Love is in the Air

By Wildlife Biologist Shevenell Webb [caption id="attachment_3393" align="alignright" width="226"] A young tracker consults her notebook to confirm opossum tracks.[/caption] Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but love is still in the air!

Orphaned Cub Gets Fresh Start With New Mom – Update

By Amanda DeMusz, Regional Wildlife Biologist Note: This post is an update to a story shared last April.

Mustelid Surprises

By Sarah Spencer, Wildlife Biologist On a recent site visit to a property on the mid-coast, I was rewarded with a great view of a small mammal I don’t often encounter. I discussesd with two foresters at the site the value of a “wolf” white pine and the importance of these types of trees to a number of wildlife species who use them for foraging, breeding, raising young, and for cover. The lot we were on had a history of farming and practicing forestry. This white pine had likely grown in what was once pasture and was left when the plantation was planted years later.

Hunting Big Bucks: Some Observations and Differing Experiences from Two Wildlife Biologists

By Chuck Hulsey, Regional Wildlife Biologist, Region D, Strong I grew up deer hunting with family and friends.  There were no great deer hunters in my group.  As the oldest of eight, my dad was a teen during the Great Depression and lived in rural Arkansas and Oklahoma. He hunted more for food than sport. There certainly wasn’t any such thing as going to deer camp in those days. Fox squirrels and jack rabbits were the game. World events resulted in an invitation to participate in the Second World War.

An Unusual White-Tailed Deer From Maine's 2018 Hunting Season

By Scott McLellan, Regional Wildlife Biologist  Wildlife biologists with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) spend countless hours each deer hunting season interviewing hunters and collecting a multitude of information from white-tailed deer.  This information includes, but is not limited to, collecting a tooth for aging, sex, harvest date and township, antler measurements and number of points, and retropharyngeal lymph nodes for testing of Chronic Wasting Disease.  Our goal is to evaluate 15% of the harvested deer from each wildlife management distr

Efforts to Determine Maine’s Wild Turkey Population

By Allen Starr, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist Establishing a wild turkey population in Maine has been a biological success story. A few captures and relocations from other states followed-up by in state captures and relocations has resulted in a thriving turkey population in many parts of Maine, but, depending on whom you’re talking to, Maine has either too many turkeys, too few turkeys or about the right amount.  To properly manage turkeys in Maine requires solid information on numbers of birds in various parts of the state.

Who loves fresh powder more than a Ruffed Grouse?

By Amanda DeMusz, Regional Wildlife Biologist [caption id="attachment_3329" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo courtesy Amanda DeMusz[/caption] Recently Aroostook County received almost 2 feet of fresh light powdery snow.  While those of us that maintain homes may not be enjoying the cleanup that ensues, there is a forest bird that welcomes the fresh powder.  The Ruffed Grouse (AKA Par

The Christmas Bird Count: Over a Century of Community Science

By Regional Wildlife Biologist Susan Bard Each year, thousands of birders participate in what’s known as the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This long-standing winter census is used for various purposes such as assessing the health and trends of bird populations, public education, as well as guiding organizations in their conservation efforts.

Monitoring Forest Carnivores

By Shevenell Webb, MDIFW Wildlife Biologist Forest carnivores are elusive and difficult to observe, but they have a hard time resisting the smell of skunk essence and beaver meat.

Managing Wild Apple Trees for Wildlife

By Daniel Hill, Natural Resource Manager-Lands Program The Lands Program for Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) in coordination with regional staff, manages, and enhances wildlife habitat throughout the state in a multitude of ways.