Time to Sign Up for Snowmobile Safety Class

CONCORD, N.H. – The seasons are changing fast, and now is the time to sign up for snowmobile education classes offered across the state. To operate a snowmobile in New Hampshire, any person over the age of 12 must have either a valid Motor Vehicle Driver’s License or have successfully completed an approved Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV) Safety Education class taught by volunteer instructors trained by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Additionally, all children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a licensed adult when operating a snowmobile, unless they are on property belonging to their parents, grandparents or guardians.

Most snowmobile safety classes are offered in November and December, with a few in early January, so sign up soon. There is no charge for the classes, which are usually completed in a single day. Parents are encouraged to attend along with their children. For a current class schedule, visit http://www.ride.nh.gov.

“Snowmobiling is a great way for families to have fun exploring the great outdoors, but riders have a responsibility to obey the rules of the trails, to be courteous and — most of all — to ride safely,” said Major Timothy Acerno, who coordinates Fish and Game’s OHRV Education Program.

Many of the trained volunteer instructors teaching the safety classes are affiliated with one of the more than 100 snowmobile clubs in New Hampshire. “Joining a snowmobile club is a great way to learn about safe riding and help maintain trails for your own and others’ enjoyment,” Acerno said, noting that club membership also gives riders a $30 discount on snowmobile registration fees.

The New Hampshire Snowmobile Association (NHSA) and its member clubs have actively promoted safe and responsible riding since 1969. NHSA members work with Fish and Game to manage over 6,800 miles of trails in New Hampshire and provide safety education to more than 2,500 children each year. For more information on how to become involved with a snowmobile club, visit http://www.nhsa.com.

In addition to safety education, this winter Fish and Game Conservation Officers will use innovative enforcement patrols to detect and apprehend impaired snowmobile operators; enhanced speed enforcement and modified exhaust patrols also will be conducted. These ongoing initiatives will help to keep the state’s snowmobile trails safe for all outdoor enthusiasts during the upcoming season.

For snowmobile safety class listings and more, visit http://www.ride.nh.gov.

Nominations Sought for Fish & Wildlife Conservation Awards

CONCORD, N.H. – Do you know someone who has made a difference in conserving New Hampshire’s wildlife, fisheries, open land and wild places? Honor them and inspire others by nominating them for a New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission Award of Excellence. Each year, the Commission recognizes deserving individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements in furthering the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s mission.

TO NOMINATE a person or organization for these awards, download the nomination form at http://www.wildnh.com/Inside_FandG/Awards_of_Excellence_Form.pdf.
Forms are also available at Fish and Game offices, or call (603) 271-3511 to request a form. Mail your nomination package, postmarked no later than December 31, 2009, to: Commission Awards Program, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301. No electronic submissions are accepted. Posthumous nominations are allowed.

There are seven award categories:

1. ELLIS R. HATCH JR. COMMISSION AWARD OF EXCELLENCE — Recognizing an individual, group, organization, club, foundation or agency that has excelled in efforts to promote, enhance or benefit fish, wildlife or marine resources or the Department’s mission.

2. YOUTH CONSERVATIONIST — Recognizing an individual, 18 years of age or younger, who has excelled in efforts to benefit fish, wildlife or marine resources or the Department’s mission.

3. COMMUNICATION — Recognizing an outdoor communicator, writer, or media source (radio, television, magazine, newsletter or periodical) that has written or published articles or materials beneficial to public understanding about fish, wildlife or marine resources as they relate to the Department’s mission. Judged on fairness, accuracy, timeliness, balance and quality of reporting.

4. CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION — Recognizing any organization, group, foundation or agency that has excelled in efforts to enhance the welfare of fish, wildlife and marine resources, and supporting achievement of the Department’s mission. Recipients will be judged on their efforts to promote the wise use of natural resources for their recreational or economic value.

5. VOLUNTEER — Recognizing an individual who, as a volunteer with the Department, has excelled in efforts to support and achieve Fish and Game’s mission.

6. HABITAT STEWARDSHIP — Recognizing an organization, non-governmental entity, individual or corporation that has excelled in the enhancement, conservation or creation of land management practices beneficial to New Hampshire’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and the Department’s mission.

7. LANDOWNER APPRECIATION — Recognizing a person who excelled in preserving or enhancing opportunities for public use on private property, furthering Fish and Game’s mission.

For more information on the Commission Awards and find accounts of those honored in recent years, visit http://www.wildnh.com/Inside_FandG/commission_awards.html.

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.WildNH.com.

