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ermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine has been a great source of promotion for our business. Our first month of advertising yielded a wonderful response and really increased our business presence in regions of Vermont that had been largely untapped until that point. The price is unbelievable for the volume of readership. Darren has taken great care of us and has helped promote our product, website and Facebook page. We would highly recommend Darren Marcy and Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine for your advertising needs! We are so pleased with the results, that we have just committed for the next six months! Victoria & Glenn Co-Founders At Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine, we want to be part of the solution for you business. Our goal is to help you be successful. Our rates are affordable and will deliver your message to more than 3,000 outdoor enthusiasts every month (average).
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Page 3 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine www.VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com December 2013 • Volume 1 • Number 12
Features 16 Youth
© Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine 2012-2013 Published by Coyote Communications LLC
Hunting
The snow is falling as lifts spin to life for another year on the slopes.
Publisher & Editor Darren Marcy News/Marketing Assistants Maya Marcy & Camilla Marcy
36 Waterfowling When the Vermont trout season closes many Vermont anglers hit the highways.
42 Warden
Contributors Jeremy Baker, Bradley Carleton, Evan Chismark, Allison Gergely, Wayne Laroche, and Dian Parker. Article & Photo Submissions editor@VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com
Time
A Vermont woman’s lifelong dream comes true and her dad is by her side for it all.
Press Releases, Letters news@VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com Advertising ads@VtGreatOutdoorsMag.com
46 Snowy
Owls
It’s not about what you have, but how much you enjoy what you have that matters.
More Inside 5. Editor’s Note 6. Photo of the Month 7. Wool E’ Bugger 8. Outdoor News 16. Youth Hunting Photos 24. Youth Memories 25. Recipes
26. Adult Hunting Photos 34. Fishing 36. Sacred Hunter 46. Birds of Vermont 48. The Great Artdoors 50. The Outside Story 52. LCI
Phone (802) 331-0130
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Follow us on Twitter @VGOMag Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine is published monthly as a free digital publication by Coyote Communications LLC. This publication is protected by copyright and each individual story and photo is protected by copyright owned by the respective contributors. All opinions belong to the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect that of Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine.
Page 4 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Editor’s Note:
Youth Hunters What a year to be a deer hunter in Vermont. While not everybody will agree, most folks are saying things like, “It’s almost like the good-old days.” Or, “This is what Vermont’s deer seasons should be like.” Or, “Who says you can’t kill nice deer in Vermont.” By all counts, it’s been a great deer season. Vermont hunters celebrated a year most people didn’t think they’d ever see again. It’s still too early to tell and the numbers aren’t all in, but by simply looking at the photos on Facebook and hanging around a check station for a little while you’ll see it. Bigger deer with bigger antlers. The naysayers will find a reason to deny it, but seeing is believing. There are still folks saying they hunted hard and never saw anything but spikes. Others are saying they saw plenty of does, but no bucks. But most people are simply looking at the deer hanging around the state with their eyes big and their mouths open in disbelief. And the discussion – and disagreement – has already begun. Was it the spikehorn ban? Was it the milder winters? Could it be better if we clamped down even harder? Should we start killing spikes again to remove inferior genes from the pool? Why do we kill so many does? Why don’t we restrict the number of bucks to one a year? After a good year some people will say leave good enough alone. But others are going to say, let’s stomp on the accelerator and turn Vermont into a trophy buck state like those in midwest that regularly produce trophy class animals. That’s not a realistic scenario, but there’s nothing wrong with dreaming a little. After all, after years of seeing a dozen or so nice bucks to suddenly seeing hundreds of quality antlered and big-bodied bucks, it’s fun to think this is the way it should always be. At any rate, congratulations. You put some great deer on the pole this year.
On the Cover
Vt. Deer Hunters This month’s cover was shot by the Vermont deer hunter. They were shot by you, your friends, your coworker, grandma and that guy nobody knows exactly how he’s related to you but you all call him uncle Wilber. The deer on this month’s cover were obviously some of the better deer killed this year, but by no means were they the only ones. As far as we know, every deer in this publication was killed this year in Vermont. Have a great photo you want to share? Whether it’s a fish, a summit, a sunset or a little family time. Please send it in. You might find it on the cover of the next Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine.
Page 5 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Photo of the Month:
Jeremy Baker shot this bear in Rutland.
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Wool E’ Bugger:
Page 7 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Outdoor News:
Hunters Spend $292 Million in Vermont The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reports that hunters contribute significantly to the state’s economy and spend more than $292 million in Vermont annually, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Census Bureau. “More than $39 million is spent on travel, such as dining, lodging, transportation, and similar expenses,” says Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry. “Another $190 million is spent on equipment, and more than $62 million is spent on other items.” “Hunting is economically important not just because of its total economic impact,” Berry said. “But also because so much of it occurs after foliage season and
before skiing, and the spending takes place throughout the state, including in our most rural areas.” In 2012, more than 74,000 people purchased Vermont hunting licenses, including 64,589 residents and 9,428 nonresidents. Deer are the most important species sought by hunters in Vermont, with close to 90 percent of license buyers planning to pursue deer according to the Fish & Wildlife Department. The federal survey also shows that Vermont ranks first among the lower 48 states in participation of its residents in wildlife-related recreation, including hunting, fishing and wildlife watching, with 62 percent of our residents enjoying these resources. Residents and nonresidents spend $744 million annually in Vermont in pursuit of these activities.
Want to reach us? Email: news@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com Phone: (802) 331-0130
Page 8 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Outdoor News: “Vermont isn’t Vermont without wildlife and fish. These resources are important to all of us recreationally, socially and economically,” Berry said. “They also contribute greatly to our quality of life. As hunters continue to enjoy excellent opportunities here in the state, it’s good to know that local communities benefit as well.”
Vermont Moose hunters had a successful season Vermont moose hunters had a successful hunting season according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. An archery moose hunt was held Oct. 1-7, and the regular moose hunting season was Oct. 19-24. “A preliminary count shows that by November 6, the
department had received official reports of 23 moose being taken by 50 hunters in the archery season, and 197 moose taken by 362 hunters in the regular season,” said Cedric Alexander, Vermont’s moose project leader. A few additional reports may still be sent in from other reporting agents. “Vermont’s moose population is being managed scientifically, according to a plan developed on sound wildlife biology and input from the public,” Alexander said. “The overall hunter success rate was up slightly from last year, due, in part, to colder weather stimulating moose activity near the end of the season.” “The number of ticks found on moose brought in to the Island Pond check station was higher than at any other check station. The tick data will be analyzed further and compared to results from New Hampshire
Check out our website at: www.vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com
Page 9 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Outdoor News: and Maine.” This was Vermont’s 21st moose hunting season in modern times, the first occurring in 1993 when 30 permits were issued and 25 moose were taken by hunters. A final report on Vermont’s moose hunting season will be available in January when all of the 2013 data have been received and reviewed.
