The Maine Sportsman August 2021 Digital Edition

Bear Hunting

Pages 22, 65

Sportsman The Maine

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4 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

Game Camera Prohibitions and “Fair Chase” – Maine Hunters Must Beware of the Slippery Slope Arizona just became the latest state – joining Nevada, Montana and New Hampshire – to enact some form of trail camera restriction. Starting next year, Arizonans won’t be able to use live-action (cell-linked) cameras to “aid, take or locate” wildlife on public lands. Nevada has banned all cameras on public lands during certain times of the year. Montana prohibits cell-linked cameras, and New Hampshire takes an indirect approach, not allowing the hunting of an animal the same day a photo of the animal is taken. What these rules have in common is that, in each case, policy-makers cited the nebulous and ambiguous doctrine of “fair chase” in reaching their decisions. Arizona’s fish and game department website defines fair chase as “the ethical, sportsmanlike and lawful pursuit and taking of free-range wildlife in a manner that does not give the hunter or angler improper or unfair advantage over such wildlife.” Fine. Maine has banned the use of hunting with aerial drones, and hunting from aircraft, under the same theory. But where does that concept start, where does it stop, and how do hunters and anglers avoid having the doctrine become a divisive wedge wielded by the those who oppose all forms of “consumptive” sporting activity? Granted, the issue is different in states like Arizona and Montana – in these dry states, watering holes become oases, and some of those freshwater springs have reportedly attracted 20 or 30 cameras. Not only was wildlife disturbed when hunters came to install, check or change batteries in their cameras, but also violence was threatened or implied as several hunters, notified by their cell phones, raced to the scene for “their” trophy animal. Those states are different in another way. Unlike Maine, the vast majority of hunting lands in those states is publicly owned, so sweeping rules can more easily be made and enforced. But what about this concept of fair chase? When the first caveman picked up a club to hunt game, did that tip the balance? When tribes invented the bow and arrow? When black powder was first used to propel a musket ball? And anglers can’t sit smugly on the sidelines on this issue – how long until a critic states that a particular lure is “too realistic” to be fair? And who’s to say fish-finders don’t provide an unfair advantage? Unless we sportsmen and women are careful, it would be easy for this issue to be used to divide us against each other. We here at The Sportsman know bowhunters who feel that precision scopes mounted atop high-powered rifles are “unfair,” while some of those rifle-carriers believe bowhunters push fair-chase limits by taking occasional shots that wound – but not immediately kill – large game. So whatever your sport, be prepared for the issue to be raised, and consider the real motivations behind each effort to restrict new technology. Make and act on your own determinations on what constitutes fair chase, but be cautious supporting the imposition of limits on others. Trust only those policy-makers and politicians who are hunters and anglers themselves, or who value our state’s outdoor heritage in a way that prevents them from making less than fully thought-out decisions on these types of policy issues.

On the Cover: Amateur photographer Mike Daly roused himself out of bed early in the morning to get this photo of a 400-lb. black bear sow. “I got up at 5:30 a.m. for this image,” he reported to The Maine Sportsman. “By getting into position before sunrise, I’ve been able to take hundreds of bear photos, and thousands of pictures of birds, deer and moose. This was an early-summer shot, and she was still carrying a very healthy winter coat.” www.MaineSportsman.com

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 586 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com OFFICE MANAGER: Carol Lund carol@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@mainesportsman.com DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR: Deb Lund distribution@mainesportsman.com Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices. All editorial inquiries should be emailed to will@mainesportsman.com Phone: 207-622-4242 Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 12-Month Subscription: $30 • 24-Month Subscription: $49

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Almanac by Will Lund.................................................... 14 A Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly.................. 61 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 40 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 33 Big Woods World by Nick Campagna........................ 32 Central Maine by Steve Vose....................................... 63 Cooking Wildly by Kate Krukowski Gooding............... 43 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello....................... 45 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 56 Jottings by Jon Lund........................................................ 9 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 47 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 6 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Holmes....................... 50 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 18 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose............................... 37 Midcoast by Tom Seymour........................................... 62 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 59 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 72 Nolan’s Outdoor World by Nolan Raymond............... 49 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie............................ 51 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 74 Quotable Sportsman by Will Lund................................ 10 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 67 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 75 Saltwater by Barry Gibson............................................. 26 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 34 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews.................. 53 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 54 Smilin’ Sportsman by Will Lund...................................... 75 Snapshots in Time by Bill Pierce.................................... 13 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 65 Sporting Environment by David Van Wie.................... 69 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery................. 11 Tidewater Tales by Randy Randall............................... 35 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller.................. 55 Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 76 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 44 True Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts.38 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 70

GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS

ATVing in Maine by Steve Carpenteri......................... 19 Bear Hunting in Maine by Bill Graves........................... 22 The Best Upland Gun Dog by Michael Tuminaro....... 36 Boat Corrosion Prevention by Capt. Ron Dupuis Jr... 30 Boating Miscues and Mishaps by Steve Carpenteri.. 28 Youth Writing Contest Winner Story by Spencer Belson.39

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 5

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6 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters To The Editor

Why No State Record for American Shad?

To the Editor: It’s interesting that The Maine Sportsman does not list any state record entries for American Shad. Below is photo of one I caught while fishing in Maine waters on the Kittery side of the Piscataqua River, using an 8 weight fly rod. I was fishing with a retired US fish and wildlife biologist, Mike Amaral. We released the fish immediately after this picture.

