Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Fall 1987 by Maine State Library

EDITORIAL

We Can't Afford To Wait!

by William J. Vail Commissioner Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

On November 3, Maine voters will have a unique opportunity to make a major investment in the future of Maine - for its wildlife, and people. I am talking specifically about the $35 million Land Acquisition Bond Issue proposal. If approved by the voters, it will authorize the issuance of $5 million the first year, and $10 million thereafter for each of the next three years. A major portion of this bond money would be used to purchase areas that represent the very best of Maine's wildlife habitat, to ensure its availability to the public in the future, and to protect its wildlife values. When considering the merits of this bond issue proposal, remember that only five percent of Maine is currently in pubr c or nonprofit ownership, the smallest percentage of public ownership of any state in the nation. This is the State of Maine we are talking about - a state where hunting and fishing traditions and outdoor related acti Âˇties have been the cornerstone of our heritage. The people of Maine - as well as the millions of travelers who visit here - take great pride in appreciating and enjoying our vast woodlands, magnificent rivers, lakes and ponds. We all view Maine as the last stronghold of the true "backwoods." Those of us who have traditionally roamed Maine freely, I think, in many ways have taken ownership of these wild lands for granted, and we have assumed that we will always have access to Maine's wild resources. It is true that Maine has an abundance of undeveloped land ... but there is no guarantee that it will remain accessible to everyone who wishes to enjoy its unique qualities. In fact, the trend is in the other direction. The purchase of land today is vitally important to the people of Maine as they look towards the future. The land that we didn't purchase yesterday has increased substantially in cost. The trend is clear that tomorrow the cost may be out of reac for most of Maine's people. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find shoreland and other choice property at affordable prices. Large land subdividing firms are already locking up many of our most precious resources. The people of Maine must act soon, for we may not have the opportunity in the future. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is currently in the process of acquiring valuable wildlife habitat as a res of last November's $5 million bond issue. Although this is a substantial amount, at today's inflated land prices, it won't buy nearly as much as it would have even 10 years ago. There are those who will question whether Maine can afford to issue $35 million worth of bonds. It is important to realize that the debt proposed by this bond initiative is well within acceptable guidelines for prudent and responsible borrowing by state government. A much more appropriate question is: Can we afford NOT to make this commitment for Maine's future? I feel very strongly that the answer to that question is a very definite NO! We cannot afford to wait. As an example of the cost to an individual Maine person during the first year, when $5 million worth of bonds will be issued, the total cost for interest and principal will be 45 cents per person per year. As additional debt is issued, the total cost will increase to $2.80 per person per year. By 1991, it will remain at that level until the year 2000, when it will begin to decrease. The full debt will be paid off by the year 2006 . But the investment will have been made, and Maine people will own the land forever. In today's society, we tend to talk in terms of millions of dollars, and we begin to take those figures lightly. We recognize that $35 million is a lot of money by anyone's standards. But the long-term cost to Maine's people and her heritage is, too, if we fail to act now. The time is upon us, and it is important that we recognize that this investment must be made. urge you all to consider Maine's future when you enter the voting booth on November 3.

J\IIAINE

FISH AND WILDLIFE Governor John R. McKernan, Jr. Department oflnland Fisheries and Wildlife William J. Vail, Commissioner Norman E. Trask, Deputy Commissioner Frederick B. Hurley, Jr., Director, Bureau of Resource Management Peter C. Brazier, Director, Bureau of Administrative Services John F. Marsh, Director, Bureau of Warden Service Advisory Council Carroll York, West Forks, Chairman F. Paul Frinsko, Portland, Vice Chairman Nathan Cohen, Eastport Marc S. Plourde, Eagle Lake Asa 0. Holmes, Belfast F. Dale Speed, PrincetonÂˇ Sally C. Rooney, Houlton Alanson 8. Noble, Otisfield

FALL 1987

VOL. 29, NO. 3

Features Pittman-Robertson's Golden Anniversary: A Special Eight-Page Section

Big Bucks, 1986

A Strategy For Cooperation by Lowell Washburn

Lead Shot/Steel Shot

by Patrick 0.

Corr & R. Bradford Allen

Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine W. Thomas Shoener, Editor ThomasJ. Chamberlain, Managing Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photo Editor Dale S. Clark, Circulation

Training Your "Best Friend" by Gary Anderson

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

Timberland Homes

MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE (ISSN 0360-005X) is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Station 41, Augusta, Maine, 04330, under Appropriation 4550. Subscription rate: $7.00 per year. No stamps, please. Second class postage paid at Augusta ME 04330. ÂŠ Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 1987. 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. Please allow six weeks for changes to take effect. Your post office cannot forward copies unless you provide forwarding postage. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Circulation Section, MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE, 284 State St., Sta. #41, Augusta, Maine 04333. 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 with 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.

18 by Barry Burgason

Winter Refuges For Whitetails by Joe Wiley

Depart1nents FROM THE FLY TYING BENCH: The Hackled Hexagenia

KID-BITS

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS

Covers Front: Buck and doe at sunset. Painting courtesy of Rick Alley, Islesford, Maine. Back: Brownfield Bog, in southern Maine, a department wildlife management area acquired partly with Pittman-Robertson federal funds. See special section beginning on page 2. Photo by Bill Cross.

PITTMAN-ROBERTSON'S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

Fifty Years of Wildlife Restoration by Phil Million

I MAQNE, for a moment, an America lacking many of its most popular, wildlife species. Imagine no white-tailed deer in all the eastern woodlands, no wood ducks in all the southern swamps, no pronghorn antelope on the vast western plains, no bighorn sheep in the southwestern deserts, no black bears anywhere to give campers a thrill. Fifty years ago, that's the way things were heading. These native American animals, and many others, were hanging on only in the most isolated places, their numbers and ranges drastically reduced after 300 years during which American settlers had harvested timber, drained marshes, and plo.wed and fenced the plains without much thought for the effects on wildlife. Many birds and animals had been decimated by years of uncontrolled hunting to supply commercial markets with fur and feathers, meat, and oil.In the end, it was those who enjoyed hunting for sport who banded together to save wildlife. Alarmed by the decline of game species, they organized and lobbied for effective conservation measures. And they did something more - they put their money behind their convictions. Largely because of hunters' taxes and fees, white-tailed deer have increased from less than a half million in 1900 to more than 14 million today. The 1907 count of 41,000 elk south of Canada has

The author is chief of public affairs for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington, D.C.

because of a little-known program through which hunters have funneled over $1.5 billion into wildlife restoration over the past 50 years. The mechanism by which all these good thing$ have been accomplished is a law, formally known as the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, dubbed the "Pittman-Robertson" or P-R Act after its two sponsors, Senator Key Pittman of Nevada and Representative (later Senator) Willis Robertson of Virginia. P-R was proposed by a coalition of outdoors lovers and conservationists in 1936, and signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt on September 2, 1937. Looking back over the 50year lifespan of this law, the argument can be made that PittmanRobertson has been responsible for the restoration of more wildlife species than any other piece of legislation in the history of wildlife conservation.

BORN OUT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, PITTMAN"'."ROBERTSON WED THE EFFORTS OF CONSERVATIONISTS, SPORTSMEN, ARMS MANUFACTURERS AND STATE AGENCIES TO GENERATE NEARLY $2 BILLION TO SAVE

THE

WILDLIFE AND ITS HABITAT.

burgeoned to half a million. The wild turkey can be found in 43 states, and the pronghorn antelope, desert bighorn sheep, black bear, and wood duck are surviving nicely with no fear of ex ten tion . These and other wildlife species, ranging from the stately caribou to the homely kangaroo rat, have survived in the face of increasing human population, habitat destruction, and an astonishing variety of chemical pollutants - in large part

MID-1930s were an inauspicious time for any proposal that people take a new interest in wild animals. The Depression following the stock market crash in 1929 left at least one non-farm worker in every eight unemployed, and 34 million men, women, and children with no income whatever. Against this unpromising backdrop, Jay N. "Ding" Darling, a nationally syndicated cartoonist for the Des Moines Register and director of the Bureau of Biological Survey (forerunner of today's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) convened the first National American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in 1936. An ardent conservationist, Darling advocated a "wildlife policy " that would declare the survival of game animals and birds to be in the

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

The P-R program has funded research and management projects on many species of Maine wildlife - from big game and small game animals to furbearers and endangered species.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

national interest, and would place federal and state efforts on a scientific basis. While many Americans now take for granted the idea of scientific wildlife management, it was a brand new notion in 1933 when conservation pioneer Aldo Leopold published his major work on the topic, Game Management. The idea that wildlife species could be aided through scientific management principles gained swift acceptance in the late 1930s. Ding Darling made an important first step in advancing this idea when he convinced executives from the DuPont, Hercules, and Remington Arms companies to help fund a program of cooperative research units, located at land-grant universities. The units would provide graduate-level training for wildlife scientists and conduct much-needed research on wildlife But wildlife conservation needed more help - and especially, more money. A concrete idea for providing that money emerged from the second North American Conference, held in St. Louis in March 1937. Actually it was an old idea, brushed off and re-designed to suit the temper of the times: to devote the 10 percent (later 11 percent) excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, which then went into the federal government's General Fund, exclusively to wildlife conservation. It was, in effect, an idea that would become more popular in our own time, a "user-pay" program, with hunters footing the bill to conserve the wildlife they enjoyed. The obstacle was getting such legislation passed in a time of financial crisis. The obstacle was surmounted by Carl Shoemaker, a one-time Ohio lawyer, Oregon newspaper publisher, and state fish and game director who had been appointed special investigator for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Conservation of Wildlife Resources. Returning to Washington from the St. Louis conference, Shoemaker drafted his excise tax proposal, won immediate support from Du Pont, Federal Cartridge, and Remington Arms, and 4

then went prospecting for congressional sponsors. In June 1937, Senator Pittman and Congressman Robertson introduced identical bills into the Senate and House, and the law was soon passed.

prohibited the states from using their hunters' license fees for any purpose other than supporting the state fish and game agency.

So, on September 2, 1937,

This last proviso, added by Congressmen Robertson, eliminated the possibility that states might simply substitute federal funds for their own wildlife expenditures, and so cut budgets. His foresight has meant hundreds of millions of dollars for conseservation since 1937. The following year, the Bureau of Biological Survey spelled out the three types of state projects that would be eligible for P-R funds:

President Roosevelt signed a law that:

Apportioned federal firearms and ammunition taxes to the states on a matching basis based on the number of hunting licenses sold, up to $3 federal for every $1 state; Prohibited the use of these federal revenues for any purpose other than wildlife conservation; and

The purchase of land for wildlife rehabilitation purposes; The development of land to make it more suitable for wild mammals and birds; and Research to solve "problems that stand in the way of wildlife restoration." By the end of 1938, 43 of the 48 states had passed laws reserving hunting license fees for wildlife management purposes, thus qualifying them to receive P-R funds. Pittman-Robertson was on its way.

