Hunting & Fishing At The Second Dartmouth College Grant

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Generally there is no telephone or cell phone

coverage available in the Grant. A public phone is

available on the porch of the Gate Camp for

emergencies.

Fire-Emergency Assistance: Dial 911

Dartmouth Woodlands Office: 603-449-2049

NH Fish and Game Violations: 1-800-344-4262

NH Regional Fish and Game Biologists: 603-788-3164

Violations of College Regulations: 603-449-2049

Vandalism or Damage to College Property: 603-646-2428

Grant Website: www.dartmouth.edu/~cpf/secondgrant.

Printed Spring 2012

Grant Hunting and Fishing Overview

The Second Dartmouth College Grant com-

prises over 27,000 acres of woods, fields, streams

and ponds owned by Dartmouth College for over 200

years, The Grant is carefully managed based on prin-

ciples of sustainability while insuring the preserva-

tion, protection, and enhancement of native species

of fish and wildlife, and preserving a true wilderness

experience for those who come to visit. Dartmouth

welcomes you to the Grant.

Dartmouth has a long tradition of keeping

the entire Grant open to hunting and fishing by the

general public, and by members of the Dartmouth

community, except for areas which may be closed

temporarily for wood harvesting operations, for spe-

cial management or research projects, or for safety

reasons. In order to insure a safe and enjoyable expe-

rience for its users, Dartmouth has adopted special

policies and regulations that all persons hunting or

fishing in the Grant must follow. This brochure is de-

signed to familiarize you with these policies, and with

hunting and fishing opportunities in the Grant.

Please review each section before you begin

your hunting or fishing trip to the Grant. Permission

to enter the Grant is conditioned on your agreement

to abide by these regulations. Entry upon the Grant

constitutes your agreement to abide by these regula-

tions, and persons who violate these regulations may

lose permission to enter the Grant, or may be subject

to penalties under New Hampshire law.

General Regulations

The following apply to all persons entering the Grant to

hunt or fish:

1. A valid NH hunting or fishing license, with any applica-

ble federal migratory bird stamps or permits, is required. Persons

found hunting or fishing without a license will be reported to NH

Fish and Game. You must show your license to NH Fish and Game or

Grant management personnel upon request. No licenses are availa-

ble in the Grant. Licenses may be purchased from licensed agents at

local stores, or online at www.wildlife.state.nh.us/licenses. Persons

wishing to fish or hunt in Maine while staying at the Grant will need

a Maine license. For information on Maine licenses, go to:

www.maine.gov/ifw/licenses or www.maine.gov/ifw/regulations.

2. NH Fish and Game laws apply in the Grant. Obtain a

booklet of these regulations when you buy your license and be fa-

miliar with them. Additional regulations applicable to the Grant are

explained in this brochure.

3. Vehicular access is limited to members of the Dart-

mouth community or their guests having cabin reservations or day

passes, and to authorized state officials, or persons having author-

ized business in the Grant. Other persons may access the Grant on

foot, or by other non-motorized means.

4. No snowmobiles, ATV’s, trail bikes, or other types of

motorized off-road vehicles are permitted, except for approved

administrative, educational, or research purposes. Cabin users may

have these vehicles with them on a truck or trailer for use outside

the Grant if the Cabin Reservations Office is advised at the time of

cabin rental, but may not off-load these vehicles in the Grant, except

in the case of snowmobiles, which may be used for direct transpor-

tation to and from the cabin being rented when snow conditions

permit, but not for touring in the Grant.

5. No motorized vehicular access by anyone is permitted

behind gates, on secondary roads, or on logging roads or trails.

Persons causing damage to locks or gates, or due to use of any vehi-

cle on secondary or logging roads or trails, will be responsible for the

cost of repairing such damage, in addition to loss of privileges to

access the Grant.

6. No open fires or camping are permitted in the Grant,

except by special permission of the Director of Outdoor Programs in

connection with approved educational programs.

7. Close and lock all gates through which you have per-

mission to pass.

8. You are responsible for collecting and taking out all of

your trash. A dumpster is available outside the main gate.

