MDIFW Blog
Monitoring Maine's Waterfowl Production and Populations
By Scott McLellan, Regional Wildlife Biologist Waterfowl brood surveys have long been a traditional part of the work program for regional wildlife biologists and serve as a method to monitor annual nesting success and survival of hens and their young. In region E out of the Moosehead Lake area, 9 of these surveys are conducted in the month of June and then repeated one month later. This schedule occurs annually on the same bodies of water in hopes to develop and understand trends in waterfowl production and populations. Surveys occur either during the early morning or earl
Allagash Fishery Part of 50th Anniversary Celebration
[caption id="attachment_1758" align="alignright" width="329"] IFW Fisheries Biologist Derrick Cote is down in one of the chambers of the Churchill Dam fishway, scooping out fish to weigh and measure[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1766" align="alignleft" width="227"]
Echo Lake Togue and Salmon Continue To Thrive
[caption id="attachment_1745" align="alignright" width="568"] IFW's Tom Barrows holds a hefty 35-inch wild togue from Echo Lake in Fayette. The togue was measured, weighed and released.[/caption] The bios in Region B have been busy on central Maine lakes recently, keeping an eye on salmon and lake trout growth in Echo Lake.
Maine Game Wardens Participate in Operation Dry Water
During the weekend of June 24-26, Maine Game Wardens along with other marine law enforcement participated in Operation Dry Water, a national outreach and enforcement campaign with the goal of raising awareness of the dangers of boating under the influence and removing impaired operations from our nation’s waterways. During that weekend of heightened enfor
Photo Blog: Banding Canada Geese in Western Maine
Each summer, biologists and volunteers capture and band approximately 500 Canada geese in Maine as part of a region-wide effort to monitor and manage populations throughout the eastern United States. This week, I joined our staff in western Maine as we located, rounded -up, captured, banded and released two good sized flocks of Canada geese.
Wildlife Management Areas Receive New Signs
By Sarah Spencer, Region C Wildlife Biologist If you’ve spent any time in the Downeast Region lately you may have noticed new signs installed at several Wildlife Management Areas. After years of exposure to the sun, precipitation, and occasional vandalism, many of the wooden signs had fallen into disrepair.
Biologists Research Migratory Patterns Of Coastal Stream Brook Trout
[caption id="attachment_1603" align="alignright" width="455"] IFW fisheries biologists electrofish a small coastal stream looking for brook trout. Students from the St. George School Summer Science Camp and members of Merrymeeting TU also helped out.[/caption] Salters, or sear run brook trout, possess a certain mystique.
Partnerships Play Vital Role in Protecting Maine's Endangered Shorebirds
By Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist Brad Zitske Piping plovers are small, striking shorebirds typically found on sandy beaches and dunes in southern Maine. Their camouflage plumage makes them more often missed than detected but the keen-eyed observer can see them starting and stopping on the beach in their seemingly endless foraging search for invertebrates. Signs, fenced sections of beaches, and nest exclosures are good indicators of piping plover presence. Least terns are the smallest tern in Maine and are more closely related to gulls than shorebirds.
Landowner Relations Program Provides Kits to Maine Forest Rangers
The Maine Warden Service has been using the Landowner Relations Relief kits for almost two years now. In many landowner based complaints, the district warden has almost everything in their kit to correct, or help in resolving landowner’s problems with misuse and abuse.
Providing Access Into Wildlife Management Areas Is A Balancing Act
Road construction on Wildlife Management Areas is by nature a delicate balancing act. A great deal of thought goes into the location and length of a road since once it has been constructed it will likely remain a gap in the landscape in perpetuity, but is necessary both for access and also for habitat work. Road construction on Wildlife Management Areas serves two purposes. The first i
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