Saturday, August 31, 2019

Phenology Calendar for September

Posted by Wayne G. Barber &  Photos by Wayne G. Barber


First Week of September

Ospreys begin moving south.

Trees with leaves suck a huge amount of water from the soil. If it’s not too rainy, conditions for logging may be excellent from now until leaf fall.

A cold front followed by gentle northwest winds will trigger many migratory birds to head south; look for hawks above the ridges, songbirds in the woods.

Timber rattlesnakes are returning to their ancestral hibernacula to bask in the autumn sun before turning in for the winter.

Second Week of September

Time to look for recipes that use a lot of green tomatoes.

The northern fall field cricket is silenced by the first hard frost, unless it gets into the house. If that happens, the once-lovely song may become annoying.

Warbler migration is underway, but their confusing autumn plumage and relative silence make identification difficult for most of us.

Early signs of the rut among white-tailed deer, with bucks establishing hierarchies of dominance.
Source:Northern Woodlands, Virginia Barlow



Monday, August 26, 2019

Maine: Bear Season Starts Today 8-26-19

Posted by Wayne G. Barber



“Over those forty years, it’s very clear that during years with excellent natural food production of nuts and berries, bears are more reluctant to visit bait sites,” said Cross. “The good news for hunters is that bears will be actively foraging much later in the season than last year since late season foods such as beechnuts and acorns will keep bears out of their dens. This is good news for deer hunters that would like to harvest a bear during deer season and hunters who hunt in October.


Even with the lengthy bear season, only about 25% of all bear hunters are successful. By contrast, 76% of moose hunters were successful last year, turkey hunters enjoy success rates between 30-35% and deer hunters in Maine are successful 14-18% of the time.

Young hunters will once again get their own day on Saturday, August 24. Youth hunters who have a junior hunting license can hunt bear with a firearm, bow, or crossbow on this day. Youth hunters may hunt bear with the use of bait, or still hunt; however the use of dogs during youth hunting day is prohibited. For more information on youth day, please visit: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting-laws/junior-hunters.html#youthhuntdays





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Monday, August 19, 2019

Plague-infected prairie dogs prompt continued shutdowns wildlife refuges in Colorado

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Parts of a Colorado wildlife refuge remain closed off on Sunday after officials first discovered plague-infected prairie dogs there in late July. Wildlife and nature areas near Denver have been shut down as officials continue efforts to stem the spread of the disease.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, a 15,000 acre nature area northeast of Denver, was able to partially reopen on Sunday. The refuge is home many species, including bison and bald eagles, and where the plague concerns first developed in the black-tailed prairie dog.
Plague-infected fleas were biting the prairie dogs, and officials began closing affected areas “as a precautionary measure to prioritize visitor health and safety, while also allowing staff to protect wildlife health,” according to a statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Certain areas remain closed because of the risk posed by hiking through them and taking pets. Dogs are less susceptible to plague than cats, but may pick up fleas that can infect other animals and people, Gilbert Cazier and environmental health specialist in the Tri-County Health Department said.
“If you bring the dog home and he sleeps in your bed, those fleas can then jump and get onto you,” Cazier said.
Though the plague can now be treated with antibiotics, it has a dark history, and according to the CDC, was responsible for the death of 60 percent of Europe’s population during the Black Death. In 1900, rat-infested ships sailing from areas with plague problems led to epidemics in U.S. port cities, but the last epidemic was in Los Angeles in the 1920s.
Today, most plague cases are reported in the western part of the United States, with an average of seven cases reported every year in recent decades. The bacterium that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, often infects small rodents like rats, mice, and in the most recent incident in Colorado, prairie dogs. Fleas can then transmit the disease to humans and other larger mammals. In addition to fleas, humans can contract plague from coming into contact with the body fluids of infected animals, or by breathing in the coughed droplets of plague bacteria.
Bubonic plague is responsible for 80 percent of plague cases in the United States every year, according to the CDC. A boy in Idaho contracted bubonic plague last year. In 2017, Arizona officials warned residents after discovering plague bacteria fleas. And sadly, in 2015, a star high school athlete died from plague in Colorado.
Plague continues to afflict some communities around the world. In 2017, an outbreak of pneumonic plague in Madagascar killed 202, according to reports by the World Health Organization.
Health officials in Colorado have been coating prairie dog holes with an insecticide powder. As the prairie dogs enter their holes and brush up against the powder, Cazier said, it kills the fleas on them and prevents the spread to other animals.
Some parts of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and nearby areas will remain closed through Labor Day Weekend, officials announced Friday. The areas include parts of the wildlife refuge and other open spaces in Commerce City, a suburb outside of Denver. Officials did clarify that Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, an event venue nearby would continue to host all events, but that parking was restricted to asphalt parking only, since nearby grassy areas had prairie dog populations. That’s good news for those headed to the Phish show there on August 30th  Source; The Washington Post · Morgan Krakow

