Moosehead hunting report
Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Regional Wildlife Biologist Doug Kane has seen a good number of birds in his travels , and hunters should be happy with what he’s seen.
“I always look at clutch sizes for an indicator of what we’ll see in the fall, because once these chicks start flying, mortality goes way down,” said Kane.
Most of the clutches he saw at flight stage this year numbered between three and six chicks. “When we have had the great grouse years, I see clutch sizes that are more than five,” said Kane. “This year, I saw a lot of clutches that were 4-5.”
With the cooler weather, Kane started seeing more birds. “It was like someone flipped a switch, they just started showing up on the roads, both the bigger birds and the younger birds,” said Kane.
Turkey hunters are getting ready, and even though the numbers for this spring might have been down, things look good for the fall. “Both turkeys and grouse seemed to nest well. There was plenty of rain, but it was not extended, and it was usually followed by warmer weather so the chicks and poults could handle the cold,” said Kane.
Bear season is slowing down in the Moosehead region, as Kane says, for when they are getting ready to den, they are traveling less. “Most of the natural foods are gone, bears are heavy and they seem to be ready to den earlier in this non-beech nut year,” said Kane.
And if you are excited about deer season, Kane says the number of deer he has seen is very good.