August 2007 Almanac

This Month: Summertime…and the Living Is … Good

August arrives with heat and humidity, but as the month slides toward September, mornings have a chill and red maples in lowland often have a limb or even a whole tree turn scarlet, a certain promise of what’s to come

In Northern Maine, bear hunting is wicked big news this month, but in the bottom two-thirds of the state, darned few people even think about it.

Bear baiters put out food piles daily, and the season for baiters and the fair-chase crowd starts Aug. 27. Baiters have until Sept. 22 to sit over man-placed foods but the fair-chase group can chase bruins until Nov. 24.

Crow season in Maine has a spring and summer-fall split season, and the second one runs from Aug. 1 through Sept. 29.

Crow hunters often target woodchucks also.

On Aug. 16 in rivers, streams and brooks, salmonid regulations change significantly on most Maine waters.

The daily bag limit drops to one fish and bait is no longer legal. Some folks think this law should be expanded to lakes and ponds to protect our fragile trout, salmon and black-bass resource.

Trout and salmon fishing slows considerably in August, but late evenings and particularly dawns can produce fast fishing.

Stripers in the open ocean feed well now, but tidal rivers often slow down, although exceptions exist.

Bluefish and mackerel roam the coast and offer action aplenty.

Ocean pan fish such as cunner, pollock and more feed now.

Black-bass anglers who know how to work a jig down 10 to 20 feet do very well now.

White perch, black crappie, yellow perch, pickerel, sunfish and other pan fish feed well in August, particularly at dawn and late evening.

Blue-shark fishing picks up this month.

Camping booms in August as car campers, canoe trippers and backpackers head to the woods now that mosquitoes and black flies have slowed down. Day hikers also get out now, and state parks are filled to the brim.

Gardens produce staples such as corn, potatoes, squash, carrots and more. Salad veggies are also flourishing.

It’s August…the height of summer…and living is good.

Next Month: September Keeps Outdoorsmen Hopping

September was once a sleepy man’s month in Maine, but these days, it has become the busy man’s month because so much is happening.

The general fishing season closes Sept. 30, and in rivers, streams and brooks, the rules change on Aug. 16 to Sept. 30 to artificial lures or flies only and the daily bag limit drops to one salmonid per day. Exceptions to the rules for fall fishing after Sept. 30 fill the regs booklet, though, so check it for details.

Fall fishing in the north country kicks off big time as brookie ponds and rivers and larger streams with brook trout and landlocked salmon offer topnotch sport as waters cool.

Striper fishing rocks along the coast as does black-bass angling inland.

Browns and rainbows in the hundreds of stocked ponds and lakes in the bottom half of the state pick up feeding activity as nights cool waters down.

Northern pike pick up feeding activities in shallows as the month winds down.

Bear-hunting tourists fills rural hamlets in the top third of Maine and Washington County.

The general bear season starts Aug. 27, the last Monday of the month and continues through Nov. 24. Hunters over bait have from Aug. 27 to Sept. 22. Hunters with hounds can chase bruins from Sept. 10 through Oct. 26. Hunters using fair-chase methods of still-hunting, stalking and taking a stand over natural baits or game trails have the entire three months from Aug. 27 to Nov. 24.

Bird-dog hunters work their feather finders hard now to polish them for October festivities.

Grouse and pheasant seasons start Oct. 1 and end Dec. 31. As of this writing, the woodcock season has not been set.

Deer hunters with bows scout hard to pattern movements of whitetails.

The statewide deer season for archers begins Sept. 27 and ends Oct. 26, but archers can continue through the firearms season with their bows and arrows.

The expanded archery season in designated areas only starts Sept. 8 and ends Dec. 8.

Smoothbore shooters, bow hunters and rifle hunters shoot plenty now to perfect their abilities.

The first half of the split moose season goes from Sept. 24 to 29 in WMDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 and 19. The second half runs from Oct. 8 to Oct. 13 in WMDs 1-14,17-19, 27 and 28.

In Zone 1 (WMDs 15, 16, 17, 20, 24, 25 and 26), fall turkey hunters with bows and arrows have from Oct. 6 though Oct. 20. In Zone 2 (WMDs 21, 22 and 23), they have from Sept. 27 through Oct. 26.

Rail hunting attracts a handful of folks.

Woodchuck hunters get out in September.

Automobile camping, canoe tripping and backpacking pickup big time as does day hiking.

Gardens produce the staples this month — potatoes, winter squash, carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, etc.

Wild-food gatherers have blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, potherbs, roots and more now.