Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine, Winter 1986-87

MAINE

FISH AND WILDLIFE

WINTER 1986-1987 $1.75

Red Maple Flowers

Photo © Leonard Lee Rue 111

~AINE

FISH AND WILDLIFE WINTER 1986-87

VOL. 28, NO. 4

Features Coyote Hunting: Stalking "The Wily Ones" by Ashton

Robinson

1986: The Busiest Year Yet

by John W . Forssen

Decorating And Rigging Your Decoys

by Gary Anderson

Zooplankton: The Critical Link

by David P . Boucher

Signs of Spring

2 8

11

14 17

by Judy Kellogg Markowsky

Maine's Boreal Bird: The Spruce Grouse

by Barry N. Burgason

Pulp In The Kennebec River

by John R . Moring

22 27

Departments KID-BITS

20

FROM THE FLY TYING BENCH: The Black Bear

25

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS

30 '

THE COVERS Front: WINTER GAMES - RIVER OTTERS , courtesy of Persis Weirs and Wild Wings , Lake City , MN 55041 , telephone (612) 345-5355 .

Back : DIAMONDS IN THE TREES . Photo by Bill Cross.

1

A pair of young coyotes, foraging in winter. Photo by the author.

A Singular Experience

Stalking the "Wily Ones"

by Ashton Robinson

0

F ALL THE HUNTING TECHNIQUES used in North America, those used for taking coyote are certainly among the most unique and varied; their origins are altogether different from those used in hunting the large ungulates (deer, moose, etc.) , game birds, and other predators.

Modern-day coyote hunting goes back to the time when the wolves had been all but exterminated in much of this country, and large bands of sheep, goats, and cattle were being grazed throughout the intermountain West.

During the early 1900s, federal and state predator control programs were being redirected from the diminished wolf population to the abundant and growing coyote population. The sheep industry was growing as well, and by the 1950s and '60s, coyote predation was a major dilemma for sheep growers and control agents. Poisoning campaigns 2

and other control measures failed to arrest coyote population growth, and bounties were paid by many states and counties.

Throughout much of the nation, human populations spread to rural areas, while coyote populations spread into urban areas; widespread use of poisons was banned , and federal and state financial support for predator control was increased. Fur values increased through the 1970s. All these factors led to more people going into the field to practice and perfect their coyote hunting skills. An intense effort was made by federal and state agencies and private concerns to control coyotes. High fur values and bounties, added to the other mentioned factors , encouraged a massive and determined effort hunting coyotes. Methods were developed for different terrain , times of year, weather conditions, and hunter performances. All of these methods, and many variations of them, are practiced here in Maine today.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

The basic methods of hunting coyotes involve: predator calling, the use of baits; night hunting; hunting with dogs; and other opportunistic methods such as denning, shooting on sight, and chasing.

A 10 or 12 gauge shotgun with long barrel and full choke, shooting #4 buckshot, is most highly recommended. However, some coyotes have been called and shot with accurate scope-sighted rifles. For this purpose, a lowpowered scope is recommended.

CALLING Coyote calling involves the use of various hand-held, mouth-blown calls, tape recordings and / or voice calls to attract coyotes into shotgun or rifle range. Predator calling has become a popular sport nationwide. Fox, bobcat, bear, and many other species respond well to such calls.

Predators (like coyotes, wolves, and bobcats) have instinctive reflex behavior refined by millions of years of natural selection. One of these reflexes is to investigate certain types of noises. A cry of distress by another animal is one noise to which predators instinctively respond. It's not necessarily a "thinking" response, just an automatic behavior. The hunter using a predator call plays on this instinctive behavior. But thereafter, it is the telltale smells and motions of the hunter which can "give away" this deception. Don't forget: "dumb" predators did not survive through these millions of years - the alert ones did! Nevertheless, they can still be outwitted by a well-executed predator call.

Several coyote hunters in this state have devoted much time to calling coyotes as a fur harvesting technique, as well as a predator control tool. Maine hunters have given talks and demonstrations at sportsmen's shows, trappers' club meetings, and state predator control seminars. A handful of successful coyote callers hunt regularly during the winter; some work primarily in deer yards, hunting with local wardens in the Animal Damage Control Program.

Despite this success, most people have not added coyote calling to their list of outdoor hunting activities.

Technique It is important to move into calling position quietly and sit well concealed, with little movement. The use of camouflage clothing and/ or masking scent is recommended. Waste no time, and practice blowing your call properly before actually hunting. All calls come with detailed directions. Hold still during your calls, but be very watchful.

A coyote generally moves very, very quietly, often seeming to appear from nowhere. Your gun should be in shooting position at all times. Use several varieties of caJls so you don't become too predictable to your wild audience.

Electronic tape players are available, with tapes

covering many animal noises. The hand-held mouth-blown calls are certainly easier to carry and less expensive; but the tapes are also useful in helping hunters learn the sounds to produce with mouth calls.

The "animal in distress" calls can work year 'round and, as mentioned before, may bring in any number of animals.

Use any call more quietly at first; gradually increase the volume if nothing close by responds. Some callers tend to use their calls at less frequent intervals than is commonly advised. Read the directions that come with the calls.

Use your call so as to impart a feeling of "fear and terror." You can change the direction of projection of the call and muffle the open end, making it sound as if the animal were being shaken or mauled.

A method sometimes used in conjunction with handheld or electronic "animal in distress" calls is "howling up" - or "locating" - coyotes. The purpose of this is to get them to answer your howl, giving away their location.

Various hand-held calls are made for this purpose; a good howler can be made from the reed portion of an Olf D-2 duck call mounted on a horn or widely flaring tube. Some howlers just use their voice. I used this method extensively as a government hunter in Utah, locating coyotes for airplane and helicopter hunters, and in New York's Adirondack Mountains, trapping, calling, and hunting with dogs.

A lone coyote, communicating his special ¡woods language."

Photo by the author.

The author worked as an animal damage control agent while in the West, and is currently an animal damage control cooperator with Maine's program. He and his wife operate a kennel in New Vineyard.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

3

The author's coyote calls: Howling horn made from Olf D-2 duck call; just below horn, D-2 call dissembled; other calls, left to right, Thomas call, Circe call, Bill Austin call, two Herters calls, three sizes of Crit-R-Calls. Photo by the author.

Once the coyotes have been located, either call them from where you "howled" or move very cautiously to a better location, from which you call them to you. Call in areas where you believe there are coyotes; deer kills, bait sites, natural lay-up areas, or den sites all make excellent hunting locales. If possible, decide beforehand where you are going to call and how you will get there. Then, as you call, systematically cover the areas you have selected but don't overdo it, "wising up" a group of coyotes.

A dog may be used in calling, and can distract the coyotes' attention away from the caller. But do not use a large, aggressive dog, particularly in the fall. A small, active, barking dog is excellent year 'round, used in combination with regular coyote calling. The dog may run loose or be tied (up to 100 yards away). In the fall, coyote pups may be scared away by a dog running loose.

Obviously, your success will be much affected by how many coyotes are exposed to your calls and what their past calling experience has been. Some coyotes will immediately run the other way, while others will simply ignore the calls. Some will be interested and approach cautiously, while a few will run right in.

Miles Oesterle, one of the pioneers of predator calling in Vermont, has developed his own line of calls tuned and designed specifically for the New England coyote. The two calls available to the public are a classic metal-reed long distance call, and a unique mouth diaphragm call used for closer range and allowing both hands to be free to shoot.

But many name brands are available, and each hunter has his or her favorites.

troducing baits. Hunting is usually best around naturally occurring bait, or those introduced in natural settings. Use of any kind of bait will depend on the number of coyotes exposed to the bait and how hungry they are. Deer and beaver carcasses produce the best results, even if presented unnaturally. Bait should be anchored so it can't be dragged away.

The basic procedure is to take a determined blind, or stand, within rifle range of the bait. Your approach to this bait should be downwind and away from the coyotes' expected path of approach. Evening and early morning hours are the most productive. Bait hunting, in conjunction with predator calling, may also be done at night in accordance with coyote night hunting regulations. It is important to hunt over the bait while coyotes are working it heavily. Bait hunting often depends on knowing the feeding pattern of the coyotes involved, and being in the right position at the right time.

The use of natural bait was exemplified by a Somerset County hunter who noticed several ravens one morning behind his home in Highland Plantation. He slowly worked his way back through the woods and came upon a deer, freshly killed by coyotes. After reading the signs and assessing the situation, he planned a return to an old tree that would serve as a blind . He took a stand just before dark that evening and, after waiting only 10 minutes, shot a large male coyote.

BAIT HUNTING The use of baits in taking coyotes is common in Maine.

The situations include using natural baits, such as dead deer in deer yards or sheep and cows in farm areas , and in-

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Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Coyote, on bait. Photo by the author.

