Haveyou met
MOSES? MOSES is the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife's online licensing system.
2008 MAINE HUNTING & FISHING LICEN ES Now Available! BUY ONLINE! BUY AT A MOSES AGENT!
www. m efishwi ld I ife.com USE MOSES
a
YOU MAY WIN PRIZES!*
Three Grand Prizes A $2,000 Gift Card to Cabela's A $2,000 Gift Card to Kittery Trading Post A $2,000 Gift Card to LL Bean 30 Runners Up: A 2009 Combo Hunt/Fish License OUR GENEROUS PARTNERS:
L.L.Bean
KITTERY TRADING PO~T *Drawing open to MOSES license or permit buyers only. See www.mefishwildlife.com for rules. Page 2 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Spring 2008
lMAINE Fish and Wildlife Governor John E. Baldacci Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Roland D. Martin, Commissioner Paul F. Jacques, Deputy Commissioner Kenneth H. Elowe, Director, Bureau of Resource Management Lisa Wilson, Financial Analyst Bureau of Administrative Services Co. Joel Wilkenson, Bureau of Warden Service Andrea Erskine, Assistant to the Commissioner Advisory Council Robert. S. Savage, Limington Ron Usher, Westbrook R. Leo Keiffer, Caribou Sheridan Oldham, Waterville Stephen Philbrick, Oquossoc Frank Dunbar, Bucksport Joseph E. Clark, Millinocket Ray Poulin Jr., Ripley Albion Goodwin, Pembroke Mike Witte, New Harbor
Vol. 50, No. 2
Spring 2008 4
Editorial
Dan Martin
MAINE Fish and Wildlife to cease publication.
Changing Lawbook
5
Joe Dembeck
Fishing laws book gets improvements.
Fly Fishing's Future
6
Noah Rousseau
A middle schooler's essay on his favorite activity.
Tyler Pond WMA
7
Lisa Kane
A kettle pond is at the heart of this 128-acre parcel in Augusta.
Turkeys Looking Good 9
Cathy Genthner
Healthy population means plenty of hunting opportunity.
Bow Hunter Education
12
Cathy Genthner
Focus is on teaching and technology in expanded program.
14
Kidbits
Lisa Kane
How to tell Maine's outdoor officials by their uniforms. Regis Tremblay, Editor
Lisa Kane , Copy Editor (ISSN 0360-005X) MAINE Fish and Wildlife is published quarterly by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife , 284 State St. , Station 41 , Augusta, Maine 04333, under appropriation 01 0-09A-0529. Subscription rate is $9.95 per year. Permission to reprint text material is granted, provided proper credit is given to the author and to the Department. Clearance must be obtained from artists, photographers and non-staff authors to reproduce credited work. Š Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife , 20028 . CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send both old and new addresses to 183 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04330. POSTMASTER : Please send address changes to The Maine Sportsman , 183 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04330. QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Call 1-800-698-0883 Out of state call 207-622-4242. Periodical Postage Paid at Augusta, Maine The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of 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 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
Visitmaine.com
16
Deborah Turcotte
Tourist website adds information about angling destinations.
Sportsman's Plate
17
Cathy Genthner
New vehicle license plate for sportsmen now available.
Boat Launch Program
19
Tom Seymour
A look at the work being done to expand lake and river access.
Deer Management
22
Tom Seymour
A review of Maine's efforts to keep watch on whitetails.
Hawk Rescue
25
George Chappel
A Cooper 's Hawk is rescued and rehabilitated.
Winter Fish Kill
26
G. Russell Danner
Record snowfall may mean lower fish survival. About the Cover: Game Warden John MacDonald fishes with a young angler at a youth fishing
event in New Gloucester. Emily Jones photo
Spring 2008 Page 3
Editorial
MAINE Fish and Wildlife Magazine to Cease Publishing With This Issue We all know the saying, "Good things must come to an end." For the employees of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, it's with sadness that we have to say it about the Maine Fish and Wildlife magazine. At least the paper edition. For more than 40 years, biologists, educators and wardens have been bringing you stories and pictures of their work four times a year in a beautifully designed publication. Your comments to us on how much you enjoyed receiving the magazine encouraged us to continue each year regardless of the considerable amount of time and money it took to produce it. We continued because we wanted to let you know how valuable our work is to you, and to the state's economy and Maine's future. But several rounds of budget cuts this past winter and spring forced us to answer a tough financial question- eliminate jobs or cease publication of the magazine? Unfortunately, given the amount of money we needed to cut, we had to do both. We decided not to fill a few vacant positions and to stop printing the magazine. Financial decisions like these are made with agony and trepidation. Many of you let us know and your legislators know - that you did not want the publication to end. Neither did we. You, our constituents, are vital to the future of the Department, and we want Page 4 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
you to know how your license and registration fees are being spent. So we came up with a solution on how to keep you informed in an inexpensive way. It's the computer - which combines words and pictures and delivers them almost instantly to viewers. Changes in technology are making it easier for people to communicate. Computer processes that once were cumbersome to use now are simpler, opening up the world to you one click at a time. In the next few months, we will be looking into ways to make Maine's inland fisheries and wildlife programs accessible to you through the computer. For example, we will be studying how to take the paper version of the magazine and put it on our Web site in a user-friendly way. Eventually it will be available on a quarterly basis and it still will be chock-full of the stories you enjoy reading. But that's not all. With so many inexpensive communications tools available these days, such as video, e-mail and subscriber services, we will be reviewing the best way to keep you informed about the fish and wildlife management work that is ongoing in the Department, as well as the safety and enforcement efforts of the Maine Warden Service. Many of you may be saying, "Well it won't be the same." And you're right to a certain extent. We're accustomed to holding the magazine in our hand , reading it
at our leisure, keeping it as a souvenir or a resource. In many ways, that won't change. Now you'll be able to go online when it's convenient to you, read the magazine through your computer screen, and print out the stories you'd like to keep. Online editions will be archived on our Web site so you'll be able to go back anytime and look at them again. So pour yourself a cup of coffee and immerse yourself in this edition. As always, it's packed with interesting articles about fishing and other topics we thought you'd find fascinating. And in a few month , get yourself another cup and vi it us online. We look forward to seeing you in cyber pace! - Roland D. Martin Commi ioner Spring 2008
The Ever-Changing
LAWBOOK By Joe Dembeck Research Fisheries Biologist, Bangor How do you best manage fish populations? That's easy. Manage people! Thi may seem to be odd logic, but since the la t Ice Age fish have been taking care of themselves quite nicely. Then humans came along. We fish, modify habitat, and perform a number of other activities that directly and indirectly impact fish populations. As my college fi heries professor Dr. Ringler used to say, "Fisheries management is 98 percent dealing with people and two percent dealing with fish." For the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Fisheries Division, the most direct method we have of managing the behavior of anglers i through the rules and regulations in our law books. Like most other things, the easier a regulation is to understand the more useful it is. That is why over the last three years the Fi heries Division lowly has been making change to the fishing lawbooks. At this moment, some folks probably are throwing their hands in the air yelling, "Maine fi hing law books are too complex! They hould be more like
a 'fill-in-your-favorite-state' variety- one book for any state!" Without a doubt, Maine's fishing lawbooks include a lot of special regulations - and for good reason. There are more than 6,000 lakes and ponds and 32,000 miles of rivers and streams in the state. The Fisheries Division staff spends the majority of their time in the field studying waters and analyzing data that guide our management decisions. As our understanding of fish populations within individual water bodies grows, so does the need to tailor regulations to meet specific performance goals. These goals can range from providing high catch rates to producing trophy-sized fish. Since many anglers in Maine are focused on an individual species, we spend a lot of time studying sportfish and experimenting with regulations to find that right mix that sati fie all anglers. As you can guess, we will never be able to satisfy all of the desires of Maine's diverse angler groups, on every water, but we try. Further changes are being con idered for the fishing lawbooks in the near future, such as combining the Open Water and Ice Fishing lawbooks into one
Recent Lawbook Improvements • Con olidation of bass regulation from 25 different regulation categories to five categories; • Consolidation of lake trout regulations from 30 to 7 categories; • Con olidation of brook trout regulation from 25 to 8 categories; • Con olidation of landlocked salmon regulations from 16 to 8 categories; • Combining the two extended fishing season, S-23 (Oct. 1-31) and S-24 (Oct. 1-Nov. 30) into one extended eason from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. Thi allows for expanded fish ing opportunities on more than 2,000 waters located throughout the state; • Modifying the layout to improve readability and highlight new regulation changes.
