Moose Droppings

Last summer seemed to be the summer of dangerous bear encounters with a number of fatalities reported across the country. As bear numbers continue to climb and habitat gets gobbled up encounters are going to be more enviable. To many people view wildlife with the same mentality as animals in the zoo and will crowd a wild animal. I’ve witnessed what could only be best described as stupid as people attempt to get near wildlife. Especially with bears you need to keep your distance for the most part they are a shy animal that will more often the not avoid human contact. A bear with a single swipe of it’s paw to the head could kill you. Many dangerous encounter are the result of getting to close to or between a sow and her cubs.

In recent news there are two bear human encounters that show carelessness on humans. The first is out of Utah where a camper smacked a bear in the head with a flashlight the other night when the bear stuck its head in the tent.

A woman sleeping at a Mirror Lake campground hit a bear with a flashlight to drive it out of her tent sometime around 2 a.m on July 25. The bear had stuck its head in her tent, presumably following a scent of food, when it surprised the woman who reacted by pummeling it with the light.
The bear scurried off and left the woman unharmed, according to Bruce Johnson of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR).

Park Record

Keeping a dirty camp in bear country is just asking for trouble, people need to follow proper storage rules to prevent encounters like this. Additionally the article goes on to explain that the woman failed to report it until hours later to camp ground staff. This can be really dangerous because the bear may visit another campsite and the outcomes may not be the same.

Second story is out of Alaska where a grizzly bear killed a moose calf in someone’s yard. Authorities posted the area and was going to let the grizzly sow feed on it till it was consumed however too many people decided to sightsee the area creating a very dangerous situation.

Sinnott went to the kill site Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, he posted signs telling walkers to be cautious and to avoid the area. The bear was behaving just like a bear should, he said.
“If this is all she’s doing, I’m not too worried,” he said.
By Wednesday, he had something to be worried about.
He decided to retrieve the carcass after learning people were ignoring the signs. Instead of avoiding the bear’s storage locker in the woods, people were looking for it and checking out the half-buried calf.

ADN

I’m sorry but people are nuts. Why would anyone in their right mind want to go in and look at a grizzly bear kill site?

Bears, like most predators, will eat whatever they can get the easiest and they’ll protect their kill. Bears are can be very dangerous and that should be the thought you have in your mind when ever you happen upon one. I love to photograph them but I use zoom lens and try to let them know I’m around so I don’t surprise them.

People can do the right thing especially when authorities have closed an area because of bear activity please honor those requests. If you live in bear country or will be spending some time in bear country find out the rules around bears and avoid doing things that will attracted them in.

Bear management I believe these days is more people management and that is pretty sad.

Story & Photo by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Dick Hamilton NC Camo Coalition

The Camo Coalition is an advocacy group for outdoor sportsmen assisting with organizing us to speak with one voice on the issues that really matter. The Hog Blog & The Outdoor Smorgasbord both did stories about this recently and that is great. Anything to help us get the word out and get more sportsmen to participate. North Carolina is not alone in this type of organizing there are a number of states that I’m aware of that have Camo Coalitions; SC, MS, and GA I know have them. If your not in one of these states check to see if your state has a Camo Coalition and if not you need to do what you can to organize one. The anti’s are organized and have a strong voice we need to organize to protect the heritage we believe in.

Story & Photo by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

With an appeal to all ages, the exhibits at the Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education were judged the best.

Photo Courtesy of NCWRC

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has a good showing in national competition bringing home 3 first place awards, two second place, and one third place award. The awards were given out last week at the annual convention for Association for Conservation Information a national organization for Conservation Leaders & Educators.

ACI, the Association for Conservation Information, is a non-profit association of information and education professionals representing state, federal and Canadian agencies and private conservation organizations.
ACI was organized in 1938 and incorporated in 1984. ACI member professionals play a major role in providing natural resource, environmental, wildlife and other information and education to the public through a variety of means, many of which are continental in scope.
ACI does not prepare or provide information directly to the public. Instead, ACI trains and informs the staffs of member agencies and provides forums to exchange ideas, new concepts, and to improve skills and craftsmanship.

