Wildlife Management Areas Receive New Signs

If you’ve spent any time in the Downeast Region lately you may have noticed new signs installed at several Wildlife Management Areas.  After years of exposure to the sun, precipitation, and occasional vandalism, many of the wooden signs had fallen into disrepair.

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Unit L and M Antlerless Deer Permits Available Soon

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.

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Spiny Water Fleas Spur Reminder to Anglers and Boaters on Preventing Spread of Invasive Species

Recent reports of spiny water fleas becoming snagged on fishing gear used on Lake Champlain have prompted officials to urge anglers and boaters to take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of this and other harmful aquatic invasive species.

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Biologists Seeking Information On Maine Bat Colonies

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is looking for more information concerning bat colonies around the State of Maine as biologists continue to research the impact of white-nose syndrome in Maine

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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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Brook Trout Flourish In Little Moxie Pond After Removing Suckers, Shiners

Wonder what can happen when you remove nearly two tons of suckers and shiners from a small, 73-acre native trout pond? Brook trout flourish. Fisheries management can take many different forms. For some lakes or ponds, all it may take to improve the fishing is a tweak in a regulation or an adjustment on how many fish are stocked.

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Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Permit App Available

Vermont’s muzzleloader season antlerless deer hunting permit applications are now available on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). A quick-link to the information and online applications is on the home page. Applying online automatically enters you to win one of ten $50 Cabela’s gift cards.

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Fishing Report May 23 2016 Massachusetts

A local pond had been hot for this spring’s crappie bite, but my last trip there you can definitely tell that this bite is starting to slow down. Checked the prime areas from the previous trip and only a couple of locations there were any bites.

Prime places that the crappie were still holding shallow involved having wood in the water that a few of these fish were still relating to. The bites are getting further between as a majority of the crappie have already started their ...movements back out towards deeper waters.

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Free Fishing Day in New Hampshire - Saturday, June 4

Take advantage of New Hampshire's Free Fishing Day, coming Saturday, June 4, 2016, to fish anywhere in New Hampshire without a fishing license. Get out and enjoy the day fishing with your family and friends! Both state residents and nonresidents may participate. All other fishing regulations must be followed, including season dates and bag limits.

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Kittery Trading Post Hosting Maine Moose Permit Lottery on June 11

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is pleased to announce that the drawing for Maine’s moose permit lottery will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine.

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Help Protect Endangered Piping Plovers on NH Beaches

The public is being asked to help protect endangered birds on the beaches this holiday weekend and beyond, as the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department reports there are seven pairs of piping plovers nesting along the sandy shores of Hampton and Seabrook. Piping plovers are endangered in New Hampshire and threatened nationally. Their breeding habitat is fenced with yellow roping to indicate the birds' presence to beach-goers and to allow the mating pairs space to nest and raise their young.

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Manchester Bear Relocated

A young bear that wandered into Manchester today near Gramby and Warner streets was captured and relocated further north in New Hampshire.

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Fawns are Arriving; Leave them Alone Urges F&W

The Vermont Fish &Wildlife Department says deer fawns are being born this time of year and asks that people avoid disturbing or picking them up.

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Help Keep NH CWD-Free: Don't Use Urine-based Deer Lures

New Hampshire’s white-tailed deer population once again showed no evidence of chronic wasting disease (CWD), based on monitoring data gathered during the 2015 hunting season.

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Dead eagle shot and killed

We need your help. On April 15, a female, adult Bald Eagle was found dead beside a logging road in Days Academy Grant, east of Moosehead Lake. A concerned sportsman reported it to game wardens which responded and collected the bald eagle. The eagle was taken to Avian Haven in Freedom, Maine where an examination revealed it had been shot. It is believed to have been killed in early April.

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Kids Fishing Event on Swan Island

On Saturday May 21 from 9am – 1pm, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will be holding a ‘learn to fish’ event on Swan Island in Richmond. This event offers the opportunity for children 15 and under to learn basic angling skills. All equipment, bait and tackle will be provided at no charge, and volunteer instructors will be on hand to assist. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

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New Version of Lead Jig Law Takes Effect June 1

On June 1, 2016, a new law takes effect that redefines what a lead jig is for the purposes of taking fish in the freshwaters of New Hampshire. All lead jigs less than or equal to one ounce will be prohibited.  It is well documented that lead, when ingested, is toxic to loons and other water birds.  Changing lead sinkers and jigs to a non-toxic alternative is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also the law.  Visit www.fishleadfree.org/nh/ for alternatives to lead tackle.

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Last Chance to Enter the NH Moose Hunt Lottery

If you haven't submitted an application yet and want a chance to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall, then you better get moving! The deadline for entering the New Hampshire moose hunt lottery is Friday, May 27, 2016.  The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is proposing to offer permits to 71 lucky winners for New Hampshire's 2016 moose hunt, which runs from October 15-23. Last year's statewide hunter success rate for moose was 69%.

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National Safe Boating Week Kicks Off Connecticut’s

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announces National Safe Boating Week (May 21-27) and encourages all boaters to be safe on Connecticut’s waters while enjoying the upcoming boating season, which unofficially begins Memorial Day Weekend.

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Moose Lottery Deadline is May 27, 2016

Want to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall? The deadline for entering the New Hampshire moose hunt lottery is May 27, 2016. It costs just $15 for residents and $25 for non-residents to enter the lottery (non-refundable). A total of 71 permits are proposed to be issued this year. The state's moose hunt will run from October 15 - 23, 2016. Last year, the statewide hunter success rate was 69%.

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

Vermont’s Walleye Fishing Starts May 7

The best walleye fishing in New England will begin soon in several Vermont rivers and lakes, according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. The department is reminding anglers that walleye fishing season starts in much of the state on the first Saturday in May and that regulations vary, depending on the water you are fishing.

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