Maine Fish and Wildlife
STATE OF MAINE
OPEN WATER
FISHING REGULATIONS
Regulation Effective January 2008 - March 31.2010 annual book. Maine i the only "ice fishing state" that produces separate lawbooks for each of the season . Additionally, we are looking to adopt a two-year lawbook instead of an annual lawbook. As budget remain stagnant or are cut, there i a renewed focus in finding ways to save money without sacrificing services. By creating a twoyear lawbook, we will be able to save on printing costs, remove redundant pages and decrease the amount of taff time devoted to the entire regulation/law book process. Thi year's Open Water Fishing book will be the fir t to show the new changes. Don't throw it away! It will be a two-year book, in effect through March 31,2010. Any change to regulations will be announced on the IF&W Web ite (www.maine.gov/ifw) and in future pres release . A further upcoming focu will be to addre specie specific regulation on rivers and streams throughout the tate. For example, the types of regulation that work for brook trout inhabiting lake and pond are often not applicable to brook trout populations in river and tream , due to difference in available forage, habitat, water quality, and trout (Continued on next page)
Spring 2008 Page 5
How Can I Help The Future of Maine Fly Fishing? By Noah Rousseau Seventh Grade, Phillips Middle School
There are a lot of reasons to fly fish. Some people fish because they like to eat fish and others because they enjoy their time with nature. I like to fly fish because it makes me feel related to the river that I'm standing in. Watching the fly drift with the current helps me to understand where the fish may be holding and how I might succeed at catching a fish at the end of the line. Three years ago, when my mother water. Clear water begins with clean showed me how to fly fish, I wanted to land. Coldwater fish need our help in try something new and I quickly found I making sure our water stays clean for liked it. Living on the Sandy River and them. This includes protecting the water hearing the beautiful sound of water from invasive plants, fish and algae. These are choices we can make, not the moving encourages me to fish and be outside whenever I can. Now, even fish. Finally, and probably most importhough I sometimes get aggravated if I tant, is to encourage and practice proper lose a fish, my tippet breaks or I lose my catch and release techniques so you don't favorite fly, I still enjoy myself and have the patience to tie a new fly on or search harm the fish and damage future fish populations. A released fish doesn't for the one that I lost. However, you don't need to live on a alway mean it will urvive if it isn't river to excel at fly fishing. You can learn released carefully and quickly. to fly fish at any age, but I think it is In closing, I think kids should grab a really important that kids learn how to fly mentor, explore your local waters and fish early. Programs like Live the have fun! Legend, the Maine Conservation School and my outdoor education class at school -Noah Rousseau recently won the have all helped me to be a better angler 2007 Youth Essay Contest sponsored by FlyfishinginMaine .com. The judges said and appreciate the places I like to fish. they were impressed with the two mesPrograms like these should be more available for kids, so they can get educat- sages that Noah expressed in his essay: ed in outdoor sports and experience what first, that an outdoor experience should be available to all young kids, and secis historical to the state of Maine. ond, that it is important to be good enviGetting kids involved in fly fishing ronmental stewards and protect our natuprograms where they can have a mentor ral resources. As a prize, Noah received is a good idea. My mentors, Kash Haley, Kris Thompson, Aldro French and my a complete Orvis outfit, including a fly parents, have all helped me in the sport rod, reel, line and backing. Noah is the of fly fishing. Maybe someday I will son of Shelby and Mark Rousseau. Shelby is the stewardship director at become a Maine Guide so I can be a Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust and Mark mentor to others. is a forest ranger with the Department of Additionally, taking care of the land Conservation. is just as important as taking care of the Page 6 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Lawbook (Continued from previous page) movement patterns. There will always be fishing regulations, and the Fisheries Division will always be attempting to balance the management of fish populations with minimizing the complexity of the lawbook. No matter what specific regulations are inside Maine's fishing lawbook, there are a few pieces of information that you will always need to know when using it, be it 2008 or 2018. These items are: • Where you are - county and town; • The name of the water you are fishing; • The date - to know whether open water or ice fishing regulations apply; • Your fishing gear- spinning gear, fly-fishing, ice trap or jigging pole; • Type of bait attached to your fishing gear - fly, artificial lure, live bait or dead bait; • Fish identification. Regardless of when and where you fi h in Maine , keep that lawbook handy and most importantly, enjoy your time on the water!
Spring 2008
Tyler Pond is a 'kettle pond' surrounded ', by steep slopes.
Compiled by Lisa Kane Photos by Lisa Kane The Tyler Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the towns of Manchester and Augusta. This small WMA is 128 acres, consisting of about 98 acres of mature, mixed forest stands, a 4-acre deep fresh marsh, and Tyler Pond at its center, a geologically unique cold water pond about 26 acres in ize. Bordered to the outh by one large gravel pit and a serie of maller ones, Tyler Pond is the southern-most pond in the Summer Haven chain of ponds . Created by glacial action, this chain of pond di plays an unusual geologic formation identified as a reces ional delta . Tyler Pond itself is a kettle pond, a depre ion formed when an isolated block of ice , buried in gravel and sand,
MAIN E Fish and Wildlife
Spring 2008 Page 7
melts and the over lying gravel and sand slumps in, forming a pond. As such, there is no inflow or outflow of water. The forest surrounding Tyler Pond is largely composed of mature red oak, but there are also moderate stands of softwood forest, especially on steep slopes bordering the shore . A large stand of mature red oak trees provides an abundance of snags and cavities for wildlife, as well as a good mast crop of acorns . Deer, moose and wild turkey are known to frequent the WMA, and there was fresh beaver work observed recently. The deep fresh marsh located in the northwest comer of the property provides excellent habitat for waterfowl and wading bird feeding . This area is owned by the State of Maine and is managed by cooperative agreement between the Maine Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) . The Summer Haven Ponds have long been a recreational area for people from the surrounding towns . Tyler Pond's aesthetic quality, undeveloped shoreline, and proximity to populated areas caught the interest of the State Park and Recreation Commission when searching for possible recreation sites near the Augusta area. It was purchased by the DOC using federal Land and Water Conservation Funds and State Fund . DOC has coordinated ATV/ nowmobile u e on this property as well as that of the surrounding private landown-
ATV and snowmobile use at Tyler Pond are coordinated by the Department of Conservation ers. An ATV trail network has been established in part to control use, a well as to minimize some of the erosion problems associated with the pond access sites. DOC has spent a considerable effort in erosion control methods including rock barricade , vehicular gates, rubber water bars, and rerouting of trails. Maintaining excellent water quality is a large part of managing the cold-water fishery for quality brook trout at Tyler Pond . Tyler Pond sit atop a very large aquifer that is also the water source for the Department's Governor Hill Hatchery in North Augusta. The bigge t potential threat to water quality is from direct soil erosion at the various access ite caused by misuse of ATV s or other ehicle .
Tyler Pond provide a unique fishing opportunity in central and southern Maine. Its undeveloped horeline combined with good brook trout habitat, make thi an exceptional cold water fishery for thi geographic area. The pond was reclaimed in the fall of 1989 to remove le s desirable fish species that compete with brook trout for food and pace. Since then, annual fall tocking of fingerling brook trout have been maintaining thi fi hery. According to fisheries division record , growth and survival of these fi h ha been very good. An illegal introduction of Rainbow smelt occurred sometime after the 1989 reclamation. However, it appear that the smelt have become e tabli hed and are actually contributing to good brook trout growth. Special regulation are in effect at Tyler Pond, de igned to enhance the ize of the trout available to angler . It is clo ed to ice fishing . Public recreation i a primary objective of thi management area. Hunting, fi hing, trapping, nowmobiling, off-road vehicle u e, hiking and wildlife watching provide many opportunitie for a variety of public u e. The Tyler Pond WMA can be reached from the Summerhaven road off of Rt. 27. An entrance road and mall parking area i located on the left. There i al o a marked recreational trail off of the Sanford Road that lead down to Tyler Pond. Refer t the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer Map 12 BS.
Recent signs of beaver work at Tyler Pond.
Page 8 MAIN E Fish and Wildlife
Spring 2008
Healthy Turkey Population and Expanded Opportunities Attract a Growing Number of Hunters By Cathy Genthner Even though Maine had a pretty tough winter with a greater than average snowfall in 2008, the wild turkey seems to have survived and thrived amazingly well. It is estimated that Maine's wild turkey population is around 50,000 birds. "They are pretty resourceful birds . It i deep fluffy powder that inhibits their ability to move and find food, and we don't get those types of conditions very often," said Brad Allen, a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fi heries and Wildlife who specializes in the wild turkey. "One thing that gets them through a tough winter is the number of bird feeders out there . It is not uncommon to see four or five bird under a bird feeder and the birdseed is really good for them. If they can get food, they can urvive the cold." Brian Smith, a member of the board of directors for the Maine Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, agrees with Allen .
"The turkeys did well," said Smith, who is founder of the Washington County Chapter called The Downeast Longbeards. "They know how to get to peoples' bird feeders and, of course, if there is a crust, they can walk on top of the snow."
