Weather postpones youth ice fishing day

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On yet another rainy, warm Monday, let’s work our way around the outdoor scene while waiting for winter to truly show up in Greater Bangor.

First, the bad news: If you were looking forward to taking your child to Pickerel Pond this weekend for the Maine Youth Fish & Game Association’s annual ice fishing day, you’ll have to wait a bit.

The program was originally planned for Jan. 6, but a lack of safe ice forced what organizers had hoped would be a one-week hiatus.

Mother Nature had another idea, and after tempting us with an inch of new snow Sunday night, the rain came … again.

No real cold snap is expected before the weekend, when a real skein of “ice-making” weather is just what outdoor enthusiasts need.

Club president Travis Roy said that even before Monday’s rain, organizers had decided the event couldn’t be held this weekend.

“We had our board meeting last night and went out and checked the pond,” Roy said Monday. “On our pond, there’s about 31/2 inches of ice and it’s not even close to safe.”

Roy said club members will make sure others looking to visit the facility outside of Milford know conditions aren’t good.

“We’re having somebody go out and put up a sign warning people it’s unsafe,” Roy said.

Roy said the youth derby has been rescheduled for Feb. 3, and hopes for a large turnout. The event will run from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Last year, more than 100 youths showed up to fish, slide across the ice, and explore the pond that is solely for their use.

“You don’t need to be a member [to take part in the derby] and as always we’ll provide all the food and bait and traps if you need them,” Roy said. “If people lack experience, we’ll show them how to use the traps and hopefully they’ll catch a fish.”

Plum Creek decision applauded

During Friday’s Sportsmen’s Congress in Augusta, one panel discussion dealt with the issues involved with protecting deer wintering habitat in Maine’s commercial woods.

Paul Davis, the general manager of Plum Creek Timber Company, spoke at length about the agreement his company had signed with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife just a day before.

That long-term agreement recognizes the importance of proper forest management and is designed to ensure that important deer wintering areas will be conserved and managed for both sustainable timber resources and deer habitat.

The agreement covers 32,000 acres in Somerset, Franklin and Piscataquis counties.

According to Eugene Dumont, the DIF&W’s wildlife management supervisor, Plum Creek “should be applauded for two significant additions” to their management plan.

First, Plum Creek has agreed to a five-year deed covenant that would bind future buyers of their land to the agreement reached with the state for a five-year period.

Second, Plum Creek’s biologists will make management decisions in the 32,000 affected acres.

The crowd at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine-sponsored function agreed with Dumont.

They greeted Davis’ speech – which ended with the promise “We’re committed to this process” – with enthusiastic applause.

And now, the good news

Yes, it was rainy in Bangor on Monday. And yes, it was warm. But don’t fret too much: Some areas of Maine got some much-needed snow after all.

At Sugarloaf/USA, for instance, skiers had a great Monday morning.

“Plenty of powder to be had by all out there,” Sugarloaf’s Web site trumpeted. “It snowed wicked hard all morning, and we’ve got better than 6 inches of new stuff on the hill.”

In addition, the resort’s snowmaking staff set up snow guns on the Tote Road and King’s Landing trail, and will continue to aggressively make snow all week.

And in Fort Kent, it snowed all day Monday and one local businesswoman, Darlene Kelly Dumond, said about seven inches had fallen by 4 p.m.

“Plows are going and it’s winter here,” Dumond said. “Finally.”

Dumond said from her home near the St. John River, she could hear the snowmobile trail grooming machines running on nearby trails late Monday afternoon.

Fort Kent is a St. John River valley community that embraces winter, hosting events such as biathlon and the annual Can-Am Crown dogsled races, as well as welcoming throngs of eager snowmobilers.

On Sunday, the ground was bare. And on Monday, it was finally covered with a welcome white blanket.

“Everything’s covered in white,” Dumond said. “And it’s not a fluffy white. It’s a heavy white that we think it’s going to stick.”

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