Hunters seek edge at seminar

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A young boy stole the show from other prospective turkey hunters, guides, a game warden and a biologist at Saturday’s turkey seminar at Maine’s Youth Fish and Game Association clubhouse.

“There’s a couple turkeys behind my house,” the boy told the group when asked about his opening-day hunting plans. “So I’m gonna try to just sit on my porch and call them in.”

There is, however, a slight problem.

As the guides and turkey experts shared some tips on calling and mentioned the importance of practicing their calls before heading afield, the boy’s hand shot up again.

“Mom won’t let me practice my box call in the house,” he said, eliciting another round of chuckles.

Turkey season is nearly upon us (Season A begins on Monday, and Youth Turkey Day is Saturday), and some folks looking for a bit of an edge headed to Pickerel Pond for an informative three-hour seminar.

Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife biologist Mark Caron talked about trap-and-transfer efforts and provided plenty of other useful tidbits, Game Warden Dave Georgia outlined the state’s turkey-hunting laws, and representatives of the Penobscot Valley chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, along with guide Doug Teel, addressed more specific turkey-hunting concerns.

Caron said the department’s winter trap-and-transfer efforts were successful, as 121 birds were caught and relocated to six new sites.

Those sites: Topsfield, Prentiss Plantation, Medway, Benedicta, Orient and Hersey.

Caron also mentioned that hunters looking for more in-depth information about their hunt can find it on the Internet.

The DIF&W used to publish a turkey-hunter’s guide, Caron explained, but did not do so this year. That guide, however, is still available at the department’s Web site. You can reach the sit at www.mefishwildlife.com.

A few safety tips that were stressed, and that can never be repeated often enough:

. Never wear the colors red, white or blue, or you increase your risk of being mistaken for a turkey by a careless hunter.

. Using male “gobble” calls also increases the likelihood of another hunter thinking you’re a turkey they ought to get closer to. Use hen calls instead.

. Don’t stalk a wild turkey. Ever. You may be stalking another hunter instead.

. When moving through the woods, the use of a blaze orange hat is recommended. Take a bag (blaze orange is best) with you to carry out your turkey after the successful hunt.

Good news for anglers

Ron Brokaw, the longtime state fisheries biologists in Region C, checked in on Monday with a few pieces of news many anglers will welcome.

Let’s get right to the high points:

. According to Brokaw’s e-mail, anglers who enjoy fishing Grand Lake Stream may find that their success rate improves, thanks to a cooperative effort between the DIF&W, anglers and Domtar Industries Inc., owners of the Baileyville pulp and paper mill.

Domtar also owns the dam that separates West Grand Lake from Grand Lake Stream, and the company has agreed to make some substantive changes.

“At my request, based on an initiative by angler Dennis LaBare, Domtar has agreed to increase the minimum flow in Grand Lake Stream to 315 cubic feet per second for the period [of] April 25-June 25,” Brokaw wrote.

The current minimum flow, Brokaw said, is about 131 cfs.

“The substantially increased flows should further improve the already excellent salmon fishery. Many veteran anglers believe that flows in the range of 350-400 cfs provide the best fishing,” Brokaw wrote.

Brokaw credited Donna Adams, manager of the Domtar Baileyville mill, for her cooperation in agreeing to the experiment.

. Lake trollers who enjoy fishing for salmon or togue in a few of the area’s more popular lakes will be encouraged by Brokaw’s report that fisheries biologists have collected smelts and transferred the fish into lakes with depressed smelt populations.

“Biologist Greg Burr placed about 15 egg-laden burlap bags into Beech Hill Pond in an effort to bolster forage for the laek’s wild togue and stocked salmon,” Brokaw wrote.

Brokaw said anglers’ willingness to harvest togue in Beech Hill and Phillips will likely pay dividends in the future, as an abundance of undersized lakers have been decimating the smelt population, and have been growing very slowly.

In addition, biologist Rick Jordan put 10 burlaps into Phillips Lake, and eight more into Tunk Lake.

Finally, Brokaw took 13 burlaps to Brewer Lake, where anglers have endured poor fishing for the past four to five years, he said.

“Most angled salmon have been small and skinny, a sure sign of an inadequate smelt population,” Brokaw said.

If those pieces of news aren’t enough to make you even more eager to wet a line, I don’t know what is.

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