By Donna DeLong
Special to the Aroostook Republican
The Aroostook County Conservation Association (ACCA) was organized in 2008 to preserve, protect and enhance the northern Maine white-tailed deer herd. Ed Renaud, president of the Washington Conservation Association came to the first meeting to educate and help organize the new group.
Jerry McLaughlin of New Sweden, ACCA founder and president, said the organization’s members encourage Aroostook landowners who have prime deer habitat to improve and rejuvenate these critically important areas. Participants are asked to supplement the feeding area by using the ACCA supplied seeds to grow protein rich plants for the deer’s survival. Without adequate acreage the deer will wipe out each seasonal planting before it even has a chance to produce benefits. The most important point to remember regarding food plots, said McLaughlin, is that supplemental foods are not a means to replace feeding. They are designed to even out the nutritional deficiencies of an area throughout the year.
Traditional deer yards in Aroostook County are showing losses of 65 to 85 percent. Enhancing existing habitats by providing essential feeding areas also attract and support a variety of wildlife species. Small efforts can make a difference by improving the quality of food available, even on a small scale and will promote a healthier herd. Food plots are pivotal to most deer management plans.
There is no such thing as a quick solution, but McLaughlin knows the ACCA has made a difference in the amount and the health of the deer population over the last four summers. The ACCA works with private and government agencies as well as commercial landowners. The goals are to encourage the wise use of these resources and encourage landowner partnerships as well as to educate and encourage youth by providing them with experiences to assist in wildlife and fisheries conservation and management and to promote sporting opportunities for future generations.
With 200-plus members and more joining every year, the future of the association looks strong.
Food plots, winter habitat preservation, and predation management are all essential in keeping and maintaining a healthy deer population. There are 63 food plots put in around the county, many of which are local people with land that deer feed on. It is important to remember that no single plant can provide quality forage everywhere or during all times of the year.
The ACCA also provides tree seedlings to county members to plant hemlock and cedar trees around the deer yards to better enhance the existing habitat for the deer. These trees are important because they are supplemental food sources for the winter months as well as protection from the elements.
Steve Young, a certified wildlife biologist from Frenchville was hired through the Maine Deer Habitat Partnership. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have partnered with local landowners to enhance white-tailed deer wintering habitat in northern Maine, which covers all of Aroostook County, and northern Somerset, Penobscot and Washington counties. Young has helped to guide the ACCA and supply tree saplings for the group. Deer need the shelter of mature softwood dominated forests to survive severe Maine winters, especially in northern areas. Deer congregate in deer yards often traveling 20 miles or more from their summer range to the same yards during the winter year after year. These softwood dominated stands can be composed of spruce, balsam fir, cedar and hemlock. Maintaining mature forests on the landscape can be challenging, so the partnership was established to enhance and maintain historic deer wintering habitat in northern Maine.
ACCA members are very conscious of the coyote population in reference to the deer population. To keep a balance of healthy deer, they contend the coyote population has to be reduced. Each year a coyote hunting contest is held to reduce the coyote population. In 2009, 37 coyote were taken. In 2010, 57 coyote were taken. In 2011, 136 were taken. In 2012, 155 were taken. These animals were usually taken around deer yards. There is a cost of $20 to join the contest. Half goes to administration while the other half is put into a pool. Once the season is done this money is divided into the amount of coyote that were killed and each hunter is paid for each coyote taken.
The ACCA holds fundraisers like the rifle raffle and displays at sporting shows. Fox Pro and Extreme Dimension are two corporate members that give wildlife calls, hats and shirts to raffle off at the shows. The ACCA also sends children to wildlife conservation camp so they can learn and enjoy nature and be aware of our natural resources in Maine to keep our next generation aware of conservation.
Youth Hunting Day is held one day before the deer hunting season. This past year IF&W banned the killing of doe during the special hunt. Many ACCA members feel that this will take away from the hunting experience that the youth have always enjoyed. This is usually spent with family and encourages children from a young age to respect wildlife and the environment.
“Our youth need to have Youth Day reinstated so that our young people can shoot either a doe or a buck. It is important to keep our next generation interested in hunting and aware of the balance that this season makes to keep the herd healthy,” McLaughlin said.
To become involved in ACCA contact ACCA, 41 Hedman Road, New Sweden, Maine 04762 or visit their website at www.acca-maine.org.