T HERE WERE SOME bumps in the road ahead. America's entry into World War II dispatched most of its hunters to far comers of the globe, and the military monopoly on new guns and ammunition chopped P-R funds to virtually nothing. Even after the war, when the number of licensed hunters jumped from 9 .8 million to 12 million almost overnight, funds were slow in reaching the states until Congress in 1950 agreed to transfer the funds automatically each year. But despite these problems, P-R has been a roaring success. The program has provided more than

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

$1. 5 billion to the states for wildlife restoration since 1937. Yet of all P-R's successes, the most important is the least visible and quantifiable: the creation of a science of wildlife management. Before passage of PittmanRobertson, the shakily financed state fish and game agencies concentrated almost exclusively on law enforcement, predator control, the maintenance of refuges, and raising game birds in pens for release during the hunting season. Fish and game agency executives were often political appointees with no special training or expertise for the job, and turnover among them led to policies that were often reversed by their successors. In the absense of scientific knowledge and communication among agencies one state might launch an "experiment" that had already failed in another. Science could provide physical descriptions of animals, but little information on their behavior or habitat needs. Fortunately, Biological Survey officials inserted a policy that was not required by the P-R law itself, but was well within the federal agency's authority: namely, that any wildlife personnel hired by state agencies with P-R funds must be "trained and competent to perform their duties . " It is almost impossible to overstate the value of the aspect of the P-R program. State agencies began to hire graduates of Ding Darling's cooperative research units. Armed with new knowledge and newly developed techniques, these scientists began to succeed in reestablishing populations of white-tailed deer, wild turkey, pronghorn antelope, and other species. And as scientists learned more about wildlife, and communicated their findings to the public, public support for wildlife conservation increased. P-R also had unexpected benefits for nongame wildlife such as songbirds, small animals, reptiles, and amphibians. The habitat set aside under P-R for game species also sheltered these nongame animals. And the new cadre of wildlife biolo-

gists also began turning their attention to these less-noticed creatures. In recent years, many states have developed special conservation programs for nongame wildlife.

HAT BEGAN AS a federalstate partnership to conserve game species has evolved into a highly a sophisticated, scientific-based program to keep American wildlife populations of all kinds in a healthy balance. Not only sportsmen have benefited. So have millions of Americans who have no interest in hunting. Roughly 7 0 percent of visitors using lands purchased with PR funds are not hunting; they are birdwatching, taking photographs, hiking, camping, or simply enjoying nature. Our national interest in wildlife has produced substantial economic benefits. In 1980, according to a Fish and Wildlife Service survey, hunters spent an estimated $8.5 billion a year on equipment, hunting fees, and travel, and those who enjoy birdwatching, feeding birds, photographing wildlife, and related outdoor activities are estimated to spend an additional $14. 7 billion for equipment and travel. Much of this spending, and the accompanying creation of jobs, is an outgrowth of the Pittman-Robertson Act, accomplished at no cost to the general taxpayer. Annual P-R revenues, only $1 million in 1938, have climbed steadily since World War II, and hit $120 million in 1985. While the U.S. population has nearly doubled since 1937, the number of licensed hunters has tripled, providing a steady flow of P-R funds for the continuing work of wildlife conservation. In addition, the tax on sporting arms and ammunition has been augmented since 1970 by a 10 percent tax on handguns, sponsored by Representative John Dingell of Michigan, and since 1972 by an 11 percent tax on archery equipment, sponsored by Representative George Goodling of Pennsylvania; both

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

BOOK CHRONICLES P-RSUCCESS In commemoration of the Pittman-Robertson Fund's 50th anniversary, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife SeNice has published a book describing the wildlife and habitats restored through the Federal Aid for Wildlife Restoration Act. Restoring America's Wildlife 7937-87 contains articles, photographs and artwork from wildlife experts around the country. The book can be ordered for $15 from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-9325. When ordering, mention the book title and serial number, 024-010-00671-4. Master Card, Visa, or a oheck made payable to Superintendent of Documents are accepted. For further information, contact the order information desk at tel. 202/7 83-3238.

amendments were signed by President Nixon. Despite the great diversity and extent of P-R's accomplishments, America's wildlife will face many problems over the next 50 years. Wetlands continue to be drained at the rate of nearly half a million acres a year. The change from the family farm to single-crop agri-business has reduced habitat diversity for wildlife. In some parts of the country, increasing human needs for water can affect its availability for fish and wildlife. These and other challenges make the future for wildlife far from secure. The P-R program can continue to help ÂˇNildlife thrive, as long as Americans are willing to continue the spirit born in the depths of the Great Depression - that saving our wildlife heritage is well worth the price. 5

P-R and

Maine Wildlife by Fred Hurley

FOR

P-R has supported the expansion and management of lands owned by the department for wildlife management purposes. Today, close to 50,000 acres are owned and actively managed by the department. These lands include approximately 25,000 acres of upland habitat located in the towns of Charleston, Hodgdon, Montville, Newfield, Fryeburg and Steep Falls. Upland areas are managed for deer, grouse, snowshoe hare, and other terrestrial wildlife for public use and enjoyment. Other wildlife management areas, such as Ruffingham Meadow, Madawaska Marsh, Kelly Marsh, Brownfield Bog,

Mercer Bog, Chesterville Marsh, Pond Farm Marsh, St. Albans Marsh, and Scarborough Marsh, provide nesting habitat for waterfowl. P-R has funded the development and maintenance of a large number of small marshes and managed beaver flowages across the state. It has supported Canada goose transplantations to establish local breeding populations, installation and maintenance of duck boxes to enhance the production of cavity nesting species of waterfowl, and the acquisition and management of coastal islands used by colony nesting marine birds, including the eider duck. Other

NEARLY 50 years, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, popularly known as the PittmanRobertson or "PR Program", has served a key role in the management of Maine's wildlife resources. P-R has provided the assistance needed to initiate a broad range of wildlife management projects which could not have been otherwise undertaken. P-R provided the funds needed to hire the department's first game biologists, and since the Game Division's beginning in 1939, P-R has funded almosJ all of the department's wildlife managements initiatives. As a result, the department has been better prepared to respond to the rapidly changing pressures on the state's wildlife resources. P-R funds have supported wildlife habitat acquisition and management, and have allowed the department to support wildlife enhancement practices on Maine's 450,000-plus acres of Public Reserved Lands, and over 200,000 acres of deer wintering areas on commercial timber lands. These activities have focused on the implementation of forest management practices which improve conditions for many species of wildlife.

The author is director of the department's Bureau of Resource Management.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

programs have included identification of sensitive wildlife habitats (such as deer wintering areas) and development of cooperative efforts between the deparbnent and various state, municipal agencies, and private landowners to encourage enhancement and protection of "special" wildlife habitats. Management of Maine's many species requires gathering information on the status of many species, their habitat requirements, distribution, and harvest levels. P-R funds have routinely supported these efforts.

M AINE'S FIRST P-R project was undertaken in 1939 to investigate the status of waterfowl. This work was followed by a habitat enhancement project which made plantings of aquatic plants in suitable flowages across the state. In 1946, a major P-R study was initiated to assess the status of beaver, and develop a sound beaver management program. This work resulted in the beaver management system which has been used by the department for over 30 years to manage beaver populations and the valuable aquatic habitat they create. Another early P-R project involved the study of the pheasant and its management in Maine. This work resulted in formulation of a number of important conclusions regarding the potential for maintaining pheasant populations in Maine, and recommendations regarding the management of this species. In 1952, P-R funds were used to respond to a legislative request to carry out a study of the black bear to support formulation of legislation relating to management of the species. The P-R program has helped fund acquisition and management of more than 50,000 acres of wildlife lands in Maine, Including fresh and salt marshes, upland habitat, and seabird nesting Islands. Checkerboard pattern of timber harvesting (right) at Frye Mountain Wildlife Management Area creates optimum amounts of interspersed shelter and food for several species.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

Since th.e early 1950s, P-R has funded studies of white-tailed deer, the state's premier game animal. These investigations have focused on the status of deer across the state, management of deer wintering areas, and development of regulatory considerations. During the 1960s, P-R allowed the department to initiate studies of the moose. This work was continued in the 19 7 Os and provided the basis for establishing moose hunting in Maine. In 1983; information from past and on-going studies of moose played a vital role in the defeat of a referendum designed to end moose hunting in Maine. The 1970s was also a period of concern over the rapidly changing conditions occurring over much of the state and the associated impacts on wildlife resources. Increasing hunting and trapping pressure, greater accessibility, improved equipment, more leisure time, declining habitat, increasing human populations, timber harvesting practices, and increased development were among factors suspected of adversely impacting many species of wildlife. However, little was known about these factors and their impact. At the same time, increased regulatory responsibility over wildlife was granted to the Commissioner by the legislature. These conditions, and increased levels of P-R funds available to the state, led to a rapid 8

expansion of projects to gather information regarding many species, and to support the formulation of regulatory proposals to maintain and enhance wildlife resources in the state. Projects were initiated on the black bear, bobcat, coyote, fisher, fox, black duck, woodcock, snowshoe hare, all with the aid of P-R funding. Much of this work was carried out by the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Maine at Orono. At the time, the department did not have enough state funds to match all available P-R dollars, so the University of Maine provided the 25 percent match monies needed to initiate research focusing needs previously identified by the department. This work did not provide all of the answers, but it did provide a better understanding of the species involved and factors affecting their population levels. The results of these projects continue to guide management decisions. P-R has supported efforts to reestablish the wild turkey. Currently, viable populations have been established in southern and mid-coast sections of the state, and the state's first wild turkey hunting season was held in the York County area in the spring of 1986. P-R can be expected to continue its vital role in the management of Maine's wildlife resources. Emphasis will likely continue to be placed on a broad mix of activities supporting the

wildlife management needs of the department. In order to identify and sort out these needs, the department, with the support of P-R, has developed, and is continually refining, a long-term wildlife management planning process designed to identify problems facing wildlife, establish priorities, and formulate appropriate management strategies. Every five years, the process updates assessments of the status and needs of the major wildlife species, and solicits public input regarding species management priorities, desirability of management alternatives, and other resource use considerations. If you would like to participate in the development of the department's future programs, or would simply like to know more about the planning process, let us know. The department would very much like to hear from you.