DOGS

Introduced baits often require a longer period for coyotes to begin using them, since they first must be discovered, and any suspicions must then be overcome.

If the same bait sites are replenished each year, they will obviously work better. Many baits that are set out for bear are worked by coyotes. And the coyotes are seen sometimes shot - by bear hunters.

The use of bait is a common practice of trappers, too; those interested in calling can use an active bait site to their benefit. Introduced and regularly used bait sites serve to locate and bring coyotes to an area or at least create an area that they will frequently visit.

When introducing a bait, try to pick an area in which coyote will feel comfortable, and one which you can approach undetected by sound or scent. Have the stand or blind already prepared. A tree stand or well-concealed camouflaged blind is best. If hunting with dogs, your bait does not necessarily have to be in view of your blind. If hunting with running hounds, the bait may be just a place to check for a fresh track. You may be able to locate natural baits by talking to local farmers , landowners, and wardens.

Watch deer yards for coyote tracks and / or active ravens.

Don't be discouraged by coyote wariness around a bait.

As with all hunting, be persistent. Some coyotes are more wary than others. Sometimes it may be a couple of months before a bait is even visited . You may have to try another area - or another bait.

Be ready when the coyotes do begin feeding on your bait, because they may not come too frequently. Night hunting over bait can be productive, particularly if the hunter can approach an active bait undetected, remain motionless and silent, and keep human scent from reaching the coyote. Bait hunting provides a good opportunity to study and hunt coyotes year 'round .

An interesting example of the varying methods of hunting coyotes is the contrasting way in which dogs are used in taking them. For example, a houndsman in central Maine chases the coyote with hounds, but also pursues the unusual goal of actually bringing the coyote to bay. In many areas of the United States (including Maine), particularly in the Midwest, hounds have been used for many years to chase fox, and sometimes coyotes. Hunters are stationed at known crossings and along trails, ready for a quick shot as their quarry is chased past by the dogs.

Trail hounds are also used extensively to tree or bring to bay such animals as raccoon, bobcat, mountain lion, and bear. Because the coyote is an animal that won't tree, is long-winded, and can easily travel many miles, he is relatively safe from most houndsmen or any natural enemies for that mater. Most Maine houndsmen have found that coyotes will seldom cross ahead of them, or even near them, but rather will lead their dogs many miles away.

There appear to be several solutions. First, hounds should be well-bred and tough - combinations of treeing and running dogs. Second, these extra-fast hounds can be equipped with telemetry systems for ease of location.

Third , deep snow - eight inches to two feet - reduces

Man, as hunter <left>, predator as prey <right>. Photo by the author

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

5

The object of the hunt, reconnoitering his territory in late fall. Photo by Ellen Robinson.

the travel distance; but it is, of course, tough on the dogs, too. Fourth, hunt in areas that are criss-crossed with roads, not so much for the purpose of seeing or getting a shot at a passing coyote, but because the coyote may be more likely to stay within a block of woods surrounded by roads, and is more likely to "bay up" or stop.

You can hunt in the typical bobcat hunting fashion , checking for fresh tracks early in the morning; the fresher and deeper the snow, the better. listen to the voice of the top hound working the track, and wait for that change that means the coyote is "jumped," or running ahead of the hound. At this point release a second dog and the chase is on! As with bobcats, it may last only 15 minutes or go on all day.

Keep within earshot of your dogs; when they stop and begin a fast , choppy bark, it is likely that the coyote has turned to face his pursuers. Quickly snowshoe to the scene, approach cautiously, and maneuver to get a good, safe shot. It is important, however, to catch the dogs before dark if the coyote doesn't stop.

With good snow conditions, you may expect 50 percent success for good tracks. This is certainly a higher success rate than those for other coyote hunting methods and it should be of great interest to bobcat hunters as an alternative to that dwindling species.

Almost anyone, anywhere in the state, can find a fresh coyote track in a light cover of snow. A hunter near Bangor told me that, during a bear hunt last year, one of his hounds brought several coyotes to bay (during the day, with no snow!) . This and other similar experiences indicate that the use of hounds to hunt coyotes here in Maine deserves more attention.

6

There is another method of using dogs to take coyotes (which I used while hunting for the government out west) that has worked well in Maine. It was developed in conjunction with calling and denning, can be used with good results on coyotes that have become wise to other methods, and is especially helpful in rough, heavily-timbered, hardto-hunt terrain . Hounds, pit bulls, and terriers (and some associated crosses) work well. Here's how it works: after locating the coyotes, the dogs are encouraged to run towards them, to the coyote's territory (their "home turf" - a den site, feeding site, etc.) . An adult pair of coyotes is generally protective, and will chase the dogs, who will then go to where they last saw their master.

When hunting this way, you must be ready as soon as the dogs leave, but stay well hidden in camouflage clothing and ready to shoot. Generally the first indication that the coyotes are after your dogs is barking, so keep your ears working. Many times, the coyotes are so intent on chasing the dogs that they run so close that an accurate shot is difficult. Even if they realize a human is in the area, you may still get a shot. And even after one coyote is shot, another may approach because the dogs are still there. Incidents like this generally occur around a den site from April to July when coyotes are fiercely protective. Various howls and calls can be used in combination with this method.

Or your dog may be tied up 25 to 100 yards away and encouraged to bark, thereby attracting a protective coyote.

At other times, a dog that stays closer is more effective as an attractant. A silent dog that tracks coyotes has an advantage. I set the dog on the tracks of two or more coyotes together, and while they don't always follow him back with the same gusto as they do in summer, they will sometimes follow a dog back.

With the first method the hunter shoots coyotes that his dogs are chasing; with the second, the hunter shoots coyotes chasing the dogs!

NIGHT HUNTING How do you actually hunt for coyotes at night? How can you see or shoot them? How do you get near them?

The basic method is to go into an area at night during the appropriate season dates and hours and attempt to shoot coyotes using hand-held or electronic calls and / or bait to attract them . In the midwest, fox are commonly shot in this way, using a light often mounted right on a scopesighted rifle or a shotgun. Red lenses are available for the light; these reduce the fear or alarm a bright light sometimes causes. The "red beam" still illuminates the eyes of an incoming predator.

Special light-gathering scopes are made by some of the major scope manufacturers and have a battery-operated, illuminated reticle which allows more accurate aiming. On snow, with good starlight or moonlight, these can be used with no artificial illumination. Other than illuminating, the basic methods used at night are the same as those described in the sections on bait hunting and calling.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Maine's 1986 coyote season was January, February, and March ; hunting times were a half hour after sunset to 9:00 p.m., then 4 :00 a .m. to a half-hour before sunrise.

The use of a light and a scope-sighted rifle or a shotgun was legal. The night hunt, several years in its development, has not yet met with much success, but does provide a good hunting opportunity.

In theory, night hunting should be productive because the coyote is generally more at ease at night, being almost "invisible." Much of their hunting, traveling, and howling is conducted during twilight hours.

It is this very ease of movement, the fact that sound travels better after dark, combined with far better scenting conditions, which enables coyotes to be "wised up" by night hunters rather than being shot by them. A coyote can come in undetected and see, hear, or smell a hunter and "put two and two together." A bait situation or the

An equipped predator caller, on stand. Note the warm camouflage clothing, warm boots, electronic tape recorder for calling, the dense foliage behind to break up the silhouette, and good visibility ahead. This hunter is using a 12 gauge shotgun. Photo by the author.

use of a dog to attract and hold their attention may be of help. Again, the approach to the stand must be made very quietly. Your path of approach to the stand, and the stand itself, must be located so that approaching coyotes do not wind or cross any human scent. The masking scents are good as a distraction , but do not eliminate human odor.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Coyotes are generally too cautious to come in directly in large open areas, but a trail or small clearing is good .

Successful night hunting depends even more on knowing your calling area beforehand.

Both calling and baiting may be used at night, alone or in combination. Some hunters have had success stopping coyotes with hounds on bare ground after dark.

Coon hunters have had coyotes come around the treeing and trailing hounds, barking and howling very close to the hunters at night.

If determined hunters are willing to brave nighttime winters in attempting to outsmart a coyote, more knowledge will be accumulated on this challenging new sport.

SUMMARY It is important to remember, with all hunting of coyotes, how finely tuned their senses are. Try to be as scent-free as possible. Hunters frequently use clothing washed with unscented detergent and aired out thoroughly in a pine, spruce, or cedar tree (or stored with green boughs, then aired out) . Coyote hunters should take a tip from the bowhunters, washing with baking soda and unscented soap before leaving home. Your equipment should also be handled so as to be scent free. Cover and masking scents are useful.

Remember to use wind, if any, to your favor. The approach to your stand or blind, as well as the blind itself, should be located so as not to be winded or crossed by an approaching cqyote. You should be very quiet from the time you leave the vehicle to the time you return . Use camouflage clothing and remember to move as little as possible while calling, bait hunting, or night hunting .

