Biologists track hunting seasons

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Editor’s note: Each week the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists compile weekly outdoor reports during the hunting season. Portions of those reports are included here. The full reports are on the DIF&W’s Web site: www.state.me.us/ifw/hunt/weeklyreport.htm

Region B

Central Maine

Fall hunting opportunities in central Maine are ripe for the picking. Reports from the field indicate that this is a banner year for grouse. Many reports of young birds with tails not fully developed have people speculating that many grouse hatched off two broods. However, as grouse only have one brood per year, it is more likely these are observations of late-nesting birds who experienced a failed nesting attempt. It’s more certain that dry weather conditions have affected grouse reproduction favorably.

For those who may be looking for a good cover to hunt, try the Frye Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Montville. This 5,000-acre Wildlife Management Area, managed primarily for grouse, offers some of the finest bird covers in central Maine.

Canada goose hunters should be ecstatic. Unity Pond, Sebasticook Lake, Douglas Pond, and the farms around these large lakes have huge numbers of honkers. Those who search diligently for snow geese may be able to celebrate bag diversity.

It’s never too soon to begin to scout for deer. With only a couple of weeks left before the opening of the firearms season on deer, time spent in the woods now sorting out where old mossy face is hiding will pay handsome dividends once the opening bell is sounded. All those who were sagacious enough to have submitted for an any-deer permit for District 23 were granted the permit.

Some lucky individuals were given two any-deer permits. Is there any doubt that in Central Maine these are “the good old days” of Maine deer hunting? With deer populations at close to 30 deer per square mile in many central Maine towns, any serious deer hunter should have ample opportunity to “get ya deah.” Remember, don’t leave home without your blaze orange, your ethics, and your compass.

– Keel Kemper, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region C

Downeast

It’s the start of the third week of October, and the foliage Downeast is just past peak color. Poplar maples in certain locations have begun to earnestly shed their leaves. The color this year has not been as vivid, probably due to the drought conditions we’ve experienced since June. It’s still quite a sight to behold, however, particularly along the Downeast coastline of Washington and Hancock counties, where blueberry fields accentuate the landscape by turning a fiery red color.

Of course the heightened color means that foliage still weighs heavy in upland covers. As predicted, hunters looking for woodcock are reportedly having a hard time locating birds. As yet, there has been no evidence of any substantial flight of migrating woodcock to spruce up the covers and thickets. The reports of good numbers of ruffed grouse or partridge continue, however, and many report seeing birds incidentally along the roads.

One interesting field note: we’ve often heard debates on whether partridge were attracted to oaks for the potential food source and whether they are physically able to swallow acorns. Jim Hall, one of the Regional staff biologists recently picked up a road-killed bird and upon examining its crop, found it loaded with acorn quarters. The beak of a grouse is not designed for strength that would be required in pecking and breaking. But nonetheless, this bird had been able to find a source or a way to fill up on the nutritious nuts. Jim reported not finding any whole acorns, however.

A check with several stations across the midsection of the region indicates an increase in bear registrations thus far in the season. Some very large specimens were recorded during September with one bruin weighing in at 525 pounds and another at 475!

Due to the drought and the diminished availability of natural foods, the chances of encountering a bear can be expected to decline, however. Bears will normally den up early in those years of poor food availability and it seems this year is no exception as one moose hunter found out last week.

A group from Machiasport had been hunting just north of Route 9 last Wednesday and made a good shot on a bull moose about 100 yards across a cutover area. Convinced that the animal was down to stay, the subpermittee headed across the cut to begin the “work” part of the hunt. About halfway across, he stepped on a brush pile which laid over a natural ground depression, and in his words, “felt the ground move beneath my feet.” Out to the side squirted two black bears running for cover, flushed out from what was to be their den.

Not to be outdone, the surprised subpermittee conducted his own race in the opposite direction. Hard to say who won, but I can tell you the hunter’s eyes were still oversized by the time he got to the registration station with the moose a short while later.

One other noteworthy moment from the second week of moose hunting occurred last Tuesday. I was heading up through the woods to collect data at the T31MD tagging station when I arrived at that part of the T24 barrens near Goose Pond. I knew there were moose in the area as one of my assistants and I had called and observed moose nearby during the previous year.

Under the light of a full moon, we had watched from an elevated position as a large bull crossed the northern end of a flowage. Even at a distance, under restricted light conditions, and looking through binoculars, we could tell he was a keeper. As I drove up onto the barrens, I saw two pickups out on the barrens apparently dragging something toward the road.

I drove down to find a neighbor who had luckily drawn a permit for WMD 28 dragging out a decent bull. On closer examination, however, it was apparent that this fair-sized bull was sporting a tremendous set of antlers. Of course I didn’t have a tape with me, and as it turns out the standard 5-foot tape we use wouldn’t have been much good anyway. The spread was a whopping 64 inches! Not enough for a state record, but close enough to give one pause in admiration.

So was this the bull we had seen the year before? Can’t say, but it sure fuels the flames for next year’s drawing.

– Tom Schaeffer, Regional Wildlife Biologist Region E

Moosehead Lake RegionSince Saturday, Oct. 13, was the last day of the 2001 moose season, I thought I would provide a brief overview of the preliminary harvest stats for the Moosehead Lake Region. First, as a point of clarification, however, the 2001 moose season was 12 days long, six days during the last week of September and six days during the second week of October. Of course, these are six-day blocks, (i.e., Monday through Saturday) vs. a full week because you cannot hunt on Sunday in Maine.

This is the first time the season has been greater than six days since the season was re-established in 1980. All of the stats I provide below are for Oct. 8-13, 2001, because most all of the area open to hunting during September was outside of our region.