GMCC has been operating for 48 years and runs from mid-June to mid-August. It is a week-long residential camp for youth ages 12-16 years old that focuses on environmental education and outdoor recreation skills. Campers are immersed in hands-on natural resources activities taught by trained natural resource instructors as well as agency biologists, foresters, and wardens. Campers get the opportunity to hike, canoe, go fishing, receive hunter education certification, Campers have a blast at Green orienteer, and learn about wildlife and their habitat Mountain Conservation Camps requirements. It was another great year for the Vermont Fish & “Camper feedback was incredibly positive again this Wildlife Department’s Green Mountain Conservation year,” said Fish & Wildlife’s Education Coordinator Camps, Buck Lake in Woodbury and Edward F. Kehoe Alison Thomas. “When asked to evaluate their camp in Castleton. experience, campers repeatedly included participating
Want to reach us? Email: news@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com Phone: (802) 331-0130
Page 10 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Outdoor News: in outdoor activities, learning about natural resources, and meeting new friends as their favorite part of camp. Comments like these make me confident that the program is providing fun and interesting environmental education and outdoor recreation activities for the campers.” By the third week at GMCC, the majority of days at both Buck Lake and Kehoe were rainy and stormy. It was a damp camp start-up, but by the end of the season both camps were battling the heat with temperatures consistently reaching 90 degrees. Despite the very wet and stormy beginning and hot and humid ending, GMCC staff continued to provide a wonderful experience for the campers.
Constant revisions to the schedule of activities due to weather didn’t cause the GMCC staff to lose sight of GMCC’s goal, to teach kids about Vermont’s natural resources.
2013 GMCC Totals ● Basic Campers = 566 ● Advanced Campers = 235 ● Hunter Education Certificates = 516 ● Trapper & Waterfowl Education Certificates = 129 Registration for the 2014 GMCC program opens in mid-January. For more information about GMCC, contact fwgmcc@state.vt.us or 802-828-1460.
Like the stories you read on the pages of Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine? the of these articles. Send a little praise their way through the Letters to the Editor column.
Page 11 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Page 12 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
The Case for Hunter Access Well into autumn, a season that is synonymous with hunting for countless Vermonters, it is important to reflect on the value of hunting for both cultural and ecological reasons – and how we can keep this tradition strong. Hunting is a quintessential part of Vermont’s heritage. Vermont boasts the highest participation rate in the lower 48 states for hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife watching. Hunting is not only one of the most socially, ethically and environmentally responsible way to put meat on the dinner table, it also provides an important opportunity to bring families together and get kids outdoors to learn an appreciation for nature. Ecologically, hunters help wildlife biologists manage game populations in balance with available habitat. Without hunters, locally overabundant deer and moose can excessively browse available food resources, leading to both poor forest health and poor animal health. While some aging hunters forgo the sport because they believe they have grown too old for the chase, the second leading cause for the decline in hunting is the ever-increasing loss of access to places where we enjoy our pursuits. This growing problem extends well beyond hunter participation and ecological health: Hunters have provided the vast majority of funding for all wildlife conservation for more than 75 years through license sales and purchases of hunting related items. Without their financial support, we
simply cannot fulfill our mission. Although the Vermont Constitution states that all public and private land is open to hunting unless otherwise posted, many newcomers to the state – and even long-time residents – are surprised that our constitution protects this activity. Those who post their property often don’t realize the vital connection they are sundering in an effort to simply control access to their property. So what can be done to increase access and preserve hunting? First, we need to recognize as a state one of the key components to maintaining our hunting traditions and protecting forest resources is to stem the rising tide of posted and inaccessible land. Second, we need to put words into action. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is taking the lead by launching a Hunter Opportunity and Open Lands Campaign. This campaign is designed to improve the relationship between hunters and landowners, to educate Vermonters on the value of keeping land accessible, and to encourage hunters to demonstrate appropriate respect for private landowners. Here are a few components of the campaign: The Department successfully supported policy changes this past legislative session that gives private landowners more flexibility to legally control access to their property by posting “by permission” signs. Previously, landowners would have to post their property against trespass to
everyone to control access. We are sending information to town clerks and asking them to help inform landowners of hunting’s strong safety record and its importance in conservation, as a food resource, and in our culture. The department has created modern mapping tools for Wildlife Management Areas and other lands conserved by the department on our website, and have included links to all other publicly accessible land across Vermont. Don’t know where to go hunting? You will now: www.tinyurl.com/VermontPublicLa nds. In an effort to curtail frustration that many landowners have expressed about the prevalence of road hunting, the distance people can legally shoot from the road has been increased from 10 to 25 feet. The department provides resources on our website to help hunters build stronger relationships with landowners. More resources for landowners and hunters will become available in the coming months. As the fall hunting seasons continue, we ask hunters to show their gratitude towards landowners by being respectful of private property, and we ask landowners to consider the important benefit of keeping land accessible for our hunting community. By strengthening the historic relationship between landowners and hunters, we can help uphold property rights, improve open access to land, and ensure the survival of this important Vermont tradition.
Page 14 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Wool E’ Bugger:
Kathy “Wool E' Bugger” Ehlers is a native Vermonter from Ludlow. A nickname that stuck from earlier years teaching fly casting and fly tying at the Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort. She was a cartoonist for an outdoor magazine for three years that featured her “Wool E’ Bugger” cartoon block. Her sense of humor and passion for hunting and fishing have combined with her artistic side to create smiles. She says her job will not be done until everyone is smiling. :)
Check out our website at: www.vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com Like the stories you read on the pages of Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine? the of these articles. Send a little praise their way through the Letters to the Editor column.
Page 15 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Youth Hun
Shane Healey-Fletcher, 13, shot this beauty Nov. 10 in Putney while hunting with his father Gordon Fletcher. Healey-Fletcher dropped the big buck with one shot from his Savage .308. His father then said "Good job little man that's one big deer!" The buck was a 170-pound, nine point.
Page 16 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
nting 2013
Bryce Fontaine, 9, shot this 195-pound, 8-pointer in Huntington during the youth deer weekend for the first deer of his life. Bryce was hunting with his father, Tom Fontaine and family friend Jeff Groleau. Bryce waited for the deer to present a clear shot and then made a one-shot kill.
