state, we will get income, and people can also donate voluntarily~ Florida's nongame program has 15 staff members, and it covers everything from the carnivorous pitcher plants to bobcats. Missouri has no income tax or check-off, but raises between $45 and $50 million annually with a one-eighth of one percent state sales tax which voters approved in 1977. When I asked John Wylie, a Missouri Department of Conservation official, how many dollars went

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

to nongame projects, he replied, "As many as are logically needed. We manage wildlife, not game and non-game:' This year, residents in the state of Washington will vote on a oneeighth of one percent sales tax to fund both game and nongame programs. "For it to pass;' said Juelson , "we need the support of both hunters and non-hunters, and we're getting the backing of both groups. It could bring in $38 million a year:' Low-budget nongame programs concentrate on endangered species; bald eagles and peregrine falcons receive the most aid. As the dollars expand , bluebirds get houses and otter restoration programs become common. In states with large budgets, biologists are taking inventories of all their non-game species to find out what they have, how many there are, and where they live. There have been disagreements; for example, some people argue against spending nongame funds to increase the population of species such as prairie chickens or trumpeter swans. If the programs are successful, both birds will become game birds, and game birds already get enough money. In Minnesota, the legislature decided to use $20,000 in nongame funds to relocate to an Indian reservation a herd of 50 elk, a nongame animal in the state, which was destroying crops. This made both hunters and conservationists unhappy. Is there a way to raise money nationally for nongame projects? The Fish and Wildlife Service encourages non-hunters to buy federal duck stamps to preserve wetlands. Slightly over 6 percent, or about 100,000 of the 1984-85 stamps, were bought by people who don't hunt, raising over $800,000. But because collectors purchase so many stamps, it's hard to determine how many are purchased by birders and backpackers.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

The Fish and Wildlife Service made a study of ways to raise money for nongame programs and a year ago it reported to Congress. For example, the report mentioned taxing items that birders purchase, such as binoculars, spotting scopes, bird feed and feeders. This tax would be collected and used in much the same way that PittmanRobertson , Dingell-Johnson , and Wallop-Breaux taxes support game and fish programs. However, the idea ws rejected; no one wanted to hear about another new tax. Another possibility is a "postage stamp" program used successfully in Europe to raise funds for wildlife and other worthwhile programs. Under it, special stamps would , for example, sell for 50 cents. The 28 cents above the 22-cent postage cost would go to wildlife conservation . At this time, no group seems to be pushing for either the special tax or the stamp program. Some in dividuals within the Fish and Wildlife Service believe that their agency has been merely going through the motions rather than actively seeking new income sources. They argue that neither the special tax nor the stamp programs would increase general taxes; they are either voluntary taxes or user fees. Right now, it seems as though a national nongame movement is needed , one with the enthusiasm and imagination used in Florida and Colorado.

Our Area's Nongame Programs Are Good News, Bad News Maine has a fine nongame program, complete with a checkoff. Vermont has no nongame checkoff program , but has supportive sportsmen and a commissioner who is interested in nongame programs. New Hampshire has no checkoff program, and no state funds are spent on nongame management. The Maine checkoff (symbolized by a chickadee) went into effect in 1984 (for the 1983 tax year) and

brought in $111,000. In 1985, that revenue grew to about $130,000. The state's broadly based program includes the management of en dangered species such as the peregrine falcon , piping plovers and bald eagles; and assembling, in cooperation with the Audubon Society, a breeding-bird atlas showing the ranges of state birds. Ben Day, Vermont's chief wildlife biologist, said , "Our first nongame expenditure was $750 to study gulls on Lake Champlain. For years, we have tried to get a checkoff through the legislature, but it's been turned down. Sportsmen, however, have been its biggest supporters:' The legislature has appropriated $30,000 from license fee funds for nongame projects, and Day hopes to evaluate the state's spruce grouse population to find out if it is stable but limited by habitat, or if it is diminishing. He also would like to do similar studies on peregrine falcons , loons, bald eagles and least terns. New Hampshire has no checkoff, and state law specifically prohibits using hunting license money for nongame projects. The state does receive some money from federal Endangered Species funds . It contracts with the National Audubon Society to use the money, primarily because the state lacks biologists who are available to do the work. Some of New Hampshire's endangered species are the bald eagle sharp-nose sturgeon , Indiana bass, and lynx. Threatened species (the classification prior to endangered) include the loon , osprey, whippoor-will, and purple martin . What is particularly frightening is that there apparently are no plans to raise funds , or appropr:iate them , for any research to find out why these critters, some quite common in neighboring states, are disappearing from New Hampshire, which presently has what could be the nation's poorest nongame program. â&#x20AC;˘

NUISANCE WILDLIF

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Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1986

Everyone's Responsibility

Henry Hilton, Coordinator

0 A WILDLIFE AGENCY, wildlife nuisance represents a perpetual conundrum . Although mandated to maintain high numbers of deer, bear, beaver, and other wildlife , the department also recognizes the variety of public , agricultural , and economic conflicts these animals can create. Our pioneering forefathers had a fairly simple answer to nuisance wildlife problems ; but their "answer" resulted in the large scale elimination of many of the major predators over large areas of the country , causing an im-

oyotes seem to be blamed, at least in part, for most of he wildlife problems of this world! But in reality, they re just another species trying to make a living. They appen to be pretty good at it, very often at the xpense of some public interest such as deer or, as in his picture, domestic sheep - the private interest. But ot every coyote causes problems. In Maine, trappers re hired to selectively remove damage-causing coyotes rom deer wintering areas and/or agricultural areas. hile it is a lethal control, this trapping is in conjuncion with extension efforts with farmers to improve encing and other husbandry techniques. Deer and oyotes co-exist throughout the state. However, inten>ive trapping effort is exerted where there are specific !Jredation problems, that may depress deer numbers ocally.

In a symbolic sense, bears are "why" people come to Maine. They represent the feeling, if not the reality, of wilderness. And bears are innately dramatic - they please the public! But they are also suckers for a free lunch. Honeybees, garbage dumps, picnic lunches these represent the "free lunch." While this can cause considerable difficulty for property owners and outdoors "users," lethal removal of bear contradicts demands for greater hunting resources and, in some cases, for basic "bear rights. " Public safety concerns arise from conditions where bear lose their fear of man and continue to scrounge around campgrounds and dumps while excited onlookers photograph them, feed them, and even try to touch them! <See MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine, Spring 1985, p.2) The argument goes: "The bear didn't ask for the dump, or the people, or the closeness. Why should he be the one to pay the price of his hide?" Wildlife personnel, in attempts to mitigate these problems, recommend preventive measures to alleviate the problems. Closing or covering dumps, relocating beehives to avoid bear Âˇ territories or travel ways, and installing electric fencing are among the methods recommended.

