MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 24, 2023
If you need to buy a waterfowl stamp or a permit don’t complain; you’re doing your part to support wildlife conservation. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “For every dollar you spend on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes directly to purchase vital habitat or acquire conservation easements for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System.” Like the duck stamps, in Maine some of the money from antlerless deer permits goes toward conservation, specifically, acquisition and management of deer wintering areas, which are a critical and often lacking habitat component in northern and eastern Maine. With a few limited exceptions, hunters and anglers fund the bulk of wildlife conservation. ~ Bob Humphrey