Another important factor is to know the country you intend to hunt. Scout it out in advance ; know the lay of the land. It helps if you are familiar with the coyotes' activities in that area . Plan your hunt and your method according to the time of year, existing conditions, and terrain , as well as the coyote individuals in the area you will hunt. In other words, you may hunt differently if you have an old pair feeding on a deer carcass in deep snow as opposed to a family group in the summer or well-furred pups in the fall.

All successful coyote hunters agree that persistence is necessary. One successful hunter estimates that he makes 40 stands calling for every one encounter, and 60 stands for every kill! Credit must be given to the coyote for his keen senses and intelligence; never underestimate him .

To me, the coyote is certainly a supreme challenge in hunting, regardless of the method used. The unique fact that the North American coyote is expanding his range and population despite man's increasing encroachment leads me to believe that Canis latrans is the most adaptable and intelligent wild species on our continent. â&#x20AC;˘

7

The Busiest Year Yet

Recreation Development, 1986 TS BEEN A BANNER YEAR for recreational development on Maine's 450,000-acre Public Reserved Lands System. New access roads, campsites, hiking trails and boat ramps have begun to emerge throughout the statewide system of public forests - and more are on the way.

The public reserved lands are distributed throughout the unorganized territory. Managed by the Bureau of Public Lands, Maine Department of Conservation, they constitute the largest block of public ownership in the state - and the only state lands managed simultaneously for a variety of public and commercial purposes.

The tone for recreation development was set in policies adopted last year by the bureau. According to Director Robert H. Gardiner, these lands reflect the "beauty and vitality of Maine's remote northern forests. Recreational development, while serving a variety of user interests, is designed to stress traditional activities, such as camping, hiking, hunting and fishing - activities which are essentially primitive and dispersed in nature and which rely on the solitude and undisturbed character of the land."

Gardiner acknowledges that there is a lot of work to be done. "The bureau has had a limited recreation program in the past, and most of this landbase is new to us.

But we do have a solid planning and policy base now; and with full-time recreation staff, we are starting to see dramatic progress."

During the past year, according to Gardiner, the bureau invested nearly $120,000 in recreation projects and generated another $40,000 in value, as a result of volunteer and public works efforts. The latter involved projects with the Maine Youth Center, the Maine Conservation Corps, 8

by John W. Forssen the Youth Conservation Corps, the Maine Volunteer Program, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Two units in particular have received major attention during the past year: Deboullie (TlS R9 WELS) in northern Aroostook County; and Duck Lake, extending across three townships in eastern Hancock County. These units were selected partially because of their special needs, and also because they are among the first for which ten-year management plans are being developed.

HE OEBOULLIE UNIT, noted for its remote network of mountains and coldwater ponds, has been a long-time favorite among trout fishermen ; with the onset of public ownership, it has become increasingly popular among campers and hikers, too. This has created a need to upgrade the road into the unit - and also to ensure that increased use does not diminish resource quality, or the quality of the experience people have come to expect there. For these reasons, the bureau has made a strong distinction between areas where vehicular access is perThe author, formerly the chief planner for the Bureau of Public Lands, Department of Conservation, is now self-employed as a communications consultant.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

mitted and other areas which are restricted to foot traffic and water access.

To facilitate vehicle access, a roadway known as the Deboullie Road (which enters the township in the northwest corner and then proceeds south and east to Red River Camps) has been repaired and upgraded for use by passenger vehicles. In addition , new campsites have been developed, and existing campsites rehabilitated, on Togue, Denny, Perch, and Pushineer ponds. The Fire Tower Trail up Deboullie Mountain has been cleared from the east end of Deboullie Pond, and plans have been prepared for a new trail linking the Fire Tower Trail with Denny Pond in the south and the Black ponds to the east. Three more campsites are also planned for the Black and Gardner ponds area.

BY

A new water access campsite on the shore of Sugar Island in Moosehead Lake. This campsite was built by a volunteer.

CONTRAST, the Duck Lake Unit is more easily accessible and offers more variety for water-based recreation on its five lakes: Duck, Gassabias and the three Unknowns. These lakes are accessible by vehicle, and there have been extensive road improvements here, as well.

Duck Lake, in particular, is a well-known coldwater fishery, home to both togue and salmon; it is particularly popular with early spring and late fall fishermen. During the summer months, family use is more common. To better accommodate peak periods of use, the vehicleaccessible campground located in Longfellow Cove at the east end of the lake has been redesigned and expanded to accommodate ten separate campsites, and the boat The new boat launch at Mill Brook on Upper Richardson Lake. <The plane, however, would have to fold its wings to fit on the access road!>

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

9

New signs to guide visitors to different areas in Deboullie.

The Deboullie Road before onset> and after 1986 improvements.

launch area has been expanded to facilitate parking and the movement of trailers.

On neighboring Gassabias Lake, which has not previously had campsites on its shores, the bureau has repaired the access road and installed three vehicleaccessible sites to ease some of the pressure at Duck Lake.

At the Unknowns, where overuse has caused severe soil erosion problems, the existing number of sites has been reduced to five vehicle sites and three walk-in sites in an attempt to improve the quality of the camping experience.

IGHLIGHTS OF RECREATION projects undertaken on other units in the system have included campsite rehabilitation at Gero Island in Chesuncook Lake; installation of three remote campsites on Sugar Island , across from Lily Bay State Park in Moosehead Lake ; construction of a boat launch facility at Mill Brook in Upper Richardson Lake (western Maine) ; construction of three miles of hiking trail in Little Squaw Township; rehabilitation and construction of campsites at Big Squaw and Little Squaw ponds; and installation of three campsites at the Cataracts in the Mahoosuc Unit. While this work was in progress, plans were also developed for the construction of six campsites at Eagle Lake in northern Aroostook County and redesign of a major vehicle-access campground in the Scraggly Lake Unit northeast of Baxer State Park.

One of the most significant moves, however, was the assignment of seasonal crews in the Deboullie and Duck Lake units. "Although the crews were primarily responsible for development activities," Gardiner states, "we found they provided an invaluable service just by their 'presence' in the unit. People seemed to appreciate the availability of staff personnel and the fact that these lands are under real stewardship."

Gardiner noted that this type of contract provides mutual benefits for visitors and the state. "We will be exâ&#x20AC;˘ panding this effort in the years to come," he said.

10

The Unknown Lakes camping area.

Restoration work underway on old campsites at Unknown Lakes.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Duck Hunting From Head To Tail

Part 2: Decorating & Rigging Your Decoys

by Gary Anderson

The only way (unless you're a human printing press> to make each decoy look like all the others is to use patterns.

At the end of Part 1, we were in possession of an eider decoy, primed with white and ready for trim painting.

Take the patterns from the last issue (NOTE: the side panel pattern for the eider, pattern # s, was labelled backwards; front should be rear. SORRY!>, enlarge them to full size, mount them on heavy card stock, and cut them out. Fit them to the decoy and trace carefully around them with a soft lead pencil. The patterns are only used for large areas, as you can see; the smaller areas one must learn to do freehand, like the head of this eider. All paints are flat finish.

The author, the department's safety officer, is also an avid duck hunter. He and his partner, David Sparks, create and sell working decoys.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

11

Rigging decoys properly into a working string is an ongoing learning experience. coastal hunters usually string their "tollers" on trawl lines, using leather loops, affixed to the decoy bottoms with copper or galvanized nails, as toggle points.

Left, detail of the knot connecting the drop line to the string (it's a sheet bend>. Note the heavy split shot to keep your dog from getting snarled as he swims through the string on a retrieve.

Left, a pair of goldeneyes (whistlers>, drake in the foreground. The colors are female whistler brown, female whistler gray, flat white, flat black, cock whistler head green, and a mixture of half yellow and half orange acrylic for the yellow bill bar.

The hen is all freehand; the breast is a blend of white and female whistler gray, the gray applied over the stilltacky white base.

Right, a pair of eiders, drake in the foreground, Whistler head brown was used for the female body color; the barred effect was achieved by striking the decoy with the bristle points of a brush lightly dipped in flat black.

Anchors come in many sizes and weights. we prefer making our own, either a molded lead mass with copper loop attached (left photo, second from bottom, copper loop inserted while lead is still hot> or the shape shown at the bottom of the photo, made in a mold which was hand-cut from hardwood (center photo>. At right are some cast iron muffin tins, items which make excellent lead molds and can often be obtained fairly inexpensively at garage sales or auctions.

12

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

12'

Decent decoys rate decent containers. This box (see plans below> was patterned after the net boxes used by our fishery biologists.

