Sportsman’s forum gives info on moose herd, fish hatcheries

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Over the past five weeks, as I’ve made the transition from sportswriter to “Outdoor Guy” (as some friends have taken to calling me), I’ve been a little on the busy side.

What with all the fishing and talking and driving and eating and talking about fishing and talking about driving while eating, I’ve had very little time for certain things. Cleaning and tidying, for instance. And laundry.

And many other things some people claim are important … and may even seem pretty crucial until you figure out that if you’re going to drive 4,000 miles in five weeks and talk to half the people you should talk to, there are certain, shall we say, concessions that have to be made.

Don’t worry. I’m still showering. And shaving (most days). But some of the other stuff? Well, let’s just say I’ve been too busy … learning.

And it’s amazing how much a guy can learn if he’s willing to sit back, shut his mouth, and listen. (Don’t tell my parents you heard me say this. It seems that they may have told me this back about 25 years ago, but I wasn’t sitting back, shutting my mouth, or listening at the time).

Case in point: The other night, I hopped back in the truck and headed down to Bucksport for a Sportsman’s Forum hosted by the Bucks Mills Rod and Gun Club.

The format’s pretty simple. First, we all eat (I like that part). Then Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife officials tell us things we may not have already known. Then people get the chance to vent, gripe, or ask questions. On this night, there wasn’t any griping or venting. But there were plenty of questions.

And plenty of answers.

Among the tidbits culled from an enjoyable night (accompanied, in some cases, with unsolicited editorial comment from the new Outdoor Guy):

. First, Sandra Ritchie, the state’s wildlife resources planner, offered some insight into the condition of Maine’s moose herd.

Ritchie said biologists agree that the state’s moose herd isn’t growing, and may or may not be shrinking.

Either way, she said, the number of permits will likely be reduced … soon.

“Probably in the next week or so you’ll be reading about some new proposals for the 2003 season,” she said.

Sportsmen may not like that much, but there are plenty of folks who make their livings in the woods who’ve told me that moose aren’t as plentiful, and something needs to be done.

Those people will be glad to hear that the state will likely address those concerns in the near future.

. If you’re a fisherman, and you’re interested in improving fishing for years to come, don’t be confused by the assorted mumbo-jumbo included on Bond Issue No. 2 on November’s ballot.

Just know this: If passed, Question 2 will include needed money for fish hatcheries in the state. Yes, there are other items included in this bond issue. Yes, it gets confusing. And yes, if you want better fishing, you ought to consider voting “Yes.”

Lee Perry, the DIFW commissioner, explained that wastewater concerns at hatcheries would be addressed with those funds.

“If you do vote for it, you’re making a vote that will help put fish in the waters of the state,” Perry said.

What he didn’t say: The opposite is also true. Make your own conclusion.

. From chief warden Tim Peabody came an encouraging moose hunt report.

“The No. 1 problem we’ve had during moose season has been people shooting more than one moose,” he said, before pointing out that in the Greenville area alone, the number of double- or multiple-kills dropped from 16 a year ago to just four this year.

The practice, while distasteful to ethical sportsmen, often takes place when a hunter shoots a moose, then decides to “trade up” after seeing a larger critter later on.

My take: Ethical sportsmen have only two weapons when it comes to keeping up the good fight in cases like this. Peer pressure is one. Speak up. Tell your hunting buddies that they’re destroying a good thing for all of us. The second option: Operation Game Thief. The old saying is, ‘Nobody likes a snitch.’ Let me say this: I like snitches a lot more than I like poachers. I imagine you do, too.

. Which leads us to this: The fact is, the wardens need our help. Go spend a day with one and you’ll find out how many hours they work, performing a variety of duties you didn’t think they performed. And you’ll find out how rude some of our sporting brethren can be when they see a green uniform.

According to Peabody, the wardens are keeping very busy … and are short-handed.

“We’ve got a warden behind every other tree instead of every tree,” he told the Bucksport crowd.

“We have 12 vacancies. I’m not going to tell you where,” he joked, “because everyone will flock there.”

Do me a favor. Give the guys and gals in green the benefit of the doubt. (After all, you’re in Maine. You’re outside. You’re enjoying the woods. Why get miffed just because the wardens want to see your oversized license?)

. Which reminds me: Those licenses? Don’t expect immediate relief from the pocket-filling, super-sized models.

“I know that’s been an issue, how god-awful that thing is,” Perry told the Bucksport throng.

Perry said that people who are buying their licenses from a license agent will find a big difference soon. But the automated system, which would allow sportsmen to buy a license from their home computer, isn’t expected to be up and running in the near future.

Original plans called for a Jan. 1, 2002, launch of the on-line version. Computer program woes have pushed that back to Jan. 1, 2003. Perry isn’t convinced.

“I’m not overly optimistic,” he said.

But license agents, like town offices, will be selling permits that are an improvement.

“It’ll hold together in wind and water, and will be a good deal smaller,” Perry said.

. Speaking of smaller (I know, these transitions are getting pretty contrived), Ron Brokaw had some interesting things to say about the togue population in two of our region’s top lake trout waters.

The Region C (Down East) fisheries biologist’s message was alarming.

“Generally, catch and release is a good practice for salmon, trout, and togue,” he said. “But there are times where it’s not the best thing in a particular lake.”

That time is now, he said, in Toddy and Beech Hill ponds.

The reason: Small togue are everywhere, and there isn’t enough feed for them to grow.

The situation on Beech Hill is particularly alarming, he said.

“These are some of the thinnest togue we’ve ever seen,” he said. “There’s no doubt that the togue fishery is in big trouble.”

New regulations will be sought for those two waters, but he said in the meantime, sportsmen can help.

“The best chance to improve the fishing is through you folks, and the solution is to keep more togue,” he said.

My take: Because the family camp is on Beech Hill, I fish that lake regularly. And Brokaw is right. The odd slot limit imposed a few years back (against biologist recommendations, by the way) has done nothing to help the fishery. In trap-net surveys, only one of 40 fish was longer than 22 inches. That’s a sad result for the lake that boasts the state record togue (a 311/2-pounder caught in 1958).

. And finally, public access to lakes and ponds continues to be a point of contention, and Gregory Burr, a fishery biology specialist, painted two opposing pictures.

First, the good news: According to Burr, citizen-based efforts helped the state secure public access to Jacob Buck Pond “for generations to come.”

And the bad: Branch Lake in Ellsworth is still inaccessible to the general public, and as such, doesn’t receive any of the state’s hatchery fish.

Burr’s assessment: “It does little good for our citizenry to not have access to the lakes that they own.”

He urged people to stay involved.

“Don’t get discouraged,” he said. “Please, continue to fight for public access.”

That’s not a bad thought to remember as we head out to do our weekend chores.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.