MDIFW Blog
Tips for Tracks
Winter is the best time to learn to identify and interpret wildlife sign. Here are some tips to get started.
Landlocked Salmon and Brown Trout – Tips for Identifying Your Catch
When you picture a landlocked salmon and then a brown trout, I’m sure the two species are clearly distinguishable. In certain Maine water bodies both species are present and on occasion the two species can be tough to quickly identify. Which, to be fair, is not that much of a surprise. Landlocked salmon and brown trout are closely related (both falling under the genus; Salmo) which lends the two species to look similar in some circumstances.
Strategies for the Snowy Season
As the days get shorter, temperatures drop, and snow begins to fall, how do you plan to spend the winter? Just like people, wildlife uses several winter survival strategies.
Fired Up about Conservation
The first Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) to be held in the Northeast brought collaboration, mentorship, outreach, and fire to the sandplain grassland of Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area. Prescribed burns are tactically designed with two main objectives: restore ecosystem function and decrease uncontrollable wildfire risk.
Deputy Game Wardens
The Maine Warden Service Deputy Warden Program is a great starting point for aspiring Game Wardens. Several Deputy Wardens are hired each year for part-time summer positions patrolling lakes where there is a high concentration of boating activity.
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA)
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is an opportunity to protect and enhance fish and wildlife in Maine and the United States for future generations.
Maine has Another Productive Plover Year
Only a short 40 years ago, the piping plover population had a grim outlook with a mere seven pairs recorded in the entire state of Maine. These beach habitat specialists are nearly always found in open sandy areas near water. Consequently, these are the same areas that have been heavily developed and used by beachgoers over the years, leading to the sharp decline of the state’s population.
Sights Set on Success
Since the modernization of the Summerhaven Shooting Range in Augusta, doors of opportunity have opened, providing safe access for the public to practice shooting and cultivating sportsmanship and participation in a healthy but challenging environment. Reforming the shooting range has delivered more versatile yet comfortable conditions for participants, and simultaneously has offered trained and certified Range Safety Officers (RSO) to provide efficient and sound assistance.
Wading for Wood Turtles
MDIFW Biologists conduct wood turtle surveys to verify and track occurrences of the Species of Concern, improve knowledge of habitat use and home range, and effectively map them for conservation planning.
Deceive a Beaver, Save a Beaver
To learn more about the biology and ecology of beavers, and ways to live with them, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), The U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA) -Wildlife Services, and the town of Dixmont partnered and held a training, open to those who might have direct or direct involvement with beaver conflicts, to demonstrate the best ways to live with beaver.
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