Boat Ramp Repairs: Alton and Claremont

The public boat access facility along the Connecticut River known as Ashley Ferry, in Claremont, N.H., will be closed to accommodate dredging to remove accumulated river silt on the ramp.  The closure will begin late on Tuesday, July 5, 2016.  The ramp is expected to reopen late on Friday July 8, 2016. 

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Fishing Report June 24 2016 Massachusetts

With the waters warming fairly quickly this year, that has the fish way ahead of where they typically are at this time of year. The crappies are getting past their post spawn phase and are now spreading out over the deeper basins of the lake.

We have found that idling over these areas and watching your electronics, this can pinpoint you to where there may be a school of these fish. During the warmer months as opposed to spring and fall, these pods of fish are much smaller in numbers of fish and a bit more difficult to stay on once located.

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Deer Age Report Available on F&W Website

A report summarizing deer age results from the 2015 hunting seasons is now available on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website by clicking here...

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“Reel Fun Vermont” Program Kicks off 2nd Year

The “Reel Fun” program is in full swing across Vermont for the second year running, meaning even more fishing opportunities for campers and visitors at state parks throughout the state.

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New Fishing Camp Kicks Off Next Week at Rocky Point State Park

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will join Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) to kick off a new fishing camp next week at Rocky Point State Park. Fifty Rhode Island children will participate in the free, three-day camp that will teach young anglers how to safely fish from boat and shore.

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Biologists Research Migratory Patterns Of Coastal Stream Brook Trout

Salters, or sear run brook trout, possess a certain mystique. Brook trout are most closely associated with cool, mountain streams, but as many avid brook trout anglers know, you can find them throughout Maine in streams that remain cool in the summer.

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Baiting Rule Changes for the 2016-2017 Hunting Seasons

New Hampshire hunters should note that several changes were made to baiting regulations during the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s biennial rulemaking review, particularly regarding the application process for bait permits and submission deadlines.  Baiting permits issued prior to June 1, 2016, when the new rules took effect, will be valid for the 2016 season.

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Fishing Report June 20 2016 Massachusetts

The sunfish spawn here in the Northeast is on its downward slide. There are still beds around but active fish on them is getting less as each day passes. Water temps are finally rising and mainly getting towards the mid 70’s in many locations.

With only limited times for fishing, been resorting to fishing from shore. The other day I had hit a number of local ponds and was catching the sunfish but there just wasn’t any size to these fish. Wanted to see if we could find those larger breeder fish before they start heading for deeper water.

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2016 NH Spring Gobbler Season Results

Preliminary results are out for New Hampshire’s May 2016 spring gobbler season. Data in to date shows that hunters harvested 3,821 turkeys in New Hampshire during the spring hunt. This is 172 fewer gobblers (4.3%) than the 3,993 taken in the 2015 spring season.  More registration forms may trickle in from the 60 stations around the state, so the numbers are not final.

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Felt-Soled Wader Ban is Repealed

Many anglers will be happy to learn that a five-year ban on the use of felt-soled waders in Vermont has been repealed, effective July 1, 2016.

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Increased Boat Patrols Set for This Weekend

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will join partners across the country this weekend for the annual Operation Dry Water campaign - a national crackdown on impaired boating. DEM's Division of Law Enforcement will be conducting increased patrols from Friday - Sunday and monitoring for boaters under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

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Vermont’s Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons Announced

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has announced the syllabus of 2016-2017 migratory bird hunting seasons is now available.

A printable copy of the regulations can be downloaded from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). A printed version also will be available from license agents and post offices by mid-July.

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2016 NH Moose Permit Auction Now Open!

The Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire announces the launch of the 2016 NH Moose Permit Auction, its primary fundraiser to support the programs of the N.H. Fish and Game Department.  Official bid guidelines and documents can be downloaded from the Foundation's website at www.nhwildlifeheritage.org/moose-permit-auction or by calling (603) 496-2778. Sealed bids are due by August 5, 2016.

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Trout Take Flight -- to New Hampshire's Remote Ponds

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department completed its annual aerial stocking of remote trout ponds this week. Every year, Fish and Game contracts a helicopter to stock remote ponds, from Sunapee to Pittsburg.  During this one-day event, nearly 50 remote ponds are stocked with brook trout fingerlings from the New Hampton Hatchery.

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Fishing Report June 12 2016 Massachusetts

Sometimes when we go out fishing, there are times that we really need to go back to the basics and not over think how we fish. It has been a while since fishing... with a jigworm combo, but this past weekend it still can give other baits a run for their money.

Lake conditions right now have the water temperatures at the 69 degree mark and we have been experiencing many days with lots of wind. Even though this makes fishing tough in certain locations, this also brings food to the fish from all of the waves crashing into those shorelines.

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Possible Data Exposure for Hunting and Fishing License Online Sales System

Information belonging to customers who purchased hunting or fishing licenses from the FWD website may have been accessed improperly. Although there is no conclusive evidence of a misuse of customer information, security monitoring by the company which manages the website, bolstered by 3rd party forensics audits, have found traces of unauthorized server access occurrences in 2015 and January 2016. This has prompted the Fish & Wildlife Department to notify seven (7) customers of potential exposure of their credit card number. The department also urges customers who have purchased licenses online in the past 14 months to be vigilant and monitor their financial reports as an extra precaution. Free credit reports are available if consumers are concerned about possibly suspicious activity on their cards.

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Unit L and M Antlerless Deer Permits Available in Mid-July

Hunters who want the chance to take additional antlerless deer in Wildlife Management Units L and M in southeastern New Hampshire during the fall hunting seasons will soon be able to buy special permits. Hunters should note that there will be several changes in the sale of these permits this year.

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Invasive Plants Know No Boundaries

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, NH Natural Heritage Bureau, and Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) teamed up with over 120 community members, natural resource managers and academics to develop a statewide strategic prioritization plan for the control of upland, wetland and intertidal invasive plants.

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Printed Moose Hunting Applications Available

Vermont moose hunting permit applications are on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com), and now printed applications are also available at license agents statewide.

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DEEP Designates Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19 as “FREE FISHING LICENSE DAY”

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has designated Father’s Day, this Sunday, June 19, as the first of two “Free Fishing License” days scheduled for 2016. A second “Free Fishing License Day” is scheduled for Saturday, August 13.

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Residents Asked to Report Wild Turkey Sightings

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkey hens - both with brood and without - to help with research efforts. The Department is currently evaluating the state's wild turkey population which is estimated at 3,000 birds.

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Dry Weather Causing High Number of Nuisance Bear Complaints; Tips for Avoiding Conflicts

With an early spring and dry weather conditions, Maine’s black bears have been causing more conflicts with many Maine residents this spring. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife reminds homeowners that bears may be attracted to bird feeders, garbage cans, dumpsters, and grills in your backyards in the spring and summer, where food or the odor of food is prevalent.

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NH Moose Hunt Lottery Drawing Is Friday, June 17, 2016

The annual drawing to select the lucky hunters who will be offered a permit to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall will be held on Friday, June 17, at 9:00 a.m. at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive in Concord, N.H. The public and interested media are invited to be on hand to watch the excitement as the names are drawn.

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NH Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Fall Workshop

Women interested in learning outdoor skills in a beautiful setting can sign up for New Hampshire's fall Becoming an Outdoors-Woman weekend workshop, which will take place September 9-11, 2016, at Rockywold/Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake in Holderness, N.H.  The workshop fee of $335 includes two nights of lodging, plus all meals, instruction and equipment use. Participants must be age 18 or older.

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Vermont bass fishing season to open June 11

Vermont’s regular bass fishing season is set to kick off on Saturday, June 11, marking the start of some of the hottest and most-renowned bass fishing in the northeast.

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Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival set for June 11

The 16th annual Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival will be held on Saturday, June 11 and organizers are planning for an exciting day of fishing fun and trophy catches.

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DEEP Completes 2016 Catfish Stockings

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that one of the most sought after freshwater game fish species in the country, the Channel Catfish, has been stocked into twenty-four water bodies across Connecticut (see list of locations). This marks the tenth consecutive year DEEP has been able to stock Channel Catfish purchased with Federal Sport Fish Restoration Funds.  This year approximately 15,800 fish were stocked.

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NH Fishing Report - June 3, 2016

Summer-like temperatures have really turned the fishing on for trout and bass in the Granite State.   Insect hatches are coming on strong in southern New Hampshire, and will soon be in abundance up north.  Bass spawning is in various stages depending on the type of waterbody.  Many of the shallow warmer lakes in southern New Hampshire have seen bass come and go on the nests and now the sunfish have moved in.  Bass are still on nests in some of the deeper, colder lakes in the Lakes Region and on north.  Catch and release season for bass continues through June 15.  Be aware of those guardian males!

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Free Fishing Weekend is June 4 & 5

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is encouraging everyone to get out on Maine’s waters this weekend to take advantage of free fishing days.

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Fish and Game's Online Survey: Report Wild Turkey Brood Sightings

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is asking for the public's help in tracking wild turkey broods in New Hampshire this spring and summer. It's easy to take part.  If you observe groups of turkeys with young between now through August 31, 2016, report your sightings on Fish and Game’s web-based turkey brood survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016_Brood_Survey.

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