Open Season for Trout; What are They Fishing For?

Hatchery pond is a former trout hatchery stocked and overseen by Vermont Fish and Wildlife located on Newton Rd in Vernon. The report noting the ongoing value of Hatchery pond to Vernon as well as other identified important town water resources is the 2018 Vernon Town Plan with water resources starting on page 42.

Vermont is home to two native Salmanoids or Char.-Vermont Fish and Wildlife. Though their common names are Brook Trout and Lake Trout they are in reality only close relatives of the trout. From what I could find out, the differences include that: the Char has light spots over darker bodies, their scales are smaller than a trout's, and they have, "a boat-shaped bone (vomer) that is toothed only in front, on the roof of the mouth." - Encyclopedia Britannica.

With Brook and Lake actually being Char, that leaves the Brown Trout and the Rainbow Trout on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife list of trout found in VT.  It  turns out however, that in 1989 the Rainbow Trout / Steelhead was found to not be a true trout. DNA tests identified the Rainbow as being more closely related to the Pacific Salmon. - Orvis News, Fish Facts: Rainbow Trout,  Phil Monahan / November 15, 2019/ Fly Fishing.  Further investigation into the matter however, seems to point to the jury still being out for walking the line between a Rainbow inland trout and a Rainbow Steelhead. It also seems that fish hatcheries have further muddied the genetic waters by hybridizing.

Well folks, as far as I can tell, we are down to one potential trout found in VT and I hate to tell you this, but according to MT.gov, Montana Field Guides, "The Brown Trout belongs to a different genus than our native trout species." Wait a second, what did that field guide just say? Could it be that the Brown Trout is actually a trout? VT Fish and Game says; "The Brown Trout...is one of the trout species in VT that is not native. It was introduced to Vermont in the late 1800s..."

So there you have it, the Brown trout is one trout species found in VT. At this juncture I'm not going to split hairs over whether or not it is a native fish; but I'll be darned if I can figure out what the other trout species are! Best of luck during the VT trout season, I hope that you are better at figuring out what a trout is than I am. -Norma Manning
*This article was edited on 4/15/2020
**I would be lying if I said that this blog was easy and came off the top of my head. My take away is this: We are talking about a varied group of fish placed under the category Trout.  Their reasons for being there depends upon whether or not we are hearing from fish biologists, those interested in conserving Steelhead or sportsmen. I eagerly await hearing from someone more knowledgeable on the subject.

Hatchery Pond on Newton Road - opening weekend

A full parking lot overlooking Hatchery pond

Easter Sunday on the Vernon Hatchery pond

Tamarack or not, I get Ice Cream

I have delayed creating this post for Nature Finds as Wayne and I are in the midst of a spirited debate as to the correct identity of the tree of which I am writing. While I am certain that the tree in question is a Tamarack...well sort of certain;  Wayne is certain that I have taken leave of my senses. I have decided to be brave and risk outing myself with regards to my novice tree identification skills.

When my children were young, I used to pay a nickle to the kid who first identified the tree that I pointed to. We would be wandering along the trail and I would ask, "What kind of tree is that?" It was as an adult that our eldest daughter Kayden mentioned that she never once earned a nickle in this way because her younger sister Helen always answered correctly first. Kayden apparently felt that Helen and I shared some special talent when it came to Nature Finds. I was at that time forced to fess up that I actually knew relatively few trees and had only pointed out the ones that I was certain that I knew.

Here is my case for Tamarack: Tamaracks are cold tolerant to -65 degrees and hail from Canada. Canada is close to Vermont and VT is cold. Tamaracks prefer wet soils with a high (acidic) PH. The tree in question is at the Vernon Dam picnic area which is arguably a dry site but overlooking the river near Eastern Cottonwoods which also likes wet sites. There are pines in the area too, pines like acidic soil and Tamaracks are related to pines.  Though a softwood, Tamaracks lose their needles in the winter, this tree was bare, so this tree isn't a Conifer unless it is dead. My last two pieces of evidence are just as compelling, I didn't recognize the bark on the tree and it had amber colored pitch oozing from it. Pines ooze and Tamaracks of course are related to pines.

