Posted By:
Jerry-Nicholson
Web Member
West Central NH/VT border 11-09-2004 23:27
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
My Sunday hunt was quite uneventful. There really is no migration to write home about. A few local ducks blew by me at Mach .9 and I might have had a shot if I was piloting an F-16.
I’m quite surprized that I haven’t seen any migrating V’s of geese so far. Then again, it shouldn’t be a surprize when you look up the current snow/ice cover maps on the NOAA web site and find open water from here to Hudson Bay.
Patience, Grasshopper…
Posted By:
Msg&son
Guest
lancaster area 11-08-2004 19:17
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
what a differance a day makes froma foot of snow on sat in the diamond deer hunting to a muddy corn field.my son and i set up in a puddle with a few decs,saw a few flocks of mallards but no shots, river is up alot, and no geese, then did some puddle jumping and we got some blacks nice big ones migrants im sure, but stillnot alot of ducks around not sure why will hit it again this weekand before it closes and see what happens. bye for now Mark
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
Seacoast Inland Zone 11-07-2004 15:29
Cloudy, High Winds – 60-65 Degrees
Well, got out today and hit an inland tidal river. Unfortunately the guy who invited me read the tide calendar wrong. We took his boat which is just an access boat rather than my boat with the blind. We had to hunt from his boat and because of it we had 90% of the birds flare off. Did see many Mallards and Blacks and even a lot of Teal which kind of surprised me for so late. Can’t wait for the Coastal zone to reopen in a couple weeks.
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
Geese begining to move in? 11-07-2004 05:40
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Finally begining to see a few geese around for the first time since early October. While nothing of the numbers you would expect to see by now they do appear to finally be showing up.
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
Seacoast NH 11-05-2004 06:38
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The first skim ice of the season has been seen( by me anyway )on the freshwater ponds and swamps. Should be a sign of birds begining to move on in.
Posted By:
Jerry-Nicholson
Web Member
Upper Valley 11-03-2004 17:07
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
Monday morning brought very little bird action to the Upper Valley. I bagged the lone teal I saw and muffed the shot on a nearly perfect calling/decoying of a flock of local geese.
Still looking for cold weather to get birds moving.
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
WHERE CAN I HUNT IN N.H.? RESOURCES INCLUDE NEW ONLINE WMA GUIDE 11-01-2004 16:49
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CONTACT:
Charlie Bridges: (603) 271-2461
Liza Poinier: (603) 271-3211
November 1, 2004
WHERE CAN I HUNT IN N.H.? RESOURCES INCLUDE NEW ONLINE WMA GUIDE
CONCORD, N.H. — Longtime hunters have special — often secret — places where they go year after year to try and tag a deer. For those new to hunting, or those whose secret place just became a parking lot, the challenge is deciding where to go. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us has resources to assist hunters in determining where they should do their scouting and hunting.
* The new WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA (WMA) GUIDE. WMAs are one of New Hampshire’s best-kept hunting secrets. Now you can get detailed information about the largest 24 WMAs in New Hampshire on the Fish and Game website. These thousands of acres of undeveloped public land are owned by the N.H. Fish and Game Department and designated as areas for wildlife resource conservation, hunting and fishing.
* FEDERAL AND STATE LANDS. Most state and federal lands in New Hampshire, including the 751,000-acre White Mountain National Forest, allow hunting. Fish and Game has guidelines for which lands are huntable, plus answers to common questions about hunting on state-owned lands. Go to the website and click on “Where can I hunt in N.H.?” from the home page or the Hunting page.
* PRIVATE LANDS, including timber and paper lands. New Hampshire has a strong tradition of public use of private lands. Many landowners generously keep their property open to hunters. Hunters should use courtesy and common sense when hunting on private land: Personally ask for and gain permission before going hunting; treat the land and the landowner with the highest respect; leave no trace of your presence.
The New Hampshire Atlas and Gazeteer from the DeLorme map company, available for purchase from most bookstores and from Fish and Game headquarters, is an indispensable resource for hunters. It shows many conservation easement properties and WMAs throughout the state — look for the shaded green parcels.
So, fire up your computer, get out your Gazeteer, and Hunt New Hampshire — It’s a whole new season!
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
WILDLIFE REPORT FROM N.H. FISH AND GAME – October 28, 2004 10-29-2004 05:56
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WILDLIFE REPORT FROM N.H. FISH AND GAME – October 28, 2004
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO MONITOR WINTERING BALD EAGLES
N.H. Fish and Game and the Audubon Society of N.H. (ASNH) are looking for people who are willing to assist in counting bald eagles and in monitoring known and potential eagle roost sites this winter. Field volunteers who don’t mind being out in the Granite State’s chilly winter weather will be asked to help during two single-day statewide eagle counts (one Saturday each in early January and in late February), and with more intensive surveys (multiple dates in January-February) at known and potential overnight roost sites located primarily in the Merrimack River watershed.
ASNH’s Conservation Department coordinates wintering bald eagle fieldwork and training for N.H. Fish and Game. An indoor volunteer orientation session is scheduled for Wednesday, December 8, 2004, at 7:00 pm at the Massabesic Audubon Center, at 26 Audubon Way in Auburn. Additional outdoor field training sessions will follow in December. For more information, or to sign up to help, please contact ASNH Senior Biologist Chris Martin at 603/224-9909, x317 or at cmartin@nhaudubon.org.
