Monday, November 30, 2015

Tell us this: What fuels your fascination with big deer tales?

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
   Several times each hunting season, the OUTDOOR SCENE runs photos and stories telling tales about hunters who have filled their tags by shooting monstrous deer, or deer with massive antlers.

And each time, our readers gobble those tales up, clicking, sharing and commenting on the stories on our website.
The other day, an e-mailer asked me to explore our fascination with big deer a bit further.
  Her question, (one I’d never considered, to tell you the truth), was simple: Why are people so interested in big deer?
   Having grown up here, I thought the answer was obvious. But after struggling to provide a good answer in a sentence or two, I realized that I’d never really given the issue much thought.
And that’s the question I’m asking readers today: What is it about these big animals that turns those stories into gotta-click internet sensations?
Neal Page of Palmyra poses with the 10-point buck he shot on Oct. 31, 2015. The deer weighed 282 pounds, field dressed (including heart and liver). Photo courtesy of Neal Page)
Neal Page of Palmyra poses with the 10-point buck he shot on Oct. 31, 2015. The deer weighed 282 pounds, field dressed (including heart and liver). Photo courtesy of Neal Page)
A bit of context: We track the stories that do best on the web (and the ones that don’t), and the reaction to the big deer stories is more than impressive. In fact, it’s nearly unprecedented.
Last year’s most viewed story on the OUTDOOR SCENE site?   Big deer. Big Fish second.
And every time we write about a big deer, thousands and thousands of readers check out the photo (and, hopefully, read the story).
I’ll be writing about the phenomenon, and I’d love to hear from you. Pass along your thoughts to me via email at waynwnri@yahoo.com if you like. Please include your full name and hometown

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Massachusetts Shotgun Season to Begin Nov.30 to December 12

Posted By Wayne G. Barber

Shotgun deer season opens November 30 to December 12. Remember, all deer must be checked at a check station during the shotgun season to allow biologists to collect important data. Find a check station at: mass.gov/dfw/checkstation Have a safe and successful season!


Third season for Shotgun Black Bear also coincide.

Hunting Season Framework:

The bear hunting season is broken into three parts:
-  First Season: Day after Labor Day – 3rd Saturday thereafter.
-  Second Season: 1st Monday in Nov. – 3rd Saturday thereafter.
-  Shotgun Season: 1st Monday after Thanksgiving – 2nd Saturday thereafter. (These dates coincide with shotgun deer season, special rules apply)

Saturday, November 28, 2015

RADIO ALERT for Sunday Nov.29 9:00am Episode

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Up to date Hunting and Fishing reports: Fresh and Salt Water


Tentatively scheduled guest caller at 9:15am Catherine E. Comar, Author, A Graceful Rise,

Executive Director of the American Museum of Fly Fishing, Manchester, Vermont www.amff.com

E-Mail from now through the broadcast at waynwwnri@yahoo.com with any Questions or Comments

With a total annual economic impact of $115 billion, fishing supports more than 828,000 jobs and generates $35 billion in wages and $15 billion in federal and state taxes. Despite the economic difficulties facing the U.S. economy over the past five years; the total amount spent on sportfishing, which encompasses tackle, travel and other equipment, grew five percent.


Tournament and Event Calendar
2014 Maine Female Sportswoman of the Year Britt Humphrey

Catherine E. Comar











Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Maine Guide Helps Disabled Vets Enjoy the Outdoors

Bob and Andrea Howe chat with Rip Thibodeau and Dave Huard, their fishing guests for the day. All free trips for veterans include a place at the Howes' table for a home cooked meal.
Credit Jennifer Mitchell/MPBN
Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Source: MPBN NEWS Jennifer Mitchell

Maine Master Guide Bob Howe gives Rip Thibodeau a refresher course in fishing for trout.
Credit Jennifer Mitchell/MPBN
Mainers love the outdoors. Many grew up in camping, fishing and hunting families, and have maintained a lifelong connection to those traditions. But for some combat veterans, who've experienced serious mental and physical disabilities, its much more difficult to enjoy the recreational activities that have such an important part of their lives. One Registered Maine Guide is making it his life's mission to see that all veterans, regardless of disability, can enjoy the Maine woods.
Rip Thibodeau spent his childhood exploring the outdoors.
"When I was a kid we'd take off Friday night and wouldn't come home until Sunday afternoon," says Thibodeau with a chuckle. "That was back in the good old days."
In addition to free hunting and fishing, Bob Howe conducts nature trips. His bird dog, Ash, is trained to sniff out shed deer and moose antlers for veterans to collect.
Credit Jennifer Mitchell/MPBN
Now in his 70's, Thibodeau has not been able to hunt or fish or hike for years. He can only walk short distances with the help of metal crutches clamped round his arms, a consequence, he says, of nerve damage sustained from exposure to the defoliant, Agent Orange, during his three year stint in Vietnam, from 1969 to 1971.
But on this brisk, autumn day in Western Maine, Thibodeau is zipping over rocks and roots and fallen leaves, trying for the first time an off road wheel chair at Pine Grove Lodge in Pleasant Ridge Plantation, Somerset County. Registered Maine Master Guide Bob Howe is showing him all the bells and whistles.
Bob Howe: "Forward, backwards, left, right."
Rip Thibodeau: "Ooh yes... I like this."
BH: "Pretty neat huh?" Jennifer Mitchell: "So it's like a little tractor kind of?"
Man: "Like a little tractor type of thing...Go ahead and take right out back."
The chair is called an Action Trackchair, and as the name implies, features two spinning rotating gripper tracks in place of wheels. Bob Howe and his wife Andrea maintain a small fleet of THEM at their nonprofit Pine Grove Program for Veterans. Using these special chairs, the Howes can reconnect veterans Like Thibodeau with the great outdoors.
JM: "So has it been a while since you've been able to really get out into the woods? Into the rough?"
RT: "Ten years. Been a long time. Been a long time. And you miss it. You know, people say you don't but you do. You miss it."
While the chairs are new, the veterans' trips are not. Howe started organizing outdoor adventures for vets and first responders 40 years ago, at the age of 18, when he was faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to join the military. It was 1974, the Vietnam conflict was in its waning years, and the draft had ended the year before. But many Americans felt angry and demoralized over the war. Howe says, nobody thought that joining up was a good idea.
"And everybody said, Don't you join because these people do not respect for anything that you did- that we did over there. I said, Really? They said, Yeah, don't do it Bob, they spit on you, they holler at you. So I didn't join."
But Howe says it troubled him to know that so many had lost lives and limbs fighting overseas, when he had not. And the chilly reception returning soldiers were getting from their communities bothered him even more. That's when he decided that what he had to offer veterans was the peace of the Maine woods.
"That's how you heal people," says Howe. "Taking them back to nature, back to God."
Across the field on the weedy banks of the Pine Grove trout pond, Rip Thibodeau and another veteran, Dave Huard, are sitting side by side in the track chairs, comparing service and casting their lures into a pond teeming with rainbow trout. No one is catching much of anything but weeds, but they don't seem to mind; it's a day out. Huard's mobility has been seriously hampered by Parkinson's Disease. Like Thibodeau, he's living with post traumatic stress disorder, and seeks solace far from the madding crowd. But Huard says it's hard to go fishing when you're confined to a wheelchair.
"I have to go to where's there's a dock," says Huard. "So there's only like three or four spots I can go. What this does for me, it calms me right down, because my anxiety is way up."
Huard says he looked into buying one of the track chairs himself so he wouldn't feel so confined at home, but with a price tag of not much less than that of a small car, he says there aren't a lot of veterans anywhere who would be able to afford one.
And that is where Pine Grove comes in. The Howes say the nonprofit currently pays for all its activities through its snowshoe making business as well as funds from private guests who book Bob Howe's guide service, and some charitable donations. Andrea Howe says the eventual goal is to run the lodge as a full time, no-cost retreat for veterans and first responders, but that dream she admits is several years- and several hundred thousand dollars away.
 In the meantime, Bob Howe says he'll see to it that any veteran in the country, regardless of ability or disability, can go hunting and fishing in Maine, for free.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Black Friday Shoppers: Gift certificates for 2016 fishing or hunting licenses --