Hunting & Fishing

At The

Second Dartmouth

College Grant

Lisa Densmore ‘83

William Staats

Bruce Plummer

Lisa Densmore ‘83

HUNTING IN THE GRANT

The Second College Grant is home to several species

of small game, including grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare,

and turkey. Big game species include deer, bear, and moose.

Several ongoing wildlife management projects in co-operation

with NH Fish and Game are directed at improving populations

and habitat for woodcock, grouse, and deer. The Grant bene-

fits from funds for wildlife management provided by the Cook

Family Second College Grant Wildlife Habitat Fund established

by Russell A. Cook ’53 and his family. Donations to this fund by

persons hunting

in the Grant are

welcome. Per-

sons interested in

more information

about special

wildlife projects

or donations to

the Cook Fund

may contact the

Dartmouth Col-

lege Develop-

ment Office at

603-646-4053.

In addition to NH hunting laws, the following regula-

tions apply to hunting in the Grant:

1. Road hunting is strictly prohibited. Road hunting

is defined as driving Grant roads to purposefully or incidentally

shoot at game of any type from a vehicle, or to exit the vehicle

and shoot game from the road surface.

2. On any Grant road open to motorized vehicular

travel (e.g., roads not closed by internal gates) no person may

shoot from the road, shoot at any game in the road, or shoot

across the road. On gated secondary roads, hunting is permit-

ted, but hunters are asked to be mindful that such roads may

be used by others for hiking, biking, or other non-hunting pur-

poses.

3. No hunting is permitted near active logging opera-

tions when equipment is being operated or loggers are pre-

sent, or in any other location likely to be unsafe to persons or

property.

4. No firearm may be discharged within 15 feet of

any road open to motorized vehicular travel, within 15 feet of

any marked trail, or within 300 feet of any cabin.

5. State law prohibits discharge of a firearm from

any motorized vehicle. Only empty guns are permitted in vehi-

cles or cabins.

6. Two articles of “Hunter Orange” clothing are rec-

ommended.

7. Baiting for deer, bear, or any other species is not

permitted.

8. Only persons with cabin reservations or guests

staying at a cabin may employ guides in the Grant. Guides

are not permitted vehicle access for scouting unless accom-

panied by cabin renters with a current reservation.

9. From the beginning of bear season until the end

of regular-firearms deer season (generally September 1

through early December) vehicle day passes are not availa-

ble. Vehicle passes are limited to those with current cabin

reservations.

10. During deer season, the Gate Camp and Gate

are staffed. All vehicles must enter and register through the

main gate off Route 16 in Wentworth Location. Use of the

Greenough Pond Gate or Northern (Hellgate) Gate prior to

registration is not permitted.

11. Any deer or bear taken when the Gate Camp is

staffed must be reported to the gatekeeper upon departure.

12. All hunters are responsible for retrieving any

game, including deer, moose, or bear, without expecting

assistance of College staff, other parties staying at the

Grant, or access through locked gates. Off-road vehicles,

including ATV’s or snowmobiles, may not be used to re-

trieve game.

13. Target shooting, or skeet or trap shooting is

not permitted near cabins or in undesignated areas. The

gravel pits located on the Dead Diamond Road just north of

the Management Center, just south of Half Moon Beach,

and on the Swift Diamond Road between Alder Brook and

Johnson Brook may be used for these purposes. All shell

casings, targets, or other debris must be cleaned up and

removed. Targets must be located with sand behind the

target in a safe line of fire and may not be placed in trees.

FISHING IN THE GRANT

Fishing in the Grant is available in the Swift Dia-

mond River from the westerly border of the Grant to its

confluence with the Dead Diamond River near Peaks cabin,

in the Dead Diamond River from Hellgate downstream to

its confluence with the Magalloway River, and in the

Magalloway River itself, as well as in Hellgate Pond and

Lamb Valley Pond, and in numerous other smaller streams

and tributaries of these waters, The waters of the Grant

contain some of the last remaining populations of large

wild brook trout in New Hampshire, and in order to protect

these unique populations, special regulations apply. Land-

locked salmon are occasionally caught in the Dead Dia-

mond River, and rainbow trout are occasionally caught in

the Swift Diamond.

