2017 NH Moose Hunt Lottery Opens

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire's 2017 moose hunt lottery is now open. Enter today to try your luck on the adventure of a lifetime -- hunting moose in the rugged woods of the Granite State.  Entering the lottery costs $15 for New Hampshire residents and $25 for nonresidents.

To enter the New Hampshire moose hunt lottery, visit www.huntnh.com/hunting/moose.html, where you can enter online or print out a mail-in application, or buy one in person from any Fish and Game license agent or at Fish and Game headquarters in Concord.

Moose hunt lottery applications for 2017 must be postmarked or submitted online by midnight Eastern Time on May 26, 2017, or delivered to the Licensing Office at Fish and Game headquarters in Concord before 4:00 p.m. that day. Winners will be selected through a computerized random drawing on June 16 at the NH Fish and Game Department in Concord.

Each applicant can enter the moose hunt lottery once a year. A bonus point system improves the chances for unsuccessful applicants who apply each consecutive year. For example, last year the overall odds of a resident applicant being drawn were 1 in 75, while resident applicants with a total of 13 points had a 1 in 34 chance of being drawn.  For nonresidents, the odds increased from 1 in 327 overall to 1 in 150 for applicants with 13 points.

Last year (2016), more than 8,100 people entered the lottery for the chance to win one of 71 permits. More than 1,400 people continued to accrue bonus points because they submitted an application for a point only.  Hunters from seven different states won permits in the lottery.

While people travel from all over the country to take part in the New Hampshire moose hunt, the majority of permits (about 85%) go to New Hampshire residents. The number of permits available to nonresidents is capped, based on the prior year's sales of nonresident hunting licenses.

The number of moose hunt permits that will be offered for this fall's hunt has not yet been determined. Harvest and survey data are currently under review and a proposal to change permit numbers in parts of the state is possible, according to Wildlife Programs Supervisor Kent Gustafson.

While permit numbers may be changed in 2017, your chance of being drawn and offered a permit in the lottery will be improved if you rank all wildlife management units on your application, Gustafson noted.  You will have the option to decline a permit if drawn for a unit you prefer not to hunt.

New Hampshire's nine-day moose hunt starts the third Saturday in October.  This year's hunt runs from October 21-29, 2017.
New Hampshire has had an annual moose hunt since 1988, when 75 permits were issued for a three-day hunt in the North Country. The state's current moose population is estimated at about 3,800 animals. The availability of moose hunting permits is made possible by careful monitoring of moose populations. The resulting annual harvest of moose provides valuable information on the physical condition of moose and provides a unique recreational opportunity.  Learn more about moose hunting in New Hampshire at www.huntnh.com/hunting/moose.html.

Pennsylvania: Pheasant Chick And Egg Programs Come To An End

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Those looking to raise pheasants for release on public lands are directed to commercial propagators.

Two long-running programs that enabled groups and individuals to raise pheasants for release in their local areas have come to an end due to financially driven changes to the Game Commission's pheasant propagation program.

The Pheasant Chick Program, started in 1933, provided day-old pheasant chicks free of charge to sportsmen's organizations with approved propagation facilities. And the Day-Old Pheasant Hen Chick and Surplus Egg Programs enabled properly permitted organizations and individuals to buy chicks and eggs to raise and release.

Each of the programs served to augment the pheasant releases the Game Commission conducts each year before and during the pheasant hunting season. The birds that went to sportsmen's organizations were released on lands open to public hunting.

In an effort to cut costs, however, the Game Commission is implementing changes to its pheasant propagation program. The agency recently announced the closure of two pheasant farms, and will rely on the remaining two farms for all production. In closing the farms, the agency has also released birds that would have been kept as breeding stock.

Rather than raising chicks from the eggs laid by these birds, the agency will purchase day-old chicks from a privately owned breeder, and raise those birds for release.

Purchasing chicks is more cost-effective. And in making the switch and eliminating 14 positions that had been held by game-farm workers, the agency expects to save $1.5 million in the coming year.

The Board of Game Commissioners also is discussing creation of a $25 permit that would be required for all adult pheasant hunters, and would further help pay for Pennsylvania's propagation program.

The application period for pheasant egg and chick programs traditionally opened in January.

Organizations and individuals that had planned on taking part in the program in 2017 might still be able to obtain pheasant eggs from private propagators.

