Wildlife Quiz - Yellow Perch

Yellow Perch

The yellow perch, (Perca flavescens) belongs to the Percidae or perch family of fishes. Yellow perch are native to the North American continent but dispersed widely from its original predominant range of the eastern United States and Canada due to its popularity as a sport and commercial game fish. Yellow perch have gold or yellow colored bodies and possess unmistakable dark vertical stripes. This unusual color pattern has given them the nickname “tiger trout” by anglers. The dorsal fin, contains several sharp spines that work to protect the fish from predators and provide unsuspecting anglers with an unpleasant surprise. Yellow perch are a relatively diminutive species of game fish, averaging between 5-8 ounces. It is not uncommon in health yellow perch waters, to occasionally catch large adults reaching 10 inches and weighing 10 ounces. The largest yellow perch caught in Maine was a monsterous 1 pound 10 ounces behemoth taken out of Worthley Pond in East Peru, it currently stands as the state record.

A gregarious species, yellow perch often travel in large schools, making fishing for this delectable game fish exciting once anglers locate them. Rarely taken from waters more than 30 feet deep, yellow perch tend to prefer living a majority of their lives eating and breeding in shallow waters. Perch are prolific breeders, with male yellow perch reaching sexual maturity at three years of age, females at four. Perch spawn in the spring, typically in April and June. Mating occurs with females first releasing a sticky, gelatinous mass of eggs that adheres to dense vegetation and fallen trees. During the spawning season, males release milt around the eggs to fertilize them. Eggs and sperm are randomly mixed and soon after fertilization, the young hatch. Yellow perch typically live 9-10 years

Body size predominantly determines the diets of yellow perch. Juvenile yellow perch eat small insects like mosquitoes while the larger adult yellow perch dine on crayfish and the eggs and fry of other fish. In turn, bass, walleye and northern pike all prey on perch.

Wildlife Quiz Questions:

1. What family of fishes do yellow perch belong?

2. What is the primary defense weapon of the yellow perch?

3. What is the native range of the yellow perch?

4. What do male yellow perch release on the female yellow perch eggs to fertilize them?

5. What was the weight of the biggest yellow perch caught in Maine?

6. What is the average weight of an adult yellow perch?

7. When is the mating season for the yellow perch?

8. What is the average life span of a yellow perch?

9. What fish species prey on yellow perch?

Wildlife Quiz Answers:

1. Yellow perch belong to the Percidae or perch family of fishes.

2. The primary defense weapon of the yellow perch is a dorsal fin, containing several sharp spines that help protect the fish from predators.

3. The native range of the yellow perch runs across the eastern United States and Canada.

4. The male yellow perch releases milt onto the female’s eggs to fertilize them.

5. The biggest yellow perch caught in Maine weighed 1 pound, 10 ounces.

6. The average weight of an adult yellow perch is 5-8 ounces.

7. The mating season for the yellow perch runs from April to June.

8. The average life span of a yellow perch is 9-10 years.

9. Yellow perch are preyed upon by bass, walleye and northern pike.

Fire!

"There's something not quite right with you!?!?!" and thus started an interesting conversation with my Dad, one blustery Saturday afternoon while ice fishing. Inquiring, with the slightest bit of hesitation, I asked, "Why would you say that?" The old man took a deep breath and then started in on his tirade . . . "Well, you and your friends layer up in all this newfangled super insulated clothing, and then proceed to sit out in the middle of the lake all day long, in weather conditions not fit for man nor beast, then at lunch time, you heathens chow down a can of sardines, a couple little Debbie snack cakes and call it a meal!?! Lastly, if you do manage to catch a fish you take it home and throw it in the freezer where it may not get eaten for months!"

At that point, I stared blankly at the old man trying to figure out exactly what was wrong with the series of events he had just relayed. Clearly exasperated, the old man took another deep breath and continued . . . "I taught you better than that! Don't you remember all those times fishing pickerel ponds as a kid? Don't you remember warming frozen toes and fingers on a warm lake side fire? Don't you remember eating freshly caught fish wrapped in tinfoil and gently steamed on the coals of a fire? Don't you remember cooking hot chocolate in an old tea pot? AND lastly PLEASE tell me you remember eating red hotdogs and marshmallows cooked on freshly cut alder branches?"

I again stared blankly . . . Now nearly frantic in his level of disgust, the old man staggered across the deep snow and dragged a large dead tree out of the shoreline brambles. As I drilled holes and prepared lines, he worked tirelessly to organize a sheltered "hangout" area by piling up blocks of snow to make a windbreak and constructing a small teepee of sticks to serve as the beginnings of a small fire.


Scientists have proven that the sense of smell is the sense most closely linked to memory and of that I am not surprised. As I finished baiting the last hook, the smell of acrid wood smoke began drifting across the hard water, bringing with it a lifetime of happy ice fishing memories that slowly began leaking back into my conscious mind. As I walked over to the old man, I asked "Hey Dad did you bring any of those red hotdogs and marshmallows?" A wide smile appeared on the old man’s face, "Certainly" said Dad, "I thought you would never ask."

