Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Summer 1993

~AINE

FISH AND WILDLIFE SUMMER 1993

$3.50

EDITORIAL

It's Time.

• •

Time, and The Times, have caught up with Maine Fish and Wildlife; we must now announce a subscription rate increase.

That's the bad news - but there are two items of good news. First, the new rates will not go into effect until the Fall 1993 issue, and second, they'll only be going up a modest amount - $2 on a year's subscription.

In the meantime, we're offering cost-conscious readers a rare opportunity to beat inflation: From now until the Fall 1993 issue comes out, in September, you may renew or extend your subscription for as many years as you'd like at the current rate, $7 per year.

Time - more accurately, inflation - is partly responsible for the rate increase. It has been more than four years since subscription fees were last raised. During that time, we've implemented changes like increased use of computer technology to keep magazine production costs down; and we've deliberately done other things - switching to recycled/recyclable paper, for example - that have increased costs. Most costs, however, are beyond our control, and they're higher today than in 1988.

The Times are also a factor in the rate increase. Putting it mildly, these are not the best of budgetary times for government agencies anywhere. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which has never been exceptionally prosperous, has been struggling of late just to meet the basic needs. To continue to meet them over the next few years, the department needs additional revenues, which an increase in hunting and fishing license fees will provide, beginning next year.

The legislative process that led to the license fee hike included a thorough appraisal of the cost and importance of all of the department's programs, including the publication of Maine Fish and Wildlife.

The conclusion was that while the magazine is a nice publication and a popular one. with educational (and other) values, it is not a basic need of the department, and in the future must be financially self-sufficient. Subscription revenues currently fall short of total production costs, including salaries, by a relatively small amount. This rate increase is part of the formula for closing that gap.

Definitely NOT part of the formula is giving you any less magazine for your money. We are committed to producing the same high-quality publication we have in the past. We hope you continue to enjoy it.

~AINE

______.,,,,Governor John R. McKernan, Jr.

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Norman E. Trask, Acting Commissioner Frederick B. Hurley, Jr., Director, Bureau of Resource Management Charles A. Atwater, Director, Bureau of Administrative Services Herbert W. Vernon, Director, Bureau of Warden Service Advisory Council Eugene Churchill, Orland Chairman Gary Cobb, North New Portland Vice Chairman John Crabtree, Warren Dr. Ogden Small, Caribou Alanson Noble. Otisfield, Carroll Cutting, East Sebago Gene Brown, Durham Thomas Jagger, Sanford Wilmot Robinson, Millinocket Joseph Robbins, Machias Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine W. Thomas Shoener, Editor Thomas J. Chamberlain, Managing Editor Thomas L. Carbone, Photo Editor Denise M. Moore, Advertising All photographs in this issue were made by the Public Information & Education Division unless otherwise indicated.

MAINE FISH AND WIWUFE (ISSN 0360-005}() is published quarterly by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Station 41, Augusta. Maine 04330, under Appropriation 01009A-0529. Subscription rate: $14.00 per year. No stamps. please. Second class postage paid at Augusta, Maine and at additional mailing offices. © Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. 1993.

Permission to reprint text material is granted, provided proper credit is given to the author and to MAINE FISH AND WIWUFE. Clearance must be obtained from artists. photographers, and non-staff authors to reproduce credited work.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send both old and new addresses to Circulation Section, MAINE FISH AND WIWUFE Magazine, 284 State St .. Sta. #4 l, Augusta ME 04333. Please allow six weeks for changes to take effect. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Circulation Section, MAINE FISH AND WIWUFE, 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 department programs and activities must be operated free from discrimination with regard to race. color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against should write to The Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.

FISH AND WILDLIFE SUM MER 1993

VOL. 35, NO. 2

Features

by Dave Phillips,

2

The American Marten

Ted Chapin, & Ken Elowe

Meet one of the most significant habitat barometers in Maine

Deer, Bear Seasons 1992

5

Wrap-ups on the how-manys, wheres, and whats of last season 's harvests

RABIES

6

by Henry Hilton

Get (cautiously) acquainted with this re-emerging threat

A New State Record Fish!

9

A lunker splake takes its place as a new state record!

Brownfield Bog

10

by Warren E. Eldridge

Take a tour of one 's of Maine's many interesting wildlife management areas.

Help From Shore

14

by Ron Ben nett

You don 't have to "get out there" to help someone in trouble in the water

The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine

18

by George A. Smith

This first in a series takes a look at Maine 's statewide sportsman 's organization

Preserving Natural Lands: Conservation Options

23

by Flis Schauffler

Three ways you can protect your valuable natural area

Conservation Careers: Fisheries Management

26

by Kendall Warner

A veteran fisheries biologist relates what's involved in this rewarding career

Legendary Wardens

28

by Michael L. Ritchie

As a new one is named, Maine 's five "legendary" wardens are honored

Departments KID- BITS

16

FROM THE FLY TYING BENCH: The Little Pickerel

21

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS

30

The f ront Cover: "DAY'S END - CANOE COUNTRY" by Lee Stroncek.

Artwork courtesy of the artist and Wild Wings, Inc., Lake City, MN. Prints available. Phone t -800-445-4833.

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Printed with vegetable-based inks on recyclable paper

The

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er1can Marten

by Dave Phillips,Ted Chapin,

and Dr. Kenneth Elowe The University of Maine and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have been conducting research on marten cooperatively since 1989 under the direction of Dr. Dan Harrison and Dr. Ken Elowe. Former graduate student Don Katnik, current students Dave Phillips and Ted Chapin, and research associate Tom Hodgman have all contributed significantly to this ongoing project.

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Ame: ican marten, also called marten, pine marten, or North American sable, is a common yet seldom seen inhabitant of Maine's north woods.

This member of the weasel family, whose relatives include the fisher, short- and long-tailed weasel, river otter, and skunk, is found from Alaska, south to the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountain states, across Canada, and into the northern half of Maine.

Martens are long and slender, with a pointed nose and bushy tail. They vary in total length from about 18 to 30 inches, and the males are usually about half again larger than the females. Their color varies from dark brown to a blonde shade known as "canary." The marten's head and cheeks are usually lighter colored than the rest of its body, and each animal has a uniquely shaped patch of orange on its throat and chest.

Martens eat a wide variety of foods, including red squirrels, snowshoe hares and other small mammals, but voles make up the largest portion of their diet. Certain other items show up in the marten's diet based on their seasonable availability:

2

Maine Fish and Wildlife

Q.

birds and eggs in June and July, berries later in the summer, and in the fall, beech nuts provide a valuable source of nutrition. Martens are commonly thought to hunt extensively in trees, but actually do most of their hunting on the ground.

The American marten is an ecologically, economically and aesthetically important species in Maine. As a result of research done in western states, martens are considered to be habitat specialists associated with mature, conifer-dominated forests. In fact, in most national forests in the We t, marten are considered an indicator species of mature, conifer-dominated forests. The rate at which that forest type is being harvested in Maine suggests that further consideration of marten habitat requirements is necessary in order to conserve and manage the species in this state.

Authors Phillips and Chapin are graduate students at the University of Maine. Dr. Elowe is Mammal Group leader for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Besearch is answering many questions about this f'urbearer's future in Main.e's changing north woods.

It is important, when discussing a species' habitat, to make a distinction between habitat requirements and selection of a habitat. Requirement denotes that an animal cannot survive without a habitat, whereas animals may select, or have a preference for, a habitat they do not necessarily require.

In the West, where most previous marten habitat research studies have been done, martens may select for mature conifers, but it should not be inferred from these studies that conifers are required. Most hardwood habitat there consists of pure aspen stands. In the eastern states, hardwood forests are older and more structurally complex. Martens may require a structural component present in western coniferous forests, and not the conifers themselves.

This structural element may be present in both hardwood and softwood forests in the East.

Because of their long, thin body shape, martens easily lose heat to the environment, and it is especially important that they have places to stay warm in the winter. Cavities in dead, partially decayed logs and stumps provide insulated resting sites, and downed logs and stumps also allow martens to enter spaces beneath the snow without having to dig directly through the snow crust. The ground structure that logs and stumps provide also serves as habitat for small mammal prey species, such as voles, that martens hunt throughout the winter.

Thus, although martens may require forested areas, woody debris may also be a required compo-

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nent of their habitat. Mature hardwood and mixedwood forests, and fir and spruce stands killed by the spruce bud worm, can have substantial amounts of dead woody debris on the forest floor, depending on the age of the stand and past cutting practices.

Marten populations are vulnerable to over-harvesting Locations of the two by trapping because of their low reprocomparative study areas ductive rate, ease of capture, and stable pelt price relative to other furbearers. Throughout much of the species' original range, over-trapping was a major cause of its extirpation. As roadbuilding associated with timber harvesting increases in northern Maine, the access and efficiency of trappers improves. The specific habitat requirements of the marten and its vulnerability to over-harvesting suggest a need for the integration of forest management with population management programs of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Thus, understanding and quantifying the relationships between habitat alteration, trapping pressure, and marten popula-

Woody debris such as that pictured at left, preferred habitat of martens, is plentiful in the uncut Baxter State Park study area. In contrast, the aerial of the Telos study area (far left) shows the cutover areas, which create significant differences in habitat for the marten and other species .

Summer 1993

3

tion dynamics, is essential to successful management of the species.

One objective of our research is to explain the home range and territorial behavior of martens in a heavily trapped area and compare it to that in an untrapped area. This will help in estimating the numbers of martens that can live in a particular area. The other major objective is to determine habitat use patterns of martens in two areas of contrasting population density and habitat types.

We chose two adjacent study areas that represent such contrasting populations. One, called the Telos region (in T4 and TS, R11), is approximately 165 square kilometers (64 square miles). This area is characterized by extensive timber harvesting and furbearer trapping, many roads, and large clearcuts. Our other study site, in Baxter State Park, is about 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) just northeast of Nesowadnehunk Lake.