Unlike most state agencies, the Pennsylvania Game Commission in not funded by tax dollars. It relies primarily on revenue generated through the purchase of hunting and furtaker licenses – the fees for which are set by the General Assembly and have not been adjusted for inflation in nearly two decades.

"Cost-cutting measures, like the changes we're implementing to the pheasant propagation program are necessary to balance the agency's budget until a license-fee increase finally is approved," said R. Matthew Hough, the Game Commission's executive director. "We've had to make a lot of difficult decisions in recent years, and a lot of them probably went unnoticed because initially we cut in areas we knew would have the least impact on those who rely on the services we offer. But as we're forced to make bigger and more significant cuts at the program level, there's no avoiding the impact to services. Unfortunately, more cuts will be needed to balance the budget for the coming fiscal year, and Pennsylvania's citizens and wildlife resources have begun feeling the impact."

Outdoor Scene Special Broadcast 1-22-17

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Tides, Ski Reports, Conn. Whitetail Deer Harvest Up-Date, RI 2016 Saltwater License Report, Solunar Table and a very special guest at 9:10am

We will take your questions at waynewnri@yahoo.com from now through the broadcast.

President Jolanta  Jeanneney,  United Blood Trackers tentatively scheduled for 9:10am

Vermont Fish & Wildlife to Hold Introduction to Ice Fishing Courses

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Two free clinics offered in late January at Shelburne Pond and Lake Bomoseen

CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department will be hosting two free introductory ice fishing clinics in late January aimed at helping first-time ice anglers get started in the sport.
The first clinic will be held at Shelburne Pond in Shelburne on Wednesday, January 25. The clinic will run from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
The second clinic will take place at Lake Bomoseen in Castleton on Tuesday, January 31, and will also run from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Both courses are designed for those new to ice fishing and are conducive to prospective anglers of all ages, as well as families and small groups of friends looking to learn the sport together. The clinics will cover the basics of ice fishing such as drilling holes, using tip ups, selecting lures and rigging equipment, and jigging. They will also address aquatic ecology, fish identification, fishing regulations and much more.
Each clinic will be taught by trained instructors from Vermont Fish & Wildlife and the Let’s Go Fishing Program.
“The introduction to ice fishing courses are really informative and enjoyable,” said Corey Hart, Let’s Go Fishing Coordinator with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “What’s great about these clinics is individuals or families can show up, use our gear, learn from quality instructors and literally get started in ice fishing in a matter of a couple of hours. Not to mention, spending time enjoying Vermont’s great outdoors is always a fun experience.”
All necessary equipment will be provided for the clinics, but participants may also bring their own tackle if desired. Participants are advised to dress warm and layer clothing in order to adjust to weather conditions.
Preregistration for the clinics is required and can be completed by calling 802-265-2279 or emailing letsgofishing@vermont.gov.Source: News Release — Vermont Fish & Wildlife

Seminar on Hunter Access Offered to Vermont Landowners

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

WOODSTOCK, VT – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding a free seminar for landowners interested in learning more about hunting, wildlife management, and conservation.  The seminar is co-hosted by the nonprofit Vermont Coverts.

 

The seminar will be held on Friday, February 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ANR Annex Building, 190 Jct. Rd. Berlin, Vermont.  It will feature workshops and presentations by Fish & Wildlife head of law enforcement Colonel Jason Batchelder as well as several department biologists.  They will review the rights of landowners and the limits to liability, and talk about who hunts in Vermont and what other recreational uses of private lands take place here.  Biologists will also speak about the science of wildlife management, and discuss hunting as a tool for promoting healthy forests.

 

“This seminar is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about Vermont’s hunting culture, and how landowners fit in the picture,” said Chris Saunders of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.  “We’ll participate in thoughtful discussion as a group, and address many of the facts and myths about hunting and hunters.” 

 

The seminar is free and includes breakfast and lunch.  To sign up or ask questions, contact Lisa Sausville at lisa@vtcoverts.org.

 

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request.  Please include a description of the accommodation you will need.  Individuals making such requests must include their contact information.  Please email cathering.gjessing@vermont.gov or call the office staff at 802-828-1000 (voice), 1-800-253-0191 (TTY).