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Any puzzling question or problem

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

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balance in prey populations , too , throughout those areas. Now , most people can no longer enjoy the pleasures and benefits of a lively , wholesome wildlife community at their doorstep as we do in Maine . Unfortunately , however, many people who do live close to wildlife - at a camp , farm , or other rural setting - have apprehensions and fears which detract from the basic quality of life . Others may suffer real losses to their property or crops - losses which affect their economic welfare . The sad part is that the fears and apprehensions , and in most cases , the actual losses are unnecessary and avoidable.

In the "old days," game wardens handled most nuisance wildlife problems by the most expedient means available. With hundreds of square miles of district to cover, it was often difficult to resolve the growing numbers of problems in the best way. Now, trappers and hunters from outside the department help to accomplish the work of moving nuisance wildlife to better areas, installing siphon pipes in beaver dams to lower water levels, trapping coyotes, etc. these registered ADC cooperators work closely with department officials and are, in effect, functioning as new arms, legs, and brains for solving nuisance wildlife problems.

something wonderful happens when beaver build a dam. water flows back up the stream, flooding the land to various depths, making ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife - waterfowl, mink, otter, moose - and fish. The beaver then go about raising their families, Âˇcutting down and eating the hardwood trees around the flowage until their food is gone, then leaving for greener pastures. Without dam maintenance, the flowage gradually "draws down," and the soil is exposed to new oxygen. A chemical transformation occurs, improving the productivity of the soil that will allow lush new vegetation to grow. Where beaver have "harvested, " the existing hardwoods, the regeneration of young hardwoods begins, renewing the forest. This process has all been going on for millions of years; but now, the ancient process is sometimes called a "nuisance. ": A roadbed is eroded; a timber stand is flooded. Live trapping , (photo> and relocation to an area where flooding won 't cause a problem, is often the best course of action. The installation of drainage pipes in beaver dams is also effective in reducing flooding . Lethal control of beaver is discouraged by the department because it conflicts with beaver management efforts, is a waste of a valuable resource, and is usually not necessary anyway.

The Animal Damage Control Program was set up , in part , to coordinate efforts to resolve nuisance wildlife problems , and to provide information by which people may learn to live happily - or at least co-exist - with wildlife . This is clearly not an easy task to accomplish . The first re quirement for success , however , is greater appreciation of the positive aspects of wildlife , and greater understanding of wildlife problems , by the public . In articles in this magazine and elsewhere , we attempt to bring to you such insights into wildlife problems and solutions , hopefully instilling a higher overall sense of the value of wildlife - fo r many , a new perspective. â&#x20AC;˘

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Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

ill The Good "Bad Guys" Bats have gotten a lot of bad publicity. They are always the "bad guys" in movies and books; getting caught in people's hair and scaring everyone. What about Dracula?! He would scare anyone, and he turns into a bat. You have probably heard a lot of things about bats, some of which might not be true. Many people misunderstand bats, not because they are unkind or thoughtless, but because of all the things they hear in the movies, on TV and in books. Test your knowledge about bats by putting TRUE or FALSE after each one of these statements. 1 . Bats are blind. 2.

All bats drink blood.

Bats that are native to Maine eat only insects.

A bat can eat more than its own weight in insects each night.

Bats are the world's only flying mammal.

Bats are clean.

Most bats have rabies.

Bats migrate in the fall.

Bats are nocturnal.

10.

fÂĽ..;..;;;!:W~s:.'!'JI%.,

Bats get caught in people's hair.

For more information about bats, see the story beginning on page 19.

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,. â&#x20AC;˘!i!<i:\t,,./,..{:.. - :._w~

Answers on page 32. Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

MAINE TRACKER This animal: is mainly a carnivore, but will eat fruit. can leap 14' and cruises at 25-30 mph. has the scientific name Canis latrans, which means "barking dog. " howls to communicate with others of its species. lives in dens. is a member of the dog family.

Answers on page 32

WHAT IS A SAFE BOATER? A safe boater is one who knows and obeys BOATING SAFETY LAWS and uses safety equipment, like a LIFE JACKET. A safe boater also knows how to find his or her way around on the water by using CHARTS, or maps of the ocean and lakes . A safe boater always has a CLEAR HEAD, which means never drinking alcohol while in a boat or before getting into a boat. A safe boater learns how to use a COMPASS to help him or her stay on course even in fog. And finally, one of the most important things a safe boater can do is to be courteous and careful when using a boat. Using the BOLD-FACED words in the paragraph above , label the safe boater below. Then you can color her using crayons or magic markers.

Letters should be sent to: Liz Chipman, KID-BITS Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine 284 State Street, Sta. #4 l Augusta, ME 04333 14

see article beginning on page 24 for information about Maine's boating safety program. Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

Duck Hunting From Head To Tail

Part 1:

Sitting Ducks!

by Gary Anderson

EN SOMEONE MENTIONS DUCK

hunting, what comes to mind? Doubtless, you visualize crouching in a waterside blind in the frigid dawn, your dog beside you, waiting for the flock to scan your tollers and hopefully swoop in to join the sitters. Certain smells - cordite, marsh grass, coffee, maybe even your sandwich - tease your imagination. But stop and think for a minute about all that went on before you actually went hunting. When you think about it, the list of preparation is quite long. And that list is what this new series is about. In this issue, we deal with one of the most expensive parts of duck hunting - the decoys . You can save a considerable amount of money, and have some off-season enjoyment, if you build your toilers from scratch. The following pages show you how, and give you some patterns to use to get started. Decoy bodies are best made from cedar; heads work well made from white pine. Basswood is an

excellent substitute for either wood, but is not as easy to come by. The body used in this photo series is a "generic" design used by the author and his partner, David Sparks, to create Widgeon Cove decoys. By enlarging or reducing the pattern, many different diving ducks can be made from the basic shape. Patterns in this issue are accompanied by painting templates, but we will deal with painting your decoys in a future article. Remember, our decoys are designed to attract ducks, not people! Paint patterns will be functional (although they create accurate impressions at a distance). So hang onto the templates! Once you've followed the directions and built your eider, try the whole process again with the goldeneye patterns. Maybe, by the time you've built them both, you'll have the next in our series, containing more patterns and many painting tips. Good luck! Watch for future issues of MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine for more in this series "Duck Hunting From Head To Tail." Planned are articles on shot shell reloading, using a dog (and training him), hunting day, and more. We'll try to cover it all for you! â&#x20AC;˘

The author, the department's safety officer, is also an avid duck hunter. He and his partner, David Sparks, create and sell working decoys.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

Place the body pattern on the flat side of the cedar or basswood blank and trace to give an even line for the band saw.

cut along the line. An axe will do this job, but with much more effort. After cutting, trace the side pattern on the blank as a guide during step 3, if you wish.

A short, heavy hand axe will allow easy shaping. work carefully and watch your guidelines, although your need for them will disappear with practice.

Screw a keel to the body; this is not a permanent keel, but just something for the vise to grab. Keels and weights used on factory decoys are often improperly balanced or weighted, doing more harm than good.