This area is characterized by mature hardwood, softwood, and mixedwood stands, with scattered spruce budworm kills. Neither trapping nor timber harvesting is permitted in the Park study area.

In the Telos study area, 28 resident adult martens (14 males and 14 females) were radio tracked in 1989 and 1990. The average home range (the area a marten used over the course of the year) is larger for males (5.5 square kilometers or two square miles) than for females (3.0 square kilometers or 1.2 square miles).

Martens are intra-sexually territorial, which means the males are territorial against other males, and females against other females, but males' and females' home range territories overlap extensively. In this population, trapping mortality is high enough so the population probably cannot sustain itself without martens immigrating from outside areas. Baxter State Park may play an important role in providing a sustained annual harvest of martens from the Telos region. Again, the pressures on martens in Telos are not representative of most of northern Maine. This area was chosen as a study site because of the extra-heavy trapping and timber harvesting in those towns.

A variety of habitat types are available to martens in the Telos study area, but overall, they used areas of mixed hard wood-softwood forests more than areas of pure deciduous or pure conifer stands, and more than regenerating clearcuts.

In Baxter, the marten population is higher than in Telos. This was expected because of the lack of

4

Maine Fish and Wildlife

clearcutting and trapping. To date, 85 martens have been radio-collared in Baxter, and enough information for calculating home ranges has been collected for 28 animals,18 males and 10 females.

Home ranges, the areas that marten need to use over the year, seem to be smaller in Baxter, maybe indicating higher habitat quality or increased social pressures from other martens. Probably, marten are "squeezed" together more in Baxter, but the habitat is good enough that they do well anyway. Survival of martens in Baxter is very high compared with Telos, since they don't get trapped, but this also indicates that natural mortality for adult martens is low. In Baxter, the study area is primarily forested, and martens occur throughout, using hardwood forests, coniferous forests, and even stands killed by the spruce budworm.

I t appears from our study that martens in both Telos and Baxter can use most forested habitats.

Since martens in Baxter not only survive, but thrive, in habitats with an abundance of mixedwood and hardwood forests, mature softwood-dominated forests may not be required by martens. There may be components of habitat other than the amount of conifers in the overstory that martens require, such as ground structure in the form of blowdowns, slash, or other woody debris.

In the future, if critical components of marten habitat decline in northern Maine, the harvest by trappers will have to be reduced to balance the pressures on martens due to trapping and/ or habitat change. Maine's Forest Practices Act, which limits the extent of clearcuts, may have a positive effect on marten habitat by allowing smaller cuts interspersed with older forest stands.

This should help prevent loss of forested habitat for marten over large, continuous areas.

We still need to determine the limits of the marten's biological flexibility to survive and reproduce under other habitat and trapping conditions. The major focus of continuing research in Maine will be to observe how well marten can do in an area which, like Baxter, has little or no trapping pressure, but, unlike Baxter, has a mosaic of different forest stands and clearcuts. This work will help ensure that conservation and management of these unique animals will be successful in Maine in the future .•

1992 Deer & Bear

ON SUMMARY Final registration figures for Maine's 1992 deer and bear seasons were higher tnan the year before for both big game species, but still in line with tne Wildlife Division's expectations and pre-determined harvest quotas.

AROOSTOOK Deer-1,714 Bear-630

DEER

Hunters tagged 28,820 deer last fall; 694, 28,021, and 105 were taken during the archery, regular firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, respectively. This total represents an increase of 8 percent over 1991. Three records were set for the archery season: record high kill, record hunter participation (11,800 archers), and record high success rate (5.9 percent).

Of the estimated 208,500 hunters pursuing deer in 1992, 175,500 were Maine residents; they registered 23,868 deer (a 13.6 percent success rate). The 33,000 nonresidents tagged 4,952 white-tails (15 percent success). The success rate among hunters holding anydeer permits averaged 31 percent, while bucks-only hunters averaged 8 percent.

Maine's 1992 post-hunt deer population was estimated at roughly 234,000. Generally, deer populations appear to be declining in northern and eastern deer management districts, but increasing in central and southern DMDs. Allocations of any-deer permits for the coming hunting season are tailored toward"reversing recent declines in DMDs 1-6, 9, 14, 16, and 17, facilitating continued slow herd growth in DMDs 7, 8, 10-13, and 15, and maximizing the deer harvest in DMD 18 (coastal islands).

PISCATAQUIS Deer-2,296 Bear-342

BEAR

The 1992 harvest of 2,042 bears was an increase of 377 over 1991.

Most bears (1,180) were taken during the early general season (Aug. 31Sep. 26). An additional 279 bears were registered during the seven-week hound season, and 551 bears during the late general season (firearms season on deer).

Bear-0 Maine residents killed 712 bears, or 35 percent of the total. The 1,330 bears harvested by nonresidents were taken by hunters residing in 33 other states, Quebec, and Austria. Bow hunters registered 145 bears in 1992.

Deer-840 Baiting continued to produce the bulk of the bear harvest, accounting for 55 percent Bear-0 (1,122) of the total. Hunters using dogs took 257 bears (13 percent). Nonresident hunters accounted for most bears taken over bait (77 percent) and with hounds (72 percent).

Bear-0 About half of the successful bear hunters employed a registered Maine guide to assist them during their hunt.

The 1992 bear harvest included 1,200 males, 834 females.

Maine's spring 1993 bear population is estimated at about 19,500 to 20,500 animals. The 1993 hunting season, similar to last year's, should result in a harvest below 2,300, which is the upper limit if the bear population is to continue increasing toward the objective level of 21,000.

Composition of the 1992 Deer Harvest by Deer Management District

DEER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS Sex/Age Class

2

Adult Bucks

828

586

Adult Does

97

65

Fawns

59

32

Total

984

683

4

6

7

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

273 1,160

759

822 1.019 1,139

464 1,378 1,068 2,967 1,254

841 1,235

40

327

251

259

468

652

100

680

535 1,733

892

633

22

170

137

160

284

374

56

381

277 1,046

524

447

335 1,657 1,147 1,241 1,771

2,165

620 2,439

16

17

18 337

Statewide

391

324

588

64

15

172

7,571

288

33

13

101

2,214

1,880 5,746 2,670 1,921 2,111

488

352

610

28,820

Summer 1993

16,845

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oncern is mounting at the prospect of a new and rapidly spreading strain of rabies working its way into Maine. This particular strain affects mostly raccoons but places other wildlife, domestic animals and people at risk of contracting the disease.

This is a legitimate concern, and efforts are underway by various state agencies and municipal officials to meet the challenge of protecting people from the disease. But the challenge, in large part, is for us the public that may be at risk.

We can virtually eliminate the risk of contracting rabies by becoming more conscious of our own responsibility to vaccinate our pets and to keep a safe distance from all wildlife. It is especially important that children learn NOT TO HANDLE wild animals; an animal that can be easily approached is potentially the most dangerous.

What is rabies?

Rabies is a generally fatal disease carried by warmblooded mammals, usually foxes, raccoons, and skunks. It is caused by a virus that spreads through the nervous system starting at the nerve endings in the muscle tissue, continuing through the nerve fibers to the spinal cord and then to the brain.

The virus enters the nerve cells, takes over control and destroys their function, causing unpredictable changes in behavior, failure of the muscles (producing incoordination), and other vital organs, resulting in death. The virus multiplies in the nervous

6

Maine Fish and Wildlife

system, reaching massive levels in the brain and then "sheds" out through the salivary system large quantities of rabies virus that can then be transmitted to other animals and to people through exposure.

How does rabies spread?

The most important means of transmission is by a rabid animal that bites another, and the virus in the saliva is transmitted through the wound. Brain tissue may also be highly infectious.

The virus does not penetrate healthy skin and it does not concentrate in urine, blood or other fluids. Just saliva.

To a large degree rabies is a density-dependent disease, meaning it spreads best when there are a lot of animals available to receive it), and becomes an "epizootic" (an epidemic among animals) when there is a lot of physical contact between animals under densely populated conditions. As the disease reduces the high population to lower densities, the disease slows and remains at very low (base) levels in the environment.

Rabies virus has probably always been around in Maine, at relatively low levels, among foxes, bats and other mammals.

But periodically - most recently in the 1960s, and again in the early 1970s -there have been outbreaks among foxes. In each case the disease has more or less run its course without much impact by human intervention, and with no human fatalities.

Nationally, only three rabiesrelated human fatalities were recorded in 1991. Thus, the practical problem with rabies is the high potential hazard of

A WILDLIFE D human contact with a highly lethal virus, not a high infection rate among people! This is because of a high standard of pet control (leash laws, etc.) and pet vaccinations in this country that reduce the biggest risk of exposure to people: their pets.

In parts of Europe, Asia and North Africa rabies is still a significant public health concern.

In those areas, domestic dogs are allowed to run free, and there are few pet vaccination programs.

Many people are known to die from rabies infection in those areas, and there are likely many more undocumented cases.

The raccoon factor The current rabies threat is of particular concern because the rabies virus "strain" is strong and multiplies quickly, increasing the capacity to affect a large number of animals. Of more concern, however, is that the primary carriers, raccoons, have a close association with people, are abundant and social. Unlike foxes and many other wild animals, raccoons adapt well to humans.

The author is a wildlife biologist in the department's Bureau of Resource Management and coordinator of its animal damage control program.

by Henry Hilton

EASE

You

SHOULD KNOW

Vaccination of dogs and cats protects them against rabies, and possibly then infecting other pets or people.

They are attracted to residential areas and campgrounds, live in chimneys, under sheds and in garage attics. They eat food left behind by pets, seed intended for wild birds, garden crops intended for humans, and garbage from trash containers, which they become quite adept at opening. In short, they often become quite attached to the benefits of modern living!