 

Poor Man's Shrimp

By W. Gauvin Barber

Poor Man's Shrimp

On Saturday, after the broadcast I was a little hunger and returned to Debbie's on Park Ave. Woonsocket, R.I. and being a smart small business woman ,she had memorized my previous order, light decaf coffee with no sugar, ham and cheese 3 X/L egg omelete and home fries, no bread, wheat belly diet, that you receive in a neighborhood diner. I felt like I was transported to 'Cheers' in Boston with the same regulars at the same stool. The only difference was a cold draft “Bud with a hot cup of 'Java' Dennis Lasardo and Oscar Hancock with some new jokes and local political satire.

I left in a good mood and went to get a Power Ball scratch ticket and met a WW II Veteran in line who got his scratch ticket also and was embarrassed for forgetting his wallet in the car. I shook his hand and thanked him for his service and sad I had won a small amount on last Wednesday's drawing and it would be great comma to let me pay for his ticket.

His mind was still sharp after about 87 years and smiled and sad, I know your distinctive voice, You are the man on the radio show” Outdoor Scene” every week end on WNRI.COM 1380am and I humbly replied, Thank You, for tuning in.

My wife and I listen religiously to every episode to a quality entertaining believable radio show about our Natural Resources.

We both agree with your vision and mission. He then sad that he was offended sometimes when I refer to the old timers when I was growing up. It was a different time and most outdoors activities were to put something in the pot, or table.

My ears and creative juices tuned in to the story being told by the gentlemans years of experience and hardened chiseled face in a methodical clear voice.

He sad young man my family went from well to do with all the immigrants that came to Woonsocket searching for any job and lodging in the mills and then would go purchase on time payments most all any other necessities from our family store.

Then the wars and the market crash of 1929 and the Marquette Credit Union collapse in the 1970's reduced the families old money savings to zero.

He said to me its back to “Poor Man's Shrimp” now.

I looked at him and asked if he could elaborate on the expression which I had never heard in my short life of 66 years.

He sad to me that it was the regular part of my broadcast that I repeat every few episodes referring to the old timers who loved jigging up a fresh bunch of winter firm flesh yellow perch and crappie, alias calico bass for a fish fry.

When he came back to States wounded from WWII and very little work waiting, do in part to “Rosie the Riveter” joining the workplace and the start of the mills moving down South.

He told me his Grand Dad and then his Father would say, I am having a craving for “Poor Man's Shrimp” when the cupboards started to get lean and a silent concern “ look” from the lady of the house without a harsh word spoken to feed their hungry family in hard times.

That is when we would gather up the fishing equipment and a few relatives or friends to share petrol costs at .29 cents a gallon to fill up some pecks baskets of fresh perch or the tasty calico's.

Sustenance, not catch and release in these hard times.

Some winter potatoes and fall butternut squash from the root cellar and a fresh loaf of bread. Listen to good quality radio program to make us forget about the hard times and be thankful the war had ended.

He sad quietly to me that he had over heard big John Martin, while playing stick ball on the Avenue comment, their family must be “Rich”, he had to chow down their re-heated potato soup and day

old crusty bread again last night. Their family had expensive “Shrimp” again this week.

He told me to get a pen and paper and he would hand down the secret recipe to me, just in case I too would happen to fall upon hard times.

Poor Man' Shrimp Recipe

Perch, Bluegills or Calico Bass, 'alias' Black or White Crappie

Fillets cut into ¾ inch strips

1 quart of boiling water seasoned with old bay and salt.

Drop strips into boiling water and cook until they turn to opaque

Immediately remove and drop into Ice Water

Drain and put in the Ice Box for 1 hour, Strips will firm up

Use tooth picks or a small fork to dip into a cocktail sauce or if the money cup was empty, Mom would replace with a tarter sauce.

If the fish should flake, it was over cooked. Little practice with small batches to perfect the free expensive Shrimp for supper !

