Trapping
by Mac Sullivan
When I was twelve years old I started trapping and started with muskrats in our family owned marsh. Since I began trapping I have caught a bobcat, multiple grey fox, raccoon, beaver, and others. Every year I try to challenge myself by improving my skills, and learning from my mistakes. I have taught my self everything I know about trapping through books, other trappers and the internet. However, the most knowledge I have retained in this sport has come from experience. I learned more in my first year of trapping though trial and error than from books. It is important for me to set goals and standards for myself so I can continue my growth and knowledge. It is like a competition against myself trying to learn more and catch more.
If you have never trapped, you will never even begin to comprehend the time and dedication that is involved; spending countless mornings getting up at four-o’clock before school to go and check traps. Then the feeling you get when you are walking toward the set, and then your head lamp reveals two glowing eyes, this is why we trap. It is the rush of success and the timeless dedication that has finally paid off. In the end I will be a lifelong trapper.
In the past, trapping has been fairly loose in terms of the method of trapping. The state is now working with other trapping associations to spread the concept of BMP’s. These are Best Management Practices. These are methods of trapping concentrated on having a target animal, and prevent catching other animals.
Current Conditions of Lake Champlain Invasion of the non native species
by Dylan Lorrain
Lake Champlain is the sixth largest lake in the U.S.A., surpassed only the Great Lakes. There is 435 miles of pristine lake that lies between Vermont, New York and runs slightly into Canada. The lake is well known for its excellent fishing, good sailing and boating, and its many sandy beaches. But is Lake Champlain the vast, clean, paradise that is used to be? The lake is now facing problems that threaten to take away the quality of this beautiful lake that Vermonters, New Yorkers and tourists so love. Problems such as sea lamprey population increase, zebra muscles, and Eurasian milfoil, which are invasive species that threaten the native organisms of the lake. There are also problems including mercury and specific types of algae.
There are many nonnative organisms currently living in Lake Champlain. Some of these include alewife, which is for the most part harmless and has become a part of the existing ecosystem. But other invasive species such as zebra muscles are not harmless. Zebra muscles entered the lake in 1993 and have spread quickly throughout a large percentage of the water. They are bad for the lake because they filer all of the microorganisms that other native fish and muscles eat. In turn, this causes an effect of now as many small forage fish because their food source is being taken away. Predatory fish such as Bass, Pike, and Walleye will now not have as much to eat either, because of the decrease in baitfish. Zebra muscles also pose a threat and nuisance because they cover water intake pipes and tear up the feet of swimmers.
Another invasive species threat is Eurasian milfoil that is an aggressive and fast growing plant that smothers out other native plants and clogs up marinas and swimming holes. While the plant does provide a prime habitat for native fish species such as perch, pan fish, and small and largemouth bass, the milfoil is still considered a nuisance and a danger to the diversity of plant life in the lake.
An increasing problem is the presence and increasing numbers of lamprey. Lampreys are native species, but for the past ten years their populations has been on the rise, damaging large amounts of the fish population. Lamprey latch on and suck the life out of the host fish such as Salmon, Lake Trout, and Walleye. A lamprey bite doesn’t usually result in death, but it will often weaken the host fish so it can not get enough food or is an easier target for other fish. There are many different efforts being used to lower lamprey populations. Conservation agencies are using traps, poisons and dams to cut the population down. How successful they have been to date is in question.
Invasive species are not the only issue Lake Champlain is facing. There has been an increase in the amount of mercury found in many fish species. Obviously you do not want to consume mercury, so it is necessary to eat only a certain amount of fish from the lake over a period of time. In recent years, algae toxins have also appeared and specific strains of blue green algae have been found. These have closed swimming access, killed some animals and made several people ill.
In conclusion, Lake Champlain is facing many problems due to invasive species, high water conditions, and an increase of harmful toxins produced by algae. While hundreds of volunteers and different agencies monitor the ecosystem of Lake Champlain, the success levels have been varied. In my opinion, now, while the lake is still in good shape, the water is mostly clean and the dishing is still excellent, we need to take collective action. We are all a part of the lakes current situation and its future.
|
True or False