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Check your Christmas shopping list for family and friends for a most popular Outdoor gift!

This certificate is redeemable at any license agent or Town Hall or can be used for merchandise at a Fish and Game Retail Store.
  Some States start on Jan.1st and some fishers forget to purchase a license and are caught short for hard water fishing and the many tournaments that are gaining in popularity.
  Also ask your clerk for any suggestions on stocking stuffers for the Outdoor's person in your circle of friends and family.

How about a gift certificate from a Guide Service in a adjoining State ?

Happy belated Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends (Columbus Day Weekend) and to everyone in the lower States a Happy Thanksgiving from the entire "Outdoor Scene" Nation
Wayne on the French River

Pennsylvania Preliminary First-Day Bear Harvest Results

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
A Maine Bear Guided by Lorenda DayCoombs and sister Jannah Park

Harvest includes a more than 700-pound bear taken in Blair County.

The first day of Pennsylvania's statewide bear season resulted in a harvest of 1,508 black bears, according to preliminary totals released Monday by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Archery and other early bear season harvest data still is being entered into the Game Commission's database, and is not available at this time.
Bears have been harvested in 53 counties during the statewide season so far.

The top 10 bears processed at check stations by Monday were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 592 pounds or more.
The largest of those bears – a male estimated at 713 pounds – was taken in Blair Township, Blair County, by Richard A. Watt, of Gallitizen, Pa. He took it a 7:10 a.m. on Nov. 21, the season's opening day.

Other large bears taken in the season's opening day include: a 685-pound male taken in Letterkenny Township, Franklin County, by Dustin J. Foust, of Orrstown, Pa.; a 649-pound male taken in Limestone Township, Warren County, by Matthew B. Stanga, of Tarentum, Pa.; a 648-pound male taken in Brush Creek Township, Fulton County, by Andrew D. Fischer, of Crystal Spring, Pa.; a 640-pound male taken in Weatherly Township, Carbon County, by Kenneth J. Mehlig, of Weatherly; a 618-pound male taken in Blooming Grove Township, Pike County, by Brad D. Losito, Hamburg, Pa.; a 617-pound male taken in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County, by Glenn P. Pyeritz, of Markleysburg; a 614-pound male taken in Logan Township, Huntingdon County, by Glenn L. Hannah, of Warriors Mark; a 592-pound male taken in Packer Township, Carbon County, by Michael J. Ulinitz, of Barnesville; and a 592-pound male taken in Dunbar Township, Fayette County, by Jason K. Burns, of New Alexandria.
The 2015 first-day preliminary harvest is a decrease compared to 1,623 bears taken during the 2014 opener. Hunters in 2014 harvested a total of 3,366 – the seventh-largest harvest in state history. The largest harvest – 4,350 bears – happened in 2011, when preliminary first-day totals numbered 1,936.

Other first-day harvest totals were 1,320 in 2013; 1,751 in 2010; 1,897 in 2009; 1,725 in 2008; 1,005 in 2007; 1,461 in 2007; 1,461 in 2006; and 2,026 in 2005.

The preliminary first-day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 10 (6 in 2014); WMU 1B, 35 (54); WMU 2B, 2 (0); WMU 2C, 133 (162); WMU 2D, 99 (84); WMU 2E, 20 (21); WMU 2F, 208 (171); WMU 2G, 275 (365); WMU 2H, 31 (49); WMU 3A, 27 (101); WMU 3B, 133 (133); WMU 3C, 41 (44); WMU 3D, 160 (105); WMU 4A, 76 (66); WMU 4B, 60 (67); WMU 4C, 46 (44); WMU 4D, 130 (132); WMU 4E, 17 (15); WMU 5A, 0 (3); and WMU 5C, 0 (1).The top bear hunting county in the state on the first day of the season was Lycoming County, with 149.

Opening-day harvests by county and region are:
Northwest (277): Warren, 70 (69); Forest, 55 (32); Venango, 45 (42); Clarion, 41 (35); Jefferson, 40 (30); Butler, 10 (11); Crawford, 9 (15); Mercer, 5 (3); and Erie, 2 (11).
Southwest (144): Somerset, 45 (61); Fayette, 39 (62); Armstrong, 20 (21); Cambria, 14 (7); Indiana, 14 (5); Westmoreland, 11 (15); and Allegheny, 1 (0).
Northcentral (531): Lycoming, 149 (143); Clinton, 131 (91); McKean, 55 (60); Centre, 48 (60); Clearfield, 40 (36); Elk, 31 (46); Potter, 30 (64); Cameron, 19 (54); Union, 15 (24); and Tioga, 13 (130).
Southcentral (214): Huntingdon, 63 (45); Bedford, 43 (43); Fulton, 21 (19); Blair, 18 (20); Juniata, 17 (10); Perry, 15 (29); Franklin, 13 (6); Mifflin, 13 (22); Snyder, 10 (9); Cumberland, 1 (1).
Northeast (314): Pike, 77 (49); Luzerne, 44 (26); Monroe, 33 (25); Wayne, 32 (19); Sullivan, 29 (37); Bradford, 20 (31); Wyoming, 20 (13); Carbon, 18 (18); Susquehanna, 14 (23); Lackawanna, 13 (9); Columbia, 11 (6); Northumberland, 2 (2); and Montour, 1 (0).
Southeast (28): Dauphin, 12 (13); Schuylkill, 11 (17); Lebanon, 3 (1); Lehigh, 2 (0); Berks 0 (2); and Northampton, 0 (1).Source: Pennsylvania DEM Media Press Release Photo by Lorenda DayCoombs Facebook Share

Monday, November 23, 2015

Nutmeg State Trout Stockings Today

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Trout stocking update for Monday November 23, 2015 - Today, the following waters were stocked with trout: East Twin Lake (3000 browns), West Hill Pond (3000 browns), Tyler Pond (1000 browns), West Side Pond (1000 browns), Long Pond (1667 browns and 833 rainbows), and Beach Pond (1667 browns and 833 rainbows). Good luck anglers! Go catch um !

