Winter Wildlife Watching
Here in Maine we have a wonderful tradition of embracing our state’s winter weather with all sorts of outdoor activities. One of the most basic ways to get outdoors is to go for a walk and explore a natural area. Nothing makes a walk through the woods more memorable than getting to see some wild animals. So here are some tips for better wildlife watching.
Oil Response Training: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst
Early in October, you may have noticed several Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife vehicles lining route 202 next to Annabessacook Lake while staff deployed canoes and kayaks into the water, paddling against strong winds and chilly temperatures while others assisted from shore. Some passerby’s slowed down to gawk, some even stopped to inquire what happened, concerned of what might be unfolding.
Mighty Mini Owls
Though calm in appearance, a feisty female saw-whet owl snapped her beak repeatedly, warning us of her very sharp, curved upper beak. With zygodactyl feet, two toes are usually in the front and two in the back, however, owls have the unique ability to rotate their fourth digit to the front, allowing them to perch, hold food, and grab prey.
Mandated Moose Stations and Vital Data Collection
While leaf peepers are out in the masses from late September to late October, so are moose hunters. 3,135 permits were allocated for the Maine moose hunt this year, each one requiring a drawn permit and specific zone to harvest from. After years of data collection, MDIFW has found the most innovative technologies and techniques to assess the health and ecological relationships for Maine’s moose population to fine-tune management decisions.
Maine’s Hunters and Trappers are Conservationists
By Wildlife Promotional Coordinator Lauren McPherson
Join Judy Outside: Fall Migration
Sunday morning, I was vacuuming the living room, and over the drone of the vacuum I heard the telltale song of a black-billed cuckoo… “cu cu cu cu”…“cu cu cu cu.” I paused for a second, and thought “did I just hear that?”
Racing to Save Maine’s Black Racers
His leap was like something from a football playback, but instead of cradling a pigskin, he was lunging toward a flash of black rocketing through the tall grass, living up to its name, the black racer. I never expected catching snakes would require such agility, speed, and coordination. I used to catch snakes as a child, usually for my mom or step-mom who would burst out in a screech while gardening, yelling for me to remove it. I would gladly oblige, taking the time to check over the snake and bring it into the woods to be released. But I never had the speed nor the commitment to bound through the air, landing on my side, surely losing my breath after falling to the hard ground.
The deer hunting seasons are fast approaching!
By Wildlife Biologist, Deer Specialist, Nathan Bieber
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