Archive for March, 2008
Posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
Regional Characteristics
Wildlife Region B contains 135 townships and extends from the central Maine coast north to Dexter; and from the Penobscot River westerly to the Androscoggin River valley. There are nearly 4000 sq.mi. in this region including approximately 3800 sq.mi of land area and 170 sq.mi. of open water lakes and ponds. In short, Wildlife Region B contains the lower river valleys of the Penobscot, Androscoggin and Kennebec Rivers. Human population and development is centered along two major corridors: (1) Route 1 and associated coastal development from the Brunswick area north to Bangor including such towns as Wiscasset, Waldoboro, Rockland and Belfast; and (2) the I-95 corridor from Brunswick to Bangor including the urban centers of Augusta/Gardiner, Waterville/Winslow and Bangor.
The remaining portions of this region are sparcely developed containing some of the Maine’s best soils and an excellent mixture of reverting farmland, active farmland and upland mixed forests. Population densities vary across the region from greater than 170 residents per sq. mi. in Androscoggin Co. to approximately 50 residents per sq. mi. in portions of Waldo Co., eastern lower Somerset Co. and western Penboscot Co.
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Tags: Central Maine Hunting Report • Categories: Hunting Reports
Posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
Physical Characteristics
Region A is the southern most region in the state, made up of ninety towns in York, Cumberland, Oxford, Androscoggin, and Sagadahoc Counties. While the region represents approximately 10% of the state’s area it has almost 50% of the state’s population. The region can be characterized as three main areas. The coastal strip, which is that area east of the Maine Turnpike, the central area, and the western foothills, which extend up into the lower portion of Oxford County. Over the past 50 years there has been a continual increase in both the amount of development and the amount of forested land while at the same time there has been a continual decline in the amount of agriculture. In that time the amount of agricultural land, within the region, has declined from 30% to 10%. At the same time, the human population, within the region, has increased approximately 30%. The development pressure has not been constant across the region, it is strongest along the coast and diminishes as one moves west. Some concerns within the region have been the increasing amounts of posted or restricted land, increasing amounts of development and the associated loss of quality habitat, and balancing deer accidents and crop damage complaints with the hunters request for more deer.
Wildlife Management Areas
While the percentage of Department owned land within the region is small, the regional staff currently manages 9 wildlife management areas which total approximately 20,000 acres. The largest management area is the Brownfield Bog WMA, located in the towns of Brownfield and Fryeburg, which is comprised of a mixture of 5700 acres of wetland and upland habitats. The area offers good deer and waterfowl hunting and is accessable by several dirt roads. Weather is a major factor with regards to access into this WMA. The Saco River flows through the middle of the area and many of the access roads into the “bog area” are flooded after heavy rains. During dryer years the river also provides access to some of the “harder to get to” parts of the area. A second area which offers good deer hunting is the Steep Falls WMA which contains 4900 acres of primarily upland habitat. This area is bordered on three side by tarred roads (Rts. 113, 11, and 114) offering easy access to the public.
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Tags: Southwestern Maine Hunting Report • Categories: Hunting Reports
Posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
The Fish River Chain of Lakes management region located in the “Crown of Maine” remains the last stronghold of Maine’s traditional coldwater species. Natural barriers on the major river drainages have kept warmwater sportfish (black bass, white perch, pickerel) from becoming established in this part of the state. Angling for these warmwater species is limited to a few waters in the East Branch of the Mattawamkeag River and the Main Branch of the Meduxnekeag River in southern Aroostook County. Elsewhere brook trout, lake trout (togue), and landlocked salmon reign supreme!
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Brook Trout
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Tags: Aroostook County Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
The Penobscot Region is located in the east central part of the state. The eastern edge of the region borders on New Brunswick, Canada. As the name implies, the majority of the region lies within the Penobscot River drainage and a smaller but very important part is in the headwaters of the St. Croix River drainage. This region is probably the most diverse in the state in terms of both land terrain and fisheries from the high lands and trout ponds of Baxter State Park to the low lands and bass fisheries of the lower Penobscot River.
Penobscot River is considered one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the eastern United States. The area from Old Town to Medway offers approximately 60 miles of fast action for smallmouths in the 10 to 15 inch size, with bass up to 20 inches a possibility. The exciting aspect of the fishery is the fact that it always seems to produce good fishing right through the summer. In spite of the Penobscot River’s close proximity to a state highway, the opportunity to see bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons, deer, otter, and other wildlife add another dimension to the trip. Float trips down the Penobscot are a way to relax, see the river and all its wildlife, and catch a bunch of scrappy smallmouth bass. There are public boat ramps and carry sites situated every few miles along its length.
West Branch Penobscot River supports a world class landlocked salmon fishery from Ripogenus Dam to Ambajejus Lake. The area below Sourdnahunk Deadwater is managed by this regional office, above the deadwater through the Greenville Regional Office. The West Branch is known for its large landlocked salmon, some fish weighing over five pounds. Because of the dynamic nature of the West Branch, there are different regulations suited to a particular section of river, but fishery regulations to enhance the size quality are the norm. There is a popular spring troll fishery commencing April 1 at the Sourdnahunk Deadwater for over wintering salmon. A private log haul road, the Golden Road, runs adjacent to much of the upper section of the river and provides access to the entire stretch, while the area below Abol Bridge is more remote and access is less available.
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Tags: Penobscot Valley Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 by Maine Sportsman
April 14, 2006 – Department response to splake article in the Maine Sportsman
In the April edition of the Maine Sportsman, there is a column critical of stocking splake in Maine waters. In that column, it is wrongly stated that splake are “threatening some of Maine’s finest wild salmonid waters”. Our data does not support this contention.
We have stocked splake in Maine since the mid- 1980′s. In fact, fishery managers across North America have utilized splake since the turn of the century. It has been well documented in Maine and in other States and Canada that splake can provide excellent coldwater fishing opportunities where other species, such as brook trout, have not succeeded.
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Tags: Moosehead Region Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