And we people enjoy raccoons and consider them a pleasant nuisance at worst! We often unwisely feed them, and while we enjoy watching them (as we are privileged to do), it is often at too close range. The stage is set: if a raccoon becomes rabid, it

already has close access to us and our house pets. This opportunity to expose us to rabies is the most important element in the transmission of the disease. It is this cycle of "opportunity" associated with raccoons, more than the cycle of disease, that we must try to break.

How to minimize the threat of rabies You can avoid rabies by using some common sense and following these simple precautions: • Have your pets vaccinated on a regular basis (Maine law requires vaccination of cats and

dogs). Feed them indoors and confine them at night.

• A void contact with any wild animal or stray domestic animal, and be especially cautious around any animal behaving abnormally.

Never attempt to pet, feed, or handle any wild animal by hand.

Teach children to enjoy wild animals from a safe distance.

• A void attracting wildlife to your home; cover crawl spaces and attic vents, cap chimneys, and secure food sources.

• Report sick animals to local police, animal control officers, or the Warden Service.

• Treat any dead animal as if it died of rabies; avoid direct contact by wearing glov~s or using a double plastic bag.

• Know what to do if your pet is exposed to a suspected rabid animal.

• If you frequently handle potential rabies carriers, get preexposure vaccinations. This series

ORAL VACCINES Oral vaccines placed in "baits" for wildlife are being tested and have been tried in Europe and some areas in this country. Their effectiveness and practicality in remote and wild conditions such as we have in Maine have not been demonstrated. At present no vaccine has been licensed or approved for wild animals.

More feasibility studies are necessary, and, in fact, are ongoing by commercial laboratories and the Canadian and other governments.

Summer 1993

7

will reduce the cost and extent of therapy should you later be exposed to rabies.

What to do if your pet is · exposed • Don't try to separate fighting animals • Wear gloves when handling your pet if it has been in a fight with another animal • Even if your pet has been vaccinated, contact your veterinarian.

• If a raccoon or other wild animal threatens the safety of people in the area, contact a game warden or police. Otherwise, report the incident to your veterinarian and local officials, and capture or contain the biting animal if it can be done safely.

Keep other people away.

If you are exposed ...

• Don't p anic - you can be treated!

• Wash the wound with warm water and soap for at least 10 minutes.

• Contact your physician and report the incident to public health lab.

• Capture or contain the biting animal so it can be tested for rabies, or quarantined. Keep other people away.

•

Many thanks to the Maine State Epidemiologist, the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for their help in preparing this article.

8

Maine Fish and Wildlife

Separating fighting animals is a sure way to get bitten, and possibly infected with rabies.

SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE IN WILD ANIMALS Unusual behavior in animals may indicate that they are suffering from rabies or another nervous system disorder such as distemper, which is the most common fatal viral disease in wildlife. Animals that appear healthy may in fact be rabid, and animals that show many of the symptoms listed may not have rabies. In any case, the following symptoms serve as indicators of poor health, which may well include rabies.

• Unhealthy appearance: matted fur, dull eyes, or discharge from eyes or nose.

• Unprovoked, aggressive behavior • Loss of fear, easily approachable • Aimless wandering, loss of coordination • Convulsions, shaking, tremors • Paralysis

A Rew State Record Fish!!

A fish relatively new to Maine waters has joined the state's freshwater angling records.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has accepted a 10-pound, 3-ounce splake as the first official state record for this hybrid coldwater game fish.

The splake, which fisheries officials described as "far larger" than any they've seen to date, was caught May 9 at Basin Pond in Fayette by Dan Paquette of Augusta. Paquette caught the 28 1 / 2 inch fish on a Mooselook Wobbler trolled on a leadcore line.

In addition to being difficult to reach, 34-acre Basin Pond is deep and has exceptionally clear water; it's not an easy place to catch fish, according to Paquette.

Fisheries Biologist David Boucher, who confirmed the spe-

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cies identification of Paquette' s big splake, said fin clips revealed the fish was seven years old and was stocked in September 1986.

Splake, which result from the hatchery mating of the eggs of female lake trout and the sperm of male brook trout, live longer and grow larger than brook trout, making them attractive to anglers.

The department began stocking splake about 10 years ago to determine their suitability in waters where hatchery brook trout failed to provide good fishing.

The results were so encouraging the department began experimentally introducing them in additional waters. They've been tried in 38 lakes and ponds to date, and about 25 of them are still being stocked.

The department considers the splake program experimental through 1994, when data it is now gathering will be eva1uated and the splake's future in Maine's fisheries management determined. •

lVIAINE'S BECOBD FBESHWATEB FISH Species

Angler

Year

Weight Water (County)

Lure

Brook trout

James Foster, Howland

1979

8 lbs. 8 oz

Brown trout

Norman Stacy, Fitchburg, MA

1958

19 lbs. 7 oz.

Sebago Lake (Cumberland)

Flatfish

Lake trout (togue)

Hollis Grindle, Ellsworth

1958

31 lbs. 8 oz.

Beech Hill Pond (Hancock)

live bait

Chase Pond (Aroostook)

spoons/worms

Blueback charr

Merton Wyman, Belgrade

1973

4 lbs. 4 oz.

Silver (Sunapee) charr

Wayne Dillon, Brownville

1989

4 lbs. 10 oz.

Splake

Dan Paquette, Augusta

1993

10 lbs. 3 oz.

Basin Pond (Kennebec)

Mooselook Wobbler

Landlocked salmon

Edward Blakeley, Darien CT

1907

22 lbs. 8 oz.

Sebago Lake (Cumberland)

live bait

Atlantic salmon

Howard Clifford, Portland

1980

28 lbs. 1 oz.

(undisclosed)

self-tied nymph

Smallmouth bass

George Dyer, Augusta

1970

8 lbs. 0 oz.

Largemouth bass

Robert Kamp, Denmark

1968

11 lbs. 10 oz.

White perch

Mrs. Earl Small, WateNille

1949

4 lbs. 10 oz.

Basin Pond (Kennebec) Lower So. Branch Pd (Piscataquis)

spoons/nightcrawlers

Thompson Lake (Oxford)

live minnow

Moose Pond (Cumberland)

Pfleuger Shiner

Messalonskee Lake (Kennebec)

Yellow perch

Chad Mestas, Portland

1989

1 lb. 10 oz.

Chain pickerel

Joseph Arsenault, Rumford

1992

6 lbs. 12.8 oz.

Whitefish

Neil Sullivan, Worcester, MA

1958

? lbs. 8 oz.

Cusk (burbot)

Annette Dumond, Fort Kent

1986

18 lbs. 8 oz.

Eagle Lake (Aroostook)

live smelt

Northern pike

Richard Dodge, Union

1989

26 lbs. 12 oz.

Great Pond (Kennebec)

live shiner

Worthley Pond (Oxford)

Creek Chub

Androscoggin Lake (Kennebec)

shiner

Sebago Lake (Cumberland)

Mooselook Wobbler

Muskellunge

Lance Geidel, Fairfield

1988

22 lbs. 12 oz.

Baker Lake (Somerset)

Bomber

Black crappie

Wayne Morey, Benton

1986

3 lbs. 4 oz.

Sibley Pond (Somerset)

Mepps Mino

Fallfish

Wayne Morey, Benton

1986

3 lbs. 12 oz.

Sibley Pond (Somerset)

Mepps Mino

Summer 1993

9

Wildlife Management Areas

BROWNFIELD

by Warren E. Eldridge

L

ocated in southern Oxford County near the MaineNew Hampshire border is a large and exceptionally diverse tract of wildlife habitat known as the Brownfield Wildlife Management Area. This 5,700-acre area, owned and managed by the

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is notable not only for its value to many species of wildlife but also for the variety of recreational activities it supports.

The Brownfield WMA is in the towns of Brownfield, Fryeburg

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10

Maine Fish and Wildlife

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FIELD TRIAL AREA BIRD FIELD WALKERS FALLS CAMPGROUl'l,ID ACCESS ROADS

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and Denmark. It is bisected by the Saco River, and its lowland portions are subjected to annual spring flooding of from eight to ten feet. Wetland habitat types range from seasonally flooded woodland to open-water wetland, while the variety of upland

BOG

Aerial views of Brownfield WMA reveal natural habitat diversity and scenic beauty (above) and small clearcut areas which are increasing habitat diversity (left).

habitats runs from abandoned fields to mature forest. Much of the upland around the bog and west of Routes 5 and 113 was burned during the 1947 forest fire and has grown back to sapling and pole-stage hardwood.

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The author is the assistant regional wildlife biologist in Region A, headquartered in Gray.

Summer 1993

11

The Brownfield WMA was purchased by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Game in 1957, though subsequent additions have approximately doubled its original size. Initial management activities at Brownfield were designed to improve waterfowl habitat and hunting opportunity.

Since the early 1960s a variety of artificial nesting structures have been erected for ground and cavity-nesting waterfowl.

Currently, about 100 nesting structures are maintained and checked annually for brood production. Records for the period from 1964 to 1985 indicate use of these boxes by wood ducks, hooded mergansers, and goldeneyes ranged from 19 to 87 percent. Attempts to maintain floating nesting structures for other species were not successful, however, due to the annual spring flooding.

Waterfowl hunting opportunity has been monitored at the management area since 1970 by conducting opening day bag checks. While species composition has varied throughout the period, wood ducks, black ducks, green-winged teal, ringnecks and mallards have constituted a major portion of the opening day harvest. Bluewinged teal and hooded mergansers have also been checked.

Gizzard collections to check for lead shot have been conducted in conjunction with opening day bag checks since 1984. Of 82 gizzards examined from 1984 to 1988, 18 were found to contain lead shot, but the 72 gizzards examined from 1989 to 1992 yielded seven lead shot - an improvement attributed to the ban on lead shot for waterfowl hunting since 1988.