Page 17 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Tommy Baker poses with his first buck, and second deer, during this year’s youth hunt. He hunted with his father, Jeremy Baker.
Jacob Whitcomb, 12, tagged his first deer at 7:45 a.m. the second day of youth deer season this year in Milton. The buck was a 143-pound 2½ year old. The buck came to a can bleat call and was taken with a 30-yard shot to the heart. The deer ran less than 100 yards. Father Robert Whitcomb, said he is “very proud of my young hunter.”
Page 18 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Jonnathon Morgan, 9, of Danville shot this 6-point 187-pound buck on the last day of youth season.
Bradley Gleason, 13, of Rutland poses with the 6-pointer he took that weighed 118 pounds.
Page 19 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Hannah Griswold had an eventful 24 hours. First, she shot this black bear after walking up on it while moose hunting with her father. Hannah was the tag holder and her dad was second shooter for the moose, but the bear was Hannah’s.
Almost exactly 24 hours after tagging the bear, Griswold found what she was looking for and shot this cow moose putting meat in the freezer.
Page 20 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Adam Stewart and his father poses with Adam’s first buck, a 137-pound 4-pointer. “Thanks to my dad my youth weekend was a success.”
Derek Holbrook, 14, of Waterford shot this 6-point buck late in the day the first day of this year’s youth season in Barnet. The buck, Derek’s first, weighed 126 pounds.
Page 21 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Bill Superneau guided his daughters to their first bucks this year during youth weekend. Paige's first buck.
Cassidy's first buck.
Page 22 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Page 23 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Youth Hunting Memories Contest announced The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is seeking submissions for the seventh annual Youth Hunting Memories Contest. This year’s contest has been updated to include a variety of entry types including a drawing, painting, photograph or video. Submissions should demonstrate why hunting is important to the young hunter and should demonstrate one of their most memorable hunting experiences. Entries will be judged based on creativity as well as a strong display of hunter ethics, good landowner relations, an appreciation for wildlife, a respect for hunting heritage, a strong hunting skill set, and a connection to family. “This year we decided to move beyond a simple essay contest to include visual and multimedia submissions,” said Chris Saunders, hunter education coordinator for Fish & Wildlife. “We’re asking young hunters to creatively commemorate their time in the field on a hunt. Bagging game is not a requirement, as the most unforgettable hunts are the often ones where no game is harvested.” Hunters 9 years old and younger are asked to submit a drawing or painting. Hunters 10 to 12 years old should submit a photograph, while hunters 13 to 16 should submit a YouTube video 3 minutes or less in length. Entrants may choose to include a short narrative essay along with their art submission. One winner from each age group will be announced at the Yankee Classic Sportsman Show in Essex Junction in January and will receive a prize from the Fish & Wildlife Department. Submissions should be sent via email to Nicole Corrao at nicole.corrao@state.vt.us or via mail to 2013 Youth Hunting Memories Contest, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 1 National Life Drive, Davis 2, Montpelier, VT 05620. For more information, go to our website at: tinyurl.com/YouthMemories2013. This contest is open to all Vermont hunters 16 and younger.
Chase Joyal proudly displays his first deer with his father and brother during the 2012 youth deer weekend.
Submissions must be received before Jan. 1. Contest Rules: Videos must be uploaded to YouTube.com and sent to Nicole Corrao as a link. Please disable comments on all YouTube videos. All video entries must be 3 minutes or less. Drawings or paintings must be the original work of the youth hunter alone. Photo entries may be of the youth hunter or by the youth hunter. Limit one entry per person. All entries are considered property of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and will not be returned.
Page 24 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Cooking with Game Meat Hunting season is a time-honored tradition for Vermont families and part of the cultural heritage of the state. A love of hunting is often passed down from generation to generation, and with it comes an appreciation
and respect for nature. Eating together is another way that the tradition gets passed on through families and friends. Aside from being delicious, sharing game meals and recipes is a vital part of the hunting experience, providing an important source of
protein and a way to honor the life of the animal. There are many tasty ways to prepare meat. We have collected a couple of recipes using venison and duck for you to try out this season. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato & Venison Soup
Devine Invention
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 lb. venison top round, cut into ½’’ cubes 6 cups stock 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. thyme 1 bay leaf ½ tsp. marjoram ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 2 cups peeled sweet potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed veggies ½ cup frozen corn 1 ∕3 cup all-purpose flour mixed with ½ cup water
Ingredients: Your favorite duck (puddle ducks are great, but divers are good too) 1 cup red wine 1 cup Italian dressing Bacon Water chestnut slices Cut the breast meat with all fat trimmed off into slices ½” thick. Marinate duck for many hours or overnight in red wine and Italian dressing mixture. Wrap each slice of duck breast and a slice of water chestnut in a strip of bacon (½ strip can be used) and secure with a toothpick. Grill or broil pieces, turning often. Do not overcook or the duck will be tough.
Thanks to Rebecca and Paul at the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation In a 6-quart stock pot, heat oil over med/high heat. Add venison and cook for 4-6 minutes. for sharing their recipes. Wishing you a happy Drain. Add stock, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and fruitful hunting season. thyme, bay leaf, marjoram, and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cover. Reduce heat to med/low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in sweet potato, frozen veggies, and corn. Bring to a boil over med/high heat. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Reduce heat to med/low, cover, and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. Page 25 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Deer Season 2013
Dave Hutchinson poses with his son Garrison, 4, and daughter Meliah, 8, after he shot this great buck in Williamstown. The 9-point buck weighed 160 pounds. It came into a bleat can grunting the whole way but only got within 80 yards and gave Hutchinson one shot opportunity and he dropped the buck in its tracks. It was his best buck to date and a great 2013 season in which he killed three bucks – two in Vermont and one in Ohio. He also got a bull moose during archery season. Hutchinson said it was a great family memory.
Page 26 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Brian Bartos poses with the 180-pound buck he shot in Unit G on opening morning. The 8-pointer had an 18¾-inch inside spread. “Thankful to have venison – the rack is a bonus!”
Michael Sands poses with a great buck he killed in Hartland. The buck was a 192-pound 10-pointer.
Page 27 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Donny Young shot this great buck in Stockbridge. A deer with a split G3 was captured on a game cam 10 years earlier in the same area.
Pat Rayta killed this buck in his bed Nov. 24. The 8-point, 120-pounder had two does with him when Rayta snuck within 40 yards.
Page 28 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
VGOM:
Robert Whitcomb, of Canaan, shows off his 148-pound 7-point buck.
Jon Potter, 20, shot this buck in Ludlow on opening day. He had been out since 5 a.m. but after seeing does all day long, this buck walked to within 50 feet of his stand just before dark.