DEERdre's First Deer

Posted by Wayne G. Barber http://www.pressherald.com/2015/11/22/hunting-deer-and-finding-deeper-meaning/video/

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Special Guest on the "Outdoor Scene" Lorenda DayCoombs" Maine Guide, Black Bear, Moose, Turkey

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Tune in 9:00am Sunday November 22, 2015 for a inside look into the annual Black Bear, Moose, and Turkey Hunt in Maine.

  Lorenda DayCoombs, a Maine Guide, Business Person, Seminar Speaker, started


Mother and Son


her fall guiding season Aug. 25, 2015 She has been a guest three times on the broadcast to record listener e-mails. Ask a question @ waynewnri.yahoo.com live from now through the the broadcast. Do not miss this episode of the award winning "Outdoor Scene" WNRI.COM or Tune In radio, a free App or 1380AM  P.S I will also play a Maine State Dem Bioligist findings of opposing the Statewide Referendum to Ban the annual hunt !

Friday, November 20, 2015

Connecticut Fish Hatcheries On The Chopping Block Again

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

It makes me sick to be here writing this post right now, knowing we have been here before. I cannot say that this time is any more important than the last time, or the time before that, but honestly, it is. We are not looking at just one of our three hatcheries to be closed, this time Governor Malloy wants to cut all three of them with his most recent budget cuts. This is unacceptable to not only the everyday angler but to the once per year angler, parents, children and the everyday citizen of the State of Connecticut. Even if you do not fish hatchery raised fish this will effect you.
  Please take the time to reach out to your legislators and the Governors office. Every voice needs to be heard and heard again. Below are the links to find your legislators for your local communities as well as the Governors office. I am also including a link for an online petition, please sign it. Also, for those that live close to a bait and tackle shop, please print out the printable petition and hand deliver them to that shop to help spread the word. The more names we get on these petitions the better. I will keep everybody updated with new information and possible events as we proceed with this.

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATORS

GOVERNORS OFFICE

ONLINE PETITION

PRINTABLE PETITION


Close the State Fish Hatcheries
This option closes the three state fish hatcheries (Quinebaug, Kensington and Burlington). The closure will result in the layoff of 17
staff. There is also savings from other expenses (utilities, fish food, etc). The FY 16 savings assumes a January 1st closure of the
facilities. $2,140.000 CUT !

New Hampshire Hunting Report November 20, 2015

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Hunters have enjoyed perfect fall weather for the first week of the regular firearms deer hunt in New Hampshire. Congratulations to Jessie Tichko of Canterbury, who took a 180-pound, 8-point buck on opening day. Good luck to everyone heading afield!
 
 
Deer Hunt Numbers:
The regular firearms deer hunting season started November 11 and an estimated 7,374 deer have been taken by hunters (by rifle, muzzleloader and archery) through November 15, 2015.  This represents a decrease of 9% from the 8,119 registered at this point in the 2014 season.  The statewide estimated deer kill to date represents the sixth highest in the last nine years.  See a chart with preliminary numbers by county at www.huntnh.com/hunting/deer-harvest.html.
Hillsborough, Grafton, and Rockingham counties, respectively, are showing the highest registrations to date.  Although total harvest numbers are down from last year at the same point, preliminary observations from biological check stations indicate that deer throughout the state are in very good physical condition this year.
 
"Reports suggest that acorns and beech nuts, which were relatively abundant at the start of the season, now appear to be absent in many areas of the state.  Hunters can likely increase their chances of success if they can locate areas that still contain concentrated natural food sources. The next couple of weeks, including the Thanksgiving holiday should still provide hunters with a great opportunity, as the rut should remain strong during this period," said Bergeron.
 
Either-sex regular firearm hunting opportunities have ended in most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), and the remainder of the regular firearm season in these units will be legally antlered bucks only. Units L and M are the exceptions, with either-sex regular firearm hunting continuing through Friday, November 20. Licensed firearm hunters with valid Special Unit-L and/or Unit-M Antlerless Only Permits may use these permits through the end of the regular firearm season on December 6, while bow hunters may use them until the end of the archery season on December 15.  Unit M and L permits are sold out. The regular firearm season will run through December 6, with the exception of WMU-A, where it will end on November 29. Archery season continues till December 15 with the exception of WMU-A, where it will end on December 8.
 
Find more information about deer hunting in New Hampshire at www.huntnh.com/hunting/deer.html.
 
Want to hunt, but didn’t get in your Hunter Education requirement?  Check out the Apprentice License at www.huntnh.com/hunting/apprentice.html.

Bear Season Numbers:
As of November 13, New Hampshire hunters have taken a total of 656 bears (390 males, 266 females).  Bait hunters harvested 379 bears, still hunters/stalkers have taken 191 bears and hound hunters have registered 86.  The current overall harvest sex ratio remains at 1.5 males per female.
 
On a regional basis, 139 bears have been taken in the North, 179 in the White Mountains, 219 in the Central region, 78 in Southwest-1, 38 in Southwest-2 and 3 in the Southeast region.
 
Currently, this year’s harvest is tracking nearly identical (within 2 %) to the five-year in-season average of 641 bears for the season to date, according to Fish and Game Bear Biologist Andy Timmins. The current harvest is 13% below the 2014 tally (which was an above average harvest year) at this point in the season.
 
The bait and hound hunting seasons have ended statewide.  Additionally, the entire bear hunting season has ended in the North, Southwest-1, Southwest-2 and Southeast regions. The still hunting season will end in the Central and White Mountains regions on November 24.
 
Learn more about bear hunting in New Hampshire at www.huntnh.com/hunting/bear.html.
 
Small Game Hunters: Please take time to help monitor small game populations and participate in our small game and grouse wing and tail surveys; we’ve got a quality firearm to raffle off to a lucky participant in each (see www.huntnh.com/newsroom/news.html?news=176).
 
The NH Fish and Game Department owns 89 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) across the state, encompassing nearly 52,000 acres. The primary purpose of these lands is to protect and improve habitat for wildlife, but these lands are also open for public recreation including hunting. Check out our interactive WMA map at www.huntnh.com/maps/wma.html.
 
Hunt for the Hungry: Have too much game meat? Find out how you can donate excess at www.huntnh.com/hunting/hunt-for-hungry.html.
Report a Poacher: If you are aware of a poaching situation, call Operation Game Thief toll-free at 1-800-344-4262 or report wildlife crime online at www.wildnh.com/ogt.
 