I wanted to share this story as it really is interesting how ice fishing has changed tremendously from my Dad's generation to mine. He and his friends were without snowmobiles and ice augers, they would hike up to 5 miles through deep snow to access good ice fishing waters. They enjoyed only tea (who can walk 5 miles with a buzz-on!) and ate almost everything that they caught fresh from the icy waters over a blazing lake side fire. When I compare that to our "modern" ice fishing lifestyle, I begin to feel a little bit disgusted with myself and what I have allowed to be stolen from the enjoyment of this great outdoor activity. With eyes now open, I vow to make more of a concerted effort this season to embrace the "old" ways and make sure these excellent traditions and treasured memories are passed on to my children!

I had believed for many years that a fire on the ice was not permissible under Maine law. A review of the Maine statutes and an email to the Maine warden service proves my belief incorrect. Maine’s revised statute on open burning (9325) reads that “open burning without permit is permissible on frozen bodies of water, when not prohibited by state rule, local ordinance or water utility regulation and as long as no nuisance is created.” The Maine warden service reports that “a fire on the ice is permissible except when specifically prohibited such as on water supplies. Litter left behind is generally what creates the greatest issue, such as beer cans and other non-burning materials.”

Ultimately, according to the law and law enforcers, if ice fishermen are not on a regulated water supply and remain responsible, there is no reason why a warming/cooking fire on the ice cannot be built. Now before heading for the shoreline to collect firewood to build a raging bonfire, please make sure you are acquainted with the law on the frozen body of water on which you are fishing and even more importantly, be prepared to follow good sporting ethics when building a fire on ice. Remember that every shoreline belongs to someone, so being respectful and thoughtful should be high on everyone’s priority list. Being responsible means keeping fires at a manageable and easily controllable size. Fires should not be constructed in close proximity to camps and other shoreline structures. Wood for fires should either be brought in or deadwood salvaged from shorelines. Live trees should never be cut and bark should never be stripped from trees and unless in very remote areas, even dead trees should be left standing. Most of the time, a small cooking/warming fire can be constructed from driftwood and dead branches salvaged from 3-400 yards of shoreline.

For the uninitiated, building a fire on the ice is an act in futility unless the person first understands a couple critical construction details. First heat from the fire melts the surrounding ice creating steam that makes starting a fire and keeping it going almost impossible. Secondly, a pool of water forms directly under the fire pit, due to the heat from the fire melting the surrounding snow and ice, this also will eventually extinguish the fire. Before building a fire on the ice, first create a platform of wooden logs on which the fire sits. Doing this eliminates both the issues discussed above.

The Little Brown Bat - Wildlife Quiz

The Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) exists as one of the eight different species of bat that live in Maine. The range of the Little Brown Bat stretches across the northern half of the United States, southern Canada and has been spotted in Alaska, the Yukon and even Iceland. Both male and female Little Brown Bats, as their name suggests, have uniformly dark brown fur and matching dark brown wing membranes. A diminutive bat species, adults rarely exceed a length of 4 inches and weigh less than half an ounce.

Contrary to popular opinion, less than one bat in twenty thousand has rabies, and no bats in Maine feed on blood. Instead, of being viewed as disease ridden, blood sucking vermin, bats should be respected for the critical role they play in helping to maintain healthy ecosystems by preserving the natural balance of insect populations like mosquitoes, blackflies, wasps and midges. For example, a Little Brown Bat typically consumes its body weight in insects each night during active feeding. Scientists estimate bats save the U.S. agricultural industry $3 billion a year in pest control. In the summer, Little Brown Bats sleep approximately 20 hours a day, conserving their small fat reserves of energy, by primarily hunting during dusk and dawn when insect prey are most readily available. Little Brown Bat possesses the ability to survive harsh climates, like Maine winters, by both migrating and hibernating.

When fall arrives, Little Brown Bats fly to more southern locales where they join hundreds of other bats in a hibernaculum or “winter quarters”. These hibernaculum typically include caves and mines, where they hibernate for the winter. If successful in avoiding predators, like fisher cats, weasels, raccoons, birds, rats and snakes and disease, Little Brown Bats live approximately 6 to 7 years. White-nose syndrome has decimated Little Brown Bat populations since its discovery in 2006.

Questions 
1. How many species of bat live in Maine?
2. What is the range of the Little Brown Bat?
3. What color is the Little Brown Bat?
4. How much does the Little Brown Bat weigh?
5. How many insects does the Little Brown Bat consume every night?
6. How much money does the Little Brown Bat save the U.S. agricultural industry in pest control every year?
7. Does the Little Brown Bat hibernate?
 8. How long does the Little Brown Bat live?

 Answers 
1. Eight different species of bat that live in Maine.
2. The range of the Little Brown Bat stretches across the northern half of the United States, southern Canada and has been spotted in Alaska, the Yukon and even Iceland.
3. As their name suggests, the Little Brown Bat, has uniformly dark brown fur and matching dark brown wing membranes.
4. A diminutive species, Little Brown Bat adults rarely exceed a length of 4 inches and weigh less than half an ounce.
 5. The Little Brown Bat typically consumes its body weight in insects each night during active feeding.
6. Scientists estimate bats save the U.S. agricultural industry $3 billion a year in pest control.
7. Yes, the Little Brown Bat hibernates.
8. Little Brown Bats live approximately 6 to 7 years.