Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Fall 1989 by Maine State Library

EDITORIAL

Did Someone Steal Your Deer?

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

Get a deer last fall? I could safely bet you didn't. And if you have nine hunting buddies, I could bet that eight of them didn't. My confidence in this wager comes from knowing that in recent years only a little over one hunter in ten has been successful in taking a deer in Maine. Maybe there's a good reason you weren't successful. If you are new to the sport, chances are your hunting skills need some sharpening before you tag your first white-tail. If you're a veteran of many November days on the ridges and in the swamps, and you've killed your fair share of deer through the years, maybe just the opportunity to take your rifle for a walk in the woods is all you need out of hunting trip. But then again, maybe the reason you didn't get a deer last fall is not quite so easy to accept: Someone stole it from you. That's right. A deer poacher, through his illegal activities, may have stolen your opportunity for a successful hunt. Poaching is common theft - literally. Wildlife is our common property. Like air and free flowing water, it is a resource we all share. Hunting seasons and bag limits are designed to maintain healthy populations of the relatively few species we call "game" animals, while at the same time giving sportsmen maximum and equal chances to enjoy hunting them. Taking a game animal outside these legal seasons, or taking more than the legal limit, is theft from you and me, and it diminishes our hunting opportunities. Before Governor McKeman appointed me to my present position, I spent a good number of years in the field as a game warden. From that close perspective of the poaching problem, I have no difficulty at all believing that the number of deer killed illegally each year may equal or exceed the number taken legally by sportsmen. Imagine a year when we had no poaching, and those many thousands of deer remained alive and were in the woods in November when you were out there trying legally to find one? What would that do for your odds of success? The answer is obvious. Though I've mentioned only deer and hunting, much the same can be said about fish and fishing. I'd like to have fewer restrictions on my hunting and fishing, how about you? Are you willing to crack down on poachers to have it? Sportsmen frequently ask why we don't address the poaching problem by employing more game wardens. The answer, of course, is one of financial constraints. We can't afford enough enforcement personnel to solve the problem alone. However, we can employ, equip and train a top-notch group of game wardens, which we've done, and then give them all the help we can in doing their jobs. When I say we I don't mean just those of us in the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. I mean you, and I mean your neighbors and friends. I mean people who hunt, fish and trap. And I mean those who enjoy and appreciate wildlife in other ways. How can you help a game warden? Perhaps the best way is by providing timely, accurate information on observed fish and wildlife law violations. Some people have been doing that right along, of course, but there are many other potential providers of information on wrong-doers who need more encouragement than the good feeling that comes from helping wildlife. These people need a financial reward, and in most cases they want to remain anonymous. As you will learn in the article beginning on page 12, Maine has adopted a means of doing just that. It's called Operation Game Thief. "It makes incredible sense" is what Governor McKeman said about Operation Game Thief when we announced it this summer. After you've read about it, I think you'll agree.

~AINE

FISH AND WILDLIFE Governor John R. McKeman, Jr. Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife William J . Vail, Commissioner Norman E. Trask, Deputy Commissioner Frederick B. Hurley, Jr., Director, Bureau of Resource Management (Vacant at press time), Director, Bureau of Administrative Seruice Larry S. Cummings, Director, Bureau of Warden Service

VOL. 31, NO. 3

FALL 1989

Features 2

Big Bucks, 1988 Project WILD Is Coming To Maine! by Lisa Kane A creative approach to natural science education shows up in Maine schools

Advisory Council F. Dale Speed, Princeton , Chairman Alanson B. Noble, Otisfield, Vice Chairman F. Paul Frinsko, Portland Carroll York, West Forks John Crabtree, Warren William Sylvester, Clayton Lake Dr. Ogden Small, Caribou Eugene Churchill, Orland Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine W. Thomas Shoener, Editor Thomas J. Chamberlain, Managing Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photo Edi tor Dale S. Clark, Editorial Assistant All photographs in this issue were made by the Public Information Division unless otherwise indicated.

Maine's Secretive Feline by John A . Litvaitis An in-depth look at the bobcat and his current status in Maine

You've Got Our Number!

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send both old and new addresses to Circulation Section, MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine, 284 State St., S ta. #41 , Augusta ME 04333. Please allow six weeks fo r changes to take effect. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Circulation Section, MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE, 284 State St., Sta. #41 , Augusta, Maine 04333. QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Just call toll-free 1-800-288-8387 The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Accordingly, all departmen t 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.

by William F. Allen

A history and a "how-to" guide for Operation Game Thief

Return of the M aine Woods Monarch by Mark McCollough An update on the caribou - where they are , how they are, what's ahead

O f Sticks, Wet Feet,

lucky Shirts

by Glen P. Feeney Hunting day memories - a boy, his dad, and lots of deer sign!

MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE (ISSN 0360-005X) is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, S tation 41 , Augusta, Maine 04330, under Appropriation 4550 . Subscription rate: $14.00 per year. No stamps, please. Second dass postage paid at Augusta, Maine and at additional mailing offices. ÂŠ Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildl ife, 1989. 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.

"We're Into Six Figures!" by Gary S. Anderson Maine hunter safety training celebrates the 100,000th student!

Skldders and Apple Trees by Joseph Wiley Read on - there is a connection between these two "opposites"

Deparb11ents KID-BITS FROM THE FLY TYING BENCH: The Slim Jim FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS

10 23

The Front Cover "Spilt Dedslon." Palndng courtesy Robert L Goodier of East Machias.

BIGGEST BUCKS, 1988 Name Paul A. Erickson Rodney F. Fuller Mitchell Barrows Benjamin Drew Andre Provost Gilbert L. Gerrish William Tucker Michael I. Landeen Frank R. Conner Carl J . Gross Herbert L. Ketch Lawrence J. McCluskey John A. Ryder II Richard W. Hendrickson William Gorman, Jr. Peter Dube Duane A. Day Kendall W. Chevalier Norman H. Andrews Barry Ouellette Kirtley Woodcock Anthony M. Fiala Jeffery Hodgdon Wendell L. Langdue Brent Ronco, Paul Vachon Curtis J. Merrill Michael Sincyr Larry Pomeroy Salvatore Bonamassa Steve Butler Scott B. Dagg!tt Daryl Flagg Avery Glidden Jonathan P. Kruy Bradford Luce Joe Nawojczyk Albert M. Jepeschi II Peter A. Umphrey Thomas Worster Tom Fitz Vincent Kelly Carl Achey Frank Klakowski Gerald G. Knox Ronald G. Parlin Patrick Harvey James Stawarz Matthew Withers Thomas H. Caughey Christopher D. Flagg William C. Forman III Peter J Seames, Jr. Wendall W. Shaw Paul Wiskoski Joe Cabral William J. Damon William Hammarstrom Joseph Molinari Barry Sargent Leonard E. Steffy Larry Washington John Williams Allen S. York

Address Scarborough, ME Albion, ME Montpelier, VT Island Falls, ME Barre, VT Lebanon, ME Monroe, CT New Sweden, ME Guilford, ME Lisbon, ME Caribou, ME Bangor, ME Greenville Jct., ME Egg Harbor City, NJ Norridgewock, ME Augusta, ME Kezar Falls, ME N. Hampton, NH Warren, VT Fort Kent, ME Strong, ME Gilbertsville, PA Lincolnville, ME Johnson, VT St. Albans, ME Rochester, NH Londonderry, VT Madison,ME Burnham, ME West Berlin, NJ Old Orchard Beach, ME Farmington, ME Jefferson, ME Palermo, ME Fort Kent, ME New Sharon, ME Loring AFB, ME Cranston, RI Presque Isle, ME Lincoln, ME Waynesboro, PA Natick, MA Winterport, ME East Waterford, ME Waterville, ME Fairfield Ctr., ME Patten, ME Charlotte, ME Lee, MA Mahopac, NY Spofford, NH Wrightstown, NJ N. Waterford, ME Fort Fairfield, ME Fair Haven, VT Rockwood, ME Norway, ME Waretown, NJ E. Longmeadow, MA W. Buxton, ME Terre Hill, PA Rangeley, ME N. Monmouth, ME West Forks, ME

Date Killed 11/5/88 11/12/88 11/4/88 10/29/88 11/15/88 10/29/88 11/4/88 11/23/88 11/5/88 11/12/88 11/3/88 11/24/88 11/22/88 11/14/88 11/17/88 11/12/88 11/10/88 11/5/88 10/31/88 10/30/88 11/5/88 11/8/88 10/29/88 11/3/88 11/5/88 11/1/88 11/4/88 10/31/88 11/29/88 11/8/88 11/3/88 10/31/88 10/20/88 11/10/88 11/14/88 10/29/88 11/11/88 11/4/88 11/19/88 11/7/88 11/11/88 10/31/88 11/23/88 11/4/88 11/10/88 11/11/88 11/4/88 11/21/88 11/15/88 11/12/88 11/16/88 11/12/88 11/19/88 11/4/88 11/2/88 11/15/88 10/29/88 11/19/88 11/3/88 11/14/88 11/11/88 11/5/88 11/10/88 11/2/88

Where Killed

Firearm

Chain of Ponds Kingfield Rockwood Island Falls Chain of Ponds Acton Dole Brook New Sweden Parkman Lisbon T14R5 Omeville Elm Pond Weld Anson Allagash Porter T5R14 Lincoln Co. T13R12 Salem Pennington Jackson

.308 .30-06 .30-06 .30-06 .30-06 .30-06 .308 .308 .35 Rem. .30-30 .308 .300 .30-06 .30-06 .30-30 .30-06 12 gauge .32Win. 7mm.-08 .30-06 .35 Rem. .30-06 .270

St. Albans Rangeley

.300 Sav. .280 Rem. .30-06 .30-06 .30-06

Dead Water Burnham Greenville Dead River Twp. Farmington Nobleboro Palermo Frenchville Starks Westmanland Cherry Run Kingman Sherman Mills Sandy Bay Forsythe E. Waterford Sidney Mercer Patten Grand Lake Twp. East Andover Merrill T10R9 Portage Albany T18Rll Allagash Russell Mtn. Pittston Seboomook New Portland Northeast Carry T3R7 Rangeley Northeast Carry Squaretown

.444 Mar.

7mm.-08 .30-06 60 lb. bow .270 .30-30 .308 .270 .30-06 .308 .30-06 .308 .270 .308 .30-30 .308 .308 .30-30 .308 .308 .30-06 .308 .35 .30-06 .30-06 .308 .308 .270 .270 .30-06 .308 .30-06

Dressed Live Weight Weight 305 293 290 287 277 270 268 266 265 265 265 265 260 260 260 260 260 260 258 258 258 255 255 255 255 255 253 252 251 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 249 249 248 248 248 248 247 247 247 246 246 246 246 246 246 245 245 245 245 245 245 245 245 245

397 381 377 373 360 351 348 346 345 345 345 345 338 338 338 338 338 338 335 335 335 332 332 332 332 332 329 328 326 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 324 324 322 322 322 322 321 321 321 319 319 319 319 319 319 318 318 318 318 318 318 318 318 318

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

PROJECT WILD Is Coming To Maine!! by Lisa J. Kane

WILD word ls out! Project WILD, a unique conservation and wildlife education program, will soon be available to educators in Maine. While some believe that a positive future for wildlife depends on regulations, enforcement, research, and management, others feel the healthy existence of our fish and wildlife resources will be deter-

over 100 wildlife managers, educators, conservationists, industrial representatives, and biologists, and principally sponsored by the Western Regional Environmental Education Council, Project WILD was extensively field-tested in school systems in Colorado, Virginia, and Wash-

national estimates indicate that more than 200,000 educators have participated in WILD workshops, and that they, in turn, have reached 15 million students! Modeled after Project Learning Tree (an associated program emphasizing the forest ecosystem and available in

ington before being made available on a national level in 1983. The program is currently used in 48 states and several Canadian provinces. The most recent

Maine through the Department of Conservation) WILD materials consist of three guides for teachers, one for elementary, one for secondary, and one spanning kindergarten through high school emphasizing water and aquatic systems. Each contains lively, hands-on, diverse and instructionally sound educational activities.

