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 "Lexi Richard and her three dog team" Alexis "Lexi" Richard of Corinna, Maine and her three dog team ran in the Bridgton Mushers Bowl last weekend. Lexi confided that she was a little nervous before she left the starting line, that consisted of a 6 ft drop and a hard swing to the left, but her faith in her team shone through as she took first place in the Three Dog Jr class for the weekend after racing down the trickiest 4 mile trail around. Lexi is a member of Down East and Maine Highlands Sled Dog Clubs. She has spent up to 3 to 4 nights a week training and conditioning her dogs out on the trails since early August. Holding first place for the very first time, this 10 and a 1/2 year old was all smiles. with TheDailyME.com readers? Email to Editor@TheDailyME.com) |
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The Dexter Fish And Game Association was established September 21, 1951. The community of Dexter has always had that small town feel , as with many other Maine towns. Within each community is a community of people who enjoy the great outdoors our State has to offer. If you are also one of those people who enjoy the outdoors and all the activities that come with enjoying the outdoors, we would love for you to join us. Our mission is simple; we want to enjoy the great outdoors and all it has to offer, we want to share it with others of the same interests, and we want to pass down the great outdoor traditions to the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts for them to preserve, protect and enjoy for generations to come. Please join us in this effort. Please visit our website at www.dexterfishandgame.info Click here for IF&W Insider - We are stewards of Maine’s fish and wildlife, preserving and protecting our natural resources, quality of life and economic foundation. DEXTER - Thanks to some new blood and a new board, the defunct Dexter Fish and Game Association is up and off to a running start. "We kicked it off with a bang with the derby," said Vance McNaughton, the association's new president. The newly-reorganized group met for the first time on January 6, and by January 16-17 they were hosting their first major event – a fishing derby on Lake Wassookeag. "We had a good turnout--152 entrants--and we couldn't have asked for nicer weather," McNaughton said. The group took over the annual fundraising fishing derby from the first Maine branch of the national Quality Deer Management Association, which operated the derby in recent years. The QDMA is strong nationally, but the fledgling Maine group, founded in October 2006, failed to thrive. Fortunately, many members then turned their attention to resurrecting the Dexter Fish and Game Association. The association, chartered on September 21, 1951, was an extremely popular organization up until about a decade ago. "This club used to be very active," McNaughton said. "Doctors, lawyers, all of the movers and shakers in town used to be involved." The association's checking and savings accounts had been kept active, but meetings and activities had fallen by the wayside. "Once a group of people stepped forward that wanted to get it going, they turned it over," McNaughton said. "This is a non-profit, so we got that reinstated and got the accounts changed over to the new treasurer. We're hoping to have a potluck dinner or two this spring and summer, maybe get a barbecue going. We want to try different things to get members to let us know what they like to do and to get whole families out to have a good time." Other than the snowmobile club, McNaughton said, there isn't an organization to promote outdoor activity in the area. A love of the outdoors, and a desire to pass that love on to the next generation, are driving forces for the association. "A lot of kids nowadays get on the computer and play games and stay there," he said. "We want to try to get more of them out doing things, to keep the traditions of years past going. They are the future of hunting and fishing. When I was in high school, the first day of the season didn't fall on a Saturday. Most of the boys took that day off to go hunting. There's not a very big percentage [of kids] getting outside now. It's too bad, because we're losing that heritage." The association plans to have activities during the town's annual summer festival. Some members are also in the Maine Bowhunters Association and have offered to give archery lessons to young people. Family and youth activities will be a big focus of the group. Because of the large overlap of QDMA members, there may also be some seminars on wildlife habitat and food plots. "The more of that kind of thing, the better," McNaughton said. "Hopefully we'll get enough interest to keep it going and actually do some good in the area." Any outdoor enthusiast is welcome to join the Dexter Fish and Game Association despite town of residence. The group has some former members as well as several newcomers. Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the Dexter Municipal Golf Course. For more information, visit www.dexterfishandgame.info or call McNaughton at 277-3128 or Jim Nicholas, vice president, at 924-5082."This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the SVWeekly.com and is used here with permission." “Chickadee Check-Off” on State Tax Forms a Great Option While filling out their 2009 tax forms, Maine residents are encouraged to make a donation to the state’s Endangered and Nongame Wildlife Fund by marking the “Chickadee Check-Off” box. “Chickadee Check-Off” is located on Schedule CP 2009, a separate form that is included in the 1040-ME short form booklet and 1040ME long form booklet. Residents’ donations are greatly needed to fund nongame wildlife programs that have been experiencing a decline in revenues, according to Richard Dressler, supervisor of MDIFW’s Wildlife Resource Assessment Section. “Stable funding to address these wildlife programs is desperately needed,” according to Dressler. “Contributions to the Chickadee Check-Off, Maine Outdoor Heritage funds, and the purchase of conservation registration license plates (loon plates) provide the core ‘state’ funding for Maine’s endangered and nongame species programs. However, the many conservation needs exceed the funds being contributed … and contributions continue to decline. We must reverse this trend to protect species that are a vital part of Maine’s outdoors.” Contributions to the Chickadee Check-off have declined from $129,122 contributed by 29,200 Maine givers in 1984 to $34,929 contributed by 2,757 givers in 2008. The average donation has increased from $4.57 to $12.67. “If 30,000 Maine people contributed $5 each, the total contribution would exceed the 1984 amount,” Dressler said. All money donated, whether