Note the plastic container affixed to one corner; it holds the "last anchor in" when loading the decoys, making it the "first one out:' To load your tellers, place the first anchOr in the bottom of the box, and load the birds in order as the line comes in. work the birds away from the line (which is placed under the decoys>, and you should have a string which will unload easily and with little snarling in the gray dawn of a hunting day.

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Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

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13

Speaking of Food Chains . ..

.,_. . . . ,._. , ;, ,~plankton:

The Critical Link

by David P. Boucher

AT

A Wisconsin style net, one of the most widely used devices for capturing zooplankton from lakes and ponds. This very fine mesh net works by filtering lake water as it is towed vertically through the water column. Photo by Matt Scott, DEP.

14

A CASUAL GLANCE, a sample of water from a typical Maine lake may not appear much different from an ordinary glass of home tapwater.

An inquisitive stare at the same sample of lakewater, however, may reveal the presence of one or more tiny, nearly transparent "bugs" swimming about the jar in seemingly nonsensical fashion. If we were to filter our sample through a very fine mesh net, then take an even closer look at the remaining water under a microscope, we would see an amazing assemblage of bizarre creatures, twitching, jerking, and spinning their way across the microscope slide. These creatures, varied in size and form , are collectively called the zooplankton.

More specifically, zooplankton may be described as passively floating or weakly swimming animals (zoo= animal; plankton= passively floating) of the open water zone of inland waters and the ocean . This definition implies that zooplankton

are capable of only limited locomotion, and, in fact , most species must rely on turbulence and other water movements for dispersal, and to keep them suspended in the water column.

While this adaptation would seem to restrict distribution , these ubiquitous animals may be collected virtually anywhere in the world, and from all types of aquatic habitats, ranging from temporary woodland pools to the open ocean!

Of great ecological and economic importance, zooplankton have engaged biologists in the study of their functional role in aquatic ecosystems for more than a century. Though much has been learned during this period, zooplankton remain the object of intense research due to the great complexity of their interactions with the plants and other animals of fresh and marine waters. The ensuing discussion is devoted to the zooplankton of inland waters, despite the fact that the diversity and abundance of freshwater zooplankton do not begin to rival those of marine populations.

The zooplankton of inland waters are dominated by three major groups: the rotifers, the c/adocerans, and the copepods.

Other minor elements of the zooplankton community include protozoans, ostracod crustaceans, water mites, larval stages of certain molluscs, insects, fish , and others.

Rotifers are usually associated with shoreline (littoral) areas, but about 100 species are completely planktonic; these often form the most significant component of a lake's zooplankton community.

Rotifers are characterized by having a ciliated (haired) corona at the anterior end of the body. The cilia serve not only for spinning food into the mouth , but also provide a means for limited locomotion. The spinning action of this ciliated corona probably accounts for the name given to this diverse group.

Rotifers commonly collected from

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Rotifers commonly collected from Maine lakes include Keratella , Kellicottioa , Polyarthra , and the colonial Conochilus.

Cladocerans (or water fleas , as they are sometimes called) are very common members of the zooplankton community . The typical cladoceran is .06 inches (1.5 millimeters) long , with a distinct head , and a body covered by a bivalved carapace , much like a clam shell. Cladocerans have two light-sensitive structures , a large compound eye and a smaller eyespot , or ocellus. Two sets of antennae are present; the first antennae are small and rudimentary , while the second antennae are large , branched structures used for swimming . Common cladocerans found in Maine lakes include Bosmina , Daphnia, Ceriodaphn ia, and Diaphanosoma .

These are the zooplankton most likely to be visible to the naked eye , and are frequently distinguishable in the stomachs of fish .

Copepods are the third group forming a major component of the zooplankton in lakes . The body consists of an antennior segment, divided into a head region with antennae and mouth parts , the thorax, with six pairs of legs for swimming , and , posterior segment , with abdominal sections modified as genitals and terminal "bristles ."

Copepods may also be observed with the naked eye as they swim about with either short rapid movements or continuous rotary motions. In addition , copepods collected from certain lake types are colored bright red , making them easily visible to the casual observer .

Another zooplankter of particular interest occasionally collected from productive lakes is the larval stage of the phantom midge Chaoborus , a fly closely related to the common mosquito. Phantom The author is an aquatic biologist with the Division of Environmental Evaluation & Lake Studies, Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

midges are transparent , and are further characterized by four conspicuous pigmented air sacs . By expanding these air sacs , the larvae are able to move from the lake sediments, where they remain during the day , to the surface where they actively prey on other zooplankton at night.

Many other zooplankton species also undergo such daily vertical migrations through the water column . As darkness approaches , many species migrate upward from deeper water to surface regions , returning to the deeps at dawn .

These daily migrations are primarily stimulated by changes in light intensity , and probably represent adaptive mechanisms to avoid predation by fish (a visual process requiring light) .

As

THE TITLE of this article implies , zooplankton are an important link in the food chain of lakes . While a few zooplankters are carnivorous in their food habitat, preying on other planktonic animals , the great majority are herbivorous , feeding on the tiny plants suspended in the water column .

These plants , called phytoplankton , or algae , produce their own food through photosynthesis , thereby forming the base of the lake's food chain. Zooplankton , in turn , are important prey for minnows , forage fish such as smelt and alewives , and young gamefish. It becomes apparent, therefore , that by converting the proteins , fats , and carbohydrates (produced by algae) into animal tissue , zooplankton are indeed the critical link supporting Maine's important freshwater fish life.

Zooplankton , as innocuous as they appear at first glance , have the ability to greatly influence the community structure and seasonal succession of algae - in much the same way as deer , moose , and other herbivores alter terrestrial

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

plant communities. Similarly , fish populations have the ability to profoundly alter the composition and size structure of zooplankton communities. Particularly , it is now evident that planktivorous fish (those that subsist primarily on zooplankton) , such as smelts and alewives , can reduce or eliminate the large herbivorous zooplankton species from lakes .

This fact implies that the presence , absence , or relative abundance of certain zooplankton species can tell us much about the status of the important forage fish populations in a lake . This intimate association between large zooplankton and planktivorous fish has stimulated some fishery biologists to study ways of assessing the status of entire fish populations by analyzing the size structure of the lake's zooplankton community . Such an approach may one day offer fishery biologists a simple , economical method of determining the predator/ prey balance in the fish community , thus enabling them to fine -tune management strategies to enhance and maintain sportfish survival and growth.

So closely entwined is the biological community within a lake that some researchers are studying ways to achieve certain lake management goals by manipulating the aquatic life of the lake . One such "biomanipulation" technique currently receiving considerable attention by lake managers involves reducing the abundance of planktivorous fish to allow an increase in the abundance and average size of the zooplankton. The results are an increase in grazing pressure by large herbivorous zooplankton , a decrease in the abundance of nuisance algae , and an increase in water clarity .

This technique may someday serve as an inexpensive alternative to classical engineered solutions to culturally-induced algal blooms.

This procedure is a controversial issue among aquatic workers ,

15

1

however, and much more research is needed before it can be successfully applied to the myriad of lake types and biological communities that characterize aquatic habitats.

As one may suspect, zooplankton populations are very sensitive to chemicals and other pollutants introduced into their environment.

The use of copper sulfate to control nuisance algal blooms is of particular concern to lake managers in Maine. Copper sulfate, in addition to killing algae, is extremely toxic to zooplankton . Repeated use of this chemical could have long-term detrimental effects on the entire food chain, including the important gamefishes.

A single drop of filtered water from Sewall Pond in Arrowsic, viewed at about 1oo times actual size, brings to focus the tremendous diversity of microscopic animals that form a lake's zooplankton community.

2

The rotifer Keratella, shown here at 285X, is one of the smallest zooplankters common · to Maine waters. The genus Keratella is perhaps the most common planktonic rotifer of temperate fresh waters.

3

The cladoceran Bosimina longirostris is one of the more common species of this · zooplankton group. These "little elephants" often dominate the zooplankton community in the the more productive lakes and ponds in Maine and elsewhere.

Shown at 130X.

4

A cladoceran which is common elsewhere, but relatively rare in Maine, is Daphnia pulex. Primarily a pond form, this species is one of the largest Daphnia found in Maine waers, sometimes growing to a gigantic one-tenth of an inch!

Shown at 40X.

5

The adult stage of a cyclopoid copepod collected from Sewall Pond, viewed at 1oox. Cyclopoids are one of two major groups of copepods that are very common in the open water zones of Maine lakes and ponds.

6

The larval stage of the phantom midge Chaoborus, shown here five times their actual size, collected from Cloud Pond, Elliotsville.

Note kidney-shaped air sacs located at each end of the body; by altering the volume of air contained in these sacs, the midge can alter its overall density, and thereby rise or fall in the water column.