Drawshaves Oeft) and wood rasps <right) work well for rough shaping of the body.

A bow sander <cut the bow shape from hardwood, add a strip of emery cloth) does an excellent job of pre-finish smoothing.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

An ordinary plane is used to flatten an area just above the breast for the base of the head.

With a long bit cat least 3/8">, drill down through the head and neck into the body. Before doweling, seat the head with automotive body filler.

Trace the head pattern on pine or basswood and cut out on the band

Dowel the head to the body, using at least 3/8" dowel. Groove the dowel with a spiral, either by hand or with a bench grinder, and cut the dowel shorter than the hole depth to allow some space for excess glue <yellow carpenter's glue>. once you start driving the dowel, KEEP IT GOING! This dowel will give the extra strength or a working toller needs to prevent neck damage.

Draw lines along the sides and all around the flat planes of the head as guides to the amount of wood to be removed. Be as fancy and fussy as you wish, but remember that most damaged decoys are neckbroken - the more wood you remove, the more fragile the head and neck become.

Eyes are purchased in matched pairs, each pair at opposite ends of a length of wire. Snip the eyes off, leaving a little wire on each, and ...

use a surform tool to really remove the wood fast!

Drill into the sides of the head with an appropriate size drill for the eye, not just for the wire <experience will show you how large and how deep>.

Trace the base of the head onto the flattened area on the body and chisel out a socket. This is called inletting, and experience alone will help you develop technique and judge depth.

Place the eyes, seating them with a little wood putty; gently tap them in with a soft object <here a pocket knife handle> until they barely protrude from the sides of the head. wash the excess putty off right away, using a moistened finger. It's much harder to get it off later.

Try-fit the head into the body; keep working it until you get it close, then fair the head and body together with a round wood rasp or surform.

Sand your decoy smooth and prime it with an oil base primer, which will fill and help protect the wood . we use white, since it makes a good base for any color and also shows up very clearly the spots that still need work.

saw.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

EIDER

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Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 19 86

Myotis /ucifugus, the little brown myotis, baby "hiding " under mother

"There's A Shortage Of Belfries!" by Robert L. Martin Photos by the author

, : THOSE OF YOU who have bats in summer residence in your area, congratulations! You probably have greatly reduced populations of black flies and mosquitoes as well, as each bat has to eat vast numbers of insects each night just to survive. Still, you may not fully appreciate bats inside your residence. You might fear rabies , but with 1,600 people dying this past year from falls down back stairs , as opposed to only 10 deaths this century from rabies contracted from insectivorous bats , you may wish Âˇt o prioritize your fears.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

To avoid the remote chance of your becoming a worldfamous (and dead) number 11 , simply avoid handling bats; they will appreciate the favor . Bat guano , though proof of their beneficial role in eating insects , may not seem appropriate in your home or camp ; if you simply cannot clean it up periodically , you may want the bats to move out. After all , sharing your home with wildlife does have its limits .

The author, a biology professor at the University of Maine at Farmington, has been studying bats for years.

If, in spite of their great value as insect-eaters , you do want them out of your home , please don 't resort to killing them. Not only are they too valuable to destroy , they will be replaced by others . Good apartments are hard to find , and killing the tenants only creates vacancies which will be quickly filled . Besides, shooting makes holes in the roof - and poisons are dangerous to pets and humans alike. A federal judge has ruled that the use of anticoagulants for bat control constitutes a human health hazard ; and DDT is not only ineffective, but is a known environmental danger. The only long-term solution is to exclude them . Filling in every possible entrance opening keeps them out permanently ; insect-eating teeth are not good for gnawing , so they won't make new holes . Some bats are tiny , so every opening must be closed off, and it must be done when they're not at home (obviously)! October through More M. lucifugus, left, mother and baby playing hide-andseek in a rafter pocket in an old barn. Below, these bat houses on an old barn in Freeport are housing active colonies of Eptesicus fuscus, the big brown bat, up to 30 animals to a hOuse!

This report concerns yet another project funded by Maine's Endangered ar

May is the best time to seal out the bats, and June through August is the worst, as the latter are the times when they're raising their babies . If panic strikes and you must exclude them during this nursery period , close their entrances gradually to drive them out over a period of time , and close the final openings only when they have all left in the evening and babies are not present. If you cannot do this "batproofing" yourself, there are state certified pest control operators who can do the job for you. Maine's bats are gentle , beneficial creatures who greatly need our protection . They bite only in self-defense and do not get in ladies' hair , or spread foul diseases . They are Maine's natural insecticides ; a witty slogan might be ,

"SAVE MAINE'S BLACK FLIES - KILL BATS'". We can exclude them from where we don 't want them and chase the occasional intruder out, yet still enjoy the benefits they provide. In searching for maternity colonies this summer (with the assistance of Biologists Mark King and Roger York , and such volunteers as Dr. James Dunn of Auburn) , it became obvious that alternative housing for bats is needed. With the loss of old barns , modern tight construction, and bat-proofing of many homes and camps , we must provide some alternatives to keep these furry insect-killers flying . Included here are plans for an inexpensive , simple bat house design for up to 30 bats; designs for larger colonies are being developed. • C

PLANS FOR INEXPENSIVE BAT HOUSE

cut five feet of 1" x 12" superboard (actually 7 /8" x 111/2") into seven lettered sections (Figure IL on flat surface set up parts with rough side facing inside of box. Rough side of partition (F) faces front of box (Figure ID. using either 1 5/8" sheet rock screws (22 or more) or 6d finish nails, assemble, tightening only after fitting door (E2) in place to assure friction fit. Attach 1 1 /2 " or larger utility hinge at top of door (E2) to end of roof (CL Any largeheaded nail may be used as a door pull at the outside bottom for guano removal, observation of bats, etc. (Figure IID. Drill large holes in back (A) for secure attachment at least nine feet above ground in sunny location, preferably near open water. Do not paint or stain. Black tarpaper or plastic may be stapled to roof for heat absorption and rain-proofing. To make more suitable for smaller bats, nail nine-inch waste strip across part of entrance to restrict opening, leaving opening at one end.

As with bird houses, placement is up to you , and success is quite variable. Keep clean of wasp nests and move if desired.

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NOTE: "Superboard, " 1· x 12" @ approximately aoc a foot (usually 6' minimum); utility hinges usually about $1 .55 a pair; 6d finish nails about 69C a lb. (est. 250 per lbJ; sheet rock screws about $2.69 a lb. (est. 150 per lbJ - total cost less than $5. The 2" nails are faster and cheaper, but the screws are more rugged. If screws are used, use ratchettype largehandled screwdriver to minimize blisters!

game Wildlife Fund; check the chickadee on your tax return this year!

FIG. Ill 21

Moxie Falls appears to be part of a long winding ribbon from the air (far left>. But the 48-foot waterfall creates a dramatically different picture when viewed from the ground (left>.

A thin line of disturbed bottom sediment signals that there may well be a moose in the pond oower left>. When viewed from up close (upper right>, however, the disturbed sediment is the last thing on your mind!

