McClory: New wildlife group looking for help with new survey

The Maine Office of Tourism and Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are asking for your help with an important new study of fishing and hunting in Maine.The group is conducting a survey to measure the important role that fishing and hunting play in Maine’s economy, and to learn what sportsmen and women prefer in their fishing and hunting adventures in Maine. If you hunt in Maine and receive one of these requests, please take a few minutes to complete the survey that will hopefully help improve fishing and hunting for everyone.Everyone who completes the survey will be automatically entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the retailer of your choice!uKittery (Maine) Trading Post, a well-known New England outdoor sports specialty retailer, will celebrate its 38th Annual Septemberfest Celebration at the store’s Route 1 location. Starting Monday, there will be one full week of excitement, entertainment and extraordinary prices on products throughout the store. This event features educational hunting seminars, equipment demonstrations and entertaining activities of special interest to sportsmen and women. And for the kids, pony rides, climbing walls, archery and pellet gun range and much more. Over $20,000 in free merchandise prizes will be given away throughout the week!Enter for a chance to spin our Septemberfest Prize Wheel for free KTP gift cards, clothing, footwear, fishing, shooting sports, winter & water sports merchandise, valued at $25 to $500. Drawings will be held daily. There is no purchase necessary to enter, and you need not be present to win.All events are free and open to the public.uThe early Massachusetts Canada goose hunting season dates are Sept. 2-25 with hunters allowed a bag limit of seven birds per day. The early season provides goose hunters with ample hunting and gives more time to landowners to allow hunters to reduce the size of nuisance flocks of resident geese.State and federal waterfowl stamps are required for hunting waterfowl and hunting hours begin one half hour before sunrise and end at sunset. As in the past, hunters planning to hunt woodcock, snipe, ducks and geese must register with the Harvest Information Program (HIP) by taking a HIP survey.Also opening Tuesday is the Massachusetts bear season, with an estimated bear population of over 4,000, parts of northwest Middlesex County and Worcester County west is now open to bear hunting.uA controlled white tailed deer hunt has been scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport. As an integral part of a comprehensive Refuge Wildlife Management Program, this annual hunt helps maintain the deer population at a level consistent with the available habitat while providing recreational opportunities for the hunting public.The hunt is by Refuge permit only with a maximum of 35 hunters, including up to 4 paraplegic hunters and 15 standbys, to be selected by public lottery on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. at Refuge Headquarters, 6 Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport.To apply for a permit, send a single 3″ x 5″ card containing your complete name, address, daytime phone number and Massachusetts deer hunting license number to Refuge Headquarters. To allow for two people to hunt together on the same day, up to two hunters may apply on the same single 3×5″ card but all the required information must be included on the card for both applicants.All applications must be received by COB, Friday Oct. 3. For further information contact Refuge Headquarters located at 6 Plum Island TurnpikeNewburyport 01950, or phone 978-465-5753. Office hours are Monday -Friday, 8 am – 4:00 pm, excluding federal holidays.uI cannot tell you how many times during the summer boating season I observe boaters not wearing life jackets. There is no reason to feel ashamed when you are wearing a life jacket, especially if you are boating or fishing alone.An accident happens without warning, which is why they are called accident