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Connecticut Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) Program Upcoming Seminars and Clinics!

Posted by Wayne G. Barber


If you do not know your Conservation ID Number, you may call the Wildlife Division at (860)-424-3007.
 
 
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Location: Wallingford Rod and Gun Club, 411 North Branford Road, Wallingford.
 
Small Game Hunting Clinic: Small game hunting is one of the most overlooked types of hunting. This clinic is designed to give hunters the tools and knowledge to hunt small game in Connecticut. Habitat, techniques, tactics and game care will be covered. Participants will have the opportunity to skin a squirrel and receive some great recipes.
 
Saturday, September 14, 2019

Sunday, September 15, 2019
 
Cancelations made prior to 72 hours before the beginning of the event will not affect a participants ability to register for future CE/FS classes and events.

Chris Johnson Smashes St. Lawrence Smallies for Day 1 Lead

Posted by Wayne G.Barber


Canadian pro Chris Johnston leads after the first day of the 2019 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet after weighing 24 pounds, 7 ounces. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S
WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Expectations for the 2019 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet were slightly muted going into Day 1. After all, last year’s event on this storied fishery was dubbed as the best smallmouth tournament in the history of man, and practice for most of the Elite Series pros this time around was tough. There was no way, according to reports from the competitors, that this year’s event could match the statistics from the previous year. However, Chris Johnston proved that The No. 1 fishery in the nation according to Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings was still top of the class. The Canadian pro boated 24-7, including a 5-13 behemoth, to take the Day 1 lead.

“My day started pretty rough,” Johnston admitted. “I lost the first three fish I hooked, two 4s and a 5. I thought ‘oh, no, it’s going to be one of those days.’ But then, I landed a couple of good ones, and then caught one that nearly weighed 6 pounds. So, I’m really happy with how much weight I ended up with today.” Johnston is a little worried about whether or not he will be able to reproduce the massive limit over the next three days of the event. “I only have one really good spot, and I’m sharing it with another angler. So, I don’t know if it will hold up.”

Right on the heels of Johnston is Alabama pro Scott Canterbury, who boated 23-8. Unlike the Canadian pro, who has spent countless hours fishing the St. Lawrence River, Canterbury is fishing the New York waters for the very first time. “A lot of my practice was spent driving around, trying to learn the landscape of this fishery. I started to figure a few things out, and a lot of what doesn’t work here, and finally pieced together a game plan that would help me survive this tournament. My weight today is a blessing, I just hope I can reproduce it tomorrow.”

Veteran Elite Series pro Steve Kennedy weighed in 23-7 to take the third-place position, which included the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the day, a 6-2 monster smallmouth. “I am doing something a lot different than most of the field,” the Alabama pro admitted. “I hand painted a big glide bait to look like a perch. I am using it as a search bait for individual fish. They follow the glide bait and show themselves, then I throw a follow-up lure to catch them.” Like the other top anglers, Kennedy is not sure if there are enough big fish in his area to bring another massive limit to the scales. “I have seen a lot of 4 pounders, but those 5- and 6-pound fish are rare where I am. I’m hoping more bass move into the area, otherwise I’ll have to go to Plan B.”
As for the expectations leading into this episode of the St. Lawrence Smallmouthfest, they were certainly exceeded. There were 35 limits exceeding 19 pounds, 26 of which topped the 20-pound mark and five eclipsed 23 pounds.