12

Maine Fish and Wildlife

Efforts since 1980 to manage the upland habitat at Brownfield have been aimed at increasing forest diversity through a series of commercial timber harvesting operations. Areas with a high percentage of sapling and polesized growth have been divided into blocks or strips and scheduled for small clearcuts every ten years using rotations ranging from 40 to 100 years. The length of the rotation is based on the age when the trees reach maturity. As with other cutting operations on the area, snags, den trees, oak and buffer areas were marked and not cut. Two compartments are being managed to provide food and cover for wintering deer. Hardwood removal and the release of the softwood understory will ensure adequate food and cover in the future. To help prevent erosion and provide a food source for deer, hare, and grouse, the several miles of permanent and temporary haul roads created to conduct timber harvesting operations have been limed, fertilized and seeded.

I

n addition to waterfowl hunting, a variety of other recreational activities including birding, canoeing, trapping, fishing and snowmobiling are enjoyed at the Brownfield Wildlife Management Area. Several public use facilities have been developed in conjunction with state, local and private groups.

These include a boat launching ramp and parking area at Lovewell' s Pond and a shooting range, developed and maintained off Routes 5 and 113 by the Fryeburg Fish and Game Association. A campground at Walker Falls on the Saco River is currently staffed during the summer

A popular canoeing stream, the Saco River meanders through Brownfield WMA.

and early fall by the Appalachian Mountain Club under an agreement between the department and that organization. The department also has a cooperative agreement with the Maine Bird Dog Club, which has developed a pointing dog field trial area at the Brownfield WMA and has worked with the department to enhance the area's upland habitat for grouse and woodcock.

The abundance, quality and diversity of habitat at the Brownfield Wildlife Management Area make it an attractive place for a variety of wildlife species.

As a large parcel of publiclyowned land not far from a major portion of Maine's human population, it is equally attractive for a variety of recreational uses. â&#x20AC;˘

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Among several recreational developments at Brownfield WMA is a shooting range maintained by the Fryeburg Fish and Game Association.

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The Brownfield Bog Wildlife Management Area is easily reached from Route 160 in Brownfield or from Routes 5 and 113 in Brownfield and Fryeburg. There are several unimproved roads within the area as well (see map).

Summer 1993

13

--

Wat

would you do if you saw someone in trouble in the water - head bobbing around a capsized watercraft hands uplifted in a gesture for help, even if you're too far away to hear the yells - or just a pair of water skis with no one connected to them? Your first impulse, I am sure, was to answer that question this way: "I'd go out there and do whatever I had to do save the people!" Or: "What kind of dumb question is that? I'd help them out!"

But is that really what you'd do? Or even what you should do?

If you, like countless others, enjoy being on or near the water but are not a strong swimmer and have no experience dealing with people panicking in the

14

Maine Fish and Wildlife

water, then "going out to save them" is definitely the wrong thing to do! But let's take a look at what you can do to help without getting in trouble yourself.

KEEP YOUR

Assess the situation quickly, and if help is needed, call 911 (or ~H _ E_A_D_!~ your area's rescue service), or send someone else to call or run for aid. If you decide that you have a chance of effecting a rescue, telling someone else becomes doubly important; if you were to get in trouble yourself and hadn't let anyone know the situation, there'd be two to rescue and none to do it!

HAVE

If you are a camp owner in the area, RESCUE chances are you GEAR have a boat, a .__N_ EA _ R_B _Y_!__, PFD, a throw ring, a throw rope, or something of the sort. If you don't, you should. And leave it where it can be found quickly. Consider this: if an emergency occurs in front of your place, and you're home, you can help. But just as importantly, if you're not home, someone else may be able to save a life because you had this equipment available.

If you use a regular rope, take the time to put a loop in the throwing end, and some others along the length of the line. This

IF YOU SEE A NEED, AND FEEL YOU CAN HANDLE IT, HERE'S HOW TO GIVE ...

by Ron Bennett

SHORE makes it much easier to grab and with a panic situation, you may not have a second chance!

Personal flotation devices are no longer expensive, and some now available are even stylish and comfortable - eliminating

OTHERWISE, Lookaround IMPROVISE! you at what

your children alone near water - lakes, ponds, or even pools with or without a PFD. It's just too great a chance to take!

And finally, to water lovers everywhere ...

in trouble than at the PFDS! '------~ rescuer, but it bears repeating - over and over and over and ...

PFDs are

PARENTS, life-protecting WATCH devices, not YOUR baby-sitters.

CHILDREN! Don't leave

'---------

floats'---------firewood, driftwood, paddles, rafts, air mattresses, beach balls, plastic bottles, inner tubes, picnic coolers, plastic tackle boxes.

Grab something, either to hold you up and get you out there or to throw to the person in trouble.

You'd be surprised how good a mother of invention necessity makes!

WEAR This comment is YOUR aimed more at the one

for buoyancy (does it hold you up?), condition and to put it on before you go on the water. And a note to the rescuer - if there's one around, it wouldn't hurt you to wear it, either. Rescuing is hard work, and can wear you out faster than you'd ever imagine!

major objections some people have to wearing a PFD. PFDs are made for nearly every water experience, and can even help protect against hypothermia if the water's cold. It only takes a few seconds to check your PFD

In this article, as in probably every safety article you've ever read, the one most important point is this: Use of simple common sense could have prevented nearly all recreational safety tragedies from ever happening. Think! If it doesn't make complete sense, don't do it!

Ill

The author is the department's boating and ATV safety coordinator.

Summer 1993

15

Fill in the blanlcs in this sto~- - - - - =:::

with words from the list!

Whitetailed deer are , feeding on leaves, twigs, and buds. Deer prefer _ _ _ _ at forest edges, within wetlands, and along open meadows near thick cover. They can run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, and can ;ump as high as 10 and more than 30 feet ahead!

In Maine, whitetailed are bom in mid to late May; from birth to about thre days of ag ., they have no scent at all! In addition, their coats make fawn very hard to see; this and the lack of scent help lceep them safe from • After a few days, fawns are strong enough to travel with the mother , and th eat and grow all summer long. Whitetailed deer have small ranges; one wlll often within a few miles of his birtfi. _ _ _ is the tim of the rut, when adult male deer, called , have gro set of • At first, these bony proiections are covered with a skinllke layer ca _ _ _ • 8uclcs scrape off th velvet on small shrubs and to clean the anti n and marlc their territories. After the fall mating season, buclcs their antlers, o to grow a new set the following year.

Theri are about 250,000 whitetails living In Maine, so you probably have a good chance to see one If you lceep your eyes open!!

' Draw what 1-ou

see in each quare at left into the square with e same number right. Square 9 is already done for you. Then color your picture (use the little colored picture as a guide iflou need ft.

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dapp_led antlers herbivores doe trees shed velvet predators habitat buclcs fall fawns

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12

A Rejuvenated SAM

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for Ma1路ne's =~ii:::i!::~~~~:~s:::::i:路 Outdoor Her1路 tage :::;:n::;::t;:::::;r::;al of Inland Ftshenes and Wildlife is to protect and manage Maine's wildlife and

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small state agency were it not for help provided by hundreds of individual volunteers and the work of scores of organizations and other governmental agencies. Past articles have described some of the ways individuals help us. This one initiates a series in which we will profile Maine organizations that work on issues directly with the department, or which have goals and activities that complement ours.

by George A. Smith

S

ince itS founding in 1975, the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine (SAM) has won a reputation as an effective fighting force on the statewide stage, tackling a wide range of issues from gun rights to river protection to poaching and sponsoring initiatives from habitat acquisition bond issues to a highly successful conservation magazine for school children.

Perhaps best known for its successful defense of Maine's moose hunt, challenged in a 1983 referendum, SAM most recently led the campaign for the recordsetting victory of a Constitutional Amendment which placed the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF &W) in Maine's Constitution and protected all of the department's revenue.

18

Maine Fish and Wildlife

First in a series of articles about organizations you may want to join.

The late Dr. Alonzo Garcelon, a founder and first president of SAM, set out the principles which continue to guide what is now Maine's largest sportsmen's organization. "We are the conservationists," proclaimed Garcelon.

And that has remained SAM' s slogan to this day.

Other SAM Founders, including Ed Armstrong of Bangor, Oscar and Edith Cronk of Wiscasset, and Tieche Shelton of Farmingdale, are also strong conservationists.

Dave Allen, who served for seven years as the organization's executive director, once summed up SAM' s approach saying, "conservation means wise use of resources. It's not the same as preservation. Hunters are the first to call for shorter hunting seasons if a game animal is endangered."

SAM' s first executive director, Tieche Shelton, pushed SAM on an aggressive track through the late 1970s, questioning herbicide and pesticide spraying in the

north woods and fighting the Dickey-Lincoln Dam proposal.

At various times over its 17year history, SAM has grown rapidly. In 1983, shortly after the moose referendum, SAM had 15,500 members. Recent years have brought a retrenchment, to a low of 4,500 members earlier this year.

Last February, after a tumultuous meeting of SAM members during which some SAM founders and former presidents and executive directors challenged the course and competence of their organization, many changes were made, including the resignation of the executive director.

The changes appear to be working. SAM has grown substantially in recent months, attracting nearly 1,000 new

The author is a former president and was recently named director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine.

members and winning several major battles at the legislature. In addition, the organization's monthly newspaper, SAM NEWS, has been expanded and developed into a major source of news and information for Maine sportsmen.

I attribute the turnaround to hundreds of sportsmen and women who refused to let SAM die. We've had a real burst of energy, which in my experience is just what SAM needed - the issues were just too great and the need too immediate and urgent.

In all my years in SAM, I've rarely seen the enthusiasm and spirit which we're enjoying now.

Dr.

Garcelon, who also served a term as president of the National Rifle Association, carved out a close relationship between SAM and NRA from day one.

SAM successfully championed a 1987 amendment to Maine's Constitution which strengthened the rights of gun owners and

wrote the state's concealed weapons law, which was enacted in 1981. SAM has won important court cases in defense of gun owner's rights, and also led a successful legislative effort to enact, in 1991, a law which preempted local restrictions on guns and left such issues to the state.

