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Bobcats, like this one spotted by Connecticut photographer Julia Carlson, are the focus of a study by DEEP wildlife biologists. With help from community scientists, we are learning more about these elusive animals, including how they move throughout our changing landscape.
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| New Way to Report Bear, Bobcat, and Moose Sightings! |
The Wildlife Division is pleased to announce that a new database is available to report your bear, moose, and bobcat sightings. In the past, bear and moose sightings were reported on the previous DEEP website and sent to program biologists. The new system will be mobile-friendly and have online reporting forms for each species, which will help streamline the reporting process. Another great feature will be an online map showing the number of sightings per town in the current year, which will be updated each week. The Wildlife Division will still accept sighting reports through Facebook and email, but we encourage the public to use the online forms to ensure the proper information is collected about each sighting. The Wildlife Division is no longer using iNaturalist to collect official reports for bobcats.
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| Spring is Coming, Time to Bring in the Bird Feeders |
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Photo courtesy of Melissa Ruszczyk |
After a milder winter than many were expecting, spring is right around the corner. Many black bears in Connecticut have found it unnecessary to stay in their dens all winter long. A recent
article in Connecticut Wildlife magazine (PDF) highlights the strategies bears use to survive the colder months, and why you shouldn't be too surprised to see them during mild winters. Bear activity will continue to increase as spring approaches, and the Wildlife Division would like to remind the public to remove food attractants, like bird feeders, outdoor pet food, and unsecured garbage. To keep bears from becoming more habituated and food-conditioned, good habits of coexistence are essential for reducing human-wildlife conflicts.
More on living with black bears . . .
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2020 Wild Turkey Hunting Clinics
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Throughout the year, the Wildlife Division's Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) Program offers a series of advanced hunter education seminars and workshops. Both experienced and first-time turkey hunters stand to benefit from attending the 2020 Wild Turkey Hunting Clinic. Hunting information, which includes safe hunting practices, specialized equipment, calls and decoys, site setup, and other strategies for harvesting turkeys will be provided. Participants will also have an opportunity to pattern their shotguns for turkey hunting following classroom instruction.
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| Join Us at the Northeast Fishing & Hunting Show |
The DEEP Bureau of Natural Resources, including the Wildlife Division, Fisheries Division, and Environmental Conservation Police, will be at the 24nd Annual Northeast Fishing & Hunting Show from March 20-22, 2020, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. This expo provides classes, seminars, and demonstrations led by hunting and fishing professionals and features hunting dog demonstrations, casting competitions, and much more! Pay us a visit and ask us your fish and wildlife questions or simply say hello. We hope to see you there!
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| Volunteers Needed for Shorebird Monitoring 2020 |
The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds and the Wildlife Division invite you to make a difference for threatened bird species at the beach as an official summer volunteer. Volunteers will help monitor piping plovers, American oystercatchers, and least terns at beaches statewide from early April through August.
Atlantic Coast populations of beach-nesting birds return to the Connecticut coast in March from their wintering grounds, as far as the Caribbean. The cryptic nests of these birds are extremely susceptible to human disturbance, predation, and tidal wash outs. To enhance the survival and productivity of Connecticut's beach-nesting birds, volunteers work at locations from Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport to Bluff Point in Groton to observe the shorebirds, record and report nesting data, and educate the beach-going public about actions they can take to help these birds raise their young.
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Vernal Pool Hike at Sessions Woods WMA
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Vernal pools are hidden wetlands of the forest. They are alive with sounds and activity during certain times of the year. Many wildlife species are dependent on vernal pools to survive. Outreach biologist Paul Benjunas will lead participants on a walk to a vernal pool at the Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington. He will describe the diversity of life, including frogs, salamanders, fairy shrimp, and others found in this unique wetland. The hike will be approximately 2 miles roundtrip. Please register by calling 860-424-3011 or email [email protected].
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Connecticut's Watchable Wildlife
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In Connecticut, bald eagles typically lay their eggs between the last week of February and first two weeks of March. Once incubation begins, an eagle will be present at the nest at all times, though it is often difficult to tell because incubating eagles lay low on the nest. Watch for the male and female to trade places every few hours and for the female to stand up, move the eggs, and change position every hour or so.
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| Results of Statewide Active Tick Surveillance Efforts |
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Blacklegged (deer) tick |
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) released the results of the first statewide active tick surveillance effort. Blacklegged (deer) ticks were the most commonly collected tick species. The lone star and Asian longhorned ticks are emerging in the state. Fairfield County reported the highest infection rates for all pathogens (Lyme disease, babesiois, anaplasmosis, hard tick relapsing fever, Powassan encephalitis) and Litchfield County the highest in nymphal blacklegged ticks.
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Species of the Month: Wood Frog
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Wood frogs are a uniquely cold-adapted species in Connecticut. Capable of surviving below freezing body temperatures, wood frogs are the only frogs that live north of the Arctic Circle. When late winter temperatures begin to thaw, wood frogs are usually the first amphibians to emerge and begin their breeding season at vernal pools, which may still be partially iced over. On some of the first warm, rainy nights of February and March, look out for wood frogs crossing roadways on their short migration to breeding sites. During early spring, the chorus of wood frogs at a vernal pool is distinctive, sounding similar to a duck's quack.
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You'll find each issue packed with information about wildlife, hunting, fishing, and natural resource-related issues in Connecticut.
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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at 860-418-5910 or [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint.
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