Free Snowmobile Weekends Slated for Winter 2016

Tri-State Snowmobile Weekend: This annual three-day event will take place January 29 – 31, 2016 and allows all legally registered Maine snowmobiles to be operated in New Hampshire and Vermont without being registered in those states. This also means that all snowmobiles legally registered in New Hampshire and Vermont can be operated in Maine without a current Maine registration.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/ME_News.html

Vermont Bear Hunters Had a Successful and Safe Season in 2015

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reports that bear hunters in Vermont had a safe and successful hunting season in 2015. Preliminary numbers show that hunters took 669 black bears during the 83 days of the two-part ‘early bear season’ and ‘late bear season.’ There were also no hunting-related shooting incidents.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

DEM stocks Rhode Island waters with trout for winter fishing season

Just in time for the winter fishing season, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is stocking ponds and rivers across Rhode Island with some 1,400 brown and brook trout.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/RI_News.html

Winter Children's Programs at Great Bay Discovery Center

The Great Bay Discovery Center in Greenland, NH, is offering a variety of fun and educational programming for children this winter.  Programs are available for pre-school age and home-schooled children, as well as February vacation programs for older children.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

NH Hunting Season Results - Preliminary Totals for Deer, Bear, Turkey

The unofficial deer kill for New Hampshire’s 2015 hunting season was 10,912, down 4% from the 2014 final kill of 11,396. Based on this estimate, the 2015 total is very similar to the 20-year average of 10,896. Deer hunting seasons are now closed in the state.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Hunter Education Instructor Training Courses Being Offered

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is offering several New Instructor Training Courses for people interested in volunteering to teach Hunter Education, Trapper Education, or Bowhunter Education courses in Vermont.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

Free Ice Fishing Talks at Fish and Game in January

Polish up your ice fishing skills by taking advantage of two free ice fishing seminars with New Hampshire fishing guide Tim Moore being offered in Concord this January at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Moore is the owner of Tim Moore Outdoors.  He has ice fished in New Hampshire for more than thirty years and has been featured on NH’s Wildside TV and New Hampshire Chronicle. Moore is an Ice Team Pro, as well as a member of Clam Outdoors, Vexilar, Maki Plastics and Daddy Mac Lures Pro Staffs. The talks will begin at 7 p.m. at Fish and Game headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive in Concord, NH. No pre-registration is necessary.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Maine 2016 Hunting and Fishing Licenses Now Available

A new year of hunting and fishing opportunity is just around the corner! The 2016 Maine hunting and fishing licenses are now available for purchase online or at any of the more than 800 licensing agents statewide.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/ME_News.html

Fishing Report December 13 2015 Massachusetts

Waiting for ice

As this mild winter continues on and many of us are still waiting for first ice, shoreline fishing is still happening and with a little searching of local waters this will keep you occupied until the ice finally arrives.

Fishing a local reservoir, I heard that there are large crappie in this water and wanted to see if we could catch them from the shoreline. The reservoirs here typically have an earthen dam setup at the outlet and there usually is a nice wall that offers you access to deep water to fish in.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Visit N.H. Fish and Game at Upcoming Outdoor Events

Outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to stop by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department booth at these classic New England winter events

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Habitat Management Leads to Landowner Hunting Success

When David Boocock of Montgomery enrolled in a program with the state to improve his land for wildlife, he was hoping the enhancements would boost his odds during the fall deer hunting season. But he never realized that the payoff would come so quickly, or be so impressive.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

Snowshoe Hare Hunting Workshop - in Holderness, January 9

Learn about the exciting sport of snowshoe hare hunting at a free workshop being offered at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, N.H. The workshop will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2016. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Fishing Report December 6 2015 Massachusetts

Searching open water crappie with electronics

We have never had a year that we are still fishing from the boat on open water, especially getting to the mid of December. Water temperatures were still around 43 degrees and the lake is void of other boats, this is making it very difficult for winterizing the boat for this season.