P-R and Maine Hunter Education by Gary Anderson I n addition to funding research, management and habitat programs of benefit to wildlife, another important provision of the Pittman-Robertson Act authorizes funding support for state hunter education programs to reduce firearms accidents and to teach hunter responsibility. Last year, over 700,000 people received training in P-R funded hunter education courses throughout the United States, including over 8,500 in Maine. Maine's hunter education program dates back to the late 1950s, when

Maine Fish and Wlldllfe - Fall 198 7

the Fish and Wildlife Department and a corps of dedicated, volunteer instructors began offering a fourhour, basic firearms safety course, funded entirely by the department. Thanks in large part to the Pittman-Robertson program, our hunter education course is now a minimum of 10 hours, and, in addition to firearms training, also provides instruction in first aid, woods survival, map and compass, game identification, and hunter ethics. The expansion of Maine's hunter education curriculum from 4 to 10 hours took place in the early 1970s, when federal legislation was enacted redirecting the long-existing 10 percent excise tax on handguns from the general treasury to the P-R program. Two years later, an 11 percent excise tax was levied on archery equipment used in hunting, with those receipts also going to P-R. Congress authorized that up to half of the money from those two sources could be used by state wildlife agencies for hunter education and shooting range construction and maintenance. The P-R program is a matching program which allows for a maximum match of 7 5 percent federal funds to 25 percent state funds, but an important provision allows the state's share to be in the form of an "in-kind match," such as the dollar value of the services of volunteer instructors. Taking advantage of this allowance, Maine's hunter education program has used very little state money since the inception of Pittman-Robertson funding. , which through the years has totalled well over a million dollars and has resulted in 80,000 hunters trained to date. In addition, it has permitted countless other less formal safety contacts with the shooting and non-shooting public. In 1972, when the writer took office, 37 hunting accidents were

recorded in Maine including three fatalities. Since then, through the efforts of our volunteer instructors, police work of game wardens, wise laws passed by successive legislatures and the availability of P-R funds for financial support, Maine's accident records have improved remarkably. In 1984, Maine had it's first fatalityfree year since records have been kept, and in 1986 we recorded an all time low of 14 shooting incidents. The use of P-R funds has permitted Maine to operate on a regional coordinator system, which employs part-time paid people through the peak of the hunter education season, in the fall, providing statewide assistance to the full-time hunter safety coordinator. This concept has worked so well we've been the role model for many other states and provinces. Three other areas are of significant interest. Our range rental policy allows us to donate one dollar for ever youngster using private shooting range facilities. While this is a modest sum the natural tendency for people to assist youngsters makes it fully adequate, and the allowance often goes unclaimed. This range rental policy has allowed great flexibility in a state where few shooting ranges are open to the general public.

In 1972, the department published "You Alone in the Maine Woods", a booklet filled with simple information and tips on safety, selfhelp first aid, and cold weather protection for the hunter. This practical guide has since become the basic survival training aid for all hunter safety courses in the country. Several states and Canadian provinces actually print the entire booklet for their own use, with Maine's and the federal government's blessings, of course. Publication of "You Alone in the Maine Woods" was made possible by P-R funds. Finally, we must note the significant emphasis we are able to put on the need for all hunters to practice simple ethics. Whether it is directed toward fellow hunters, landowners, or to the game we hunt, nothing is more important than respect. Nothing today is so instantly detrimental to the sporting interests as the fell ow who abuses the privileges of hunting and the flse of sporting arms. Our education programs place great emphasis on hunter ethics, and many good programs to encourage it's promotion have generated through the use of P-R funds. If there were no other reasons for rejoicing but this last, then we'd all have cause to thank Messrs. Pittman & Robertson for their noble effort.

The author is the department's safety officer.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

BIGGEST BUCKS, 1986 Name Vincent J. Gillis, Jr. Richard Blood Gil Barnaby David Gordon Robert York Anthony J. Brown Millard W. Butler Terry Kingsbury Terry Brenn George Pais Daniel R. Arms George R. Crossman Timothy M Duprey Jay Moore Bruce Moultroup Cedric Palmer Randall Vining William E. Henderson Alta M. Rice Bob Rondeau Vernon J. Davis Kenneth U. Gross Douglas G. Jenney Paulmer Cecehetelli Jerry Morrill John H. Lucas Orman Chambers William A. Day, Jr. Jim McCormick Walter B. Rusak Stephen Sweetser Harold Clawson, Jr. Jocelyn Cloutier Vernon F. Milliken, Jr. David P. Chinn,, Roy L. Michaud Joseph J. Mints Lee S. Mitchell David H. White Michael Campbell, Jr. Larry Hash Kenneth Noyes Michael O'Neill John G. Penney, Jr. Harvard Porter Anthony Travers Donald R. Gardner, Sr. Freeman Howard II Alan G. Olson Sherwood N. Peters Roscoe Tash Brian N. Westman Nicholas Cambio Everett Danforth Francis Hassett Anthony J. Costanzo Steve Crispo Wayne J. Fowles Jon T. Grover Kevin Knights Roger L. Mclellan Michael Mechaud Galen J. Nickerson James Rousseau Karl P. Schroeder Robert Somers Harold Wilson Gregory A. York

Address Somerville, MA Morrill, ME Jay, ME Strong, ME Houlton, ME South Strafford, Vf Huntington, Vf East Corinth, vr Southbury, CT Rowley, MA Phillips, ME Milo, ME North Conway, NH Williston, VT Richmond, VT Stratton, ME Weld, ME Glen Gardner, NJ North Waterford, ME Old Bridge, NJ Bethel, ME East Orland, ME Belgrade, ME Sewell, NJ Berwick, ME Farmington, ME Dover Foxcroft, ME Kezar Falls, ME Windham, ME Blairstown, NJ Presque Isle, ME Netcong, NJ St. Perpetue, PQ Gray, ME Framingham, MA Mapleton, ME Port Norris, NJ East Baldwin, ME Fairfield, ME Bangor, ME Forest Hill, MD Dixfield, ME Stratton, ME Topsfield, ME Bridgton, ME 1 Skowhegan, ME Conway, NH Hiram, ME Rutland, Vf Slatington, PA Chester, ME North Berwick, ME No. Providence, RI Center Lovell, ME Dalton, MA Georgetown, MA Lincolnville, ME Montgomery, MA Lisbon Falls, ME Benton, ME Smyrna Mills, ME Eagle Lake, ME Houlton, ME Eliot, ME Andover, NJ Dorset, Vf Dixfield, ME Jay, ME

Date Killed 11-8-86 11-18-86 11-6-86 11-20-86 11-8-86 11-27-86 11-12-86 11-3-86 11-7-86 11-10-86 11-6-86 11-1-86 11-8-86 11-12-86 11-14-86 11-8-86 11-21-86 11-10-86 11-10-86 11-10-86 11-10-86 11-12-86 11-1-86 11-10-86 11-17-86 11-1-86 11-21-86 11-1-86 11-13-86 11-17-86 11-17-86 11-20-86 11-12-86 11-1-86 11-21-86 11-3-86 11-13-86 11-8-86 11-1-86 11-1-86 11-10-86 11-12-86 11-13-86 11-11-86 1-15-86 11-1-86 11-8-86 11-15-86 11-22-86 11-18-85 11-12-86 11-6-86 11-14-86 11-3-86 11-13-86 11-17-86 11-1-86 11-19-86 11-6-86 11-1-86 11-8-86 11-3-86 11-15-86 11- -86 11-19-86 11-21-86 11-6-86 11-3-86

Where Killed

Firearm

Hobbstown Morrill Coburn Salem Houlton Magalloway Stetson Baker Lake Sangerville Denmark Kingfield Atkinson Lovell T5R20 Johnson Mountain New Sharon Ashland Palmer Pond Waterford Comstock Bethel East Orland Windsor Aroostook Rockwood East Livermore TA Rl O Jo-Mary Brownfield Embden Jackman Chapman T2R2 Brassua Tl4R15 Greenville Lagrange Tl1R9 Athens . Denmark Unity Farmington Falls Island Falls Canton Eustis Topsfield Sweden Cornville Magalloway Hiram Portage Aroostook Chester North Berwick Newry Stoneham Tl4R13 Tl 7R12 Hope Cambridge Weld Burnham Codyville Nixon Amity Wellington Carrabasset Valley Misery Gore Dixfield Prentiss

.30-06 .250 .30-06 .30-30 .30-06 .270 .30-06 .30-06 .30-06 .35 .308 .308 .30-06 .30-06 .308 .30-06 .38-55 .30-06 .308 .30-30 .30-06 7mm. .270 .32 Special .375 .30-06

7mm. .32 Special .30-06 .32 Special .30-06 6mm. 30-06 .30-06 .308 .30-30 .30-06 .30-06 .308 .300 Savage .30-30 .375 .308 .243 .32 Special .30-06 .30-06 .30-06 .30-30 .30-06 .300 Savage .308 .32 Special 6mm. .32 Special .32 Winchester .30-06 .308 .30-30 .308 .30-06 .308 .308 .30-06

Dressed Live Weight Weight 296 285 271 270 269 265 263 263 261 261 260 258 258 258 256 255 255 254 254 254 253 253 253 252 252 251 250 250 250 250 250 249 248 247 246 246 246 246 246 245 245 245 245 245 245 245 244 243 243 243 243 243 242 242 241 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240

385 370 352 351 350 344 341 341 339 339 338 336 336 336 332 331 331 330 330 330 328 328 328 327 327 326 325 325 325 325 325 323 322 321 320 320 320 320 320 318 318 318 318 318 318 318 317 316 316 316 316 316 315 315 313 312 312 312 312 312 312 312 312 312 312 312 312 312

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

FLURRY OF BLACKS, courtesy of Harry C. Adamson and Wild Wings, Lake City, MN 55041, telephone (612) 345-5355.

The North American Waterfowl Plan

A Strategy For Cooperation by Lowell Washburn

I n of

May 1986, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Don Hodel and Canadian Environment Minister Tom McMillan met in Washington, D. C., to cosign a document called the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). The plan is a multi-agency, international approach designed to reverse the continent-wide destruction of wetland habitats; it offers a clearly defined set of goals and objectives deemed necessary to increase and restore

duck populations from their current all-time low levels. A strategy for cooperation, the North American Plan runs through the year 2000. Simply stated, it is a blueprint for the most colossal waterfowl recovery program ever attempted. To make a long story short, it represents the best news for migratory birds since the creation of the duck stamp, and that may be an understatement. Although continued research and management efforts are certainly important components, the plan

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

places its greatest emphasis on the enhancement and protection of waterfowl habitat in both the United States and Canada. One of the plan's most ambitious proposals is to change the land use practices on 3.6 million acres of prairie Canada currently being farmed, as well as to preserve an additional million-plus acres of breeding grounds in the United States. The agreement The author is a writer for the Iowa Conservation Commission. This article is adapted from one he wrote for the Iowa Conservationist.

further calls for the protection of 886,000 acres of waterfowl migrating and wintering habitat, including over 680,000 acres of mallard and pintail wintering grounds along the lower Mississippi River and Gulf Coast regions. The price tag? A cool $1.5 billion! Anyone possessing a nodding acquaintance with current waterfowl dilemmas will be quick to realize that the North American Plan was born of necessity. Although certain webfooted species are holding their own, overall duck populations have exhibited persistent declines since standardized surveying techniques were adopted during the mid-1950s. During the past decade , however, the bottom has literally fallen out of the waterfowl picture. For example, from 1955 through 1959, the continental breeding population of mallard ducks averaged around 11 milion birds on surveyed areas. The long-termed average (1955 through 1985) was slightly over eight million birds. Pintails have shown an even more alarming rate of decline. There were around eight million breeders during the 1955-1959 period, but in 1985, less than three million were unventoried. The black duck, traditionally so important in Maine and the rest of the Atlantic flyway, has shown similar population declines over this same period. Winter waterfowl surveys of recent years have recorded fewer than half of the 400,000 black ducks counted during the mid-1950s. Certainly, the waterfowl resource cannot be expected to stand another 30 years of the sort they've just endured. Fortunately, in spite of the fact that the North American Plan is only 15 months old, it is already advancing toward its goals with amazing swiftness. According to Tom Dwyer, branch chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Migratory Bird Management, three of the plan's major components have already been set in motion: 1) The Arctic Goose Joint Venture, which is investigating the measures that need 12

to be taken in order to sustain and increase barren ground, colony nesting geese; 2) The Prairie Habitat Joint Venture, which is a cooperative endeavor between federal, private, and provincial conservation agencies to preserve wetlands in Canada's Prairie Pothole Region, the continent's most important waterfowl breeding area; and 3) The Duck Initiative, which essentially is eastern Canada's counterpart to the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture and focuses mainly on the black duck, another species which is in serious decline. The black duck initiative calls for protection of an additional 50,000 acres of migration and wintering habitat by the United States along the Atlantic coast, and 10,000 acres of similar habitat by Canada in the Atlantic region. Estimated costs for this habitat effort: $20 million. The plan also calls for protection of 60,000 acres of breeding and migration habitat by Canada and 10,000 acres of similar habitat by the United States in the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence estuary region. The total estimated cost for this effort: $28 million. These habitat efforts are in addition to ongoing federal, state, and provincial habitat acquisition programs.