But in the words of SAM' s first female president, Edith Cronk, "SAM is not just a gun group. Our main concern is wildlife. We promote good game management."

In the early 1980s, during Cronk' s two terms as president, SAM joined then Warden Lt. Bill Vail in promoting a new concept called Operation Game Thief, which since has become Maine's most effective weapon against poachers. "When SAM first began promoting this program," Cronk noted recently, "I said we must put poachers on notice: we' re going to hunt them down and tum them in. And that's just what Operation Game Thief is doing.

We' re all thrilled that Operation

Game Thief is working so well.

Poaching is a serious problem; we've got to do more to stop it."

Protection of game has always been a centerpiece of SAM' s agenda. A special Deer Task Force established by SAM and chaired

by Carroll York of West Forks began calling for the protection doe deer in 1980. That drive succeeded initially in establishing a ''bucks-only" season in western Maine and eventually led to the current doe permit system, which has helped rebuild Maine's deer herd.

Although fishing issues have not drawn the same media attention as guns and hunting, SAM has been active over the years in many fishing issues. In the early 1980s, the organization participated aggressively in the successful effort to protect ~aine' s rivers.

This year SAM is part of the coalition battling the Basin Mills dam on the Penobscot River.

As I acknowledged, however, in a recent letter to SAM members, we have not done enough on

State of Maine Sportsman's Show, held annually in Augusta, is co-sponsored by SAM. Summer 1993

19

fishing issues. That is going to change. We've announced a major, year-long project to develop a long term agenda to enhance the state's fishery resources and expand fishing opportunities statewide. SAM plans to hold hearings around the state later this year to give sportsmen an opportunity to help prepare the organization's initiative on fishing.

A

though SAM is very much

issue driven and spends much of its time and energy in that arena, it has launched numerous successful programs and projects throughout the years.

One of its most successful projects is TRACKS magazine, a monthly conservation magazine published by the Michigan Sportsmen's Alliance. SAM supplies copies of TRACKS to more than 5,000 fifth and sixth grade school children throughout the state, paid for by volunteer underwriters including local sporting clubs, businesses and individuals.

Perhaps SAM' s most spectacular project is the State of Maine Sportsmen's Show, the brainchild of Harry Vanderweide, editor of The Maine Sportsman magazine. SAM and The Maine Sportsman are equal partners in this annual event, which draws

over 20,000 sportsmen to Augusta each spring for the largest outdoor show in Maine.

This is a lot of activity and achievement for an organization which operates from a small headquarters in Augusta with a tiny staff of just three people.

We can't match the budgets of Maine's large environmental organizations, but we have succeeded through the years because of an extraordinary group of volunteers and outdoor leaders who share a clear vision and determination to protect our outdoor traditions and heritage.

That vision got a bit cloudy over the last few years, and SAM suffered as an organization because of this. But SAM' s Board is rejuvenated, and the vision of our founders is once again driving us forward.

That's the best news I can give to those who love and cherish our Maine outdoor heritage. If we're going to pass that heritage on to our kids and grandkids, and continue to enjoy it ourselves, we must have a strong and effective Sportsman's Alliance of Maine.

For a membership application or more information about the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, write: SAM, P.O. Box 2783, Augusta, Maine 04330. â&#x20AC;˘

Josh and Hilary Smith of Mount Vernon are two of the thousands of school children who enjoy TRACKS, a monthly conservation magazine sponsored in Maine by SAM. 20

Maine Fish and Wildlife

~

LITTLE PICKEREL the Fly Tying Bench

by Butch Carey fly originated by John Bragoli, Gardiner, Maine

THE PATTERN HOOK: #6, 3665A THREAD: Black monocord RIBBING: Fine gold silver tinsel BODY: White floss WING: White bucktail and green bucktail TOPPING: Yellow mallard, tent style HEAD: Black monocord

For the body, wind cord up to the front again ljust behind the eye) and tie in white floss in front. Wind down to the back, cover where ribbing is tied on, then wind white floss up to the front again.

Cast on in front with black monocord.

Wind to the back and tie the ribbing in place.

Bring ribbing up to the front (5 - B winds, evenly spaced), tie off, trim. White floss will show through (it's supposed to!).

IA1

For wings, tie in a medium bunch of white

~ calftail or bucktail in front; trim.

Summer 1993

21

Add a medium bunch of green calftail or bucktail on top of the white; tie in front; trim.

For topping, use yellow mallard wing, ~ tent style, the same length as the calftails. Tie in front and trim.

Form a head with black monocord; apply two coats of cement, and your Little Pickerel is finished!

Reason for white flat thread is so the dark hook doesn't show.

22

Maine Fish and Wildlife

Tip: Black dots with white dots centered on them for eyes are optional.

Preserving Natural Lands: An Overview of Conservation Options

by Flis Schauffler The face of Maine is changing. Even along remote lakes and rivers, outdoor enthusiasts are apt to encounter "No Trespassing" signs and new houses. As the wild corners of Maine are developed, fishermen, hunters and hikers stand to lose. Inappropriate land uses can lead to destruction of wildlife habitat, the loss of traditional access and a decline in water quality and freshwater fisheries.

Those who enjoy the outdoors know the value of keeping some places wild. When planning for the future of their own land, they often take steps to ensure that it will remain in its natural state for future generations to enjoy. This article outlines the more common methods landowners use to voluntarily conserve their properties.

To identify the best option for your situation, begin by considering which features of the land you want to preserve. For example, the property may have important ecological features, such as a deer wintering area or the nesting site of an endangered bird. It may have scenic values, like unbroken shore frontage, or a cultural landmark such as an historic mill site. The property might provide other public values such as traditional access to hiking trails. Local land trusts and public agencies can help you determine the important natural and cultural features of your land.

Once you know what needs to be preserved, you can choose an appropriate method for protection.

The three most common techniques are conservation easements, bargain sales and outright gifts.

1. Conservation Easements To protect your land, you don't need to give it away. Most people preserve their land using a conservation easement, a customized legal tool that restricts future development on the property, regardless of ownership. The landowners are free to use the property, pass it on to children or sell it, confident that it will remain unspoiled.

The conservation easement is generally donated to a public agency such as the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, or to a nonprofit organization such as Maine Coast Heritage Trust or a local land trust. That organization then assumes responsibility for monitoring the terms of the easement.

An easement may require that the land be kept "forever wild," or it may permit some further

development, agriculture, or timber harvesting, provided the permitted activities do not detract from the land's natural values.

The easement is a popular conservation tool due to its flexibility. Robert and Mary McCormick were able to craft an easement tailored to the specific

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The author is communications coordinator for Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide nonprofit organization which has helped landowners protect more than 52,000 acres of prime forests, shore frontage and recreational lands since 1970.

Conservation techniques can be tailored to the particular values of a property, such as wildlife habitat (in this case, a heron rookery).

Summer 1993

23

A conservation easement on this property on Egypt and Taunton bays in Franklin preserves natural and scenic values as well as traditional public access to the shore.

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values of their 100-acre peninsula in Franklin, overlooking Egypt and Taunton bays. Their land offers high-value wildlife habitat for shorebirds ' ospreys and eagles, and rich tidal flats that support clamming and worming, which contribute to the local economy.

The McCormicks sought to preserve the ecological value and scenic beauty of the peninsula, and ensure that local clammers and wormers could continue crossing their land to reach the shore.

Balanced against these goals was their need to retain some equity in the land. The conservation easements they developed with Maine Coast Heritage Trust accomodate their need for future residences, set bJck and screened from the water, while providing permanent habitat protection and assured access. In 1991, the McCormicks donated easements on their peninsula to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Donated conservation easements can provide significant tax advantages. The value of an easement may qualify as a charitable gift that can be deducted from income taxes. Landowners may realize appreciable savings in estate taxes when passing their property on to the next generation. In

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some instances, property taxes may be.lowered because the value of the property has been reduced.

Conservation easements are often favored by municipalities because the land remains on local tax rolls.

A conservation easement may even prevent the forced sale of a property. When Westport landowner Bill Bonyun decided to transfer his saltwater farm to his sons, he learned that the land had appreciated so much that the combined gift and estate taxes due would exceed his family's financial means. The property would have to be sold to meet taxes. By placing an easement on most of his shorefront land, Bonyun reduced the value of his la~d by _ss percent, making it possible for his family to mhent the land and continue farming it.

2. Bargain Sales Other landowners want to provide for permanent protection of their land without the responsibility for long-term ownership. In rare instances, they may find a "conservation buyer" willing to purchase their property at fair market value. The new owner then commits to protecting the property through a conservation easement or other means.

More commonly, landowners offer their property at a "bargain" price to a conservation organization.

Six conservation easements have been placed on land surrounding Tunk Lake, one of Maine's clearest lakes (pictured here with Schoodic Mountain in the background).

24

Maine Fish and Wildlife

By selling their land at a price below fair market value, the landowner can claim an income tax deduction for the difference between the "fair market" and "bargain sale" price. Further savings may result from a reduction in the capital gains tax that is due upon sale of the property.

The James Bryan family, for example, offered Maine Coast Heritage Trust a "bargain price" on their 55-acre shorefront property on Little Tunk Pond, which includes a popular sand beach.

Through generous donations, the Trust was able to purchase the parcel, place it under a conservation easement, and transfer the title to the local land trust, the Frenchman Bay Conservancy. The property is now managed for public enjoyment.

3. Outright Donations In a few cases, landowners may chvose to give their land outright to a nonprofit organization or public agency. The Spring 1993 issue of Maine Fish and Wildlife described three islands that families recently donated to the department. All three properties are valuable nesting sites, and two have active bald eagle nests. As with bargain sales, landowners can realize valuable tax benefits from the charitable donation of lands.

