Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area

General Description mink, otter and raccoon. After hibernating, hungry black Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a bear relish early spring foods available in the wetlands. 4,970-acre wetland and forest complex owned by the State Moose are common, as the diverse wetlands and uplands are of Vermont and managed by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife ideal habitats for them. Department. The property is located 15 miles northeast of Snowshoe hare are abundant in and around young St. Johnsbury in the town of Victory, in Essex County. stands of spruce-fir forest. Red fox, weasel, bobcat, fisher Access areas are located along Victory Road, a dirt road that and coyote also inhabit Victory Basin. bisects the WMA and follows the Moose River from North Concord to Gallup Mills. Birds Beaver ponds provide feeding grounds for great blue herons and bitterns, and nesting habitat for wood, black and History mallard ducks, and hooded and common mergansers. Prior to State acquisition, the basin was the focus of Woodcock feed in the alder swales and breed in old important logging and lumbering activity that spanned the fields and openings along the Moose River. Forest period from 1810 to 1948. Early attempts to farm the management activities compliment the natural ruffed grouse basin's shallow, rocky soil following lumbering soon failed habitat on the floodplain. and the area reverted to forest. Great habitat diversity provides excellent opportunities Victory Basin WMA was acquired from the New for bird watching, with over 130 species sighted in the England Power Company in 1969, ending a long debate Basin. The gray jay, olive-sided flycatcher, Cape May over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' plan to construct a warbler, black-backed woodpecker, rusty blackbird and dam on the Moose River. The dam would have flooded the white-winged crossbill are boreal forest species observed in entire basin, and was strongly opposed by State and local the WMA that are not commonly found in other parts of conservation groups who were concerned about the loss of Vermont. such a large deer wintering area and unique wetland complex. The purchase was funded by a combination of Reptiles and Amphibians The tremendous diversity of Pittman-Robertson monies (generated by a tax on firearms uplands and wetlands may provide habitats for many species and ammunition) and State funds generated from the sale of including northern spring, red-backed and spotted hunting licenses. salamanders and eastern newt. Snapping and painted turtles may be found near open water. Ring-necked and red-bellied snakes may be found. Frogs species may include mink, Habitat Features green, pickerel, wood, leopard, gray tree and bull frogs, This WMA hosts a variety of habitat types, all within spring peeper and American toad. close proximity to each other. Within the heart of Victory

Basin lies a 20-acre, broad-leaved, evergreen scrub-shrub Fish The section of the Moose River upstream of Rogers community classified as a "boreal bog". Small stands of Brook provides the best habitat for brook trout. black spruce are scattered across the lowest elevations, growing on lush sphagnum moss beds. Extensive stands of red spruce and balsam fir surround these wetland sites on slightly higher elevations, providing critical wintering habitat for white-tailed deer. The Moose River's meandering floodplain is dotted by alder swales, black cherry "islands" and sedge meadows. The hills surrounding the basin are dominated by yellow birch-American beech-sugar maple forest typical of the region.

Common Fish and Wildlife Mammals White-tailed deer numbers increase dramatically during the winter. The vast acreage of spruce-fir forest is managed to afford wintering deer greater mobility and access to winter food. Spruce-fir shelterwood provides deer-wintering habitat in Active and inactive beaver flowages create valuable Victory Basin WMA. Cedric Alexander, VFWD photo. wetland habitat for a variety of wildlife including muskrat,

Victory Basin WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing.

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! ! Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department

Umpire Brook

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Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area ! !

! GRANBY RD !

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552000 553000! 554000 555000 556000 557000 558000 559000 !

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1750 RIVER RD

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Umpire Brook

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! 1250

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2000 !

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1750 ! ! ! J

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$ !

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Portland Pipeline ! ! ! ! !

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$ !

! 229000 229000 J

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! 1250

$ 1250

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$ Granby Brook !

1500 !

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$ 1250 !

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! ! Rogers Brook ! !

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228000 Bog Brook 228000 !

Rogers Brook ! 1250 !

Weir Mill Brook Bog Brook ! !

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!] 1250 !

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1250 ! ! !

! 227000 227000 ! ! ! !

Bog Trail Bog ! Lee'sD Hill ! X ! !F ! !i ! !

226000 226000 ! 1250 Victory State Forest ! Damon's !]![ ! Crossing ! 1500 1250 ! !

VICTORY HILL 1250 Hay Hill Brook ! 225000 1500 VICTORY BASIN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA 225000 !

! 1250 ! !

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! 224000 224000 1250 ! !

Mitchell Knoll !

! Moose River 435 !] D ! 1500 ! Moose River 1500 !

! 1500 ! 223000 223000 Cold Brook 1750 ! VICTORY STATE FOREST Cold Brook !

Carr Brook !

! 1750

! 2000 ! !

! 222000 552000 553000 554000 555000 556000 557000 558000 559000 222000 !

Victory Basin WMA: 5,000 acres Wildlife Management Area!

! !] Kiosk Carr Brook Other Public Land ! 0 0.25 0.5 1 Miles ! Æî Boat Ramp Private w/Public Access! ! % $) Gate ![ Wildlife Viewing Areas! This map is for illustrative purposes only. The accuracy of the data ! !9 Designated camp !| Car-top Access ! layers shown on this map are limited by the accuracy of the source site during Big Game materials. No warranty as to the accuracy or the usefullness of the ! data is expressed or implied. / !i Parking ! Seasons only

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