W. Gauvin Barber 34 Hamlet St. Pascoag, R.I. 1-401-568-4894

Many Cooper Hill Road residents nurtured my interest in fishing

By W.Gauvin Barber

Last week I was having a flashback of growing up in Mapleville, RI on Cooper Hill. I have loved freshwater and all forms of fishing from a very early age by the influence of three very special mentors in my life.  I have always loved the outdoors, especially fishing. It's genetic. The interest was fueled by grandfather on my dad's side who would let me read his sporting magazines rather than fairy tales when I visited the old homestead at the top of Cooper Hill.
  I also kept a sharp eye out for slightly read copies of others at the landfill at Nelsons Landfill in Pascoag, RI. while shooting rats with a borrowed 22 caliber. Some were free samples still in the wrapper and every quarter counted in my piggy bank to sneak a pack of Parliament Cigarettes at Carriere's variety store with a split of the cigarettes with the much older person who made the purchase.
 When my father would pick us up at the local mud hole or frog pond to go to our weekly shopping trip to the big city of Woonsocket, RI I would spend my paper route money or from selling wild blueberries donations door to door in the Nyanza Mills sports department.
 A little farther down Cooper Hill was the Ice House manmade pond with a dam and in a growing mill village, a valuable source for our ice boxes. Our neighbor next to the ice house pond was a total sportsmen with the name of George Medbury who was quite a character in my childhood. George was born in Riverside, RI on Oct.11,1908 and lived a very full interesting life which ended on Oct.21, 1986 at 78 years old. George did not drive and went on his fishing and hunting trips with old school lifelong friends. He was quite a athlete in his day and could swim across Pascoag Reservoir on a wager. George was also a very fast runner and on one occasion he spanked the great Narragansett RI. Indian runner " Tarzan Brown"who one the Boston Marathon two times and in one instance without shoes. Brown also made the 1936 Berlin Olympic track team which featured Jesse Owens.
 Mr. Medbury was like my granddad Emery "Ted" Barber with a great assortment of hounds and setters for different hunts. 11 beagles, 13 inch beagles, bird setters and harvested everything for the kitchen table including whitetail deer, fish, waterfowl and gamebirds and snapping turtles.
 Mr. Medbury had a tough exterior and a very humble warm heart for the Barber boys and on many occasions brought back many lunkers for the ice house pond stocking which he knew we would always sneak in to catch the whopper of our sheltered life. One day I built up the courage to ask him about a Plastic Worm with a flying spinner in the front that he had on the end of his line after a very successful stringer of largemouth bass which exceeded twenty pounds.
 He told me it was his secret lure and very expensive at 5 worms for a whole $1.00 plus Mr. Pepler's mail charge at the local post office. He said to read about the new secret bass slayer in one of your granddad's magazine's or see if fellow neighbor Gene Gaucher had one in his creel basket.
 Went I started watching for our Woonsocket Call paper route Christmas tips envelopes in 1959 and their tip envelope was really fat and I thought he had paid me back for catching his private stocked pond with some black coal.
  It turned out to be a packet of 5 Crème Wiggle Rubber Worms from Akron, Ohio that were invented in a basement by Nick and Cosma Crème in Akron Ohio in the 1940's and introduced at the Cleveland Sportsmen Show to the world in 1949.

I opened the package and said to my favorite cousin Sidney Barber, how can a dead piece of stinky plastic with a helicopter spinning blade catch a fish instead of spooking it. I had to wait for ice out in early April 1960 and we decided to try the new fishing lure at Tarklin Pond. Second cast next to lily pads we saw the wake of some kind of submarine chasing the lure and Bang went two feet straight up was a three pound bass with the hooks in his lower jaw. That Kodak moment is etched in my mind for ever and then Sidney who was always a bully snagged my rod and secret lure and duplicated the feat by catching the longest Pickerel to this day in 2017 that I have ever seen.

Decades later I have caught a lot of fish and won my share of fishing tournaments, operated a bait and tackle shop for twelve years to pass on some knowledge to future generations.
 Looking back I would like to Thank in print to all the social media to see on the internet the great gratitude I have for those 3 very special mentors that I had the privilege to have known in my childhood. Grampa" Ted"Barber, Mr. George Medbury who gave me my favorite Christmas present and Life lesson of all time and to a dear former handicapped friend Gene Gaucher.

Vermont Bear Hunters Had a Successful and Safe Season in 2016

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reports that bear hunters in Vermont had a safe and successful hunting season in 2016.  Preliminary numbers show that hunters took 697 black bears during the 81days of the two-part early and late bear seasons.  There also were no hunting-related shooting incidents. 

 

This is higher than the past 10-year average of 520 bears being taken, but it is consistent with the goal of stabilizing the bear population to within 4,500 to 6,000 bears, according to Fish & Wildlife Department bear biologist Forrest Hammond. 

 

In 2016, hunters took a majority of the bears, 547, in the early season and only 150 in the late bear season, which overlaps with the November deer season.  Many large bears were reported with 21 weighing over 300 pounds and several over 400 pounds.

 

In the previous year, hunters took nearly equal numbers of bears in the early and late seasons.   

 

Hammond noted that participation in the early bear season has remained high with large numbers of hunters choosing to purchase a $5 early season bear tag.  “Between an abundant population, a long hunting season and the potential of harvesting delicious and nutritious bear meat, Vermonters and visitors are becoming increasingly interested in hunting this big game animal,” said Hammond. 

 

Bear hunters continue to provide information that is valuable for managing the species including bringing their bear into one of 150 game check stations and by completing hunter effort surveys.  Beginning in 2017, hunters must also submit a small tooth from their bear that will provide information on the age of the animal. 

Women Can Gain Skills for Outdoor Fun at NH BOW Winter Workshop

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

CONCORD, N.H. -- Registration is now open for New Hampshire’s 2017 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Winter Workshop, a one-day program where women learn outdoor skills to enjoy during the winter months.

The Winter BOW workshop will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, N.H.  Participants focus on one outdoor activity during the day-long workshop. Choices include ice-fishing, winter outdoor survival, snowshoeing/wildlife tracking, and "Shoe and Shoot" (woodland target shooting on snowshoes).

 

A fee of $55 covers the workshop, lunch and most equipment use.  A discounted registration fee of $25 is available for participants age 18-25. Participants must be at least 18 years of age.

To sign up, visit www.nhbow.com for a mail-in registration form. Only registration forms received by postal mail will be accepted; no emails, faxes, or walk-ins, please. This popular workshop fills up quickly, so sign up soon!

New Hampshire BOW programs are co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (www.wildnh.com) and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation (www.nhwf.org), a nonprofit group that advocates for the promotion and protection of hunting, fishing and trapping, as well as the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat.

New England Fishing & Outdoor Expo

Ducks Unlimited

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The January/February 2017 issue of Ducks Unlimited magazine celebrates DU's 80 years of conservation success and chronicles how generations of volunteers, staff and partners have worked together to make DU the world's leading wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization.

Other special anniversary coverage includes "15 Time-Tested Waterfowling Tips" to help readers improve their hunting success and "Five Classic Waterfowl Recipes" for preparing ducks and geese for family and friends after a successful hunt. Readers will also enjoy a feature showcasing the treasured collectibles and historical artifacts on display at DU's Waterfowling Heritage Center inside the Bass Pro Shops at the Memphis Pyramid as well as a profile on Scot Storm, DU's 2017 Artist of the Year.

Like every other issue, the January/February issue of Ducks Unlimited magazine also features informative columns on shotguns and ammunition, retrievers, waterfowl biology, hunting tactics, conservation and cooking.

The only way to get Ducks Unlimited magazine is to join Ducks Unlimited. Visit www.ducks.org to become a member of the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's wetlands and waterfowl.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13.6 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Vermont Hunters Had Successful 2016 Deer Seasons

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Josh Dufresne of Springfield, VT with the impressive 8-point buck he took in Vermont’s 2016 November deer season.  Hunters took 9,968 bucks in all of the state’s different 2016 deer seasons.  

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says preliminary numbers show 16,160 deer were taken during Vermont’s 2016 deer hunting seasons.

 

Reports from big game check stations indicate hunters had successful deer seasons in 2016, taking 3,447 deer in archery season, 1,438 in youth season, 7,725 in rifle season, and 3,550 in muzzleloader season.  The 16,160 deer brought home by hunters yielded more than 3 million meals of local nutritious venison.

 

“The legal buck harvest of 9,968 was 19 percent more than the previous three-year average of 8,372, and the highest buck harvest since 2002,” said deer project leader Nick Fortin.  “Harvest numbers increased during all four seasons, and the total harvest of 16,160 is the second-highest since 2002.

 

“The increased harvest was primarily due to the exceptionally mild winter of 2016 which allowed more deer to survive.  Additionally, the department issued nearly twice as many muzzleloader antlerless deer permits this year to provide more harvest opportunity and to limit population growth in some parts of the state.”