The shad was approximately 20 inches long and maybe 3-plus lbs. They are deep-bodied, but thin vertically, with a kind of purple stripe when fresh out of the water. It’s actually the second one I’ve caught there, and a friend who lives on the bay said he caught one last year. Dave Sowerby – York County, ME —

Mom says Thanks for Sportsman Youth Writing Contest To the Editor: Thank you for hosting the Young Writers Contest in the Maine Sportsman magazine. My two sons Zack and Gabe have many strengths, but as with most students in Maine and across the country, this last year has been particularly challenging. My younger son Gabe heard about the writing contest through school, and came home very excited about it. While working on his entry, he was more focused than I had seen him most of the school year. He wrote a rough draft, then came back to add to it or edit it for several days. When his brother Zack also decided to also submit an entry, he sat down and wrote, not getting up until he was done. It was amazing to see both boys so excited about writing and putting such effort into it. When the results were announced, Gabe was beyond ecstatic to learn that he had tied for first place for middle school aged writers, and Zack was pleased to learn he’d earned a special recognition for his kayak story. The first thing Gabe did with his winnings was set aside a little to take Grampy for a treat this summer (he said he “might not have won if I didn’t write about my trip with Grampy”), and then he bought a new fishing pole! I also think that the recognition gave both boys the confidence and “oomph” to finish their school years on a high note. We saw a lot more effort from both boys in the last few weeks of the school year. As I write this, Gabe is out fishing, which he does daily. Zack and Gabe are

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looking forward to this summer’s adventures at 4H Camp. And both boys have big plans for their time with Grampy this summer, so they will have more inspiration for next year’s contest.

Gabe (left) and Zack Torberg, both students at Massabesic Middle School, each earned recognition in this year’s Maine Sportsman Youth Writing Contest. Zack wrote “Adventures in Kayaking,” detailing the pitfalls of navigating when you have no one to follow, while Gabe submitted “Fishing with My Grampy and His Friend John.”

I’ve attached photos of the boys receiving the issue of Maine Sportsman that announced the winners, and Gabe finding his story published. Brigid Torberg – East Waterboro, ME —

“Map and Compass” is Still a Big Deal in Special Forces To the Editor: Enjoyed Randy Randall’s article (see Tidewater Tales, “Map and Compass,” July 2021). I believe Randy will be happy and relieved to know, in the US Army’s Ranger School and Special Forces Qualification (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 7 (Continued from page 6)

Course (SFQC), map and compass are the means of navigation. Even given all the technology the Army has, GPS is not allowed. I will add that the compass course in the SFQC is a tough one. Long legs between points. There is a day and night phase. Night phase starts at sundown. If a SF student doesn’t pass the Land Nav course, the student is retested once. A second failure leads to recycling the entire phase of training, or being dropped from the course. The student may or may not be allowed to return after a certain period of time. In other words, Land Navigation is a big deal in Ranger and SF training. R/ Hawk Holloway – Tennessee COL(R), Special Forces (and Ranger Instructor, long ago) —

I Want One of Those Canoe Carts To the Editor: I enjoyed Jim Andrews’ article about the canoe cart (see “Hardest Part of Canoeing is Moving Boats on Land,” June “Self-propelled” column), and I’m interested in buying one. Can the author provide the information needed to purchase the cart? Eric Lind – Augusta, ME The columnist responds: Hi Eric: The website for the canoe cart I reviewed can be found at thekayakcart.com/buy-the-kayak/4-wheel-canoe-cart-4wh. The price has gone up since my purchase, but I would pay it again to have this item. Jim Andrews —

Cougar Spotted in Burlington, Maine To the Editor: You have asked readers to send in their true stories about seeing cougars in Maine. Here’s mine. I live in Lincoln, and I ride my ATV from Lincoln to Burlington to Jack’s Snack Shack. Three years ago I was traveling this route. At one point in the trail there’s a curve and a big boulder, which requires riders to slow down. On top of the boulder was a cougar. Its tail was as long as its body. Within 10 seconds, it jumped up and was gone.

I am 60 years old, and I have seen three cougars in my life: one years ago in the Midcoast, one on Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire near Franconia Notch, and this one in Burlington. Michael Niles – Lincoln, ME —

Wants State to Support Native Fish Habitat, Not Hatcheries To the Editor: We here at the Native Fish Coalition are writing to express our disapproval of the recent proposal by the state to allocate $20 million from the American Rescue Plan to update and modernize Maine’s fish hatcheries. When the state announced that Maine’s hatchery system will receive $20 million from the American Rescue Plan, the press release contained the statement, “At the core of Maine’s fisheries is Maine’s state hatchery system.” In our view, this is a gross misrepresentation of what Maine’s fisheries are, what makes Maine unique, and why people come to Maine to fish. The true core of Maine’s fisheries are our unique wild native fish, including the last Atlantic salmon in the United States. Maine is also home to the last Arctic charr in the contiguous United States, as well as 90% or more of the remaining lake, pond, river, and sea-run brook trout. Our official state fish, landlocked salmon, are found in only a few waters outside of Maine. Add to this native lake trout, lake whitefish, cusk, and striped bass, and Maine has one of the most robust and diverse wild native fisheries in the east. In our opinion, Maine’s hatchery system is a huge drain on IFW’s budget, a distraction from wild native fish management, a source of pollution, and one of the primary drivers behind Maine’s nonnative fish introductions. IFW operates eight hatcheries, producing a million fish per year. Their web page states that they stock hatchery fish first and foremost “to maintain healthy numbers of native fish.” We feel this is contrary to widely accepted science. We do not believe the state should be as reliant on stocking as it is. We believe the hatchery model is not sustainable over the long haul, and putting money into it that (Continued on next page)

