Woodcock and grouse appear to be in good supply

Out and About: The first round of reports coming from bird hunters indicate that woodcock and grouse are in good supply. But, as you no doubt know, so are leaves. Consequently, flushed birds quickly vanish in the thickly woven foliage. Hunting conditions will improve, however, as frosts, winds, and fall rains strip the covers of their resplendent autumn attire. The afforded extra glimpse of a feathered form whirring through naked alders and thornapples usually adds weight to game pockets and convinces hunters that there is, in fact, shot in their shells.

Last Saturday, Brad Allen of Bucksport, Dan McAuley, of Old Town, and I moved about 20 woodcock and a dozen or more partridges while hunting behind Dan’s English setter “Hershey” and my English pointer pup “Pete.” We didn’t do any serious damage to the bird population – Brad and Dan accounted for a partridge and three woodcock – while I settled for pruning a poplar branch and an alder top.

A limit of birds, however, wouldn’t have pleased me half as much as watching 7-month-old Pete lock up stiff as starch on a partridge and several woodcock. Nothing brightens a bird hunter’s smile more than a promising pup. Toss in the rhythmic chiming of a dog’s bell stuttering to a stop and the aroma of burnt powder mingling with the cidery scent of wild apples and you have the recipe for a memorable day in Maine’s autumn uplands.

Doug Mullen, manager of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Calais, has announced that furbearer trapping will be legal on the refuge during the 1992-93 trapping season. To reduce predation on locally produced waterfowl, areas of Moosehorn will be open to the trapping of raccoon, skunk, mink, weasel, red fox, and coyote. Muskrat trapping also will be allowed in several areas where the animals are causing damage to dikes and water-control structures.

Trapping will be restricted to areas within 50 feet of dikes, water-control structures, and marsh and stream edges. All trapping will be conducted in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

Permits for each of the three refuge trapping units will be awarded on a bid basis. Trappers must submit a deposit of 25 percent of their bid along with a trapping-permit application. Individuals may bid on all three units, but will be awarded a permit for only one. Successful applicants must begin trapping within three days of the beginning of trapping season or their permits will be revoked and bids forfeited. Bids will be opened publicly Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in the refuge office located on the Charlotte Road in Calais.

Interested trappers may obtain further information by contacting: Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 1077, Calais 04619. Phone: 454-7161.

As of Oct. 1, the trap catch of Atlantic salmon taken at the Penobscot River’s Veazie Dam fishway was 2,152. Anglers hooked and landed 471 salmon while fishing the Penobscot’s pools; 145 were tagged and later served with egg gravy, 326 were released to continue their spawning migrations.

On Cherryfield’s Narraguagus River, anglers caught 61 salmon; 16 were kept, 45 were released. Of the nine Atlantics caught on the Aroostook River, none were released. Two salmon were taken on the St. Croix River, one kept, one released. Dennys River anglers accounted for 11 salmon, seven were acquitted of their hit-and-run folly, four weren’t.

The Machias and East Machias rivers each rewarded anglers with eight salmon. Seven Machias River fish were released, three were given a second chance on the East Machias. Seven Atlantics made the mistake of taking anglers’ flies on the Sheepscot River, but none were forgiven. One salmon was caught and kept on the Androscoggin River.

No salmon were caught on the Pleasant River, where it was unlawful to keep a fish. No salmon were tagged or released on the Union, Ducktrap, Kennebec, and Saco rivers.

To some extent, those numbers may be disappointing. But the fact remains that Maine rivers support the only viable runs of Atlantic salmon in this country. Therefore, the silvered migrants are, indeed, precious resources.

In yesterday’s pre-dawn darkness, members of Maine’s “camouflage clan” kept “blind dates” as they welcomed opening day of the 1992 duck hunting season. Testimony to the number of duck hunters in the Bangor area is that when I went to purchase my federal duck stamp, the Hampden Post Office was sold out; likewise, the Bangor Post Office. I finally bagged one in Brewer. Times have changed. I can remember when you could count the serious duck hunters hereabouts on one hand.

Canada geese are gathering in cropped corn fields, deer are showing up everywhere – at least in this neck of the woods – and there’s a mighty crop of moose, and from what I hear, there’s no shortage of bears.

If you treasure the grand tradition of hunting, Maine is a great place to be come autumn.