0)

30 Cf) C:

..c:

~

£ ~

0

..c:

T HE SENSITMTY OF zooplankton to changes in their environment makes them useful as indicators of stressed ecosystems. For example, appearances or disappearances of certain species are known to signal the onset of cultural eutrophication. Zooplankton , Daph nia in particular, have been used for many years as test animals in determining the toxicity of environmental pollutants. Also, acid rain researchers have recently noted that acidified lakes have markedly altered zooplankton communities when compared to similar unacidified lakes. While there is some uncertainty as to whether these changes are brought about directly by the toxic effects of acid rain, or indirectly by changes seen in the fish populations of acidified lakes, the implications are significant and far-reaching.

The information presented here is by no means a complete account of the structure and function of zooplankton in lake ecosystems.

Nonetheless, it should now be apparent to the inquisitive reader that such tiny, inconspicuous creatures do in fact play a big role in the life cla~~-

•

0..

16

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Red fox. Photo by Bill cross

â&#x20AC;˘ "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

IN

THE SHORT, bleak days of January and February, Shelley's words would surely seem to be those of an optimist. All the same, there are signs of lengthening and warming days out in the woods and fields . A selection of these signs is offered to warm the spirits: Pussy willows are perhaps the best-known signs of spring. These willow shrubs grow in wet areas, frequently along roadside ditches; they are quite accessible and easily found. The gray, furry "pussies" are the willow's expanding flower buds that sometimes burst out from the bud sheath during a warm spell in

the middle of winter. Later in the spring, the catkins will expand further, and the tiny flowers will be among the first sources of nectar available to bees when they become active.

Springtails are another sign of lengthening, warmer days.

Enormous numbers of these tiny insects, also called snow fleas , live all year in the leaf litter of wooded areas. On warm days, snow fleas work their way up through snowbanks. They can then be found by looking carefully on the sunny snowbank surface at wood's edge.

They look like black specks on the snow's surface; a magnifying glass will reveal their basic insect structure and also the two appendages folded under the end

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Shelley

of the abdomen . These two appendages give them their popular name - the "spring" on the tail is the device with which they hop around on the snow like fleas (although they are unrelated).

Snow fleas and pussy willows are not, strictly speaking, limited to spring appearances, but will appear during warm spells any time all winter. Still, as the days lengthen and warm days occur more frequently, they appear more surely and more often , and within the optimistic human mind are therefore associated with spring.

The author is a naturalist and a doctoral student in environmental education at the University of Maine at Orono.

17

Lengthening days of late January and February also stimulate courtship behavior in some wintering animal species. Chickadees sing their sweet, descending "fee-bee" courtship song. (Their

Top photo, wood ducks, and above, pussy willow buds.

Photos by Bill cross. Right, skunk cabbage, and below, a hazel bloom. Photos by the author.

18

familiar "chick-a-dee-dee-dee," an alarm note, can be heard in all seasons, and therefore cannot be considered a sign of spring.) Male and female ravens tumble in the air in courtship flight ; male ravens chase each other in reawakening territorial rivalries. Female pigeons frequently seem indifferent to the courtship displays of males, who puff out irridescent neck feathers and pace back and forth in front of possible mates.

Male and female foxes , solitary in other seasons, travel together at night during their late winter courtship season ; by day, look for two parallel sets of tracks instead of the usual singular set.

Raccoons and skunks, suburban raiders of bird feeders and garbage cans, are inactive during the most severe winter weather. Hence, the reappearance of small handlike tracks (raccoon) or smaller, longclawed tracks (skunk) , annoyances around the bird feeder or compost heap much of the year, can be creatively interpreted as signs of approaching spring during February, when we need these signs.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

abundant amphibians up out of the cold mud. Wood frogs and spring peepers are the first frogs to emerge, and the easiest way to detect their emergence is to listen for their songs. At first, the evening listener can hear one or two voices, the high ascending "dreet" of the spring peeper and the short "queck" of the wood frog in small pools near the woods. A week afterwards, the spring peepers will be in full clamor and the sound of wood frogs will resemble that of a flock of small ducks.

The first butterfly seen in the spring is usually the mourning cloak, because it has overwintered as an adult butterfly, not as an egg (as in most butterfly species) . Dark brown with yellow wing margins, it can be seen on warm April days in deciduous woods.

May these early signs of spring bring joy to your mud season!

an early storm can often subsist on rethawed wild fruit that did not get eaten over the winter.

Ducks, restlessly scouting from overhead, know the day ice-out occurs, appearing on lakes and ponds immediately thereafter.

A spring happening in wet areas is the emergence of skunk cabbage, whose pointed purple head can literally melt its way through early spring snow and ice with its own metabolic heat.

Well before the larger, showier flowers open , trees and shrubs bloom; beautiful, tiny red blossoms can be found on hazel, alder, and maple trees in the early spring.

These flowers are small enough that they can be easily overlooked unless one is actively searching for them, an activity well worth doing to brighten up Maine's "mud season."

Warm rains in late March or early April will bring Maine's

Similarly, the first large flock of grackles and blackbirds, anathema to the gardener or bird feeder at other seasons, becomes cause for rejoicing in late winter. These are often the first spring migrants, prematurely ushering in the season with raucous, grating notes which are music to the ears of birders awaiting the spring migration.

Other prominent early migrants to be sought in early March are killdeer, hardy plovers which

Killdeer. Photo by Bill cross sometimes arrive early enough to find fields covered with snow and ponds rimmed with ice. Kestrels and meadowlarks also migrate early; these migrants are usually hardy birds that wintered in midAtlantic states rather than the tropics. Robins that are caught in

KEEP TRACK OF "FIRST SIGNS"

Sign

87

88

Year

89

90

Where Seen

Pussy Willow Springtail Blackbird Killdeer Kestrel Robin Migrant ducks Bird courtship Mammal courtship Hazel bloom Alder bloom Maple bloom Skunk cabbage Spring peeper Wood frog Mourning cloak Fox Grackle Other Other Other Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

19

WORD SEARCH

Winter Outdoor Recreation

H s H 0 V E L s N 0 :w A V E y s 0 u s R s N N E L F A ME R R y L I T N T L N E C 0 H 0 R I s C 0 L D T M A s 0 M A 0 K WORD LIST w w E T IW H E y u L E T I 0 D w E G w E SLEDDING SNOWSHOEING I F G L 0 s F R 0 M N C 0 u w M 0 N B T SNOWMOBILING N 0 N 0 u R H T R 0 u A B T L A E I A C SKI T R s w I L L 0 B E M M I D L N K L L H SKATE CAMPING p D 0 R s E I L R ICE CLIMBING E T E s A wA V E I M OUTDOORS R A M I N G 0 F A I w I H 0 y I T B F I WINTER E C H R I s A T M A N N s R J u s 0 I s ICE FISHING CROSS COUNTRY SKI T L I K E T H N E 0 N G T s E s I M G E SNOWMAN I C E C L I M B I N G N u s E D T w H T SHOVEL SNOW 0 N w H R T E R E M u 0 s L I s T 0 T A SNOWBALL FIGHT ANIMAL TRACKS K 0 w E E H T E T 0 A p G s K I E N N K SNOW FORT s L E D D I N G C A N L D C H I L s D s COLD R E N L I s T s E N T 0 T HA Rs I GH L uT E N 0 s N V u DV 8 R E L E B E L I N H z w0 B V 0 R I T V H A F R R V A T uD B R I G H T H u p 0 J C C u R a E KID-BITS answers H I T C M A s z E X N u y L y E KT I L on page 32 Ru I C E F I sH I NG BVH I E s0 V

20

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

MAINE TRACKER Tracking or identifying an animal from signs in the wild sometimes involves observing things other than its foot prints. For example , signs of its eating habits can be used to identify an animal. The animal in this Maine Tracker has left this spruce branch with some of the needles partially eaten. See if you can identify the animal from the clues below .

This animal: eats needles and buds of evergreens and also insects when young. is a member of the bird family. is quite tame and sometimes can be approached by people . "drums" by fluttering and whirring its wings from a log or in the air. takes its common name from is preferred food source , the spruce tree .

ICE FISHING All of the flags popped up on these ice-fishing lines because they got tangled. One of them caught a fish . Help the fisherman figure out which line caught the fish by tracing the lines down to the end.

Letters should be sent to: Liz Chipman, KID-BITS Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine 284 State Street, Sta. #4 l Augusta, ME 04333

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

21

by Barry N. Burgason

M

AINE'S GEOGRAPHIC

location gives us a number of unique animals not found further

22

south . Maine , the southern limit of the boreal forest , has many species of animals in common with Canada . The most common aniaml in this category is the moose , but others include the boreal chicken , the gray jay (see

MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE, Spring 1984, page 2) - and the spruce grouse , the subject of this article.

The spruce grouse is a creature of the boreal forest , which occurs in a broad band from Maine , New

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

mainly of dense stands of these same species ; in fact , they are rarely found very far from these areas .