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Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 7) could be better used elsewhere is not in the state’s best interests. Our overriding goal is to enhance, preserve, and restore Maine’s special place as the last bastion of wild native brook trout, Arctic charr, and Atlantic salmon in the nation. Tom Johnson, Chair Maine Chapter of Native Fish Coalition —

Carol for fulfilling my subscription order over the phone. She also sent me the most recent issue, which arrived promptly. It’s great to see that kind of efficiency, as well as being able to talk to a real person on the phone. You should be proud of your publication – it’s very well done, a very sincere “read.” And the bagpiper joke (June issue, page 79) is wonderful. Karen Dow – Rockport MA

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Wants Balance on Climate Change Coverage To the Editor: I have recently been witnessing a spike in the articles in The Maine Sportsman addressing and supporting the climate change theory. When I pick up The Maine Sportsman, I expect to read about topics that belong in the sportsman scene (hunting, fishing, game populations, etc.), not to be subjected to a one-sided political lecture. Now I understand that, to some extent, hunters and fishermen should be involved in politics. We should be concerned about and discuss laws and issues that affect the sporting

community. But when the need arises to include politics, you should present both sides of any given issue fairly. When it comes to “climate change,” there is plenty of scientific evidence to dispute it. Where is the opposition, the challenging arguments, the opinion from the other side? Your magazine doesn’t have them. Currently, it seems columnists who support climate change can say anything they want, and treat it as fact without having to really defend their positions. If this is to be a continuing topic, I suggest finding a columnist to present a balanced counter viewpoint. In a state where a majority of hunters and fishermen are conservative, I should think one wouldn’t be difficult to find. W. Lynch – Eliot, ME —

Grey Seals Compete with Striper Anglers To the Editor: We left for home on June 19, 2021 after two weeks at Popham. I am writing to give you and your readers a heads-up on the menace of grey seals at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Pods are crashing schools of pogies, mackerel and stripers. Our catch-count was down from last year, I believe in part due to this activity. The seals’ feeding practices are powerful, scary and impressive. Reminds me of orcas. Mike Wing – West Gardiner, ME Editor’s note: Mike’s concerns reflect those that Cape Cod anglers have been voicing for several years, From the recent May 4, 2021 issue of “On the Water,” an article titled “Cape Cod’s Seal Problem” details complaints from striper fishermen about the aggressive nature of grey seals. The article quoted a local charter fisherman: “Often, the seals hear me anchor up, and they set up behind my boat,” said Willy Hatch, captain of Machaca Charters in Falmouth MA. “If I manage to hook a fish, a seal takes it right off my line.”

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 9

Northeast Moose Hunt in the Year AD 1700 When leaves fall and the sun becomes less warm, we and our friends like to move in from the salt water and travel up the rivers. We harvest the corn we planted earlier along the rivers. Later on, when the deep snow comes, we hunt the moose. When the snow is deep, the moose can’t travel as fast, and it is easier, and not so dangerous, to kill the moose. Moose give us food, shelter and warm footwear for the coming snow season. Our family and a few friends paddle up the Kennebec River in our birchbark canoes. We enter the stream mouth at Cobbosseecontee, Place of the Sturgeon, and portage our canoes and baskets of smoked clams and mussels and other preserved food, around the fast water until the water is smooth again. We paddle for another day and land at the place of the Grand Portage. Above the place called the Grand Portage, we remember that Cobbosseecontee Stream becomes shallow and rocky, and when our people traveled that way before, their canoes needed many repairs because of the broken ribs and torn birchbark caused by the rocks and shallow water. So we leave the stream and follow the Grand Portage, which

Before the age of high-powered rifles, the first Americans learned they could use rudimentary weapons, snowshoes, endurance and patience to take down the mighty moose, providing food and hide for their tribes.

The earliest moose hunters waited for the deepest snows, which they could navigate by wearing snowshoes. Illustration by George Catlin, “Hunting Moose in Winter,” from Emerson Coatsworth’s “Nomads of the Shield: Ojibwa Indians,” Ginn Co., Canada.

is marked and known by many of our people. When we find wide and quiet water again, we put in our canoes and paddle through many islands. We

set up camp near the shore, where we find many moose sign. Starting the Moose Hunt This is a good place to start our hunt.

