hunting report aug 24

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N.H. HUNTING REPORT - AUGUST 24, 2005 Hunting seasons are here at last, and so is your N.H. Hunting Report. This newsletter comes out once a month during the fall. To unsubscribe, follow the links at the end. Several New Hampshire hunting seasons open in September -- bear, archery, and some small game firearms seasons, including gray squirrel, raccoon and common snipe. The fall crow season started August 15. Pass on the hunting tradition by taking a kid hunting on youth waterfowl weekend, coming September 24-25. The resident Canada goose season runs September 6 - 25, with a bag limit of 5 birds per day statewide. This summer Fish and Game biologists banded geese at 23 sites in 7 counties. Fish and Game Waterfowl Biologist Ed Robinson says that gosling survival was very good this year, despite the cold and rainy spring. It appears that the resident Canada goose population in the state is abundant and continuing to increase. As of August 23, there were about 1,200 Unit M Special Deer Permits left (Fish and Game started with a total of 3,250 on July 1), sold first-come, first-served online at http://www.nhfishandgame.com or at Fish and Game's Concord headquarters. Your best source for hunting season dates and details is the 2005-2006 N.H. Hunting Digest, now available at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/hunting.htm (click on the orange icon), or from Fish and Game offices and license agents statewide. Buy your hunting license and permits online at http://www.nhfishandgame.com. IN THIS ISSUE: * Bear Population Stable * A "Beary" Good Blackberry Crop * Win a Gun in the Small Game Survey * Bird Hunters -- Are You HIP? * Hunting in New York State? * Got Your (Hunter Ed) Card? * 2005 Hunting Seasons At a Glance BEAR POPULATION STABLE New Hampshire's bear season starts September 1. The state's black bear population continues to remain stable at about 5,000 animals, and bears may be hunted in all regions of the state. Despite below-average food production and periods of increased bear harvest in the past few years, the state's estimated bear population has fluctuated only slightly since 2000, following average annual population growth of 2% during the 1990s. Black bear hunters in New Hampshire achieved the second-highest statewide harvest of 679 bears in 2004; a 15% decrease from the record harvest of 802 (2003) but 30% above the 5-year annual harvest of 523 bears. Last year, hunters harvested 366 males (54%) and 313 females (46%). - Andy Timmins, Bear Project Leader A "BEARY" GOOD BLACKBERRY CROP According to bear biologist Andy Timmins, this year's bear season is expected to be similar to last year's take of 679 bears, or perhaps down a bit. Timmins went on to say, "The blackberry crop this year is phenomenal in the north country. This means that the bears will be in those blackberry patches in September!" And it is not just the Great North Woods that has a fantastic supply of blackberries this fall. Region 2 (central N.H.) wildlife biologist Kris Bontaites and Region 3 (Seacoast) wildlife biologist Eric Orff say the trend seems to be statewide. The bears will be in the berries all through the early part of this fall. Timmins also noted that the chokecherry crop seems to be pretty good, as well. Hunters may want to scout any berry patch for the early season, including blueberries, raspberries and cherries. While acorn-producing oak trees are not common through much of the Great North Woods, they are a staple bear food in the remainder of the state. Early indications are that this will be an average to above-average acorn year based on a few early reports. By September 1, Fish and Game wildlife biologists will have completed a statewide "mast" (acorn and beech nut) survey. The results will be reported to Timmins, who is coordinating the New Hampshire survey, as part of a region-wide mast survey with OH, WV, VA, MD, DE, NY, ME and NH participating in 2005. It is not just bears that feed on the fruits that Mother Nature supplies. Gray squirrels, too, can often be spotted feeding on nuts and berries. Don't forget that this year's gray squirrel season, like last, opens a full month earlier than it historically has. New Hampshire has a very liberal gray squirrel season, running September 1 to December 31, with a 5-squirrel-a-day bag limit. Squirrels may be taken in all WMUs except A, B, C1. Both bears and squirrels regularly dine on the mature ears of corn that are especially abundant along the major river valleys. These are sure places to ask the landowners about reducing the critters eating their crops. No doubt you would be welcomed back later in the fall to enjoy hunting other upland game or deer. Why not introduce yourself to the local farmers? A newly cut cornfield is a magnet for geese and ducks as well. --Eric Orff, wildlife biologist WIN A GUN IN THE SMALL GAME SURVEY Small game hunters in New Hampshire