Photo by the author

use

Brunswick, and Nova Scotia west to Alaska and British Columbia.

The boreal forest is characterized by a variety of conifer species, including balsam fir , spruces, cedar , and tamarack. The preferred habitat for spruce grouse consists

Typically, the ground is covered with a thick carpet of sphagnum moss. Openings contain a variety of low woody shrubs common to bogs , including sheep laurel, wild raisin, and mountain holly . For this reason , spruce grouse are much more common in the far northern part of Maine , but they do occur in some suitable habitats as far south as Old Town , and in Washington and Hancock counties .

Spruce grouse are best distinguished from ruffed grouse by the red-brown tips on the tail feathers, and by the lack of a broad black band on the tail. Male spruce grouse are slate gray and black above, with an unfeathered patch of red skin above the eye. Females are gray and brown above and brown and white below .

Throughout much of the year , the needles of fir and tamarack compose the major portion of the bird's diet. During the summer and fall months , however, spruce grouse will vary their diet to include insects , especially grasshoppers; berries, including raspberries, blueberries, wild raisins and cranberries; and the green leaves of blueberry and other low shrubs.

Young birds especially eat plenty of insects since they require high levels of protein during this period of rapid growth.

Besides food , dark conifer stands offer the birds cover from the wind and snow - and predators. Spruce grouse flushed from the ground generally fly only a short distance before landing in the lower branches of a tree. This simple maneuver puts them out of reach of all of their natural predators such as fox, bobcat, coyote , or fisher. Hawks and owls rarely frequent these areas - but even they would have a difficult time flying through the dense tree canopy.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Unfortunately, the spruce grouse's defense does not work well against man. Apparently, they do not recognize man as a threat ; most spruce grouse can be easily approached to within 20 feet. Even if a bird does fly up into a tree, it is often still within reach of a man with a stick, or within rock throwing distance . This tame behavior has earned the spruce grouse the name of "fool hen ."

Ruffed grouse generally spend winter nights burrowed into the snow. A blanket of light fluffy snow provides excellent insulation to keep the bird warmer than if he roosted above the snow. Temperatures above the snow can be 20° colder than in a grouse's snow burrow. In contrast, spruce grouse in Maine are not known to use snow burrows, preferring instead to pass the night in the lower limbs of conifer trees.

Presently there is no open hunting season on spruce grouse.

The bird's tame behavior does not make them very sporting targets, and could make them susceptible to overhunting. Undoubtedly, some are accidentally shot by ruffed grouse hunters in northern Maine but most hunters do not frequent spruce grouse habitat, so this is probably not a serious threat.

The spruce grouse is a unique and interesting bird which can be closely studied and enjoyed. They are seldom observed by people, however, since they live in the wilder sections of Maine and in low boggy forests that are none too inviting to most of us. If you are really interested in seeing a "fool hen," the best time is during the winter when the wet areas are frozen , the bugs are gone, and you can locate the birds by looking for tracks. in the snow. So grab a pair of snowshoes and head for some likely-looking patch of northern â&#x20AC;˘ Maine boreal forest.

The author is regional wildlife biologist at the department's Enfield office.

23

The overexploitation of our natural resources and the rapid growth of civilization during the 19th century dealt a severe blow to black bear numbers.

Once abundant throughout most all of the United States, black bears had been reduced to scattered and remnant populations by the early 1900s.

Fortunately, our stock of black bears has been climbing ever since . One big reason is the PITTMAN -ROBERTSON ACT which since 1937 has provided some $1.5 billion for wildlife restoration through taxes paid exclusively by American sportsmen.

Today, through land acquisition and biological research made possible by these funds, black bears exist in healthy numbers in 30 states. And, in some areas, their range is actually expanding.

For wildlife, and for all of us who rnjoy America's natural and unspoiled beauty, the PITTMAN -ROBERTSON ACT has truly paid big dividends .

Nation a l S h oo tin g Sp orts Fo unda ti on P.O. Box 1075, Ri verside, CT 06878

A Bull Market for Bears

~

the Fly Tying Bench

0

BLACK BEAR (GREEN BUTT)

by John McLeod

ABOUT THE FLY The original Black Bear pattern , tied by Harry Smith of Cherryfield, Maine in the 1920s, went something like this: for the tail, two thin sections of a black-dyed swan or goose feather; for the body, black wool; for the wing, black bear hair extending to the end of the tail; for the throat, a small bunch of black bear hair (again), extending to the bend. Obviously, it was your basic all-black fly!

By the addition of a flash of silver tinsel, and a bit of fluorescent green, orange, red, or yellow wool, this fly has evolved into the Black Bear Butt series, now considered necessities in many Atlantic salmon anglers' fly boxes.

1

3

ATLANTIC SALMON FLY #4

Start just behind the hOok eye <leave room for the wing and head> and wind your thread to the rear of the hook. Then tie in the flat silver tinsel for the tag; apply a drop of head cement, wind the tinsel three or four turns to the rear, then back to the tie-in point. Tie off and trim excess. <Note: the tag should be located directly over the barb of the hOok.>

Tie the fluorescent wool on the bottom of the hOok in front of the tail, then wind it forward three or four turns to form the butt. Tie off and trim excess.

THE PATTERN HOOK: Mustad 36890 or Partridge salmon hooks, sizes 4 to 10 THREAD: Black TAG: Flat silver tinsel TAIL: Black hackle barbules BUTT: Green fluorescent wool BO DY: Black floss RIBBING : Oval silver tinsel WING: Black bear hair or Fitch tail HACKLE: Black

2

Strip off a small bunch of webby material from the base of a black saddle hackle. For the tail, tie In these hackle fibers by holding them on top of the hook just in front of the tag; bind on with several turns, then trim.

4

For the ribbing, tie in a four-inch length of medium oval silver tinsel underneath the hook shank just behind the eve, then wind it all the way back so that it is tight against the butt. DO NOT TRIM EXCESS! (Note: oval tinsel comes in three widths: fine, medium, and wide. As a general rule, use fine for hook sizes 6 through 12, medium for hook sizes 4 and 6, and wide for hook sizes 1/0 and larger.>

0 Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

25

5

Tie in the black floss for the body just behind the hook eve. Before winding, be sure it isn't twisted; it will wind unevenly if it is. Wind the floss to the rear until it is against the butt, then forward again to the tie-in point. Tie off and trim excess.

Bring the ribbing forward over the body in five evenly spaced turns. Tie off and trim excess.

6

.,.......,, I

7

Select a bunch of wing material* and hold in correct position <tips reaching to the bend of the hook from tying position just in front of the body). Take one loose turn of thread around Just the wing, then another turn or two around both the wing and the hook shank. Still holding the wing in place with your fingers, tighten up on these wraps, making sure the wing is on top of the hook and straight. Take a few more tight turns, then trim the butt ends off and apply a drop of head cement. Generally, a ¡ salmon should be tied sparsely, with the wing r iding low over the shank.

Select a soft webby black feather with fibers about one and one-half times the distance between the hook point and the shank. cut off the tip and trim back the fibers on each side of the stem a short distance, leaving the trimmed fibers to prevent the feather from slipping when its wound on. Before winding, moisten your fingers and stroke the fibers backwards to open them up.

With shiny side up, tie in with three or four turns of thread, then wind the hackle three or four turns, holding the fibers back at the start of each turn.

Tie off with several tight turns, trim.

9

S

Hold the hackle fibers back out of the way while winding on a nice tapered head. Whip finish, apply a few coats of head cement, and your fly is finished!

* use either black bear hair or Fitch tail. Fitch tail is much finer in texture, but is not long enough to use on larger size flies. cut a small bunch from the skin or tail, remove the underfur, and even up the tips before proceeding with Step 7.

26

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Pulpwood logs in Wyman Lake, 1968. Photograph by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife .

â&#x20AC;˘

in

the

Kennebec RiverbyJohnR. HEN BENEDICT ARNOLD loaded his troops into 200 bateaux in 1775 and made his way northward to Quebec, the Kennebec River was free -flowing and clean , full of whitewater , as wild as the country itself. By the mid-1830s, however, Mainers were using the river as a highway for transporting logs .

At first , the logs were tree length . But after 1900, most were pulpwood spruce and fir logs about

four feet long. Until log drives were stopped in 197 6 , they were as much a part of the Maine culture as lobsters and black flies.

During the decades of pulpwood log drives , an estimated one to three million cords of logs sank in the Kennebec , primarily at three log

The author is assistant leader of the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Unit cooperators are the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Maine, and the Wildlife Management Institute.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Moring, Ph.D.

holding areas : Indian Pond , upper Wyman Lake , and Solon . Even with dams now on the river , if these early estimates are correct, the ecology of the river (particularly in Wyman Lake and Indian Pond) has been dramatically changed since the time of the Arnold Expedition .