While the tribe’s women work hard to set up camp, we leave and begin following the biggest moose tracks. This time of year, in snow, moose like to

travel in groups, and they often follow each other’s tracks to new feeding areas. We put on our snowshoes to make it easier to walk in the deep snow. After we have walked for a while, we come upon a group of four moose that are feeding together, including one large bull. Keeping the Moose Moving The other hunters stop now, and wait in the snow. I follow the four moose group for some time. Walking in snowshoes is slow, and I do not try to overtake the moose, but just keep them moving. The moose are walking in a line and one track. I continue to follow the tracks and see that the moose are slowly turning in a large circle which (Continued on next page)

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Jottings (Continued from page 9)

comes back to the place where we first started the moose, and our hunters are waiting. Soon we come to the place where our hunters are waiting in the snow. They allow all the moose to pass by except one. When the last moose in the line goes past our hunters, they move close to the moose but keep out

of the way and try to penetrate the moose’s tough hide with their arrows and spears. Concentrating on the last moose with all our efforts hurts the last moose, which is now wounded and staggers off the beaten trail to die. Dressing Out the Animal A couple of our hunters follow the wounded moose and

work together to finish it off. They are left behind to dress out the moose so that the meat cools off, and the other hunters return to the place in the trail where the first moose was started. I am tired from the snowshoe trek following the moose in the big circle, so another hunter takes my place following the moose, and I wait in the snow. I am happy to rest from the snowshoeing effort. It is a long wait, but I am happy to be

Quotable

Sportsman by Will Lund

“American Mammoth Jackstock donkey” One of ten “heritage breeds” of pre-industrial livestock honored by recent US Postal service stamps. Other honorees included the Mulefoot hog, the Wyandotte chicken, the Narragansett turkey, the Cotton Patch goose, the San Clemente Island goat, the Cayuga duck and the Barbados Blackbelly sheep.

This Jackstock issue is among our country’s newest “forever” stamps.

— “Aren’t you supposed to be that self-propelled guy?” Outboard motor mechanic’s question to “Self-propelled” columwww.MaineSportsman.com

nist Jim Andrews, as Jim brought in two beat-up motors for repair. Read about Jim’s moral dilemma in this month’s column, starting on page 53. — “The fish are running much smarter nowadays.” Prince Valiant, after trying and failing to spear a fat trout. June 27, 2021 Portland Sunday Telegram. The prince lost his balance while wading in a stream, subsequently noting that he “did not remember that the water was so cold, or the bottom stones so slippery.” The famous comic strip, originally drawn by Hal Foster, is set in the days of King Arthur (late 5th and early 6th Centuries). — “By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish, by weight.” From a column titled “Could You Have the Solution to the Plastic Problem?” by David Guest, in Fishing Tackle Retailer magazine. The article cited estimates that the equivalent of a garbage truck of plastic is dumped into the ocean every minute, much of it via rivers flowing into the sea.

rested from the steady snowshoeing work, while another hunter follows the three moose, which continue as the track becomes beaten down. Repeating the Process Three moose now travel in the beaten track, and the moose tracks become packed down. This time, when the remaining three come by, I help the other hunters by throwing my spear as hard as I can at the last moose in line. It is not a good idea to get in front of a moose you are hunting, because the moose may turn on you. Moose will gore a hunter if they can. Experienced hunters try to get close enough to shoot their arrows accurately and launch their spears at close range. We try to hit the moose behind the shoulder, where there are no large bones to stop the penetration of our arrows and spears. Again we are successful and have another wounded moose to follow, finish off and dress out. Final Effort The remaining two moose continue on the beaten track, and again another fresh hunter follows them as the other hunters wait close to the track. Again we wait patiently for the last two moose to make the great circle and go

past us again. It is a long wait. When the two moose return on the track, we all charge at the last moose in line with spears and arrows, and try to disable it. We are successful, and it leaves the track to be finished off by our hunters. The last moose leaves the beaten track and breaks out by itself, all alone. We do not follow the last moose. We believe that one moose should live so that there will be moose to hunt another day. We have had a successful hunt, and will eat fresh roasted moose meat tonight and tomorrow We will also share the meat with our neighbors. We will prepare parts of the hide to be made into moccasins and leggings for the coming winter. We will dry some of the meat for pemmican for times when we cannot get fresh meat. ***** Columnist’ s note: Information on the style of moose hunting carried out by native tribes of the Northeast is based on observations and a report by early missionaries in what is now Quebec. I read about the hunting technique years ago in the Maine State Library. The library is currently closed, and I am unable to specifically cite that source.

Never Miss Another Issue! Subscribe to The Maine Sportsman by going to

www.MaineSportsman.com/Subscribe or calling (207) 622-4242 today!

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 11

Crappie – King of Game Fish? When I’m asked, “What is your favorite game fish?” I usually respond with native Eastern brook trout for freshwater, and bonefish for saltwater species. And there’s always a hesitation, because I dearly love fishing for largemouth and smallmouth black bass, wild rainbows and brown trout, landlocked salmon, the five Pacific salmons, Arctic char and grayling, striped bass and bluefish, Northern pike, and just about anything on the tropical saltwater flats. But wait, my answer should be “crappie!” But why? Let’s see. Crappie are everywhere, there are a lot of them, they are not particularly difficult to catch compared to many other fish species, and they are, along with the walleye, the very best tasting freshwater fish in North America. They are one of the first fish to show up in numbers in open water in the spring, and if you

No matter how you pronounce the name of this species, it has a lot going for it, says the author, including being one “panfish” that tastes really great once you cook it in the pan!

This slab crappie, held by Greg Bostater of Maine River Guides, smacked a Mann’s Tiny One Minus crankbait in baby largemouth bass pattern. She was full of eggs, gave a good tussle on light tackle, and tasted oh so supreme. All photos by King Montgomery

can’t wait until ice out, you can catch them through the ice. Did I say how good they are to eat? I know, crappie are an invasive species in Maine, brought here from down south and dumped into lakes, ponds and rivers by complete idiots who have no concern for others, for the environment, or for anything other than themselves.

The black crappie has dark irregular spots against silver bodies that are rounder than white crappie, and they possess 7-8 sharp dorsal spines.

And dare I say this – I almost thank them for it. Crappie are here to stay – the deal is done, plain and simple, and instead of crying about it, we should embrace the resource and enjoy this interesting and unique species of fish. No size or bag limit, too – not bad. Crappie, Croppie, Crapet Leave it to us to take the melod-

ic French Canadian word Crapet (pronounced crop-ay) and turn it into something that either is pronounced “crappy” or “croppy”, depending on where you’re from in the USA. In most of the South and Southeast, it’s the former, while most elsewhere it’s the latter. Actually the French Canadian sounds the best, and just pronouncing the

The Golden Retriever in gold, white, and root beer are crappie catchers extreme. These are original GRs tied by Jim Finn, who first tied the pattern over 25 years ago. Order at: www.goldenretrieverfly.com.

word with the French inflection lends even more class to this fine fish. Other fairly wellknown names for this pretty fish include papermouth, speckled bass, speckled perch or just speck, strawberry bass, calico bass, and, here’s some more French Canadian, sacà-lait. That means “a sack of milk,” or “milk bag,” probably referring to the silvery skin of the fish as it looks in the water, or the succulent milky white flesh of this sunfish. I’ve also heard the name evokes the milky-looking water in the shallows as the males emit milt to fertilize the female’s eggs as they are extruded during the spring spawn. There are two major kinds of crappies: the black crappie is the one we have in Maine, and the white crappie of the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and through the Mid-West southward from the Dakotas to Texas. The (Continued on next page)

This photo of historic Songo Lock on the north side of Sebago Lake at Sebago Lake State Park is taken from The Veteran’s Fishing Pier, a gift to disabled vets from Trout Unlimited and friends. www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

The Mann’s Tiny One Minus is a killer crappie lure. At 1.5 inches and 1/8 oz, it casts nicely on ultralight spinning gear. Its small plastic lip causes it to dart and dive to a foot or less on the retrieve.

This is an average size crappie caught in a Virginia pond. In Maine, the crappie seem to run larger than their Southern counterparts. Outdoor writer Beau Beasley, who holds the fish here, and I had deep-fried crappie for dinner that evening.

Sportsman’s Journal (Continued from page 11)

Eastern and Southeastern United States and Canada hold mostly the black crappie. The black tends to run a little larger, and it is the one I have the most experience with catching (and eating). Whites have vertical bars, possess 5 or 6 dorsal spines, are whiter and more elongated than their cousins. Blacks have dark irregular spots against silver bodies that are rounder, and they possess 7-8 sharp dorsal spines (see photo). Crappie Habitat We put Greg’s driftboat – yes, the same one he uses on the Androscoggin and West Branch of the Penobscot – in at the Sebago Lake State Park on the north shore of Sebago Lake. Mas-

ter Maine Guide Greg Bostater was an accomplished white-water rafting guide before he settled into doing guided fishing trips on Maine’s fishy rivers. I’ve fished with him a number of times. In 2016, I brought my good friend Lefty Kreh up to the Pine Tree State to fish the Androscoggin, and Greg was who I chose to take us. It was one of Lefty’s last fishing trips, if not his final one, before he passed away at 93 in 2018. The various logans and backwaters around Sebago Lake tend to be shallower and warmer than the main lake, and hold more submerged cover, such as downed trees and rocks and ledges – places where

Northern pike, another invasive to Sebago, roam the waters looking for prey. They are fun to catch on light tackle, though larger ones require more sturdy gear. www.MaineSportsman.com

crappie, a schooling fish, tend to locate, at least during parts of the day. These fish are thigmotropic; that is, they like to be near something solid or rigid, and not out in the open water where they are too prone to attack from various aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial predators. If you locate a downed tree that goes into various depths and is in or near deeper water, you have found a crappie condo, and you need to see if anyone is home. Plan on losing some terminal tackle, but also probably on filling the cooler. Look for submerged humps, rocks and ledges, too, because often crappie hang out there as well. Crappie also hold in submersed aquatic vegetation with nearby deeper water as an

This kamikaze yellow perch slammed this small crankbait in a yellow perch pattern. These critters are fun to catch and are tasty, too.

escape route. Sometimes crappie schools will hang out along drop-offs, and once your bait finds the proper depth, they could provide some good action. And finally, sometimes crappie roam in schools just below the surface, waiting for hatches of aquatic insects they seem to know are coming. If you see swallows dive-bombing the water, there could be crappie just below, so toss a cast and retrieve to various depths until the fly, lure, or bait is taken. Crappie Tackle Very light or ultra-light spinning gear with 4-8 pound test monofilament or braid with a mono leader works very well. The heavier 6 or 8 line makes it easier to pull out baits stuck on something under

This large female crappie was full of roe. The eggs of crappie are good to eat and a number of recipes are online.