Summer students at the Maine Conservation School at Bryant Pond participate in the Project WILD activity Oh, Deer! Photo by the author.

mined by the effectiveness of education programs in influencing public attitudes towards wildlife. The acronym 'WILD' stands for "wildlife in learning design." The national program goal is to 'assist learners of any age in developing the awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment upon which all life depends'. Developed in 1980 by

The author, the department's natural science educator, is also the statewide Project WllD coordinator.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

Teacher training workshops are the vehicles for distributing WILD materials to interested educators. WILD activity guides are never sold, but are free to teachers and other educators participating in a six-hour training workshop, where they learn how to effectively use the materi- . als. The aquatic portion of the program will be introduced in separate workshops, where the fascinating worlds of wat'er and the aquatic habitats they support is explored.

Teachers involved in Project WILD workshops learn how to integrate wildlife and conservation education into their daily plans. Photo by Cary Hotaling.

Project WILD aims to help students and teachers understand the specific needs of wildlife, and incorporates concepts related to people, wildlife and a healthy environment into all major school subject and skill areas. "Reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic" are woven into the curriculum, bringing the fascination of rabbits, robins, and raccoons into required subject areas. Project WILD was not designed to be an additional item that teachers must squeeze into an already busy teaching day. Rather, it consists of supplemental activities that that can be used to help them teach required subjects.

ate use by teachers. It is difficult for teachers to research and develop lesson plans that include information about wildlife; too many other demands are made on their time and energy. Likewise, the subject "wildlife" can seldom be taught as a separate unit, because existing curriculums are already too crowded. Project WILD can integrate wildlife concepts into existing curricula, based on the premise that students of all grades and ages are naturally interested in animals. The activities may involve role playing or physical activity, or require that the students do some research before completing the activity. WILD helps students learn "how" to think, not "what" to think, as they move from awareness to action on issues concerning wildlife, and other factors affecting their lives now and in the future.

"The acronym 'WILD' stands for wildlife in learning design. "

Project WILD fills a real need. While an abundance of general wildlife information is produced by state, federal, and private groups, little actual curriculum material is available for immedi4

I n Maine, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Public Information and Education Division will coordinate Project WILD, and our plans call for it to be initially implemented on a small scale, with workshops increasing in number and frequency until the program can be made available to teachers throughout the state. Workshops are conducted by trained leaders, otherwise known as facilitators, who volunteer their time and expertise in order to train their peers in the use of WILD materials. Interested educators may come from an environmental organization or school, and may include classroom teachers, nature centers personnel, university and college teachers, 4-H Cooperative Extension employees, Scout leaders, and representatives from Audubon societies, sportsman's clubs, conservation clubs, and others. Workshops will generally familiarize

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

participants with the materials and ways of incorporating WILD into the classroom, as well as allowing for hands-on experience in doing the activities. The first leadership workshop is scheduled for the fall : soon after,

explore ways to provide supplemental teaching materials to help educators localize the general curriculum to Maine. Ideas include the production of printed information pamphlets, a WILD newsletter, posters, fact sheets, a resource and reference list, and additional hands-on materi-

"WILD helps students learn 'how' to think, not 'what' to think . .. " teachers statewide may expect the opportunity t o participate in a workshop in or near their area! As Project WILD gains momentum, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will

als. In addition, the department will continue to work with and to publicize related environmental education

programs sponsored by other agencies and organizations with in Maine . Su pport for Project WILD has b een expressed by a number of organizations throughout the state, including the Department of Education and Cultural Services, the Department of Con servation, representatives of the Cooperative Extension

"... they move from awareness to action on issues concerning wildlife." Service, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine Audubon Society, the Wildlife Society, the Atlantic Internat ional Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, the Maine Conservation School, University of Maine Wildlife and Education Departments, Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, and Baxter State Park, among others. As Project WILD is implemented, t h e Department of Fish and Wildlife hopes to help establish a n ew level of wildlife literacy in the general public. Project WILD will require a consistent approach over many years in order t o gradually increase the awaren ess of Maine's citizens to the intrinsic values of wildlife. By broadening people's understanding of wildlife, Project WILD can make a dilTerence! â&#x20AC;˘

For more information, call or write Project WILD Coordinator Lisa Kane, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Station #41, Augusta, Maine 04333. Telephone: (207) 289-3303

The Bobcat

MAINE'S SECRETIVE FELINE The status of bobcats in Maine has changed from bountied vermin to valuable furbearer. There is concern, however, over the future of Maine's wild cat. Bobcat kitten, about four weeks old. Less than two of every three kittens survive their first year of life.

-by John A. Litvaitis Photos by the author

had traveled this road countless times, Route 193 south to Cherryfield. It was a bright January afternoon, and about a foot of fresh snow covered any trace of the crusty gray slush that had accumulated before Christmas. Just as I crossed Schoodic Brook, I noticed a tawny figure perched atop the roadside bank - a bobcat! By the time I had fully realized what I had seen, I was at least a quarter of a mile down the road. I quickly stopped my truck, turned around and headed slowly back up the road. As I approached the spot, I saw that the bobcat apparently had decided to leave its sunny perch. I noticed tracks heading to the adjacent woods. Just out of curiosity, I reached for my telemetry receiver and tuned in the frequency of a transmitter-equipped bobcat that regularly traveled through this area. A loud "beep-beep-beep" sounded from the receiver. It was "Ralph" I had sighted on the side of the road. Ralph was a female bobcat, one of 30 bobcats that had been captured and equipped with collarmounted transmitters by researchers of the Maine 6

Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit. The unit, located at the University of Maine, initiated a cooperative study with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The broad objective of this study was to investigate the life history of several woodland carnivores, including bobcats, coyotes, foxes, and fishers. Changes in land use practices, increasing trapper pressures, and the recent addition of coyotes to Maine were all suspected of influencing the abundance of these animals. Historically, bobcats occurred throughout the contiguous United States, the southern tier of Canada, and into central Mexico. During the past 100 years, however, bobcats were eliminated from the densely populated mid-Atlantic states, and from intensively farmed regions of the Midwest. Bobcats were considered pests becau~e of their potential of killing game and livestock. Most states, including Maine, allowed year-round hunting and trapping of bobcats, and only limited research was conducted to understand their life history. Today, bobcats occur throughout Maine, with densities probably greatest in Downeast counties. Within the last 15 years, however, their abundance in Maine has declined. Urban expansion was probaThe author, a former research assistant with the Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, is now assistant professor of wildlife ecology at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

bly influential in reducing suitable habitat in the southern portion of the state. But what has reduced bobcat abundance in other portions of Maine? OverhaIVesting by trappers and hunters is suspected by some to have lowered bobcat populations. In addition, the recent arrival of coyotes to Maine also may have had a negative effect on bobcats. Competition with coyotes for limited food and space may have forced bobcats into a subordinate position. Let's examine the recent history of bobcats in Maine and what is currently being done to ensure their continued presence in the woods of Maine. Until the mid-1970s, bobcat fur was of little commercial value. The average price paid for a bobcat pelt in Maine from the early 1950s through the early 1970s was less than $5. Such a low commercial value often results in a low haIVest by trappers. A bounty of $15 was paid by the state until 1975 for each haIVested bobcat, however, as an incentive to trappers to reduce bobcat populations. The intrinsic value of the bobcat as a magnificent wild creature was not recognized by many; some believed that fewer bobcats would result in abundant game populations. In addition to the bounty, bobcats were considered a worthy game species by a small group of hardy hunters. These individuals hunted bobcats during the winter months, with the aid of trained hounds. Most 'cat hunters considered such a hunt the ultimate sporting challenge. And although only a relative handful of hunters pursued bobcats, they were usually very effective; often, their annual haIVests equaled that of trappers. The combined efforts of trappers and hunters resulted in an average annual haIVest of about 750 bobcats during the 1950s and 1960s. This may seem excessive when compared to the five years between 1982 and 1986, when only 250 to 300 bobcats were hatvested each year. But the abundance of bobcats during those years of large haIVests did not seem to change. In 1975, the price of a Maine bobcat pelt jumped to $60. That dramatic increase in value was largely an indirect result of efforts to protect other endangered cat species. An international treaty signed by the United States and more than 50 other nations regulated the trade of endangered felines whose hides were used for coats and other garments. This group of cats included cheetahs, leopards, and ocelots. To prevent the extinction of these animals, international agreements prohibited the sale of their hides or any products manufactured from their hides. However, the_public's demand for coats made from spotted cats remained high, and fur dealers shifted to bobcat hides to satisfy that Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

demand. As a result, hatvest pressures on bobcats increased; by 1978, the price per pelt in Maine rose to over $130. Nationwide, the reported haIVest of bobcats increased from 14,000 in 1970 to more than 75,000 by 1982. In 1976, Maine wildlife biologists, recognizing that the increased commercial demand could result in an overhaIVest of bobcats, established limited trapping and hunting seasons. National conseIVation organizations also became concerned over the increasing haIVests of bobcats throughout North America and suggested that their status be reviewed. At the same time, the United States was asked to provide inforThe author carries an adult male bobcat after it was injected with an immobilizing drug to allow safe handling.

mation that indicated that this increased hatvest of bobcats was not detrimental to their existence. That request came from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna. The United States was a member of this group, and was therefore obligated to provide such data. State wildlife agencies throughout the country were then requested to provide information on the status, population dynamics, and management of bobcats within their boundaries. However, most states lacked such data, and thus field studies on bobcats were initiated. In Maine, limited research had been conducted on bobcats. Information on habitat and spatial requirements, the effects of hunting and trapping, and the environmental factors that limited bobcat abundance was needed. Therefore, the Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife began several projects to provide such data. 7

