Friday , January 6 , 2017 The Colebrook Chronicle Page 15
Outdoors
Registration is now open for “ Beyond Becoming an Outdoors Woman ” workshop courses based around winter hiking . Courtesy photo .
OUTDOOR WOMAN REGISTRATION
Registration is now open for a new Beyond Becoming an Outdoors-Woman ( BOW ) workshop called “ Explore Winter Hiking .”
Course dates are Feb . 15 and March 1 , from 6-8 p . m . ( classroom setting ); Fox State Forest Education Center , 309 Center Rd , Hillsboro ; and March 4 at 8:30 a . m . ( day hike ) Wapack Trail , Mountain Rd , Greenfield .
Registration forms are available at www . nhbow . com . Those interested in attending are encouraged to sign up early . Only registration forms received by postal mail will be accepted ; no e-mails , faxes or walk-ins please .
Cost for all three sessions is $ 55 . Participants must provide their own backpacks , winter clothing , hiking boots , boot traction devices , lunch and water for the hike . Winter hiking is not a beginner course , so recent hiking experience and moderate fitness level is required .
“ Winter hiking is rewarding , yet challenging , and requires preparation , detailed planning and specialized equipment . In this three-session course , you will learn what gear is needed and how to prepare for a winter hike , including safety concerns map reading and calorie requirements . Then you ’ ll hit the trail for a winter hike ,” reads a recent press release .
New Hampshire BOW programs are co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department ( www . wildnh . com ) and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation ( www . nhwf . org ), a nonprofit group that advocates for the promotion and protection of hunting , fishing and trapping , as well as the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat .
MOOSE COLLARING UNDERWAY
Northern New Hampshire residents may see a helicopter overhead in the coming weeks as approximately 45 moose cows and calves are collared for the third year of a four-year study of moose mortality and productivity .
The N . H . Fish and Game Dept . has contracted with Native Range , Inc ., to collar the moose . Activity will be weather-dependent , but could begin as early as the first week of Jan . 2017 . During this time , residents of Success , Berlin , Milan , Cambridge , Dummer , Millsfield , Second College Grant , Wentworth ’ s Location and Errol may notice a low-flying helicopter . Residents with questions can call Fish and Game ' s Wildlife Division at 271- 2461 .
The collaring will take place in Wildlife Management Unit C2 , the eastern side of WMUs B and C1 , and southern A2 .
The capture crew will use net-guns and tranquilizer darts to capture the moose so that they can be collared . Blood and other samples collected during the collaring process will help evaluate the health of the moose . The collared animals will be radiotracked for four years and monitored for as long as the collars keep transmitting . One graduate student and several field technicians from the University of New Hampshire ( UNH ), which is partnering with Fish and Game in the study , will track the moose , recording how long the individual moose live , and when a moose dies , getting there as soon as possible to determine the cause of death .
Fish and Game ’ s moose project leader Kristine Rines indicates that this year the capture crew will be collaring moose in Maine , New Hampshire and Vermont , as the three states work together to learn how moose density and weather interact to boost tick-caused moose mortality and reduce moose birth rates .
“ In comparing mortality and productivity from the New Hampshire study conducted in 2001-2006 , versus the work done to date in New Hampshire from 2014-2016 , we know that ticks are causing increasingly negative impacts to adult cow productivity ,” said Rines . “ In addition , as our winters become consistently shorter , more ticks are surviving and calf mortality is remaining high . We are also seeing clear evidence that tick loads are directly correlated to both moose density and shorter winters .”
The study , funded by federal Wildlife Restoration dollars with the support of matching funds from the University of New Hampshire , may help answer what is in store for New Hampshire moose .
“ While regional moose populations are indeed facing some serious threats , moose are not on the verge of disappearing from the New Hampshire landscape , but they are declining ,” said Rines . “ We don ' t know what the future holds , but as our winters continue to shorten , it may be best for moose if they are held at much lower densities . Based on our own work , we know that ticks have far less impact when moose densities are 0.25 / square mile or less .” Current moose densities in the New Hampshire study area range from 1.43-1.73 moose / square mile .
For more information on the study , visit www . wildnh . com / wildlife / moosestudy . html .
FISHING AND HUNTING LICENSES AVAILABLE New Hampshire fishing and hunting licenses for 2017 are now available . Licenses are good for the calendar year , from Jan . 1 through Dec . 31 , 2017 . Purchase online at www . nhfishandgame . com , at the N . H . Fish and Game Department in Concord , or from a Fish and Game license agents across the state .
The annual hunting or fishing license – or a " combo " license – is a year-round ticket to the state ’ s great outdoors . Seacoast anglers will need a saltwater recreational fishing license to fish in coastal or estuarine waters .
After receiving a license , folks are encouraged to check out the 2017 New Hampshire Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing digests . Read them online at www . fishnh . com / fishing / publica tions . html , or pick up a copy at license agents or Fish and Game Department offices . These publications include summaries of important fishing rules and regulations , photos for identifying
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