Widespread Birds The Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris
For more detailed information on turkey hunting regulations please visit: www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting_trapping/hunting/wild_turkey.htm To learn more about the wild turkey and hunting visit: National Wild Turkey Federation: www.nwtf.org Maine Chapter of National Wild Turkey Federation: www.mainenwtf.org MAINE Fish and Wildlife
gallopavo silvestri ) can be found in the eastern half of the United States- from Maine to Florida and west to Texas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota, as well as in southern Canada. The Ea tern Wild Turkey also has been succe sfully introduced in Wa hington State. It is the most widely distributed and hunted of the five subspecies of wild turkeys found in the United States. The Eastern Turkey's habitat i hard and mixed wood forests, making the wood of Maine a perfect home. French ornithologi t L.J .P. Vieillot described and named the sub pecie in 1817 using the Latin word ilvestri , which mean "forest" turkey. The turkey population wa extremely high when coloni t fir t ettled the country. "We had turkey in the 1700s and early 1800s and they lived along the
Spring 2008 Page 9
coast with the oak trees," Spring Turkey Permits Allen said. "If you can imagine what the forests Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 looked like when the 3880 6792 8730 11656 15170 23026 Resident 1617 2065 2741 Mayflower landed, oak 430 925 120 344 208 270 259 Nonresident 185 133 would have been the domiTotal 1750 2250 3000 4000 7000 9000 12000 15600 23951 nant tree. Turkeys love acorns. In the summer, they 2007 Year 2006 will eat grasshoppers, crickResident 17434 18710 ets and other insects. They Nonresident 692 683 also like apples and seeds. *Superpack permits 724 953 They are generalists when it 20117 19079 comes to food, which allows Total them to survive." *The superpack permit includes a spring and fall turkey permit and was introduced in As hunting pressures 2006 increased and cities and towns expanded, turkey numbers declined dramatiFall Turkey Permits cally. In the 1980s, the Maine Department of Inland 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Year Fisheries and Wildlife 2855 2827 2566 5209 Resident 2,013 2849 launched a campaign to rein- Nonresident 86 148 73 68 33 9 troduce the wild turkey to Total 2,022 2882 2923 2913 2639 5357 Maine. The first limited turkey hunt began in 1986 in in areas uch as Bethel, Dover, Lincoln, a trophy bird. If I get one thi sea on, it York County. and occa ionally beyond. will be my fiftieth bird." "That's when I took part in my first "We brought them back to Maine tur 路ey hunt," Smith said. "A college becau e they were native to Maine," friend said to me, 'Let's go hunt turkeys .' Best in the East Allen said . "Weal o wanted to have I got my first turkey in 1987 when I shot Today, turkeys can be found all along hunting opportunities in Maine. I tell the coast to the middle ection of Maine people we have the best turkey hunting in the Ea t." The succes of the reestablishment of the turkey ha urpassed all expectation , to the delight of hunter and con ervationists. "The number have gone above what they thought we would have here in Maine," aid Jim Plourde, the pre ident of the Maine State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. "Hi torically, it eem there wa a range where they thought turkeys would ree tabli h them elve , which wa ba ically in the coa tal area. But you can find them even up in Aroostook County or Greenville, although not in large number ."
Hefty Birds
A mature gobbler is recognized as a trophy wherever turkeys are hunted. Ken Allen photo
Page 10 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
The male , called gobbler or tom , can weigh up to 20 pound and may be up to four feet tall at maturity. The female are called hen and weigh u ually betw en eight and 12 pound . Male gen rally port a red beard but beard can al be pre ent - although much maller -
Spring 2008
known as pipping. Hens respond to the pipping sounds by making soft clucks at random, communicating with the young while they are still in the egg. The communication between the mother and the young is critical to the young's survival. Still, the young and adults are vulnerable to predators. "Raccoons and skunks will eat the poults," Allen said. "Usually about half of the young that hatch actually survive. Bobcats, coyotes, great horned owls, fishers and martens will eat the adults." In order to help the population thrive, turkey hunting is allowed only in certain designated wildlife management districts in the spring and in the fall. A special turkey Turkeys may not be smart, but outwitting their acute permit is required for senses is a real challenge that makes any successful each season, along with hunter proud. Harry Vanderweide photo a hunting and or archery license. on 10 percent of the hen population . In "There was a dramatic increase in the the northeast, breeding begins in April number of permits last fall because it was with the males gobbling and strutting to the first year that we allowed shotguns to attract a female . be used. Before it was archery only," "In the spring when you are calling said Bill Swan, the licensing director for them, you try to imitate the hen and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries sound seductive," Smith said. "They are and Wildlife . "I suspect we will see a lot sharp-eyed and they can see color. That is of growth in the number of permits sold why hunters wear camouflage. Turkeys for this fall as well ." have no ense of smell but if they did, In the spring, hunting is allowed from they would be near impossible to bag one-half hour before sunrise until noon because their senses of hearing and seeand is open to archery and hotguns. The ing are o keen." season begins around the last week of The offspring, known as poults, April and extends until the end of May, hatch around early to mid-summer in with hunters allowed to hunt every other Maine . Females usually lay a clutch of week, based on the year they were born. 10 to 12 egg with the eggs hatching "Hopefully, they are breeding right after an incubation of about a month. The before the turkey hunting season in late hatching begins with the poult rotating April," Allen said. "It is fun being up at within the hell, chipping a complete dawn in early May. It is so quiet and the break in the large end of the shell. This is
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
woods are alive with the turkeys gobbling. You can see a long way into the woods because the leaves aren't out yet and the temperature is nice."
Fall Experience The fall hunt takes place in October with two weeks of archery-only hunting and one week that allows hunting with a bow or a shotgun. Fall hunting is allowed one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. "My daughter Sarah is 10 years old and I had her out hunting last fall. She missed a bird and she was all excited. She asked if we could come back out before school and she got her bird on a Tuesday morning . She got a young hen in the fall of 2007 and now all she wants to do is shoot a big bird," Plourde said. "Turkey hunting is a unique type of sport. It is very interactive. You are always listening for that gobble and there is a real adrenaline rush, especially if one is coming up behind you . The turkeys can get riled up a bit, especially when the male is trying to show his dominance or trying to attract a female . There is a pecking order when it comes to turkeys. They're always fighting over a woman or fighting over who is the boss." While turkeys are often seen out in the fields or crossing roads in the southern half of the state, they aren't as easy to bag as one might think. "For a bird with a brain the size of a pea, they can make a real fool out of you," Smith said. "What I like about turkey hunting is that it is a chance to get outdoors and hunt in the springtime or early fall. It can be real action-packed. You hear the gobbles first thing in the morning in the trees." Smith said that every year, more people are getting interested in turkey hunting. He credits the outreach efforts of the National Wild Turkey Federation to attract youth and women hunter . "Al o, the popularity of outdoor channels on cable featuring turkey hunts has attracted people to the sport," Smith said. Plourde values the outdoors experience. "You get to be part of nature. In the spring you can go fishing and hunting in the same day. It sound like heaven to me," he said.
Spring 2008 Page 11
Bow Hunter Education Course: Targets Teaching and Technology By Cathy Genthner Jon Bailey, a contractor and photographer from Tenants Harbor, grew up in a hunting family in Burlington, Vermont. "I can remember target practicing as a boy with my father and uncle, both of whom were avid deer hunters," said Bailey. "In fact, I used to take the first week of the firearms hunting season off from school and go to deer camp with them - seven miles up a logging road in the Green Mountain National Forest." Those are great memories for Bailey, although when he moved to Maine 30 years ago, he didn't hunt at all until three years ago. In 2006, he put his name in the moose lottery, was selected for a permit, and bagged a 801-pound bull moose in Bingham in early fall. About a month later, he shot an eight-point buck. Then in the spring of 2007, Bailey took a bowhunter education course and fell in love with the sport, even before he had fired a single arrow.
training, home study using a textbook and/or computer, and field experience. In the classroom, students also take in scenarios between hunters and landowners to learn proper landowner relations and ethics. "We have this one skit where a hunter shoots a doe and doesn't have a doe permit, but then desperately tries to convince his buddy, who has a permit, to tag it. In the end, the hunter takes his medicine for shooting the doe and reports it to the warden service," said Pete Lamarre, a state representative for the National Bow Hunter Foundation, and a trainer and instructor for the archery education
course. "We all have fun with these different scenarios, but they teach very valuable and serious lessons about hunter ethics and the law." In order to receive certification, students must attend every class and pass a final exam. There is also the opportunity for the students to learn by doing. "We are trying to generate more hands-on experience in the classroom, rather than having students just sit there while instructors do 'chalk and talk.' We are striving to get students more involved," said Lamarre. "As far as the home study course, we will have a class that lasts one or two evenings, then a
Archery Benefits "What attracted me to the sport were the multiple deer and expanded archery zones, which I live very close to. You can start in September and hunt until December; and I can keep getting does," said Bailey. "There is such skill and precision required just to be in the position to take a shot, compared to hunting with a gun. I've talked with hunter after hunter who reassured me they were several years hunting with a bow before they finally connected. The average shot is still from a distance of 17 yards." The archery education course, which lasts ten hours, includes instruction in a number of areas such as the laws, safety, shot placement, wildlife anatomy, tree stand safety, equipment, big game recovery, first aid and survival, map and compass, landowner relations and ethics. The course is a combination of classroom Page 12 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Participants at the Becoming an Outdoors Woman archery clinic. Emily Jones photo
Spring 2008
day-long class; along with home study. Some students report studying only a few hours while others, who are more diligent or have a greater thirst for the material, spend six or eight hours at home study. Home study prepares the student for class and as a result, the student has much more enjoyment with many of the areas covered because he or she is familiar with what the instructor is talking about. With home study, we can spend significantly less time spoon-feeding information to the students in the class. It is beneficial for the students as well as the instructors."
seem to be more comfortable with someone hunting with a bow and arrow," said Lamarre. "We tell our students to show the landowner the equipment they plan to use, such as the portable tree stand. We strongly discourage the use of the old wooden platform stands built into a tree with the screw-in tree steps." The classes have received some new equipment through the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and a memorial gift left by Bruce Dupil of Durham, an instructor who passed away a few years ago. Items such as a recurve bow, turkey and deer decoys, a three-D target, tree stand, and Mathews Genesis Bow (a compound bow that covers all standard draw lengths, allowing the bow to fit virtually anyone) were purchased to assist with the archery education courses. "The biggest reason I believe there has been a big swing towards bow hunt-
the instructors more time to do demonstrations," said Mike Sawyer, the recreational safety coordinator for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. "I head up the safety program and bow hunting is very safe. We hardly ever have incidents or injury from the bow. What is more of a concern are injuries from tree stand falls."