Then a member of the unit research group, I initiated a study on the factors that influenced bobcat density. My objectives were to examine bobcat movements, habitat use, and prey relationships. Other members of the unit examined similar aspects of coyote, red fox, and fisher populations. By conducting simultaneous studies on these predators, we hoped to examine interactions among them. For example, we were interested in determining if bobcats and coyotes had similar food and habitat requirements; if they did, we hoped to determine the effects of an increasing coyote population on bobcats. Because bobcats are so secretive and difficult to observe, it was necessary to capture a sample and equip them with radio transmitters. These transmitters enable researchers to monitor the movements of animals such as bobcats for up to a year. Several local trappers and bobcat hunters were very helpful during this portion of the study and assisted in capturing study animals. Transmitter-equipped bobcats were monitored almost daily, and as the initial months passed, they began to provide substantial information. As I followed the movements of individual animals, I observed that there were two social classes of bobcats - transients and residents. Transients were young bobcats that moved extensively over large areas, sometimes greater than 100 square miles. These animals were probably dispersing from their maternal territory in search of a vacant area to settle in. Bobcats are solitary, and when kittens are about a year old, they are forced by their mother to disperse before she mates and raises another litter. After locating a range to settle, a transient then begins to restrict its movements to a known area about 12 square miles for resident females and 36 square miles for resident males. Because male bobcats mate with more than one female, the large territory occupied by resident males may serve to maximize their encounters with females during the January - March mating season. By frequently locating marked bobcats, information on habitat use also was obtained. Bobcats were once thought to be most common in large, mature forests. However, I observed that they spent most of their time in young forest stands with very dense understories. After analyzing more than 300 bobcat droppings (scats), it became clear why bobcats preferred such habitat. Over 60 percent of the scats collected during each season contained snowshoe hare and the densest hare populations occurred in young, regenerating forests. Therefore, bobcats were spending their time where food was most abundant. In addition, home range size was influenced by the availability of snowshoe hare habitat. Bobcats occupying areas that contained large tracts of regenerat8

ing forest did not have to hunt over a large area to satisfy their prey requirements. These results explained why Hancock and Washington counties (Downeast) contain the highest bobcat populations. Frequent logging and occasional wild fires in this region have maintained young, brushy forests that are beneficial to bobcats. Of the 30 bobcats that were marked and re- Âˇ leased, 19 died from known causes. Fourteen animals were killed by trappers and hunters, and one starved during a period of deep snow and very low temperatures. Surprisingly, four bobcats died from car collisions, suggesting that the abundance of roads also can have an effect on bobcat mortality. In addition, as more and more roads are cut into the forests of Maine to gain access to timber, recreational areas, and camps, these areas become accessible to trappers and hunters. As a result, harvest pressure on bobcats in these areas probably increases. Roadless or otheiwise inaccessible areas may be very important to regional bobcat populations because such areas probably act as refuges. The surplus bobcats that disperse from such refuges may repopulate harvested populations. Thus, the increasing accessibility of Maine's woods may have profound effects upon future

bobcat populations, especially in the southern portion of the state where few areas are roadless. At the same time that I conducted the field study, state biologists were collecting data on bobcats. The majority of their efforts were directed towards determining the limiting effects of trapper and hunter harvests and other environmental factors on bobcat populations. Computer population models were constructed using information on age/sex distributions, reproductive rates, and physical condition obtained from harvested bobcat carcasses. Computer models allow biologists to project a population into the future under different Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

management options and environmental conditions. Such exercises often identify important factors that may limit a wildlife population and would otherwise be overlooked. The modeling of Maine's bobcat population indicated that severe winter weather can have a profound effect upon bobcat survival and abundance. This was substantiated by the starvation death of one transmitter-equipped bobcat during a period of deep snow and low temperatures. Further evidence was obtained during the winter of 1980-81 when many of the carcasses submitted by 'cat hunters were in poor physical condition, especially juveniles and adult females. Stomach analyses indicated that these bobcats preyed almost exclusively upon snowshoe hare during the winter. Therefore, any change in hare availability would have an obvious effect on this segment of the bobcat population. I observed that as snow accumulated during Januaiy and Februaiy, juvenile and female bobcats sank into the snow and probably became less effective in capturing hares and other small prey that were able to run on top of the snow. On the other hand, because adult male bobcats are larger (30 to 35 pounds) than adult females (18 to 20 pounds). they were able to successfully hunt a wider range of prey, including deer. Deer cannot run quickly in deep snow and become vulnerable to predation by large male bobcats. However, female and juvenile bobcats are too small to regularly prey upon deer, even with the advantage of deep snow. Portable radio telemetry equipment was used to monitor the movements of bobcats previously captured and equipped with collars containing transmitters. Inset, an adult female equipped with ear tag and transmitter collar. Information on bobcat movements habitat use, and mortality was obtained from these marked anim~ls.

Stomach analyses of hunter harvested carcasses confirmed this. Carcasses of adult male bobcats contained deer remains three times more often than did those of female bobcats. Such flexibility in hunting would explain why male bobcats were consistently in better condition (fatter) than females. On several occasions, I monitored a male bobcat that had killed a deer during winter. The successful 'cat would stay in close proximity to the deer carcass and feed upon it for at least a week. On one such occasion, the male shared his prey with a neighboring female. This incident occurred in Januaiy (during the breeding season) and probably would not have happened during any other time of the year. Because severe winter weather influences bobcat survival, it probably influences the distribution of Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

this species. In regions further north where winter snow is usually deeper, the bobcat is replaced by the closely related lynx. Although these two animals look very similar, the feet of the lynx are at least twice as large as those of the bobcat, an obvious adaptation to the deeper snow. Winter weather also can influence bobcat survival in another way. Historically, bobcat hunting was most popular during January through March. Frequent snowstorms during that period enabled hunters to locate fresh bobcat tracks, and as the snow deepened during late winter, hunters were usually more successful. Bobcat hunters had an additional incentive to hunt as the value of pelts increased during the mid 1970s, and the potential of an overharvest became apparent. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife responded to this situation by reducing the bobcat hunting season. In 1976, the hunting season of bobcats was restricted to October 20 - February 28. The season was again shortened in 1978 to December 1 - February 28. In 1988, the season was further reduced, closing on January 31. The combined factors of habitat change, periodic severe winters, and harvesting by trappers and hunters may have direct effects uporl bobcat abundance. In addition, the range expansion of coyotes into Maine may have resulted in a less conspicuous detriment to bobcats. Prior to European colonization of North America, bobcat and coyote distributions overlapped only west of the Mississippi River. The range of coyotes apparently was restricted to the western plains by the larger timber wolves that occupied eastern forests and physically prevented coyotes from expanding into this region. By the early 1900s, however, intensive reduction efforts by federal and state agencies had extirpated wolves from the East and coyotes began to expand their range eastward. Coyotes first appeared in Maine during the 1940s; but it wasn't until the early 1970s that they ranged throughout the state. Estimated trapper /hunter harvests of coyotes rose from 77 in 1973 to 938 in 1979, indicating that the colonizing populations were increasing rapidly. The harvest of bobcats during that same period declined from 652 to 318, suggesting that coyotes may have a negative effect on bobcats. However, the implementation of reduced trapping and hunting seasons of bobcats and the elimination of the bounty program may have influenced bobcat harvests; thus making direct comparisons between coyote and bobcat harvests less meaningful. Therefore, efforts were made to document interactions of these animals in the field.

(continued on page 21) 9

MAINE'S WETLANDS Wetlands are many different things to many different people . . Some people have never heard or thought about wetlands. Others are working actively to protect wetlands because of their value. Wetland areas in Maine include freshwater and saltwater marshes, wet meadows, swamps, bogs, and bottomlands. Wetlands are uniquely important to plants, animals, humans, and the total environment. Because of the abundance of food, plants, shelter, and water found there, most wetlands can support many kinds of wildlife. Coastal and inland marshes, for example, provide breeding, resting and wintering habitats for thousands of ducks, geese, and shore birds. Many species of fish that are important to us. such as salmon, perch, pickerel, and striped bass, reproduce and spend part of their life cycle in wetlands next to ponds, lakes, or the ocean. Frogs and toads, turtles. salamanders, snakes, dragonflies. water striders, clams, crayfish and more abound in wetland habitats. Many mammals- from muskrats and beaver to whitetail deer and moose- also depend on wetland areas. Wetlands are often referred to as 'nurseries' because they provide critical breeding and rearing habitats for countless numbers and kinds of wildlife. Wetlands can also help to clean up the environment! They act as natural filtering systems and can trap and neutralize sewage waste, allow silt to settle, and promote the break-down of many poisonous materials. Wetland plants are important too, absorbing nutrients, adding oxygen to the ecosystem, and providing food for wildlife. Wetland areas can absorb excess water from heavy rains or spring thaws until it slowly drains down streams and rivers and through the soil, helping to prevent floods. In dryer seasons, wetlands hold precious moisture after open bodies of water have disappeared. The many characteristics of wetlands make them among the most pr-0ductive ecosystems in the world. As remarkable and resilient as wetlands are, these unique areas are being converted to other uses (agricultural, roadways, housing developments) or otherwise being destroyed (drained for pest control or polluted) at the rate of a half million acres per year. And although many wetlands are protected by federal and state laws, we need to create a greater understanding of the importance of wetlands as ecosystems and as wildlife habitat.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

Letters should be sent to: Lisa Kane, KID-BITS Editor MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE Magazine 284 State Street, Station #41 Augusta, Maine 04333

MATCH A METAPHOR A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or a phrase is applied to an object or concept in order to create a comparison between the two. In this activity, a variety of everyday objects are listed in the left column. Match the object with a description of a natural wetland function or characteristic in the right column. SPONGE

PILLOW/BED MIXER/EGGBEATER 3

the variety of food from a productive wetland

wintering place for migrating waterfowl

C takes silt, debris, etc., from the water

the wildlife diversity in a wetland

SIEVE/STRAINER 5

helps cleanse the environment

PAPER FILTER 6

provides a nursery that shelters, protects, and feeds young wildlife

ANTACID 7

provides nutrient-rich foods

WILD RICE 8

combines nutrients and oxygen into the water

SOAP 9

is a resting place for migratory birds

zoo

neutralizes toxic substances

CRADLE

VEGETABLE GARDEN 11 VACATION RESORT 12 PROJECT WILD -

removes smaller impurities from the water absorbs excess water from runoff; retains some moisture even if standing water dries up

AQUATIC EDUCATION ACTIVI1Y GUIDE

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

ANSWERS ON PAGE 31 11

To Catch Those Violators

"YouÂˇve Got Our Number!!"

by Sgt. William F. Allen

ack in the spring of 1981, my area of responsibility ranged from the Augusta area to the Washington County line. One day while I was in eastern Hancock County, I got a radio call from a young game warden named Dan Tourtelotte. He wanted to meet me in Cherryfield. Later that afternoon, I did meet Dan and heard my first words about Operation Game Thief. Dan had read about the program in an outdoor Âˇ magazine and had written to various western states to get more information about their programs. He was excited about the program, and wanted to know if I thought that it would work here in Maine. We discussed it at some length before I headed back home that day. Several times during the next couple of years, I heard the program being discussed by game wardens. The wardens believed that the program would supply them with information that they needed to be more effective. In July 1983, then Warden Lt. Bill Vail took up the course and began promoting it to various sporting organizations around the state. It appeared that Tourtelotte's suggestion was finally going to become a reality. In October 1984, the 1-800-ALERT-US toll-free hotline was installed at the Augusta regional headquarters and Operation Game Thief was 12

success. Many states were offering rewards and having great success with their programs. They were showing a 76 percent increase in the number of arrests of poachers over the states that were not offering rewards. As of 1985, 43 states had a poacher reporting program and 32 of these states were offering rewards for information leading to an arrest. It was obvious to those of us in law enforcement that if we had better information about the poacher's activities, we could be much more effective in the never-ending battle to protect our natural resources for all to enjoy. In the fall of 1988, a group of people got together at Sportsman's Alliance of Maine headquarters in Augusta and agreed to start an organization to support Operation Game Thief. The new organization, Operation Game Thief, Inc., is comprised of 15 board members. This is a very unique and talented group of people. They are fully

The author is the special operations officer for the Maine Warden Service, with headquarters in Augusta.