WELCOME TO THE WOOD DUCK’S WORLD
“Wheeee, wheeee.” As you approach, a hen wood duck sounds the alarm to her counterparts, totally concealed in the marsh grass surrounding a secluded beaver pond. Barely perceptible waves, too, give you a clue that the wood duck, or ducks, are secreted along the shore near the beaver lodge, as you stealthily approach the pond.
Despite the grandeur of the male, whose regal looks top all other North American waterfowl, wood ducks are seldom seen. They prefer to tuck themselves into beaver ponds and along seldom-disturbed streams surrounded by trees. You will not find a wood duck begging for handouts at some local park. In fact, wood ducks are quite numerous in New Hampshire, second only to the ubiquitous mallard. In the spring of 2004, Fish and Game biologists conducted the annual breeding waterfowl survey, which showed an estimated 19,496 pairs of breeding wood ducks in New Hampshire.
The bland brown females are cavity nesters, selecting an unused woodpecker or squirrel hole in a tree up to a mile from water. There, she lays a dozen eggs, which incubate for four weeks before hatching in mid- to late-May. The newly hatched young will follow their mother to a nearby secluded pond to devour plant and insects, quickly growing to adult size by late summer. Adults primarily feed on vegetation and will sometimes be flushed from a stand of oaks far from water, where they go to feed on acorns.
Wood ducks are an early migratory bird, as far as waterfowl go. Wood ducks banded in New Hampshire have migrated long distances and have been taken by hunters in places you would least expect – including sites in Florida, Mississippi, Ontario and Arkansas. Our wood ducks do wander!
Fortunately, New Hampshire has an abundant beaver population, which has created thousands and thousands of acres of wood duck habitat since the beavers’ return about 50 years ago. Maintaining wood duck numbers means sustaining beaver populations by providing adequate food supplies around their ponds. Trapping a few beavers from a pond each year will increase by decades the life of the pond by making the forage available around the pond last much longer. Small patch cuts that encourage hardwood regeneration will also increase the lifespan of a beaver pond. Remember to control and feed the beavers to keep wood ducks on your ponds. — Eric Orff, wildlife biologist
NEW SEASON OF WILDLIFE JOURNAL TV
Get set for more great wildlife watching as Wildlife Journal TV launches a whole new season of programming premiering Nov. 4 on New Hampshire Public Television (NHPTV). Ten all-new episodes explore wildlife topics like Ways of the Whitetail and Great Bay’s Wintering Eagles. Visit Wild Places like the Alpine Gardens on Mount Washington and Farrar Marsh Wildlife Management Area in Hillsboro. The award-winning show, produced by Fish and Game in partnership with NHPTV, lets you tag along with biologists, educators, Conservation Officers and others working to manage and maintain New Hampshire’s amazing wildlife and its habitats.
Wildlife Journal airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on New Hampshire Public Television. The show is a co-production of Fish and Game and NHPTV. Visit http://www.wildlifejournal.tv.
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
HUNTERS: YOU CAN HELP NEW HAMPSHIRE\’S HUNGRY 10-28-2004 07:13
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CONTACT:
Jane Vachon: (603) 271-3211
Michele Garron: (603) 669-9725
October 26, 2004
HUNTERS: YOU CAN HELP NEW HAMPSHIRE’S HUNGRY
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s hunters can help the less fortunate this season by sharing their fall harvest with the Hunt for the Hungry Program. Donations of whole or processed game animals are being collected by the New Hampshire Food Bank of Manchester, which distributes food to more than 270 food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and group homes statewide. Last year, Hunt for the Hungry took in more than 1,000 pounds of donated deer, bear, moose, duck and other game meat. The program offers packaging instructions and can pick up your meat donation. To donate game meat to Hunt for the Hungry, call the New Hampshire Food Bank at (603) 669-9725.
“Wild game has historically provided a source of food to hunters, their families and their communities,” said Lee E. Perry, executive director of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “This program is a great way for hunters to give back to their communities by providing needy families with food to help them get through the winter.”
“We thank New Hampshire’s hunters!” says Michele Garron, the food bank’s operations manager. A hunter herself, Garron hopes to be successful in the field this season so she can contribute some venison to the program. She noted that deer meat is both delicious and healthful — high in protein and low in fat. “These donations from hunters make a real difference for the needy in our state.”
The approaching holiday season is an important time to contribute to the Food Bank, but donations are in demand throughout the year, according to Garron.
Posted By:
Msg&son
Guest
upper conneticut valley area 10-25-2004 19:43
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
well on sat set up in a corn field in a puddle left by the rain and got a few shots off at some blacks and some mallards coming into the feilds.only saw one flock of geese 9 in total but did see 3 large flocks of mallards like 30 to 40 flying. not sure where they went but they where around. on sunday set up in a old bever bog,had to break up the like 3/8ths ice on the bog to get my decoys out lol but man got some shooting in on all kinds of greenwing teal wow saw about 30 or so got 3 one flock had 15 in it.must be migrants because they where stupid shoot at them and in like 10 minutes they cam right back to the decoys. was fun but just like on sat after like 10:30 the ducks just dissappered. so no idea no geese at all though. i htink the influx of hunters might have forced them to change their habits and flyway alittle. maybe will try on sun am going deer hutnign on sat so we will see so bye for now and take care all. Mark