the water, and are small enough to cast the light lures and jigs that crappie seem to like. And you can sling impaled minnows with it too. Anything over a fly rod for a 4-weight floating line probably is overkill, but use any of the smaller size fly rods in your fishing arsenal. Spin rods and reels also work well. On this trip to Sebago with Greg, I tried out two sizes of L. L. Bean travel rods in the Quest Travel Spinning Outfit, Multi-Piece series: the very light 5’ 6” rod with reel and 6-pound test line on the reel, and the medium 6’ rod with rod carrying 8-pound test monofilament. The latter performed fine, but the lighter rig was my go-to choice for the shallow crappie, in(Continued on page 14)

This crappie came through the ice in February on Unity Pond. It’s nice to have fresh fish for dinner in the middle of winter.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 13

“Snapshots in Time”

Historical Glimpses from the Region’s Iconic Past Compiled by Bill Pierce, Executive Director, Rangeley Lakes Historical Society

Truth in Advertising What follows is the exact copy of an advertisement written by the owner of Beaver Pond Camps, the one and only Ed Grant. The currently popular Grant’s Camps on Kennebago Lake were also founded by this Maine legend. Ed was not only an exceptional guide and woodsman, but a colorful character and master storyteller. So much so that 121 years ago, Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby regularly employed him on behalf of the Maine Central Railroad to hold

forth at the various sportsman’s shows promoting sporting travel to Maine. We have shared a few of Ed’s vibrant missives in past installments of this column and will surely do so in the future as they reveal themselves. Ed Grant had no problem poking fun at his establishment while also playfully stretching the truth just a tad in the process. This type of advertising probably did an excellent job of weeding out any unsatisfiable whiners or highbrowed

ne’er-do-wells. It also helped lower the expectations of those who might be attracted by roughing it a bit and perhaps be rewarded by better sporting opportunities in doing so. If your expectations required all the comforts of home, easy access, fancy food and no bugs … then Ed’s creative descriptions would have probably sufficed in directing your fancy fanny elsewhere! Enjoy the creative ad copy below, written some 121 years ago.

Phillips Phonograph, October 12, 1900

Beaver Pond Camps These ponds are situated 27 miles from Rangeley, and are reached by buckboard to Kennebago Lake, thence by steamer across the lake and again by buckboard to our camps at Beaver Pond, the center of the Seven Ponds region. The new buckboard road is not new enough to be dangerous, and constant work upon it is rapidly reducing the number of deaths reported to us daily. From our Camps upon Beaver Pond, excellent trails afford easy access to a number of ponds, where splendid trout fishing is an unfailing certainty and the capture of an occasional fish quite a common occurrence. No expense has been spared in securing the grandest mountain and lake scenery for the exclusive use of our guests, for which no charge is made. Trout rise freely to the fly during the entire season, and “tales” of 10-pounders are constantly heard flapping in the guides’ quarters. Game of all kinds is so abundant as to be a positive nuisance, and the following may be hunted in the open season: Midges, Moose, Caribou. Catamounts, Bears, Deer, “Draw-Poker,” Hedgehogs. “Hearts,” House Flies, Partridges, Ducks, Drakes, “Seven up,” weasels, Wardens, and other small game.

“The new buckboard road is not new enough to be dangerous.” Source: Outdoor Heritage Museum

While Black flies and Mosquitoes are very rare, tar ointment is served at every meal and is deservedly popular. An excellent table is kept upon which, more or less, food is served, most of which is consumed by our guests without cause for abusive language. Good beds are not unknown; while every luxury to be found in any modern hotel, may be called for. Anything that a third-class camp trying to pass itself off as a comfortable wellkept one, finds it necessary to promise and we do, to any extent.

We seek patronage from anyone who desires to visit the real backwoods and who is not afraid to take desperate chances. Board and boats furnished at reasonable rates. Guides furnished upon application. Parties wishing to visit this place will please write in advance so that we can have camps in readiness. The railroads will sell excursion tickets at reduced rates from Boston to Rangeley. Ask anyone about Beaver Pond Camps and if they don’t speak well of us, then address us direct for any desired information. Ed Grant & Son, Beaver Pond, Maine www.MaineSportsman.com

Almanac

14 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Adventures with Wild Animals by Blaine Cardilli

Night of the Bear The year was 1969. I was nine years old and, having been raised to that point in the big city, I was brand new to rural areas. My folks had gotten me a dog, hoping it would bring this city boy out of his shell. We lived in the tiny town of Warren, Maine, in a little trailer. One cold, blustery night in October, “Queenie” got out the door and began barking up a storm from a position down across the meadow. My dad and stepdad were visiting with each other when the barking got vicious, and as we all stepped outside into the blowing snow we heard deep, guttural roars from down in the meadow. Though they told me to stay put on the steps, I followed to the edge of the yard. I will never forget what I saw in their lights. There in the snow-filled flashlight beams was Queenie, darting in and out

Sportsman’s Journal (Continued from page 12)

cluding some that approached 2 pounds in size. I was very impressed with the rods, and the reels were usable, but I very highly recommend you strip the factory monofilament fishing line, and replace it with newer, quality mono or braid. I still prefer the former. The factory-installed line had “set” while on the reel, and gosh knows how long it had been on the spool. It was prone to kinking and generally tangling, and was not fun to fish. These $89 outfits have a 4-piece graphite rod, and come packed in a protective storage and travel case. The reel is just okay, and if you have a better one laying around, clean it up and try it on the very fine rods. These make great gifts, too. Use light and ultralight jigs with plastic or marabou bodies, mini-crankbaits, and very small spinnerbaits. If using a fly rod, floating line and a 7 - 9 foot tapered mono or fluorocarwww.MaineSportsman.com

