Penobscot Valley Hunting Report: October 31, 2007
This past Saturday was a long one. Up early to greet the ’07 deer firearms residents-only Saturday; then closing it out by staying up late to watch our Red Sox take a commanding 3-0 lead in the World Series. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday!
In this part of the state, the rain kicked in around the start of legal hunting time and stayed with us throughout the day, with the winds whipping up in the afternoon. A long wet day in the field that may translate into a low kill for the first day. I’m sure many, like myself, may have only hunted a portion of the day, and returned home a bit on the soaked and wet side. Or as was the case with a friend of mine when asked if he “killed anything” today, his response was, “hard to kill anything from a Lazyboy”! So yes, effort may have been down for this wet and windy start, but there are still plenty of days to come for this season. Once again, wildlife biologist, and contractors will be collected biological data on harvested whitetails, and also collecting samples as part of our ongoing CWD monitoring program.
While collecting the above-mentioned deer data will be the priority for the month of November, Region F has plenty of other initiatives ongoing as well. Recently moose biologist Kim Morris and I met with a Lincoln-based group that is very concerned about the number of moose/vehicle collisions, particularly in this part of the state. Discussions regarding opening up Marsh Island to bow hunting continue as well. We are also providing input into the transmission line corridor that will be part of the Stetson Mt. windpower facility to name just a few other initiatives. We continue to work away at several projects on some of our wildlife management areas (WMAs).
At the Bud Leavitt WMA, a favorite of local and not-so-local deer hunters, we are finishing up bushhogging our fields and roadsides, timber management operations continue; and plans to prune some of our apple orchards and release many of the chestnut trees planted several years ago are also in place for later this fall. With our Lands Division foresters Ryan and Mark taking the lead, we will continue to develop harvest prescriptions for some of the 11 compartments on the WMA. Recently, Ryan and I assessed the two-acre grouse blocks that were operated in over the last two winters. For the most part they are coming in nicely to aspen, and we expect that they will continue to respond.
Field restoration work continues at the Page Farm Unit of the Mattawamkeag River System WMA. Work on the many apple trees there is also scheduled for later this fall. Harvest prescriptions focusing on both woodcock and grouse are also being developed at this time for Page Farm. And we are even getting a bit of much-needed roadwork addressed. Bushhogging was also completed for both the Dwinal Pond and Caribou Bog WMAs.
Land trapping began this past Sunday following on the heels of the early fox and coyote season that started a few weeks ago. The early season on muskrat also concluded this past Saturday, and water trapping for some WMDs begins on November 1. More on trapping in the weeks to come.
