Who's Been Here?

It’s that awkward time of year. Hunting for most species has ended, the lakes are not frozen enough to do some fishing yet, and folks, kids and adults alike, are fidgety sitting inside on the weekends. What is there to do that isn’t expensive or a long drive? Well, you’re lucky. You’re in Maine, and Maine is known for woods, snow, and wildlife. Mix those three things together and you get a fun afternoon outside, looking for tracks! The best condition for identifying tracks is fresh snow, about one inch or so, or soft mud.

Reclaiming Wadleigh Pond

[caption id="attachment_164" align="alignright" width="300"] MDIF&W fisheries biologists and certified piscicide applicators apply Rotenone to Wadleigh Pond.[/caption] On Tuesday, N

Walking on Thin Ice

It’s December, and most hard-water anglers are thinking the same thing: “when is it going to get cold enough to freeze the ponds?” Each year as a sheer, fragile coating begins to inhibit fog from rising off the water’s surface, anglers become jittery. Fingers start itching to be on the auger throttle, ice traps are pulled from summer storage and re-lined, or at least checked, and where in the world are those wool socks, thick gloves, and hat all hiding? Every evening that the mercury dips well below 32 degrees elicits a happy “making ice” dance.

Small Smelt, Huge Impact

[caption id="attachment_435" align="alignright" width="300"] An invasive rainbow smelt washes in when a pond is reclaimed[/caption] The story begins with arctic char, also known as blueback trout.  Maine is the only state in the lower 48 that has native

Salmon Stripping

As crisp mornings become regularly bedecked with heavy frosts, landlocked salmon have one thing on their minds: spawning. For the most part, salmon are quite able to locate an appropriate spawning area, spawn, and return back to lakes and ponds without any issue.

Tick Check

River Otter Surveys

As the nights continue to get colder, wild animals all over the state are making preparations for the impending winter. For otters, this means increased marking of fishing territories so other otters know where their neighbors will be fishing when ice forms.

Seining Kennebago River

[caption id="attachment_423" align="alignright" width="300"] Biologists dragging seine net through a section of the Kennebago River[/caption] Seine netting is a non-lethal capture method employed by MDIFW fisheries biologists during the

Biologists and October Bulls

[caption id="attachment_419" align="alignright" width="300"] Unity College students check harvested moose for winter tick load.

Trap Nets for Trout

Fall is descending upon us and that means breath-taking foliage, crisp, cool mornings, and trap nets! Trap netting is a live-trapping technique that targets fish swimming close to shore.