Page 29 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Contact us? Email: editor@vtgreatoutdoorsmag.com Phone: (802) 331-0130
Fishing:
New fishing opportunities in 2014 The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says anglers will have several new fishing opportunities in Vermont beginning in January when a recently enacted regulation goes into effect. Eleven new river sections will have catch-and-release trout fishing with artificial flies or lures outside of the normal trout fishing season, opening over 70 miles of river to year-round trout fishing. A section of the Walloomsac River in Bennington is added to the trophy trout streams stocked with 2-year old brown or rainbow trout with a daily limit of two trout per day. Bass catch-and-release open water angling with artificial flies and lures (not ice fishing) outside the normal bass season will include all lakes, ponds and reservoirs not listed as “seasonally closed waters.” The list of seasonally closed waters is posted on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Under Fishing, click on “Law Digest and Guide.” “The department has made it a priority to increase opportunities for fish and wildlife-based recreation in which there will not be a biological impact,” said Vermont Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry. “This new fishing regulation will greatly expand angling opportunities and help promote open-water fishing during more of the year.” The sections of streams listed
below are open to trout fishing year round according to the following rules: • Only artificial flies or lures may be used, except during the open season for trout. • Catch and release only (trout must be immediately released where caught), except during the open season for trout. • During open season for trout, follow normal size restrictions, daily limits and possession limits.
Winter Trout Fishing Black River: From the Connecticut River boundary upstream to the Howard Hill Road Bridge in Cavendish. Deerfield River: From the Woods Road (Medburyville) bridge in Wilmington upstream approximately 2 miles to the VT Route 9W bridge in Searsburg. East Creek (Rutland City): From the confluence with Otter Creek upstream (approximately 2.7 miles) to the top of the Patch Dam in Rutland City. Hoosic River: From the Vermont/New York border upstream to the Vermont/ Massachusetts border. Lamoille River: From the Lake Champlain boundary (top of Peterson Dam in Milton) upstream to the top of the Cady’s Falls Dam in Morristown. Lewis Creek: From the Lake Champlain boundary upstream to the State Prison Hollow Road (TH 3) bridge in Starksboro. Missisquoi River: From the top of
the Swanton Dam in Swanton to the top of the Enosburg Falls Dam in Enosburg Falls. Moose River: From the confluence with Passumpsic River upstream to the downstream edge of the Concord Avenue bridge in St. Johnsbury. Ompompanoosuc River: From the Connecticut River boundary upstream to the Union Village Dam in Thetford. Otter Creek: From the Lake Champlain boundary upstream to the Danby-Mt. Tabor Forest Road bridge (Forest Road 10) in Mt. Tabor. Passumpsic River: From the Connecticut River boundary upstream to the top of Arnolds Falls Dam in St. Johnsbury. Waits River: From the Connecticut River boundary upstream to the top of the Central Vermont Power Dam in Bradford. Walloomsac River: From the Vermont/New York border in Bennington upstream to the top of the former Vermont Tissue Plant Dam (downstream of Murphy Road) in Bennington. West River: From the Connecticut River boundary upstream to the Townshend Dam in Townshend. White River: From the Connecticut River boundary upstream to the bridge on Route 107 in Bethel. Williams River: From the Connecticut River boundary upstream to the top of the dam at Brockway Mills Falls in Rockingham. Winooski River: From the Lake Champlain boundary upstream to the VT Route 2/100 in Duxbury and Waterbury.
Page 34 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Sacred Hunter:
Stages of the Have you ever stopped dreaming of waterfowl hunting long enough to ask yourself “what provides me with the greatest satisfaction from this sport?” This season was my 34th year of waterfowl hunting. If someone were to ask me that same question, I would have to condense my long-winded pedantic answer to several “stages” of my career. I stumbled upon my passion relatively late, at the age of 22. I had no one to lead me, mentor me, or guide me in the dark mornings of my post-adolescence. I was exploring who I was when I found an image of a duck hunter on a flooded tidewater, wandering the phragmites in his traditional duckboat with his loyal Chessie. It was a painting by Chet Reneson titled “Northern Birds.” I think it may have been in a Ducks Unlimited magazine that I picked up in a dentist’s office. I was captivated by the solitude of the sport. The romantic notion of a man who knew how to work with nature to take what he needed to survive and to revel in the true meaning of life supporting life. Something about that image grabbed my soul at its depths and pulled out of my core, the roots of a duck hunter. For the first year, I wandered the swamps around coastal Connecticut and upland New York in search of something that quacked. I had no idea what I was doing. This was the discovery phase of my addiction. I was satisfied with even seeing or hearing a duck. I just wanted to know that I was in the right place. I had no waders, no boats, no decoys, not even a dog that knew
what we were looking for. I reveled in the mastery of jumping form one clump of cattails to the next without going in over my rubber boots. I hunted places that no duck hunter in his right mind would venture. Ditches. Streams that flowed past community ballfields. Even small drainage ponds behind manufacturing plants. I’d lay in cornfields so small you could throw a rock across them. I would cover myself up in burlap bags and use lawn ornaments for decoys. All for the hope that some silly goose flying overhead might break all migratory tradition and pick that field to land in. I watched sunrises over developments and restaurant roofs, longing to experience “real” wild places, where vast expanses of water defined thousands of acres of wetlands. Nonetheless, satisfaction came at the end of the day, exhausted and soaking wet, lying in front of the fireplace and smelling my wet springer spaniel sleeping beside me. The following year, my boarding school drop-out buddy and I purchased a homemade 12-foot flat bottom boat, a used trailer, a Sears Gamefisher motor and a dozen L.L. Bean cork decoys. This was the beginning of the next stage; the Equipment Accumulation Stage (EAS). By the way, this stage becomes its own addiction and is a continuous aggregation of gadgets that eventually consume entire rooms of the house and
Page 36 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Sacred Hunter:
e Waterfowler garage. When it comes time to move or change households, the first requirement becomes storage space. Vehicles have no place in a garage. Lawns are arranged in a manner as to accommodate several boats, canoes, kayaks and various floating conveyances. The equipment stage actually brings to bear its own sense of satisfaction with the arrival of the UPS truck on a regular basis. Every year brings mountains of new tools. Back then it was Flambeau decoys, then G&H swivel-heads, then jerk cords, quiver magnets, flags, and then the predecessor to Mojos called “Miracle Decoys” with belt-driven spinning wings. Then come the calls. Calls of various tones, colors and shapes, (some purchased for the sheer attraction to marketing verbiage like “bourbon and water colored acrylic”) flutes, short reeds and finally, custom ground calls by Alec Sparks of Dead Creek Calls. After the EAS, and running concurrent to its rabid development, comes the “I Shot A Duck! stage (ISAD). This acronym, if you are a decent person, is appropriately named because the first time you actually