B uDGETS being what they are, private sector involvement appears crucial to the overall success of the North American Waterfowl Plan.' Ducks Unlimited has assumed the lead role in this area and according to Dwyer, the organization has become a key component in making the dream a reality. To get the financial ball rolling, a request was issued for 10 state conservation agencies to each contribute $100,000 toward the plan. Ducks Unlimited agreed to match these funds, up to $1 million. Canada jumped on the wagon, too, promising to match funds as they arrived at the border. Consequently, with DU money acting as the catalyst, each dollar generated in the United States becomes four by the

time it is actually applied to habitat protection. During recent months, five states (perhaps even six by now) have committed themselves to the plan. Once those dollars reach Canada, they will be used in a variety of ways; major wetlands in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have already been targeted for acquisition. Not all funds will be applied toward direct purchase of wetlands, however. Canadians are well aware of the near-fatal political backlash that occurred in North Dakota when certain interests felt that government was acquiring too many acres of wetland too fast. But there is more than one way to skin a cat, or, in this case, save a wetland! According to Kent Brace, Canadian Wildlife Service coordinator for the NAWMP, the ultimate recovery of North America's waterfowl, and all other prairie wildlife for that matter, will depend upon the ability to affect major changes on the use of private lands in prairie Canada, where "wallto-wall" farming practices are beginning. To accomplish this monumental task, the Canadian Wildlife Service has initiated a number of studies to field-test a variety of options which encourage farmers to implement practices that benefit wildlife. These options include restoring drained wetlands, establishing large blocks of nesting cover, or even the installation of electrified, predator-proof fences around nesting cover. The CWS is supplying the necessary manpower, and Alberta has committed $500,000 per year toward the testing of various habitat protection techniques. Initial response to these programs has been overwhelming, with farmers literally standing in line to enroll in experimental habitat programs. Under current economic conditions, raising ducks nets the landowner more profits than raising wheat. Based on these signals, Brace feels that reaching the established goal of changing land use on 3.6 million acres of prairie Canada will

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

not be a problem. In fact, planners are already beginning to explore the broader realm of developing closer relationships with government agricultural department to promote better soil and moisture conservation practices. "Denuding prairie Canada of its cover has not been without cost," says Brace, who points to ongoing problems with soil erosion, increased salinity, etc. "The Canadian people are becoming very interested in conserving soil and water, and what is good for wildlife in the short term is good for farming in the long term." Brace cautions against moving too slowly, and says the momentum must be maintained. Canadian agriculture is currently in a tremendous state of flux. The combined effects of wholesale wetland drainage, tearing out of fencelines and windbreaks, and the pressing of marginal lands into production have proven woefully cost-ineffective. The result is a market surplus that has sent cereal grain prices into the basement. While everyone is wondering where to go from here, conservationists have a landmark opportunity to provide input into broad environmental problems that reach far beyond basic wildlife issues. "But this probably represents waterfowl's last chance, "said Brace. "The door is opening, and we'd better make this one work." Canadian Wildlife Service Director James Patterson agrees; he believes there will probably never be a greater window of opportunity to move forward in waterfowl conservation. "There in currently quite a feeling of optimism over the North American Plan here in Canada," he said. Granted, $1. 5 billion does indeed seem staggering at first, but when you break it down into annual expenditures, it is really not at all unreasonable. Before the NAWMP was drafted, the protection of wetland has maintained a low profile in Canada. But now, new habitat agreements from both federal and provincial governments carry price tags totalling

more than $16 7 million. In addition to the revenues already being spent in the experimental private land initiatives, Saskatchewan has committed a total of $50 million to the plan over the next 15 years; indications point to other major provincial commitments in the near future. Two years ago, Canada also began requiring its waterfowl hunters to purchase a Habitat Conservation Stamp, a counterpart to the United States Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp. Around one-half million of the Canadian stamps are purchased each year, and the proceeds are spent through Wildlife Habitat Canada. Unlike the United States system, which makes the artist who designs the stamp a millionaire by allowing him to retain copyright, Wildlife Habitat Canada reserves all rights. Consequently, wildlife reaps double benefits - from the sale of stamps and from the sale of collectible art prints. Canada's first such stamp, a pair of mallards painted by Robert Bateman, has now sold over 50,000 art prints, making it the top-selling wildlife painting in history. Print revenues have far exceeded actual stamp sales, and all profits have gone to aid wildlife, a situation that should give Americans food for thought. Perhaps the brightest spot in the waterfowl financial picture comes from eastern Canada's Black Duck Joint Venture. This major part of the plan was dependent upon receiving $20 million over the next 15 years. To date, the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia have already made commitments totaling $32.6 million over the next five years. Consequently, this portion of the plan is being rewritten and expanded.

How

DOES Maine fit into all of this? According to state waterfowl biologist Patrick O. Corr, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan includes Maine's coastal and breeding habitat within the Atlantic

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

coastal region where additional habitat protection is planned. In addition to the habitat aspects of the plan, there are specific strategies to gain needed funding for research in areas important to future waterfowl harvest management programs. Corr says improved black duck and mallard breeding surveys for the northeastern United States and eastern Canada have been identified as essential for future management decisions. "Maine's geographic location, between Quebec and New Brunswick, places us within an important breeding area for these species. As a result, we will be involved with new surveys for breeding waterfowl. These surveys will require use of helicopters, and increased expenditures of manpower and dollars. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan explores avenues for funding these new research objectives."

A LTHOUG~ the initial achievements of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan certainly justify an increased level of optimism, it must be remembered that we still have a long, long way to go. Regardless of how you slice it, the NAWMP is a last-ditch, eleventh hour maneuver to preserve waterfowl populations as we know them. If the plan's goals are met, it will mean a breeding population of around 62 million ducks, which should produce average fall flights of about 100 million. This would allow sportsmen a sustained harvest of about 20 million birds annually. The cost of failure is too great to consider, and could mean that the next generation will miss the thrill of seeing a sunrise from a duck blind. Kent Brace put it this way: "If the North American Waterfowl Management Plan is not successfully implemented, prairie wildlife populations will continue to plummet and our (professional biologists) most significant professional accomplishment will be monitoring their demise - it's â&#x20AC;˘ that simple." 13

Yes, Maine ducks have a lead poisoning problem by Patrick 0. Corr and R. Bradford Allen

Maine ducks have a lead poisoning problem?" For years we have been asked this question by our duck hunters and sportsmen. Our answers have always been in the affirmative, but they were based on old studies, or on inferences from other state's information. Unfortunately, we have not always convinced the often skeptical Maine hunter. In 1985, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) charged all state wildlife agencies with the task of identifying areas where the use of nontoxic shot for waterfowl and coot hunting should be required. Nationally established criteria were to be used to determine whether or not an area should be converted to a nontoxic shot zone in order to protect waterfowl from lead poisoning. Glenn Manuel, then commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries 14

and Wildlife (MDIFW), requested authorization from the USFWS for a two-year study to determine the extent of the lead poisoning problem in our Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 7 and 8. These two WMUs comprise the southwestern segment of the southern waterfowl hunting zone (see map above). This was the first study of the occurrence of lead poisoning in Maine waterfowl which was based on nationally defined criteria. Two tests were selected for evaluation, each of which measures exposure to lead. These are lead ingestion (presence of lead pellets in the gizzard) and liver concentrations. Samples were collected from five species of waterfowl important to the

Maine harvest: American widgeon, American black duck, mallard, northern pintail, and ring-necked duck. Gizzards and livers from each of these species were analyzed in this study, only recently completed. The cooperation of Maine's waterfowl hunters was instrumental to the success of this study. Through their efforts, MDIFW biologists were able to collect a sample of more than 200 gizzards and livers from waterfowl harvested in WMUs 7 and 8. Because of the study' s design, Maine hunters chose where and when to

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

collect the waterfowl examined in this study. This provided us with a sample which was well distributed throughout WMUs 7 and 8. In addition, ducks were collected during the entire season. All of the above factors contributed to the validity of the study. Our thanks go to the Maine state chapter of Ducks Unlimited (DU); the organization provided mailing labels for members of their southern Maine chapters. A letter explained the study to each duck hunter and made a plea for his or her assistance. More than 100 hunter-cooperators responded, providing us with samples from waterfowl killed during the 1986 hunting season. All samples were analyzed by Waterfowl Consultants of Phoenix, Arizona. The gizzard contents were washed into containers and then Xrayed. The X-ray negatives were then used to highlight lead pellets in the washed material. (This is the state-of-the-art procedure used in lead ingestion studies.) The liver tissues were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry; the results are expressed in lead parts per million (ppm). As was previously mentioned, nationally approved criteria indicating significant lead poisoning problems in waterfowl were used as comparisons in this study. It had been previously determined that if more than five percent of the gizzards from a sample were found to contain one Âˇ or more ingested lead pellets, then a potential lead poisoning problem exists. The second criteria, liver lead concentration, was used to confirm whether an area should be classified as a nontoxic shot zone.