By Air a by AINE OBVIOUSLY

Toothpick-size logs are seen stacked along the Golden Road outside of Millinocket (above>. These toothpicks emerge as a gigantic solid wall when seen from up close on the ground (below>.

encompasses a landscape of immense size and diversity . This fact becomes even more evident when viewed from two different perspectives - by air and by land . From the air , one gets the feel ing of the expanse , the vastness , the gathering together of diverse elements into a whole . The forests cover 90 percent of the state , and the rivers , streams , and lakes seem to bind the landscape together. There is a sense of completeness , of parts fitting together . Author/ photographer Leslie Wiles works Lands, Maine Department of Conservatio

From the air, west Branch Pond camps are just dots in the vastness of forests and water (right>. The rustic appearance and tranquil setting near the base of Whitecap Mountain (far right> only become evident when viewed from the ground.

By Land At ground level , this continuity is broken . Textures , sounds , smells , even tastes become part of the experience . The new dimension in our examination from "down here" is the closeness of the parts of our environment , and of us to all these other parts. Two worlds - one a panorama of continuity , one a patchwork of textures and feelings . Maine beauty is evident from both perspectives , and is there to be enjoyed by everyone , no matter where you're looking from or what you're looking at! â&#x20AC;˘ cartographer for the Bureau of Public

Mt. Katahdin, the 5,267-foot northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and the highest point in Maine mrst to catch the morning sun in the United States, 'tis said>, is spectacular whether viewed from the air (above right> or from the ground (right>.

One can spend hours flying over Maine and see nothing but this lush green carpet below (right>. From the ground, the diversity of species, sizes, colors, and shapes becomes evident (below right>.

by Gary Anderson

STATEOF~NE launched a new six-hour boating safety course in 1986! This new course of instruction is aimed at the casual boater who, just like the "around-town" motorist, gets into his biggest trouble near home. Although there are several boating safety courses (such as those given by the United States

Power Squadron and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary) that offer more in-depth training , this course covers boating laws , safety equipment requirements and use,

navigation, chart reading , compass use, and general watercraft ethics and courtesy .

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

The inauguration of this new training program is one large step towards the day when this department's safety division will be able to offer Maine junior high schools a well-rounded outdoor safety education program. Such a curriculum

will include hunter safety training in the fall, snowmobile safety training. during the winter months , training in safe use of all-terrain vehicles in early spring, and this new boating course just prior to summer vacation time. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Glenn Manuel, by authorizing this boating program , and the 112th Maine Legislature, by passing a law making ATV training mandatory , have brought this outdoor sports education program full circle. UNTIL ... someone invents something new!! Of all outdoor sports activities in Maine , boating causes the most fatalities ; nationally, boating is the second greatest cause of accidental death to young males , following highway accidents ; both highway and boating accidents are frequently complicated by alcohol abuse. Significant in this regard is the fact that Maine marine patrol officers and game wardens are now certified to test vehicle operators for alcohol intoxication. Alcohol abuse , and how it relates specifically to recreational watercraft use , will be a prominent subject for discussion in our new boating safety curriculum . Our initial boating safety effort is ready for 500 boaters . For further information , or to enroll in a future program, write to :

Safety Office Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 284 State St., Sta. #41 Augusta, ME 04333 or call 289-5222 Comprehensive safety training is a proven good answer to the tragic problem of recreational deaths. And the younger we train them , the â&#x20AC;˘ better off we all will be! The author is the department's recreational safety coordinator.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

"The prime symptom" - algae - through a microscope <insect>. As the photo shows, algal blooms can be so severe that they look like paint ont he surface, smell terrible, and even cause fish kills! Photos by John sowles.

We're Watching The

Our Lake~

w by Waldo E. Pray

AINE'S 2,500 lakes and ponds , with a few (very few) exceptions, are in excellent health , says the Division of Environmental Evaluation and Lake Studies (DEELS) of the Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Water Quality Control. The staff of DEELS ought to be good judges of Maine lakes. They have monitored them for more than a decade, staying alert to the slightest illness and maintaining meticulous records of water quality changes. And thanks to this tender loving care from DEELS, the support of the Maine legislature, federal funds and programs, and hundreds of nature-loving volunteers , the availability of clean Maine lakes is being assured for future generations. Such optimism wasn't realistic as recently as the early '70s. Maine lakes, particularly those in southern and central Maine , were experiencing overwhelming development pressure ; the affluent society was pressing northward to acquire the readily available shorelands and lake vistas. Many lakes became completely encircled by cottages; at some , second rings of setback cottages appeared . Sloppy agricultural practices added to this assault on Maine lakes. DDT , civilization's first miracle insecticide , penetrated hundreds of lake ecosystems and left its residues in resident fishlife before science recognized the substance as a hazard and banned its use. Runoff poured tons of unwanted nutrients into the waters , simultaneously eroding banks and shorelines. Unthinking cottage owners bulldozed shorefronts to satisfy selfish whims , suffocating delicate bottom ecosystems with tons of sand . A statewide inventory at the start of the '70s identified 30 major Maine lakes with significantly lowered water quality and dozens of others with problems that, if left un attended , could lead to major difficulties . The lakes with

severe pollution problems were quickly dubbed "the dirty thirty ." Today ," the dirty thirty" (they were never really that bad , nor really dirty - "stressed" would have been a more appropriate word) has been reduced to 16; and today , all of Maine's lakes and ponds are classified as GPA waters "of such quality that they are suitable for the designated uses of drinking water after disinfection , recreation in and on the water , fishing , industrial process and cooling water supplies , hydroelectric power generation and navigation , and as habitat for fish and other aquatic life. The habitat shall be classified as natural. " No new "direct discharge" of pollutants is permitted into GPA waters ; aquatic pesticide treatments or chemical treatments for the purposes of restoring water quality , if approved by the Board of Environmental Protection , are exempt from the no-discharge provision , however . Discharges into these waters , if licensed prior to January 1 , 1986, shall be allowed to continue only until practical alternatives exist. Basically, DEELS' approach to lake quality has been one of protection and restoration - with the greatest emphasis on protection . Protection is vital both for lakes which are relatively pristine and for those lakes already damaged by developmental pressures . The remainder of this article , however, deals with restoration efforts and problems: not because of importance, but rather because restoration is much more expensive , both in time and in money . Restoration programs have been developed for those lakes that have been severely impacted by development. Some of those programs have been completed ; others are ongoing . Restoration of lake water quality is a complicated , timeconsuming, and expensive process , according to DEELS staff members who have planned and implemented programs for stressed ponds. Some of these ponds are barely

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

"The prime patient" - in this case, Chain of Ponds - still resisting the disease. Photo by David courtemanch.

losely And ...