In the process of conservation planning, individual landowners may begin to look beyond their own property lines, taking a growing interest in the conservation of adjoining parcels. Their property becomes part of a larger plan to preserve the ecological, scenic and recreational values of an entire lake, river, or watershed.

The cumulative benefits of land conservation are evident around Tunk Lake, in Hancock County, where landowners are working cooperatively to protect this pristine body of water, reported to be one of Maine's clearest lakes. Rich in salmon, lake trout and brook trout, Tunk is surrounded by heavy, spruce-fir forests, several bald mountain peaks, and rare pine-heath woodlands. With only a few seasonal camps, it is a scenic gem and a popular destination for fishing, canoeing and swimming.

Tunk Lake would look very different today if it weren't for the vision and commitment of landowners around the lake, particularly the Bryan family. This unspoiled water body lies close to Ellsworth in a region that has experienced tremendous pressure for second home development.

The first conservation easement on Tunk Lake was made in the 1970s. Since then, landowners

around the lake have donated five additional easements and several more projects are underway. The largest easement, covers 850 acres, with almost two miles of shore frontage, a trout stream and the summit of Catherine Mountain.

In an unusual transaction, interim financing provided by Maine Coast Heritage Trust enabled the James and Robert Bryan families to purchase a 1,525-acre estate with six miles of lake frontage and several mountains. A portion of the land they bought for conservation became part of a complex, five-way purchase-and-trade agreement made with the state of Maine and two paper companies in 1988. Maine Coast Heritage Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine helped the state negotiate the acquisition of 7,233 acres of land around Tunk Lake and Donnell Pond (including the summits of Schoodic, Caribou and Black mountains and 10.5 miles of shore frontage along the two lakes).

The experience at Tunk Lake points to the value of collaborative conservation efforts. Land conservation requires a good deal of cooperation, whether the process occurs within one .family or among many adjoining landowners. Organizations like Maine Coast Heritage Trust and local land trusts exist to help facilitate that collaboration.

S

uccessful conservation planning relies on solid technical information, as well as good communication. Most landowners work closely with an attorney and accountant during the planning process. Many also rely on the services of appraisers, surveyors and land use planners. Land trusts, nonprofit community organizations dedicated to preserving local lands, may also provide valuable professional assistance and help keep costs down.

For 23 years, Maine Coast Heritage Trust has provided professional support and conservation information to landowners, free of charge. MCHT staff meet with landowners, walk their properties, review conservation options, gather data and help draft and negotiate conservation documents.

The Trust welcomes inquiries from landowners interested in permanent land conservation. For more information, please contact MCHT at their main office in Brunswick (167 Park Row, Brunswick, ME 04011; 207-729-7366) or their field office on Mount Desert Island (P.O. Box 426, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662; 207-276-5156). â&#x20AC;˘ Summer 1993

25

In this age of increasing human populations and increased leisure time, there is need for both more opportunities in healthful outdoor recreation and for more food production.

Sport fishing is the second most popular outdoor activity in North America. In 1985, U.S. anglers numbered 59 million, or nearly 27 percent of all Ameri-

Finding solutions to these problems is a major task confronting fisheries scientists. Fisheries professionals at all levels are concerned with effective management of living resources in our inland waters and oceans.

Fisheries scientists, managers, and administrators work to understand how aquatic systems function and to determine how to keep our aquatic resources healthy and productive.

A career as a fisheries scientist is a challenge to anyone genuinely inter-

One of the "perks" of fisheries biology getting to handle beautiful brook trout like this male in fall spawning coloration. ested in our natural resources, and it is a career that will become increasingly significant. If you want to start a fisheries career, the following discussion should be helpful.

cans. Anglers fished a total of 988 million days and spent over $28 billion on licenses, tackle, food, lodging, boats, motors, transportation, and fuel.

Our fisheries resources need help. The demands and stresses that have been placed on many fisheries continue to threaten their productivity. Examples of stresses on our fisheries resources include withdrawal of water from lakes and streams, release of pollutants, over-fishing, and competition for fisheries by sport, commercial, and subsistence fishermen.

26

Maine Fish and Wildlife

What kind of person does it take to be a fishery scientist?

You should enjoy the outdoors and be able to perform field duties with skill, strength and intelligence.

You must be willing to spend extended periods of time away from home, and do strenuous work for long hours under adverse and uncomfortable conditions. If you like to fish, you might occasionally have the

Conservation Careers

Fisheries chance, but you would be likely to spend more time fishing if you were an insurance salesman.

A fisheries scientist should be a good writer because the work often involves writing reports to superiors, papers for scientific journals, and articles for lay readers. The ability to speak effectively to a wide variety of audiences is also essential.

What kind of education is required?

As a minimum background, the fisheries professional needs a bachelor's degree in fisheries science, aquatic ecology, or another closely related field. In recent years a master's degree has become a prerequisite for many entry-level research and management positions. A doctorate degree may be required for some federal positions and is usually required for university faculty positions.

A broad education is essential for finding employment in fisheries. High school courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, English and communications are the building blocks for a fisheries education.

Beyond the high school level, college courses in biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and computer science are the basic background.

Courses in writing and public

The author is the research and management supervisor for the department's Fisheries and Hatcheries Division. His career as a Maine fisheries biologist has spanned over four decades.

Management

A fisheries scientist's work can be strenuous, but it's often done in exotic locations!

of fisheries biologists. International agencies such as the Peace Corps hire fisheries biologists and provide opportunities to work abroad, particularly in developing nations.

Non-governmental employers include power companies, universities, environmental consulting firms and nonprofit organizations. The increasing demand for fish in our diets has also improved the employment outlook for students trained in aquaculture.

Graduates with strong educational backgrounds in aquaculture and fisheries research and management are always in demand.

Who hires fisheries professionals?

The number of available fisheries positions has expanded in recent years as a result of increased funding under the Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration Act, which distributes to the states for fisheries management programs, funds collected from a federal tax on fishing tackle and other items.

State and federal fish and wildlife agencies in the United States are the largest employers

What types of work do fisheries scientists do?

Fisheries management involves the actual field operations necessary to improve fishing through investigation of fishery problems and manipulation of fish populations and habitat. Management tasks include evaluation of fish populations, angler use, angler catch and success, aquatic habitat inventory, establishment of fishery regulations, public information, and working with other natural resource

speaking are also important.

Graduate education typically involves specialized study on selected aspects of fishery science.

A summer job in fisheries or related fields is an excellent way for a college student to gain experience and increase chances of employment.

by Kendall Warner

agencies on conservation problems of mutual concern.

Fisheries research is the search for facts upon which management techniques can be based to improve fishing. Investigations include population dynamics, ecology, behavior, life history, and a wide variety of other factors that affect fish production.

Fisheries administration involves planning and coordination of field operations and research studies, identifies priorities for programs, coordinates implementation of sound fishery regulations, and provides information to and maintains close liaison with the fishing public.

Fisheries education is vital in the training of a qualified fisheries workers. Fisheries science is taught in more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. Experienced teachers with practical training are presently in demand. Cooperative Fishery Units, funded through Public Law 86-686, exist at a number of universities to facilitate cooperation between the federal government, states, and educational institutions for fisheries research and education. â&#x20AC;˘

For more detailed information on a career in fisheries, contact local offices of appropriate state or federal agencies, or write to American Fisheries Society, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Bethesda, MD 20814-2199.

Summer 1993

27

Over the past several years, the Maine Warden Service Association has annually honored one retired warden who best exemplifies the principles and ideals that Maine game wardens strive to achieve. The recipient of this Legendary Game Warden Award is determined by a vote of association members, all of them active or retired game wardens.

The winner of the 1993 Legendary Game Warden Award, Maynard F. Marsh, was announced at the association's April annual meeting in Brewer.

He is Maynard F. Marsh, whose long career with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife began in the Game Division and ended in the commissioner's office. In between, he worked through the Warden Service ranks, from game warden to chief warden.

After two years as one of the original employees of the Game Division, Marsh was hired as a district warden in 1943, assigned to the Sebago Lake area. He was promoted to warden supervisor

28

Maine Fish and Wildlife

Legend Wardens Honored in southern Maine in 1953, to deputy chief warden in 1960, and to chief warden in 1961.

In 1970, Marsh took on department-wide responsibilities with his appointment as deputy commissioner. His tenure in that position was short; he was appointed commissioner the following year. He held that position until his retirement in 1979.

During his career, Marsh had a reputation for getting things done, often accomplishing projects that others thought to be impossible. His devotion to the Fish and Wildlife Department and its employees were indeed legendary.

"Maynard Marsh did important things for this department, and for fish and wildlife conservation in Maine, that people will never know about," said former Commissioner William Vail, who himself followed Marsh's trail from the field to the commissioner's office.

Marsh, 76, lives in Gorham with his wife, Frances. One of their sons, John, also served in the Warden Service, retiring as chief warden in 1988.

The Legendary Game Warden A ward was first presented in 1989. It went that year to Arthur G. Rogers.

Rogers' career with Warden Service began in 1932, when he was assigned as a district warden in Washington county. He later transferred to Oakland, and was promoted to warden supervisor in the Greenville area in 1939. In 1945, Rogers transferred to the Belgrade area, where he remained until he retired in 1968.

by Lt. Michael L. Ritchie

Rogers left the Warden Service from 1942 to 1945, and served as a motion picture combat photography instructor with the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Rogers is now 84 and lives with his wife, Elsie, in Waterville.

In 1990, Leonard J. Pelletier, Sr. was the recipient of the Legendary Game Warden Award.

Pelletier was assigned as a district warden in the St. Francis and Allagash area in 1943, after serving four seasons as a temporary warden. He remained in the St. Francis area until his retirement in 1973.

Prior to his employment by Warden Service, Pelletier cut wood and worked on river drives in northern Maine. His

knowledge of the northern woods was legendary. During his years with Warden Service, Pelletier was responsible for conducting the annual Allagash River canoe trip by the graduating class of the Warden Service School.