kill one of these beautiful creatures you will likely feel some remorse along with the elation that you were finally successful. This first duck does not have to be a full plumage rare Eurasian Wigeon. It could be just a common hen merganser. It is seen as a trophy and is hoisted high above the proud hunters’ head and he/she is now a card-carrying member of the fraternity. This is generally celebrated with a war whoop and a dance of questionable origins. The elated hunter brings home the trophy with the M.O. of “you eat what you kill.” This leads to the next stage; the belief that we are now providing
sustenance for our families, and thus they are now subject to this new tradition of honoring the animal that sacrificed its life for our nurturance. This stage is known as the Sustenance Hunter Introduces the Tradition (SHIT) of serving wild game to his family, the first meal being roast merganser in a crock pot. To a 23-year-old, the meal is pure epicurean delight. It must be because it is served on newly acquired Abercrombie & Fitch placemats with flying duck scenes and water glasses with engraved scenes of the hunt. The meal is paired with a fine wine chosen by the fledgling sommelier, a bottle of Beaujolais,
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Sacred Hunter:
because if it’s French it must be haute cuisine, right? This stage rarely advances beyond its baseline of SHIT. Occasionally, if the hunter can render his ego to those who truly know how to cook, he can learn to produce remarkable dishes like char-broiled breast of duck with cherry ginger compote in a merlot reduction and presented with a slice of genuine foie gras with Belgian truffles on semolina toast points. But that’s much later. For the next 20 years his family will grudgingly eat the SHIT he puts on the table with such pride. The next stage is the one where too many hunters get stuck. It is measuring the satisfaction of the hunt by how many birds one kills. It’s unfortunate, but almost everyone hits this stage. This phase is known as the If It Flies It Dies (IIFID).
During this phase a good day is defined by limits all around, hens are shot indiscriminately and after a full bag of mixed mallards, the obligatory black and a woodie or pintail, this hunter will shoot a few “extra mergansers” if the state does not count them as a part of the daily limit. This is the stage where game wardens, who in the past have been respected authorities, suddenly become the adversaries. Their interpretations of the law are suspect and the hunter begins to “push the limits,” “legal” out of season baiting, leaving blinds up beyond their regulated dates, and crossing state or international boundaries to shoot another limit in another area. When you meet one of these folks, it’s best to walk away or hunt with someone else who isn’t in this stage. I’m not saying it’s wrong to shoot a limit, but I have to ask
myself what will satisfy their idea of the hunt. After graduating from the IIFID stage we seek to humiliate ourselves in other ways; like learning to shoot expertly. We become obsessed with fancy guns and high scores on sporting clays or skeet courses. Some people actually lose their desire to hunt at this point and subjugate their bloodlust for the fragrance of gunpowder and the recognition of going 100 straight. During this stage you may encounter peers who will shoot a pair of $15,000 custom engraved over and unders at a rate of 300 rounds a day, 4 days a week. They will travel 4 hours to attend a shoot where they receive a small red and blue patch that they can then sew on their leather vest with padded shoulders that reads “100 straight.” When one of these fellows steps up beside you on the sporting clay stand, prepare to be humbled. Don’t fret my friend. Know that many of these shooters don’t hunt. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this phase … except that it detracts from the actual purpose of hunting. That and I can’t afford the guns. Someday, when I sell my first book, I will buy a Parker side by side. Another sometimes common affliction of a maturing waterfowler is the dog training tangent. This stage is commonly known as Canine Obedience Mean Everything or “COME!” This acronym is frequently employed at trials after a retriever has taken a line to the concession
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Sacred Hunter: stand rather than the distant mark of a downed avian-fragrance enhanced bumper. What dog in his right mind would turn down the smell of fresh grilled frankfurters? But seriously, these folks spend an inordinate amount of time mastering the intricacies of commands that can spin a dog around to the left or to the right at 400 yards away and “cast” him in the opposing direction by a variance of 2 degrees South/South West to catch a cross current of scent that is rising off of water that is calculated to be cooler than the air surrounding it, such that it will travel between the shoreline and a distant twig bent at a 45 degree angle. And that’s where the bird lies. These people amaze me! I have trained with a few of them and am so awed by their talents that I can only console myself by making sure that no one hears me scream “You Moron!” at the top of my lungs when my boy heads for the nearest blind that is cooking bacon on a propane stove. I have even had the privilege of taking one of their dogs hunting and watching them identify ducks that we want to shoot and looking disdainfully at us when we raise our guns on a less desired species. At any rate, the dog training crowd are a force to be reckoned with… and admired. The next stage is the DIY stage or Do It Yourself. This stage begins the maturing of the waterfowler. He now seeks to add meaning to the hunt by loading
his own shells, building his own boat, carving his own decoys and training his own dog. At this point everything takes on greater meaning. Until you have shot a reward banded greenhead over your own cork and pine decoys, out of your own Barnegat sneakboat with a reloaded shell and had it retrieved by your own wellheeled lab that delivers it to hand, I submit that you have not known true magic outdoors. The DIYer is easily recognized by their quiet demeanor in the blind. They are busy trying to calculate how to engineer a decoy with mechanized tongs to retrieve the bird you just shot. They will look at your custom built boat and take it one step further by adding a “left handed donut shelf” that will not interfere with the camouflaged side rails of the gunwhales. I hunt with one of these guys and let me tell you, there is no one more entertaining than a DIYer.
He’s made dog blinds out of thrown away suitcases and boat trailer guides out of PVC pipe with complete with reflective tape. He is the McGyver of the wetlands. The problem with this stage, if there is one, is that the DIYer cannot be satisfied. The need for constant improvement will not allow for this. Occasionally, the DIYers extravagant inventions allow him to recognize that, at the base of all that is waterfowl, we are all DIYers. The next stage of the aging waterfowler is the Meteorologist & Weather Prognosticator, alias the Logistical and Intuitive Atmospheric Researcher (LIAR). At some point in every waterfowlers career he becomes obsessed with gaining the upper hand on what the next low pressure system is going to bring, which direction it is coming from and what barometric pressure changes may do to the hormonal balances of the migrating flocks in his region.
