Work Continues To Improve Fish Passage On Conte Refuge

By Gary Moore

Last Tuesday I spent time in the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Conte National Wildlife Refuge to check out the replacement of two large culverts to allow for fish passage. I was also there to learn about a project to determine ideal snowshoe hare habitat by trapping and radio-collaring snowshoe hares. More on that in a later column.

Road maintenance has been ongoing on the 40 miles of roads in the refuge and this season they have been graded and countless small culverts have been replaced as well as the two large ones I visited.

You may remember that last year I wrote about a bridge replacement on the refuge and the work continues to provide safe access to the Conte for the many who visit each year.

This past week the crew consisting of Phil Herzig, Fish Biologist/Maintenance Action Team Coordinator, USFWS, David Sagan, Wildlife Refuge Specialist, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Jeremy Goetz, Forester, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and Ron Rhodes, Director of Programs, Connecticut River Conservancy replaced the Tim Carroll Brook Road culvert. The week before they replaced another large one at mile 5 on the Lewis Pond Road.

As in past projects, the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) is the grantee and Rhodes the project manager. CRC searches for and obtains funding from a variety of sources for projects. BaseFlow Engineering out of NH was hired to design the two projects.

Acting as clerk of the works, Rhodes receives all invoices which are then submitted to USFWS for payment/reimbursement. He also is on site serving as an extra set of hands/laborer as needed and the point person for interacting with the public and curious onlookers to explain what is happening and why.

The CRC has many projects underway in the Connecticut River Watershed at any given time. Last week I wrote about the dam removal on the Wild Ammonoosuc which is one such project.

The Nulhegan Basin Division of Conte is located in the towns of Brunswick, Ferdinand, Bloomfield, and Lewis and encompasses more than 26,600 acres. It is a real treasure and it belongs to us. As I wrote in a previous column, visit it and enjoy it.

Sen. Peter Welch and an entourage of environmental leaders canoed the Nulhegan from the Stone Dam up into the refuge while I was visiting the culvert replacement site Tuesday.

**Preparing bed for new culvert.**
Pictured: In the hole - Phil Herzig, Fish Biologist/Maintenance Action Team Coordinator, USFWS, In the excavator – David Sagan, Wildlife Refuge Specialist, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, on the bank, Jeremy Goetz, Forester, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Bits and Pieces

Tune in to WYKR 101.3 FM or 1100 AM on Thursday at 6 p.m. for The Outdoor Edge. Thoughts on the Out-of-Doors airs as a segment of the program on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.

My guest will be Mountain Lakes resident Allan J. Heathman. We will be talking about his many adventures around northern New England and from India to Australia.

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This will be the 28th year the North Country Longspurs holds a special event for the area young to have fun in the outdoors. They enjoy the events for BB gun, Shotgun (410 & 20 gauge), fishing in the pond, archery, map & compass, .22 shooting, kayak safety, and muzzleloading.

The big day is September 12 and will be held at the Bunnell Camp at 1076 County Hill Road, in Passumpsic.

To register call Natashia Sanders, 802-673-7612 or email: sanders.natashia93@gmail.com.

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The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says bear hunting season starts in September and reminds hunters about the bear hunting regulations.

Vermont has two bear hunting seasons. The early season, which requires a special bear tag, starts September 1 and continues through November 13 with one exception. Nonresident hunters using dogs cannot start bear hunting until September 15. The late bear season begins November 14 and continues through November 22. A hunter may only take one bear during the year.

In addition to a hunting license, a bear hunter using a bow or crossbow must have a prior or current bow license or a certificate proving completion of a bow hunter education course.

Jaclyn Comeau, Vermont’s bear biologist says, “With bears being so abundant, this is a great opportunity for hunters who have never hunted bear to do so this year.

Comeau asks hunters to refrain from shooting a bear with cubs as well as bears observed in groups as they are usually made up of sows with cubs. “Black bear cubs are dependent on their mother through the following spring. It is important to maintain these family groups," she added.

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The Granite State’s bear season also opens on Tuesday, September 1, and hunters have multiple ways to register their harvest this fall. Bears can be registered at one of fifteen participating registration stations, or with a Fish and Game Conservation Officer as in prior years. Bears may also be registered at New Hampshire Fish and Game Regional Offices by biological staff, but hunters should call ahead to ensure appropriate staff availability. All bears must be registered within 24 hours.

Hunters may purchase an additional bear tag which can be used in the White Mountains Region’s Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) C1, D2, E, and F. This additional tag is only valid for these specified WMUs, can be purchased at any time during the year, and does not need to be purchased at the same time as the first statewide tag. Established season dates and methods of take remain the same.

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NH Fish and Game will have an exhibit at the Lancaster Fair, September 3-7. Stop by and see the Fish and Game Conservation Officers and biologists who will answer your questions about fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, and off-highway recreational vehicle safety and ethics. It’s a great opportunity to pick up Fish and Game publications,

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The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association will hold a High School Bass Fishing Seminar from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, at Fish and Game Headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, in Concord. All student athletes, coaches, and athletic directors participating in high school bass fishing tournament activities are encouraged to attend. The event will feature presentations by local bass tournament anglers on topics ranging from fall bass-fishing techniques to tournament fishing tactics.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, September 8, to kyle.glencross@wildlife.nh.gov and include “NHIAA Bass Tournament Seminar” in the subject line and the number of people attending in the email.

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New Hampshire hunters are required to register all furbearers taken by hunting within 24 hours of take by completing an online registration report at www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting-nh/furbearer. Furbearers that must be registered include coyote, fisher, raccoon, red fox, gray fox, opossum, mink, weasel, skunk, and muskrat. The registration is required only for furbearers taken by hunting and does not include animals taken by trapping, Wildlife Control Operators, or any other means of take.

In addition to online registration, all fisher harvested must be sealed and the lower jaw must be submitted at the time of sealing.

Furbearer hunting seasons in New Hampshire opened on September 1 for red and gray fox, opossum, skunk, and raccoon, with mink, muskrat, and weasel seasons opening on October 15 or November 1 depending on the Wildlife Management Unit. The hunting season for fisher opens on December 1. Coyotes may be hunted year round.

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New Hampshire’s fall archery deer season opens September 15. Deer hunters lucky enough to harvest a deer are required to register it within 24 hours and can do so online or in person.

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Mark Breen provided the August Records and Averages in the Fairbanks Museum's Skywatch Almanac.

Warmest: 71.7°F in 1937 Coldest: 60.4°F in 1903

Wettest: 9.06 inches in 2011 Driest: 0.93 inches in 2002

Parting Shots

Linda and I celebrated out 56th anniversary at the Eagle Mountain House in Jackson, NH. We get the same room with private access to the veranda each year.

Our favorite activity is sitting on the wide veranda in one of the rocking chairs that line its long expanse. The views across the valley to the hills beyond are both relaxing and scenic.

Normally we would have had an elegant meal in the dining room but as Linda can not take any food by mouth, I opted for the Eagle Landing, the cozy first floor pub that I have spent considerable time in when staying alone.

The food is always good there as is the ambience. As I often do, I overdid the food, ordering clam chowder, crab cakes and fish and chips. The chowder was excellent, the crab cakes huge and delicious and the fish, two very large and wonderfully cooked pieces. Add in the tasty French fries and you can see why I left stuffed and reminding myself that I need to order food in moderation.

Staying at the Eagle Mountain House is to step back in time. It is an experience we have enjoyed many times over the years as have countless others since it opened in 1879.