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Did your neighbor share his fresh catch of Tautog with you ?

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Tautog ( Blackfish) Chowder


 Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced onions
1 cup diced potatoes(1/4″cubes)
1/8 cup diced scallions
1/2 cup diced bacon
1 cup heavy cream
5 T butter
3 T flour
4 cups fish stock (or 2 cups of clam juice 2 cups water if you do not make your own stock)
2 lbs of tautog chunked in 1″ pieces
Salt
 Pepper
Directions:
In a medium sauce pan crisp the diced bacon on high heat. When bacon is crisp remove half the bacon and lower heat to medium low, and in the remaining bacon and bacon grease saute onion until transparent. Drop 1/2 of the scallion, cook off about 2 min and drop in potato and add 2 T of butter and mix well adding the fish stock or clam juice and water.. Bring to boil until potatoes are forkable.
In a small skillet on medium heat melt 3 T of butter and mix in 3 T of flour creating a roux and cook until lightly brown. Bring the stock down to a simmer and add the roux and 1 cup of heavy cream and mix well every 2 minutes until thickens. Once thick add in the tog and simmer about 5 min until fish is done.
It is important to simmer and not boil soup after adding cream because boiling will curdle the cream making the soup lumpy and also add tog at the end because it will break apart when stirring the roux into the soup..

Shortnose Sturgeon Return to Maine's Penobscot River

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

ORONO, Maine – Endangered shortnose sturgeon have rediscovered habitat in the Penobscot River that had been inaccessible to the species for more than 100 years prior to the removal of the Veazie Dam in 2013. University of Maine researchers confirmed evidence that three female shortnose sturgeon were in the area between Veazie (upriver of the dam remnants) and Orono (Basin Mills Rips), Maine in mid-October. Researchers had previously implanted these sturgeon with small sound-emitting devices known as acoustic tags to see if they would use the newly accessible parts of the river.

Among the most primitive fish to inhabit the Penobscot, sturgeon are often called "living fossils" because they remain very similar to their earliest fossil forms. Their long lives (more than 50 years) and bony-plated bodies also make them unique. Historically, shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon (a related species also present in the watershed) had spawning populations in the Penobscot River as far upstream as the site of the current Milford dam, and provided an important food and trade source to native peoples and early European settlers. Overharvest and loss of suitable habitat due to dams and pollution led to declines in shortnose sturgeon populations and a listing as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1967. In 2012, Gulf of Maine populations of Atlantic sturgeon were listed as threatened under the ESA.

Today, a network of sound receivers, which sit on the river bottom along the lower river from Penobscot Bay up to the Milford Dam, detect movement and location of tagged fish. According to Gayle Zydlewski, an associate professor in the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, the three individual fish observed were females. These fish have since been tracked joining other individuals in an area identified as wintering habitat near Brewer, Maine. Wintering habitat in other rivers is known to be staging habitat for spawning the following spring.

"We know that shortnose sturgeon use the Penobscot River throughout the year, and habitat models indicate suitable habitat for spawning in the area of recent detection upriver of Veazie, although actual spawning has not yet been observed," Zydlewski said.
Since 2006, Zydlewski has been working with Michael Kinnison, a professor in UMaine's School of Biology and Ecology, and multiple graduate students, including Catherine Johnston, to better understand the sturgeon populations of the Penobscot River and Gulf of Maine. Johnston, who has been tagging and tracking sturgeon in the Penobscot for two years to study the implications of newly available habitat to shortnose sturgeon, discovered the detections of sturgeon upstream of the Veazie dam remnants. Each new bit of information adds to the current understanding of behavior and habitat preferences of these incredible fish.

"We're very excited to see sturgeon moving upstream of where the Veazie Dam once stood, and into their former habitats," said Kim Damon-Randall, assistant regional administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries' Protected Resources Division. "We need to do more research to see how they're using it, but it's a tremendous step in the right direction."

Habitat access is essential for the recovery of these species. The removal of the Veazie Dam is only a portion of the Penobscot River Restoration Project, which, when combined with the removal of Great Works Dam in 2012, restores 100 percent of historic sturgeon habitat in the Penobscot. In addition to dam removals, construction of a nature-like fish bypass at the Howland Dam in 2015 significantly improves habitat access for the remaining nine species of sea-run fish native to the Penobscot, including Atlantic salmon and river herring.

"Scientific research and monitoring of this monumental restoration effort has been ongoing for the past decade," said Molly Payne Wynne, Monitoring Coordinator for the Penobscot River Restoration Trust. "The collaborative body of research on this project is among the most comprehensive when compared to other river restoration projects across the country," Wynne said.

NOAA Fisheries is an active partner and provides funding for this long-term monitoring collaboration that includes The Penobscot River Restoration Trust, The Nature Conservancy and others. These efforts are beginning to shed light on the response of the river to the restoration project. Restoration of the full assemblage of sea-run fish to the Penobscot River will revive not only native fisheries but social, cultural and economic traditions of Maine's largest river.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

VT Agency of Natural Resources Launches New Web Site

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

The Agency of Natural Resources is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, anr.vermont.gov. Aimed to better serve the public, the new site features intuitive links to existing programs within each of the Agency's three departments in addition to expanded content on available maps, planning tools, permitting requirements, grants, loans, and internship opportunities. Working in close communication with the Departments of Environmental Conservation, Fish & Wildlife, and Forests, Parks and Recreation, and the Offices of Planning and General Counsel, the ANR web team has created a central hub where visitors can expect complete and current information about state-funded environmental initiatives.

In an effort to streamline and simplify available information, the new website prioritizes the most frequently asked questions that the Agency receives while keeping other keywords searchable and accessible. The website also features updates to relevant news items, public meetings and outdoor event notices, encouraging public involvement and promoting avenues for feedback. Seasonal images and clear contact links enable visitors to quickly reach an Agency employee if they have questions not addressed on-line.

"The Agency of Natural Resources needs public support to guide its mission to oversee and manage Vermont's natural environment," said Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz. "By communicating the good work of our programs, providing reliable data and guiding public involvement, our new website has become one of the many ways we promote transparent government and open communication."