Maine Fish and Wildlife -

Fall 1989

1-800-ALERT-US committed to helping the game wardens in their battle with the poachers by raising money for rewards, promoting the Operation Game Thief program, and paying the rewards to the people who have helped us by supplying information which has led to arrests. On May 25, 1989, Operation Game Thief, Inc. started offering rewards for information. The money for the rewards comes from donations by sporting organizations, local businesses, and individuals within the state. We are averaging about 1. 5 calls per day, and expect this to increase significantly as fall and winter approach. The majority of

Whenever people think "poaching ," the first thing that comes to mind is deer. Yet many other species have been in the past, and are still, emperiled by poachers' attacks. Witness the black duck; its numbers, and populations of many other waterfowl as well, have been threatened over the years by man's illegal activities.

people calling do not want a reward, but do have With wardens now covering hundreds of square information that they want to pass along to the miles alone, they need all the help they can get in wardens. protecting the resources that make the state of When a person gives us information (1-800-253Maine such a great place to live. Operation Game 7887), he or she will Thief is an be given a code to important tool be used for which may some The wardens believed that the program identification at a day help us tum would supply them with information that they later date. the tide on those Depending upon the needed to be more effective. who would destroy our fish and quality of the wildlife for their information and own selfish reasons. There is a considerable amount whether or not an arrest is made, a reward of up to of poaching activity going on out there - from the $1,000 may be paid by Operation Game Thief, Inc. people who catch and keep over their limits of fish The person calling may remain completely to the people who are killing deer and moose and anonymous and still receive a reward (which will selling them out-of-state. The attitude that a be delivered anywhere within the state). Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

poacher is some kind of a folk hero is difficult to understand. After being a game warden for 18 years, I have known a good many poachers and have As of 1985, 43 discovered that they are states had a the same people who break poacher into camps, steal traps, shoot up road signs, and reporting generally have long program and criminal records. The time to put these 32 of these people out of business is states were long overdue. You can help us protect our resources offering for future generations by rewards for calling 1-800-ALERr US to information report illegal activities, or by simply sending a leading to an donation to Operation arrest. Game Thief, Inc., P.O. Box 2684, Augusta, Maine 04338. Game wardens are vastly outnumbered â&#x20AC;˘ we need your help!

While no one is completely sure what effect poaching has upon the moose population in Maine, there is continuing concern about the white-tailed deer, probably the most talked about huntable species in Maine - and certainly the most poached!

WE PAY CASH FOR INFORMATION ON POACHERS CALL 1-800-ALERT-US (1-800-253-7887) Poaching is stealing. Help us catch the thieves! 14

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

Caribou UP.,date

April 27, 1923 Mr. Hill, President Maine Sportsmen's Fi.sh & Game Ass'n. "During the past months I have considered the feasibility of introducing Reindeer in the Mt. Katahdin region. I am of the opinion that this would be an excellent place in which to try the experiment... The region is a rough country, with many lakes and rivers, and is unusually well adapted as a breeding place for game. "Although at the present time there are no state funds available for the purchase of Reindeer, I suggest that several Fish and Game Associations in the State start a subscription fund, so that a certain number of Reindeer may be brought to Maine and I shall be glad to help. Afew thousand dollars contributed for this purpose might be the means of bringing into our State a valuable animal that can live and prosper in a rough country.

"If Reindeer should be introduced into the State they would make a most interesting addition to our wildlife and of course it would be advisable to a.fford them protection for a gcxx:l many years ...

Return of the Maine Woods Monarch

Faithfully yours,

by Mark McCollough, Ph.D. Percival P. Baxter Governor of Maine

L it le

did Governor Baxter and thousands of other Mainers who have mourned the demise of the woodland caribou in Maine realize that their dream would become a reality almost exactly 66 years later! The above letter, recently discovered in the Baxter archives. documents that Percival Baxter was indeed the first to officially propose the idea of returning the majestic woodland caribou to the North Maine Woods. A far-sighted man, Baxter proposed a reintroduction that should be an "experiment" and be funded by private contributions - exactly as we are conducting the Maine Caribou Project today! The Maine Caribou Reintroduction Project began in 1986,

The day of the big Baxter Park release - a lone animal grazes in the park pen while awaiting release into the wild. Photo by Lisa Kane

when a group of Maine citizens formed the Maine Caribou Transplant Corporation to fund the experiment. The Newfoundland Wildlife Division captured 2 7 caribou to establish a nursery herd of caribou at the University of Maine. The project is designed to answer, once and for all, if woodland caribou can be reintroduced into portions of their former range now occupied by white-tailed deer. It is our hope that a herd of at least 100

The author is leader of the Maine Caribou Reintroduction Project.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

forests were found to contain from 500 to 1,000 pounds per acre of tree lichens. Most importantly, the Park provides a 200,000 acre refuge from hunting.

Bruce Connery, a wildlife biologist from Alaska, monitors each of the caribou in the park on a daily basis, and is collecting much valuable information concerning habitat use, seasonal movements, and dispersal. Photo by Tom Simko

caribou can be successfully reestablished within a decade (see previous articles in Maine Fish and Wildlife, Spring/ Summer 1987, Winter 1987-88, and Fall 1988). Since 1986, the nursery herd of caribou more than doubled with the addition of 25 caribou calves born in 1987 and 1988. Plans were initiated for the first release of caribou in 1989, but where would we release them? The Katahdin region had long been considered a preferred release site since it provided refuge for Maine's last native caribou herd and was also the location of the (ailed 1963 reintroduction attempt. However, the Baxter Park Authority requested that we also evaluate other sites. During the summer of 1988, teams of graduate and undergraduate students estimated deer densities and the prevalence of brainworm parasite, measured lichen and forage abundance, and evaluated the protection that could be afforded caribou at five potential release sites, including the Bigelow Preserve and Baxter State Park. They discovered that Baxter 16

Park had virtually the lowest deer density in the state, less than five deer per square mile, and a low incidence of the brainworm parasite, less than 60 percent. Summer foods - including ericaceous plants (blueberry, Labrador tea). grasses, sedges, raspberry, bunchberry and mushrooms - abounded. Likewise, winter foods including ground lichens and tree lichens were plentiful. It was also determined that after an 80-year absence of caribou, more than 3,000 pounds of reindeer lichen per acre could be found on the Tablelands on Mt. Katahdin, historically a favored wintering area for caribou. In addition, Baxter Park's thousands of acres of spruce budworm damaged

And they're off! Although the caribou had to be literally herded out of the park pen , they soon got the idea and bounded off to freedom. Photo by Lisa Kane

Moving day, and the caravan heads for Baxter State Park; Mt. Katahdin, main landmark in the park, can be seen from some miles away, a reminder of the caribous' final destination. Photo by Tom Simko

In November 1989, after reviewing the results of these investigations, the Baxter Park Authority granted unanimous approval for making Baxter Park the home of Maine's fledgling caribou herd. That

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

done, we immediately picked a release site in a remote region of the park and built a 2-acre temporary holding facility before December snows rendered transportation in the park impossible. After much deliberation, we decided not to liberate all of the young caribou eligible for release. Fourteen yearling and 2year-old caribou (7 males and 7

females) were chosen to be taken to Baxter Park for release. The Baxter Park Authority had required that the caribou reintroduction take place before mid-May, when the park opened to the public for the season. Our

plan called for holding the caribou in the temporary enclosure for up to four weeks until they had recovered from the stress of transport and adjusted their digestive systems from the grainbase pellets fed in captivity to natural forage. This meant that we had to get the caribou into a remote area of the park in early April under less than ideal road conditions! Fortunately, Alan and Cole's Express in Portland came to the rescue and donated the use of a moving truck to transport the caribou from Orono into Baxter Park. A local paper company was gracious enough to plow the road into the the release site, and finally, on April 4 and 5, the caribou were transferred to the release site. The caribou had been "put to sleep" in the University enclosures using tranquilizing darts, carefully placed in specially-designed "caribou straight jackets," and given a veterinary examination. Each animal was also fitted with a radio collar so that we could follow the its movements after release. Each of the radio transmitters also has a mortality sensor so that we can learn

In the pen at Baxter, a food tub was strategically located, intended to be easy to find and containing the specially formulated food that the animals were used to from the Orono enclosure. This gave the caribou a choice - restaurant fare or wild food! Photo by Tom Simko

Before the animals left the pen at the University of Maine at Orono, biologists made final checks to determine their ''travelworthiness." Here, the author checks in one of the passengers. Photo by Tom Simko

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

immediately of an animal's death. This feature would also help in the apprehension of any poacher who (risking a $10,000 fine and 3-month jail sentence!) shot a caribou. Fourteen caribou were transported to Baxter Park. Unfortu-

(continued on page 28) 17

Hunting Day Memories

Of Sticks, Wet Feet,&. Lucky Shirts by Glen P. Feeney l :anksglving morning, 1988. Stuart Gardner, my eight-yearold, was going to be up and ready to go hunting at 6, but at 8:30 he was still snoring. I was peeling apples for a pie. The milkman was sitting at the dining room table having tea. Twice I had to ask him to talk more quietly. After about a half hour, the pie was in the oven and the milkman had left, but only after waking everyone in the house. Finally, down the stairs came "Early Hunter" - said he was waiting for the milkman to leave! After a long stay in the bathroom, Stuart emerged only half dressed, and I had to remind him it was cold out and to put on his wool socks, long johns and his new green shirt the one he hated. After several trips back and forth upstairs, he finally had everything piled on the bathroom floor, and in several minutes emerged with all his clothes on. Now it was time for breakfast, and Stu took the bowl of oatmeal and toast I had prepared and went to his chair (still warm from the milkman). He fidgeted for a few minutes until I sat down with my own breakfast. I could plainly see he was having a problem with something, which, it turned out, was that oatmeal was apparently meant only for making cookies! 18

I dumped the oatmeal and checked on the pie while Stu grabbed some waffles from the freezer. In a couple of minutes (with the help of the microwave), he was filling his belly with something he liked. Soon the pie was out of the oven and I'd helped Stuart fix his boots and put elastics around his pants to keep the snow out of the boots. I left a note for his mother that we had gone hunting and would be back in three or four hours. I wanted to be sure to be back for Thanksgiving dinner, and I figured that Stuart would get bored, cold, and tired in a short time anyway. Besides, I could <Wme back and curl up on the couch and watch some football before the big Thanksgiving dinner! At 9:55 we headed out to one of my favorite spots, a place where I had seen several big bucks in the last few weeks. Ten minutes from home and guess what? There was a small buck (number 38 I had seen since the deer season started) running across the road. I got out of the truck and carefully picked my way down the road to where the buck had crossed, but he had booked it all The author is a district game warden stationed in Jackman.

the way across the chopping and had plenty of time to disappear while I was getting my caps changed to make sure I was legal and trying to find the only two shells I had for my rifle. I covered the deer tracks so we wouldn't get any company over on the ridge, then drove the truck down the hill to a spot that I figured would be easy access to the ridge I wanted to hunt. Stuart's excitement seemed to grow and he became eager for the hunt now that he knew there really were deer in this area. He jumped out of the truck, eager to go. Now, if you've never taken a youngster hunting for fear of constant talking, snuffing, coughing, fidgeting and other disruptions, then you've really missed the boat. Stu had on a pair of corduroy pants, a wool hunting jacket, insulated boots, wool socks, thinsulate gloves, a pullover cap, my hunter orange vest that was 10 sizes too big, and a green flannel shirt - the one he didn't like. He also was wearing long johns and, on his face, some maple syrup from breakfast. What else could he could possibly need? I jumped across the ditch onto a skidder road, and Stu followed