Ethics Stressed
Preventing tree stand falls is an area thoroughly covered by the instructors. Students are also taught the ethics of taking only good , clean shots in order to kill the animal, rather than wounding it and Power Presentation having to follow a blood trail. Devoting Technology now plays an increasingplenty of time to target practice and ly important role in the archery education being appropriately outfitted before headcourse. Jerome Richard, the president of ing out on that first hunt are crucial steps the Maine Bowhunters Association, has to a successful and safe hunt. been an instructor for over ten years in "We emphasize that one of the most Kennebec and important things to do is Somerset counties. to practice so that you For more information about the National Bow Hunter Richard utilizes a are efficient with your Education Foundation visit: www.nbef.org PowerPoint presentabow," said Lamarre. tion during his classes. "We also stress that a For more information about upcoming archery courses, " It seems the visual new bow hunter is best visit: www.maine.gov/ifw/education/safety/bow.htm part is really helpful to served by going to an the students. The stuarchery pro shop where dents say the they can be properly fiting is the additional season for deer huntPowerPoint helped them understand," ted . Bows have to be well-fitted to the ing and the bow turkey hunting," said said Richard. "During the classes we get shooter. We also recommend that people Reggie Read, a coordinator for into some great discus ions about equipare tested to determine their dominant ment, and the tudents share tidbits about Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties for the eye." the Department. "Bow hunting is a manhunting as well. I think the bow is techLamarre encouraged one of his stuagement tool. It is user-friendly, there is nically more challenging than a rifle." dents, Jon Bailey, to become a certified no noise and people are much more In fact, Richard taught his wife Tina instructor because of his enthusiasm for receptive to allowing people hunt on their how to shoot a bow before they got marthe sport and his excellent communicaried. Now, she assists him with the class- property with bows . Nationally, there has tion skills. e . Her pre ence is e pecially helpful for been a big increase. It is a fantastic "Pete Lamarre , one of the instructors, sport." other women in the cla , who may have said that I seemed comfortable with peoorne reservations about hunting with a ple . I told him that I had done teaching Home Study bow. and workshops , and he thought I would It should be noted that students don 't "You only need to pull 38 to 40 be a good instructor," aid Bailey. "I was actually do any shooting while in the pound for a hot that will kill. With concerned about the lack of my field the e new bows , you let the equipment class. The home study portion of the experience, but Pete reassured me that do the work . It isn 't like the old days ," course doe allow instructors to more courses were always taught by teams of aid Richard. "These new bows are more effectively utilize classroom time. people, that they need people who were accurate, fa ter and easier to use." "We require everyone to go to a class, articulate , and who could emphasize While expanded archery seasons have and they can read information online. ethics and landowner relations." What we have done with our home study contributed to a greater number of bow Today, Bailey is teaching students in portion is the same a with the firearms hunter , o have reservations about the the archery education cour es , passing on safety course. The student will come to u e of firearms. his knowledge and love of the sport to "A lot of private landowners will give one or two classes (depending on the future generations of bow hunter . permi ion to hunt with a bow when they schedule) and get as ignments for homework. When they come back it allows won ' t allow firearm hunting . They
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Spring 2008 Page 13
How can you tell between ... those outdoor folks in green? Many Maine residents often cannot tell the difference between the five outdoor officials that are in charge of maintaining and protecting our forests, coastal and inland waters, parks, fisheries and wildlife. Here are some tips, and then a quiz, to help you understand their jobs and better recognize them in uniform, when you meet them around the woods and waters =>f the state. ORI GI N AL ARTICLE FROM THE PORTLA ND PRESS HERALD , 4/25/99 , BY ROBERTA SCRUGGS
GAME WARDEN, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife A game warden enforces the laws governing fish, wildlife and recreational vehicles like boats, snowmobiles and ATVs; and searches for anyone reported lost or missing on inland waters or in our fields and forests. Carries a firearm.
FOREST RANGER, Maine Department of Conservation Enforces laws governing forest practices, fights forest fires; works on cases of arson, timber theft, timber harvests and environmental regulations.
Shon Theriault, Game Warden Lieutenant, Dept. Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Alicsha Rautenberg, Forest Ranger, Jefferson District Headquarters
MARINE PATROL OFFICER, Maine Department of Marine Resources Enforces commercial and recreational fishing and boating laws and rules on tidal and salt waters along 3500 miles of Maine coastline. Ensures businesses that sell native Maine seafood are in compliance with regulations. Carries a firearm. Page 14 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Steve Ingram, Marine Patrol Supervisor, Dept. Marine Resources
Spring 2008
WILDLIFE or FISHERIES BIOLOGIST, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife In charge of managing our wildlife and fish populations to ensure there are enough for everyone to enjoy. Maintains, enhances and sometimes restores our native game and nongame species. Reviews and comments on environmental applications for building and land use proposals.
Judy Camuso, Region A Wildlife Biologist, Dept. Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
STATE PARK RANGER, Maine Department of Conservation Enforces all state park rules, protects natural resources on park lands, maintains grounds, campsites, trails and buildings on all state park properties.
Bruce Farnham, Dept. of Conservation, Mt. Blue State Park
Who you gonna call? For each of the following scenarios, decide which of the outdoor folks in green you would call for help; then match the correct patch and/or badge they wear with each situation. 1. A deer jumped out in front of your car and you couldn't avoid hitting it. 2. You've found a bunch of large white pine trees cut and removed from the back part of your property.
A
3. You are camping at Sebago State Park, and need to report a group of people littering. 4. An endangered right whale is tangled up in fishing line in Penobscot Bay. 5. Someone is poaching moose in Lily Bay State Park, on Moosehead Lake. 6. There's a forest fire! 7. A hiker is reported missing at Katahdin Iron Works. 8. You have a flock of wild turkeys eating all the apples off your trees in a commercial orchard.
0
9. Someone is selling lobsters that are too small ('shorts') from a truck on the side of the road.
10. You want to build a house on forested land where bald eagles are nesting. MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Spring 2008 Page 15
Visitmaine .com Goes Fishing Year-round sport gets billing on tourist site visited by more than a million visitors
By Deborah Turcotte
mation about fresh and saltwater fishing, fishing regions, Maine's river country, fish species, family fishing, sporting camps and ice fishing. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is pleased to have partnered with the Maine Office of Tourism to produce the Web site . "The improvement was made because Maine's world-class fisheries deserve the spotlight," according to Steve Lyons, Maine Office of Tourism marketing manager. "We also know that fishing is one of the most-searched topics on the site, and the new layout will make it more convenient for anglers to plan their visit to Maine ." Fishing is one of three specialty topics on the Visitmaine .com Web site, with Maine's extraordinary cuisine and historic lighthouses also featured. "One valuable characteristic of the Fishing Feature is that visitors will be able to click on links to the Department
Maine is looking to lure more anglers to state waters, and the way it is hooking them is through a fishing feature on its premiere tourist Web site ._,.,.. __ ...... Visitmaine.com. _.,.,.._on ... _,....,...._.._.... ._ ... _,_ To visit the site, go to _.,..,,.lnlh .... ""'"'"_.,. .. '*' . --...,01.....,..• .....,......,........., ___ ...,. _ Visitmaine.com and click on "Fishing" ...,. .. _.,....., .. ...... ....... C.......•¥1'01111111n.-....... hUIII•-•N.,..w.,-.lltr.._,....,...., on the homepage. ..... ............ '-"'_...,. The Fishing Feature brings one of the state's most popular pastimes to the front of a Web site that draws more than ::::.:::=:-::.."=-~ ~ ~~: ,.,..,...,...,..lorooeOf e....,. v.., ... , ... _..,...,.. .. ._.,..,_llt_ a million people annually to plan their Maine vacation. Its' extensive informaAnnual Fishing Report, fish stocking tion makes it easier for tourists to join reports, and weekly fishing roundups Mainers on our lakes and rivers, accordfrom our biologists." ing to Commissioner Roland "Dan" Also on IF&W's site, visitors will Martin of the Maine Department of find tips for catching and releasing fish, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. information on the "Hooked on Fishing, For more than 100 years, anglers Not on Drugs" youth fishing program, a have visited Maine to cast a line in our list of Maine lake survey maps, and a list 6,000 lakes, 32,000 miles of rivers and of fishing opportunities by region. streams, and 5,500 miles of coastline. To protect Maine's splendid water"Maine's fishing opportunities are withways, visitors on IF&W's site can read out comparison because of IF&W's about how to avoid introducing invasive strong fish management aquatic plants into lakes practices and its statewide To visit the site, go to Visitmaine .com and click on "Fishing" on the homeand ponds, how to proppage . stocking program," erly use live bait, and What distinguishes Maine? Commissioner Martin how to work with the • Maine has more miles of native brook trout waters - plus ponds and said. Operation Game Thief streams - than any other state in the country ; According to statis• Maine has the largest wild native brook trout populations in the country ; program to stop poach• Besides Alaska, Maine is the only state with landlocked Arctic Charr; tics kept by the Maine ing. • Maine leads the country with 160 waters managed for Office of Tourism, fishing "We hope that travelers landlocked salmon ; has been one of the most will use this site not only ·The Rapid River in Oxford County has some of the largest wild river popular topics searched to learn about Maine's brook trout found anywhere south of Labrador, Canada. by visitors to the fishing opportunities, but Visitmaine.com site. Now to plan a trip as well," the information they seek is being served of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Web Commissioner Martin said. "Come expeup with beautiful photographs, well-writsite for more information on species, rience what brings Maine re ident to our licenses and regulations," Commissioner ten first-hand fishing tales, and details waters - numerous varieties of fish, Martin said . "While on our site, they'll about native species and how to catch including native brook trout, salmon and also be able to view a wealth of fishingthem. bass, to catch in spectacular ettings. The The new fishing pages include infor- related documents including the 2007 action is fun and it' fast!" Page 16 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
........-··"---·--.,
N.........,~--~~~-
_ O I _ D I . . l,OOI)
-
...... ., .. -
..... *'C11111.._
$~ . . . 01--~l'lllllllllnt••ar'llll--
_ -
a..----~.......... _ . ., llfldtihc:olh . . . l • - . .-...:~
. . . . . . . . . . ...,.,..llomu
.....,~
Of . .