The website redesign began when key members of the Agency's Outreach and IT teams updated and screened the current list of outlets used to share information. Once categorized and refined, the list guided development of a coherent graphic layout that steers readers using clear headings and concise summaries. Casual visitors and community leaders alike will find contact information and application forms easily accessible, as well as descriptions of outdoor programs for those who want to get outside and explore.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

On the Fly with Rick Porcello


Fisher Families Fall Out In Fall

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Along with the crisp mornings and crimson colors that signal summer’s slide into fall, there are changes occurring in the forests that go mostly unnoticed.  Among them is the dispersal of fisher kits from their mother’s territory into their own. Little is known about the process of fisher families breaking apart, except that it generally starts in late summer or early autumn and unfolds gradually.
What is known is that fishers (Martes pennanti) are born in March, blind, helpless, and dependent on their mothers. It takes nearly three weeks for fisher kits to grow fur and nearly two months for their eyes to open. Despite the burden of caring for her helpless kits, the mother will wander off for short periods within a week or two of giving birth in search of new mates.
From late March through April, the female will mate with several males – ovulation is induced by copulation – and then carry the fertilized zygotes-turned-blastocysts  for the next 10 or 11 months. The change of day length in late winter acts as a trigger for the embryos to implant in the uterus. Thus the female is technically pregnant for all but maybe 10 days of the year, even though her active pregnancy is only around 50 days.
Males do not play a direct role in the rearing of the young, but they do allow adult females to overlap onto their territory, said Chris Bernier, Furbearer Project Leader for the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. This sharing of space can have a positive effect on litters. “Because males exclude other adult males from their territory, but not adult females, the foraging opportunities for the females [are increased], and hence, their kits’ survival is likely enhanced,” said Bernier.
Young fishers spend the spring and summer under their mother’s care, learning to hunt and forage. They are primarily carnivorous, eating a variety of animals, including mice, moles, snowshoe hares, and woodchucks. Fishers are one of the few animals to successfully prey on porcupines.
Sometime in late summer or early autumn, the family dynamic starts to shift. “During this period, kits and their mothers start to squabble,” said Roger Powell, a professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University and author of a book on fishers. “They stop sharing resting sites and start doing more foraging on their own.”
Exactly how the squabbling, known as inter-familial aggression, starts and what it looks like is not well understood. Rebecca Green, a doctoral student studying fishers at the University of California, Davis said that photos taken with remote cameras suggest that the fighting may occur more often between kits, as opposed to between a mother and her kits. While the interactions are “rough and tumble,” they don’t seem to be overly aggressive. “It looks largely playful and is probably good practice for interacting with other fishers and prey,” said Green.
Bernier, however, noted that studies done on fishers taken by trappers in the fall show that adult females and juveniles of both sexes tend to have more injuries than adult males. This suggests that inter-familial aggression may include mothers. Bernier agreed with Green that the dynamic is not well documented, and noted that he has never observed it firsthand.
The size of fisher territories can vary, depending, in part, on the abundance of food. Females tend to have smaller territories, around five square miles on average, while males may occupy a space twice that size. According to Powell, most kits travel less than 12 miles before finding a space unclaimed by another fisher, though some have been known to travel up to 30 miles before settling down.
While the distances traveled and the particulars of inter-familial aggression may vary, the results do not. By the time autumn winds down, fisher kits have struck out on their own and are no longer under the protective watch of their mothers. Source: Northern Woodlands  Carolyn Lorié lives with her rescue dog and very large cat in Thetford, Vermont.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Four bull moose sparring in Rangeley

Four bull moose pair off to spar in Rangeley in 2012. (Photo courtesy of Samuel Morse)
Posted by Wayne G. Barber




Put motion-activated cameras in the woods, and you’re sure to get photos of all kinds of cool animal activity.


(Remember, of course, that there are laws that govern use of those cameras … check the hunting and fishing rules before you  start strapping cameras on trees).
Earlier this week, after sharing a photo of a large-ish fawn trying to nurse, I asked readers if they had any trail camera photos to share. And thankfully, Samuel Morse of Wells did.
“[I have photos] of seven bulls, all together in this bachelor group at the end of November [of 2012], getting ready for winter,” Morse wrote, sharing a photo taken in Rangeley. “I’m guessing they were determining the pecking order. The biggest bull who isn’t pictured didn’t look to have any challengers. But here is my favorite picture of four different bulls fighting.”
I sent the photo to Lee Kantar, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s moose biologist, who said he has witnessed similar situations while conducting research.
“We see bulls sparring into winter and have seen this during aerial survey work,” Kantar wrote in an email. “Antler growth and drop and rutting activity is all born from testosterone levels.  As those levels wane into the late fall and early winter and antlers drop so does the level of interaction between bulls.”
But that doesn’t mean those moose entirely forget that they’re hanging out with potential rivals, he said.
“Bulls who are hanging out together continue to display some ritualistic sparring, especially sub-prime bulls,” Kantar wrote. “The phenomenon of bachelor groups is really a result of a number of things; that is cow with calves spend time on their own or with other offspring of the dam, prime to old bulls are more solitary and this other [group of] bulls spends time together if the food source in the area can support the group.
“That being said even in February we have seen all types of moose groups associated with each other,” Kantar summed up.

Source:  John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.

Trout Stocked in New Hampshire for Winter Angling

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

CONCORD, N.H. -- Winter anglers in New Hampshire have had some trout stocked especially for them this fall. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department stocks trout every year during the fall months, mostly to bolster the winter ice fishery. This should translate into some exciting action for winter anglers, according to Inland Fisheries Division Chief Jason Smith.

Anglers going after trout can find lists of waters that remain open to the taking of trout year round on the Fish and Game website. For lakes and ponds, visit www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-year-round.html. For rivers and streams, see www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-streams.html. Rules for waterbodies with special regulations are listed in the N.H. Freshwater Fishing Digest, available from license agents or on the Fish and Game website at www.fishnh.com/fishing/publications.html.

Following is a list of New Hampshire lakes and ponds that are scheduled to be stocked with trout during the fall of 2015 (please note that the list below is the plan for this year. There are many more New Hampshire waterbodies open for year-round fishing than are included on this list):

Akers Pond, Errol Laurel Lake, Fitzwilliam Streeter Pond, Sugar Hill
Beaver Lake, Derry Martin Meadow Pond, Lancaster Sunapee Lake (Little), New London
Cedar Pond, Milan Massabesic Lake, Manchester Waukewan Lake, Meredith
Chocorua Lake, Tamworth Mirror Lake, Woodstock Wentworth Lake, Wolfeboro
Crystal Lake, Gilmanton Opechee Lake, Laconia Winona Lake, Center Harbor
Diamond Pond (Big), Stewartstown Pearl Lake, Lisbon Newell Pond, Alstead
Forest Lake, Winchester Silver Lake, Madison
Gustin Pond, Marlow Stinson Lake, Rumney

Additionally, the Fish and Game Department hatcheries will stock out post-spawn brook and brown trout into selected water bodies without a closed season before winter. These fish can range from 2-3 pounds each. Numbers, dates and stocking locations vary annually, depending on availability.

If anglers wish to pursue some open-water trout fishing in rivers, the Department will be stocking portions of the Cocheco and Lamprey rivers in mid-October through mid-November with surplus brood fish from our New Hampton Hatchery.
New this year….additionally several hundred 2-3 pound surplus rainbow trout broodstock are being stocked from our Warren Fish Hatchery. Our hatchery staff have been experimenting with trying to utilize our own broodstock to procure rainbow trout eggs. These surplus fish are a by-product of this experiment, and it is unlikely they will be available in future years. So get out and enjoy them while they are available!

