March 2010 Almanac
~ THIS MONTH ~
Spring Springs This Month, But Snow Just Kills Us
Spring kicks off this month, March 20 to be exact, but the third month starts with plenty of snow and ice, looking like more of winter.
In the bottom third of the state, though, astute observers can see, smell, hear and feel spring coming every day unless a late storm beats the new season back.
• Snow melts in sunny, open spots, the wind carries a spring-like, fresh odor.
• Amorous skunks foul the night air.
• Newly returning birds add new notes to spring’s morning sounds.
• The thermometer rises as days become equal length to dark.
Observers who not only look but see note all the changes.
A new trend amazes folks who think about it. Winter and early spring fishing get more and more popular, and it’s not bait anglers who do participate, but rather, fly rodders. Go figure.
Crowds actually form on rivers such as the St. George where folks flock to hotspots such as the outlet below Sennebec Pond or Payson Park in Warren. Lifelong friendships begin in this snow-filled setting.
Smelters get out now on tidal rivers and streams and catch big smelts through the ice. A tiny segment of the population also fishes for tommycod now in coastal flowing waters. This sport proved bigger in the last half of the 1800s.
As the month wanes, inland smelters hit tributaries and outlets of rivers and ponds to catch the tiny, silvery baitfish, an old Maine tradition. Unfortunately, part of the tradition involves some folks drinking heavily, making the sport rowdy at times.
Calling coyotes at dawn and dusk excites predator hunters now because they have much milder temperatures than they did two months ago. Baiting these canines sweetens the attraction. Night hunters also take advantage of the warmer weather, but hey, it’s still plenty cold after the sun sets.
Fox season closes Feb. 28, so coyote hunters must watch the little red bandits now without shooting. From a management standpoint, it would not hurt the fox population to leave the season open through March. Predator hunting for wild canines draws a small number of hunters, explaining the reasoning behind that proposal.
As fields clear of snow, woodchuck hunters get out now and hunt those distant brown spots. This same crowd might take a pop at a crow, too, but serious crow hunters use smoothbores, camouflage clothing, calls and decoys.
Wildlife photographers really begin rambling this month as they shoot images of waterfowl, songbirds and eagles, a busy time for the naturalists among us.
White-water canoeing had a big spurt in popularity in the 1970s, but that has slowed in recent years. It’s a great sport, though, and it gets folks out early when spring melting and rain swells waters, making normally rocky rivers and streams a thrill now. Kayakers may outnumber canoeists these days.