- · · - ..... ,... •• .,. .... wtllrl(l.
................ ........, ,.,....,IINiolllfttlowtlfll._.
Spring 2008
Maine Sportsmen Step Up to the Plate A newly created Maine license plate designed for Maine Sportsmen and women now is available.
SAMPLE
By Cathy Genthner It has been more than a decade in the making, but the first-ever Maine Sportsmen's license plate now is available. On April 7, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Roland "Dan" Martin, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap and invited guests unveiled the license plate at a press conference at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Augusta. It's already a hot seller, as attempts to get one-of-a-kind messages on vanity plates - such as Go Fish or BLK LAB come up short. The plate is optional and costs $20 a year, in addition to the regular $25 registration fee. Vanity plate with up to six characters cost more, and, of course, taxes aren't included. The plate is available at any Bureau of Motor Vehicles office or at municipal town offices. With the Maine Sportsmen's plate now in the mix of specialty plates, vehicle owners have two options to choose from to support Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife programs . Proceed from the Maine Sportsmen's plate are divided among four different area : 50 percent to help upport and redevelop the state ' fi h hatcheries; 25 percent to develop stronger landowner relation hips ; 15 percent for boat launch development; and 10 percent for endangered and non-game specie con ervation. The other plate - the loon conservation plate - al o rai e fund for endan-
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
SUPPORT WILDLIFE gered and non-game species conservation efforts, as well as monies for state parks.
who enjoy Maine's many and varied recreational opportunities a chance to give a little something back."
'Lasting Legacy' "This sportsmen's plate, like the loon plate, provides outdoor enthusiasts and others the opportunity to support a lasting legacy," Commissioner Martin said. "Further, the funds generated by this endeavor will help drive the programs that matter most in maintaining the ongoing success of the Maine outdoors as a place to work and as a place to play." During the last year, IF&W has been working with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and 3M of Minneapolis, Minn., which manufactures the plate's front cover, to bring the idea to reality. All of Maine's license plates are put together by pre-release inmates in Thomaston. Plates are not cheap to produce. Once the initial plate is purchased, the profit margin is greater, earning the department approximately $15 out of every $20 when a plate is renewed. Wildlife artist Thomas Merriman designed the plate, using Mount Katahdin a viewed from the south as a backdrop . In front are a bull moose and a Maine native brook trout. "This plate's design, featuring the instantly recognizable images of Mount Katahdin, a bull moose, and a trout, serves a a great reminder of Maine's long tradition of sporting endeavor ," Commi ioner Martin said. "We're happy to give our hunters, angler and the oters
SAM Proposal The idea for the Maine Sportsmen's plate came about more than 10 years ago, when the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine had legislation sponsored on its behalf to create a plate for sportsmen . The bill surfaced during the first two or three legislative sessions without any luck. The funding for the bill was put into the budget and taken out a few more times during the sometimes rocky deliberations before the Transportation Committee. Finally, a more creative approach was di covered. First, IF&W promised to put up $40 ,000 in funding for the plate from the Lifetime Licen e endowment fund, with the intent that the money would be repaid from the sale of the plate. Then Sen. Bruce Bryant, DOxford , and Rep . Troy Jackson, DAllaga h, chairs of the Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife traveled to sportsmen's shows and events across the state in order to collect the 2,000 signature needed for the plate to be approved by the Secretary of State's office . Collecting the signatures involved a lot of hard work, travel and dedication to the cause. "It took a little while and like with any legislation , sometime there were some bumps in the roads ," Sen. Bryant
Spring 2008 Page 17
said. "We collected the signatures through sportsman's shows, such as the one in Wilton in my area and Augusta. Troy collected signatures up north and we collected some from local rod and gun clubs . I work at the paper mill so I was able to get some there too ." Rep. Jackson said he believes the license plate "really represents my area of the state." Jackson 's geographically large, but sparsely populated district span across some of the best hunting and fishing areas in the state , including a portion of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. "There was a period of time when the lobster was on the plate and that irked people up here ," Rep. Jackson said. "The lobster wasn' t something that people in northern Maine identified with . It made more sense to have a moose and fish on it . That is what Maine is to me."
'Terrific Seller ' As evidenced by the number of signature collected fro m sportsmen, the plate has strong support. "I think it is going to be a terrific seller," said George Smith , executive
director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine and the originator of the sportsmen's plate idea. "People are enthused about having their own plate that indicates they are a sportsman ." According to Rick Hill, president of the Maine Professional Guides Association, "anything we can do to help raise funds for the Department i good . "I've talked with everal department people who are crying for money and they are as bare bone a they can get," Hill said . "I think our biggest problem in Maine is that we do not have the promotion that we really need or de erve to help direct the sporting public ." The plate may indeed help with marketing Maine as a destin ation for portsmen. It may also encourage people who have never bought a spec ialty plate to buy one. "To tell you the tru th, I never had a specialty pl ate or a vanity plate. But I'll get thi s one," said Rep. Jackson, who loves to go partridge hunting and fishing with his two sons. " I f people want it they can purchase it , or they can continue to go with the chi ckadee pl ate, whi ch also is fine . There are people out there who li ke
the job the Department i doing and would like to be able to make a contribution. Thi way they get something back in return ." Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, a former House chairman of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, was among the first sponsors of the bill to create a portsman's plate when it first came before the legislature. Years later, he approved the final de ign. "Matt has really carried thi for a long time in the legislature, so he has been on board for the whole time and he worked awfully hard," Smith aid . Secretary Dunlap ceremonially ecured the fir t plate to his truck during the press confere nve . "Sportsmen from all over the country and the world come here so they can enjoy world-class outdoor pursuits," Secretary Dunlap said . "Now sportsmen and others can displ ay so me of Maine's amazing natural wonders right on their vehicles, thus celebrating our outdoor heritage while helping sustain the programs th at benefit Maine's land and nati ve pecies ."
BECOMING AN OUTDOORS-WOMAN Each year, th e Becoming an OutdoorsWoman Program holds several events throughout th e state to provide women wh o are 18 years or older with an opportunity to
learn or improve their skills in hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation in a safe and comfort-
Swiftwater Canoeing Clinic June 7 , 2008 Southern Maine Guide Service , Parsonsfi eld Maximum : 12 Participants Cost: $60.00 Includes: Instru cti on, Equipment and Lu nch
able environment.
Ropes Course May 24, 2008 Southern Maine Guide Se rvi ce , Parsonsfield Maximum : 20 Participants Cost: $60.00 Includes : Instruction , Equipment and Lunch
Page 18 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
W hi tewater Kayaking Workshop
July 12 & 13, 2008 lntro to Sea Kayaking Workshop
This year's schedule of workshops includes several Beyond BOW workshops, specializing in a specific topic for beginners as well as the annual Introductory Skills Weekend . Additional Beyond BOW workshops wi ll be scheduled for the summer and fall months. Reg istration materials can be obtained by contacting Emily Jones at (207) 2878069 , or by joining ou r mail ing list. Registration is available online at www.mainebow.com
9am-1pm Maximum : 16 Participants Cost to Attend: $50 Includes : Instru cti on, Equipment and Lunch
June 21 , 2008 Brunswick
Southern Maine Guide Se rvi ce , Parsonsfield , Maximum : 12 Participants Cost: $1 75 .00 Includes : Lodging , Meals, Instruction and Equipment Sunset/Moonlight Paddle
August 15, 2008 Sebasco Estates, Phippsburg 6-10pm
Maximum : 16 Participants Cost to Attend : $50 Includes: Instruction, Equipment and Snack The 2008 Introductory Skills Weekend is scheduled for September 19-21 at Camp Caribou in Winslow, Maine. The t to attend is $210 and includes als, lodging , equipment and instruction the weekend . Scholarships are available through the Friends of Becoming an Outdoors-Woman.
Spring 2008
The boat launch on the Androscoggin River at Canton. Photo courtesy Lands for Maine's Future.