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Sacred Hunter:
He will sit for hours reviewing every possible chart of the jet stream and the recent history of weather patterns (as if they really had any pattern to them.) They will stare for hours at satellite pictures in Doppler, Mosaic loops, wind conversion charts and infrared satellite diagrams of pressure fronts as they work their way toward the watched area. A true waterfowler will get on the phone with the local meteorologist and debate him/her after they deliver their evening forecast on the
local news channel. The hardcore waterfowler knows what acronyms like GOES, NOAA, NWS and CONUS actually mean. The problem with this group of LIARS (see above) is that they actually sound like they understand more than those around them and convince them that the pothole on the windward side of the river will prove to be the hot spot when that Southwest winds shifts to Northeast at about 8:47 a.m. according to the sunrise tables that he has discovered are directly linked to the tidal
currents based on solar spot activity following the tail of the last comet to pass through that longitude. It’s scary, because when they are right, we turn our backs on all common sense and from that point on willingly hoist the sails for the long run downwind to “the spot,” bucking 4-foot rollers as the sun rises and the ducks head inland for calmer ponds. When the waterfowler has finally reached the stage of mastery, he is well into his mid-life crisis and is now driven by the desire to re-
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Sacred Hunter:
kindle the spectacle and wonderment he experienced as a neophyte. There is only one stage left that can possibly bring any sense of blind enthusiasm like he felt as a beginner. The final stage of a welldeveloped hunter is PIO, or Pass It On. If you have a child, or like me, have to “borrow” someone else’s, and mentor the little bugger, you will see how these stages come full circle.
When you see your young protééslog through knee-deep mud with a grin on his/her face, and that banded drake woodie in their hand, you re-discover the meaning of the hunt. It’s not about how much equipment you accumulate, it’s not about how many birds you kill or running your dog like a robot to his mark. It’s all about being there. The smell of the swamp, the bouquet of gunpowder and wet dog, the crafted lines of the hand-made
boat, the perfection of a solidly built blind, the calls and bands jingling around your neck, and the eternal beauty of the sunrise over the swamp. This, my friends, is the definition of satisfaction. Bradley Carleton is Executive Director of Sacred Hunter.org, a non-profit organization that is being formed to educate the public on the spiritual connection of man to nature and raises funds for Traditions Outdoor Mentoring.org, which mentors at-risk young men in outdoor pursuits.
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Hunting:
Making Time
Deer season is a tough time of year for game wardens. Long hours both day and night can put a lot of strain on personal and family time. However, we all do it because we love to do it. It is ironic that many of us got into this job because we grew up hunting fishing and loved
the idea of what being a Game Warden was all about. Yet now we get very little time to do those activities. It is the nature of the job. The only way to have time to get out and hunt, fish or trap is to make time. That is just what I did in order to participate in the opening day of
deer rifle season in Vermont this year. After working a double night shift I met with some hunting buddies and headed out to a spot we hunt almost every year in southern Vermont. It was a perfect frigid morning as we all went to are respective spots. I could hear turkeys in the trees at first light and soon there after they
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Hunting:
were on the ground scratching about. The noise was a distraction since I could not tell if a deer was walking in the leaves or just the turkeys. It was not to long before I saw my first deer. It was way off down the bottom of the steep hill I was atop. It looked to be a doe. Then I saw other movement. It was a buck on her tail. I could tell it was small with legal antlers. It was a very long shot and I wanted something older. I radioed my hunting buddy and told him a deer was headed his way. A short time later he radioed back and said it had been a small 6-point, which he also let walk. I had another doe come in toward me at my level and hope she had a buck with her but she got spooked by another hunter and trotted off. It was not long after the doe had left that I again caught movement down the ridge below me. I had just enough time to see that it was a nice buck moving through the trees. I decided this was a shooter and shouldered my rifle. I placed the scope in the one decent shooting lane I had and waited for him to walk through. When he came into view I could see a nice set of antlers.
This is going to be a hard shot I told myself. It was about 150 yards through a single shooting lane through some trees. To complicate the shot it was a 30-degree to 40-degree downhill angle. I do not take chance shots as I do not want to injure an animal and not recover it. However, I shoot a lot not only due to the job but I also like to shoot long distance. All of that practice payed off for me this time. As the cross hairs went from the antlers down the neck I aimed high on the buck's shoulder and squeezed. The shot rang out in the cold morning air. I saw the buck buckle and start a full on run down the hill. Keep in mind all of this thought process took seconds prior to the shot but seems like an eternity when happening. After the shot, I was thinking to myself "I missed!" as I watch this beauty run off. He took about eight bounds. Then as if someone switch off a light I see him plow hard into the ground and lay motionless. OMG I got him! I could not believe I actually made that shot I told myself. No matter how much confidence you have in a shot
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Hunting: you do not know until it is over. I texted my hunting buddy and told him I just shot a nice buck. As I waited for him to arrive at my location I gazed intently where the buck lay hoping he would not get back up. He was now at least 200 yards down this hill and well out of range with the trees and all. We headed down to recover the deer. As we got close my buddy says, "That looks like a hell of a nice Vermont deer." All I kept yapping about was the shot. I could see the big body and nice antlers as we got closer. What a beautiful Vermont buck he was. A mature 8-point buck. He had been fighting and broke off one of his G3 points about 3/4 of the way down. He had hit the ground so hard when he collapsed that he had broken almost all of his bottom front teeth off.
To me he was perfect and my biggest Vermont deer yet. To top it off this was my second 8-point of the year. I was lucky enough to have harvested another beauty during archery season. I have never harvested two deer never mind two bucks in my life. I examined the deer and saw a perfect low behind the shoulder shot. Upon dressing out the deer I found I had made a perfect heart shot. I was very lucky this day! By the time the hunt was over, the deer had been reported and I had completed more shift hours that day, I had been up for 38 hours. It was all worth every minute! "Work hard. Hunt hard!" This year I have seen more hunters take more large quality deer than all the 12 years I have been on combined. What a season.
