Managing Deer Wintering Areas Is One Aspect Of A Regional Biologist's Job

By IFW Wildlife Biologist Scott McLellan [caption id="attachment_1963" align="alignright" width="318"] This photo (figure 1) shows a harvest block where a number of the white cedar trees were retained.[/caption] As a regional biologist, one of our responsibilities is working with landowners to manage deer win

Schedule for Wild Game Cooking Workshops Hosted by Maine's Community Colleges

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has partnered with Maine's community colleges to offer a number of wild game cooking workshops over the next several months. Each workshop will offer the opportunity to participants to learn how to prepare wild game meat and sample the completed recipes.

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

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.

IFW, Students to Capture and Track Radio-tagged Heron

Students and teachers from several schools across the state, in conjunction with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, are capturing and radio tagging great blue herons to learn more about herons and their habitats. The student’s jobs, equipped with binoculars, minnow traps, and fish ID cards, is to locate a foraging heron in their area and then catch fish to use as bait to keep the herons comi

CANCELLED Ice Fishing Derby to Benefit Camp North Woods Planned for March

DUE TO UNSAFE ICE CONDITIONS, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR 2016! Join us on March 12 at Range Pond State Park for a fun day on the ice! New to ice fishing? Not a problem! Department staff and volunteers will be on hand to provide instruction. You can still enter the derby for a chance to win some great prize!All proceeds will help fund scholarships for Camp North Woods. Derby tickets are just $10 for adults and $5 for children 15 and under.

Upcoming Game Cooking Workshops

Foodies Gone Wild…Game! Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), in partnership with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW), bring exciting and delicious courses to the table.  Each will offer a cooking demonstration and tasting with SMCC culinary faculty Geoffrey Boardman and information and educational discussion with IFW experts in the field. Saturdays, 9 a

Thin Ice Conditions Continue Statewide

The Maine Warden Service is reminding anglers, snowmobilers and others who enjoy winter recreation on Maine’s lakes and ponds that ice conditions on many waterways throughout the state right now may not be safe to hold themselves or heavy equipment and vehicles. “I can’t stress enough the importance of checking ice conditions right now,” said Game Warden Colonel Joel Wilkinson, “Folks really need to take the time to drill test holes as often as they can and

Check The Chickadee On Your 2015 Tax Form!

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife conserves all of Maine’s wildlife for current and future generations.  Hunting revenues provides funding for the management of game species such as deer, turkey, and bear, but funding for lesser known nongame species that can’t be hunted or trapped has been difficult to find. Protecting these valuable species is vital as they comprise

Help Reduce the Mortality of Hooked and Released Fish

Some additional tips beyond the standard catch and release recommendations to keep in mind while fishing Maine's waters. Photos can be so stressful.  SKIP SOCIAL MEDIA!  But if you feel you must get a picture, prepare for taking photos with your fish safely under the water surface. When lifting the fish out of the water, do it for 5 second intervals or less.