Are

NING! larger than the minimum (10 acres) which defines a great pond . Others are large , sometimes covering thousands of acres . Caring for an "ailing" pond is not too different from caring for a sick person . First , the sickness needs to be diagnosed. Second , a treatment program has to be prepared ; third , treatment must be implemented and followed to completion. The most common illness of Maine ponds is "premature old age. " This process , called cultural eutrophication , involves the introduction into a pond of nutrients that reduce dissolved oxygen and produce an environment that favors plant life over animal life. The most obvious (and obnoxious) symptoms are frequent algal blooms, particularly during the late summer. The algal blooms destroy water transparency ; algae adhere to watercraft , swimmers , and shorelines and are esthetically repugnant. Humans are responsible for these problems (Homo sapiens , which translates from the Latin to mean "wise man!"). The "wise men" have assaulted our lakes with all kinds of goodies - nutrient-laden runoff from fields enriched with chemical fertilizer or manure , siltation from the same fields or from poorly-managed lumbering operations , gray water , septage , and sometimes even straight-piped waste and process water from shoreline industrial and commercial operations. Grazing and thirsting farm animals have also added their bit to the mixture . Left unchecked , the deterioration of severely stressed lakes accelerates rapidly ; the time and expense necessary to halt or reverse the process quickly becomes prohibitive . Fortunately , no Maine lake has ever attained this stage of destruction , but there have been some close calls. Some lakes may never regain anything close to the water quality that prevailed before man made his mark . But in most cases , conditions are much better than they were before restorative action was undertaken. The author is public relations specialist for the Division of Public Assistance, Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1986

Let's take a look at a few of the lake restoration projects that the Division of Environmental Evaluation and Lake Studies has been involved with in the past several years . Lake Sebasticook - This lake's 4 ,288-acre surface area makes it the largest Maine lake found entirely within a single town 's (Newport) boundaries. Located midway between Bangor and Waterville and at the gateway to Maine's Moosehead region , Sebasticook's shores were highly developed as summer home , cottage, and commercial recreation sites soon after the turn of the century. Although municipal and textile mill wastes had poured into the lake for decades from the towns of Corinna and Dexter , located on the Sebasticook River (the lake's major tributary) , there was little advance warning of the impending environmental disaster . The crowning insult to the lake's integrity seems to have come from a food processing plant that operated in Corinna for about a decade after World War II. The plant's major product, frozen processed potatoes , produced a nutrient-loaded flood that literally blanketed the bottom of the lake . Long before the DEP was created , it had become one of the most severely stressed lakes in the state , with extremely high chlorophyll and total phosphorus readings and low transparency readings. It experienced constant and severe algal blooms during most of the summer. Restorative strategy includes elimination of both point and non -point pollution sources and reduction of in -lake phosphorus through annual fall drawdowns and spring flushings . Sebasticook is Maine's largest and most expensive lake restoration project. It involves federal , state , and local government agencies , in addition to the Sebasticook Lake Association , a private organization. To date , about $1.5 million in federal funds has been spent on the Sebasticook project , including about $600 ,000 for in-lake operations (including channel dredging and a darri"rebuild for flushing

operations) and about $958,000 for non-point pollution elimination by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and the U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). These federal funds have been matched with dollars from the state , towns , and local sources . Municipal waste discharges from the towns of Corinna and Dexter were identified as the chief point sources of Sebasticook's pollution. A waste treatment plant at Corinna has been improved to eliminate problems from that source . That leaves Dexter , a picturesque little town of 4 ,286 residents , as the only remaining major point source of pollution for the Sebasticook. But even as efforts continue to finish the $10.5 million waste treatment system for Dexter , Sebasticook Lake itself is showing signs of improvement. DEELS Lake Biologist David L. Courtemanch, who was associated with the Sebasticook project from the beginning , says the frequency and intensity of the algal blooms have decreased significantly over the years from the annual flushings and the reduction of non-point source pollution from agricultural activities around the lake and its tributaries . Sabattus Lake - This water , located just east of the heavily populated Lewiston-Auburn area , is a major lake recreation area with intense shoreline development and a history of algal blooms which were increasing in fre quency and intensity until it became one of the DEP's restoration projects at the start of the 1980s. Located in an area of fairly intense agricultural activity , the prime source of Sabattus Lake's pollution problems is agricultural runoff . The ASCS and SCS have played major roles with Sabattus restoration , as they did with Sebasticook , in reduction of phosphorus and other nutrients from agricultural sources . Establishment of shoreline buffer zones , manure storage facilities , and contour farming have all helped to reduce nutrient input to Sabattus. Dredging and dam renovations have also been used at Sabattus to facilitate the flushing program . About $345 ,000 has thus far been expended on Sabattus Lake . The quality at Sabattus is improving steadily but

slowly as the project continues . Sabattus has undergone five drawdowns since the project started . Estes Lake - The source of the problems for this little York County lake was fairly obvious from the start - the Sanford Sewage Treatment Plant, whose effluent emptjed into the Mousam River only a few miles upstream from where it empties into the lake . A joint study by the Estes Lake Association and the DEP from 1978 to 1980 indicated that more than 80 percent of the lake's total phosphorus load was coming from the treatment plant. Upgrading of the plant to tertiary treatment , at a cost of about $7 million , apparently has solved most of the problems , but the DEP maintains a close surveillance on the lake's water quality . Salmon (McGrath) Lake - The state received a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant in 1980 which was used to develop agricultural practices designed to reduce phosphorus input to this lake , which was experiencing fall algal blooms. Construction of manure storage facilities and diversion ditches appears to have controlled a large portion of the runoff . With the nutrient supply cut off from this link in the Belgrade Lakes chain , the water quality of Salmon Lake is expected to improve over time , although sporadic blooms may occur . Lovejoy Pond - This 325-acre pond in Albion had been characterized by heavy algal blooms for many years before a joint restoration effort involving cottage owners , all the farmers in the lake's watershed , the town , the state , and federal agencies got underway in the early 1980s. As in other cases where agricultural activities have been iden tified as chief sources of lake water enrichment, the SCS and ASCS played roles in support of farm management changes designed to reduce the nutrient and soil erosion from the farms , thereby indirectly reduce inputs to the lake.

The dam on Sabattus Lake (below) was rebuilt to increase the flushing action of the lake by dropping its volume by 60 percent. Photo by Barry Mower. At right, this photo by John sowles shows Salmon Lake during an algal bloom (center of photo).

Whether the goals were too ambitious , or the severity of the lake's problems was underestimated , the improvements in water quality have been slow , and below expectations . But considering that the lake once experienced blooms that lasted for the entire swimming season , the improvements are substantial, if not spectacular .

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

Webber Pond - This 1, 120-acre pond in Vassalboro is eutrophic , supporting dense blue-green algal blooms in July and August. With $170 ,000 committed , it is one of the largest lake restoration projects underway at the present time . Extensive work has been completed , including dam restoration to enhance lake flushing capabilities, and planting and rip -rapping the shoreline to prevent erosion and siltation . Webber is scheduled for its first drawdown this fall . This pond , too , owes most of its troubles to its location in an agricultural area. A diagnostic study indicated that 63 percent of Webber's total phosphorus load was due to agricultural sources . SCS and ASCS funding is being used to reduce those sources. Some of its troubles also are attributable to being located downstream of the heavily stressed Three Mile Pond watershed .