The primary goal of Vermont’s deer management strategy is to keep the deer herd stable, healthy and in balance with available habitat.  “Maintaining an appropriate number of deer on the landscape ensures deer and the habitats that support them remain in good condition and productive,” said Fortin.  “This year’s harvest clearly demonstrates how productive our deer herd can be.”

Each year the department operates biological check stations during deer hunting seasons to gather information on the age, sex, field dressed weight, antler characteristics, and overall health of Vermont’s deer herd.  In 2016, biological data were collected from 1,830 deer examined during the two-day youth season and November rifle season. 

To provide additional data, hunters submitted more than 2,700 teeth from bucks harvested during the rifle season.  Fortin adds, “The effort made by hunters and many of our big game reporting stations to collect teeth during rifle season will greatly improve our understanding of Vermont’s buck population.”

The 2016 report on deer hunting seasons with final numbers will be on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) in early February.

Vermont: Fish & Wildlife Initiates Moose Study

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Vermont will soon begin a three-year study of the state's moose herd by capturing the animals and placing radio-collars on them. Photo Courtesy of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is initiating a multi-year study to better understand the state’s moose herd. 

 

Moose across the Northeast are increasingly under stress from a parasite known as winter ticks. The ticks are becoming more prolific as spring and fall weather has warmed in recent years, causing some moose to collapse from blood loss or die from hypothermia after rubbing their insulating hair off in an attempt to rid themselves of the parasite. 

 

Beginning in January 2017, researchers with the Fish & Wildlife Department will start placing radio-collars on up to 60 wild moose to follow their movements and determine causes of mortality. Moose will be captured by expert wildlife capture contractors using nets from helicopters via well-established techniques that minimize stress and harm to the animal.  Department staff will then track these moose for several years using the GPS points gathered by the collars, and by visiting moose directly in the field to record observations.  Vermont is the fourth northeastern state to partake in such a study – state fish and wildlife agencies in New Hampshire, Maine, and New York are currently using the same methods to examine their moose herds.

 

Biologists hope to better understand whether Vermont’s moose calves are surviving to adulthood.  They want to know what is causing the death of any moose that die during the study period, including those that are killed by predators such as coyotes or bears, and those that die from brainworm infections or stress caused by winter tick parasites.  Biologists will also examine whether female moose are successfully reproducing and where their young go after they leave their mother’s side. 

 

“Moose face a variety of potential threats in the northeast, from warmer temperatures to dramatically increased parasite loads and habitat fragmentation,” said Cedric Alexander, Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s lead moose biologist. “It is important that we understand how much these factors are affecting our moose population in Vermont. Our moose conservation efforts must be based on a strong foundation of science if we are to understand and address these threats in the long term.” 

 

Vermont’s moose herd has decreased from an estimated high of over 5,000 individuals in the state in the early 2000s to roughly 2,200 today.  The majority of the reduction in the number of moose was a deliberate effort by biologists to bring the herd into better balance with available habitat at a time they were considered overabundant.  A single moose can eat over 25 pounds of food a day and their browsing was damaging forest ecosystems, harming not only their own habitat but habitats for many other animals. 

 

According to Alexander, this deliberate reduction in the herd through hunting may have also helped Vermont’s moose stave off the worst effects of winter ticks as they have increasingly become a problem in recent years.  “Winter ticks spread more rapidly when moose are overabundant,” said Alexander.  “Although we decreased Vermont’s moose herd to reduce the impacts of moose on the landscape, it may have also contributed to the much lower rates of winter ticks on Vermont’s moose than biologists observe on moose in New Hampshire or Maine.” 

 

The study will run through 2019.  For more information, go to www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Connecticut: What to Do If You Harvest a Deer with a Neck Collar

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

We have received a few questions about this subject in Connecticut

Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division researchers have captured and placed neck collars on over 150 white-tailed deer in northwestern throughout Connecticut. The marked deer may have a leather or nylon brown-colored collar; ear tags may or may not be present. Hunters should know that it is both completely legal and safe to harvest and consume these animals. The Wildlife Division asks that if hunters come across a collared deer during the upcoming hunting season, that they should hunt as they normally do – intentionally targeting collared deer or passing on them biases the mortality data. We also ask that if you do harvest a collared deer, please contact us using the phone number on the collar, or at 860-418-5921. We would like to collect the collar and jawbone from the animal if possible.