What's Happening with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Boat Launch Program? By Tom Seymour The Maine Department of Inland Fi sheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) owns and maintains some 120 access points to ponds , lakes , rivers and the sea coast throughout the State of Maine. The stated mi ss ion, 'T o provide as much legal access to the waters of the State of Maine as possible," has sometimes been misun derstood by the sporting public. Not to be
confused with State of Maine's public ownership of submerged lands beneath certain coastal regions, tidal rivers, great ponds and boundary rivers, legal access to public waters means simply, public ownership of a shorefront property which provides access to Maine 's public waters. Thi s does not necessarily imply access for trailerable boats. A certain percentage of the public access provided by DIF&W includes hand-carry launches and even a small amount of riverbank (riparian) access . The so-called, "Boat Launch Program" is something of a mi snomer. In fact , DIF&W involves itself in all forms of legal , public access, not just boat ramps. Also , the Maine Department of Conservation , the Maine Department of Transportation and numerous towns , companies, land trusts and others provide access to our public waters.
Team A pproach
Ron Taylor photo
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Leon B ueber, Federal Assistance Coordinator/Chief Planner for DIF&W, works with a team of others at DIP&W and contractors to help provide Maine citizens with access to public waters. His is a taxing job . Bucher works to secure funds from a number of sources, and combines them to purchase, develop and maintain public access sites. The U .S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) Program is a major source of funding for public motorboat access projects . This federal program began 58 years ago with passage of the Dingeli -Johnson Act. SFR fund s arc generated nationally with input from Federal excise taxes on fishing equipment, import taxes on fishing equipment, pleasure boats and yachts, and Federal fuel taxes on motorboat and small engine
fuels . Apportionment of these funds to states is based 40 percent upon land and water area and 60 percent upon the number of licensed anglers . Each state must allot a minimum of 15 percent of its annual SFR apportionment for development and maintenance of recreati onal motorboating access facilities . In 2007 , for example, Maine's SFR motorboat access funding was $523 ,6 34 . However in coastal states such as Maine, those funds are divided between freshwater and saltwater needs. Since 2003, that division has remained unchanged at 73 percent for freshwater, and 27 percent for saltwater use . The Maine Department of Marine Resources does not have a recreational access site program so DIF&W ha agreed to administer the total SFR motorboat access program , according to the establi shed di stributi on formula . The SFR program can fund up to three-fourths of the costs of land acquisition , development and maintenance of public motorboat access projects .
Land for Maine's Future Another source of funding for recreational access includes the Land for Maine 's Future ("LMF") program. Ten percent of this program's bond is et aside for the Public Access to Maine Waters Fund. Accordingly, the LMF program can fund up to two-third of the cost of acqui sition of land used for a boat launch site (either hand carry or a trailerect launch site) for bank fi shing , or for swimming . Al so , LMF grant recipients can apply for additional fund , up to 5 percent of the appraised land value , to help with acce s improvements.
Spring 2008 Page 19
Purchases with LMF funds are limited to the fair market value set by an independent real estate appraisal. The LMF Board uses the priorities established by the State of Maine's Strategic Plan for providing public access for boating and fishing that is prepared jointly by the Departments of Conservation and Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and updated every 10 years. For more information about this program see http://www.state.rne.us/spo/lmf/. In 2007 $150 ,000 of the state's fuel tax was available for IF&W public water access activities. Also, a certain amount of assistance for public water access activities comes from donations. These include situations where a landowner sells shorefront property to IF& W at a price below the appraised fair market value or a contractor contributes "inkind" services. These donations are combined with other monies as match to SFR and LMF funds for purchase, development and maintenance of the public water access sites. Maine's new Sportsmen's License Plate will be an additional source of funds in the future.
Williams' Legacy The late Bob Williams, Bucher's predecessor, was a tireless champion of securing water access for the citizens of the state. Williams' priority of acquiring shorefront lands for future development was necessary in light of the rapidly escalating market prices of shoreland properties over the past 20 years. The need to acquire properties for future development was the most acute in southern and central Maine, although the prices of shorefront lands have skyrocketed throughout the entire state. Even when a property is available at an affordable price, it may not be suitable as a site for public access. A number of concerns must be taken into consideration, including access from a public road, physical suitability of the site for the development and use, proximity to abutters' existing structures, community support and ability of the area to handle such development and use without harm to the land and water resources. With an ever-growing number of posted signs springing up at traditional access points to Maine's waters, the Page 20 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
The very rough boat launch site at Schoodic Lake. value and the need for reliable, legallyassured public access to public waters becomes abundantly clear. With that inescapable fact in mind, DIF&W has established a list of "Water Access Priorities."
Top Priority Priority 1 waters are, "Waters with moderate to high value fisheries where fisheries management is currently and adversely affected by the present citizen access situation on that water and access to the water has recently changed and is either becoming severely restricted or has actually been lost. Where a long standing fish stocking program has been terminated (or is in imminent danger of being terminated) because of the current status of public access to the water; or there has been a strong desire to tart a fish stocking program for a specific water but lack of public access prevents this action." Priority 2 water must have a moderate to high value fishery where orne public access exists but the access site is not legally assured, or is not considered adequate to serve public needs and concerns exist about the future of the public access. The water may not be stocked even though it does provide significant angling opportunities. Finally, Priority 3 water mu t have a moderate to high value fishery where
Ron Taylor photo
stocking is unlikely but where existing fisheries provide significant angling opportunities and public access is either not legally assured or is inadequate. Each year, DIF&W's regional fish eries biologists help to update the priority list. These individuals are considered a "front line" force, since they are the first to identify and report properties where traditional public access is in immediate danger of being lost.
Only the Beginning After acquiring a shorefront property, the journey toward assured legal public access has just begun. Even given the rising price of shorefront property, often the largest expense involved in establishing a public access site lies in development. First, engineer , either private contractors or the engineer from the DIF&W Engineering Department prepare a written plan. After the plan becomes final, the permitting proces begins. This can involve any number of entities , including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Environmental Education (DEP) , Maine Land U e Regulatory Committee (LURC), Maine Department of Transportation (entrance permits from existing state road ) , Maine Department of Conservation (submerged land lea e or ea ement from Bureau of Parks & Lands) and al o , individual towns . Spring 2008
The Department's boat access program works to allow people to have access to the state's great ponds. Tom Seymour photo
After negotiating the permit process, major projects are put out to bid to outide contractors, while orne small projects are handled by the DIP& W Engineering Department. Either way, the project is now at the stage where a completion date can be formulated.
Lambert Lake The proposed site at Lambert Lake, Lambert Lake Township, is an example of a current project at just this precise stage. The land for this new site was acquired through Williams' efforts in 2002. Funds for developing the project are in hand, the LURC permit application was approved and adverti ements are being let out for contractors. Construction will begin soon and the project is expected to be completed sometime in fall, 2008. However, this is only a plan and as such, plans are subject to change. While it isn't likely that the Lambert Lake project will encounter any major pitfall , other projects are not as fortunate. The Mere Point project to provide additional boater acce s to northern Ca co Bay in Brunswick wa initiated back in 1998. William ' staunch advocacy of this all-tide site required years of effort to identify, acquire, work with the Town of Brunswick and community group , de ign and permit. Requirements from the permitting proces caused development of the facility to take longer than anticipated. A portion of the permit requirement called for eelgra mitigation work. E entially, DIF&W was obligated to re tore eelgra in the adjacent bay, equal in size to that di placed by the MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Mere Point project.
Bog Lake Bogged Down Other sites encounter other hurdles. The status of the Bog Lake project in Northfield remains unchanged. Here, DIF&W acquired a parcel through Williams' efforts in 2001. After arriving at a point where development could move forward, the project was thwarted by local opposition. This opposition eventually took the form of a town ordinance, which prohibited DIF&W from moving ahead with its work. Since this has become a relatively common problem, DIF&W is urging that state agencies be held to reasonable standards while exempt from certain municipal ordinances such as the one cobbled together to stop the Bog Lake project. As mentioned earlier, considerable attention is paid to maintaining and improving existing ites. Consider, for instance, the Schoodic Lake Boat Access ite in Lakeview Plantation, a traditional but nonpublic access site acquired by IF&W through Williams' efforts in 2003. This
difficult for all but four-wheel-drive trucks to back down to the water. After renovations are completed, the site will be accessible to all vehicles. Basic maintenance at existing access sites can include work on dock replacement and repair, grounds maintenance, float installation and removal, gravel driveway and parking lot upkeep, ramp repair, portable toilet rentals (these are only at high-use sites), ramp sweeping, gate keeping, kiosk repair and access road maintenance fees. So during your next vi it to a public access site at one of Maine's ponds, lakes, rivers or sea coa t, remember that the process necessary for acquiring and developing the site was a long and, sometimes, contentious journey. Nevertheles , Maine's DIF&W will con-
location is scheduled iiita;;=~~~~~ for major renovation in ummer, 2008. Because of extreme roughness, The boat launch at Jordan Bay on Sebago Lake. the pre ent site is Ron Taylor photo Spring 2008 Page 21
Deb Plengey photo
"The system is in place, and we are constantly evaluating," says Lee Kantar. By Tom Seymour Lee Kantar, a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W), is the state's Deer Specialist. Working out of a small office in Bangor DIF&W Headquarters, Kantar reviews reams of data each day, analyzing and assessing figures from countless sources, all with the aim of detennining the current state of Maine's deer herd. Kantar then works with the regional biologists from each district to determine the number of antlerless deer permits to award across the state . It's a balancing act, though. For instance, DIF&W's objectives for Wildlife Management District (WMD) 15 are a total of 15 deer per
Page 22 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Maine's Deer Management 'The Best' square mile. But winter mortality must be accounted for, and the number of antlerless deer permits is computed in accordance with management objectives in mind. Analyzing deer numbers and harvest figures over the last seven years sets management objectives. Kantar calls this, "A snapshot of the population." According to Kantar, the winter of 2007/2008 has had some serious consequences for Maine deer. "The winter was bad across the entire state," Kantar said. "The number of any-deer permits for 2008 will fall ." The que tion on everyone's mind, of course, is how far will the numbers fall? Current indications are that 51,125 permits will be allocated statewide, which is 15,150 less than last year's figure . It appears that antlerless deer permits will be Deer Specialist Lee Kantar
Spring 2008
Deer at the Maine Wildlife Park show winter yarding behavior.
awarded in WMDs 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,26 and 29 . But this is all subject to change. Kantar is still in the process of analyzing data (this comes from departmental sources, as well as other groups and agencies, including the University of Maine). New information gleaned from this may move the number of antlerless deer permits for 2008 up or down.