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Find online license sales, fishing tips and more at www.fishnh.com. Source: New Hampshire Media Press Release

Friday, November 13, 2015

Muskie Estimated at 60 Pounds Caught on St. Lawrence River

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Jeff Brockner holds up his 58-inch muskie he caught on the St. Lawrence River. The fish weighed an estimated 60 pounds. (Submitted photo) 
It's the talk this season of anglers up and down the river, according to one St. Lawrence River charter boat captain.

On Oct. 15, Jeff Brockner, of Callicoon, N.Y. caught "a monster," 58-inch muskie with an estimated weight of 60 pounds. He was fishing at the time with his father, Alan Brockner, of North Branch, N.Y. in the son's 20-foot Starcraft boat.

Capt. Bob Walters, of Water Wolf Charters, said Brockner's fish is the "talk of the river" – even more so than the pair of 50-plus muskie caught and released recently by another angler. Those fish measured 54 and 52 inches.

The Brockners have made an annual pilgrimage each fall for a week's vacation to fish the river for muskie "as long as I can remember -- probably the last 25-30 years," said Jeff's wife, Laurie.

Is this father and son team's biggest fish ever on the river?

"Oh yeah," she said. Source:David Figura
The Fishing Wire

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Vermont's Rifle Deer Season Starts Saturday

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Hunters Are Encouraged to Submit Incisor for Study

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Hunters are gearing up for the start of Vermont's statewide traditionally popular 16-day rifle deer season that begins November 14 and ends Sunday, November 29.

A hunter may take one buck during this season with at least one antler having two or more points one inch or longer. A point must be one inch or longer from base to tip. The main beam counts as a point, regardless of length. Spike-antlered deer, mostly yearlings, are protected during this season.

New this year, biologists are collecting middle incisor teeth from rifle season deer in order to evaluate regional differences in ages and antler characteristics of bucks as well as to help estimate population size, growth rate, health, and mortality rates. Each tooth will be cross-sectioned to accurately determine the deer's age, and the results will be posted on the Fish & Wildlife website next spring.

Hunters who don't make it to a biological reporting station are asked to obtain a tooth envelope from their regular reporting agent. Write your name, Conservation ID number and date of kill on it. Remove one of the middle incisor teeth, being careful to include the root. The root of the tooth is needed to age the deer. Place the tooth in the envelope and give it to the reporting agent.

The department is also asking hunters to keep the antlers from their deer at home so they can be examined by Fish & Wildlife personnel after the deer season in order to collect additional biological data on antler development.

"Vermont's pre-hunt deer population is estimated at approximately 120,000 this year with the greatest numbers of deer found in the northwestern, and southwestern regions of the state," said Deer Project Leader Nick Fortin. "With your assistance, we can better evaluate our current management practices and improve our understanding of regional differences in the age-structure and health of the deer herd."

Vermont's regular hunting licenses, including a November rifle season buck tag and a late season bear tag (for Nov. 14-22), cost only $25 for residents and $100 for nonresidents. Hunters under 18 years of age get a break at $8 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. Licenses are available on Fish & Wildlife's web site and from license agents statewide.

Fish & Wildlife urges hunters to wear a fluorescent orange hat and vest to help maintain Vermont's very good hunting season safety record.
A 2015 Vermont Deer Hunting Guide can be downloaded from the department's website at www.vtfishandwildlife.com. The guide includes a map of the revised Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), season dates, regulations, and other helpful information.

Contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department for more information. Telephone 802-828-1000 or Email fwinformation@state.vt.us.

Hunters who get a deer on opening weekend of rifle season can help Vermont's deer management program by reporting their deer at one of the biological check stations
listed below that will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on November 14 and 15:

Marty's Sports & Gunsmithing, Inc. – Bennington
Jericho General Store – Jericho
St. Marie's, Inc. – Swanton
Wright's Enterprises – Newport
Keith's Country Store, Inc. – Pittsford
R&L Archery – Barre
Guilford Country Store – Guilford
A&B Beverage – Grand Isle
Buxton's Store – Orwell
Rite Way Sports – Hardwick
Springfield Professional Firefighters – Springfield
Vermont Field Sports – Middlebury
William's Store – Dorset
Grant's Village Store – Middletown
C&S Beverage & Dairy – Wilmington
Ingall's Market & Deli – Eden Mills
Barnie's Market – Concord
Georgia Market – Georgia
Northern Wildlife Taxidermy – Island Pond
Joe's Taxidermy – Reading
Mountain Deer Taxidermy – Northfield

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Pennsylvania Elk Harvest 2015 Results

Posted by Wayne G. Barber



Twenty bulls taken in one-week season; harvest totals 85 elk.

More than 73 percent of the hunters participating Pennsylvania's 2015 elk hunt have taken home a trophy.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission yesterday announced 85 elk were taken by hunters during the regular one-week elk season that ended Nov. 7. And for those licensed to hunt antlered elk, also known as bulls, the success rate was 95 percent.

The 2015 harvest included several large elk. Nine bulls each were estimated to weigh 700 pounds or more, with the heaviest bull taken in this year's hunt estimated at 894 pounds. That bull, which sported a 7-by-6 rack, was taken Nov. 2 by Rodney Hoover, of Martinsburg.

Charles Stone, of Montrose, with a 6- by 6-point bull elk he harvested on the first day of the season, Nov. 9. Twenty of 21 hunters with a bull elk license were successful in the 2015 season that concluded Saturday. A total of 85 elk were harvested during the season.     Population of wild Elk in PA is 900 animals.
The largest bull in terms of rack size also was a 7-by-6, harvested Nov. 2 by Scott Martino, of Cresson. Its rack initially was measured at 387 inches, according to Boone & Crockett big-game scoring standards. That bull also was one of the heaviest, weighing an estimated 790 pounds.

The second-highest-scoring bull, taken by Timothy Iraca, of Irvona, had an 8-by-7 rack initially measured at 367 6/8 inches. That bull weighed 842 pounds.

Other large bulls taken include a 7-by-7 weighing 788 pounds taken by Edward Kerlin, of Warfordsburg; a 7-by-7 weighing 761 pounds taken by Ricky Sechrist, of York; a 7-by-7 weighing 758 pounds taken by Joseph Fremer, of Brockway; a 7-by-7 weighing 751 pounds taken by David German, of Shippensburg; a 7-by-8 weighing 749 pounds taken by Michael Simmers, of Landisburg; and a 7-by-7 weighing 703 pounds taken by Michael Chippie, of Windber.

There also were some large antlerless elk taken in the harvest. Eight of the 65 cows taken by hunters during the one-week season weighed over 500 pounds.

Thirty-three of the 85 elk harvested were taken on the opening day of the elk season Nov. 2.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission typically doesn't release information about license holders, but those who are drawn to participate in the annual elk hunt often give their consent to release their names or other information. Information on successful hunters who do not sign and submit a consent form prior to the hunt is not released.