Page 44 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Birds of Vermont:
Snowy Owl
During the winter 2011-2012 Vermont experienced an irruption migration (a sudden upsurge in a specific population) of Snowy Owls (Nyctea scandiaca), which heightened interest in these hardy raptors from both casual and dedicated birders, and it looks like it is happening again. New data fill the Snowy Owl eBird page with details of recent sightings around Burlington, Addison, and towns to the west. Pictures and stories are being shared on bird listserves, Facebook postings, and over coffee with a friend. Historically, Snowy Owls are known migrants to the southern
portions of the Canadian Territories and northern half of the United States in winter. Summer’s breeding and nesting season, however, is spent in the circumpolar regions of Europe, Scandinavia and Greenland where the arctic tundra offers only a barren grassland landscape. Snowy Owls primarily consume lemmings, which depend on Arctic grasses and sedges for nesting sites. When vegetation is insufficient, Snowy Owl populations are significantly affected too. Therefore, Snowy Owls are essentially nomadic, breeding where and when prey is abundant. During an Oct. 4, talk by noted owl expert Denver Holt, of Montana’s
Owl Research Institute, he vividly painted a picture of the Snowy Owl’s strength and determination in not only raising offspring in a demanding habitat but simply surviving its harsh austerity. Specializing in owl research for the last 20 years, Holt has spent many summers in Barrow, Alaska, trekking across miles of tundra in order to observe and document Snowy Owl breeding pairs and their behavior. Males in breeding plumage are brilliantly white. Their larger mates are easily recognizable with black barring on their breast feathers and primary flight feathers. Largely diurnal, the owls gaze with piercing golden eyes out across the flat lands, wary of two-legged
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Birds of Vermont: interlopers and watchful for lemmings. Snowy Owls may individually consume as many as 1,600 in one year. Nesting sites are typically raised hummocks of arctic grasses that have been scooped out at the top to create depressions, often plucked of moss and lichens to reveal the peat layer beneath The white, slightly elongated, eggs are laid every two days over the course of 10 days. Male Snowy Owls exhibit territorial hooting displays and can produce a variety of calls, such as barking, when agitated by perceived invaders near the nest. Females vocalize with a whistling sound or a mewing call before and after the male Snowy Owl feeds her, or as part of her distraction display. Both male and female Snowy Owls hiss at perceived threats soon after their chicks have hatched. Chicks produce chirping calls but cannot hiss until they are several weeks old. The Holt research team’s most recent results in studying the breeding ecology of Snowy Owls indicated that Snowy Owl nests have increased in number as has the tally of nonbreeding adults.
Care is taken to record the numbers of lemmings in a given year and study as well. A correlation between lemming numbers and Snowy Owl population fluctuations has been suggested from analysis of the data over the two decades of collection. This information is significant enough to encourage Holt to advocate for monitoring the effects of Arctic climate change, through its effect on the Arctic grasses, sedges and forbs that lemmings consequently consume, and based on the population numbers of the predatory Snowy Owl and its prey, the lemming. As stated, Holt has a long tradition of working with student researchers and others in revisiting Snowy Owl breeding grounds to update information on the behavior and population statistics of this magnificent species. While the task may be considered both personally and scientifically rewarding, the journey is demanding for each individual. The daily trek to a nesting site may involve a 15-20 mile hike with equipment in hand. In order to complete its objectives, the research crew must approach the nest and
chicks cautiously yet deliberately. Holt described the fearsome power and speed employed by male Snowy Owls in striking at interlopers too close to their nests and chicks. Apparently, his Patagonia expedition-wear was fully tested as a protective covering. Duct tape marks the spots where the owls’ well-aimed talons met their marks on his parka. Holt spoke about Snowy Owls as a fundraiser for the Birds of Vermont Museum, which suffered extensive damage this summer due to a flash flood. In addition to wowing the audience with his knowledge, his enthusiasm and his dedication, he wowed the staff and the Museum’s Board with an amazing offer. Anyone who donates a significant amount to assist in the building of the Museum’s bridge will be able to join him in the field. The lucky participant can either join the research team in Barrows Alaska to assist with the snowy owl study, or with one of his many other projects in Montana. Please contact the Museum for more details. Allison Gergely is the museum educator at the Birds of Vermont Museum.
Like the stories you read on the pages of Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine? the of these articles. Send a little praise their way. Writer them directly, or to the editor.
Page 47 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
The Great Artdoors:
E
“Eeyore” 14 inch by 17 inch, pen and ink on Bristol vellum paper. Sold.
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The concept of thing. Every one BSed our way th question about ho environment th challenges” or som My enthusiasm typically commen affection for the su Case in point: I’ attempting a t Presidential Range bike race, but the pants without the a eye is terrifying. We all have our Anyway, a few call from a wo interested in comm a friend’s recent Christmas gift. She sent me a the subject – the routinely in regard – almost none of w at me. But the last pic sent really struck m The regal chin-i complete confide tranquility. This pi all over it. I was a little he dog’s spotty fac prominence thereo The most detaile part right at the fo
Eeyore and Dress Pants
f “challenge” is a funny of us has at some point hrough a job interview ow “we thrive in a work hat offers constant me such nonsense. to take on a challenge is nsurate with my level of ubject matter. EvanChismark.com ’ll get really excited about Facebook.com/EvanChismarkArt through hike of the e or a multi-day mountain prospect of buying dress to be a patchwork of puzzle-shaped spots, aid of my wife’s sartorial jutting right out in the viewer’s face – very little room for error. But the look was too perfect so I grabbed r strengths. weeks back I received a the bull by the horns, called the client and oman in Pennsylvania committed to rendering that particular missioning me to render image. This was a bit scary for a couple or tly deceased pet as a reasons. Firstly, I knew I had just bitten off a time few reference photos of kinds of pictures I see consuming project. The artist and the small business owner d to this kind of request which really jumped out in me were at odds over this one but ultimately the artist won out – a challenge cture in the envelope she like this one is too sweet to pass up. Second, I had no clue how I’d actually me. in-the-air look, the air of capture the balance between the dog’s light ence and simultaneous hair and the dark accents on his face. For some reason though, I still felt good icture had portrait written and jumped in with both feet. I immediately knew I had underbid the esitant though due to the cial markings and the job – it didn’t take me as long as I thought it would, but it sure did take a while. of. I’m OK with that though. The ed part of the picture, the refront, just so happened opportunity to happily do more work than
one is paid for doesn’t always come around so when it does, I think we have to relish it. But once I finished, I felt pretty damn good about my decision. So the next day – this is the God’s honest truth – I had a few free hours (the wife was working) and decided to take this whole challenge thing to the next level. Not only did I buy myself a nice pair of dress pants, but I actually received unsolicited compliments on them during their maiden voyage on Thanksgiving day. Just goes to show that confidence is a mysterious mistress – one day she’s as elusive as a fisher cat, the next she’s like that deer that you have to shoo out of your garden every morning. I’ll make every effort to carry this ethos into my drawing, into my each foray to the backcountry on my splitboard this season, into the kitchen, and who knows where else. But I’ve slayed the dress-pants dragon and I’m happy to put that one to rest. Evan Chismark is an artist, environmentalist, and overly opinionated lover of the outdoors. He holds a master’s degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School, has a hard time sitting still, and is a sucker for a good IPA. He and his wife and their two hairy, four-legged children live in Stowe. To purchase any of the work featured in this column, check out EvanChismark.com, or email the artist at info@evanchismark.com Or if you just want to prove your social media savvy, like him at Facebook.com/EvanChismarkArt.