Management Perspective Maine's management system, according to Kantar, can stand up to that of any other state in the nation. And while the technology and data assessment methods may seem complex and foreign to many, Kantar puts the situation in perspective. "The only significant thing we can control is hunting mortality," Kantar said. Kantar pointed out that climate, weather, predation and other factors are beyond anyone's control. Given that limitation, Kantar spends all his energy micro-managing the herd. "The system is
MAI NE Fish and Wildlife
Deb Plengey photo
in place, and we are constantly evaluating," Kantar said. What, then, makes this current year different from past years? For an answer, we must refer back to what information Kantar has already gleaned regarding this past winter. The winter severity index (a method of determining the general harshness of the winter using snow depth, temperatures and other climate-related factors) was, according to Kantar, "Off t?e charts." Kantar said that some deer die each year, from a variety of causes. This occurs during mild winters as well as severe ones . Given this, DIF&W has developed average mortality rates for all of Maine's 29 WMDs . Kantar uses this information to formulate his long-range goals for each WMD. For instance, normal mortality for WMD 1, northwest Aroostook County, runs about 17 percent. Because of the past severe winter, that figure jumped to 31 percent, a significant increase.
Overbrowsing Problem Down East Maine has its problems too . Kantar estimates that the normal mortality rate for deer of 6-to-7 percent will be 5-to-8 percent higher this year. Likewise, deer in northern Maine, particularly the Moosehead Region, had an unusually rough winter. Snowstorms arrived in November and continued through March . Resulting snow depth consigned deer to their winter habitat (yards) early in the season. Add to this a lack of a traditional "January thaw," and the situation becomes perilous. "Over browsing occurred in northern Maine," Kantar said. Being limited to their yarding areas, deer soon depleted the available woody forage. Worse, this material does not contain much nourishment; it simply fills deer's stomachs and assuages their hunger pangs. Kantar said that DIF&W wildlife biologists conduct annual springtime browse surveys in the Moosehead Region. This is just one of the methods of data collection that
Spring 2008 Page 23
Kantar depends upon in order to formulate his management plan for that region. Coyote predation had its impact on northern Maine's deer herd, too. This was exacerbated by frequent crusty conditions, where coyotes could move about on top of the snowpack, but deer could not. All these factors combined to cause a higher-than-normal winter deer mortality for northern Maine. This will be reflected in a decrease in antlerless deer permits. Such decreases do not always rest well with hunters. For example, WMD 14 was awarded 700 permits last year. But in 2008 there will be none. "We'll get complaints," Kantar said, "But we've got to err on the side of conservation."
Prime Districts Deer in WMDs in southern and central Maine suffered too, but not as much as in northern and eastern districts. Kantar said, "Expect deer to bounce back in these areas." Consequently, Kantar says that he will stay on plan regarding anticipated deer harvests. Interestingly, allocation of antlerless deer permits in southern Maine is dictated according to societal demands as well as by the vicissitudes of nature. Here, hunters encounter problems in gaining access to many areas, due to posting. This, in tum, creates a surfeit of deer and that excess results in a high number of deer/vehicle crashes as well as damage to shrubs, gardens and orchards. Because of this, Kantar's goal for this region is to decrease the herd. "They want fewer deer," Kantar said.
Other Results A drop in deer numbers resulting from severe winter mortality has other implications, too. Kantar predicts that hunters will see fewer bucks in 2008. Also, Kantar says that antler growth will likely suffer as well. In starvation times, Kantar said, "body fat comes first." That is, instead of growing large racks, deer will work at producing body bulk. As a result, Kantar feels that spikes will greatly outnumber multi-beamed antler . While the effects of this past severe winter will be made manifest this year, a "lag effect," will, according to Kantar,
Page 24 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Severe winter weather, such as that of the last year, has many impacts on Maine's deer herd. Deb Plengey photo put does and young in poor condition. That lag effect will be felt not only this year but the following as well. Kantar says that DIF&W must compensate for that. Finally, Kantar says that he will recommend that in buck -only districts, it will be buck -only for everyone. Thi includes archers as well as kid who go afield on Maine's annual Youth Deer Hunting Day.
In the end, everyone will feel the pinch. But it must be remembered that here in Maine, whitetailed deer are at the near-northern extreme of their range. As uch, Maine's deer population is subject to fluctuations not evidenced in states to the south. But thankfully, Lee Kantar and other profes ional with DIF&W employ the most modern and accurate methods of managing Maine deer.
Spring 2008
Recuperated Cooper's Hawk Returns to the Wild By George Chappell DIXMONT - For a moment, the Cooper 1S hawk sat on its handler 1s fists, whose fingers were wrapped around the bird 1s legs to hold it. Its alert eyes looked straight ahead, its head and beak were still, as if poised for flight. In a second, Marc Payne, co-director of Avian Haven, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Freedom where the hawk had been mending for five weeks, handed the bird to wildlife biologist Kelsey Sullivan of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Sullivan turned and with his hands gesturing to the blue, cloudless sky, as if making an offering, he released the hawk to the east. Within econds the hawk had flown in a straight line high over the trees sur-
Wielding a butterfly net, Kelsey Sullivan, a Department bologist, approaches the injured Cooper's hawk. Joh n Clark Russ photo, courtesy Bangor Daily News rounding the Kennebec Road farm 1s open field that served as a launch Two crows flew up to join the hawk before continuing on their journey over the treetops. The hawk then flew out of sight on its journey over the woods. The young hawk was the same one that had crashed into the photography department window of the Bangor Daily News building and fallen onto a gravel roof beneath the window on Feb. 20. Payne, who has been working with birds in distress for 25 years in New Jer ey and Maine, aid the hawk wa
The Cooper's hawk was successfully released in brought to the center Dixmont after several weeks of rehabilitation at Avian by DIF&W biologists Haven in Dixmont. John Clark Russ photo courtesy Bangor Daily News Sullivan and George
MAINE Fish and Wild life
Matula . At first the bird appeared to have a concussion and to have trouble seeing. It had no broken bones . During its rehabilitation, the Cooper1S hawk, named for 19th century ornithologist William C. Cooper, ate mice and gradually returned to good health. Normally the Cooper1S hawk feeds on other birds. According to Bird of North America, the Cooper1S hawk is a medium-size hawk with a dark gray back and reddish and white underpart. Its size ranges from 15 to 20 inches long, wingspan 24 to 35 inches, and weight between 9 and 21 ounces. The female is a third again as big as the male. Its habitat is the woods of North America, and it is built for fast flight through an obstacle course of trees and limbs. Payne said the bird was in good health and he expected it to return to its ne ting place, which he a umed was around Bangor. They released the bird from Dixmont rather than Freedom, where Avian Haven i located, becau e it1S closer to Bangor and easier for the bird to make it way home. (Reprinted with permission Bangor Daily News, Bangor Publishing Company, Bangor, Maine 2008)
Spring 2008 Page 25
Hard Winter Could Mean Fish Kills By G. Russell Danner Fish and Wildlife Pathologist
With record snowfall this past winter, Department biologists anticipate small lakes and ponds may experience winter or spring fish kills. Ice forms an impenetrable barrier between the water and the atmosphere, p~eventing the exchange of oxygen, mtrogen and carbon dioxide over the winter. Typically, oxygen levels decrease as fish respire; and decaying plants consume oxygen while producing carbon dioxide. A small amount of oxygen is generated if sunlight can penetrate the ice and stimulate photosynthesis by algae. In years when there is increased snow cover on small lakes and ponds, such as this year, light cannot penetrate the snow and photosynthesis is halted. This creates the environmental conditions conducive for a winter fish kill. If oxyge levels decrease below about 5 mg/L, fish begin to suffocate . Bacteria on decaying plant matter can drive the oxygen level to zero, after which anaerobic bacteria begin to produce hydrogen sulfide . Depending upon the time the oxygen level drops, the dead fish may suddenly appear under the melting ice or they may decompose unseen on the lake bottoms. In either situation anglers may expect some small lakes a~d ponds to have fewer fish in them this spring. Lakes and pond that went an oxic (oxygen level zero) will have a rotten egg smell. The second intere ting phenomenon that occurs in the spring, and can cause spring fish kills, is nitrogen gas decompression illness - or gas bubble disease. ~gai~, ice i responsible for thi type of f1sh kill. Freezing lake water is typically 100 percent saturated with di solved oxygen and nitrogen ga ; however, water ha no capacity to hold the gas once it forms ice cry tals . This means that the instant the water become ice, the gas is released into the adjacent liquid water below. The impermeable barrier that floating ice create between the underlying water and the atmo phere prevents the normal equalization of nitrogen gas from
Page 26 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
the lake over the winter; consequently, the unfrozen lake water below the ice becomes increasingly supersaturated with nitrogen gas from ice forma- ~~'!:!;~ tion to ice out. The water has a high capacity to hold the nitrogen gas as long as it stays cold. On
~~~i~~~~~~~~ __..._..,.,...,..._...