F EDERAL FUNDS for lake restoration work were among the first to feel the impact of budget cuts in Washington ; no new federal monies for this purpose have been available in Maine for the past two years. Webber is the last of the many Maine projects to benefit directly from federal clean water funds. Even if the lake restoration funds were to be reauthorized , it's probable that they would be among the first to go under the Gramm-Rudman budget balancing act. Continued federal assistance is expected , however , from the SCS and the ASCS whenever possible and within the limitations of their budgets . But even without federal help , the health of Maine lakes will be a top priority item with the DEP and its Bureau of

Beals Pond in Turner has troubles from the occasional backup of Martin Stream during periods of heavy storm or spring runoff. The troubles of Toothaker Pond in Phillips were found to be partly the unintentional result of the activities of another state agency! The pond was being enriched by the effluent from a fish hatchery being operated on one of its inlet tributaries. The effluent problem was eliminated by diverting the tributary , but without the tributary , the pond lost some of its flushing capacity and some of its ability to recover from its heavy nutrient load . Chickawaukie Pond in Rockland is stressed from heavy residential development , the leaching from septic systems , and erosion from new developments. While Maine has gradually been reducing the number of its problem laws , the DEELS staff is acutely aware that there are several major lakes that are marginal and could become problem lakes unless given proper attention . China Lake , in central Maine , is an example of a lake which could develop severe problems unless efforts are made to reduce nutrient loading . China Lake is pressured by both residential and agricultural development, but its nutrient load is due almost entirely to runoff and only partly to sediment

Manure spread on frozen ground (above right) is a significant source of the phosphorus that reaches Maine lakes as a result of agricultural activities. Photo by Barbara Welch. Below right, manure storage pits built with help from scs and ASCS are important in reducing phosphorus runoff because farmers can store manure during the winter instead of spreading it. Photo by David Dominie.

Water Quality Control. The legislature has indicated its commitment to lake restoration and protection funds with a target of $100,000 annually for protection of what many consider to be one of Maine's most valuable environmental assets . Currently , $35,000 is earmarked for Webber Pond , and $25 ,000 is labeled for an alum treatment for Cochnewagon Lake in Monmouth. The latter project will be conducted in cooperation with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service . Already used with considerable success in another of the Cobbossee watershed lakes , this treatment involves spreading alum (aluminum sulfate) in the !c:1ke; this combines with the phosphorus to create a harmless compound . The trapped phosphorus is no longer available as a nutrient for the offending blue-green algae. Other Maine ponds that are high on the DEP's priority list for assistance include Cross Lake and Long Lake in Aroostook County , both with agricultural difficulties.

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

accumulations . Once the runoff is under control, it is hoped that China Lake's problems will disappear. One lesson stands out vividly from the experiences of the DEP over the past decade . Protection of lakes is vastly less expensive than restoration! Development pressures - residential , agricultural , or commercial - must be anticipated in advance , and provisions must be made to balance these pressures against the basic needs and rights of present and future â&#x20AC;˘ generations.

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS

PERMIT REQUIRED FOR DOES

Maine deer hunters are reminded that unless they possess one of the new Any-Deer permits , they will be limited to hunting "bucks-only" this fall. Hunters selected in a September drawing were to receive their permits early in October . They are then authorized to take a deer of either sex within designated deer management districts , or an antlered deer anywhere in the state , at any time during the regular firearms deer season or the special muzzle-loader season . The application period for Any-Deer permits was July 1 to August 29. Allocations of permits to 16 deer management districts totalled about 13 ,500 , and about 82 ,000 hunters applied to receive one . The new permit system enables the department to address local differences in deer populations throughout the state by limiting the number of doe deer that can be taken in each area . The 1986 deer season runs from November 3 to November 29 , with Saturday , November 1, also open for Maine residents . Muzzle-loaders-only week is December 1 through 6.

ABOUT THE MISSING FLY-TYING ARTICLE... John McLeod , author and photographer who creates the series From The Fly Tying Bench, was taken ill this summer, and was unable to "tie one" for this issue . John assures us , though , that he will resume the series as soon as he's able .

ALERT-US WORKS Two young men from the Stratton area were summonsed early in September to appear in Farmington District Court on charges of killing Canada geese in closed season. They had the further distinction of becoming the season's first victims of the Warden Service's toll-free anti-poaching hotline . An anonymous caller on the "poacher hotline" - 1-800-ALERT US (253-7887) - Reported to Warden Lt . Langdon Chandler that someone was

shooting at geese at Flagstaff Lake. Shortly after dispatching district game warden Blaine Holding to the scene , Chandler received a second call , from another informant , with additional details . The timely information provided to the Warden Service by two concerned citizens quickly lead to the apprehension of two suspects , and was another success for Operation ALERT US . Callers to the ALERT US phone number are not asked to give their name , as the program is intended to encourage people who don 't want to get personally involved to report fish and wildlife law violation . Operation ALERT US offers no monetary reward , unlike programs in some other states, but is founded' on the belief that seeing violators caught and convicted will be ample reward in itself for the anonymous informants who use the toll-free number.

BAIT BAN UPHELD By an eight to one vote , the United States Supreme Court this summer upheld Maine's law banning the importation of live fish for bait . The high court rejected the appeal of a convicted bait dealer who had contended the state law is unconstitutional and interferes with interstate commerce . But Justice Harry A. Blackmun and seven other Supreme Court justices disagreed. He wrote for the court that "This is not a case of arbitrary discrimination against interstate commerce . The record suggests that Maine has legitimate reasons ... to treat outof-state baitfish differently. " The Maine legislature imposed the ban in 1959 to protect the state's waters against exotic species and fish diseases and parasites . The state's case for upholding the law , which earlier had been struck down in a federal appeals court, was argued by Assistant Attorney General Cabanne Howard . Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Glenn H. Manuel had high praise for Howard and for Attorney General James E. Tierney for their "outstanding cooperation and professional manner in which the state's case was presented to

the nation's highest court. This decision will undoubtedly also strengthen state importation laws across the United States , and make it easier for states fo protect their wildlife and aquatic resources. " Using sophisticated covert techniques , Maine game wardens have successfully apprehended and prosecuted several baitfish smugglers . Col. John Marsh , chief game warden , attributed the success to "outstanding cooperation from many other agencies ," including federal fish and wildlife agents , out-ofstate law enforcement agencies , as well as the Maine attorney general's office and department personnel from the Hatcheries and Wildlife divisions . Beginning about the mid-1970s, a great increase in ice fishing activity caused a tremendous increase in demand for live bait, which previously had been satisfied with bait from local sources . Unscrupulous bait dealers began to smuggle baitfish into Maine from states as far away as Ohio , Illinois, and Arkansas . Some of this illegal bait came from wild fish populations , but most of it came from minnow farms , primarily in the South , and often with diseases and parasites that have not been found in Maine . Also , shipments of baitfish frequently contained other species of fish and other non -native aquatic species which could be detrimental to Maine fisheries .