Dartmouth is making a concerted effort to pre-

vent the spread of non-native invasive species into the

Grant, such as Eurasian Milfoil, Didymo or “Rock Snot,” and

smallmouth bass. These invasive species harm fish and

wildlife populations and habitat, and are almost impossible

to eliminate once they are established. These invasive spe-

cies are present already in numerous lakes and rivers in

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and in other New Eng-

land states, and are spread by human activity including

hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, or other activities

where contact with water is involved. To protect our wild

trout populations and to prevent the spread of invasive

species like Milfoil, Didymo and smallmouth bass, the fol-

lowing fishing regulations apply in the Grant:

1. All fishing equipment or boating equipment

must be clean and thoroughly dried after the previous use

before entering the Grant. All items having previous con-

tact with water bodies outside the Grant, including rods,

reels, lines, waders, boots, nets, anchors, ropes, propellers,

canoes, kayaks, paddles, or float tubes, must be checked

and disinfected at the Didymo Wash Station located at the

Gate Camp before being used in the Grant. Instructions are

provided at the Wash Station.

2. Felt soled waders, or other felt soled footwear,

are not allowed in the Grant.

3. When studded footwear is worn, it must be

removed before entering any cabin.

4. From the confluence of the Dead Diamond and

Magalloway River near the southerly end of the airstrip,

upstream to the confluence of the Swift Diamond and Dead

Diamond rivers near Peaks cabin, and on that portion of the

Magalloway located in New Hampshire upstream of its

confluence with the Dead Diamond, only single barbless-

hook lures or flies may be used. No worms or bait are al-

lowed. All trout must be released unharmed.

5. In Lamb Valley Brook, Loomis Valley Brook,

and Alder Brook, wild trout regulations apply. Only single

barbless-hook lures or flies may be used. No worms or bait

are allowed. All trout must be released unharmed. These

waters are open to fishing January 1 to Labor Day only.

6. Any fish found with a tag or antenna wire must

be released unharmed as soon as possible. These fish are

part of active scientific studies to improve fishing in the

Grant. The date, location, size and condition of the fish

when caught should be reported to NH Fish and Game. If

you catch a tagged fish, call the Regional Fisheries Biologist

at NH Fish and Game at 603-788-3164. Persons returning

tagged fish to the water will be provided with available

scientific information about the fish. If a fish with a tag or

antenna is found or killed accidentally, the above infor-

mation, together with the tag or radio transmitter, must be

returned to any Grant Management personnel or to NH Fish

and Game.

7. No live fish may be brought into the Grant or

used as bait.

8. Any yellow perch, bass, pickerel, pike, crappie,

sunfish, carp or goldfish caught in the Grant should be killed

and not returned to the water. The date, location, size and

condition of any of these non-native species caught in the

Grant should be reported to any Grant Management per-

sonnel, or to the Regional Fisheries Biologist at NH Fish and

Game at 603-788-3164.

9. The following provisions are voluntary at this

time. Persons fishing in the Grant are strongly encouraged

to:

A. Practice “catch and release” of all trout and

salmon.

B. If you keep fish, follow a voluntary two fish per

person per day limit.

C. Use single barbless hooks on all flies, lures, or

bait hooks. This can be done by pinching down the barb

with pliers.

D. During late July and the month of August, or

whenever low water or high water temperature conditions

prevail, fishing for brook trout or salmon is discouraged due

to high stress and increased mortality of any fish that are

caught.

E. Fill out a creel census survey and leave it at the

depository located on the porch of the Gate Camp.

As a part of these measures, Dartmouth is actively

involved in a co-operative research project with NH Fish

and Game, Trout Unlimited, and other local conservation

organizations to tag and track wild brook trout in the Grant,

and to obtain and analyze DNA samples from over 500

trout. You can help by purchasing a radio telemetry tag or

by making a tax deductible contribution to the project. If

you purchase a tag, your name will be assigned to the fish

receiving the tag, and you will be provided with periodic

information about your fish, including how big it is, where it

goes, and what happens to it, and you will receive a copy of

the final report. Some fish tagged in the Grant have trav-

eled over 90 miles in one tracking season! For more infor-

mation about this project, including how to participate,

contact the Woodlands Office at 603-449-2049 or the Dart-

mouth-Sebago TU Telemetry Project at 207-831-9232 or

207-838-5898.

Lisa Densmore ‘83