To participate in the elk hunt, hunters must submit an application, then must be selected through a random drawing and purchase a license. The drawing annually attracts more than 20,000 applicants.
 The current population of Elk in PA is about 900 animals. Source:
PA Game Commission Media Press Release.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Atlantic States MFC Increases Quota on Black Sea Bass

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Black Sea Bass on reef, NOAA
St. Augustine, FL — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved increases to the 2016 black sea bass commercial quota and recreational harvest limit (RHL), with the commercial quota now being set at 2.71 million pounds and the RHL at 2.88 million pounds. These increases are consistent with actions taken by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in October. The increased quota for black sea bass was based on updated catch and survey information. A black sea bass benchmark stock assessment is underway for completion in December 2016. The Board initiated development of Draft Addendum XXVII to the Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plans (FMP) to consider extending use of regional management approaches for the 2016 recreational summer flounder fishery, including an option that would allow for a Delaware Bay specific region. The Draft Addendum also will propose extending use of ad-hoc regional management approaches for black sea bass recreational fisheries in 2016 and 2017. In the event the options in Draft Addendum XXVII are not approved for management, the Board extended the current summer flounder regional management approach for use in 2016. In 2014, the Board approved Addendum XXV to shift away from traditional use of state-by-state harvest targets under conservation equivalency to use of an alternative regional strategy for managing summer flounder recreational fisheries. Based on its success in keeping recreational harvest within the RHL and providing greater regulatory consistency among neighboring states, this strategy was extended for use in 2015. State-by-state harvest targets previously utilized under conservation equivalency created difficulties for some states as overages occurred due largely to state shares and limits not reflecting local summer flounder abundance and its availability to recreational fishermen. In 2014 and 2015 management regions were the following: Massachusetts; Rhode Island; Connecticut-New Jersey; Delaware-Virginia; and North Carolina. The Draft Addendum also will propose the continued use of regional management for the 2016 black sea bass recreational fishery with a northern (Massachusetts – New Jersey) and southern region (Delaware – North Carolina). The regional management approach has been used since 2011 and offers advantages over coastwide regulations by addressing geographic differences in the stock (size, abundance and seasonality) while maintaining the consistent application of management measures by neighboring states.
Draft Addendum XXVII will be presented to the Board for its consideration and approval for public comment at its joint meeting with the Council in December. At the December meeting, the Board and Council also will consider black sea bass and scup federal management measures for 2016. Source: The Fishing Wire

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Texas Voters Approve Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Texas Voters Approve Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment

On Election Day, Texas voters approved Proposition 6 to amend their constitution and guarantee the right to hunt and fish. The measure won by a margin of 81 percent to 19 percent. The measure swept all 254 counties in Texas.

Leaders from major sportsmen's organizations including Safari Club International and the NRA backed Proposition 6.

Proposition 6 amended the Texas Constitution by adding the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife to the Texas Bill of Rights. It also guarantees that wildlife decisions will continue to be based on sound-scientific principles and not emotionalism driven by The Humane Society of the US (HSUS) and other anti-hunting organizations. While Texas has a rich and vibrant hunting and fishing tradition, animal rights and anti-hunting organizations in other states have worked to limit hunting by imposing onerous restrictions or by eliminating the hunting of certain types of game. This proposition ensures that Texas' long-standing heritage of hunting and fishing is protected for future generations. Sportsmen and women spend $4.1 billion annually and support 66,000 jobs.

Texas is the nineteenth state to have a constitutional amendment proving the right to hunt and fish. We all know that anti-hunting groups such as HSUS can easily launch a multi-million dollar campaign, so we as a community joined forces and did everything possible to make sure that the voices of hunters and sportsmen voice were heard. Hunting is under an unprecedented attack and passing Proposition 6 in Texas was a huge blow to anti-hunting groups everywhere.

SCI thanks all Texas voters who voted YES on Proposition 6 and the efforts of our partner organizations. This is a clear example of what we can accomplish when sportsmen and women unite and give voice to their power on Election Day

Friday, November 6, 2015

Bass Pro Shops Considering Purchase of Cabela's

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Fishing tackle retail giant is exploring a move to buy one of its largest competitors.
Photo Courtesy of Fishing Tackle Retailer

Bass Pro Shops Considering Purchase of Cabela's

Fishing tackle retail giant is exploring a move to buy one of its largest competitors.
According to Fishing Tackle Retailer, Reuters is reporting that Bass Pro Shops is considering the purchase of Cabela’s.
People “familiar with the matter” are reporting that the retail giant is currently working with an investment bank on a potential offer. This comes after reports of Cabela’s exploring its possible options. Both parties have declined to comment on the matter, but a 13-percent hike in Cabela’s stocks has occured since the news broke.
Forbes estimates Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris to be worth $4.1 billion, with Bass Pro Shops earning over $4 billion in revenue last year and employing approximately 20,000 individuals in 94 retail stores. Cabela’s reported $1.2 billion in revenue last year and operates 77 retail stores.
We’ll update this story with additional details as they’re made known. If a deal is made, it would certainly be an enormous shake-up in the retail fishing tackle industry. 

Maryland Hunters Harvest Record 95 Black bears

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Ronald Oberender of Toddville harvested the largest bear of the season.
The 2015 Maryland Black Bear Hunting Season came to a close on Oct. 29, with a record 95 bears harvested and reported into mandatory check-in stations across Garrett and Allegany counties. The harvest total is one more than the previous record of 94 set in 2013. Ronald Oberender of Toddville took the largest bear of the season, a 520-pound male. "The record success of the bear hunt shows that we are effectively managing the black bear population," Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said. "With such a healthy bear population throughout Western Maryland's four counties, this hunt is an essential tool used to slow the growth of the bear population. Congratulations to all the hunters." This is the second year the hunt was carried out as a four-day season without a predetermined quota.

Stats from the 2015 Maryland Black Bear Hunt: 95 bears harvested 80 from Garrett County 15 from Allegany County 166 pounds average weight of the bears 61 percent of the bears were taken on private land 4,300+ hunters applied for a hunting permit 1,173 hunters participated in the hunt.
Source: The Archery Wire & Photo

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Lake Trout Sampling

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
This fall, our fisheries staff are sampling Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs in an ongoing effort to monitor Lake Trout populations. This 13 lb. female LakeTrout was captured, tagged, and released last night at Quabbin.
This fall, MassWildlife will be sampling the waters of the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs in an ongoing effort to monitor Lake Trout populations. Each year, with the help of DCR, MassWildlife collects Lake Trout from the Quabbin Reservoir to examine population characteristics. This year, MassWildlife will be conducting a similar effort on the Wachusett Reservoir. To capture Lake Trout, field crews set nets on the spawning grounds starting around sunset and check them about every 20 minutes. Captured fish are removed from the nets, placed in livewells, and length, weight, and sex are recorded. In addition, a small tag is inserted into the fish that can be used to identify the individual if caught at a later date. If that same fish is collected next year, biologists will know exactly how much growth occurred in a one-year time period. Lake trout are very slow-growing fish and traditional methods of determining age, (i.e. reading the rings on scales) do not work well.
Lake Trout typically spawn in late October and November when the surface water temperatures drop to or below 50˚ F. The spawning grounds are typically shallow, rocky waters on windy shores of the Reservoirs; spawning occurs mostly after dusk. Night sampling on big waters can be cold and icy in November, but the information it provides biologists is well worth the effort. Sampling efforts like this are just one way that MassWildlife monitors the health of the fish resources of the Commonwealth.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Promising PA Bear Season Awaits

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Recent years have been among the best on record for Pennsylvania bear hunting.

