Aroostook County Hunting Report: December 27, 2006
Lt. Gordon Manuel Wildlife Management Area
One of the five state wildlife management areas within this region is the Lt. Gordon Manuel Wildlife Management Area, in the towns of Hodgdon, Cary, and Linneus, in Southern Aroostook County. The Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA encompasses 6,488 acres and is composed of forested land (85 %), fields (2%), and wetlands (13%). The initial acquisition centered around an existing dam site on the South Branch of the Meduxnedeag River in the town of Hodgdon Mills and the associated wetlands that were to be restored when the dam was replaced. The majority of the uplands are located west of the wetlands associated with the South Branch of the Meduxnekeag River. The uplands consist of active agricultural land; abandoned, reverting old fields; cedar lowlands; spruce-fir flats; and hardwood stands.
The Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA was primarily purchased for the management of waterfowl, with secondary management directed toward Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock. Many of our other wildlife species (consumptive and on-consumptive) are direct beneficiaries of management toward these species. A timber harvest operation on the Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA was initiated for wildlife management in the fall of 2003, focusing on Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock as our two “featured species”. Three types of harvests were completed. The first was “Grouse Management Blocks”. Two grouse management areas equivalent to 80 acres of 4-acre clear-cut blocks in predominant poplar forest types were harvested to create interspersed, early successional stages. Poplar is a very fast growing species and is a critical food source for grouse during late fall and winter. These clear-cut blocks adjacent to residual mixed-wood create an age class diversity offering ideal, brood rearing, and loafing habitat within the first 3-6 years. Blocks of more mature poplar adjacent to these clear-cut blocks offer ideal feeding, and escape cover and create a mosaic of habitats necessary for the life stages of this bird. Another wildlife advantage with this type of harvest in poplar stands is the creation of excellent early critical habitat for woodcock the first fifteen years in the form of feeding, nesting, brood, and escape cover.
The second type of harvest completed on the management area was “Strip Clear-cuts”. A system of progressive strip clear-cuts was initiated on the management area in 1983. The system that was set up at this time was continued. The areas were divided into strips 100 feet wide and numbered sequentially 1-8. The “1”s and the “2”s were harvested in the first entry with the “3”s and the “4”s scheduled for the 2003 entry. Approximately 20 acres of strips were clear-cut as a result of this prescription. The clear-cuts were not forest-type specific, thereby creating interspersed age classes of trees of different seral stages of hardwood, mixed-wood, and softwood benefiting a variety of wildlife species. Potential den and cavity trees along with any fruit and nut producing trees were left standing for the benefit of wildlife. Vertical structure was accomplished through new tree growth in the understory of residual strips through the increase of sunlight, and horizontal diversity was accomplished through the initiation of different seral stages by creating new strip clear-cuts on a 20-year interval.
The third and final harvest on the management area was a “Three-stage Shelterwood”. A shelterwood harvest is the removal of all trees from an area except for several large trees that provide shade for developing seedlings. A 3-stage shelterwood is used to open up an area much slower, with entry every 10-15 years for development of regeneration, and perhaps to maintain wind firmness within the stand by allowing regeneration to increase in height. For this initial entry, overmature Balsam Fir was harvested in the shelterwood area. Within the shelterwood section of the harvest, special wildlife consideration was directed toward cedar stands and riparian zones. Cedar stands are critical winter habitat for white-tailed deer in Northern Maine. All cedar stands within these shelterwood sections were blocked off for retention. Riparian zones (intermittent and seasonal streams) were protected to maintain these very unique habitats. Riparian areas are some of the most important wildlife habitats supporting the life stages of more wildlife species then any other single habitat. All den trees and potential den trees (snags) were retained within these zones.
State wildlife management areas are not only for the management of wildlife but also for the enjoyment of the public as a multiple-use facility. Through these harvests the public can be educated on ways to manage wildlife, and over time see a direct influence on species richness. For additional information pertaining to the Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA, on recreational uses and map, please refer to the web site http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wma/office/regg.htm.