Compiled and Edited by — Will Lund —

of the reach of a huge black creature! “BEAR!!”, shouted my stepdad. Being new to the wilderness of Maine, I stood frozen in terror as I watched the massive beast walking on two legs, swinging its big paws at Queenie, trying to kill her! My mother was instantly behind me, holding me by the shoulders while my stepdad jumped into his old 1950s Ford F1 shortbed, my dad hanging on as he crouched in the truck bed, as they sped down into the meadow. The truck was equipped with a spotlight attached to the roof. It was like watching a horror movie as the creature (illuminated in the bouncing beams of light) kept after my poor dog, which was barely escaping being torn to shreds. In a matter of minutes it was over, as the two men used the noise and light of the vehicle to chase the bear into the woods, retrieved my dog (fortunately unscathed), and returned her to us in the yard. I’ll never forget that “Night of the bear” and my initiation into a world far removed from my life in the city! — bon leader will work well most of the time, but there is a place for a Teeny Mini-Tip line where the final 6 feet of an otherwise floating line sinks. It’s great for getting down just a few feet more to a spot where crappie often are located. Try trout-size beadhead woolly buggers, Clouser deep minnows in hook sizes 6 -8, and Golden Retrievers in white, gold and root beer colors. The crappie often take the bait on the fall, but can smack it when it lands, or chase it all the way back to the shore or boat. Always set the hook very lightly; just pulling the line tight is enough – these fish are called “papermouths” for a reason. Fight them gently, and you’ll land most of them. I throw however many I need into an ice chest, and fillet them when I get home, putting the carcasses in a sturdy plastic bag and storing them in the freezer until the trash goes out to the curb. You could bury them in the garden, but you might draw some wild creatures you don’t want too near the house.

Table Fare Bread the smaller fillets in any good

Carroll Ware Honored with “Legendary Maine Guide” Award

Carroll Ware received this year’s Legendary Maine Guide award. A plaque was presented by state IF&W Commissioner Judith Camuso. Photo: Maine DIFW

Carroll Ware, a longtime guide from Skowhegan, was recently honored by Maine DIFW with the Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award. (Continued on next page)

coating mix – I like House Autry Seafood Seasoned Breading Mix (Amazon. com), and McCormick Golden Dipt Seafood Fry Mix (Shaw’s and Hannaford) – and plop them into peanut oil or canola heated to 350 - 370 degrees F. It won’t take long, and take the fish out when they turn a golden color. For the larger fillets, I’ll roll them in flour, dredge in an egg wash, dip in seasoned breadcrumbs or Panko, and pan-sauté a couple of minutes per side, depending on thickness. Serve with red beans and rice, and some fresh corn-onthe-cob. Oh, my! By the way, the egg sacks full of roe can be cooked in the same ways, and they are very tasty, too. Reference Information • Greg Bostater, Maine River Guides, 207-749-1593, www.maineriverguides.com. • Sebago Lake State Park: DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, Map 4, C5/Map 5, C1; 207-693-6231; (https://www. maine.gov/dacf/parks/trail_activities/sebago_lake.shtml).

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 15 (Continued from page 14)

Carroll became a registered Maine Guide in 1989. He and his wife Lila have operated Fins and Furs Adventures for over 30 years. The couple also ran Bosebuck Camps along the shore of Lake Aziscohos, and have offered a training school for students interested in becoming a Maine guide. When contacted by The Maine Sportsman about the honor, Ware was quick to deflect attention: “When Tim Peabody, IF&W’s Deputy Commissioner, notified my wife Lila (in March…how could she keep this a secret for this long?), Tim mentioned that he recognized that, in our house, this is a two-person award. Nothing could be more to the point. I could not have accomplished this without her. “I am honored beyond my wildest imagination to think that my name is now associated with the other eight Guides who preceded me. It’s an honor I will cherish forever.” —

“Make It So”

(A note from a writer) To the Editor: I need to keep writing about things

that I want to come true. In my lynx articles a few months ago (see our March, 2021 issue), I wrote about how I’ve had several encounters with these solitary cats, but could never get a picture of one. Soon after I wrote the column, I was able to photograph a lynx from 10 feet away using my cell phone (see below).

Bug-A-Salt – Pump-Action Weapon Against Houseflies As a kid, Lorenzo Maggiore liked to put small amounts of fine sand in the end of the barrel of his BB air rifle, and target house flies. Then he had a brainstorm idea to use table salt instead of sand, and Bug-A-Salt (Get it? “Bug Assault”?) was born. He formed a company in 2009. Aided by hilarious home-made videos (Google “Bug A-Salt” and see for yourself) and an early version of crowd-funding, sales of the $40 air guns took off. By 2012,

In June, I wrote about prepping for a moose hunt, and Voila! – after 35 years, my dad finally drew a Maine tag, and we are goin’ a-moosin! Next, I think I should write about which caribou hunt raffles are the best to enter. Or what it must be like to win Powerball or Mega Millions. Sincerely, Ethan Emerson, New Hampshire columnist —