Object for locating these schools of crappies, is to idle around the lake and keep your eyes glued to the graph on your console. These schools will show up as clouds, especially on a color screen and if you are running any type of down scan imager, you can actually see the fish in the schools.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Preliminary Moose Hunt Numbers Are Up For 2015

With the preliminary numbers in, it looks as though moose hunters were more successful in 2015 than in 2014, and Maine’s moose population looks healthy.

“We had a number of moose that weighed in excess of 1,000 pounds,” said Kantar. “The moose we examined looked very healthy, with good percentage of body fat stored for the winter.”

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/ME_News.html

Vermont’s Free Ice Fishing Day is January 30

Vermont’s third annual Free Ice Fishing Day is January 30, 2016. To celebrate, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding an Ice Fishing Festival at Lake Elmore State Park in central Vermont. The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free and families with kids are encouraged to attend.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

Fur, Feathers, and Ferns Program and Hike at Kellogg Environmental Center, Derby

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) invites families, friends, scouting groups and other organizations to participate in a Fur, Feathers, and Ferns Hike Wednesday, December 30, 2015 beginning at 10:00 am and concluding at 1:00 pm. at the Kellogg Environmental Center, Derby.  Please bring a beverage and an eco-friendly lunch which is one that uses recyclable or reusable items for containers.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/CT_News.html

Authorities Seek Information In Identifying Moose Poacher

On December 6, 2015, Conservation Officers from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department responded to an anonymous tip regarding a dead moose that had been found approximately three-quarters of a mile from the end Smokey Camp Brook Road in Errol, N.H.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Muskie Fishing Success Binds Three Generations of Vermonters

When Alex Beebe of Swanton recently reeled in the first muskie caught above Swanton Dam on the Missisquoi River in nearly four decades, he took his place in the fishing lore of Vermont. In 2013, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department began stocking muskellunge, or ‘muskie,’ along this upper stretch of river with the hopes of continuing to restore this native fish species. Alex’s catch is a sign that this conservation effort may be working.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

NH Hunting Report

"Statewide, it has been another relatively successful season. Current numbers are only slightly below last year’s and we are on track to finish near the 15 year average total harvest (2000-2014) of between 10,000 to 11,000 animals. Average total harvests in the preceding 15 years (1985-1999) were between 8,000-9,000 animals. The most notable thing to me this year has been the excellent physical condition of the deer I inspected at biological check stations," said Bergeron.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Fishing Report November 29 2015 Massachusetts

While many of the HSM Outdoors staff are either on the ice or will be shortly, the group of us on the East Coast are still fishing open water. Cool temps at night, but the day temps still getting into the 40’s and the water temperatures are still in the mid to low 40’s.

Couple of lakes that I have been targeting this late fall, the crappie are hanging in the same general area and those are deeper depressions in the lakes contours. Anywhere you come off of an underwater point or long flat, the schools of crappie are hanging right out in front in the deeper drop-offs.

The better sized school a month ago were positioned in a saddle and in only 9 feet of water but now that they have moved to the above locations, they are hanging in 16 feet of water and are positioned anywhere from the bottom up to 11 feet down.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Vermont Muzzleloader and 2nd Archery Deer Seasons, Dec. 5-13

Vermont’s hunters will get one final chance for a deer this year during the muzzleloader deer season and the second part of the archery deer season. The two seasons run at the same time -- December 5-13. A muzzleloader hunter may take one legal buck anywhere in the state. In addition, a hunter who received a muzzleloader antlerless deer permit may take one antlerless deer in the Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) designated on the permit.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

The Wild Turkey Contributed to Thanksgiving

One of our native wildlife species historically played an important role on Thanksgiving Day. North America’s native wild turkeys were the ancestors of the Thanksgiving turkey on our dinner table. Originally found only in the wild, turkeys now exist as meat-producing domesticated derivatives -- the broad breasted white, broad breasted bronze, white Holland, bourbon red, and a host of other breeds – all of them descended from our native wild turkey.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

Fishing Report November 22 2015 Massachusetts

Cold weather in New England, seems to be eluding us for a while yet so no point in putting the boat away and enjoying the late fall fishing. Water temperatures were still around the 47 degree mark, light winds, overcast and threatening rain.

Idling around the lake searching for the schools of crappies and finding that the fish are back into their bigger schools again. Previously, the schools were broken and much more scattered all around and more difficult to locate and catch as well.

Today’s bait of choice was going to be the Salmo Fishing Lures - Chubby Darter in the size #3 which is 1.3 inches long and 1/8 oz in weight that was fished on 3 lb line. This is a go to bait for ice fishing but also works very well on the open water while vertical jigging on the side of the boat.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Hunters Reminded to Provide Deer Teeth

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding hunters who harvest a deer during the November rifle season to provide a middle incisor tooth from the deer so its age can be determined.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

NH Hunting Report - November 19, 2015

Hunters have enjoyed perfect fall weather for the first week of the regular firearms deer hunt in New Hampshire. Congratulations to Jessie Tichko of Canterbury, who took a 180-pound, 8-point buck on opening day. Good luck to everyone heading afield!

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Fishing Report November 15 2015 Massachusetts

Many anglers these days, have their minds on walking on water again, as the days are getting shorter and cooler as well. But, for those that haven’t put their boats away yet, they know that the fishing is still going on with some good catches still happening.

Latest trip out, the air temperatures were at 30 degrees and the water temperatures are slowly dropping as well to 44 degrees. This particular lake the last time there the active fish were concentrated in a back cove and in 12 feet of water.

That is the area that I started this trip at and there they were still in the same location but actually a bit shallower at 10 feet deep while being suspended at 6 - 8 feet down. The schools of fish are not as massive as they had been in the past and are a bit more scattered out.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Trout Stocked for Winter Anglers

Winter anglers in New Hampshire have had some trout stocked especially for them this fall. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department stocks trout every year during the fall months, mostly to bolster the winter ice fishery. This should translate into some exciting action for winter anglers, according to Inland Fisheries Division Chief Jason Smith.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Fishing Report November 8 2015 Massachusetts

After having a great bite the last time to this lake for the crappies, hopes were high for another great bite on the water. Started at the location where the better fish were located and seeing that the water temperatures were still in the mid to low 50’s.

Started checking the waypoints where the schools were at and started noticing right away that today wasn’t going to be the same at all. After motoring around a bit, finally found a small school of crappies but the size of the school was quite a bit smaller.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Fishing Report November 1 2015 Massachusetts

The use of electronics in fishing is vital right now as the pan fish are congregating in anticipation of the coming ice season. By idling around the basins of your lakes, keep your eyes glued to your graphs, as when you go over these schools of fish, the screen is going to be totally filled. Throw out a buoy marker where they are and circle back and put your Vexilar flasher to use. Once you are over them and seeing on your flasher what level of the water column they are in, it will be fish after fish being caught.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Watch for Deer on the Roads

Motorists are advised to watch for deer crossing roadways this time of year, especially at dawn and dusk.  Deer are very active right now, as the mating season, or rut, is underway and bucks and does have their minds on other things than traffic!

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

SonarPhone Tbox Mapping Capabilties

The lake waters are cooling a bit every day as the night temperatures keep going below the freezing mark. This is getting all of the ice anglers very excited for that first ice once it arrives. You have looked over all of your ice fishing equipment and figured that you are set for that first trip to the ice, but, there may be one item that you are neglecting that may put you onto more fish this winter.

We are talking about having a current lake depth map. Vexilar has come out with the SonarPhone that is allowing you to using your smart device and the Navionics application for mapping the waters that you always fish. The Navionics app on your smart device may already have a map of your fishing lake, but if you use the Sonarphone and map that lake yourself, you are going to find out that there is a lot of new information that you never knew was even there.

This is what we are currently doing right now until the ice comes. We have made a list of the lakes that we fish that have no mapping information for them. These are typically smaller waters and requires using our Jon boat for obtaining this information. By running your smart device with the Navionics app and the SonarPhone Tbox, we are creating live information about our fishable waters.

The SonarPhone Tbox is very reasonably priced but for what you get back in the form of lake depth information, you will wonder why you never started using this earlier. It is simple to use and there may only be a few more weeks left for being able to do this, so you owe it to yourself to take a look at the SonarPhone Tbox.

The examples from our mapping this past weekend, in the one picture, this is the typical Navionics map and the other is the SonarPhone overlay on the same map and as you can see the biggest difference between them.

Vermont’s Rifle Deer Season Starts Saturday, Nov. 14

Hunters are gearing up for the start of Vermont’s statewide traditionally popular 16-day rifle deer season that begins November 14 and ends Sunday, November 29.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

NH Hunting Report - November 10, 2015

The opening day of regular firearms hunting season is always a holiday for deer hunters, but this year it is doubly so, as the season opener falls on November 11, 2015, which is also Veteran’s Day.  With that in mind, hunters are encouraged to call ahead to make sure deer check stations are open; a full list of New Hampshire deer check stations, with contact information, can be found at www.huntnh.com/hunting/deer-check-stations.html. With the opening of the regular firearm season and the increasing number of hunters afield, hunters are reminded to wear blaze orange. New Hampshire has more than 59,000 licensed hunters age 16-68.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

CT DEEP Reminds Motorists to Watch for Deer this Fall

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division reminds motorists to be watchful of increased deer activity along roadways, especially during early morning and evening hours. Late October through December is the peak of the breeding season (also known as "the rut") for white-tailed deer which increases deer activity and the likelihood of deer crossing roads.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/CT_News.html

Maine IFW Hunting Report for November 6, 2015

Despite some warmer weather, deer season is off to a strong start in southern Maine, where registration numbers at area tagging stations are strong. “Right now, we have a higher proportion of younger deer, and starting next week, we will start to see more mature bucks,” said IFW Wildlife Biologist Scott Lindsay.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/ME_News.html

2015 Reel Fun Vermont photo contest winners announced

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation today announced the winners of the 2015 Reel Fun Vermont photo contest, a component of the recently-created Reel Fun Vermont fishing program aimed at making fishing in Vermont State Parks more accessible to park visitors.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

2015 NH Youth Deer Hunt Weekend Results

Preliminary reports show that young hunters succeeded in harvesting 368 deer during the 2015 Youth Deer Hunt Weekend in New Hampshire, down 8% from the official 2014 total of 398. This unofficial total does not include information from all registration stations.  The 2015 total is slightly above the average since the special youth deer hunt began in 1999.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Atlantic Herring Closure for Area 1A

Commercial fishermen will be prohibited from landing Atlantic herring taken from Management Area 1A effective 12:01 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2015, because herring harvesters are projected to reach 92% of the allowable harvest quota for the period.  The closure will remain in effect through midnight on May 31, 2016.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Deer Season Starts Saturday For Residents, Monday For Nonresidents

Maine’s firearm deer season begins this Saturday. Even with last year’s long winter, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists are expecting that the 2015 deer will be a successful one for many hunters. The tradition of deer hunting in Maine continues to increase in popularity. Resident hunting license sales have increased each year since 2005 and non-resident licenses sales have also increased each of the past three years.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/ME_News.html

Hunters Asked to Help Collect Deer Biological Data

Ever wonder how old the buck was you took in deer season? Vermont hunters who harvest a deer during the November rifle season will have the opportunity to find out, if they submit the proper tooth from their deer.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

Fishing Report October 25 2015 Massachusetts

The weather these fall days, can be very nice one day and the next it will do a 180 degree turn on you and when these happen you need to adapt to those conditions. This trip was one of those days with much cooler temperatures, fairly high winds and also some light rain falling.

Over the next month, we will be fishing a number of our smaller ponds for locating the resident fish before first ice sets in. This will allow us a better opportunity of having a successful first ice outing once it comes. We are utilizing our winter tactics right now in the boat as we are vertical jigging with the use of our Vexilar FLX-28 flasher.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

Deer Season Update: Opening Day for Regular Firearms Deer Season 11/11

Deer hunters in New Hampshire are gearing up for the firearms seasons. The popular muzzleloader season runs from October 31 through November 10, 2015. Opening day for New Hampshire’s regular firearms deer season is November 11, a date anticipated with great enthusiasm by hunters statewide.  The firearms deer season runs through December 6 in most of the state, except in Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) A in northern New Hampshire, where it closes November 29. New Hampshire has more than 59,000 licensed hunters age 16-68.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Vermont Moose Hunters Had a Successful Season

Vermont moose hunters had a successful hunting season according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. A record bull was taken in the October 1-7 archery moose hunt, and the regular moose hunting season was October 17-22.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

Young Hunters Encouraged to Participate (and Report) in Youth Deer Hunt November 7 and 8

With youth deer weekend just around the corner, young hunters are encouraged to take to the field to hone their skills and to also help Fish & Wildlife biologists by reporting their deer at one of 23 biological reporting stations around the state.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/VT_News.html

Moose Hunt Update: 59% of N.H. Moose Hunters Successful So Far

As of Wednesday, October 21, 2015, a total of 64 moose had been taken in the 2015 New Hampshire moose hunt (41 bulls and 23 cows). That means that 59% of the 108 hunters holding moose permits had succeeded by the midway point in the state’s moose hunt. This percentage is exactly the same as last year (2014) at this point in the season.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Youth Deer Day is Saturday, October 24

This Saturday, youth deer hunters across the state get their own day to hunt deer.
“Youth day is a wonderful way to introduce a young hunter to Maine’s deer hunting heritage,” said Chandler Woodcock, Commissioner, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “Hunting is an ideal tool to teach children about conservation, responsibility, patience and respect for our natural resources.”

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/ME_News.html

New Hampshire Hunting Report - October 21, 2015

Hunters harvested 1,993 deer in New Hampshire through October 18, 2015, according to Fish and Game Deer Project Leader Dan Bergeron. This represents an increase of 2% from harvest at the same point in the 2014 season.  The kill remains up significantly from 2010 and 2011, when the September archery season was bucks only. The harvest to date is the third highest in the last nine years and is only below 2007 and 2013, when the state’s second and fourth highest total deer kills occurred.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Fishing Report October 18 2015 Massachusetts

Schooling Crappies before freeze up

The main goal for today’s trip was to try and locate the crappie pods, as they are preparing for the coming winter season and schooling up. After searching the main lake basin and only finding scattered fish, waters were still a balmy 58 degrees, was seeing that they weren’t doing what they were supposed to be. So I had a change of plans and went bass fishing for a while instead.

Ran the shorelines casting shallow running crankbaits and the bass were very aggressive and biting in a number of locations. There weren’t any big ones caught but the ones that were, were hard fighters and a lot of fun.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/Fishing_Reports_2015.html

N.H. Moose Hunt Opening Weekend Brings 33 percent Success

A third of New Hampshire's moose hunters were successful during the first two days of the nine-day season, achieving a 33% success rate on the opening weekend of the hunt. On Saturday and Sunday (October 17 and 18), a total of 36 moose were taken by hunters statewide – 24 bulls and 12 cows.  The total number of hunters was 108 (105 lottery permit holders, two permits auctioned off by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH to generate important conservation funding, and one Hunt of a Lifetime participant). In comparison, last year, 39% of moose hunters were successful during the opening weekend.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html

Emergency Morning Closure of All NH Pheasant Stocking Sites October 22-23, 2015

Under an emergency measure implemented today by the NH Fish and Game Department, no one shall discharge a firearm at a pheasant stocking site in New Hampshire from 7:00 a.m. to 12 noon on October 22 and 23, 2015. Those are the last two days that Fish and Game stocks pheasants this year.

http://www.backwoodssportsman.com/NH_News.html