sunny and very warm spring days, G just as the ice is
melting, nitrogen Dead perch at North gas supersaturation creates a lethal situation for fish. The lake needs a little time to slowly release the supersaturated nitrogen gas once the ice has melted. This occur gradually as the wind blows across the surface of the open water. If the water temperature increa es suddenly, as it does in shallow bays on warm sunny days, the supersaturated gas becomes unstable and forms cavitations, tiny bubbles of nitrogen gas, analogous to the carbon dioxide bubbles you see on the inside wall of a soda glass. Because the fish has lived in thi cold supersaturated water all winter, its body is also super aturated with nitrogen gas. If a fish move into a shallow warm area, the cavitations form within the fish's body. Tiny blood vessels are suddenly occluded, or rupture from the violent and nearly instantaneous nitrogen gas decompression. Sensitive vascular tissues like the retina, brain, and wim bladder capillary network can be heavily damaged. The fish are blinded by the injury to their retina, they lose the ability to regulate their buoyancy and float de _ perately on the water' urface. Hemorrhage within their brain are common, gas bubble occlusion cause strokes or aneurism , and the fi h typically die. One of the mo t common pecie of fi h to be affected by a pring fi h kill i
1:i.::t~S::~~~- ~~~.....;~~~~~~ Pond.
Ed cornwall photo
the largemouth bass. Large, reproductively active males quickly move into hallo~ waters i~ the spring to begin laying claim to cho1ce spawning habitats and choice shallow feeding habitats where emerging fry will soon be abundant. Unfortunately for them, this can be a fatal mi take if they move into an area b~fore the nitrogen gas has equilibrated With the atmosphere. You will see bass each spring floating in shallow coves, or floundering along a shoreline, victims of sudden nitrogen gas decompression. The final significant gas trapped below the ice i carbon dioxide. Water has a very high capacity to dissolve large quantitie of carbon dioxide. As it does o, the acidity of the water increa es. The acidity in most lakes doesn't change much becau e of calcium carbonate and other natural pH buffer in the water. In the spring, the lake relea e large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide release i part of the carbon cycle of the Jake. Even a lake ha a carbon footprint! If you own a pond and find you have no more fi h, order new ones early before upplie run out. If you ee orne dead fish on the shore or floating aimle ly in the hallow , hopefully you will better under tand the natura! phenomenon of winter and pring fish kill .
Spring 2008
PROTECT YOURSELF
MAINE GUN SELLERS PROTECT YOUR
GUNS
FEDERAL LAW prohibits the sale of firearms or ammunition to certain individuals.
BE AWARE. DON'T SELL YOUR GUNS TO ASTRANGER. YOUR GUN COULD BE USED IN ACRIME. YOU COULD BE ORDERED TO TESTIFY IN COURT. Sell your guns to someone you know or a federally licensed gun dealer.
CONTACT US FOR AGUN SELLER'S SAFETY KIT (207)771·3294 OR 262-4694
Gun Sellers Awareness Campaign Project Sale Neighborhoods Task Force United States Attorney- District of Maine • Portland/Bangor, Maine usame.psn@usdoj.gov
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Spring 2008 Page 27
A.T.V. MAINE WE PROVIDE LOCAL A. T.V. CLUBS AND THEIR MEMBERS WITH THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:
Answers to Kidbits Quiz on Page 15 1. D- Game Warden
+ + + +
REPRESENTATION
+
OPEN LANDS
4. E - Marine Patrol
+ +
AVAILABLE INSURANCE
5. D/C - Game Warden,
INFORMATION EDUCATION
2. A - Forest Ranger
ONEVOICE
3. C- State Park Ranger
LANDOWNER RELATIONS
REMEMBER: WITHOUT ACCESS PROVIDED BY LOCAL LANDOWNERS, WE WILL NOT HAVE PLACES TO RIDE A.T.V. MAINE PO Box2292 SOUTH PORTLAND, ME 04116
WWW.ATVMAINE.ORG
Park N.anger 6. A - Forest Ranger 7. D - Game Warden 8. B - Wildlife Biologist 9. E - Marine Patrol 10. B. Wildlife Biologist
Dead River Hatchery
All sizes Rainbow Trout available Brook Trout available in 4-6 IF&W permit required
207-628-2816
State certified Page 28 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Spring 2008
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Hats (one size fits all)
Gildan T-shirts 100째/o cotton pre-shrunk
Green Waxcloth
Canvas wl Suede Bill
Cotton LED w/ Trout
Quantity Item Hane ' s Beefy T' s (*If ordering XXL please add $2.50 per item) Pine Green Deer
Pine Green Deer Olive Trout -Jade Moose
L L
- -XL
-
-
*:XXL
Hats
Deer
Moose
N/A
N/A
--
--
$ $ $
$20.00 $16.00 $16. 00
$ $ $
Subtotal
$
Sales Tax
$
Postage
$
TOTAL DUE
$
Trout f-
(please calculate the shippmg coot by the number of items per category)
- $1.35 each x Qty. _ _ = $
(Maine residents add 5%)
T-shirts- $2.31 each x Qty. _ _ = $
Total
$15 .00 $15 .00 $15 .00
*:XXL XL XL - -*:x:x:T
Green LED Green Waxcloth Green Suede Bill Postag;e Rates Hats
Olive Trout
- -L
M M M
Price Ea.
-
Postage Total$
--
--
Name: --------------------------------------------Mailing Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City: ____________ State: ___ Zip: _ _ _ __ Jade Moose
Phone:
In-stock items are shipped within 5 business days. Items that are out-of-stock may take four to six weeks for delivery.
---------------------------------------------
Method of Payment (Please make check payable to: Treasurer, State of Maine)
OCheck/Money Order
DVisa
DMastercard
0 Discover
Card#: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Shipping costs on returned items are non-refundable.
Expiration Date: _ ____;____/______ Signature: _____________________________________
Mail order. with payment. to:
Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Information Center 284 State St. 41 SHS Augusta, ME 04333-0041 207-287-8000
MAIN E Fish and Wildlife
Check out our online store:
www.maine.gov/ifw .... .for these items and more.
Spri ng 2008 Page 29
etwork Program Schedule
Weekly Fishing and Hunting Reports From Maine•s Fishery and Wildlife Biologists T
T
T
T Page 30 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Fishing Hotspot of the Week Maine•s Best Waters Fish and Wildlife Trophy Gallery Send Us Your Trophy Photos Maine•s Best Outdoor Almanac Spring 2008
Maine Fish & Wildlife
OUTDOOR ROSTER r.
']KENNEBAGO RIVER KAMPS North of Rangeley between Kennebago Lake and Little Kennebago Lake • Fly Fish for native Salmon & Brook Trout in Kennebago's rivers & lakes • Excellent Deer and Grouse Hunting • Snowmobiling on ITS 84 and 89 • 3 Housekeeping Camps • Gated Access • Reasonable Rates
I
Write : Kennebago River Kamps, R. Hammond PO Box 677, Rangeley 04970 207-864-2402
••..
Need to know ~ about Maine Outdoors? .. Check the DIF&W Website: www.maine.gov/ifw r
-
I
:
..,...:·
~· "
on FISH RIVER LAKE Northern Maine 's Last Frontier
•
:'-
• .J.
.,.
~
P.O. Box 140 Portage, Maine 04768 Phone 207-435-6156
• fAMILY VACATIONS • MOOSE, LOON, WILDFLOWER FIELD TRIPS • HUNTING, fiSHING • ICE fiSHING, CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
Located in Allagash Lakes Region north of Baxter State Park. Full-service lodge, seven log cabins on Haymock, Spider and Cliff Lakes (T8R11 , T9R11 , T9R12). American Plan or Housekeeping. Indoor plumbing available.
OPEN YEAR ROUND
P.O. Box S98FG, Millinocket, ME 04462 207-757-7097 (LET IT RING!)
(MAILING ADDREss ONLY)
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
: j
Spring 2008 Page 31
,, .
.
.. ~
' /
.
MAINE SPORTSMAN LICENSE PLATE 50% Supports Maine's Fish Hatcheries Endangered Conservation
THANK YOU! SUPPORT WILDLIFE $20 ANNUALLY, PLUS REGULAR REGISTRATION FEES. VANITY PLATES UP TO SIX CHARACTERS EXTRA. AVAILABLE AT BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND DESIGNATED TOWN OFFICES.
WILDLIFE! 25% Builds Stronger Landowner Relations
c/ioose
OOSe/
... And Trout License Plate!
PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF INLAND FI H ERIE AND W ILDLIFE
(207) 287-8000
WWW.MAINE.GOV/IFW