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

in my steps until he came to some ice in the skidder ruts. He just had to stomp on that ice until it broke. Now, only 40 feet from the truck and unknown to me, Stuart had two wet feet. "Get wet?, I asked. "NOPE." Somehow I didn't believe it - a suspicion that grew stronger in a few minutes when the swishing noise of his corduroys changed to the clacking sound of frozen pants. Now I know how my father felt when he tried to get me to walk quietly on a hunting trip 35 years ago. I, too, was wearing corduroy pants that day! I checked with Stu several times to see if he was warm, and the reply was always the same "I am not cold!" - but it was in that tone of voice that said: "You don't believe me, do you?" Now we were 400 yards from the truck - Stuart must have figured that when I stopped to look over a spot and listen for deer, it meant it was time to kick the crust on the snow and break as many branches as possible. It took me awhile to blank out the noise his pants were making after all, he is just eight years old and on his first real deer hunting trip - sort of his day, I guess. Noise and all, I didn't really expect to see a deer. But now things were changing. There were fresh deer signs everywhere. Stuart was hitting trees with a stick. I sure wanted to get it away from him, and I begged him to be a little quieter. Just then - wouldn't you lmow it! - I got a fleeting glimpse of the head and antlers of a buck that anyone would like over their mantel. For all his kicking and branch-breaking, Stu didn't see or hear the deer, but he stayed right on my heels - and I mean on my heels, like, if my boots weren't tied on tight they would have been pulled off several times. After a few hundred yards I saw two more deer, making four

since we left home. Hard to believe! I figured if I could get downwind, maybe all the noise would drift away on the steady breeze. After several hundred yards, and many, many large deer tracks, I chose to cut downhill to give our legs a break. Just maybe, I thought, we could get into the bunch of deer that also had gone down the hill. We arrived at a spot where I could see about 150 yards downhill, a good place to take a break. I lit a cigarette. Stuart was standing about four feet to my right, kicking snow. I told him I thought the deer were on the side of the hill below us. After about a minute I spotted the ears of a deer about 80 yards away, which I scoped, only to find it to be a doe, and that's not what I was hunting for. I tugged on Stu's coat and told him I could see a deer. I also suggested he quiet down. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ What I didn't know, but suspected, was that his feet were wet and cold, so he had to keep them moving to stay warm. He did stand still for a minute because when I put the rifle back to my shoulder to look for a buck I could see Stu out of the comer of my eye - with his hands over his ears! I could see more deer, but they were small. Stu said he could see deer,, too, which I C(

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

assumed were the same deer. I asked him where they were, and he said: "Down by that big tree." I couldn't see the tree he was talking about because a small fir blocked my view. But I could see a small poplar that was swaying back and forth in a way I knew wasn't caused by the wind. I realized then tbat Stu was watching a good buck. Again I told him to stop kicking. Putting the rifle back to my shoulder to check the spot where the poplar was moving, I caught a glimpse of antlers several times, then the form of a large buck. We discussed what Stu was looking at, and he said the deer was moving. Sure enough, the buck soon filled the scope in a small opening I was watching.

When I squeezed the trigger, the deer went in every direction, but I knew the hunt was over. I vaguely remember the sound of the shot. Stuart said it was loud. We picked our way down the side of the hill and found the spot where the buck was walking when hit. Even Stuart didn't have a problem following the blood trail for 30 yards to where we found the buck with his head driven under a brush pile. I made sure the deer was dead. then Stu tried to pull the head out of the brush, but found it was more than he could handle. As I dragged the buck out and prepared to dress it out, Stu resumed banging sticks on trees, kicking snow, and climbing trees. He even knocked my rifle over. He said he didn't do it, and suggested it must have been the liver I tossed in that direction that knocked the rifle down. It was at this time that I shook Stu's hand and told him it must have been all his noise, talking, and "lucky" shirt that brought me the good luck. All he did was look at me and smile.

bility of going to town to get some help with the deer, which was 3 / 4 of a mile from the truck. But wouldn't you know it: he, who had a problem carrying the liver, convinced me that together we could get that deer out. As I drove the truck to where we had come out of the woods, it dawned on me that Stu thought I could drive the 4X4 up the skidder trail to get the deer. But even when he realized it had to be dragged down to the road, he still knew we could do it! Now you know that after three hours of cold and wind, when you've got your butt on something comfortable, you have to have a good - a very good -

After 15 or 20 minutes we arrived, puffing and blowing clouds of steam into the cold air. Stu soon had a stick in his hand and resumed smashing all the little trees around. How nice it would be, I thought, to have just some of that extra energy! I made a harness out of the wide nylon strap I had carried along for the occasion, and started to drag on that buck. Even downhill, it didn't come along easily - always catching on something, impossible to drag over anything. After 28 minutes, and the two times when the buck's 11-point rack hit me in the back of the legs and knocked me down, I realized

reason to leave the warmth and comfort of the truck and go back uphill in the woods. If I had known that Stu's feet were wet and cold, I probably would have listened to my back and my conscience rather than that eight-year-old telling me how easy it was going to be. When we arrived at the spot in the road where we had come out of the woods, I very cautiously quizzed Stu on his talent of dragging out a white-tailed buck that I already had figured must weigh 240 pounds. Still I listened to the boy. Up the trail we went, removing blowdowns and picking spots around things we couldn't move.

that Stu was hitching a ride when he thought I wasn't looking. Believe me, add 80 pounds of boy to about 240 of deer, and even a horse would know it! What a welcome sight that truck was! Four hours after leaving, we were back home again. When I weighed the deer, I found I had misjudged its weight by four pounds, but at 236 it felt like 320 at times - come to think of it, it was! Would I do it again? You bet! So, if you've got a boy who has a shirt he hates, take him hunting and make him wear it. He'll wear that lucky shirt until his mother makes him change it! â&#x20AC;˘

ow I thought it just might be possible for Stu to lug my rifle and the liver, and maybe I could drag the deer. That didn't work because he couldn't handle his load. Well, maybe he could take Just the liver. That turned out to be a problem, too. The truth of the matter was I couldn't lug the rifle and drag that buck because his antlers were catching on everything, and I hadn't brought any rope. Stu was having a problem lugging the liver because it was at arm's length so it wouldn't drip any blood on his lucky green shirt (the one he wouldn't wear before!). I took the rifle and liver and found a way to the road that was downhill all the way. As we walked, we discussed the possi20

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

Bobcats (continued from page 9) An investigation was conducted on coyote movements and prey use near Cherryfield where similar information was gathered on bobcats. This enabled direct comparisons of the requirements of these two species. The movement patterns of transmitterequipped coyotes and bobcats indicated that they did not avoid each other, that and their territories overlapped substantially. Habitat use patterns differed somewhat, with coyotes using open fields and bluebeny barrens more often than bobcats did. Seasonally, the diet of coyotes was more varied than that of bobcats. During summer and autumn, coyotes often ate fruits (especially raspberries and blueberries), in addition to snowshoe hares, mice, deer, and birds. Bobcats were strict carnivores and consumed hares, birds, and mice during these seasons. In winter and early spring, when prey populations were lowest, the diets of these two predators became very similar. Both species relied on hare and deer. Competition for limited food during this period may result in the gradual reduction of one predator if the other predator is more successful in obtaining prey. Incidental observations indicated that coyotes may have been more successful than bobcats in capturing prey during winter and early spring. For example, coyotes were observed to frequently use logging roads while hunting. The snow on these roads was packed by the wind or by an occasional snowmobile, allowing coyotes to travel easily and quickly. In addition, coyotes often hunted in family groups of two or three during winter, increasing their chances of capturing prey. Bobcats, however, restricted their movements to wooded areas where travel was difficult, and consistently hunted alone. If coyotes were more successful in capturing prey in the same areas hunted by bobcats, this would reduce the chances of a bobcat obtaining sufficient food. As a result, survival and reproduction of bobcats would probably be reduced as coyotes became more abundant. Regional patterns of bobcat and coyote abundance in the western United States also suggest that these species are indeed competitors, with coyotes dominating over bobcats. During the period of widespread poisoning and trapping of coyotes near large sheep and cattle ranches (1940s - 1960s), bobcat populations increased as coyote densities were lowered. After these control efforts were relaxed, coyotes began to increase and bobcat densities declined. To better understand the relationship between coyotes and bobcats in Maine, I compared trapper harvests of both species during 1977 to 1986 when annual trapping seasons of coyotes and bobcats were equal. I restricted this comparison to

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

eastern Maine because this region contained the densest bobcat populations and was the last portion of the state to be colonized by coyotes. The correlation between these harvests was obvious. As the number of coyotes increased from 45 to 232, the annual bobcat harvest declined from 91 to 33. This relationship suggested that coyotes may indeed have had a negative effect upon bobcat survival in Maine. The results of the studies reported here indicate that a number of factors are determining the abundance of bobcats in Maine. Wildlife biologists of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are charged with maintaining viable wildlife populations, including bobcats. How does this group manage bo beats? Biologists have essentially no control over such factors as urbanization and habitat loss. Limited efforts are directed toward enhancing public lands for wildlife, but the overwhelming majority of Maine is privately owned. Therefore, biologists can only efTectively manipulated those factors influencing bobcats that they have direct control over. The manipulation of trapping and hunting seasons is the primary technique available to state biologists managing species such as bobcats. Recent restrictions have been placed on bobcat hunting season in response to a recognized decline in bobcats statewide. Biologists are somewhat less effective in regulating trapper harvests. A recent survey of Maine trappers indicated that few set traps specifically for bobcats. Most were trapping for more abundant furbearers such as foxes, raccoons, fishers, and coyotes. Many bobcats were taken incidentally in sets for those animals. Therefore, to effectively reduce trapper harvests of bobcats, some restrictions would have to be placed on all terrestrial furbearer trapping. What does the future hold for bobcats in Maine? As the state continues to be settled and more land cleared for development, it will obviously support fewer bobcats and other wildlife species that require large tracts of land. Coyote populations have leveled, and their effects upon bobcats will probably stabilize. Changes in the fashion industry have resulted in a drop in the demand for bobcat hides. However, this should not cause a substantial increase in bobcats because current harvest objectives are to take only the surplus of bobcats that would otherwise die from other mortality factors. State wildlife biologists may need to direct additional efforts toward developing more sensitive indices of bobcat abundance. As human demands (direct and indirect) upon wildlife populations increase, management efforts will need to be more precise. This may be especially true for bobcats in

M~m.

â&#x20AC;˘ 21

Thanks To Our Volunteers . â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ 11

We're Into Six Figures!" by Gary Anderson

T.is

spring we graduated our 100,000th hunter safety course student. She is Benitia Thompson of Portland Maine. Her instructor was Emil "Teena" Gaudin and she was one of 2662 he has taught. Teena's regional coordinator is Richard "Red" Boothby of Westbrook. They, and we, are delighted. This is of course a remarkable milestone for a state with so few residents. How has this extraordinary achievement come about? The answer is volunteers. People who so love the outdoors and want to share their love and excitement with others that actually forego their time outdoors to teach others. Our program was voluntary from 1958 (when our records start) until January of 1986 when the state went mandatory. Nothing changed; the volunteers kept right on working; harder and more often and we recruited a few more instructors but essentially no one was inconvenienced and no one needing a course went unserved. What would this volunteerism have cost the state had they not provided this service? Approximately two million dollars in time and materials which has been covered by their in-kind time donation which raised Pittman-Robertson money to pay the bills. This a tax on firearms land ammunition and therefore no burden to anyone but shooters. The author is the department's recreational safety coordinator.

The proper way to walk three across - all with firearms - is part of the obstacle course training for hunter safety students at the West Gardiner Rod & Gun Club. Instructor Bob Pierce and daughter Brandy are accompanying these three girls on the course. Photo by Lisa Kane

The Maine Hunter Education Program has a triple A rating as judged by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Administration and has been so for several years. A survival section built around the booklet "You Alone in the Maine Woods" has been emulated by at least a dozen other states and provinces and here again volunteerism was prominent in the program as many instructors helped with input when it was written. We should mention that related activities such as archery,

trapping, and black powder are all provided by volunteers interested in that particular activity. Currently there are 2,000 hunter instructors, 102 boating instructors and 61 snowmobile instructors. Archery training became mandatory January, 1989, trapper education July 1, 1988, and all-terrain vehicle training January 1, 1987. Before these dates, all were being taught by enthusiastic volunteers.