TABLE 1. Number of gizzards found with ingested lead pellets and ingestion rate (percent) for five species of waterfowl collected from Wildlife Management Units 7 and 8 during Maine's 1985 and 1986 hunting seasons. NUMBER OF INGESTED LEAD PELLETS SPECIES

Am. Widgeon Black duck Mallard N. Pintail Ring-neck

2 75 92 15 11 195

PERCENT

91.5

6.5

0.5

The authors are, respectively, leader and assistant leader of Maine's migratory bird research program.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

0.5

INGESTION RATE: PERCENT

2 83 97 17 14

0 10 5 12 21

213

8.5

100

A mallard gizzard also contained 1 ingested steel pellet.

measure, the sampled region qualified as a nontoxic shot zone. A total of 203 liver samples from waterfowl collected in WMUs 7 and 8 were analyzed for liver concentrations. National studies have shown that liver lead values below 1 ppm are common. Th~se levels can be attributed to background levels of lead found in air, food, and water. Lead levels between 1 and 2 ppm indicate some degree of exposure to lead from other environmental factors. Lead levels over 2 ppm are indicative of direct exposure to ingested lead. Nearly 12 percent of the liver samples collected during this study were found to have lead levels over 2 ppm (Table 2). Based on this measure, the region also qualified for

G izzards collected from waterfowl killed in WMUs 7 and 8 during the 1986 hunting season were found to have a lead ingestion rate of 8.5 percent (Table 1). This value is higher then the national minimum criteria of five percent. Based on this

6 4* 1 3

TOTAL

TOTAL GIZZARDS SAMPLES

Table 2. Number and percent of liver samples from waterfowl collected in Wildlife Management Units 7 and 8 found within various liver lead ranges during Maine's 1985 and 1986 hunting seasons. LIVER LEAD (ppm)

NUMBER OF LIVERS

PERCENT

<1 1 -< 2 2-< 3 3-< 4 4-< 5 5 -10 10- 20 >20

162 17 3 3 2 8 6 2

79.8 8.4 1.5 1.5 1.0 3.9 3.0 1.0

203

100.1

TOTAL

selection as a nontoxic shot zone. We have finally got an answer for our waterfowl hunters that is based on a recent study. Based on nationally recognized criteria used to identify nontoxic shot zones for waterfowl and coot hunting, Maine waterfowl populations deserve the protection provided by the use of nontoxic shot. In summary, these results indicate that WMUs 7 and 8 should be converted to nontoxic shot zones ahead of schedule - indeed, as soon as possible! The results imply that our statewide waterfowl populations, and duck hunters as well, will all benefit from the use of nontoxic shot, and the sooner the better. Federal regulations will require the use of nontoxic shot in all parts of the United States by 1991. Based on this study, our recommendation is for statewide use of nontoxic shot as soon as is practical. Nontoxic shot will be required in 1987 while hunting ducks, geese, brant, rails, coots, or gallinules in Wildlife Management Units 6, 7, and 8, plus a portion of Unit 5 (south and east of Routes 6 and 1) and on Brownfield Bog Wildlife Management Area (Brownfield, Fryeburg, and Denmark). The ban on lead shot includes all offshore waters and islands along the coast. In all restricted areas, the use or possession of ammunition loaded with shot other than nontoxic will be illegal. Lead shot will be banned statewide for waterfowl hunting beginning with the 1988-89 season. â&#x20AC;˘

by Gary Anderson

Duck Hunting From Head

Part 4:

Yau

Training Your ''Best Friend"

Shot bags make economical dummies. Rinse the lead powder out. put a tennis ball in the bottom for flotation . and tie on a couple of duck w ings for scent and real ism. This should be easy for the dog to grip, and feel comfortable. important when training the to be Âˇsoft-mouthed."

Tell your pup to do his shaking outside the blind. He'll soon understand that the blind is just another type of home.

The author, the department's safety officer, is an avid duck hunter and a dog lover from way back!

KNOW, of all the pieces that have to fit together to make a duck hunting trip a success, your dog - how he performs, how he behaves, how he goes about proving his loyalty to you - is probably one of the most pleasurable ones. So I decided to devote one episode in our "Duck Hunting From Head To Tail" series to the canine member, or members, of the duck hunting party. Training any animal to do anything is really an individual thing, although there are literally scores of authors, each willing to tell you the only "right" way to do it. To what I say below, I will add only this: use common sense and some measure of affection in dealing with your retriever - and if you want to try some new method, go ahead! After all, that's how we all learn! When picking up the new pup, I always make sure I have the entire day to devote to "imprinting" him to my person. He goes inside my shirt with his head sticking out, and so surveys his new world from a warm, safe environment. The first night (and for several more if necessary), he sleeps next to a warm bottle of water which is in an old sock. He quickly finds out that there are spaces off limits to him but wherever his bed is, there he is secure. If the pup misses his mama or his litter mates, I talk to him and tell him all about the evil world. Former Rep. Ransom Kelly told me many years ago that most sportsmen don't talk to their dogs enough. I firmly believe he's right, and my guests are amazed at the wide range of words my dogs understand. Perhaps I have an advantage; my job dictates lots of traveling, and I often hunt alone; my dog is frequently my only companion. You can start training any time and at any age - but stop immediately when the pup tires. Let him have toys to play with, but keep a

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

It's a joy to see a dog show enthusiasm for his job!

Your pup should retrieve when you are ready, not whenever he feels like it. Tell him so, and keep talking . He'll get it!

Once he knows that his job ends with the bird in your hand or at your feet, you'll both be happier.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

dummy strictly for work practice and never allow him to "tooth" it, even the slightest little bit. Our dummy always has a couple of duck wings tied to it for scent training. Trailing this through high grass makes a great outing for a pup. You naturally make a great to-do when he finds it, but do nothing when he doesn't. Simply make it easy for him at first, then progressively more difficult as his training continues. Remember that dogs, like people, have widely differing skill and ability levels. If my dog behaves, obeys, retrieves, and understands simple commands and hand signals, I am satisfied. The use of a whistle when giving commands will pay off on a windy day when your dog can't hear you, or if you are located so that he can't see hand signals. A good method for establishing signals is to combine voice, hand signals, and noise so that one without the other will eventually suffice. .. My wife always trains our dogs to shake the water out of their coats well away from the blind. This makes a lot of sense, since your blind would quickly become wet, frozen, and untenable otherwise. My wife is also patient with our dogs; I am not. I want everything to happen right now, -and so I don't appreciate my dogs running around, sniffing and searching for the right spot to relieve themselves, while I stand foolishly waiting. The command I use when my dog alights from boat or vehicle is, "Be good!," and I point toward an advantageous spot, usually a tire on my vehicle or a nearby area away from fell ow travelers. A dog does need a little bit of exercise, however, to help him move bowels, and you should always take care to see that he gets it, and that he is made comfortable in other ways before your own needs are met. Our pups are our special trust, and are nearly helpless without us. Give them water, food, rest; give them shade in hot weather, which they cannot tolerate, and a warm,

You certainly don't want him reaching your favorite pot hole ahead of you. The habit of walking "at heel" when you want him to is taught very early in a dog's career.

Be patient with him when he's in the water. Even if he's marked the fall well, he can lose sight of the bird easily. His eyes are six inches over the water, while yours may be as much as six feet!

Keeping in mind that he can lose sight of the downed bird, always give him simple line bearings and as few directions as possible. When my dog is near the spot where he should be, I shout "Good!!" Probably not according to professional doctrine, but it is a one-word sentence that says, "You're hot. Hang in there and use your eyes and nose." It works very well for us.

The reason he's enthusiastic is because you've always made it a fun time for him. In fact, the only thing he likes better is real duck hunting - and that's just around the corner!!

dry place in cold or wet weather. Never leave them in vehicles in hot weather - even for an instant!! Many people never consider the cruelty involved in leaving their animals chained outside during mosquito or bug time, either. This is terrible punishment for an animal! Whenever I see any neglected animal, I go to the trouble of stopping to speak with the owner; if this is not possible, I contact a humane agent without delay. I've never had to repeat the complaint. It is enjoyable to see a dog you've trained do his stuff; there is nothing less enjoyable, however, than seeing what could be a solid retrieving dog botched by careless or indifferent training. If you doubt your ability to train, consult a professional or read some of the reference works available on the subject. I have used methods outlined in James Lamb Free's "Training Your Retriever" for my last four dogs. With the exception of his method of punishment, I recommend it. (A rolled newspaper is enough to slap a dog with when mild correction is needed.) When I want to really penetrate to a dog's gray matter, I grab them right where their mother would - the scruff of the neck - and shake them until their teeth rattle, while reading them the riot act. That is natural punishment and goes back a million years; they understand it. Best of all, you make them understand you' re displeased, but you inflict no pain. Nothing I've told you will hurt your pup; these comments are of a general nature only. I'd like to close with a few thoughts on what qualities add up to a perfect hunting companion. He'll go with you whether the weather's good or not. If you stay late, or get mixed up, he won't argue or call you names. He doesn't mind turning out early. He never questions your choice of hunting locations, and you can never be so low that he can't cheer you up. That pretty much describes my Lab; I hope you can develop as nice a relationship with yours. Talk to him!

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

the Fly Tying Bench

THE HACKLED HEXAGENIA by Eddie Reif Photos by Tom Carbone

ABOUT THE FLY The Hackled Hexagenia is one of many dry fly imitations of the mayfly Hexagenia limbata. The limbata is a very large May fly, approaching 1 1/2" in body length. It is generally pale yellow in color, but the exact hue varies in different waters, from an off-white cream to a very distinct light olive green. Hatches of this fly are nationally associated with the Midwest, where prolific hatches take place on such famous rivers as the Pere Marquette and Au Sable in Michigan, and the Wolf and Brule in Wisconsin. But the range of this May fly extends well into Canada and throughout the Northeast as well. In Maine and in most of its range outside of the Midwest, Hexagenia emergences are restricted to coldwater ponds and lakes. On Maine waters, these flies may emerge any time from late June to September. Hatches usually occur each day for about a week to12 days, beginning at dusk and continuing until after dark. On most lakes and ponds, the hatches are over by mid-July. There is a lot of variation, however; as an example of this, hexagenias have been observed emerging in large numbers on Square Lake in Aroostook County in midSeptember. The limbata May fly is often erroneously referred to as a "Green Drake," confusing it with the famous

Attach thread to hook 1/8" behind eye and wind back evenly to rear of shank. Dub a small bunch of fur dubbing on thread and then form a small ball of fur at end of shank by winding around shank three or four turns. Now tie In a small clump (eight fibers) of moose hair Just in front of fur ball so that they extend back about 1 behind hook. Having secured this to hook, split the bunch Into two parts; tie each part to the side of the shank so that It Is splayed out to the side in a forked fashion by the ball of fur.

DRY FLY #5

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

"Green Drake" (Ephemerella guttulota) hatches which occur on many famous eastern trout streams. But regardless of what it is called, the "hex" hatch is a major event, having for many fly fishermen the significance that ice-out has for trollers. These big, creamy yellow May flies give fly fishermen a shot at the biggest trout and salmon in the pond for about a week. Normally the best time to fish this hatch is the first five or six days of the emergence; after that, big fish activity usually wanes.