PERSONNEL NOTES Several promotions in the Warden Service and Fisheries Divisions highlight recent personnel news from the Fish and Wildlife Department . Lt . Larry S. Cummings was promoted to the rank of major in June and became the deputy chief of the Maine Warden Service , replacing Maj. Charles A. Merrill, who retired . Cummings, 44, a 19-year veteran warden, had previous district game warden assignments in Topsfield , Wesley , and Turner . He was promoted to warden sergeant in 1974, lieutenant in 1982, with assignments in Madison , Bangor and Augusta. Cummings is a native of Locke Mills and a graduate of Gould Academy .

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

Transferred from Division E, Ashland headquarters , to Division B, Augusta , to replace Cummings was Lt . Langdon F. Chandler. Replacing Chandler in charge of Division E was Michael L. Ritchie , who was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant and transferred from Division C , Bangor headquarters. Ritchie , 35, is a 14-year veteran game warden with previous assignments in Allagash , Fort Kent , Franklin , Camden , Houlton , and Sanford . Taking command of Ritchie's vacated sergeant seot:ion was Sgt. Douglas H. Tibbetts , who transferred from Division D, Greenville . Promoted to sergeant and transferred to Division D to take Tibbetts' section was Daniel E. Tourtelotte of Coopers Mills , a game warden since 1978. In the Fisheries Division , Scott Roy of Greenville , a fisheries technician in the Moosehead lake region since 1972 , was promoted to assistant regional fisheries biologist in that region.

LOCAL REGISTRATION NEXT VEAR Owners of snowmobiles , boats, and all-terrain vehicles may soon have the convenience of being able to register them in their home towns . Legislation sought by Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Glenn Manuel was passed this year allowing the appointment of local registration agents , beginning in 1987 . After January 1, for boats and ATVs , and July 1, for snowmobiles, owners in many towns across the state will have the option of registering locally or through the department's Augusta office . In the meantime , all registrations must be processed as in the past - by mail or in person in Augusta .

LEAD SHOT BANNED Waterfowl hunters in coastal portions of Hancock and Washington counties v.1 ill be required to use non-toxic alternatives to lead shot this fall. All duck and goose hunting in Wildlife Management Unit 6 and a small portion of Unit 5 will be affected by the federally-imposed rule . That

Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

portion of Maine was chosen as part of a nationwide selection of sites where the lead poisoning deaths of waterfowl and eagles have been traced to ingested spent shot. Waterfowling begins with the special sea duck season on October 1, followed by the regular duck and goose seasons on October 6 , statewide . Full details of the migratory bird hunting laws ,_ including a description of the area where lead shot is banned , are available from license agents and Fish and Wildlife Department offices and wardens . Lead shot will be banned for all waterfowl hunting in the United States by 1991 if the five-year program proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service goes as planned .

The five-year conversion from lead to steel shot, or some other non-toxic alternative to lead , beginning in areas where lead poisoning is known to be a problem , will allow time for hunters to be informed about the benefits and use of steel shot, and for manufacturers to gear up for production and meet the demands for their products in affected areas . Lead poisoning is a chronic malady in many areas where waterfowl ingest lead shot deposited in wetlands by hunters . Eagles , which ingest lead shot when they feed on waterfowl that have eaten the pellets , are also known to be affected .

FIELD NOTES MILLINOCKET - Sometimes it doesn 't pay to be sneaky . One June 28, I was carefully stalking some fishermen who were in violation . Pe-,.haps I was too quiet because I came right upon two calf moose hiding in the undergrowth while mother fed nearby . I saw mother just as she saw me near her youngsters. I immediately ran for the road, 100 yards away across an open bog, mother in hot pursuit. She meant business, and there was not a tree big enough to hide behind or climb, nor even time to climb! Finally , a large tree stump saved me from being run down . From my side I watched a very determined stare from mother, only a few feet away , her ears /aid back. After a minute of this , she remembered her unprotected young ones and return ed to them - thank goodness!

- Game Warden Peter McPheters, Millinocket MOOSEHEAD LAKE - Life jackets saved two lives on Moosehead early in July , when a Massachusetts couple saw first -hand how quickly the big lake 's mood can change . Debra and Joseph Mancini, of Palmer, decided to paddle their rented canoe across the lake from Rockwood to Kineo . But the wind came up, and they decided to return to Rockwood, even though they were almost to Kineo . Unfortunately , the wind and waves swamped the canoe. They held onto it until they got cold, and then decided to swim to shore. Debra struggled to shore, but Joseph couldn 't make it and floated with the waves . After receiving q report that one of his rental canoes had washed up, the owner of Old Mill campground, Rick Annunziata, went out to look for the couple . Thankfully he found them , about 21/z hours after they swamped. If it hadn 't been for PFDs, we likely would have a double drowning.

- Game Warden Marilyn Kenyon, Rockwood SPEDNIC LAKE - Although smallmouth bass in Maine normally spawn in late May to early June , when water temperatures are from 55 to 60 degrees, I observed an unusual instance of late spawning on August 5 while conducting an underwater bass survey using SCUBA at Spednic Lake . I found three bass redds (nests) with hundreds of just-hatched bass fry . The male bass were still guarding two of the redds . Water temperature was 72 degrees . This is the only known occurrence of smallmouth bass spawning this late in Maine . Observations earlier this summer confirmed that most of the bass spawning in Spednic occurred at the normal time , as evidenced by hundreds of schools of bass fry .

- Fishery Biologist Rick Jordan, Machias JOHNSON MOUNTAIN TOWNSHIP - While driving north on Route 201 , I saw a car coming south - backwards - at 40 to 50 miles per hour! I called State Police in Augusta, who advised me to stop the vehicle . I found a loaded handgun in the car, and summonsed the operator. I then ascertained that the subject had driven , in reverse, from Rockwood to Jackman , and then south on Rt. 201 almost to The Forks (over 40 miles) . Transmission gone . He had gotten pretty good at it by then!

- Game Warden Philip Dugas, Jackman

KID-BIT ANSWERS THE GOOD "BAD GUYS" 1. False. Bats have pretty good eyesight. The idea that they are blind probably comes from the fact that they use sonar (sound) to navigate at night when they fly. Bats that eat fruit and need to identify their meal by shape or color have very good eyesight.

7 . False. Less than 1 percent of the world's bats have rabies . It is also false that bats survive rabies . Like any animal , they die from the disease . If you can get close enough to a bat (or any wild animal) to touch it, it is probably sick and should be left alone .

2. False. Only one type of bat, the vampire bat of South and Central America, feeds on blood. The rest of the bats in the world (about 900 types) feed on other things like fruit , moths and other insects, nectar , fish , or frogs . Bats in Maine eat insects .

