2015 Maine Birder Band Is Now Available
The 2015 Maine Birder Band is now available! Maine’s Birder band is instrumental in helping protect birds, conserve habitat and provide access for birders throughout the state.
Winterberries for holiday decorations & songbird snacks
Native Ilex verticillata shrubs, commonly called winterberry, stands out this time of year with its bright red fruit in wetland areas along roadsides. It's used in a variety of holiday decorations around the house -both inside and out.
Short Videos Offer Glimpse Of Wildlife Biologists In The Field
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgr_-RBMc6c Chuck Hulsey is a wildlife biologist with an eye for detail and a knack for stories. That’s what makes this new feature on the IFW Website so compelling. “In The Wildlife Biologist’s Footsteps” is Chuck Hulsey taking two passions, video filming and wildlife, and creating memorable video stories of wildlife biologists working in the field.
Why Do We Band Ducks?
[caption id="attachment_73" align="alignright" width="300"] The numbered band on this duck will allow biologists to track this duck and provide valuable i
Duck Box Maintenance
[caption id="attachment_357" align="alignleft" width="225"] One of the duck boxes on the Gregg Sanborn (Brownfield) WMA[/caption] Wildlife biologists are taking advantage of the thick ice and cooler temperatures this time of year to investigate activity that may have occurred
Did you know...
[caption id="attachment_589" align="alignleft" width="306"] Black bear with cub[/caption] Bears are not true hibernators? A true hibernator, like a chipmunk, enters a state of hibernation and then will not wake until their biological clock tells them to, regardless of external stimuli. Bears do not hibernate.
Hibernating Herpetofauna
[caption id="attachment_235" align="alignleft" width="240"] A bull frog perches on a rock enjoying the sun.[/caption] Herpetofauna is a term referring to reptiles and amphibians as one group. Often it is shortened to just ‘herps’.
Collecting Deer Data - Part 1
The firearms season on deer is in full swing and while hunters scramble seeking deer, biologists scramble seeking successful hunters. During the month of November, wildlife biologists across the state are in a frantic race to collect as much biological data as possible from harvested deer; to do this they are making regular visits to tagging stations and meat processors. Don’t be surprised if they also show up on your door step. The first step to bulk data collection is getting to know the people who handle deer every day all season: the processors.
Collecting Deer Data - Part 2
In the first post about deer bio-data collection, I talked about where wildlife biologists go to collect information and measurements from harvested deer. In this part, I’ll tell you what measurements and samples we collect and why. The first thing the biologist takes note of is the seal number. This is the seven digit number on the registration tag which is affixed to the animal at the tagging station. This number provides an easy way to keep all of the samples and meat connected to the specific deer organized.
Biologists gather data from dead deer to monitor health of the deer herd
While many of us are out hunting this deer season, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife regional wildlife biologists are busy hunting for deer as well, knocking on doors and visiting meat lockers, chasing down biological data that will give the department a better glimpse of the health of Maine’s deer herd.
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