(continued on page 27) Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

the Fly Tying Bench

SLIM JIMS: An Old Tradition? by Eddie Reif

ABOUT THE FLY

The Slim Jim is for me a mystery fly. Occasionally requests come in from Aroostook County for the pattern in several variations but no one has been able to supply any information about the fly or its history of use in the "Country" or elsewhere. Sometime in the late seventies I received an order for four color variations of the fly from Stan's Market at Madawaska Lake. With that order were two samples of the Slim Jim tied by a J. L. Martin of Plaisted, Maine. These are the only samples of the pattern I have ever seen so this article will serve a dual purpose: a new pattern will be introduced to the uninformed reader, while the writer will take the opportunity to pick the brains of anyone out there who can supply the information about this fly and its history. I would also like to know about J.L. Martin and other tyers of this fly (You may contact me at 303 Broadway, Bangor ME 04401 or at 207(947-1648). The only reference to the pattern revealed by a search of fly tying books and magazines was found in FLIES, by J. Edison Leonard. And while Leonard lists six variations of the pattern in his dictionary of trout flies on pages 207-257, he makes no further reference to the fly in his book. It is also interesting to note that all six color variations are designated as the preferred dressings for Western fishing. No Eastern dressings are given.

Attach thread and wind to rear. Strip a small bunch of barbules from a red hackle, hold between thumb and index finger of left hand directly over rear of hook, and tie on with a couple of turns of thread. Select a piece of fine gold tinsel and tie in at side of hook.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

That would lead me to believe that the pattern is possibly of Western origin and at some point became popular in Aroostook County. Obviously, firm conclusions must await more information. The pattern is relatively simple in both style and construction It may be tied as either a wet or dry fly. However, the shape and dressing suggest usage primarily as a wet pattern. The body silhouette is slightly elongated, and the only unusual feature is the wing. It is tied with long grizzly cock hackle tips flared outward. The fly doesn't appear to imitate any particular natural food, but instead seems to suggest many. It most closely resembles fairly large emerging mayflies, drowned mayfly spinners (adults) which have expired after egg-laying), and small fish. This suggestiveness may account for its effectiveness in many trout ponds and backwaters. THE PATTERN

HOOK: Mustad #9671 (2X long), Sizes 8-12 THREAD: Danville pre-waxed 6 / 0 nylon, black TAIL: Red hackle barbules RIB: Fine flat tinsel, silver or gold BODY: Black, grey, red, brown, or orange floss WINGS: Two thin grizzly neck hackles tied in as long as the body and flared outward and up at a slight angle over body HACKLE: Grizzly neck hackle

Wind thread to front of hook and tie in grey floss. Wind floss to rear and then back to front to form body. Secure with thread and clip off excess. Grab tinsel and wind forward to form rib, spacing as evenly as possible. Tie in and cut off excess tinsel.

Pick out a suitable grizzly neck hackle, clean off the fluff, and tie in pointing to the rear with the shiny side facing toward you.

Pick out two slender grizzly neck hackles as long as the body and clip off the fluff at the base. Match the feathers carefully, and place the feathers back to back between your thumb and forefinger. Hold over front of hook and tie in 1/8" behind eye.

Finished fly.

Wind hackle clockwise three or four turn to form hackle collar. Tie off, clip excess and form head. Lacquer.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

1989 MAINE HUNTING SEASONS EFFECTIVE THROUGH MARCH 31, 1990

This is not a legal presentation. See hunting law booklet for full details. BASIC LIMITS -

DEER Firearms season .. .. ............................................... .. ... ..

FIRST DAY

LAST DAY

Oct. 30

Nov. 25

ONE DEER PER YEAR

DAIL V POSSESSION

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

Oct. 28

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

Oct. 2

Oct. 27

Muzzle loader ............................................................ .

Nov. 27

Dec. 2

regardless of season or method . Only deer with antlers at least three inches long may be taken statewide Oct. 28 - Dec. 2, except that any deer may be taken in designated deer management districts by hunters with any-deer permits . Annual application period for permits: mid'1une to Aug. 15.

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

Aug . 28

Nov. 30

ONE BEAR OF EITHER SEX

MOOSE (by permit only) ........................................................ ..

Oct. 16

Oct. 21

Permit application period : mid.Jan. to Apr. 30 annually

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

Oct. 2

Nov.30

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

Oct. 2

Dec. 9

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

Oct. 2

Nov. 30

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

Oct. 2

Dec. 9

WILD TURKEY (by permit only) .............................................. .

Maya

May 28

WOODCOCK ........................................................................ .

Oct. 2

Nov. 15

COMMON SNIPE................................................................. ..

Sept.1

Dec. 16

DUCKS, GEESE, SEA DUCKS (seater, eider, old squaw) ....... .

Permit application period: mid-Dec. to Feb. 1 annually 6

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

RAILS (Sora and Virginia) .. .. ..... .. ............... .. ...... ...... ..... ...... .. ..... .... .

Sept. 1

Nov. 9

GALLINULES ....................................................................... .

Sept. 1

Nov. 9

CROW .................................................................................. ..

Mar. 14

Apr. 30

July 16

Sept. 29

BOBCAT............................................................................... .

Dec. 1

Jan . 31

FOX ...................................................................................... ..

Oct. 30

Feb. 15

GRAY SQUIRREL ................................................................ .

Oct. 2

Nov. 30

** ...................... ..

Oct. 2

Mar. 31

RACCOON ........................................................................... .

Oct.30

Dec. 15

SKUNK ..................................................................................

Oct. 30

Dec. 15

RABBIT(Cottontail) and HARE (Snowshoe)

COYOTE, WOODCHUCK, PORCUPINE, RED SQUIRREL

NO CLOSED SEASON FOR HUNTING

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

NO OPEN SEASON FOR HUNTING

* Several bear hunting law changes in effect in 1989. See law booklet for details. ** Unlawful to hunt rabbits with dogs during any open firearms season on deer in Hancock, Knox, Lincoln , Sagadahoc, Waldo, and Wash ington counties. SUNDAY HUNTING: Illegal in Maine. SHOOTING HOURS: On animals , 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset except during any firearms season on deer, when 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 license-stamp 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 trad itions 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 will we earn the respect and support of the general public.

OPERATION GAME THIEF: Poachers are Thieves. Rewards are paid for information on game law ... v~olatior.is. Call 1-800-ALERT US (253-7887). Caller identification protected.

SKIDDERS AND APPLE TREES: How Do They Relate? by Joseph Wiley

At first thought, one can't find too much connection. But think in terms of ''Super-Skidder'' and the imperiled apple tree heroine and ...

veryone knows that apple trees provide fruit and browse which is utilized by many species of Maine wildlife. Most of the apple trees originated from plantings made by early settlers. As these hill farms have been abandoned, the forest has reclaimed many of them, including their orchards. Eventually. the forest trees will overtop and shade out the apple trees. slowly killing them. Apple tree release is a common wildlife management practice which is used to restore apple treesÂˇ vigor and stimulate fruit production. This is usually done using hand crews with chain saws, and the trees cut to release the apple trees are girdled or felled and left in place. Such an apple tree release was planned along the Sunday River Road in the Bureau of Public Lands' Mahoosuc Mountain Unit in the town of Riley. near Bethel. While marking apple trees for release. I found more than 200 in an area of only about 10 acres. This was clearly going to be a project of greater magnitude than most!

Representativ~before (below) and after (right) pictures illustrate very well the effect that apple tree release has upon the entangled fruit trees. Increased sunlight and access to the air stimulate fruit production on these formerly overgrown trees - which is just what the deer and other animals like!

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

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

Knowing of a nearby timber operation, I approached the bureau's western region manager, Ralph Knoll, about the possibility of using the harvesting crew to release the apple trees, thereby allowing them to utilize the trees cut in the process. We approached contractor Fernand Corriveau of Gilead and explained what we wanted to do. He was willing to give it a try, and walked a two-acre sample area with us, flagging apple trees as we went. The trees shading the apple trees were cut by chain saw, limbed at the stumps, and skidded to a nearby woodyard with a John Deere 440 cable skidder. Most of the trees that were cut were utilized as hardwood pulp; a few were used as logs. The results were, and are, truly impressive! The crowns of these newly released apple trees receive full sunlight for at least part of the day; the vigor of the trees has already improved. There was very little damage to any of the residual trees, apple or otherwise, partly due to being cut in winter on frozen ground. The bureau's wildlife objective was accomplished - and at a net profit! Based on the results of the trail area, the remaining area with apple trees will be similarly treated this coming winter. Here's a case in point: properly planned, skidders and wildlife can be compatible! â&#x20AC;˘

If you are a property owner and have located overgrown apple trees on your property, you can benefit the wildlife in your area by releasing these apple trees yourself. Just follow these four steps to give an apple tree a second chance: 1. Carefully examine the tree, looking for dead branches, diseased wood, more than one stem, etc. If there is more than one stem, cut off all but the hardiest as close to the ground as possible. 2. Remove all shrubs and other trees back to the drip line of the apple tree. Remove any large shading trees on at least three sides, especially towards the south. Remove all dead branches from the apple tree, cutting as close to . the living limbs as possible. 3. Remove about one third of the remaining live growth on the apple tree. Try, as you are doing this, to open up thick clusters of branches. Do not remove short spur branches on the sides of larger ones - these are fruit-bearing branches. If the tree is a sapling, the top may be removed to encourage branching. 4. Fertilize the tree with a liquid solution of calcium nitrate or ammonium nitrate fertilizer in a narrow band around the tree directly below the drip line. Use five pounds for a large tree, three pounds for a smaller one-, one pound at least three feet from the base for a very small tree.

Six Figures! (continued from page 22; Course graduates to date are: Hunter Education

ATV Snowmobile Trapping Boating Safety Archery

103,000 4,190 12,174 327 410 901

There is no way to know how many people have received certificates of training by organizations we recognize by policy, such as US Power Squadron, USCG Auxiliary, and similar units. Certainly it is fair to say outdoor enthusiasts are not neglectful of their training. We have another closely related responsibility, Search and Rescue. This course came naturally because of the very nature of a state so vast and over 90 percent wooded. How-

ever, the legislature made it clear in 1979 that we were the lead agency in all inland and water searches and recovery (a staggering assignment when you consider we had no helicopters, no budget, and were to get no help!). Volunteers came to the rescue once again. Having been appointed SAR Coordinator, I was in a good position to know the possibilities of volunteerism. There were already a number of SAR teams in existence - some of them needed to recruit, reorganize, and step up, others simply needed encouragement. We now have 12 dependable teams scattered throughout the state, including professionally trained dog teams which are closely allied with Warden Service. In addition, Maine State

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

Prison and Charleston Correctional Facility have bloodhound teams, and are most generous in their assistance. There are military, para-military, and police teams who are in a sense volunteers in as much as this duty is outside their normal assignments and who, like game wardens volunteering for extra duty on the Search Management Team, volunteer with their own units for this added duty. As an indication of their interest, we, along with Mental Health and Mental Retardation, held a symposium at Brunswick Naval Air Station on the psychology of search and rescue. In spite of an ice storm preventing travel, 285 searchers were able to come from four states and Canada! As we step into this next decade, we're still hunting and fishing and enjoying nature and volunteers are helping us do so every step of the way. â&#x20AC;˘ 27

Maine Woods Monarch (continued from page 17) nately, two yearling female caribou died shortly after arrival. "Tiffany Scratcher" hyperventilated severely and died of overexertion. She may have had an adverse reaction to the tranquilizing drug or become severely stressed during transport. "Debby" died of shock after her femur was broken by the tranquilizing dart. Loss of these valuable animals was unfortunate and measures will be taken to eliminate such losses in future transfers. Our plan to hold the caribou in the release enclosure was foiled when two yearlings, "Kathy" and "Davey," found openings under the fence and gained their freedom sooner than anticipated. They explored the immediate area and made a rapid-but-successful transition from life in ca~tivity to life in the wild. We were concerned that the young caribou might not recognize predators, but Kathy allayed those fears when she escaped two marauding coyotes after just two weeks of freedom. Monitoring the two "escapees" in April provided valuable information about the behavior of released caribou before we liberated the remaining caribou. Finally, on May 3 the remaining caribou were released to the wild. The release was a quiet affair as we simply opened one side of the enclosure to allow the animals their freedom. The caribou, unaware of their new freedom, milled around the enclosure for a while and appeared reluctant to leave. Finally, after we gently herded the animals toward the opening, "Tuckamore" and "Caanan" stepped outside the enclosure. The others followed, fed briefly 28

on a fallen tree festooned with lichens, then bounded into the forest and quickly out of sight. Five caribou were later seen by park rangers running down a road at full speed, seemingly kicking up their heels with joy! Maine once again had a wild herd of caribou!