8 . True. Some bats migrate . Bats that live in the south are active all year round , and bats that live in cold climates either migrate or hibernate through the winter like bears .

3 . True. They are better than a backyard bug-zapper! Bats found in Maine include : little brown bat , silver-haired bat , big brown bat, red bat, hoary bat, and small-footed myotis.

9 . True. Bats fly at night , so they don't compete for food with the birds that fly in the daytime . Some bats do fly in the daytime , but they are rare . All bats in Maine are nocturnal .

4. True. So if you dislike mosquitoes , black flies , or midges , bats are your friends!

10 . False. You are much too big to interest a bat. The only people who need to worry are those who are the same size as a mosquito!

5 . True. Bats bear live young and nurse them , with the baby hanging onto the mother's teat as she flies . Like all mammals , they have hair and are warm-blooded.

MAINE TRACKER

6. True. Bats are very careful about grooming themselves , hanging on by one foot while they clean their fact and fur with the other. A bat in a colony will often help out a neighbor by grooming him or her as they hang side-by-side .

The animal is the coyote.

- - - -CORRECTION- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In the article "Your Guide to Lake Protection" in the Summer 1986 issue of MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE , a picture representative of good lakeshore development was improperly captioned to indicate that it was bad development. Illustrated below are examples of both good and bad uses of shoreline property - this time with the proper captions! Bad lakeshore development: dense cottage development, high percentage of impervious surfaces, no buffer, destruction of shoreline habitat, and loss of natural beauty.

Good development: proper setback, minimal site disturbance, and buffer strip that protects both water quality and scenic value.

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Maine Fish and Wildlife-Fall 1986

1986 MAINE HUNTING SEASONS EFFECTIVE THROUGH MARCH 3 1, 1987 This is not a le gal pre sen t atio n. See hu nti ng reg ulat io ns book let fo r full det ai ls.

DEER:

FIRST DAY

LAST DAY

Firearms seaso n

Nov . 3

Nov . 29

BASIC LIMITSDAILY POSSESSION ONE DEER PER YEAR reg ard less of seaso n or meth od of takin g . Onl y deer w ith a min imum antler length o f three in c hes may be taken statew ide from November 1 th ro ugh Dece mber 6, exce pt that deer of ei ther se x may be tak en in designated deer manag ement di stri cts by pers o ns pos sessing Any -Deer Perm it s. Deadl in e for app lyi ng fo r An y- Dee r Permits : August 29 .

Main e-res id en t -o nly day

Nov. 1

Arc hery

O ct. 1

O ct. 31

Mu zzle loader

De c 1

Dec . 6

Sept. 1

Nov . 30

O NE B EA R O F EITH ER S EX

O ct . 20

O ct . 25

Contact Fish and Wildlife Dept for informat,on on annual moose hunting perm ,t drawing

O ct. 1

Nov. 30

O ct. 1

D ec . 10

O ct. 1

Nov. 30

O ct. 1

D ec . 10

M ay 8

May 24

WOODCOCK: ....... . . .

O ct. 1

Nov . 14

COMMON SNIP E: ..... .

S ept. 1

Dec . 16

BEAR * . MOOSE: (By perm it o nly) RUFFED GROUSE (Wildli fe Management Units 1 & 2): (Wi ldlife Manag ement Units 3-8): .

PHEASANT (Wildlife Management Units 1 & 2): (Wi ldl ife Man agement Units 3-8): . . . . . .. .. . .

WILD TURKEY (By permit onl y) . .. .. . .

DUCKS, GEESE, BRANT: .

SEA DUCKS (Seate r, eider, old squaw):*••

Contact Fish and W ildlife Dept tor mformatton on annual wild turkey hunting permit drawing

Seasons set annually, in late A ugust or early September. C opies of regulations may be obtained upon purchase of req uired state and federal duck stamps , or from M aine game wardens . O ct. 1

Jan . 15

(IN AGGREGA TE)

RAILS (So ra and Virginia): ..

Sept . 1

Nov. 9

GALLINULES :

Sept. 1

N ov . 9

CROW: ... . . . .

Mar. 14

Apr. 30

J uly 16

S ept. 29

BOBCAT: ..................... . ............... . .... .

Dec . 1

Feb. 28

FOX: ... . . . ... . ................ . .. . .. . . .. .. ... .. . .. .

O ct. 28

Feb . 15

GRAY SQUIRREL: ................ .

O ct . 1

N ov . 30

O ct . 1 • •

Mar. 31

RACCOON: . ................... ... . ...... . . .. .. . ......... . .... .

O ct. 28

D ec . 15

SKUNK: ..... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. . .......... . . ....... .. . .. . ... . . .

O ct. 20

D ec . 15

RABBIT (Cotton tail) and HARE (Snowshoe):* ~ . .............. .

COYOTE, WOODCHUCK , PORCUPINE, RED SQUIRREL:

NO C L OSED SEASON F OR H UNTI NG

ANY SPECIES NOT LISTED ABOVE: . . ... ..... . ...... .

NO OP EN S EA SON FOR HU NTIN G

• No bear hunting with more than 4 dogs. No bear hunting w ith dogs during the regular firearm season on deer. Nonresidents hunting bear with dogs must employ and hunt in conjunction with a resident Maine guide. ··Unlawful to hunt rabbits with dogs during any open firearms season on deer in Hancock, Kno x, Lincoln , Sagadahoc , Waldo , and Washington counties . ···The special sea duck season is for all coastal waters and all waters of ri vers and streams seaward from the f irst upstream bridge ; in all other areas , sea ducks may be taken only d uring the regular open season on duc ks . SUNDAY HUNTING:

Illegal in Maine .

SHOOTING HOURS: On animals , 112 hour before sunrise to V2 hour after sunset , e xcept that during any firearms season on deer, hunt ing closes at sunset for all species except raccoon . On game birds , shooting hours are V2 hour before sunrise to sunset . LICENSES: Hunt i ng license is required . Archery license authorizes hunting with bow and arrow only during any open season on that species , except as otherwise provided . A person with a regular hunting license may also hunt with bow and arrow , except during the spec ial archery season on deer. Special licensestamp required to hunt during muzzleloader season on deer. STAMPS:

Don 't forget to purchase a Maine duck stamp and a federal duck stamp and /or a Maine pheasant stamp if you intend to hunt these species .

BE A GOOD SPORTSMAN : Please keep in mind that not everyone shares our views on hunting and trapping . The ac tions of all hunters and trappers must be tempered by the realization that if we want to continue these traditions in the State of Maine, we must all conduct ourselves as true sportsmen : OBEY THE WILD LI FE LAWS ANO RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. Only when we conduct ourselves properly i n the field will we earn the respect and support of t he gene ral public . ALERT US: Poachers are Thieves-He lp Us Catch Them-Anti -Poach ing Hot Line : 1-800-ALERT US (253-7887).