THE PATTERN HOOK: Mustad 94831 (3 x long, light wire) in Sizes 4-8. THRFAD: 6/0 Pre-waxed Nylon, Olive. (Danville#6Q) TAIL: Two small bunches (3-4 fibers) of moose hair tied forked. WING: Light grey or brown deer hair (fairly coarse) or mallard side feathers dyed "green drake" green. Either material is tied straight up and tilted slightly back rather than split into two wings. BODY: Pale, creamy-yellow dubbing over kapok dubbing HACKLE: Very pale dun (light grey) or honey dun saddle or neck hackle tied fairly full in back and in front of wing.

Wind thread forward to a point 1/3 of the way behind eye, cut a moderate clump of deer hair, clean out the fuzz from the butt end, lay the hair on top of shank, and tie in with tips facing forward. Wind Thread tightly on butts and back and forth from butts to shank, trimming ends as they stick up, until the butts are secured to the shank; then, lifting the hair wing back and up to rear, wind thread In front of wing until wing is secure and doesn't spin on shank.

Lacquer the base of wing; wind thread around the base of wing above hook, squeezing the wing hair only enough to form wing shape the way you want it. Then come back around shank and anchor the wing so that it tilts slightly to the rear.

Tie in a long stiff saddle hackle (use two quality neck hackles if necessary) about 1/8" in front of wing. Wrap hackle twice in front of wing, four times behind it, and then two more times in front of wing; secure with thread.

The most time-consuming operation is your dubbing. It takes a lot of repeated dubbing to tie a fly this size. The most economical way to proceed is to lay a properly tapered foundation with kapok dubbing, then form the final body by winding your thread dubbed with fur back and forth to the tail and then forward over butt of wing and around the base of wing until body shape is right and fur completely covers the underbody. Body should extend right to the eye of hook. Spun fur or fuzzy yarn may be substituted for dubbing. (Note: See MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE, Fall 1982, for instructions on making dubbing.)

Finish head with thread; whip finish, then lacquer it.

Editor's Note: With this installment, we welcome a new fly tyer/ author to the Fly Tying Bench. He is Eddie Reif, owner/operator of Eddie's Flies & Tackle in Bangor. Also beginning with this article, photos for the series will be taken by Photo Editor Tom Carbone. Here's to many more years of hackles, hairs, and hooks!!

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

TIMBERLAND HOMES

by Barry Burgason Photos by Scott D'Errico

Wildlife is a product of the land. Thus, the landowner is very important in any attempt to help our wildlife. One major landowner who is doing something extra to help wildlife is Champion International Corporation. C HAMPION owns 760,000 acres in Penobscot, Washington, Hancock, Piscataquis, and southern Aroostook counties. Champion began erecting duck boxes on their lands in 1982. The nest box program is the oldest of their cooperative ventures with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to manage wildlife on Champion land. Other programs include an agreement to leave valuable wildlife den trees and foodproducing trees during cutting operations and a program for longterm management of deer wintering areas. After reading about the department's wildlife technician Jim Dorso and his extremely successful nest box program, foresters Tom Hartranft and Les Bragdon asked timberlands manager Bob Cope to allow them to begin a nest box program in Champion's Hancock District. With Dorso's assistance, the first 25 boxes were placed on seven wetlands on Champion land in Hancock and Washington counties. During their first year of use, the Champion boxes hatched 29 wood ducks and 28 hooded mergansers. In 1985, the program was expanded

(continued on page 29) Champion International Forester George Motta with female wood duck found nesting In a box erected by Champion along the Passadumkeag River.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

The author is assistant regional wildlife biologist in the department's Enfield office.

the owl

by Jim and Jamie (age 12) Parker Route 3, Box 3110 Farmington, Maine 04938 Most owls don't grow up in a bucket! But that's what One-Eye, the screech owl, did. At first, she was one of five white eggs in a hole in an old tree. The hole was made by a big pileated (PIE-lee-ay-ted) woodpecker. It was just right for a screech owl family to use. The tree was in the backyard of the Maxham family on the edge of the town of Farmington. Screech owls will even nest in a town - pretty neat! Sometimes you can hear their funny quivering whistles on summer nights when they are nesting. Finally, four eggs hatched into teeny balls of feathers. The last egg never did hatch. Too bad, but that happens a lot. The eggs hatched, one after the other, on different days. That m(fant they were all different sizes when they hatched. About all the baby owls could do at first was eat. And they did! - yummy things like mice, frogs, earthworms, other little birds, and even a little fish or two from the creek down the hill. This kept One-Eye's mom and dad busy hunting. They hunted mostly away from the nest. But sometimes they caught mice near the neighborhood houses, even in Maxham's shed. We were excited to find One-Eye's nest. That's because one of us (Jim) is a biologist who studies hawks and owls. He also takes care of injured birds and bird orphans. People who do this are called wildlife rehabilitators, or just "rehabers." These people need special training, and they must get permits from the Fish and Wildlife Department. We were also excited about finding the nest because we don't have many screech 24

owls in Maine. Maybe they don't like our winters. The adult owls were very quiet and still all day. But at night they were very busy, like the neighborhood cats. Cats eat birds whenever they can, and baby owls are good to eat if you're a cat. When the cats came near the baby owls, One-Eye's mom and dad dove at them fiercely. This usually frightened the cats away: Sometimes the owls dove at Mrs. Maxham when she took the trash out. It surprised her, but she knew the owls were too little to hurt her. Besides, she liked having them around. Nothing is as cute as a little owl looking out of a hole in a tree. And they were the best mousetraps around! The baby owls grew fast. In three weeks, they were nearly full grown. They scrambled around in the nest fighting for food. Sometimes they climbed up and peeked out the nest hole. But none of them was ready for the storm that knocked down their nest tree. When the tree hit the ground, it broke open. The four baby owls were scattered all over the ground and in the cedar bushes. Only one was hurt, though. A small piece of wood poked into one of her eyes. That's why we called her One-Eye. Poor little One-Eye was tough! She climbed up into some bushes with her brothers and sisters. After a few hours, they all settled down on one limb. In the morning, Mrs. Maxham was surprised by the small owls in the bushes. They looked like gray balls of cotton with big yellow eyes. Mrs. Maxham wanted to help them, so she called us. When we got there, the adult owls were hiding, but we figured they were nearby. Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

Letters should be sent to: Liz Chipman, KID-BITS, MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE 284 State St., Sta. #4 l, Augusta, Maine 0433 3

If you find baby birds out of the nest, it's best to leave them alone. That's because their mom and dad will still take care of them - and better than people can. But these baby owls were too little to live without shelter. And those cats were still prowling about! Our problem was to make a nest, put the babies in it, and leave them to their parents. So what did we do? We found a perfect nest - even if the hole was a little bigger than usual. We piled the babies into a bucket, then left quickly. We got another idea - a way to make sure the babies would get some mice. Jim keeps lots of frozen mice - "mouse-sides." We feed these to injured hawks and owls. So each day, one of us rode a bike past the tree

and threw thawed mouse-sides into the bucket. The plan worked! In another week, only one owl was left. Who-0-0-0 was it? Right! One-Eye! She was now a big screech owl. We could tell she was a female because female owls are bigger than males. She had a broken bone in her wing. It was just a little bone, and it had healed, But her wing was crippled. She couldn't fly, and could never hunt for her own food. She would die if we left her! When injured owls and hawks can't care for themselves, a rehaber must keep them. We put One-Eye in a large wood and glass cage, where she was calm and comfortable. But she was not a pet - wild birds make poor pets. It's not good for them. And besides, it's against the law! ~ We took care of One-Eye, and she wasn't bored. She had lots to do. Jim used her in school nature programs, and she met lots of kids. Her life wasn't bad. She had all the mice she could eat. She didn't have to live outside in the winter. And she had an important job - who could be a better wildlife teacher than one of the wildlife?!

Left, One-Eye and brother (or sister!). Above, our friend with author Jamie (not Jiml). Photos by author Jim (not Jamie!).

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

N KEEPING with its multiple use mandate, the Bureau of Public Lands manages a significant amount of its land base for wildlife. Under the bureau's dominant use system, deer wintering areas are one type of featured habitat, with deer management their dominant use. 26

Deer wintering areas (DWAs, commonly referred to as deer yards), are only one component of a deer's seasonal habitat, but a critical one in Maine where deer are near the northern limit of their range. These DWAs are areas which deer move to when snow depths approach 18 inches, or in the absence of snow, when day length shortens sufficiently.

In Maine, DWAs are generally softwood types (spruce, fir, cedar, and hemlock) having crown closures exceeding 70 percent, basal areas in excess of 100 sq. ft./acre, and stand heights greater than 35 feet. These softwood stands provide deer with reduced snow depths, overhead thermal cover, higher nighttime temperatures, higher relative humid-

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

Winter Refuges For Whitetails

MANAGING DEER YARDS ON MAINE' PUBLIC LANDS ity, and significantly reduced wind speed. These factors all serve to reduce energy demands placed on deer when food availability and quality is reduced. The bureau generally employs the DWA management guidelines currently being developed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIF\V). These guidelines permit commercial harvests within Land Use Regulation Commission zoned DWAs, while providing shelter

In the Mitchell Brook deer yard, two- to 10-acre blocks of dead and dying fir were harvested to begin regenerating the softwood trees, so important for winter cover. Approximately onethird of this deer wintering area was treated in this manner, with the remainder left uncut for shelter.

over the long term. Left unmanaged, DWAs will become mature and die, leaving deer without adequate shelter for 40 years or more. Active DWA management requires frequent, light harvests to regenerate the stands while maintaining adequate cover. The Bureau of Public Lands' management objective for DWAs is to maintain at least 50 percent of any DWA in dense softwood shelter possessing the characteristics listed earlier. The remainder of the DWA should be in younger softwood age classes which will provide browse for about 15 years after cutting, then tum to shelter growth. Travel corridors, bands of dense softwoods at least 330 feet wide, are maintained to provide deer with sheltered access to all parts of the DWA. Often, the travel corridor is in the 330-foot buffer zone along a brook, stream, or shoreline.

Timber management systems employed in a DWA depend upon species composition, size, and condition of trees. There are many timber management schedules appropriate for meeting DWA objectives, utilizing both even-age and uneven-age harvest strategies. Two examples best illustrate how the bureau manages DWAs: 1) the Scraggly Lake Management Unit; and 2) a public lot in Coplin Plantation. At the Scraggly Lake unit in T7R8 WELS, the bureau's resource managers were faced with an even-aged stand composed predominantly of mature spruce, fir, and cedar within the 477 acres of the Mitchell Brook DWA on BPL ownership. The balsam fir was heavily infested by spruce budworm, and the spruce also was showing some defoliation. After joint field examination of this area with the bureau's foresters and MDIFW regional biologists, the concensus was to harvest approximately one-third of the DWA using a combination of 5- to 10- acre patch clearcuts and shelterwood harvesting. The harvesting was concentrated in the areas most susceptible to budworm damage. Fourteen patches, mostly square or rectangular, were laid out on the ground and marked with paint; sizes ranged from 3 to 13 acres. An additional 40 acres were harvested using the shelterwood system, leaving a well- stocked residual stand (100 sq. ft.). A total of 315 acres out of the 477 were left uncut during this harvest (66 percent of the DWA acreage).