Bruce

Connery, a wildlife bi-

ologist from Alaska, was hired to monitor the movements of the new caribou herd. Most animals stayed within two to three miles of the release site for several weeks in May. However, two 2year-old female caribou, "Daisy" and "Yarrow," began moving northward two weeks after release. Within a week, both animals were traveling five to twelve miles per day and were well out of radio contact from the park. Jack McPhee, a former warden pilot, tracked the animals by aircraft. "Yarrow" traveled in an unerring compass bearing due north, crossing numerous logging roads, rivers and lakes being sighted along the way by several people. She finally settled on a hillside near Allagash where she spent most of the summer. "Daisy" traveled on a northwesterly bearing and crossed into Quebec at St. Pamphile after quickly negotiating the Allagash, St. John and Big Black River systems. She continued northwest to Tourville, Quebec, a scant 15 miles from the western Maine border during the remainder of the summer. Why these older female caribou would be the only caribou to travel north was the topic of much conjecture. We first believed that their travels were of a

biological origin, perhaps related to calving. It is well known that female woodland caribou attempt to remove themselves from the herd during calving, then rejoin the herd later in the summer - an adaptation to become less vulnerable to wolf predation. We know that our female caribou are maturing a year ahead of their wild counterparts because of the excellent nutrition they receive in captivity. Two 2year-old caribou retained in Orono both produced calves in 1989. However, we were able to observe both wandering caribou from the air and ground during the summer and documented that neither was accompanied by a calf. We will never know whether they perhaps had calves and lost them to predation, disease or accident. Now we question whether these caribou will return to Baxter Park for the October breeding season using the same "internal compass" that they used to orient northward? In the three months following release, the remaining caribou have done exactly what we had hoped, remaining in a relatively small range within the confines of Baxter State Park. The caribou eventually dispersed throughout all portions of the park. By mid-summer "Aspen," "Davey," and "Fogo" returned to the vicinity of the release site and remained together as a group. A few lucky hikers have excitedly reported glimpses of caribou or caribou tracks in remote areas of the park, but for the most part, the animals remain secretive and difficult to observe. Bruce Connery monitors each of the caribou in the park on a daily basis. These studies will ultimately provide information to determine dispersal and seasonal movements, social behavior, habitat use, and suIVival

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

information, which will be used to evaluate the success of the reintroduction experiment. The information we collect is already of paramount interest to groups in Minnesota and Nova Scotia who are contemplating similar reintroduction programs

tis important that we document the fate of each caribou released into the wild. We fully expected that caribou would die from a variety of causes, including accidents, predation and disease. On May 18, Bruce received the first mortality signal, from "Dandy," a 2-year-old male, in the remote Traveler Mountain region of the park. After an arduous climb on treacherous terrain, we found where "Dandy" had fallen head-long down a talus slope to his death. By midsummer, we documented two other mortalities of yearling male caribou. "Dirigo" died of injuries sustained from a coyote attack, and "Canaan" apparently died of the brainworm parasite, likely acquired at the Orono facility. By August, seven caribou remained within the confines of the park - four males and three females - and two wandering female caribou were still to the north. We are anxiously awaiting the October breeding season to determine if the young caribou will successfully locate each other. Intensive monitoring of the caribou will continue yearround. In late summer two computerized receiving stations will be installed on mountaintops in Baxter Park. These units represent state-of-the-art technology and have only been used previously on the California Condor project in the Southwest. Eventually four of these units will be in operation and we'll be able to monitor and locate all of the radio-tagged caribou in the park every half hour, greatly

facilitating our goal of closely monitoring the 80 to 100 radiocollared caribou that will be released by 1992. Wildlife restoration projects are difficult ventures at best and are frequently the victim of unforeseen turns of events. Our effort to return caribou to Maine has been no exception. Despite our success at establishing a small, but relatively sedentary herd of caribou in Baxter Park, two unexpected problems surfaced with the nursery herd located at the University of Maine during the summer of 1989. The University caribou enclosures had been expanded by 13 acres into the University forest in 1987. White-tailed deer had frequented this area. We realized that placing the caribou in an area where deer had been represented some risk of infection from the brainworm parasite present in the snail population (the alternate host for the parasite). We used molluscicides to kill snails, constructed a snail barrier around the perimeter of the facility to prevent infected snails from entering the caribou pens, and treated the caribou with the antiparasitic drug ivennectin. Despite these extensive measures, three of the caribou calves born in 1988 contracted the disease and died (including "Canaan" in Baxter Park). Apparently these caribou had consumed residual infected snails in the enclosure while they were nursing from their mothers and before they obtained the ivennectin in their food. Steppedup measures in 1989 to further rid the enclosures of snails and treat the young caribou with ivennectin will hopefully prevent further losses. A more serious problem developed in late-June 1989 when seven of the twelve surviving calves born in 1989 and one adult female contracted a disease

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

of unknown origin and died suddenly. We took emergency measures to Âˇsave the animals by rushing sick calves to Tufts Veterinary College in Massachusetts where they were cared for by renowned wildlife veterinarians. Despite the best of care, the animals died. A battery of diagnostic tests were done to search for everything from heavy metal contamination to viral and bacterial agents, buf all tests returned negative. Being left with no diagnosis, we are very concerned about the possibility of recurrence of the illness. This temporary turn of events has prompted us to reevaluate future options for the project. We are still committed to our goal of releasing 80 to 100 caribou into the wilds of northern Maine. However, we are presently investigating some innovative changes in release strategy tnat will give us the best possible chances of success in restoring a herd. At this writing, we have been discussing the possibility of augmenting the wild or captive herd with more caribou from Newfoundland . Changes may also be made in our release program to bolster calf production in the wild. Whatever options we pursue, we remain true to our goal of reestablishing this majestic animal to Maine. Both successes and frustrations will surely be experienced during the remaining years of our project.

ovemor Baxter and Governor Hildreth (who contributed the seed money to initiate the project) were undoubtedly watching from somewhere last spring as caribou were liberated into Baxter State Park. We hope that from their vantage point they and thousands of other Maine people who have shared a dream to return caribou to Maine have approved of our efforts. â&#x20AC;˘ 29

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS STEEL SHOT AWARD The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has received an award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its pioneering role in replacing environmentally harmful lead shot with steel pellets for waterfowl hunting. The award, which recognizes Maine's efforts in paving the way for acceptance of new steel shot restrictions, was presented to Fish and Wildlife Commissioner William Vail by Ron Lambertson, Northeast Regional Director of the federal agency. The department, under the direction of Safety Officer Gary Anderson, conducted a New England-wide workshop for steel shot instructors, who then went out throughout Maine and other northeastern states and conducted public seminars in the use of steel shot. Many Fish and Wildlife Department employees, including wardens, biologists and safety officers volunteered for this extra training ijnd duty. Maine also led the country in mandating the statewide use of steel shot two years before the federal deadline. Commissioner Vail, in acknowledging Maine's pioneer role in the acceptance and promotion of environmentally safe steel shot, stressed the importance of a large, cooperative effort in making the transition possible. He noted that L.L. Bean helped sponsor the instructors' course and supplied teaching aids, as well as hosting the graduation exercise. The National Rifle Association supplied technological support. Director Lambertson said this was the first time such a project was successfully carried out by a diverse group which included industry, state and federal governments, and a private membership club. The federal mandate to replace lead with steel shot was prompted by the harm done to waterfowl and other birds which ingest the toxic lead pellets when feeding in the bottom sediments of wetlands.

1989 TURKEY KILL SETS NEW RECORD Maine turkey hunters finished the three-week spring hunting season with another record harvest. Regional Wildlife Biologist Philip Bozenhard, who coordinates the annual turkey hunt and directed the program to reintroduce wild turkeys to Maine, said 19 male turkeys were registered during the open season. Turkey hunting, in its fourth year in Maine, is restricted to York County. The first three seasons produced 9, 8 and 16 wild turkeys, respectively. Bozenhard attributes the slow but steady increase to two factors: the steady growth of the turkey population since they were first introduced, in 1977, and the fact that some Maine hunters are becoming more proficient at hunting the wary game birds.

Nine of the wild turkeys taken this year were harvested in the town of Eliot, three each in South Berwick and Kennebunk, and one each in Kittery, Biddeford, Dayton, Sanford, West Berwick and Wells.

CITIZEN ACTION HELPS WARDENS NAB VIOLATORS Quick action by citizens who witnessed apparent wildlife law violations has resulted in trips to court for several wrong-doers. In late May, Game Warden Lloyd Perkins was notified by Al Judkins, a state motor vehicle inspector who resides at Cobbosseecontee Lake, that he had observed people in a boat shooting at loons. Another lakeside resident loaned Warden Perkins the use of a boat, enabling him to get on the lake to investigate the report with no loss of time.

HUNTING, FISHING ON THE INCREASE NATIONALLY The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reports that for the second consecutive year the number of people buying state hunting and fishing licenses increased, as did the amounts they paid for those licenses. A total of 15,918,522 people bought hunting licenses in fiscal year 1988, compared to 15,812,528 in 1987. Licensed fishermen numbered 31,478,490 last year, compared to 30,345,714. Meanwhile, the National Sporting Goods Association ranked fishing as the fourth most popular individual sports activity in the United States. Swimming topped the list, followed by exercise walking, bicycling, fishing, camping, bowling, motor boating, billiards/pool, exercise with equipment, aerobic exercising, running/Jogging, golf, hunting/ shooting, roller skating, hiking, dart throwing and tennis.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report revealed that state hunting license revenues increased from $345 million in 1987 to almost $381 million in 1988. Fishing license revenues went from $315 million to almost $330 million. In Maine, 1988 total resident and nonresident hunting licenses, tags, permits and stamps numbered 247,061 , generating total revenue of $5,412,741. Resident and nonresident angling licenses totaled 266,717, producing total fees of $4,387,107. Since record keeping of hunting license revenue began in 1923, hunters have paid more than $5.5 billion to state agencies for the privilege to hunt. Since 1933, anglers have paid more than $4.9 billion for licenses. Those sources are the basic funding support for state fish and wildlife conservation programs.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

Perkins' investigation led him to a boat containing three Massachusetts men, who first denied the shooting. After an inspection of their boat disclosed a sawed-off .22 caliber rifle concealed in a compartment, the warden arrested the men and brought them to shore. Perkins said he saw one of them toss a bag of bullets into a shoe in an attempt to hide them. Later appearing in Augusta District Court, one of the three admitted shooting at the loons, which apparently were not hit by the shots. He was fined $500 for unlawfully hunting wild birds, and $50 for hunting from a motorboat. Similar charges against the other two were dropped. Early in August the combined efforts of a private citizen and several game wardens and Allagash Wilderness Wateiway rangers resulted in the arrest of two Connecticut men charged with killing a "tame" doe deer and leaving her twin fawns orphaned. The incident began unfolding about 1 p.m. August 2, when Jim Umphrey, tender of Lock Dam between Eagle and Chamberain lakes in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, contacted the Warden Service headquarters in Ashland to report the shooting. Umphrey said he had observed a boat containing several men coming down Chamberain Lake. As the boat pulled near shore, one of the passengers pulled out a handgun, aimed and fired at one of the pet deer which are familiar and popular with visiting campers to the remote dam site. Umphrey said he observed the boat pull to the shore and the men enter the woods, and then he heard another shot. Umphrey then boated several miles down the lake to a private sporting camp to use its radio telephone to contact the Warden Service. The radio dispatcher at the Ashland Warden Service headquarters, Lynda Sikorski, then contacted Lt. Steve Hall at the Greenville office. Hall made contact with Warden Pilot Jim Welch, who picked up Warden Sgt. David Sewall at Medway and flew him to Lock Dam. Meanwhile, the closest enforcement officer to the scene was Assis-

tant Warden Willard Brannen, who was at a warden camp at Round Pond and heard the radio calls. He traveled to the dam site by truck over woods roads, and was the first officer at the scene, followed soon by Sgt. Sewall and Pilot Welch. The wardens apprehended two Connecticut men on charges of hunting deer in closed season. One was further charged with having a concealed weapon - a .357 magnum pistol - on his person. Sgt. Sewall said other charges may be brought against the men before their arraignment, which was scheduled for early September in Millinocket District Court. Sewall had high praise for all individuals and agencies involved in the apprehension, including the dam tender, the Allagash Wateiway rangers who assisted in communications, and the Warden Service personnel.

ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL AGENTS CITED The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has recognized several trappers for their outstanding performance in the field of animal damage control. Cited for their effectiveness in catching nuisance coyotes were Horace Farrar, Sebec; Colin Bates, Caratunk; Verdell "Casey" Lacasce, Greenville; Ashton Robinson, New Vineyard; Paul Malicky, Old Town; Ivan Porter, Portage; Tylor Kelly and Jeny McBrierty, Allagash; and Rudolph Michalka of Oxbow. Animal Damage Control Coordinator Herny Hilton, presented the citations at the annual Animal Damage Control Seminar, sponsored by the department in June at the Skowhegan Sportsmen's Club. The featured speaker at this year's seminar was Tom Miranda of Chamberlain, South Dakota. Miranda is famous for his trapping lures and videos on trapping and

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

KID-BITS ANSWERS 1-L

5-C

9-E

2-1 3-H 4-F

6-K

10-D 11-A

7-J 8-G

12-B

hunting. He also has a regular column in FUR, FISH AND GAME Magazine. Also cited at the seminar for extraordinary assistance in solving beaver and other nuisance wildlife problems were Paul Nichols of Bristol; Phil and Beverly Kelly of Belfast; Julian Rubenstein, Waldoboro; Ronald Hanson, Gardiner; Elden and Laurie McLean, Madison; Richard Burton, Island Falls; Harold Kneeland, Passadumkeag; and Ronald Bouley, Sr., Fort Kent. Other awards were presented to Joseph Baldwin of Garland and James Strang of Orrington, for their past successful efforts in animal damage control and frequent support and contributions to department training programs.

EAGLE SITE PROTECTION RULES PROPOSED Nesting areas used by the endangered bald eagle would receive additional protection from disturbance by developments and other projects under rules currently under consideration. If adopted by the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council, the rules would prohibit certain types of development activity within onequarter mile of approximately 150 eagle nest sites in Maine. The council will meet in the near future to consider the proposals, following public hearings in Machias, Bangor and Augusta. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Bill Vail said the rules are designed to protect bald eagle nesting sites from disturbances which can cause the endangered birds to abandon them. He said implementation of the rules will help assure that development and other land use changes requiring a state or municipal permit will not Jeopardize continued recovery of eagle populations. Eagle nesting habitat is the first endangered species habitat proposed for protection under provisions of a 1988 amendment to the Maine Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Department has prepared maps showing each eagle nesting site proposed for protection, with each site delineated by a circle with a radius of approximately 1,320 feet and centered ap-

proximately on the nest. The maps will be available for use by state and local agencies which handle building permits. The proposed rules would restrict land use activities requiring a permit or license from, or to be funded or carried out by, a state agency or municipal government, unless it is determined that the activity would not significantly alter or unreasonably harm the nesting habitat. Included in the prohibitions are subdivision of land or buildings; construction, installation, expansion, alteration or repair of permanent structures; agricultural management; mineral exploration and extraction; forest management; road projects and construction; shoreland alteration; utility construction; water crossing; water impoundment; aquaculture; conversion of seasonal dwelling; installation of subsurface wastewater disposal system; and issuance of an exemption to the minimum lot size. The proposed rules consider the following factors in determining the impact these activities on eagle nesting sites: • Noise and human activity. • Physical alteration to the landscape which could make the site less suitable for eagles. • Destruction of or alteration to key habitat components such as perch trees, roost trees, and foraging areas. • Reduction in the seclusion of the nest and the adjacent shoreland area. • Demonstrated tolerance of the eagles to human activity and disturbance. • Reduction in the future suitability of the nest site to bald eagles. Maine historically was home to hundreds of pairs of bald eagles, which nested along undisturbed shores of the coast, major rivers and lakes. Eagles habitually return each year to the same nest site to raise young. Some sites have been used by many generations of eagles over hundreds of years. Bald eagle populations were dramatically reduced in recent decades by human influences, including the effects of chemical residues. The widely used pesticide DDT, before it was banned, was blamed for inhibit-

ing the successful production of eagle young. Bald eagle populations declined nationwide, as well as in Maine. In 1989, 109 nesting pairs of eagles were observed in a statewide survey conducted by the department.

MISERY GORE NO MORE Following an act of the Maine legislature, and a signature by Governor John McKernan, one of the state's more colorful township names has gone the way of gasoline for a quarter a gallon and become a fond memory. Through official act, Misery Gore - a long, skinny piece of forested real estate west of Moosehead Lake - has been absorbed into adjoining townships. How its name came about is not clear, but local legend has it that Misery Gore was created in the early 1800s through an error which left a narrow sliver of land between two township lines established by separate surveying teams. Though it has officially disappeared, there will always be a Misery Gore in the hearts of followers of unusual place names. Still on the map, however, are Moxie, Hibberts' and Veazie gores, among others.

EAGLE RETURNS TO MAINE After three years of captivity and rehabilitation, a mature bald eagle called Ten-Sixty is again free and soaring the Maine skies. Fish and Wildlife Department Wildlife Biologist Charles Todd and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Richard Stott released the eagle at the department's Merrymeeting Wildlife Management Area in Bowdoinham in July after fitting it with numbered and color-coded leg tags for future identification. Ten-Sixty received national attention after she was picked up as a sick bird by two men from South Addison in eastern Maine in August 1986. John Herring and his son, Gregg, saw the eagle fall into a beaver pond in front of their canoe and saved her from drowning. They wrapped her in a Jacket and called Todd, who brought the bird to Dr. Ronald Lott of Orono.

Following treatment for an apparent old fracture of a bone in the breast, an attempt was made to release the bird, but she was too weak to fly. Subsequently, the eagle was taken to the Wildlife Clinic at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, where veterinarians assigned her the case number which subsequently became her name. Among the high-tech tests performed on Ten-Sixty by the Tufts veterinarians were CAT scans, Xrays and complete blood workups. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in nearby Worcester revealed soft tissue in the brain, which they concluded was a blood clot - possibly the result of an impact. It was decided by Dr. Mark Pokras, the veterinarian in charge of the case, to "let nature take its course." After six months of tests and rehabilitation at Tufts, Ten-Sixty was still unable to fly but was otherwise healthy. She was moved to the New England Science Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, and became part of its raptor display. This spring, when the bird began showing interest in flying, Dr. Pokras returned her to Tufts and placed her in a flight cage. After several months of strengthening her flying skills, she was given her final "physical exam" by Dr. Pokras and pronounced fit to be released. Biologist Todd says he selected Merrymeetlng Bay for the release site because it has abundant eagle habitat. Merrymeetlng Bay once contained Maine's largest population of bald eagles, but their numbers declined after World War II due to the increasing use of pesticides, notably DDT, which affected their reproduction. When Todd tossed the bird into the air, she flew strongly despite a gusty wind, crossing a 200-yard field and circling to land on a large pine tree. Department game wardens and biologists will continue to monitor Ten-Sixty as she adjusts to her new Maine home.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Fall 1989

PRESERVING A MAINE TRADITION The Maine TREE Foundation has launched a new program to demonstrate landowners' commitment to continuing the ecades-long tradition of public access to Maine's millions of acres of privately owned working woodlands. The program, called Project LandShare, identifies land available for public recreation and encourages continued '"esponsible public use of the state's extensive privately owned forests. The Maine TREE (Timber Research & Environmental Education) Foundation is a program of the Maine Forest Products Council (MFPC) that sponsors education and communications efforts aimed at increasingÂˇ public awareness of e many values associated with Maine's working forest. The MFPC itself is a statewide forestry association based in ugusta that represents over 500 forest landowners as well as loggers, foresters, processors, sawmills and other firms involved with Maine's timber industry. â&#x20AC;˘ MFPC members account for over 11 million acres of working woodlands (more than half the area of Maine), 98 percent of which are open for public use. "We'd like people to know exactly how much forest land is currently open for public recreation," said Chip Bessey, who as MFPC president spearheaded Project LandShare. "For generations Maine forest owners, from those with ten-acre private woodlots to large forest management firms , have shared their private lands with the public," he continued. "It's a unique Maine tradition that we're committed to continuing. Project LandShare exemplifies our commitment." The program is also designed to fo ster appreciation that Maine's working woodlands are managed for timber production, and to encourage people to respect those forests as they would their neighbors' land, according to Ted Johnston, MFPC executive director. "The MFPC," he said, "hopes Project LandShare will encourage people to be mindful of the potential damage caused by onroad and off-road vehicle use, camping and campfires, trash disposal and other aspects of forest recreation." Recreational uses like hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are compatible with managing land for timber production, said Johnston. "We're reminding people to use common sense when enjoying the woods, like not stopping their cars in the middle of a logging road, or hunting around forest operations," he said. More people are recreating in Maine's productive woodlands than ever before, according to Roger Milliken, chairman of the MFPC's Multiple Use Committee. Rising public use, he said, is the result of two developments. First, modern forest industry practices have opened millions of acres to public use that were inaccessible in years past. "In the old days, logs were run down rivers to mills," said Milliken. "Today, roads are used to get to the timber, and hE:y provide easy access for the motoring public. Recreational use is pervading the woods like never before. " The second development is a heightened public demand for forest experiences and outdoor adventure. Said MFPC President Bessey, "The cost of maintenance for recreational use can be substantial for owners of woodlands, particularly those with small- to medium-sized tracts." That expense, he said, gets added on to the already high costs of managing and harvesting working woodlands. And that makes responsible public use of those forests vital. "We appreciate the vast majority of people who respect managed woodlands and exercise care when using them ," said Bessey. "Project LandShare is our commitment to keeping woodlands open for the public to enjoy." Maine Fish and Wildlife Commissioner William J. Vail applauded this program, calling it "just the type of private effort that is needed to improve relations between landowners and land users." Vail added that ''the long-term issue of public access to private land can best be addressed through a cooperative approach involving state and local governments, private landowners, and the land users."

Landowners providing public access Your care will help keep these worldng fflXXllands open for everyone

Maine TREE Foundation

Maine Department o f Inland Fisheries and Wildlife â&#x20AC;˘ 284 State Street â&#x20AC;˘ Augusta, Maine 04333

Clash of the seasons, late summer - a regiment of flowers against a single autumn sentinel. But autumn eventually wins! Photo courtesy Holly Hamilton