have a chance to win a Ruger rifle this season if they fill out and submit the Small Game Survey. Jeffery Oja of Dublin was thrilled to win last year's prize, which was a Ruger Red Label shotgun. Hunters who complete this year's survey will be entered into a raffle for another premiere gun, a Ruger rifle, model M77-.204 cal., valued at $725, once again generously donated by Sturm Ruger. "Thanks to Sturm Ruger, we increased participation in the small game survey fourfold last year, giving us much better data on small game abundance and distribution," said Wildlife Biologist Julie Robinson. "We're hopeful that we will be able to achieve the same response for this year's survey." If you are a small game hunter and want to participate in the survey, call (603) 271-2461 or email wilddiv@wildlife.state.nh.us. BIRD HUNTERS -- ARE YOU HIP? Don't forget -- hunters of all migratory game birds must have a 2005 N.H. hunting license AND are required by federal law to register for the National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP). In New Hampshire, this includes all who hunt ducks, geese, snipe, woodcock and coots. Harvest information from HIP helps Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service make more reliable estimates of the number of all migratory birds harvested throughout the country, so biologists can make good decisions about hunting seasons, bag limits and population management. A random selection of hunters is asked to complete a voluntary harvest survey. Separate HIP permits are needed for each state you hunt. Licensed hunters should call 1-800-207-6183 to get a permit number. Write this number on your license. (There's no charge for the permit.) The HIP program provides biologists with the facts they need to ensure that our migratory bird resources - and hunting tradition - will be around for future generations to enjoy. Waterfowl hunters also must get a federal and a state duck stamp. HUNTING IN NEW YORK STATE? If you're heading to another state to hunt this fall, especially New York, don't bring chronic wasting disease (CWD) back to New Hampshire's deer herd. CWD is a serious threat -- a fatal neurological disorder that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer and elk (not people). This spring, CWD was detected in both captive and wild deer in New York State, bringing the disease far closer to New Hampshire's borders than ever before. CWD has been found in wild or captive deer or elk in 13 states -- Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming; and two Canadian provinces -- Alberta and Saskatchewan. So far, New Hampshire's deer population shows no evidence of CWD. Do your part to help keep New Hampshire's deer CWD-free. If you're hunting in any of the 15 CWD-positive jurisdictions, you MUST follow the regulations on importing deer or elk carcasses into New Hampshire. You may bring back ONLY deboned meat, antlers, upper canine teeth and/or hides or capes with no part of the head attached. Antlers attached to skullcaps or canine teeth must have all soft tissue removed. Remember, it's the law. GOT YOUR CARD? If you want to hunt this fall, but you don't have your Hunter Education certificate yet, better sign up now so you can get your hunting license. A hunter ed class is great for brushing up on your outdoor skills, even if you've already got your license. Fish and Game offers hunter and bowhunter education classes around the state, as well as trapper education. To find a class near you, visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/hunter_ed.htm or call (603) 271-3214. 2005 HUNTING SEASONS AT A GLANCE White-tailed Deer: *Archery: Sept. 15-Dec. 15 *Youth Deer Weekend: Oct. 22-23 *Muzzleloader: Oct. 29-Nov. 8 Firearms: Nov. 9-Dec. 4 Black Bear: Starts Sept. 1; end varies by WMU Gray Squirrel: Sept. 1-Dec. 31 (Closed in WMUs A, B and C1) Snowshoe Hare: Oct. 1-March 15 or 31; end varies by WMU Ruffed Grouse: Oct. 1-Dec. 31 Moose: Oct. 15-23 (by permit only) Fall Turkey (archery only): Sept. 15-Dec. 15 (Closed in WMU A) For more New Hampshire hunting information, visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/hunting.htm. Do you have a friend who would like to receive this free monthly newsletter? Have them sign up at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Inside_FandG/join_mail_list.htm. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us. ________________________________ A USER-PAY, USER-BENEFIT PROGRAM Researching, managing and restoring wildlife are funded by your license dollars and by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program. Your purchases of hunting equipment, sporting firearms and ammunition make a difference to New Hampshire's wildlife resources and this state's way of life. Click here to learn more. -- Copyright 2005 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301. Comments or questions concerning this list should be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.