Page 49 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
The Outside Story:
Porcupine Courtship: A Raucous Affair In November, as the last colors of autumn are fading, the stark outlines of tree branches are revealed. During this time you might be lucky enough to see an occasional dark mass, looking from a distance like a burl. Recently, on a hike through a dense forest, I spied one such anomaly high up in a white ash tree. Walking closer, I saw that this shape was a porcupine. It seemed asleep. After circling the area looking for quills and other markings, I shuffled noisily away. When I turned back, the porcupine was heading further up the tree. The branch it clung to bent precariously as the wind picked up, but the tenacious climber hung on. What was the porcupine doing up so high? It may have been foraging, although white ash bark is not a favorite porcupine food. It may have simply been taking refuge. Or maybe it was seeking some much needed peace and quiet after a wild night of mating. Porcupines have exceptional mating habits. In late autumn, when most rodents are bedding down for the winter or rushing to top off their winter caches, porcupines (usually solitary animals) begin seeking each other out. These unions can take place in the tree tops or on the forest floor, and are often accompanied by bizarre sounds. Porcupines whine, moan and grunt, and also engage in battle chatter, a strident sound made by clicking their teeth. During mating
season, both males and females make these sounds, along with wails, shrieks, and siren-like screaming. For a male porcupine intent on winning his mate, success requires patience, perfect timing, strength and perseverance. A female porcupine is only fertile for eight to 12 hours a year. During this time, she advertises her reproductive status with distinctively
scented urine and vaginal mucus as she wanders her territory, about 20 acres, which she defends against other females. Males can roam up to 250 acres during mating season, an area about five times the size of their normal home range. The male follows the female’s olfactory trail to find her. Rival males may fight over a female for
Page 50 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
The Outside Story: hours. They attack each other with their incisor teeth and razor sharp quills. A porcupine is equipped with approximately 30,000 quills, a veritable stockpile of ammo. These fights can result in serious injury and even death. Uldis Roze, author of “The North American Porcupine,” told me that he once interrupted a fight where one losing male was left hanging upside down at the very end of a branch. Another was missing an ear. The victorious male is rewarded with the opportunity to mate. If the mating takes place in a tree, the male will nudge the female forward on her branch, sniffing to smell when she is ready. The female will make small, sharp, squawking noises as she inches away. This behavior may go on for days. When the female is finally receptive, the male approaches on his hind legs and tail, grunting in low tones. He sprays a heavy stream of urine over her body and head. She then elevates her hind quarters and curves her tail over her back, exposing the under surface of the tail, which has no quills. They may continue to have repeated copulations over several hours, interspersed with periods of cleaning and rest. Eventually, the female climbs on to another branch and screams back at her mate to end their union. A female is pregnant for seven months and then gives birth to only a single baby, which weighs around 1 pound. Like cats, the young are wrapped in a caul that the mother must lick off immediately, for within an hour the baby’s quills begin to harden. Sitting upright on her tail and hind legs, the mother nurses her young while the baby coos, squeaks, grunts and smacks its lips. Nursing continues for up to 125 days. Along with the
milk, the baby also consumes the early spring leaves of trees, often making little whirring noises, sounding much like a kazoo. While the mother forages up in the trees, the baby stays on the ground, sleeping under a rock ledge, log, or in the hollow base of a tree. They come together again at night. A porcupine can have a lifespan of anywhere from five to 30 years, during which the female spends 11 months of every year either pregnant or nursing. She has no years off for recovery. That’s one heck of a devoted mother. Dian Parker is a writer and naturalist living in the hills of Chelsea. The illustration for this column was drawn by Adelaide Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: wellborn@nhcf.org.
The Outside Story, provided by Northern Woodlands magazine, is a series of weekly ecology articles that has been appearing in newspapers across New Hampshire and Vermont since 2002. The series is underwritten by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation - Upper Valley Region and edited by Dave Mance at Northern Woodlands. Page 51 • Vermont’s Great Outdoors Magazine • December 2013
Lake Champlain International:
Looking for Fish? Fish are “ectotherms.” Their body temperature is the same as the water in which they swim. They are unable to control their body temperature as the water they live in gets warmer or colder. Thus, fish either must move in search of favorable conditions or “tough it out” until temperatures change. Generally, the “tough it out” option is most successful for fish under cold conditions. Most species of fish in Lake Champlain can withstand the coldest conditions. The alewife, being an invasive, warm water species, is an exception. Die-offs of alewives in Lake Champlain occur when alewives experience a sharp decline in water temperature. On the other hand, extreme warm water temperatures are lethal to most fish species in the lake. Fortunately, extreme temperatures generally occur in very shallow waters in Lake Champlain. Most fish simply move to deeper water. The problem with warm water is that as temperature increases, water is not able to contain as much oxygen causing fish to “suffocate.” Bowfin can even overcome this problem by gulping air at the surface.
Seasonal changes in the lake water temperature occur as the thermocline develops in the summer and subsequently disappears as waters cool and mix in the fall. Fishes like lake trout and Atlantic salmon that orient themselves relative to the cooler water below the thermocline find favorable cool temperatures all the way to the surface when the thermocline breaks down. By the fall breeding season, lake trout can be found on shallow spawning grounds often very near shore. Lake trout and salmon anglers take advantage of this behavior to take fish with smaller boats and gear when they are found closer to the surface. On the other hand, warm water fishes such as northern pike, yellow perch, brown bullhead and many others species seek shallow, near shore waters in the spring as they seek spawning areas. Shallow water warms up and provides suitable spawning and incubation temperatures sooner than deeper water. Anglers also take advantage of great near shore fishing opportunities in the spring. The mouths of rivers and streams as well as underwater groundwater sources may at times provide refugia of warmer or cooler water.
Large concentrations of minnows, smelt and other species may be found at these sites at some times of year when temperature differences exist between lake and river water. Water temperature is one of the most important factors determining the distribution of fishes within Lake Champlain. To find where the fish are, pay attention to water temperature. Wayne Laroche is the staff scientist for Lake Champlain International.
Lake Champlain International (LCI) is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization actively involved in shaping the future of Lake Champlain's water and fisheries health for the well-being of the people who depend on it today and tomorrow. To protect, restore, and revitalize Lake Champlain and its communities, LCI educates, advocates, and motivates to ensure that Lake Champlain is swimmable, drinkable, and fishable, understanding that healthy water resources are essential for a healthy economy and a healthy community.
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