The author is a department wildlife biologist assigned to the Bureau of Public Lands, Maine Department of Conservation.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

by Joe Wiley

Due to the extent of the budworm infestation, it was felt that the timber and shelter value of the remaining softwood would be greatly diminished without protection. The DWA sprayed with the biological pesticide Bt. in June 1984 to control spruce budworm. No subsequent spray treatments have been necessary. This DWA is scheduled for harvesting again in 15 or 20 years, when approximately one-fourth of the area will be cut using the same harvesting techniques. This sequence will be repeated at 15- to 20year intervals indefinitely, producing periodic timber harvests and maintaining permanent cover for wintering deer. A second DWA managed by the bureau is the north public lot in Coplin Plantation. This 400-acre lot is flat, with streams, bogs, alder runs, cedar ,and hardwood swamps distributed throughout the area. Timber types were basically softwood, with scattered stands of mixed wood and hardwood. The softwood stands were a mix of balsam fir, red and black spruce, cedar, and white pine. A large percentage of the mature fir occurred in patches, much of it dead or considered high risk due to spruce budworm infestation. All but 60 acres of this public lot form the nucleus of a zoned DWA that supports an estimated winter population of more than 100 deer. After a joint field examination, it was decided to harvest this area by a system of uneven-aged management, utilizing 10-year cutting cycles to create eight age classes. Ten percent of the area was prescribed to be regenerated in 48 spatially distributed small patch clearcuts (maximum two acres), targeting salvageable fir and mature aspen during the first cutting

cycle. Harvesting was conducted during the winters of 1985-86 and 86-8 7. Between prescribing the cuts and the actual harvest, some patches

of dead fir became unmerchantable. About 30 acres were patch clearcut (9 percent of the DWA) during this harvest cycle.

This area is included in a deer winter habitat assessment project to determine specific habitat characteristics preferred by wintering whitetailed deer, and to discover the effect of changes in habitat characteristics on subsequent deer use. Several times each winter, flagged transect lines are walked and deer activity in relation to habitat type and harvesting activity is recorded. Future plans for this Coplin DWA call for seeding all the winter roads and log yards with a wildlife seed mix containing clover, continuing data collection for deer use and habitat assessment, and another timber harvest in 1994 to create another age class.

In deer yards, the shelter is critical in keeping snow accumulations down to a point where deer can actually travel. Deer establish networks of trails, using and reusing the same ones throughout the winter. This conserves energy by keeping trailbreaking activities to a minimum; when

trail-breaking is done, deer move in singlefile groups, each individual taking his or her turn Non point.

HESE TWO case studies demonstrate how active cooperative management of DWAs is beneficial to wildlife and the landowner in many ways, including the following: 1. Diversifying the age class and softwood species composition of these stands will benefit a wide range of wildlife species and limit the impact of future insect or disease outbreaks by establishing natural barriers against their spread. 2. Active management which requires frequent stand entries ensures the landowner of a steady supply of forest products and income, while allowing utilization of wood volume normally lost to mortality and other causes. â&#x20AC;˘

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

T mberland (continued from page 23) to the Washington and Aroostook districts and included 16 different locations with nest boxes available. Hooded mergansers and wood ducks are the most common species nesting in the Champion boxes, although two common goldeneyes have nested in the Aroostook district boxes. In fact, the three boxes available along the Passadumkeag River in Grand Falls plantation were all used, one each, by a woodie, a hooded merganser, and a goldeneye - in 1986, and again in 1987! Who could ask for more?

I F PROPERLY USED, nest boxes have the potential to greatly benefit cavity nesting ducks. If improperly built and erected, they are just like traps set for the hens. From the start, Chempion has done an exemplary job. Relying on technical advice and the experience of Department people like Jim Dorso, Champion has used properly designed and constructed boxes, placed in suitable wetlands. All boxes are protected from predators with sheet metal guards. The boxes are also cleaned and maintained annually. Without these precautions, the boxes may not be used, or hens may fall victim to raccoons or abandon their eggs because of a leaky roof. Champion foresters and Department wildlife biologists also check the boxes each spring to band the hens and collect valuable information on the number of eggs laid and hatched. Since these duck "apartments" were first available in 1983, there have been about 925 eggs laid; approximately 740 of these have hatched. That's not bad for a bunch of guys whose primary job is growing trees! Champion International Foresters George Motta (in tree) and Frank Burnell (with hammer) work with the author to erect another duck nesting box on Champion land along the Passadumkeag River.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS GUIDES LICENSING SYSTEM UNDER REVIEW The Maine guide has been a northwoods institution ever since 1846, when Old Town Indian Joseph Polis brought Henry Thoreau canoeing to Maine's northern wilderness. Today, modem trends in outdoor recreation are creating changes in the demands on professional guides, and the current system of licensing is under public review, and facing changes for the future. In response to these changes, the 113th Maine Legislature has created a 13-member Commission "to review the laws relating to Registered Maine Guides." The commission held three public hearings recently to discuss its proposal to create a new classification system to license Maine Guides. The licensing system would include a new definition of guide that more strictly defines those activities that require licensing. In developing the proposed new system and reviewing related legislation, the importance of client safety, upholding Inland Rsheries an~ Wildlife laws and regulations, and general knowledge of the outdoors were stressed. The commission proposal would consist of seven distinct guide categories. Except for the "general guide," each license would stand alone and not allow guiding in other activities. Guide license fees would be set lower, and would no longer include licensing the holder for hunting or fishing. Other provisions of the proposal would include certification for watercraft safety for guides involved in waterborne activities; certification in first aid and possibly CPR; and completion of courses specific to the activity, such as hunter safety. The seven guide categories proposed are general guide, hunting guide, fishing guide, camping guide, trapping guide, whitewater guide, and watercraft guide. BEAR HUNTING IAW CHANGES Maine bear hunters found several new changes in hunting laws taking effect

during the course of this fall's season. The 113th Legislature passed several new bear laws that went into effect September 29. The season on bears began September 1. Under the new laws, bear bait must be placed at least 50 yards from any travel way accessible by conventional 2- or 4wheel-drive vehicles. The baited area must be marked by a 2-inch by 4-inch tag with the name and address of the baiter, and it must be more than 500 yards from any dump or campground, and more than 500 yards from an occupied dwelling unless written permission is granted by the owner or lessee. Bait may be placed no more than 30 days before the opening day of the season (effective in 1988), and bait areas must be cleaned up by November 10. Also, no one may hunt from a bait stand or blind of another without the owner's permission. Also effective September 29, and of interest to deer hunters as well as bear hunters, it became unlawful to insert any metallic or ceramic object into a tree on land of another for the purpose of erecting a ladder or tree stand. All ladders or observation stands erected on another person's land must be removed by the beginning of the 10th day following the close of the hunting season, unless written permission is obtained from the landowner. Beginning in 1988, it will be legal for Maine residents to train up to 4 dogs on bear from August 1 to August 31, except in Washington and Hancock counties. Also beginning in 1988, the open season on bear will begin on the Monday preceding September 1. NEW RULES ON FISH DERBIES Rules to govern the operation of fishing derbies or tournaments are now in effect on Maine's inland waters. The new rules place limits on the time, number and total cash value of prizes. They were adopted as a means of controlling the growing numbers and sizes of derbies and tournaments, which were perceived in some instances to draw

excessive attention and fishing pressure to some bodies of water. The rules do not apply to bass tournaments, which are governed by a separate set of rules adopted several years ago. A summary of the new restrictions: • No fishing derbies or tournaments will be permitted on any single body of water having a surface area of less than 100 acres, and managed by the department for cold water fish species (trout, salmon and/or togue). • No fishing derbies or tournaments will be permitted before June 15 of the open water fishing season. • No more than four derbies or tournaments will be permitted on any single body of water in any calendar year. County-wide or state-wide derbies or tournaments shall not be counted as a derby or tournament on any one body of water. • The total cash value of prizes to be awarded at any single fishing derby or tournament (excluding door prizes) shall not exceed $5,000, except when the event is of a statewide nature or only involves waters not managed for cold water fish species, in which case (excluding door prizes) shall not exceed $10,000. Organizations may apply for permits to conduct derbies or tournaments, and obtain detailed instructions, by contacting the Rsheries and Hatcheries Division, in the department's Augusta office. IAW VIOIATIONS COSTLY Recent court appearances have been exceptionally costly for a number of violators of Maine's fish and wildlife laws. Among the recipients of heavy penalties was a Van Buren man apprehended for exceeding the daily limit on smelts and fishing in closed waters. He was fined .$500 on each of the two counts, and ordered to serve six months in jail for each offense, the sentences to run concurrently. No routine "over the limit" violator, he had taken 210 quarts over the two quart daily limit on smelts. For shooting and killing a loon, a

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

Waldoboro man was assessed the maximum penalty of $500. The incident took place on Damariscotta Lake. Two Porter men received heavy fines and jail sentences for illegal possession of a deer in closed season. They were also ordered to reimburse the state for the loss of the deer. Each paid a fine of $500, reimbursement of $250, and served three days in jail for initial offense. And since the deer was a female bearing an unborn fawn, the two were sentenced to serve an additional day in jail. Violating Maine's ban on live bait importation cost a Winthrop man $500 and 10 days in jail; in addition, he was placed on probation for six months. His wife received a similar sentence, but hers was suspended; she is also on probation for six montJ')s. When apprehended, the couple had 8,300 golden shiners in their possession that they had illegally brought into the state. And, after being arrested at a Warden Service road check in Bingham, two Bath men were fined $7 60 each for fish violations, plus $150 each for possession of a controlled substance (marijuana). In addition, each had his Maine fishing license suspended for one year. They were found to be in possession of 68 brook trout over the limits of 10 each, most of them under the legal size limit of six inches. As any of these individuals would attest, violating Maine's fish and wildlife laws definitely does not pay.

ATV COURSES AVAILABLE A network of safety training courses for young operators of all-terrain vehicles has been set in motion throughout the state. Recreational Safety Coordinator Chuck Duggins says the courses are designed to enable young riders to comply with a new state law which requires that all persons under 18 complete a safety course before they ride ATVs off their property. Duggins said the courses are taught by volunteer instructors, who are selected for their past experience in riding, teaching, familiarity with the machines, and an interest and desire to work with young people. He currently has 200 instructors statewide.

The courses are classroom type instruction, four to six hours, and are being taught in local communities throughout the state. Availability of courses is normally published in local newspapers and posted in schools and other public places. Persons interested in learning about courses in their area may call 289-5229, or write to the attention of Duggins at the Inland Rsheries and Wildlife Department, 284 State Street, Station #4 l, Augusta, Maine 04333. Duggins says the courses focus on the proper use of protective clothing, helmets (required for persons under 18), inspection and operation of machines for safety, Maine ATV laws, reducing the effects on the environment, landowner relationships, survival and first aid. Over 2,000 student~ have received the ATV training since January 1.

