G I/T V By Richard Franklin of Richards Custom Rifl es


www.richardscustomrifl es.com • richardscustomrifl es@gmail.com


Stress-Free Pillar Bedding .....................................$24.00 Metal working for a Rifl e Smith ..............................24.00 Inletti ng, Bedding & Clearcoati ng stocks 2 disc. .....29.00 Build a Smokeless Powder Muzzleloader 2 disc. ....29.00 Making & using Click Charts ...................................24.00 Precision Reloading for Accuracy ...........................24.00


G H V'


Death in the Green Grass (one) ..............................24.00 Death in the Green Grass (two) 2 disc ....................29.00 Hunti ng Groundhogs with Muzzleloaders ..............24.00


Postage included. Check or Paypal


Richard Franklin, 10433 Stewartsville Rd. Vinton, Virginia 24179


gray. By far the most common and numerous is the red vari- ety. It is prevalent throughout the state and is apt to be seen in rural areas as well as the state’s most remote woodlands. Historically, the smaller gray fox was found only in southern areas of the state, but it has not expanded its range northward. Historically, fox have been looked upon with mixed


feelings in Maine. Trappers appreciated the price they got for fur but fox were considered a threat and danger among farmers because of the threat against livestock and spread of rabies. As consequence, the first hunting and trapping seasons on fox were not established until around 1915, and even then the season was quite liberal. The season varied in length until 1982 when the state wildlife department was given legislative authority to establish a hunting season anytime between Octo- ber and February. The current hunting season opens October 17 and ends February 28. Maine never has had a daily bag or possession limit on fox and still doesn’t today, but since 1976 all fox killed must be tagged within 10 days after the close of the season. The same also is true of all coyotes. Bobcats must be tagged within 72 hours after one is killed. Tagging can be done at tagging stations located throughout the state, at MDIFW regional offices, and by local game wardens. A list of these options is available on the MDIFW Web site at www. maine.gov/ifw, or obtained by telephoning the department’s headquarters in Augusta at 207-287-8000. No other furbearers or varmints, including raccoon, skunk, opossum, woodchuck, and gray and red squirrel require tagging. When the first European settlers arrived, fox were


believed to be common in southern Maine, and as farming communities dominated the landscape fox were abundant by the early 1800s throughout southern, central, and coastal regions. It was not until the late 1800s and early 1900s when western and northern areas opened up to logging creating better habitat that fox became fairly common in those parts of the state. Today, fox are found, and hunting opportunities are possible, statewide. Statistically, Maine offers some 30,000 square miles of suitable fox habitat but the optimum habitat, highest fox densities, and best chances of success are found in areas containing cropland and fields intermixed with adjacent woodlands. That means the northeastern corner of the state, counties along the New Hampshire state line, and throughout the central and southern regions of the state. BoBcat


Until coyotes came along and became established throughout the state back in the 1970s, the bobcat was Maine’s


best known and truly predatory animal. In recent times ’cats have been common throughout the state but before the Civil War bobcats were prevalent in the more settled and central counties. Its northward expansion no doubt followed that of deer, which according to some reports by the MDIFW make up 40 percent of the bobcat’s diet, especially that of large male ’cats. Of utmost importance to the bobcat here in Maine, however, is the snowshoe rabbit. In the same study it was discovered rabbits make up 80 percent of bobcats’ diet during the winter in eastern Maine and up to 92 percent during the fall. The percentage was up to 62 percent in western Maine. From a hunting perspective, it only makes sense the best bobcat hunting is typically found where rabbit populations are high. Given Maine is close to the northern edge of the bobcat’s range, that Maine’s long, hard winters can be dif- ficult and hamper mobility, and the current hunting season takes place during the winter months when temperatures are coldest and snow deepest, places that offer not only food but easy living conditions offer the best hunting opportunities. With that said, while bobcats are apt to be found any-


where in Maine, certain parts of the state typically have the highest numbers. On the low end are the developed areas and farmlands in the south and mid-coast and the vast spruce forests in the north. Everything in between is prime bobcat country. While logging practices in the north helped create better habitat for rabbits, and therefore better hunting for bobcats, increasing competition from coyotes for available food has helped keep numbers relatively low, although bobcats certainly are there and hunting opportunities exist. Traditionally, bobcats have been hunted primarily with


hounds in Maine, and that practice remains the most popular and common means of hunting. A number of hunting camps offer hound hunts and nonresidents are allowed to run their own dogs with nothing more than a hunting license. In recent years, however, as baiting for coyotes has increased, more and more bobcats are also being taken with baiting tactics. Given the bobcat’s secretive nature and tendency to shun anything to do with man, however, the annual harvest is still low, with fewer than 500 taken annually by both trappers and hunters, with the highest number taken by trappers. Between 1909 and 1975, Maine paid a bounty on each


bobcat killed, and there was no limit or no closed season. Starting in 1976, the first time all harvested bobcats required tagging, and continuing until 1978, the season ran from late October to the end of February. Since 1978 to present the


www.varminthunter.org Page 63


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