This infusion of submerged logs can be both beneficial and detrimental to aquatic life . On the one hand , they provide cover which is very important to fishes , and also provide attachment areas for aquatic invertebrates. Artificial reefs , in fresh or salt water , are designed

27

to attract fishes and food organisms. On the other hand , however, newly submerged green wood is sometimes dangerous to aquatic animals, because toxic leachates are released into the water . Some species of spruce are especially deadly. The potential impacts of submerged pulpwood logs are thus mixed.

How important are these logs to fishes in Wyman Lake and Indian Pond? What happens to water quality , fishes , and invertebrates when these logs are salvaged in large numbers , as they have been in recent years in Maine , New York , and Quebec? These questions were addressed by the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in a study from 1979 to 1985, and are just now being reported in scientific journals.

28

setting a vertical net <right> to sample fishes in Wyman Lake.

Photograph by Marv Negus. Below, a diver prepares to collect submerged pulpwood logs in Wyman Lake. Photograph

by John Moring.

A boat hauls a small raft with three cords of pulpwood logs salvaged from the bottom of Wyman Lake.

Photograph John Moring.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

No one studied the Kennebec before the beginning of the log drives , or even before the construction of the dams , so it is not known how the water quality might have changed . More than likely , there has been little long-term change , because the flushing rate of the river and its major reservoirs is rapid . Studies by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection , for instance , indicate that the water in Wyman Lake is exchanged every 22 days! Measurements of a variety of water characteristics show no difference between sites with or without submerged pulpwood logs . Only turbidity levels increase , during actual salvaging, and these levels return to normal within a day or two.

Fishes were sampled with unusual vertical nets by Molly Negus , a graduate student at the unit , so that depth distribution could be determined for time of day , season , and species. The yellow perch , the most common species in

A floating log salvaging crane operates on Indian Pond .

Photograph by Paul Eller. Inset, a log salvage grab beside a pile of recovered pulpwood logs along Wyman Lake. Photograph by K. Elizabeth Gibbs.

Wyman Lake , was found in highest numbers in areas without submerged logs , whereas white suckers , longnose suckers , and golden shiners seemed to be attracted to areas with submerged logs. In the spring , particularly , benthic invertebrates - those animals found on and around logs - were important in the diets of fishes .

Most of the submerged pulpwood logs lost their bark , either from being bumped and jostled during the trip downstream or as they sank to the bottom . A study by Paul Eiler and Cassie Gibbs of the University of Maine's entomology department showed that invertebrates quickly colonized new pulpwood logs placed in Indian Pond.

The two entomologists anchored new sections of logs and then removed several logs at monthly intervals . Even in salvaged areas , the ability of invertebrates to recolonize new logs was unimpaired .

Salvaging of pulpwood logs did result in some ecological changes.

The density of animals on logs in unsalvaged locations was twice that on logs remaining in salvaged areas.

.11,:f"ORETHANTWENTY companies were salvaging floating pulpwood from the Kennebec soon

after log driving was stopped , but only one company , using a floating crane , went after the submerged logs. Salvaging left obvious craters in the bottom where the large metal grab grasped logs lying on the bottom. Significant portions of sediment were removed from the bottom , and large amounts of bark were deposited as the logs were removed. Some of the pulpwood logs , from their markings , were found to be over 50 years old .

Although there are piles of pulpwood logs at many locations in Wyman Lake and Indian Pond , most are lying flat on the bottom.

Over time , they are being slowly covered by sediment; they will eventually disappear. In some quiet areas of Wyman Lake , you can push your hand into the bottom sediment and feel logs everywhere .

Paul Eiler , who conducted studies over several years , estimated that , in former log holding areas , it may take as little as seven years to completely cover a log.

So even though submerged pulpwood logs are artificial intruders to the aquatic environment of the Kennebec , they are components of the habitat for invertebrates and for some species of fish. Are there one to three million cords still in the river? Probably not, but tremendous numbers still remain on the bottom.

What is probably most interesting about the sunken logs of the Kennebec is not that there are tens of thousands scattered along the bottom , but that their importance to invertebrates and fishes is continually changing. Logs are being buried , thus removing them as important habitat. And , other logs are sliding down the steep banks of Wyman Lake to deeper water , where they become less important to fishes near the shoreline .

Although it is clear that these submerged logs have value of a commercial nature , their value as a wildlife and fish habitat is less clearly defined . They are , however , part of the ever-changing underwater enâ&#x20AC;˘ vironment.

FISH AND WILDLIFE BRIEFS ACTING COMMISSIONER NAMED As this issue was being prepared for press, Governor John R. McKernan, Jr., who was inaugurated in January as Maine's 70th governor, named Norman E. Trask as acting commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Deputy commissioner since 1983, Trask began his career with the department in 1966 as a game warden in Washington County.

Former commissioner Glenn H. Manuel retired on January 8.

NEW FISHING LICENSE Visitors to Maine and residents of the state will have a new license available to them , beginning in 1987 , which should encourage some to go fishing instead of finding something else to do.

A free license? Not quite , but it's only $5 for a full day of recreating in the Maine outdoors - a bargain when you think about it!

The one-day fishiQg license costs $5 for all fishermen , residents and nonresidents alike .

Residents , normally required to buy their licenses in their home towns , can buy the new license anywhere in the state - handy for the angler away from home who has a chance to fish but hasn't yet bought a season license . Once back home , he or she can then enchange the one-day license for the season license just by paying the difference in fees .

For the nonresident , the one-day license represents a chance to try Maine fishing for less cash outlay than their previous lowest-cost option , a $17 threeday license .

HABITAT BOND ISSUE APPROVED In the November election , Maine voters gave their approval to a $5 million bond issue for wildlife habitat acquisition .

Detailed in the fall issue of MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE , the bond issue will enable the Fish and Wildlife Depart-

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ment to continue to preserve and protect prime tracts of habitat, as well as assure public recreational access in the future .

Preceded by a similar measure for $4 million in 1974, the new bond issue received more votes than any other bond issue or individual on the November ballot!

Backed by the department , the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine and other organizations, the bond issue had been sponsored in the legislature by Senators G . William Diamond and Thomas Perkins , House Speaker John Martin , and Representative Patrick McGowan.

Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Glenn Manuel thanked the bond issue's supporters, and said that "it proves once again how well Maine people recognize the importance of wildlife to the state and to themselves, and how strongly they want to maintain those values for future generations ."

DEER SEASON REPORT "The first step has now been taken toward attaining optimum deer numbers throughout the state of Maine ."

That's how Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Glenn Manuel assessed the preliminary count of deer registered by hunters during the November open season, which showed an 8 percent decline from last year's total - 19,567 compared with 21,213 in 1985.

"The big differences between the two years were in the number of adult does killed, and a sharp drop in the total deer kill during the final week of the season this year ," said Manuel. He attributed both to the change from last year's limited "either-sex" hunting to this year's permit system for taking anterless deer.

With the new "any-deer permit" system controlling how many, and where, does could be killed, Manuel said there was a 41 percent reduction in the number of adult does registered.

Wildlife Biologist Gerald Lavigne, the department's deer study leader, added that the 2,520 adult doe kills occurred "where they should have for the betterment of the deer herd, not in an

uncontrolled distribution as in the past. " He said hunters killed 4,245 adult does in 1985, when anyone could shoot a doe during the last week of the season in south-central and northern Maine.

Lavigne added that the average kill of adult does was over 11,000 during the last five years of statewide either-sex deer hunting, 1978-1982.

Up until the last week of the season, the deer kill had been running well ahead of last year's pace, but the final week's kill was only half of last year's. Commissioner Manuel said the changed pattern of weekly deer kills was a result of the anydeer permit system, which spread out the hunting pressure and the deer kill more evenly through the season. "From the standpoint of landowner relations, safety and quality hunting, this is another plus for the permit system ."

The commissioner said that after talking with wildlife biologists, game wardens and many hunters, "my conclusion is that the 1986 deer season was a great success. Hunters saw a lot of deer, and the deer they killed were in great shape. Hunting conditions were generally good, except for a big snowstorm which stranded some parties up north and limited travel there during the last week.

"We also got the any-deer permit system off to a good start, and that's important, too ," Manuel added.

He acknowledged that some of the state's hunters are upset with the new rule that only permit holders can shoot doe deer. "It's a big change, and hunting is a very traditional sport in which big changes aren't taken lightly ." He predicted that "if it's given a few years to prove itself, and for hunters to understand it better and see the positive results, most of them will change their positions and support the new deer management program ."

FISHING LAW BOOKLETS STILL GOOD Maine fishermen who did what they should have can save further searching for a current ice fishing or open water law

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

booklet by first poking through their tackle boxes and vests.

There they should find a copy of last year's law booklet, which will be good for use in 1987.

Just in case not everyone saved their booklets, extra copies will be available at the traditional places.

Fishing laws are now published every other year, which should be good for fishermen (less frequent rule changes) and for the Fish and Wildlife Department (savings in printing costs - providing fishermen cooperate) .

New fishing law booklets will be next printed in 1988.

RECORD FISH LIST GROWS 1986 was a big year for big fish in Maine, with four changes being made the department's list of official record freshwater fish .

During the year the department added three fish species - northern pike, black crappie and fallfish - to its record list, and it also recognized a cusk caught last winter by a Fort Kent woman as a new record for that species.

Two of the new state record fish were caught by the same fisherman, on the same body of water, on the same day and on the same lure.

On September 12, Wayne S. Morey, Sr., of Benton, caught a 3 lb. 4 oz. black crappie and a 3 lb. 12 oz. fallfish at Sibley Pond in Canaan, using a Mepps Mino. Both fish were large enough to encourage the department to recognize as the first of their species on the state record list.

Also appearing on the state record fish list for the first time is an entry for northern pike. A 19 lb. 12 oz. representative of that species, caught last January by Christopher Rancourt of Waterville, is the first to gain official record recognition. Rancourt's ice fishing catch was made on North Pond in Smithfield.

Another fish taken last winter topped an existing state record by a full pound. An 18 lb. 8 oz. cusk, caught by Mrs. Annette Dumond of Fort Kent on the last day of the ice fishing season, broke a record held since 1979 by a cusk taken from Moosehead Lake.

REGISTRATION CHANGES 1987 LICENSE FEES RESIDENT Hunting (16 and older) $ 15.00 Fishing (16 and older) 15.00 Combination Hunting and Fishing (16 and older) 28.00 Supersport 38.00 Junior Hunting (10 to 15 years inclusive) 3.00 Combination Fishing and Archery Hunting (16 and older) 28.00 Serviceman (resident) Combination Hunting and Fishing 15.00 Archery Hunting (16 and older) 15.00 Muzzle-loading (16 and older) 7.00 Trapping (16 and older) 29.00 Guide (18 and older) 40.00 NONRESIDENT CITIZEN Big Game Hunting (10 and older) 77.00 Season Fishing (16 and older) 42.00 Junior Season Fishing (12 to 15 incl.) 5.00 15-day Fishing 30.00 7-day Fishing 26.00 3-day Fishing 17 .00 1-day Fishing 5.00 Combination Hunting and Fishing (16 and older) 107.00 Small Game Hunting (16 and older) 47.00 Junior Small Game Hunting (10 to 15 years inclusive) 23.00 Archery Hunting (16 and older) 47.00 Muzzle-loading (16 and older) 25.00 Guide (18 and older) 142.00 Trapping (any age) 304.00 NONRESIDENT ALIEN Big Game Hunting (10 and older) SeasonFishing Combination Hunting and Fishing (10 and older) Small Game Hunting (16 and older) Archery Hunting (16 and older) Muzzle-loading (16 and older) Guide (18 and older)

117.00 62.00 160.00 62.00 62.00 50.00 167.00

Boat owners in many towns across the state may now register their craft in their home towns. And come July 1, owners of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles will have a similar convenience.

The change from a registration system centralized in Augusta was made possible by a law passed last year authorizing the appointment of local registration agents. Participation in the program is at the option of local officials.

Boat, snowmobile and ATV owners will still have the option of registering by mail or in person in the Fish and Wildlife Department's Augusta office.

Also of interest to boat owners is a change to a system of annual registration with staggered expiration dates, similar to the present motor vehicle registration system.

The new registration fee will be $4.00 annually, and local agents may charge an additional dollar to process registrations.

Agents in cities and towns participating in the local registration program have already been sent preprinted renewal forms for their residents, and for nonresidents who last paid their boat excise tax there.

Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Boat owners should contact the tax collector in their city or town and pay the annual excise tax, a requirement before the craft can be registered.

Exemptions to the excise tax and registration requirements include boats or canoes 20 feet or less in length on which no motor is used.

Maine registered boats will no longer be required to display an excise tax decal, as the registration sticker will serve as proof that the tax has been paid or the craft is exempt from taxation .

MOOSE HUNT REPORT Hunters killed 856 moose during Maine's 1986 limited open season.

The legal area for moose hunting was enlarged in 1986, but the number of hunters with permits remained one thousand, resulting in the spreading out of the same approximate moose harvest over a much larger area.

Overall hunter success has been between 75 and 88 percent every year since moose hunting was resumed on an annual basis in 1982, but in one of the six hunting zones it reached 100 percent for the first time in 1986. All permit holders in the Southcentral Zone were successful in taking a moose.

Success rates in the other zones were: Northwestern, 65 percent; Northeastern, 85 percent; Central, 90 percent; Southeastern, 72 percent; and Southwestern, 92 percent.

The largest bull taken in the 1986 moose hunt was shot by David Stewart of Prospect, Connecticut, near Lambert Lake in Washington County. It field dressed at 1,020 pounds, without heart and liver.

The department is now accepting applications for the 1987 moose hunt.

The total number of permits and the area open to hunting will remain the same as 1986.

Anyone who held a moose hunting permit in 1986 will be ineligible to receive another one until the 1989 season. The new two-year waiting period does not affect subpermittees.

Further information and application blanks for the 1987 moose permit drawing may be obtained by sending a self-addressed envelope to: Moose Application, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Station 41, Augusta, ME 04333.

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NEW ADVISORY COUNCILWR The Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Council gained its first woman member recently with Governor Joseph Brennan's appointment of Sally C. Rooney, Houlton, to represent Wildlife Management Unit 1.

An active sportswoman, Mrs. Rooney holds degrees in wildlife management and zoology from the University of Maine and has extensive college and high school teaching experience, as well as temporary work experience with the Maine Fish and Wildlife Department, the U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Critical Areas Program, Maine Bureau of Public Lands and the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

She replaces Francis D. Dunn, Patten , on the Advisory Council. Dunn had served on the department's board of citizen advisors six years and was ineligible for reappointment.

SAFETY COORDINA10R NAMED Charles "Chuck" Duggins of Sheepscot was hired recently to fill the newlycreated position of recreational safety coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Department. He will be responsible for administering the new all-terrain vehicle safety program, which becomes effective July 1, 1987.

Duggins previously worked part-

time for the department as a regional safety coordinator. He holds several safety instructor ratings, and is a former

chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy, with duty at the Navy SERE (survival) school at Redington , Maine.

FIELD NOTES A check of Coffeelos Pond, where fishing is restricted to artificial lures only, revealed two women at a campsite a short walk from the water. After talking with them briefly, I ran as fast as possible toward the pond. Sure enough, their truck horn sounded before I got there. With my spotting scope I could see three men fishing from a boat, two of whom were frantically pulling in lines and throwing worms overboard. One then took his fly rod in hand, shouted an obscene reference to Warden Aluin Therault, and commenced fly fishing. Hauing all the evidence I needed, I stood up and advised them that I wasn't Aluin, and that they had taken their worms off to late and should come ashore to be summonsed. The gentleman who had made the remark about Aluin was a little awkward while I was writing the summonses.

T.6, R.11 WELS -

- Game Warden Brian Cain, Round Pond, T.6, R. 11 WELS T.3, R.10 WELS - during a November snowstorm, a 19-year-old deer hunter wearing jeans and a down uest got lost at Williams Pond in T.4, R.11 . He had left wood pants and a jacket in his vehicle. Late in the afternoon he came out into the Nesowadnehunk Field campground in Baxter

State Park. Realizing he was lost, he followed Nesowadnehunk Stream downstream for several miles, crossing it several times before finally coming out on the park road. He then followed the road all the way to the Abo/ campground, where he was able to build a fire. His tracks in the snow revealed he had lain on the ground three times trying to sleep, and failed once in attempting to build a fire . He had shown no interest in any of the buildings he passed on the way. After hauing hunted all day, he had traveled an additional 11 miles after realizing he was lost. Not your average lost hunter. Subject found at 10 p.m ., same night.

- Game Warden Alvin Theriault, Ripogenus Dam ATTEAN TOWNSHIP - The common mergansers arrived at Attean Lake by the thousands on November 8 , accompanied by a couple dozen sea gulls that seemed to haue a knack of knowing which duck to diue at when it came up for air while feeding. The spoils then became that of the gulls. Also watching the performance was a mature bald eagle, which found that the mergansers were not only plentiful but good to eat!

- Game Warden Glen Feeney, Jackman

---------KID-BITS ANSWERS---------MAINE TRACKER The animal is the spruce grouse. (Canachites canadensis).

See page 22 for more information.

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Maine Fish and Wildlife - Winter 1986-87

Photo by Tom Carbone

First catch of Spring

:Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

284 State St.

Sta. #41

Augusta , Maine 04333