Hunt for the Hungry: N.H. Food Bank Seeks Meat Donations from Hunters

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire hunters can share their fall harvest with the needy through the “Hunt for the Hungry” program at the New Hampshire Food Bank. The food bank is collecting donations of whole or processed game animals for distribution to more than 350 food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and group homes statewide.

Last year (2008), the Hunt for the Hungry program took in 2,555 pounds of donated deer, bear, moose, duck and other game meat, a little below the record total of 3,288 pounds of meat donated by hunters in 2007.

The program offers packaging instructions and can pick up your meat donation. To donate game, call Food Bank Operations Manager Michele Garron at (603) 669-9725.

If you’re donating a whole deer, you can bring it to Lemay & Sons Beef in Goffstown, N.H. (603-622-0022), and they will process it for the food bank at no charge.

“We are counting on continued strong support from hunters this year,” said Garron, explaining that the recession and rising unemployment have left the food bank’s warehouse inventory levels critically low. “Donations of protein foods are especially hard to come by. That’s a big need that the Hunt for the Hungry program helps fill.”

A hunter herself, Garron hopes to be successful in the field this season so she can contribute some venison to the program.

“The Hunt for the Hungry program is a great way for hunters to share their harvest and help needy families get through the winter,” said Glenn Normandeau, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “Wild game is a local renewable resource that is high in protein, low in fat and all natural – not to mention delicious.”

For more information on donating to the New Hampshire Food Bank, visit http://www.nhfoodbank.org.

For information on hunting seasons in New Hampshire or to purchase a hunting license, visit http://www.HuntNH.com.

2009 New Hampshire Moose Hunt a Success

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s 2009 moose season was a success. Hunters took 341 moose. With a total of 522 permits issued, this represents a statewide success rate of 65%. About 60% of the harvest was males, according to Kristine Rines, Moose Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The nine-day moose hunt ended on Sunday, October 25. In 2008, hunters did about the same, taking 333 moose, for a statewide success rate of 65%.

While the statewide success rate was identical to last year’s, the regional success rates differed. This year, the Connecticut Lakes Region saw a success rate of 84%, up from 80% in 2008. The North Region saw 91% success this year, up from 83% last year. The White Mountain Region’s success rate was identical to last year, at 47%. Success in the Central Region declined slightly, to 62% this year, from 68% in 2008. The Southwest Region maintained a 45% success rate, exactly the same as last year. The Southeast Region increased its success rate to 47%, up from 38% in 2008.

Successful hunters reported a big shift in moose habitat use during the season, according to Rines. During the first two days, moose were seen in the North Country at low elevations, but on the third day, hunters reported having a harder time finding them. Persistent hunters who were willing to hunt higher elevations found moose in clear-cuts there.

A ten-year comparison of regional success rates for the N.H. moose hunt is available at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Moose_hunt/moose_hunt_take.htm.

Find out more about moose hunting in New Hampshire, including a link to a gallery of photos from this year’s and past hunts, at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm.

More than 14,500 people entered the 2009 moose hunt lottery, held last spring, for a chance to participate in the New Hampshire moose hunt. Think next year might be your lucky year? Lottery applications for the 2010 moose hunt will be available on the Fish and Game website and from license agents starting in January through May 28, 2010.

New Hampshire Regular Firearms Deer Season Starts November 11

CONCORD, N.H. – Opening day for New Hampshire’s regular firearms deer season takes place on November 11, 2009, a date anticipated with great enthusiasm by the state’s estimated 60,000 deer hunters. The season runs through December 6 in much of the state, except in Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) A in northern New Hampshire, where it closes November 29.

The state’s popular muzzleloader deer season gets underway on Saturday, October 31 (except in WMU A, where it begins on November 2), and runs through November 10.

“For many New Englanders, the firearms deer season is a traditional opportunity to get together with family and friends, enjoy our bountiful resources and put meat in the freezer before winter,” said Kent Gustafson, the deer biologist for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

New Hampshire’s deer herd came through last winter in good shape, according to Gustafson. The state’s archery deer kill through October 18, 2009, totaled 1,561, somewhat below last year’s total at that point in the season, but higher than similar totals experienced from 2001 to 2005, according to preliminary reports. For a comparison by county (where deer were registered), visit http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/deer_hunt_take_October.htm.

Deer hunters can find Wildlife Management Unit and season-specific either-sex day regulations in the 2009-2010 New Hampshire Hunting and Trapping Digest, available online at http://www.huntnh.com and from Fish and Game license agents. In WMU A, an antler point restriction and changes in season length are again in place as part of an effort to improve the age structure of the northern deer herd.