Pelletier passed away on March 3, 1991. He had three sons who became game wardens: Leonard, Jr. and Roland, who retired in 1973 and 1988, respectively; and Gary, who is still serving. His brother, Maynard, was also a career game warden.

Raymond L. Morse was the 1991 award recipient. Morse began work for Warden Service in 1928 as a district warden in the Sebago Lake area. He was promoted to warden supervisor in the Ellsworth area in 1935 and held that position until his retirement in 1960.

In addition to his duties as a warden supervisor, for 19 years Morse was responsible for training within Warden Service, and supervised many Warden

Service schools at Camp Keyes in Augusta.

Morse passed away on March 11, 1991, just a few weeks after receiving the Legendary Game Warden A ward.

The Legendary Game Warden A ward for 1992 was presented to David C. Priest, Sr., who began his career in 1947 as a district warden at Ripogenus Dam. Priest was promoted to warden supervisor in the Winn area in 1955, and he remained in that position until he retired in 1971.

Prior to beginning work for Warden Service, Priest was a professional guide and trapper.

He served with the U.S. Army in Italy during World War II. Priest and his wife, Lillian, reside in Winn. One of their sons, David, recently retired as a game warden. â&#x20AC;˘

The author is the game warden lieutenant in charge of Warden Service Division B, headquartered in Sidney.

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FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS Glynn Pratt Game Warden of the Year Maine's Game Warden of the Year for 1992 is Glynn S. Pratt of Greene.

Warden Pratt was chosen by a board of his fellow wardens for the honor which is bestowed each year to an outstanding member of the Maine Warden Service.

In submitting his nomination to the selection board, Pratt's supervisor, Lt. Nathaniel Berry of Warden Division A, wrote: "Warden Pratt has proven himself to be an exceptional officer in what is one of the busiest patrol areas (Lewiston-Auburn) in Maine. The level of enthusiasm and pride he shows for his job is apparent in every aspect of his work effort.

"Warden Pratt and his German shepherd, Marcus, have been responsible for several major finds, including an elderly man suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and the recovery of evidence thrown away in a night-hunting case. He makes himself available to respond to these situations at all hours of the day, seven days a week. Even on day off or on vacation, he immediately and enthusiastically responds to calls from fellow officers .

"On his own initiative, Warden Pratt has purchased a computer system and set up a program for writing search warrants to aid enforcement in Division A. He has written numerous search warrants this year for his fellow officers, and has participated in their execution.

He is routinely looked to for guidance by officers seeking search warrants, due to his thorough knowledge of the subject."

Pratt has been an instructor at the Warden Academy, and often takes classes to improve his knowledge. He is an active member of the Overhead Search Team which conducts searches for lost or missing persons, and is a member of the Maine Guides Examination Board.

He prosecutes in excess of 100 violations per year, issues a large number of warnings, and handles hundreds of complaints. He is also involved in the apprehension of many violators while assisting his fellow officers.

Lt. Berry continues: "Warden Pratt is a very popular officer, both with the members of the public he deals with, the Division A staff, and the members of the law enforcement community. He is always cheerful, enthusiastic, and willing to take on any duty.

"The degree of professionalism and courtesy in which he approaches each situation with the public is outstanding. The level of cooperation he receives from violators in situations such as Operation Game Thief is proof of this."

Pratt, 39, is a native of Lewiston. He attended the University of Maine. Before joining the Warden Service in 1977, he was employed by the Cobbossee Watershed District.

His first assignment as a warden was in Calais, followed by patrol areas in Turner and Enfield before moving to the Lewiston area.

He and his wife, Mary, reside in Greene. They have an 8-year-old son, T.J.

30

Maine Fish and Wildlife

Advisory Council Adopts Deer Allocations Fewer hunters will be issued permits to take antlerless deer in Maine this fall.

The Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council has voted unanimously to adopted any-deer permit allocations that are more conservative than last year's in the majority of the state's 18 deer management districts. The Wildlife Division recommended the adopted allocations as they attempt to reverse recent deer population declines in northern and eastern Maine and encourage continued slow growth of the deer herd elsewhere.

The total number of any-deer permits to be issued this fall will be decreased by about 5,500 from last year's level, to 44,500. Permit numbers will be increased only in DMDs 7, 15, and 18.

Applications for any-deer permits are now available. The deadline for applying, normally August 15, will be extended one day this year because the 15th falls on a Sunday.

In other business at its May meeting the council elected Eugene Churchill of Orland as its chairman for the coming year. Gary Cobb of North New Portland was elected vice chairman.

The council also passed rules establishing Maine's first hunting season on bobwhite quail and setting the order of launch for whitewater rafters.

Season dates and bag limits for hunting bobwhite quail will be the same as on ruffed grouse. Though they are not native to Maine and are not found in the wild in significant numbers, quail are raised and released by bird dog trainers, but it has previously not been legal to hunt them.

Worth a Visit: Fish/Wildlife Visitors Center It's known by several names officially the Fish and Wildlife Visitors Center, more commonly the "Gray Game Farm," - but whatever you call it, it's an interesting place to spend a few hours, or a day. About 70,000 people did so last year.

Located off Route 26 three miles north of Gray village, the facility is

where the department cares for injured or orphaned wildlife and also maintains wildlife educational displays, nature trails and picnic facilities.

The visitors center is open daily through the summer from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fall hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Weekdays are a good time to visit during the summer, as the crowds are lighter than on the weekends.

A small admission fee is charged, which goes in a fund used to the operate and maintain the facility.

Maine Naturalist Published The first issue of Maine Naturalist, a new quarterly journal about the natural history of Maine and surrounding regions, is now available. The peerreviewed and peer-edited journal includes original scientific research reports, general interest articles, research summaries and a variety of special features on natural history.

Maine Naturalist continues in the tradition of The Maine Naturalist (192130) and the Maine Field Naturalist (1956-70), serving as the single most inclusive source of information about the natural history of Maine.

The new journal is published by Eagle Hill Wildlife Research Station, Steuben.

Winter Bear Den Study Wildlife Division biologists have reported the results of their winter studies of the survival and reproductive rates of Maine's black bears.

Before completing their work in March, the biologists had visited 47 dens, and handled 119 radio-collared female bears. Their efforts are part of an ongoing monitoring program, which provides information the department uses in managing Maine's bear population and in setting hunting seasons.

Wildlife Biologists Craig McLaughlin and Randy Cross said the dens they visited included 25 natal dens, in which they observed 56 newborn cubs (32 female, 24 male). Nine dens were occupied by adult females with their yearling offspring; 13 dens contained solitary bears. The 11 yearling females found in the dens were fitted with radio collars for future study.

The biologists report that battery failure occurred in seven radio collars during the winter. By searching for likely den sites in the vicinity of the last radio

locations for these bears, they were able to locate and change collars on four of those bears.

The 25 litters of cubs ranged from one to four young, and included first litters for 19 females. These first litters averaged two cubs each.

The biologists also reported that: • They are currently monitoring 58 female bears, including 30 at Spectacle Pond (northern Maine, west of Ashland), 10 at Stacyville and 18 at Bradford.

• Their winter's work confirmed expectations that a large proportion of female bears in northern Maine would produce cubs in 1993. Seventeen of 19 potential cub-producing female bears produced litters in the northern study area. An abundant beechnut crop in the fall of 1992 allowed bears to enter dens carrying heavy stores of body fat. A large percentage of adult female bears usually produce cubs in JanuaryFebruary following abundant fall food crops.

• Studies over the past 11 years have documented an alternate-year pattern of abundant beechnut crops and large cub production in the northern study area.

This synchronization of litter production to beechnut crops has not been observed in the more southerly study areas, where bears have access to agricultural crops which supply rather constant food supplies (Stacyville area), or live in regions with few beech trees (Bradford area). The less variable food conditions in these two areas result in rather steady cub production over time.

• Maine's spring 1993 bear population is estimated at 19,500 to 20,500 bears. Lower bear harvests since since 1990, when the Fish and Wildlife Department shortened the hunting season, have allowed the population to grow toward the department's objective of 21,000 bears.

Hatchery Chief Retires David 0. Locke, who was closely involved with running the department's fish hatcheries for over 31 years, has retired.

Locke had been superintendent of the hatchery system since 1976. Before then he had dual roles as the fish pathologist and assistant superintendent of hatcheries since 1961.

Before switching to hatchery work, the South Gardiner resident had worked as an assistant regional fisheries

biologist in the Moosehead Region, beginning in June 1956.

Though the number of hatcheries has been reduced through the years, the size and quality of fish produced by the remaining seven hatcheries and two rearing stations improved dramatically during Locke's tenure.

The fish being stocked in Maine waters today are larger, though the same age as the fish previously stocked, making them better able to avoid predation from fish, birds and other predators. This increased size is due largely to improved fish diets and fishraising techniques developed during Locke's years of supervising the hatchery programs.

Today's stocked fish are also much healthier than in the past. Locke developed a reputation as a producer of disease- and parasite-free fish which is the envy of many other states.

Techniques of fish-raising at the hatcheries have also been greatly improved. These include the use of

Q. The law says the life jackets, or PFDs, in my boat must be "readily accessible." What does this mean?

A. "Readily accessible" is not defined in the law, but there are several places that clearly are, and are not, proper locations for PFDs. Of course, to be of greatest help in an emergency, the PFD should be worn, since it is difficult or· impossible to put on once you're in the water. Most people don't wear them, but store them somewhere in the craft.

To satisfy the "readily accessible" requirement, PFDs should be ready to use in an emergency and stored where they can be easily reached without delay. They should not be in the manufacturer's wrapper nor buckledup, usually the way new ones are sold.

If they are locked in a compartment or buried under a pile of gear they' re not "readily accessible." A good rule of thumb, although not required by law, is to have your PFDs where they can be seen or touched.

