My father has spent nearly six decades studying wildlife habitat and behavior to successfully trap furbearers in Maine. Over the years he has learned that animals are often the first sign that something in the landscape has changed.
He dug a pond near the house years ago because he has always been partial to trapping muskrat, beaver and otter. At first those animals frequented the pond. But over time he began noticing fewer muskrat not only there but along the section of property next to the Little River.
He started seeing fewer feed beds in warmer months and fewer “push-ups” through the ice in winter. These mounds of muskrat food waste have largely been replaced by pellets left by owls.
He has also noticed more hawks, owls, fisher and mink, all predators that eat muskrat.
“There has been excessive predation of muskrat on the property,” he told me. “But that is not the case for their decline in other areas in Maine.”
He also pointed to phragmites, an invasive nonnative reed that outcompetes cattails, which muskrat rely on for their tubers. The fibrous rhizomes of phragmites provide little nutrition for muskrat.
Habitat changes meant to benefit one species often end up benefiting others as well.
My father mentioned that fisher were once thought to live mainly in mature forests. It is now understood that they often thrive along the edges of recent cuts where snowshoe hare are abundant.
He has followed fisher tracks leaving harvest areas, traveling into mature stands and into hollow logs where the animals den.
“You target species by learning their behavior,” he said. “Fisher don’t leave a lot of sign.”
He has also seen fisher traveling along ridges before dropping downslope to hunt prey feeding on regenerating spruce, fir and white birch in previously harvested areas. Fisher will also cruise riparian corridors such as alder runs, tributaries and streams in search of prey. Fox, coyote and mink use these same areas to hunt.
Even after decades in the woods, my father still finds that wildlife can surprise him.
Years ago there was a push to extend the beaver trapping season in Maine. My father worried that incidental capture would reduce otter populations because otter travel along the same aquatic habitats where beaver traps are often set.
He was ignored and the season was extended.
He was also wrong.
Otter populations later increased dramatically in Washington County. He believes that may be related to cannibalistic behavior among male otters that sometimes kill younger ones. Fewer males may have allowed more young animals to survive long enough to reproduce.
He has also learned that forest structure matters. Forests with a mix of old trees, young trees, dead trees, downed logs, dense growth and openings support far more wildlife than forests made up of evenly spaced trees with little growing on the forest floor.
“There is little animal sign in places with no understory,” my father said. “A forest mixed with old trees, young trees, dead trees, downed trees, rotting logs, dense growth, small and large trees and openings is where you will find more animals.”
The forest where I grew up became more diverse over time because my father cut pulp and firewood from dense clusters of trees that had regenerated after earlier harvests. Removing some trees allowed more light, water and soil resources to reach those that remained. The canopy became more complex and sunlight reached the forest floor, encouraging herbaceous plants, shrubs and tree seedlings.
Large logs left on the ground after a harvest, either because they were rotten or left intentionally, added structure to the forest. Fisher use those logs as dens and as places to hunt voles, mice and other small animals.
Mast-producing trees such as red oak and beech were retained because they provide food for animals like bear, deer and turkey. Unfortunately much of the beech in the area has succumbed to disease and beech nuts are now rare. Oak remains abundant in places and mice take advantage of the acorns. Predators like fisher, fox and mink feed on those mice.
Interestingly, many people prefer forests that appear clean and open. When I worked as a forester in Washington state and later in Washington County, Maine, many landowners favored evenly spaced trees with little understory. Such forests are easy to walk through but support less wildlife diversity.
For landowners interested in improving wildlife habitat, MDIFW’s Beginning With Habitat program offers technical assistance and many land trusts in Maine provide educational resources. The Maine Trappers Association also offers information for those interested in learning more about trapping.
A forest with little food or cover for wildlife is not much different than the long stretch of Route 9 between the Airline Snack Bar and the Irving in Woodland. There is little to eat for a long distance, but you can pass through it quickly if you have to.