Wayne's case for anything but a Tamarack: Tamaracks are shaped like a spruce tree and this tree definitely is shaped like a hardwood tree.  Wayne argues that this tree is too tall to be a Tamarack, Tamaracks are 80 feet and less. I'm terrible at judging these sorts of things so I concede the point. I once bought a sofa for my living room wall...let's just say that it didn't end up there. Wayne thinks that the Tamarack's bark should look more like a White Cedar or an Eastern Hemlock. Lastly, Wayne noted that this tree is Deciduous and dormant.

So there you have it; it's definitely a Tamarack or definitely anything but. I'm leaving it up to the readers to decide. If Wayne earns more nickles than I, then he gets to buy me ice cream at  Cold Brook store this summer, then we'll sit under that tree to enjoy it.

Update: Wayne now thinks it is a Black Cherry and I'm holding him to that guess because I still get ice cream. -Norma Manning

Bark

Absence of  lower branches, no needles or leaves

Thick amber colored pitch oozing out of a wound

Branches in the crown 

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A Particular Pair of Canada Geese

Everyone has their own story as to when, where and how their love affair with nature began. For me it started with books. I wasn't a very (shall we say) rewarded student in public school; I couldn't quite seem to figure out how to meet the expectations of teachers and peers. It was books like Wild Goose, Brother Goose by Mel Ellis that ignited my sense of place in the world. "Tonight I heard the wild goose cry Winging north in the lonely sky...Wild goose, brother goose, which is best A wandrin' foot or a heart at rest?" -Cry of the Wild Goose.  I was taken, there began my journey.

When traveling between Vernon and Brattleboro, you will pass by two setbacks from the CT River.  These flooded areas, created by the building of the Vernon Dam in 1908, have become populated with a good variety of waterfowl and on any given day birders will be perched with their spotting scopes trained to them.

For the longest time I thought that it was just me that had a love affair with a particular pair of Canada Geese that often preened near the side of the road; and much to my concern, frequently wandered over route 142 to the drainage pond on the opposite side. It was when a community member posted on social media their heartbreak over one of the pair being struck and killed by a car and the subsequent public outpouring of grief, that I realized this particular pair of wild geese had touched the hearts of many more Vernonites than myself. Given that folklore says that Canada geese  mate for life, this accident seemed particularly sad.

 In the Waterfowl Population Status 2019 - US Fish and Wildlife, there are fifteen different Canada Goose populations listed in the 2019 Primary Monitoring Survey for an estimated total population of 8,134 with each bird representing 1000 birds. Ducks Unlimited sites a much greater number including 7 subspecies. Vermont Fish and Wildlife 2019 resident Canada Goose hunting season permitted bagging 5 resident Canada Geese in the Connecticut River Zone during the first season and in the second season 2 migrating and resident geese per day in the CT River Zone.

Seemingly there are plenty of Canada geese out there, So why one particular pair of geese captured the hearts and imaginations of a small southeastern town in Vermont I can't clearly explain. Perhaps my neighbors are like myself and somehow that pair awakened a sense of place in an often challenging world. -Norma Manning

A pair of Canada Geese heads east from the Vernon setback along rout 142

Northern nesting geese are smaller and darker than those nesting out west - Ducks Unlimited

The average males weigh 3 to 13 pounds with  females weighing 3 to 11 pounds

Looking southeast from 142 on the Vernon setback 

I wrote my name throughout my copy of Wild Goose Brother Goose

Natural End

In a wetland bordered by development and known for spring amphibian and Red Winged Blackbird breeding, we found a dead bird floating in the water. Frogs and birds saturate the area with calls of  impending new life; but even in this season of promise, the cycle of life comes to its natural end. - Norma Manning

A deceased bird floats in the water

This wetland is bordered by a small farm and houses

This brook connecting to the wetland appears to be stagnant

High Point Trail at J. Maynard Miller Town Forest

The J. Maynard Miller Town Forest in Vernon is a 469 acre town forest that is " home to seven rare and uncommon plants and one rare animal." The trails throughout are extremely family friendly and provides hikers with an opportunity to experience the VT class one wetlands designation candidate - Black Gum Swamps.