Summer 1993

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hatching boxes which closely approximate the natural conditions of stream beds, where newly-hatched fish fry normally remain covered by substrate gravels and conserve their energy during the weeks before they become free-swimmers. The result is a larger, healthier fry, which leads to better survival and growth.

Even fish stocking techniques have been much improved. Major changes include modern fish transport trucks equipped with insulated tanks and electronic monitoring of water aerators during transport.

A native of Bridgton, Locke, 58, graduated from George Stevens Academy at Blue Hill, and earned a BS degree from the University of Maine. He attended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service School of Fish Disease Detection at the Eastern Fish Disease Laboratory in Leetown, West Virginia.

Locke is married to the former Elaine Butler of Blue Hill. They have two sons, William and Daniel. In retirement he is looking forward to doing some fishing, and he also plans to become involved in a pastime he enjoyed while living in Greenville: building and repairing canoes.

Biologists, Safety Officer Honored Several car;er employees of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have recently been recognized for their professional accomplishments.

Richard M. Jordan (Fisheries Division) and Charles S. Todd (Wildlife Division) are this year's recipients of the "Biologist of the Year" awards from the Sunkhaze Stream Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and Safety Officer Gary S. Anderson was elected to the Hunter Education Hall of Fame.

Jordan was honored for his "outstanding contributions to fishery management and knowledge and statewide Fisheries Division operations.

His zeal, initiative, and superior communications skills identify him as a true professional."

A native of Bangor and a graduate of Brewer High School and Wheaton College, Jordan began his career as a fisheries biologist in 1970 as a summer assistant with the Maine Atlantic Sea Run Salmon Commission, becoming a full-time employee in 1973. Since 1979 he has been the department's assistant regional fisheries biologist in Fisheries

32

Maine Fish and Wildlife

Region C, headquartered in Machias.

Todd was recognized for his "years of dedication to the wildlife of Maine, particularly for his role in the successful reintroduction of peregrine falcons and for masterminding the remarkable recovery of the bald eagle in Maine."

A native of Charlottsville, Virginia, Todd earned a BS degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MS degree in wildlife management from the University of Maine. He has been involved in bald eagle research, surveys and management activities since 1976.

His major tasks as a research biologist for the department include population studies and habitat protection, as well as similar work with the peregrine falcon, golden eagle and grasshopper sparrow.

Anderson is a native of Cundy's Harbor and a graduate of Brunswick High School. He has been the department's safety officer since 1973, and also has been the hunter education coordinator during that period. In addition to those duties, in 1980 he became the department's search and rescue coordinator, and more recently has helped found Maine Outdoor Recreation for Everybody (MORE), now a legislatively-authorized committee working for disabled people who want to participate in the outdoor activities.

During Anderson's tenure as safety officer, Maine has experienced significant declines in hunting accidents and in searches for lost persons.

As a new member of the Hunter Education Hall of Fame he joins elected representatives from many other states, Canada, Mexico and several South American countries. The Hunter Education Hall of Fame is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ~

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I read with interest Joe Klofas's story on porcupines in the Spring issue. My 20+ years in the woods of central Maine put me in pretty much daily contact with these bristly critters. I pulled many a quill from my Lab's face during October and November bird seasons as we attempted to flush a few grouse.

Klofas left out a couple of relatively common but lesser-known tidbits about porcupines that only someone with a serious affection for and interest in porkies could know.

First, during the fall mating season, porcupines utter some of the most hair-raising cries

you'll ever hear in the woods. The sound is something you'd expect from a half-crazed recluse who'd been locked outside the cabin door during blackfly season - an eery, maniacal "laugh" that will spook hell out of you if you've never heard it. It may have something to do with the porcupine mating process (which I've never witnessed), because I've always seen two adult porcupines together whenever I've heard that eery sound.

Also, I have on many occasions seen porcupines "rear up" on their hind legs when threatened, usually by a dog. They'll only do it as a last resort, but it may explain how fishers are able to kill them without getting more than a couple of quills in the face for their trouble. I wouldn't go so far as to say that porcupines will fight, but they do assume this defensive posture when the old, reliable technique of "quill threatening" doesn't work.

I've also seen porcupines run (a funny sight), and swim (not too slick, but they get where they're going). On many a deer hunt, porcupines are the only show in town!

Stephen D. Carpenteri, Editor GAME & FISH Publications Marietta, Georgia ~

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I enjoyed the article on porcupines very much. I believe that a couple more porcupine behavior patterns could have been mentioned, however. One is that they love black locust twigs and leaves. I have quite a few black locusts around my buildings and the porcupines seem to go crazy when they get into them. One or two can make so much racket that it will convince you there are at least a dozen having a "locust party" at two in the morning. They also like salt. One reason that farmers have always killed them is that porcupines will chew tool handles to get the embedded salt in the handles left behind by sweaty palms. When you are driving by a country farm with a barn near the road, look at the barn door about three feet above the ground. You will see many doors that have been chewed where hands are placed to roll the doors open. These are but two more reasons why farmers have always considered these animals to be such a pest.

Harvey D. Robbins

Record Interest in Moose Hunt Competition for an opportunity to go moose hunting in Maine was tougher than ever this year as a record number of resident and nonresident applicants sought the available permits.

The lucky winners -900 Maine residents and 100 nonresidents- were deermined at a public drawing on June 2 from among 72,992 resident applicants and 19,714 nonresidents. Last year 69,237 ..e idents and 19,130 nonresidents aplied for the same number of permits.

Interest in obtaining a permit has increased steadily since 1982, when the moose hunt resumed on an annual basis.

That year, 47,557 Mainers and 12,593 outof- tater applied.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next three years as the number of permits is gradually increased o 1,500. A new law passed by the Maine legi lature allows the department to 1 ue 1,200 permits in 1994, 1,400 in 1995 and 1,500 in 1996.

Fishing Interest High in Maine, Vermont When it comes to fishing enthusiasm, tiny Vermont and Maine can claim to be big fish in the national pond. But the same can't be said about the rest of the eastern states.

Vermont was ninth and Maine eleventh in a report that ranked states by the percentage of their populations that hold fishing licenses. But the eastern section of the country was dead last overall.

The figures come from a report by the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association that compared the number of each state's 1990 fishing license holders to its total population. Vermont showed

27.7 percent of its population as license holders, while Maine had 24.1 percent.

Alaska was the country's clear winner. While it has only 338,962 fishing license holders, that figure represents 61.6 percent of its total population. On the other hand, New York showed more than three times the number of license holders as Alaska with 1.18 million, but that was just 6.6 percent of the state's population.

The West had the highest average percentage of its state's populations holding fishing licenses, with 25.9 percent; followed by the Midwest, 19 percent; South 12.9 percent; and East, 10.9 percent.

Millions Enjoy Wildlife-Related Recreation Hunting, fishing, and birdwatching continue to rank among America's favorite pastimes, according to a survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The 1991 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation reveals that more than 108 million Americans 16 years of age and older participated in some recreational activity involving fish and wildlife, pumping $59 billion into the national economy through the purchase of equipment, travel, lodging, and other goods and services.

"Enjoying our natural resources is an important part of America's heritage," said Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. But there are economic benefits as well. The $59 billion Americans pent on wildlife- related recreation in 1991 represents almost 1 percent of the nation's economic activity and helps create thousands of jobs.

Forty million Americans age 16 and older either hunted or fished during 1991, while 76.1 million enjoyed nonconsumptive activities such as feeding, observing, or photographing wildlife.

Overall, 35.6 million people age 16 and older spent an average of 14 days fishing, while 14.1 million people spent an average of 17 days hunting.

Anglers spent $24 billion, or an average of $674 each, and hunter pent $12 billion, or $851 each, on their sport. Another -5 billion in spending by hunters and anglers could not be attributed solely to one or the other sport.

Among anglers, 31 million people age 16 and older fished in freshwater and 8.9 million in saltwater. Anglers spent $11.8 billion in trip-related costs, including $5 billion on food and lodging and $2.8 billion on transportation. In addition, they pent $9 .4 billion on equipment.

Among hunters, 10.7 million people age 16 and older hunted big game, 7.6 million hunted small game, and 3 million hunted migratory birds. Hunters spent $3.4 billion on triprelated costs, including $1.8 billion on food and lodging and $1.3 billion on transportation. They purchased $5.2 billion in equipment during 1991.

Americans age 16 and older spent $18 billion to pursue nonconsumptive wildlife-related recreation in 1991. This included $7.5 billion for trip-related expenses, including $4.4 billion for food and lodging and $2.6 billion for.,.transportation.

More than half of their expenditures, $9.6 billion, were for equipment.

Thirty million people age 16 and older took trips away from home for nonconsumptive wildlife-related recreation, while 73.9 million enjoyed wildlife around their homes.

The U.S. Bureau of Census interviewed 128,000 households in the United States to determine participants in wildlife-associated activities. From this initial phase, 68,000 individuals were selected to be interviewed by telephone three times during 1991, at four-month intervals.

Children 6 to 15 years old were not included in the second, detailed phase of the survey. However, using both 1985 and 1991 data, the Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there were 1.4 million hunters, 9.5 million anglers, and 14.5 million nonconsumptive participants in the 6- to 15-year-old group in 1991.

The number of anglers 6 years and older rose 10 percent from 1985 to 1990. The number of people hunting remained constant during that period.

The number of people 6 years and older who enjoyed wildlife observation, feeding, and photography on trips away from home increased by 9 percent from 1985 to 1990. However, the number of people enjoying these activities close to home decreased by 5 percent.

The cost of the survey was paid by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration and Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration accounts, which are funded through excise taxes on sporting arms, ammunition, fishing equipment, pleasure boats, and motorboat fuels.

Copies of the 1991 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation are available from the Publications Unit, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mail Stop 130, Webb Building, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Telephone: (703) 358-1711.

Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Brown trout. Photo © Ken Allen, Augusta.

284 State Street

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Augusta, Maine 04333