Hunting licenses can be purchased online at http://www.HuntNH.com or from license agents statewide. Licenses are also sold at Fish and Game headquarters in Concord. The basic N.H. hunting license costs $22 for residents and $103 for nonresidents. Hunters under age 16 do not need a license, but must be accompanied by a properly licensed adult at least 18 years of age.

Special permits remain available for taking one additional antlerless deer in Wildlife Management Unit M during the archery, muzzleloader or firearms season by any legal method. Permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis for $13 each (a limit of one per licensed hunter). They can be purchased online, at Fish and Game headquarters, or by mail. Visit http://www.wildnh.com/Hunting/Special_Unit_M_permits.htm.

Successful hunters can help the less fortunate by sharing their harvest with the “Hunt for the Hungry” program at the New Hampshire Food Bank. For more information on donating game meat, call (603) 669-9725 or visit http://www.nhfoodbank.org.

Find more on deer hunting in New Hampshire at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_deer.htm.

Picture This!

With all the great stories, equipment, adventures and people out there I thought it would be great to get some pictures.  If you have any pictures from a hunt, your gear or best of all you geared up that would be great.  If you send in pictures I will post on our site as well as putting some of the best pictures on all our sites.  Things I am looking for, but not limited to.

•    Gear: Clothes, utility tools, ATV’s…
•    Favorite weapons: guns, bows, sticks, stones…
•    Best Duck Blind or Hide…
•    You, family or friends dressed for the hunt…
•    Where you hunt

All I need is a digital picture in any PC compatible format and a description of the picture.  You can make the description as long or short as you would like.  If there is a story behind the picture we would love to hear about it.

Send Pictures to:

Todd Krater
U.S. Hunting Today
Managing Editor
todd@ushuntingtoday.com

Note: If you want a picture posted and do not have a digital copy I would be willing to scan it for you.  Please contact me for details.

US Hunting Today reserves the right to refuse any picture for any reason as well as edit it where appropriate.

Biennial Public Hearings in November; Commission Meeting Change

CONCORD, N.H. – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold two biennial hearings in November, giving the general public an opportunity to offer input on any aspect of Department operations. The two sessions will be held:

* Tuesday, November 17, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. at Fish and Game headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, in Concord, N.H.; and

* Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. at Fish and Game’s Region 1 Office on Route 3 (629B Main Street) in Lancaster, N.H.

“We welcome hunters, anglers and others who care about wildlife in New Hampshire to attend one of these biennial hearings and share your ideas about how we can serve you better,” said Glenn Normandeau, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

Biennial hearings are held in odd-numbered years to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on and suggest changes to fishing and hunting rules, wildlife management strategies and other Fish and Game functions. Members of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission, Executive Director Normandeau and other Fish and Game staff will be present at the hearings to answer questions.

Those who are unable to attend the hearings may send written comments or suggestions by November 30, 2009: email to comments@wildlife.nh.gov (put “biennial hearings” as the subject line); or write to: Executive Director, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; or fax (603) 271-1438.

COMMISSION MEETING CHANGE:
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission also announced a change of location for its next monthly meeting. The November 18, 2009, Commission meeting will be held at 1:00 p.m. at Fish and Game’s Region 1 Office on Route 3 (629B Main Street) in Lancaster, N.H. Commission meetings are open to the public. As they become available, meeting agendas and minutes are posted at http://www.wildnh.com/Inside_FandG/commission.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.wildnh.com.

Rain Dampens Bald Eagle Breeding Success in 2009

CONCORD, N.H. – Following record breeding success in 2008, New Hampshire bald eagles experienced a far less productive breeding season in 2009. The total number of young eagles raised in nests in the state this summer was down 33% from last year. In spite of this one-year decline, 2009 was still the third best breeding year on record for bald eagles in the state.

“The number of young fledged can vary from year to year,” said Mike Marchand, a biologist with N.H. Fish and Game. “A number of factors can influence breeding success, including weather.” Marchand noted that although the number of young fledged during 2009 was lower than last year, the number of territorial pairs has been consistently increasing in New Hampshire, leading biologists to believe that the New Hampshire population will continue to grow.

The 19 territorial pairs documented in New Hampshire in 2009 represent an increase of more than 25% from the 15 eagle pairs found the state in 2008. “The growing number of breeding territories lays a foundation for more productive breeding seasons to come,” said Chris Martin, a raptor specialist with N.H. Audubon who coordinates monitoring of this state-listed threatened bird of prey. “Over time, more territories lead to more fledged young.”