A sizable black-bear population awaits hunters in the state's upcoming bear seasons, which during recent years have been some of the best on record for Pennsylvania bear hunting.

The annual seasons will kick off soon. Leading the way is the statewide archery bear season, which opens Monday, Nov. 16. And after that five-day season comes to a close on Nov. 20, properly licensed hunters who still are in pursuit of a bear can participate in the four-day general season that opens Saturday, Nov. 21, then runs from Monday, Nov. 23 to Wednesday, Nov. 25

Extended opportunities to hunt bears during all or a portion of the deer-hunting seasons also exist in much of the state.

There's been plenty of reason to get excited about bear hunting in recent years.

The 2014 statewide harvest of 3,366 bears represents the seventh-largest in state history, and continues a string of recent bear seasons taking their place in the record books. Bears were taken in 56 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties in 2014.

Nine of Pennsylvania's largest black-bear harvests have occurred in the past 10 years. In fact, since 2005, more than 34,000 bears have been taken by hunters here.

Mark Ternent, the Pennsylvania Game Commission's bear biologist, said many of the elements required for another exceptional bear harvest in 2015 already are in place.

Statewide black-bear populations remain stable at record levels, Ternent said, with an estimated 18,000 bears living within the Keystone State.

Hunter participation also is expected to be high. Last year, a record number of hunters purchased a bear license, and upwards of 175,000 hunters are likely to be licensed again this year if that trend continues.

New this year, bear licenses can now be purchased at any time before the last season closes, replacing the previous requirement that bear licenses had to be purchased before opening day of the statewide general or extended seasons
Ternent said that increased hunter participation typically leads to larger harvests and, in some cases, better hunter success.

Find the Food

Ternent said fall food conditions can influence success.

"Abundant acorn crops typically lead to better hunter success," Ternent said. "When food is plentiful in the fall, bears tend to stay more active during hunting seasons, rather than entering their dens early. They also tend to be more predictable and travel less, which means that bears discovered during preseason scouting typically still can be found in the same area come hunting season.

"Preliminary results from ongoing fall-foods surveys suggest that acorn crops are average or better in much of the bear range this year, although conditions are spotty," Ternent said. "In many areas, fall apple crops and late summer berry crops also were excellent. However, scouting prospective areas before hunting season to assess food availability is really the best advice."

Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough said perhaps no other hunting season in Pennsylvania is as rich with tradition as the annual statewide bear season.

Hough said the fact that a record number of bear licenses likely will be sold this year reinforces that point, and shows it's no longer a secret that Pennsylvania provides some of the best bear-hunting opportunities out there.

"The pieces are all in place for yet another banner year of bear hunting in Pennsylvania," Hough said. "Only time will tell if a record number of hunters will bring about a record harvest.

"But I can guarantee all who celebrate our hunting heritage in this special season have a chance to harvest an exceptional animal."

Trophy Bruins

Ternent agrees that some very large bears await hunters in Penn's Woods. In fact, the number of large bears taken during 2014 is one of the things that made that seventh-highest harvest year stand out.
There were 41 bears that weighed 500 pounds or more in the 2014 harvest. Three reached more than 600 pounds. The largest, a 677-pounder, was taken by James M. Hultberg, of Pittsfield, in Warren County during the bear archery season. The bear is not listed yet in Pennsylvania's Big Game Records book.

Bob D'Angelo, who coordinates the state's Big Game Records program, said 22 bears – two taken with archery equipment – were added to the state record book in 2015. Sixteen also qualified for the Boone & Crockett Club record book, he said.

The largest, taken in Potter County in 2013, ties for 28th place all-time in the firearms category, with a skull measurement of 22-3/16 inches.

D'Angelo reminds bear hunters who are interesting in getting bear skulls scored for the records to ensure that their butchers or taxidermists do not saw off the back of the skull during processing.

Before getting a skull scored, all flesh and membrane must be removed prior to measuring, and official measurements cannot be taken until a minimum of 60 days of drying has elapsed. This 60-day drying period begins the day after the skull is completely cleaned.

Hunters also must remember to not glue the lower jaw to the skull, because the two required measurements are taken on the top part of the skull.

Additional Opportunities

To suppress conflicts that might arise from bear populations expanding into more inhabited parts of the state, an extended bear season exists in a handful of Wildlife Management Units.

In WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, bear season is open concurrent to the archery, early muzzleloader and firearms deer seasons. And hunters in other WMUs also have a limited opportunity to harvest a bear during portions of the upcoming firearms deer season. Those areas include WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D (Nov. 30 through Dec. 5), and WMUs 2C, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E (Dec. 2 through Dec. 5).

A complete list of opening and closing days can be found on Page 44 of the 2015-16 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest issued to hunters when they purchase their licenses, or at the Game Commission's website, www.pgc.state.pa.us.
All bear harvests must be reported to the Game Commission and checked.

Hunters who harvest a bear during the four-day general season must take it to one of the Game Commission's check stations within 24 hours. Taking bears to a check station also might be required in WMUs where bear hunting is permitted during all or a portion of the firearms deer season.

A complete list of requirements, check stations and their dates and hours of operation can be found on pages 45 and 46 of the 2015-16 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.

What's Required?

To participate in bear hunting in Pennsylvania, a hunter needs a general hunting license, as well as a bear license.

Bear hunters also must follow fluorescent orange requirements. In the bear archery season, hunters are required at all times while moving to wear a hat containing a minimum of 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange material if hunting in an area also open to fall-turkey hunting. The hat may be removed once the archer has settled in a stationary position.

During any bear firearms seasons, hunters must wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined. The orange must be visible from 360 degrees and worn at all times while hunting.

Hunting licenses can be purchased online from The Outdoor Shop at the Game Commission's website, but buyers should be advised that because bear licenses contain harvest ear tags, they are sent by mail rather than printed at home.

Buyers waiting until the last minute to purchase a bear license might be better off making a trip to an authorized licensing agent and picking up a license there.

Licensing agents can be searched by county at the Game Commission's website, www.pgc.state.pa.us, under the "Hunt/Trap" tab.