DOE PERMIT UPDATE Hunters who will be permitted to hunt deer of either sex in Maine this fall, were determined at a computer drawing on September 22. The Rsh and Wildlife Department will issue over 35,000 permits this year, apportioned among 16 of the state's 17 deer management districts in numbers based on the condition of the local deer population in each district. Applicants who were successful in the drawing will receive their permits by mail in early October. All other hunters are limited to hunting "bucks only" during the firearms deer hunting seasons. About 78,000 hunters applied for the free permits this year. PERSONNEL NOTES Several promotions within the Warden Service and Wildlife Division highlight recent personnel changes within the Department of Inland Rsheries and Wildlife. Promoted from warden sergeant to lieutenant and transferred from Calais to Division A, Gray headquarters, was Carter L. Smith, a game warden since 1970. He replaces William J. Vail, who is now commissioner, in command of the state's southernmost warden division. Promoted from district game warden to sergeant and also transferred

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1987

to Division A was Timothy C. Liscomb. A warden since 1981, Llscomb replaces Sgt. Michael Marshall, who transferred to Princeton, in Warden Division C. The position of director of the Wildlife Division, vacant since the retirement of Robert W. Boettger, was filled by the promotion of Gary G. Donovan, a wildlife biologist with the departm~nt since 1969. Donovan has most recently been supervisor of regional wildlife management. Replacing him in that position was G. Mark Stadler, formerly the regional wildlife biologist in Region G, Ashland headquart~rs, and a 10-year employee of the department. Recently hired to be the department's personnel officer was Ernest J. Provencher, a Lewiston native, who transferred from the state Personnel Department, where he had been supervisor of recruitment and examination.

RECREATION SURVEY RESULTS Preliminary results from a national survey released by th'<:? U.S. Rsh and Wildlife Service indicate that a record 141 million Americans age 16 and over participated in wildlife-associated recreation in 1985, spending over $55 billion on wildlife-related activities. The 1985 National Survey of Rshing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation reveals that in 1985: •46.6 million, or more than one in four, adult Americans fished •16.7 million, or about one in ten, adult Americans hunted • l 09. 7 million, or over half of all adult Americans, actively participated in nonconsumptive wildlife-related activities such as feeding, observing, or photographing wildlife. 'These preliminary results support what we have suspected - that more Americans than ever before are engaging in wildlife-related activities. And since those who enjoy these activities tend to be more involved in wildlife conservation, the record numbers reported here augur well for this country's wildlife resources," said Frank Dunkle, Director of the Interior Department's Rsh and Wildlife Service. The 1985 Survey is the seventh in a series of national surveys of wildlife

associated recreation conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Setvice every 5 years since 1955. Over 100,000 households were contacted by telephone for the initial phase of the 1985 Survey, which was done by

the U.S. Bureau of the Census for the Fish and Wildlife Setvice. Detailed intetviews were conducted in person with over 30,000 indivuduals who were found to be participants in wildlife activities during the initial phase.

New L ws of Interest To Sportsmen The 113th Maine Legislature made a number of changes in laws of interest to sportsmen. The following summary is intended to call attention to the more important new laws, and to explain briefly what they do. It is an advisory interpretation only and not to be considered a substitute for reading full details of the fish and wildlife laws in the appropriate law booklet.

HUNTING • Beginning in 1988, the open season on bear will run from the first Monday preceding September 1 to November 30 annually. • Beginning in 1988, residents will be able to train up to four bear dogs at one time during the month of August, except in Washington and Hancock counties. • The placing of bear bait will be subject to several restrictions and conditions (see details in separate article). • The bear registration law has been changed to make it unlawful for a person to register a bear which he himself did not kill, or which he himself did not catch in a trap and kill. • During the open firearms season on deer, a hunter may now keep an unregistered bear at a temporary place of lodging in an unorganized township for up to 7 days or until he leaves the woods, whichever comes first. • It is now lawful for a person to hunt moose with a handgun of .35 caliber or greater. • People convicted of violating the more serious wildlife laws will be subject to increased penalties. Typical of the new penalty structure are mandatory fines of $1,000 and 3-day jail sentences for night hunting and other serious deer and moose violations. • The construction and use of tree stands is now subject to certain conditions (details in separate article).

FISHING • Live bait laws have been revised to make it clear that anyone assisting in taking live baitfish or smelts for resale must be licensed, and to place certain other restrictions on wholesale smelt dealers. • Most freshwater fish species found in coastal waters are now subject to regulation by the Commissioner of Marine Resources (in consultation with the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.)

TRAPPING • Trappers wil not be allowed to set more than two bear traps, and each bear trap must be tended at least once a day by the trapper

The final report of the 1985 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and WildlifeAssociated Recreation is expected to be completed in late November. Individual state reports will be issued 4 to 6 months

who set the trap, regardless of whether the trap is set in organized or unorganized territory. • Prior to the time a trapped bear is presented for registration, a tag must be attached to the bear indicating the name, address and trapping license number of the trapper who caught and killed the bear.

LICENSING AND REGISTRATION • Maine residents will have the option to purchase a small game hunting license, for $8. which allows the hunting of all legal species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat. (Nonresidents' small game license was changed so that both the resident and nonresident small game licenses allow the taking of the same species.) • Residents who are 7 0 years of age or older will now be eligible for complimentary archery and muzzle-loading hunting licenses. • The commissioner now has the authority to revoke the license of a convicted violator for a period of up to 5 years (had been one year). • Wild birds kept by virtue of a breeders license no longer require marking, except ringneck pheasants and wild turkeys which still must be marked with a metallic leg band. Exotic wild animals retained by licensed breeders no longer require marking. • Nonresident setvicemen permanently stationed at a military base in Maine will now be eligible to purchase trapping licenses at the resident fee. • Aliens who wish to trap in Maine will now be required to purchase an alien trapping license which carries a fee of $510. • Parties being guided on any of the state's waterways cannot contain more than 12 people for each licensed guide. • Snowmobile registration fees have been increased from $11. 25 to $16. The $4. 7 5 increase is to be credited to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the Bureau of Parks and Recreation. • All resident setvicemen permanently stationed outside the state are eligible to obtain a serviceman's combination hunting and fishing license provided they can show proof that their home of record is the state of Maine. • Resident disabled veterans who have setvice-connected disabilities evaluated at 100 percent will be eligible for complimentary hunting and fishing licenses. (The old law, which is still in effect, provides for complimentary licenses for veterans who served in a war zone and have service-connected disabilities evaluated at 7 0 percent.

OTHER • It is now unlawful to release wild birds or wild animals into the wild without written permission from the commissioner. • It is no longer unlawful to operate a snowmobile or ATV within the right- of-way of a portion of a railroad line which has been officially abandoned by authority of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 198 7

1987 MAINE HUNTING SEASONS EFFECTIVE THROUGH MARCH 31, 1988 This is not a legal presentation. See hunting regulations booklet for full details. BASIC LIMITSDAILY POSSESSION

FIRST DAY

LAST DAY

Firearms season ......... . .................. . ..... . ..... .

Nov. 2

Nov. 28

Maine-resident-only day ............ . ...................... .

Oct. 31

Archery ............... . ............................. . . .

Oct. 1

Oct. 30

Muzzleloader ............................. . ........ . .. . . .

Nov. 30

Dec. 5

BEAR* .. . .......................... . ....... . ......... . ....... .

Sept. 1

Nov. 30

ONE BEAR OF EITHER SEX Contact Fish and Wildlife Dept. for information on annual moose hunting permit drawing.

DEER:

ONE DEER PER YEAR regardless of season or method of taking. Only deer with a minimum antler length of three inches may be taken statewide from October 31 through December 5, except that deer of either sex may be taken in designated deer management districts by persons possessing Any-Deer Permits.

MOOSE: (By permit only) ................................ . ....... .

Oct. 19

Oct. 24

RUFFED GROUSE (Wildlife Management Units 1 & 2): . . ... . ......... . . .

Oct. 1

Nov. 30

(Wildlife Management Units 3-8): ................. . . .

Oct. 1

Dec. 10

PHEASANT (Wildlife Management Units 1 & 2): ... . ............... . ... .

Oct. 1

Nov. 30

(Wildlife Management Units 3-8): ............ . ......... ... .

Oct. 1

Dec. 10

WILD TURKEY (By permit only) .................. . ............ . .. . .

May 8

May 23

Contact Fish and Wildlife Dept. for information on annual wild turkey hunting permit drawing.

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

Oct. 1

Nov. 14

COMMON SNIPE: ..................... .. .... . ... . ............ . .

Sept. 1

Dec. 16

DUCKS, GEESE, SEA DUCKS (Scoter, eider, old squaw):*** ...... .. .

Seasons to be set September 10. Copies of regulations may be obtained upon purchase of required state and federal duck stamps, or from Maine game wardens, late September.

RA ILS (Sora and Virginia): . . ..... . .............. . . . . . .... . ...... .

Sept. 1

Nov. 9

GALLI NU LES: .................. . ..... .. .............. . ...... . .

Sept. 1

Nov. 9

CROW: ......... . .. . .................. . ................... .. . .

Mar. 14

Apr. 30

July 16

Sept. 29

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

Dec. 1

Jan. 31

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

Oct. 24

Feb. 15

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

Oct. 1

Nov. 30

4Â·

RA BBIT (Cottontail) and HARE (Snowshoe):* * ... .. ..... . ... .. .. .. . .

Oct. 1* *

Mar. 31

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

Oct. 24

Dec. 15

SK UNK: . . ........ .. . . ............................. . . . ...... . . .

Oct. 24

Dec. 15

COYOTE, WOODCHUCK, PORCUPINE, RED SQUIRREL: ............ .

NO CLOSED SEASON FOR HUNTING

AN Y SPECIES NOT LISTED ABOVE: ..... . ..... . ..... . ........... .

NO OPEN SEASON FOR HUNTING

* No bear hunting with more than 4 dogs. No bear hunting with dogs during the regular firearm season on deer. Nonresidents hunting bear with dogs must employ and hunt in conjunction with a resident Maine guide. NE:iw laws on baiting and use of tree stands in effect after September 29 (see hunting law booklet). * *Unlawful to hunt rabbits with dogs during any open firearms season on deer in Hancock, Knox , Lincoln , Sagadahoc, Waldo, and Washington counties. * **The special sea duck season is for all coastal waters and all waters of rivers and streams seaward from the first upstream bridge; in all other areas, sea ducks may be taken only during the regular open season on ducks. SUNDAY HUNTING:

Illegal in Maine.

SHOOTING HOURS: On animals, 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, except that during any firearms season on deer, hunting closes at sunset for all species except raccoon . On game birds, shooting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. LICENSES: Hunting 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 special 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 actions 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 WILDLIFE LAWS AND RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. Only when we conduct ourselves properly in the field wi ll we earn the respect and support of the general public. ALERT US: Poachers are Thieves-Help Us Catch Them-Anti-Poaching Hot Line: 1-800-ALERT US (253-7887).

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

284 State Street, Station #41

Augusta, Maine 04333