ACI

The Awards NCWRC won;

FIRST PLACE
• Exhibits and Dioramas category, for the Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education in Raleigh. This state-of-the-art exhibit uses historic and contemporary displays, a large satellite map and murals, touch-screen monitors and joystick-operated, high-magnification video cameras for an interactive experience.
• One-time Publications (Books/Reports) category, for the 2007 Biennial Report. Titled “Building a Stronger Foundation,” this report covers accomplishments and activities from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2006 for all six division of the agency.
• Video (other) category, for “The North Carolina Piedmont: Our Changing Habitats.” This 20-minute video is shown daily at the Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education and presents a historical timeline of changes in the Piedmont landscape, from natural areas to suburban sprawl.
SECOND PLACE
• Magazine (4-color) category, for Wildlife in North Carolina. The agency’s monthly magazine features the best outdoors writers, artists and photographers, covering the diverse natural and recreational opportunities of North Carolina,.
• Education and Outreach category, for “Wildlife Profiles.” These fun and factual looks at native species are found online at www.ncwildlife.org in the “Outdoors Kids” section, but are useful for any age.
THIRD PLACE
• Communications Campaigns category, for “Blue Light = No Wake” boating law awareness. This year-long effort included a 30-second video broadcast spot, poster distribution, news releases and wallet-sized informative cards, as well as outreach and public appearances by wildlife officers.

Here is a list of all the award winners and a big thankyou for working so hard to educate everyone on the importance of conservation.

Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Photo courtesy of Canon Envirothon

If you’re like me you probably never heard of Canon Envirothorn a competition and educational program to teach students about environmental sciences.

The Canon Envirothon is an annual competition in which winning state/provincial teams compete for recognition and scholarships by demonstrating their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management. The teams, each consisting of five high school-aged students from participating US States and Canadian Provinces, exercise their training and problem-solving skills in a competition centered on four universal testing categories (i.e., soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, and wildlife) and a current environmental issue.

Canon Envirothon

Mike Zlotnicki columnist and outdoor reporter for the N&O has a great story about the team from West Johnston High School that will be leaving soon for the national competition in Arizona.

The students study wildlife, forestry, soils/land use, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues. The Sequoias did pretty well at the state championships, missing only one question out of 125. At the national competition, the youths will practice and study while driving on the way to the five-day competition. At stake are $5,000 scholarships for each team member.

N&O

We wish them safe travels to Arizona and good luck in the national competition.

Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Wildlife Commissioners are proposing to revamp the deer hunting season to improve hunter retention as well as increase the annual deer harvest. Under the proposals the deer season would become uniformed across the state of North Carolina rather then the four geographical seasons we currently have. Additionally on private lands hunters could choose any weapon they would like and not be restricted to archery only or a muzzleloader only season.
I had heard a rumor that sweeping changes would be proposed but I thought it was just a rumor. I was caught off guard when I read the list of proposed changes in today’s N&O;

* Create a single deer season for the state. Now, there are four main regional seasons. The new season would be the same as the current Eastern Deer Season, which this year runs Sept. 13 to Jan. 1.
* Allow bow hunting and falconry on Sundays on private land.
* Allow hunters to choose any weapon (bow, muzzleloader or center-fire rifle) from the start of the hunting season when on private land.
* Move the opening of turkey season to the first Saturday of April statewide, which would extend the season by about a week.
* Ask the legislature for the authority to regulate deer hunting with dogs, and possibly fine dog owners when hounds trespass on private land.
* Allow the hunting of coyotes at night with the use of artificial lights.

I’ve been thinking about many of these all day and talking with folks about them. I’ll be curious to hear what the biologists think about this. In the past there has been a huge disconnect between the professionals that have been hired to do the work and the political appointees that develop the rules. Looking at this I think the divide among these two groups has got to be bigger then ever.

You can bet we’ll continue to follow this story and to see the reactions of the different stakeholders like the NWTF & the NCBHA.

Story & photo by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Video of Pumping Operations at Lake Phelps Courtesy of NC Smokey 1 & You Tube

The Evans Road Fire in Eastern North Carolina is now 75% contained. The fire started on June 1st after a lightning strike in Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Recent rains have help suppress the surface fires but have had little effect on the smoldering ground fires. The fire is burning deep into the organic soil and will take a significant amount of water to extinguish. Incident Command believes it will take a tropical storm or hurricane to drop enough water on this fire to put it out. Smoke continues to be an issue for fire fighters as well as for people in the area or downwind of the fire. Impact on wildlife is believed to be minimal and plans are being made as to how to restore this land once the fire is out. Fire fighters continue pumping operations to secure containment lines and prevent any further expansion of this fire. I’ll continue to update this story as it develops.

Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

I ran across an interesting article in the Salt Lake Tribune on how to survive encounters with wildlife. They cover the wildlife native to their part of the country but much applies to a large part of the United States. Check it out and maybe you’ll walk away from your next photo op with a buffalo.

Photo & Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Photo by Moose (zoom lens from inside a vehicle)

A 12 year old Pennsylvania boy was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center after sustaining injuries from an encounter with a bull bison in Yellowstone National Park. Witness report that the boy and his family were posing for photographs within 2 feet of the mature bull despite the well publicized rules and bystanders warning that they were way to close. 2 freaking feet!!! The park rules are 25 yards. The bull reportedly tossed the boy approximately 10 feet in the air. The injuries appeared to be the result of the fall mostly abrasions and small cuts but he was also complaining of abdominal pain and why he was airlifted out. Authorities have not released the name of the boy or his family or any additional information of where they live other then to say they are from Pennsylvania.

I’ve seen people ignore these rules a number of times in National Parks across the country. Its one thing when it’s adults that are acting irresponsibility but another thing when they put children in harms way. In my experience to many people assume that animals like moose, deer, elk, and bison are tame or docile which they can appear to be but they are wild animals.

Story & photo by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

(Photo courtesy of Harnett County Animal Control and WRAL)

Well maybe a bit of a stretch but animal control and North Carolina Wildlife officials captured another 8 foot gator that was snarling up traffic earlier this week highway 401. This is less then a year since they relocated another 8foot gator to a more secluded part of the county. In case you were wondering if this was the same gator it is not according to the Dunn Daily Record;

Mr. Ellington speculated it was possible the alligator is the one captured and released in a pond on Christian Light Road near Angier in August. Residents caught the alligator in a pond with the assistance of animal control officers. It was then taken to another pond with an undisclosed location, still in Harnett County, where Mr. Ellington said, to his knowledge, it has continued to live.

He said the owner in that case was comfortable with the large reptile in his pond.

“The gentleman last year said he didn’t have a problem with it and said he would keep an eye on it,” Mr. Ellington said. “It is possible it migrated up to the location where we found the alligator Sunday.”

Animal Control Supervisor Tino Medina said the owner of the pond where the alligator was put last year reported to his office that the alligator is still in the pond.

“We figure it has to be a different one,” he said

I was alerted to this story by one of my reader’s Chuck who lives in Harnett County and has been trying to get me down there to catfish with him and his boys. I’m not sure emailing me stories like this makes me any more inclined to join them for a fishing outing.
This particular gator has been relocated to an undisclosed area closer to the coast where it is more common to find them. Two 8 ft gators in less then a year makes me think the population must be growing if they are looking to expand their territory this far up the Cape Fear River.

Story by Dan McLaughlin

A US Forest Service-contracted Heavy Air Tanker has been brought in to assist firefighters on the Evans Road Fire. This tanker can deliver 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in one drop.
Credit: USFS-Chris Carlson

Two weeks after lighting started the massive wildfire in Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge the weather has aided firefighters in getting the upper hand. The fire is now 60% contained and there is only about 5 miles of containment line to dig. Pumping operations from Lake Phelps and New Lake are allowing fire fighters to put 92,000 gallons a minute on to the still smoldering Pocosin fuel.

That is a massive amount of water.

The operations involve 35 high-volume pumps that can move about 92,000 gallons of water per minute, according to representatives from the incident command center for that fire.
“That would fill a normal-size in-ground swimming pool six times in one minute,” spokesperson Greg Pate said.
The pumps will run continuously, stopping when an area is completely flooded and the units need to be moved to another location.
The firefighters are authorized to draw down Lake Phelps by up to 5 inches.

Pilot online

I understand that evacuees have been allowed to return to their homes and the main concern is the air quality with the heavy dense smoke this fire is still putting up. Hopefully the weather will continue to be helpful in the fight and total containment will be reached soon. I will continue to follow this story and bring you additional updates.

Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Photo credit - USFWS

The Wildfire continues to grow in the eastern part of the state with latest reports holding at 40% containment. This area is important habitat for many species including the Red Wolf. Fire is an important tool of nature to reshape and regenerate areas and for the most part wildlife quickly adapts and escapes the fire.

Dr James Gallagher of Texas Agrilife Extension Services is currently studying the effects of wildfires on wildlife in Texas;

“While some dead animals are found in the aftermath of a fire, many more are seen wandering the landscape in search of food and shelter,” Gallagher said. “And with smaller-scale fires, mobile species populations like those of birds and white-tailed deer don’t normally suffer too greatly due to their ability to move quickly to escape fires and travel to new locations to find food and water.”
Even under harsh burning conditions, less mobile species like small mammals, Texas horned lizards and snakes, fare reasonably well during a fire itself, he added. But while some wildlife is killed during wildfires, more serious losses can come days and even weeks later.
“Even though the majority of animals may escape a fire, many will suddenly find themselves in the middle of thousands of acres of burned-over country side, with a lot less shelter and food than before,” he said. “Those living near the edges of the burned areas can usually travel to find what they need, as can those living in or near unburned patches. But unburned areas tend to be few and far between. Competition for resources in the unburned pockets can be intense, and those resources won’t last very long.”

Texas A&M
US Fish & Wildlife are reporting that within the current foot print of the fire there is no known Red Wolves dens. Most of the Red Wolves have telemetry collars and biologists in the early spring map out where the dens are.

April and May are very exciting months for red wolves - both in the wild and in captivity. It’s pup season! This annual occurrence finds Red Wolf Recovery Program, USFWS, wildlife biologists spending many hours in the field, seven days a week, looking for hidden dens over the five counties of Dare, Tyrrell, Hyde, Washington and Beaufort. Radio telemetry collars tell the biologists that there are 18-20 packs in this 1.7 million acres of northeastern North Carolina - the only place in the world where red wolves roam free in a portion of their original home range. So far for the 2008 pup season, the biologists have found 12 litters with 51red wolf puppies. But there could still be more! For the next several weeks, the 5 red wolf wildlife biologists will keep looking. Ideally, the red wolf field crew would like to find 3 or 4 more dens, but this season has already proven to be a “healthy” denning season. During 2007, 2006, and 2005, 31, 44, and 55 pups (respectively) were found among the wild population. The pups shown above are wild pups from a 2008 litter in eastern North Carolina.

US Fish & Wildlife Alligator River

For the most part the pups are big enough now that if a den was threatened I’m sure the adults would get the pups to move out of the path. Of course the unknown question in this event given the overall size as well as the rather long duration of the fire burning in the peat will species crowd up into areas outside of the fire and are those areas big enough to provide food and shelter for the additional displaced wildlife. Dr. Gallagher identified that as an issue in Texas and I’m sure it will be an even bigger issue here given the amount of time this fire could burn.

“The majority of wildlife exposed to wildfire will see a drastic reduction in their amount of cover and a drastic increase in their exposure to starvation and predation,” he said. “Many animals forced to move to more suitable areas will often have to do so at unusual times and in unusual locations. As a result, many of them find themselves coming in contact with humans and, more specifically, their vehicles.”
According to Gallagher, wildlife’s need for shelter is often under-appreciated. Not only does shelter provide a place to avoid predators, it is also essential to help wildlife conserve energy and water. “Without adequate shelter, wildlife is exposed to the elements, requiring them to use up more energy to stay cool or warm,” he said.
Gallagher said it may take several months before an area has adequately recovered to once again support wildlife, and unless growing conditions are adequate, most burned areas will provide marginal wildlife habitat at best.

Although he does not directly mention it I’m sure the potential for diseases is also significantly higher. We’ll have to wait and see what if any long term effects the fire has on the Red Wolf project but right now the impact seems to be minuscule.

Yesterday Maine held it’s annual Moose Lottery and it looked like an exciting event. I want to thank Tom & Steve and everyone else involved to make the live podcast from Kittery Trading Post possible. Although I couldn’t be there it was great to watch the fun and the excitement when the 3000+ names were read. Some of the lucky folks were in the audience and that was great. In case you still don’t know if you got drawn here is a link to the winning folks Good Luck to all that got drawn and I hope you have an enjoyable hunt this fall.