Currently, we have three registration stations in our region where a hunter can register a moose: one at our department headquarters in Greenville, one at Bishop’s store in Jackman, and one at the Kokadjo Trading Post in Frenchtown Township. During the six-day October season, 298 moose were registered at the headquarters, 185 at Bishop’s, and 131 at Kokadjo. Bishop’s staff weighed the heaviest moose this year in our region. It was an adult bull that weighed 950 pounds. This is dressed weight and you can estimate its live weight by adding 20 percent.

For all of you antler buffs, the largest spread was 63 inches, measured on a moose registered in Kokadjo. In addition, I “green scored” one bull that came into the Greenville station at roughly 200-210 Boone and Crockett points. But probably the greatest anomaly this season was the huge cow moose that came into the headquarters on the last day of the season. It was field dressed at 885 pounds. For those of you not familiar with moose weights, an average adult cow will field dress at about 600 pounds and a very large cow will go between 700 and 750 pounds.

– Doug Kane, Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region F

Penobscot Region

Fall in Maine provides great recreational opportunities for people to enjoy. The weather has been good, the foliage brilliant, the skies blue, the waters calm, and only a few biting bugs left. People are reporting good numbers of partridge. Hunting with my brother this weekend, we had a great time, saw some birds, and enjoyed our time together.

Moose hunters reported good success, and I saw many animals in good shape. Moose hunting in Maine remains a family affair, as I had a young person come into a registration station who had bagged his moose, excited, his family proud and sharing in his adventure. Reminded me of times many years ago.

Thinking back on my own boyhood, I remember my father, grandfather, and uncle gathering together to drink coffee in my grandmother’s kitchen, the aromatic smell of wood smoke from the kitchen cook stove mixed with the delicious odor of hot molasses cookies, discussing how they thought where the deer were moving, or how a partridge had outfoxed them by running behind a tree, then sneaking off.

I remember being proud that they included me in their group, being a party to such important planning. We often did target shooting as part of these family gatherings, and looking back, I had some great teachers about shooting, respect for the animals, and the ground upon which we all lived.

I, today, live on the same place that my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all were raised and lived. The old house and barn have long since gone, I built a house to replace the old one a while ago, but the same spirit continues. My son-in-law and a couple of his friends showed up to do some target shooting this weekend at my place, sighting in a new gun, talking calibers and reloading, and anticipating the start of regular deer season. After several hours of shooting with these young people, and stepping into my house, the smell of goulash and garlic bread struck us.

My wife Linda had prepared, and was keeping warm, a meal as my mother and grandmother used to, ready to fill the hunger pangs of a bunch of sportsmen who had dropped into her kitchen.

Finishing out the meal with a large mug of steaming coffee, relaxing in my living room in the company of these fine people, I think of the years to come and the tradition of hunting. I hope people realize that “hunting” means so much more than what may appear on the surface from their brief glimpse of a young person, standing with his prize, surrounded by his proud family.

– Buster Carter, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region G

Aroostook County

Warm weather this fall has made moose hunting at times a little difficult. However, most everyone agrees having a split moose season and using the wildlife management districts for moose hunting zones has helped to spread out hunting effort.

Also, having a late September hunt did allow hunters to try for larger trophy bulls. As expected, bull moose generally were much heavier in September with many moose dressing more than 900 pounds. During this last week, very few moose will top 850 pounds because bull moose lose considerable weight through the moose rutting season.

Moose checked at the New Sweden moose registration station were in very good shape with a number of yearling (11/2 years old) moose topping 500 pounds. The largest yearling weighed 610 pounds. On a statewide basis most yearling moose will weigh approximately 450-475 pounds, which seems to indicate our moose in WMD 3 are in excellent nutritional condition. WMD 3 has a lot of agriculture mixed in with scattered woodlands and some of these young moose are likely feeding on broccoli, clover, and alfalfa, resulting in rapid body development and a larger size.

The final moose harvest for registration stations in Region G were: Ashland, 172 the first week, 190 the second week, 362 total; Fort Kent, 78-68-146; Houlton, 71-49-120; and New Sweden, 93-75-168.

This past week has had to be one of the prime times in northern Maine for fall outdoor activities. While assigned to the New Sweden moose registration station for several days, I checked a number of moose and talked to many moose hunters. Collection of moose biological information is very important; however, equally important to me as a regional management biologist is the opportunity to meet and talk to the many hunters, moose and small game hunters alike.

With the great fall weather, many hunters, ATV riders, wildlife watchers, foliage observers, etc. were all out, with many stopping in at the moose registration station hoping to see the moose weigh-in.

Grouse hunters were the largest group of hunters I talked to, but many hunters were out pursuing other wildlife species such as woodcock, geese (in fields), waterfowl, bear, and deer. Generally grouse hunting has been quite good with many hunters getting a “few birds” and some hunters getting their limit of four birds. In fact, most hunters are reporting seeing good number of game animals and having success hunting a variety of wildlife.

For those of us who either hunt or watch wildlife, sunrise and sunsets in the County have become a time to sit back and watch the skies. The flights of Canada geese traveling to and from grain fields at this time of year are very impressive. This past week traveling at sunrise to the New Sweden moose registration station by way of Washburn and Caribou, I had to often remind myself to watch the road and stop looking upward at the many hundreds of geese flying over grain fields.

Having been in the County for more than 20 years, and during a time when there were virtually no geese in northern Maine, this certainly has been an uplifting change. In 1980, we had only one small resident flock of geese in northern Maine, approximately 15-20 adults at Umsaskis Lake on the Allagash Waterway. Northern Maine has not completed a fall population survey for geese in many years, but goose numbers are obviously in the thousands and increasing. This dramatic increase in both resident and migrant geese has certainly provided both hunters and non-hunters with many new sporting opportunities.

– Arlen Lovewell, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist