Here We Go Again!  Blog #53

As I write this blog, it is snowing with a good chance that the weather is going to change to an icy mix. Most of the snow we have received has come over the last month and a half and now we have so much that it will take some time before it is all gone. If you were thinking that you were going to visit my web site and read some stories about TC and our fishing adventures, unfortunately, that is not the case. At this point we have far too much snow and the ice is so thick that it will be May before we can get into the woods. Unfortunately, it does not only affect TC and my fishing plans, but there is a real concern for the deer and moose. In speaking with the wardens, they tell me that the deer and moose have depleted their fat reserves and due to the amount of snow, they are not able to find food. This time of year, the snow should be down and they should be feeding. Not the case this year. I am told that this last snow fall will, potentially do a lot more damage to the population than the big snow we had a few years back, and that is very sad.

I also had a chance to talk with a Maine game warden about the upcoming bear referendum. As you may or may not know, a group intent on stopping our right to hunt bear has collected enough signatures to put a question on the ballot to stop baiting, hounding and trapping black bear. If you say we already voted this down a couple of years ago, why is it back? That is because they did not take no for an answer. They are willing to roll the dice again and try to get this through. With great certainty, if this passes, they will come back again with another attempt to stop some other form of hunting, and who knows, maybe they will attack fishing as well.  I have seen a number of ads they will be running and they will attempt to play on your sympathy in order to get your vote. Don’t be fooled. These people are not from Maine and the money they are using to bankroll this effort is from out of state groups.  I ask you, who has more information to determine what and how we should be doing things in our woods, our Maine biologists or folks who have never hunted or fished?  Let’s tell these folks once and for all that we don’t need them telling us what is best for Mainers. Let’s send them a message that we want to decide for ourselves how to control our animal population. Make sure when it is time to vote, that you vote to uphold our right to hunt and fish. If we don’t continue to maintain our right to hunt and fish, nuisance beer complaints will become a daily routine for our Inland fisheries and wildlife wardens. Let’s let the folks in our state determine the best way to control the population and not an out of state group.

Here are a few facts about our bear:

·      Since 2004, Maine’s bear population has increased and is estimated at more than 30,000 animals.

·      Hunting is the primary means of managing this thriving bear population.

·      Hunters who use still hunting or stalking techniques to harvest bears have less than a 3% success rate due to Maine’s dense forests.

·      On average, only 26% of hunters using bait and hounds and 20% using traps actually harvest a black bear.

·      Left unchecked, the bear population will increase and bear will eventually move into areas with higher human densities and conflicts will rise.

I thought you might enjoy this short video of some brown trout feeding. This video was taken by a fisherman in New Zealand. It is unbelievable and very peaceful. THINK SPRING!  Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/85147880

Bear facts taken from: Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Hunting and trapping laws, 2013-2014