Recreation Director, Seth Deyo contacted me recently and asked if I had hiked on the new High Point trail which has an elevation of 1150 feet.  Seth and his brother Ian have been clearing a vista on the .25 mile trail giving  hikers the chance to rise above the swamps for an impressive view of Mount Snow in Dover, VT.

If you go, there is plenty of trail head parking on Basin rd along with a place to pick up a trail map and read about the history and environmental significance of the area. Your hike begins at 910 feet with a choice of accessing the Yellow/ High Point trail by either the White tail loop to the right or the Red and White trail to the left.

Let's go for a hike shall we? -Norma Manning

Addendum by Seth Deyo: Jeff Nugent from the Windham Regional Commission has been our mapping/ GPS expert throughout the entire project including the High Point Trail (yellow trail).  As far as construction of that specific trail...The Recreation Department seasonal staff also played a big role.  There are a few trees left that are larger than my comfort level cutting.  As always the Highway Department has been kind enough to lend us a hand...

Quarts is commonly found along the trails

A seasonal stream on the Red and White trail

It's uncommon to find trees and brush across this family friendly trail

Ledge makes for interesting tree stands

Taking the white trail to the yellow at the junction

The edge of the upper swamp

The Yellow trail is the High Point Trail

Hikers will see forest at various stages of growth

The change in elevation from the parking lot to the high point is 240 ft

Picnic tables available at the high point - 1150 ft

On a clear day Mt Snow is visible

The Yellow trail above, the Blue trail to the right below

Eagle Proud by Paul Miller

Paul got a call from Tina Franklin who lives across from the farm about noon today. He grabbed his camera and got a couple of pictures before these birds took off. Tina said they had been feeding on something - Paul didn't see what. (Mary Miller)

Bald Eagle at the farm by Paul Miller

Female Bald Eagles are larger than males by Paul Miller

American Beech Trees; Vital Importance for Wildlife

For most, the easiest way to identify the American Beech tree is by looking for the names of sweethearts carved into its gray smooth bark. For my children however, "The Birthday Tree." was a large  tree that dominated our backyard and shaded the family picnic table. When birthday balloons were tied to its lower branches, they knew cake was sure to follow. There is nothing quite like positive reinforcement when learning new things.

Aside from marking moments of joy like a calendar in the woods, the American Beech is an important member of mast producing trees. While acorns may be revered by those wanting a big healthy deer population; the beechnut is vital for buffering the acorn crop and creating a diversified food source for a wide range of animals. Birds, fox, bear, rodents and of course deer, all depend on the beechnut for its high protein and fat content. A black bear study by VT Fish and Wildlife concerning the impact of development and clearing of a major American Beech stand in Deerfield is ongoing.

The problem for landowners and woodlot managers comes in when taking into consideration that the American Beech is a large densely crowned shade tree without much timber value. The beech not only shades out its competition, it propagates primarily by its roots. Anyone with a beech on their property knows to be careful of surface roots lest you stub a toe and toss the cake. For these reasons the American Beech has lost favor with landowners which in turn is creating a food desert for wildlife.

National Arbor Day is always the last Friday in April. The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today. It takes forty years before a beech tree produces large amounts of nuts, so for those of you who hate raking up nuts in your yard, your safe if you plant a beech tree today.

Claw marks on the right side

Beech at different stages of growth

Logging provides light and space for new growth

Buds are alternate, long and pointed

Leaf retention during winter months