Biologists and volunteer observers have documented a tripling in the number of bald eagle breeding territories in New Hampshire in the past decade, from just six pairs in 2000 to 19 pairs in 2009. “This is clear evidence of an expanding population,” Martin said.

The N.H. Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program and N.H. Audubon’s Conservation Science staff work together to monitor and manage the Granite State’s recovering bald eagle population. With additional support and cooperation from land owners and from other state and federal natural resource agencies, N.H. Audubon recruits, trains, and deploys volunteer observers to document eagle distribution and productivity.

A growing number of bald eagles now call New Hampshire’s Lakes Region their home. Two new pairs were identified around Lake Winnipesaukee in 2009, raising the total number of pairs found throughout the Lakes Region to eight. Further west, on the Connecticut River in Orford, another new pair raised two young in their first try. In addition, after years of waiting, biologists believe that a pair has finally established a breeding territory on Great Bay, the state’s largest tidal estuary.

Although more bald eagle pairs were found in the state this year, rainy weather and other factors limited their reproductive success. A total of 16 bald eagle chicks reached fledging age in the state this summer, down one-third from the 24 young produced in 2008. Incubation behavior was confirmed at 11 nests in 2009, also down slightly from 2008 levels. Nine of the 11 incubating pairs fledged young. Juvenile bald eagles are considered fledged at about 11 weeks old, when they first begin to fly to and from the nest.

“Several eagle pairs built nests but did not incubate eggs, and two more pairs abandoned nests at about the time of hatch,” said Martin. Productivity was also limited by fact that none of the New Hampshire nests produced three fledglings in 2009, compared with three nests with trios in 2008.

Since 1988, when bald eagles first began nesting again in New Hampshire, a total of 123 young eagles have fledged from nests in the state. Nearly 60% of those (73 eaglets) have been raised in the last four years alone.

Martin estimates that over 50% of New Hampshire’s breeding adult eagles wear coded aluminum leg bands placed on them when they were nestlings. These bands provide biologists with opportunities to identify and track movements and longevity of individuals. Included among these banded eagles is New Hampshire’s oldest known eagle, a 17-year-old female hatched in captivity in Massachusetts, placed in a Quabbin Reservoir nest and raised by foster eagle parents. She has been breeding at Nubanusit Lake in Hancock for the past 11 consecutive years.

New Hampshire Audubon, a non-profit membership organization, is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and habitat throughout the state. For more information about New Hampshire Audubon, visit http://www.nhaudubon.org.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program is the steward for species not hunted, fished or trapped. The program works in cooperation with other New Hampshire agencies and organizations to protect over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as thousands of insects and other invertebrates. For more information, visit http://www.wildnh.com/nongame.

Sandown Woman Killed in Weekend ATV Accident

CONCORD, N.H. – Bette Brown of Sandown, N.H., age 53, died in a tragic All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accident in Pawtuckaway State Park about 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, 2009.

Brown was riding on the Round Pond Trail near the Deerfield/Nottingham town line when the incident occurred. In that area, the trail turns sharply before descending a hill. The rider of another ATV in front of Brown had rounded the turn and started downhill when he encountered a mountain biker and a jogger coming up the trail. The operator tried to avoid a collision, but the ATV flipped over onto the bicycle, though no one was injured. As they worked to right the ATV, Brown came around the turn, swerved off the trail to avoid the accident, and crashed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Brown was wearing a helmet. She was riding with a group that had been granted permission to ride in the park as part of a special event. ATVs are not normally allowed on Pawtuckaway State Park trails.

Deerfield Police and Fire Department personnel responded to the incident on Sunday, along with New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is investigating the incident.

No further information is available at this time.

N.H. HUNTING REPORT — October 23, 2009

Greetings, hunters! Hope you’re having a good season afield. As of mid-week, more than half of moose hunters have been successful. New Hampshire’s deer herd came through last winter in good shape, which bodes well for the upcoming muzzleloader season, which starts October 31 (except in WMU-A where it opens November 2 ); and the firearms deer season, which launches November 11.

YOUTH DEER WEEKEND OCTOBER 24-25 — This year’s Youth Deer Hunting Weekend is upon us (October 24 and 25), providing young hunters 15 years of age or younger the opportunity to take a deer of either sex while accompanied by an adult hunter. The adult must be at least 18 years old, with a valid N.H. hunting license. The youth weekend provides youngsters a chance to learn deer hunting and other outdoor skills that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment. Last year, young hunters took 341 deer during their special weekend. For more info, visit http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Youth_deer_wknd.htm. Read more

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