There will be more opportunities for Mainers to hunt and fish at five National Wildlife Refuges and one National Fish Hatchery in the state as part of an expansion announced by the Department of the Interior.
Five of the areas affected by the changes are located along the coast. They include the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, along with National Wildlife Refuges at Franklin Island, Petit Manan and Pond Island, along with the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery. The other is the Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
Some of the refuges will be permitting hunting or fishing for the first time. That includes new hunting opportunities at Franklin Island and Pond Island which, along with Petit Manan, are among five individual refuges that are part of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
The changes in Maine are among additional or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities on 2.1 million new federal acres as outlined under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan.
Franklin Island, located 6 miles from the town of Friendship in Muscongus Bay, will allow hunting for open duck, light goose, dark goose, sea duck, rail, snip and woodcock.
Pond Island, a 10-acre island located in the mouth of the Kennebec River in Georgetown, also will be open to migratory bird hunting for open duck, sea duck, coot, light goose and dark goose.
Sport fishing will be allowed for the first time at the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery in Ellsworth, a facility dedicated to the rearing of Atlantic salmon.
The primary fishing area includes approximately 4 acres located in the backwaters area of Reeds Brook, which is classified by the state as part of Graham Lake. It entails the land between the hydroelectric dam and State Route 180 (Mariaville Road) on the southern shoreline.
Primary fish species in Reeds Brook in the area accessible from the hatchery include mostly largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish and chain pickerel.
The plan also calls for the station trail at the hatcher to be open to recreational activities such as wildlife photography, hiking and walking leashed dogs.
The plan also extends hunting season dates for groundhogs (woodchucks) and squirrels at the Sunkhaze Meadows refuge in Milford to begin Oct. 1 and end March 31.
The Moosehorn refuge, which has division in Baring and Edmunds, has further expanded the number of acres on which hunters may pursue many animals and birds.
An additional 645 acres will be made available to hunters as the result of reducing the “No Hunt Zone” in the Baring Division, which will open other lands that previously were managed as part of Cobscook Bay State Park. Two other areas comprising 105 acres in the East Hunting Zone along Route 191 in the Baring Division will be available to hunt bears, deer and coyotes.
Also, another 449 acres in the Edmunds Division will be open to the hunting of all species other than waterfowl, while 91 acres in that parcel will be available to hunting for all species.
The Petit Manan refuge located in Corea, Gouldsboro, Steuben and Milbridge, is expanding existing hunting opportunities to more acreage. That includes hunting for deer, bears, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, fox, hare, skunk, squirrel, woodchuck, porcupine, grouse, snipe, woodcock, sea duck, duck, light goose, dark goose and rail.
Hunters and anglers not only must follow all Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife rules, but must be aware of any special rules that might be in effect in the national wildlife refuges and hatcheries.