September 2007 Almanac

This Month: Don’t Migrate. Go Fishing Instead!

Bear, deer and moose create big news in September, and those pursuits as well as fall fishing for salmonids, black bass and stripers make for a busy month.

Bear hunting for baiters as well as the fair-chase crowd began Aug. 27. The 4-week season for baiters ends Sept. 22 and fair-chase hunters have until Nov. 24.

Hunters with hounds can run bears from Sept. 10 to Oct. 26.

The expanded archery season in designated areas kicks off Sept. 8 and runs through Dec. 8, a 3-month season for folks who don’t mind hunting in built-up areas.

The statewide archery season goes from Sept. 27 to Oct. 26.

The first half of the split moose season runs from Sept. 24 to Sept. 29 in Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs) 1-6 and 11 and 19. (The second half is Oct. 8 to Oct. 13 in WMDs 1-14, 17, 18, 19, 27 and 28.)

The fall wild turkey season in Zone 2 in WMDs 21-23 is slated for Sept. 27 through Oct. 26. (Zone 1 in WMDs 15, 16, 17, 20, 24, 25 and 26 is Oct. 6 through 20.)

The second half of the split crow season statewide runs from Aug. 30 through Sept. 29. (It traditionally ends Sept. 30, but this year, that day is a Sunday.)

Snipe and rail seasons begin in very early September, but the actual date these hunts start is never set until after the season begins! For those hunting for snipe and rail, check with DIF&W at 1(207)287-8000 at the Augusta office to find out when the season begins.

Fall fishing excites folks, and the general season closes Sept. 30. That means pretty much all of Maine’s waters are open in the ninth month except for water districts closed to fishing.

Name waters like Kennebago, West Branch of the Penobscot below Ripogenus, Roach, Moose and more attract enough people to make a portable hot-dog stand a good sales investment…no exaggeration.

Others waters, say the Sandy River, offer solitude anywhere…anytime.

Maine has dozens of waters open for fall fishing from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, and these places with the special S-23 (artificial lures only and catch and release only regs) are all blue-ribbon places.

Maine also has hundreds of waters open from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, and these are often closer to marginal waters than blue-ribbon spots, but exceptions exist.

Automobile camping, canoe tripping and backpacking shine now because of the warm days, cool nights, lack of biting bugs and lack of competition from other campers.

Day hikes on trails become more pleasurable because the crowds of summer have dispersed.

September is migration month.

In the bottom third of Maine, green darner dragonflies migrate south during the first full week of September. Ospreys head south, too, and shorebirds flock together along the water’s edge in preparation of their mass movement north or south. Red admiral butterflies catch the eye of astute observers. Monarch butterflies migrate south.

During the second week in the bottom third of the state, chrysalises are under fallen logs and milkweed pods open and expose their fluffy seeds. Mushrooms pop up after rains — all signs of autumn.

In the third week in the north country, the first fall frosts kill the sensitive fern — hence its name “sensitive.” The autumnal equinox occurs at the end of this week when day and night are of equal length.

The harvest moon falls on September 26, a late full moon. Often, in the bottom half of the state, we don’t have a frost until the full moon, so gardeners rejoice.

The first hard frosts hit Northern Maine from Monson north in the fourth week — if not already.

Field crickets usually stop calling this week, and our internal clock tells us fall has arrived for sure. If our internal clocks fail us, fall colors shout, “Fall’s here.”

Watch for loons gathering in large groups on lakes and ponds. Adults are molting so they look similar to the drab juveniles, now fully grown.

Smoothbore enthusiasts, archers and riflemen shoot more and more this month as fall’s hunting seasons begin or are about to begin.

Wildlife and scenic photographers pick up the tempo now that cool nights move wildlife more and September’s splendid light creates great scenics.

Wild-food gatherers have berries, apples, plums, potherbs and roots aplenty now.

Gardens produce staples — potatoes, carrots, parsnips, winter squash, Brassica fruits and more.

Lord, but September is ever so nice.

Next Month: What’s October? Busy, Busy, Busy!

Tom Shoener, the longtime director of the Information and Education Division of DIF&W, used to say, “It all happens in October.”

Amen to that claim.

Big game, small game, upland birds, waterfowl, trapping, fishing and more are all going on this month.

The statewide archery season runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 26.

The expanded archery season began in early September (Sept. 8 to be exact) and goes through Dec. 8.

The youth deer day is Oct. 20.

Bear hunting with dogs began Sept. 10 and ends Oct. 26.

Bear hunting with fair-chase methods (still-hunting, stalking, sitting on trails or over natural foods) runs all October and ends Nov. 24.

The second half of the split season on moose is Oct. 8 through Oct. 13.

The wild turkey season for archers only runs through much of October. In Zone 1 in WMDs 15-17, 20, 24-26 starts Oct. 6 and ends Oct. 20. In Zone 2 in WMDs 21-23, the season begins September 27 and goes through Oct. 26.

Ruffed-grouse hunters have from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 as do pheasant enthusiasts.

Woodcock, snipe, duck, geese, sea duck, sora rail, Virginia rail and gallinule seasons haven’t been set as of this writing.

Gray-squirrel hunters have from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.

Snowshoe hare (rabbits) are fair game from Oct. 1 to Mar. 31.

Fox hunters can start blasting on Oct. 15 and continue until Feb. 28; however, most people don’t hunt Mr. Red until after the deer season. Then, it is in conjunction with predator calls and coyotes.

Skunk and opossum season goes from Oct. 15 to Dec. 31.

Many quality Maine waters are open to fishing from Oct. 1 to 31.

Hundreds of more marginal lakes and ponds stay open from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. Few people take advantage, so solitude is quite certain. You’re apt to see more waterfowl hunters than anglers.

Tidal waters stay open all year and October sea-run trout draw folks. In truth, though, most of our fall sea-run fishery in places like the lower stretches of the St. George or Ogunquit rivers are recently stocked browns.

Camping, canoe tripping and backpacking still attract a few people who do find solitude, and early in the month, days are often warm to hot but nights are cold.

Wildlife photographers do well now that dropping temperatures begin moving animals.

Scenic photographers cannot go wrong with all the bright colors of fall foliage.

Day hikers hit places like Camden Hills State Park or other places with marked trails.