through the Chickadee Check-off, conservation license plate sales, grants or direct gifts, are deposited into the Maine Endangered and Nongame Wildlife Fund -- a special, interest-bearing account from which money can only be spent for the conservation of Maine’s nongame wildlife, which includes rare, threatened or endangered species. MAINE - The Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, owned and operated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, received the “Commitment to Tourism Growth” Award from Gov. John E. Baldacci on Monday evening during the 2010 Governor’s Conference on Tourism. This award recognizes an outstanding company, organization or person that not only strives to grow its business, but works with others within the industry to grow tourism in Maine through leadership roles in regional and statewide tourism initiatives, facilitation of tourism networks and development, and contributions to the local economy. The Maine Wildlife Park is managed by IF&W Natural Sciences Educator Lisa Kane, who also schedules or teaches education programs at the park. MWP Superintendant Curtis Johnson handles day-to-day operations, including the care of more than 25 different species of native wildlife. The park has four full-time employees, up to 12 seasonal employees, and more than 100 volunteers. “Over the last several years, through the tireless efforts of Lisa, Curtis and the entire park staff and volunteers, the Maine Wildlife Park has grown to become the must-go-to destination of residents and visitors who want to see and learn more about the wildlife that lives among us in Maine,” according to Commissioner Roland “Danny” Martin. “I whole-heartedly congratulate Lisa, Curtis and everyone at the park on their receipt of this tremendous honor. Your commitment to Maine’s outdoors is demonstrated by your desire to share and promote it to all through activities at the Maine Wildlife Park. This award is well deserved.” Despite the rainy weather last summer, the Maine Wildlife Park played host to more than 102,200 visitors, up 9 percent from 2008, and revenues were up 24 percent. According to Kane, the Maine Wildlife Park is self-sufficient, with all personal services and capital expenses covered by its dedicated funding account. The Maine Wildlife Park works with many Gray businesses to promote the town and the park as a destination. Among the partners in promoting the area are the Maine Office of Tourism, the Maine Tourism Association, the Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Gray-New Gloucester Business Association, and the Gems of Route 26, a consortium of five businesses along the Route 26 corridor from Gray to South Paris. “We do as much business locally as possible, supporting Gray-area grocery, lumber, automotive, printing, hardware and computer stores, as well as restaurants, contractors and other businesses,” according to Kane. The Maine Wildlife Park is a 200-acre haven on Route 26 in Gray, just 3.5 miles from Maine Turnpike Exit 63. It is open from mid-April to Veterans’ Day, and visitors are guaranteed to see a moose! For more information, visit www.mainewildlifepark.com. A schedule of educational programs for the upcoming season will be posted soon. Also, become a fan of the Maine Wildlife Park on Facebook by searching Maine Wildlife Park on facebook.com. During a ceremony on Monday evening, Gov. Baldacci presented awards in five general categories: Commitment to Tourism Growth, Commitment to Innovation and Creativity, Commitment to Customer Service, and Commitment to Employees. The Governor also presented the key award – Governor’s Award for Tourism Excellence.
AUGUSTA – It's time to enter the 2010 Moose Permit Lottery! For the last couple of years, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has encouraged hunters to apply online for the lottery through its website, www.mefishwildlife.com. It's an easy and convenient way to submit an application! The deadline for online applications is 11:59 p.m. on May 14, 2010. MDIF&W no longer prints or mails paper applications for the moose lottery. If an interested hunter is unable to apply using the online licensing system, the Department suggests:
This year, 3,140 permits will be allocated in the state's 28 Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs). Season dates are:
For complete 2010 Moose Lottery rules, please visit www.mefishwildlife.com. Please call 287-8000 or e-mail us at info.online@maine.gov if you have any questions.
On it, Travis posts his observations regarding treks with IF&W biologists, personal experiences in Maine’s outdoors, and department responses to questions, comments and opinions being expressed by outdoor enthusiasts.
The blog can be found at http://inlandtracks.wordpress.com Our regional fisheries biologists preview the upcoming season in their annual Ice Fishing Preview. This is an informative guide to what fish have been stocked and where, and features biologists' picks of great fishing hot spots!
To view the preview on our website, visit maine.gov/ifw/fishing/reports/weekly_biologist
For a printable pdf version, select this link: maine.gov/ifw/fishing/reports/pdfs/2010icefishpreview.pdf
To prepare for the season, purchase your 2010 fishing license online
Or you may visit one of the more than 300 license agents statewide. Happy Fishing!
Maine Fish and Wildlife Online! Just click
DID YOU KNOW: All proceeds from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses stay at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife? Not planning to hunt or fish? Consider buying a license as a way to support our fish and wildlife management efforts. Please go to: http://www.informe.org/moses/
The IF&W Magazine is available for you to view. Read the latest edition of Maine Fish and Wildlife online at http://www.flipseekllc.com/maine2009spring.html.
This Spring's issue includes a variety of information from the department and around the state. Sections of the magazine include information about Any Deer Permits and the Deer Predation Study, a message from the Maine Warden Service, and an entry from a "Biologist's Journal". Also included is information about summer activities at the Maine Wildlife Park and the outdoor skills quiz, "What Would You Do?"
207-287-8000 for Administration, Fisheries and Wildlife Divisions, Maine Warden Service, general information about fish and wildlife, licenses, boating and recreational vehicle registration.
207-287-8003 to reach the automated Fish and Wildlife line. This line provides 24 hour information and updates on hunting and fishing seasons and new laws.
To reach a game warden 24-hours a day please contact Maine State Police at one of the following numbers:
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Dexter Lakes Association