In addition to the $40 pump-action Version 3.0 (top), Bug-A-Salt now sells The Shred-er, a $125 C02-powered version, engineered for tougher insects. (Continued on next page)

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16 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Almanac

(Continued from page 15)

Maggiore’s company was making $1 million a year. So what do you do with a fun and foolish idea that catches on? Why, you expand, of course. The original “A-Salt” rifle was following by Bug-A-Salt 2.0 (“More powerful, and uses less salt!”), a Version 2.5 with a rail for addition of a laser sight, a Version 3.0, and most recently, The Shred-er, a $125 pistol-styled device that uses a C02 cartridge for propulsion, and pre-formed salt ammo, with more lethal force against “spotted lanternfly, Asian giant hornets (so-called, “murder hornets”), carpenter bees, and giant roaches.” Last year, the company grossed $20 million. —

New Laws Affecting Maine Outdoors Enthusiasts • Public Law (PL) Chapter (Ch) 130: Electronic Proof of Registration for All-terrain Vehicles, Snowmobiles and Watercraft. Operators can present electronic, rather than paper, evidence of registration to a law enforcement officer. • PL Ch. 121: Turkey Tagging. Hunters are not required to register or tag turkey shot in the fall season. • PL Ch. 112: Noise Suppressors. If a hunter violates certain laws (such as night hunting), and is using a supressor, the hunter faces a mandatory minimum 3 year license suspension. • PL Ch. 104: Snowmobile fees. Fees increase in order to raise $1Million to be given back to clubs in grants to improve trails and purchase equipment. Resident registration increases $10, to $55. Nonresident fees also increase. • PL Ch. 100: Bear Season. Gives the DIFW Commissioner rulemaking authority to establish an open season on bear, and limit use of dogs during that open season. Stating in 2022, bear trapping license applicants must prove they’ve taken an education course. • PL Ch. 49: Tagging. The DIFW must study the concept of electronic tagging for big game, with a report due January 3, 2022. The Legislature also urged DIFW to increase the number of tagging stations. • PL Ch. 215: ATVs. A wide-ranging statute, dealing with how monies in the ATV Recreational Maintenance www.MaineSportsman.com

Fund can be used, limiting the sales of new “oversized” ATVs but grandfathering existing machines, and establishing a category of “antique” ATVs. • PL Ch. 87: Guides. Since New Brunswick and Quebec require visitors from the US to hunt only with a Canadian guide, this law requires that residents of those provinces hire a Maine guide to hunt in Maine. • PL Ch. 74: Bowhunting. Unless a bowhunter has permission, he or she may not hunt or discharge a bow within 100 yards of a residence, nor can the arrow fly within that distance. —

Celebrity Bass Angler – “The Rock”? Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. In his spare time, however, he’s just one of us

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – Just a regular guy.

regular folks fishing for largemouth bass. Of course, there are a few differences between him and the rest of us. First, The Rock raises his own fish, in his own private pond, located in an undisclosed location in an undisclosed state. Second, he pampers and feeds the fish healthy, nutritional foods.

The Rock’s largemouth bass, a “nice, healthy fish.”

“I work very closely with a university biologist,” he explained in a recent Instagram post. “We come out here and we’ve really created a beautiful ecosystem out here for these fish.” And the fish are big. “I just hauled out this six, seven, possibly eight-pounder,” he said, modestly. “Look at the beautiful belly on this fish, beautiful colors, too. This is one nice healthy fish.” —

Furbish’s Lousewort, Maine’s Only Endangered Plant, Grows Exclusively Along the Saint John River by Nick Lund, Network Manager, Maine Audubon Kate Furbish was an eccentric. Constantly searching for plants in the woods around her home in Brunswick in the late 1800s, she was called the “Posey Woman,” and asked why she spent so much of her time searching for “weeds.” But she’d just always loved botany, and didn’t really care much about the things expected of her as a Victorian woman. She wanted to find plants. Furbish was a talented artist, painting thousands of scientific watercolors of Maine’s flowering plants, and creating pressings of thousands of more plants she hoped to paint eventually. And she traveled far and wide in the state, again an unusual activity for an unaccompanied woman at the time, as part of her project “to identify all of the flowering plants in Maine and do watercolor renderings of them as aids for identification.”

Furbish’s Lousewort. Photo credit: Wikipedia (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 17 (Continued from page 16)

Her travels took her to Aroostook County in 1880, which was then a truly remote and wild outpost. “Had I listened to those who discouraged me from going into that part of the state because the Flora would not be likely to repay me for the expense and fatigue, I should be as ignorant as they are of its natural beauties,” she said in a speech for the Portland Society of Natural History (now Maine Audubon) in 1883. But her effort was repaid, at least in legacy, when she discovered a small herb with pale yellow flowers growing on the northern banks of the Saint John River. Furbish recognized it as something new, possibly related to louseworts found in the American West, small plants whose seeds grow parasitically on the roots of other plants. She collected the plant, made drawings, and shared them with the botanical authorities of the day, who confirmed that the plant was a new species: Pedicularis furbishiae, or Furbish’s Lousewort. The plant is perhaps as eccentric as its founder. It is known only from north-facing banks of the Saint John. It grows in fairly inhospitable parts of the bank, where ice and high water scour the ground and drag away potential competitors. It’s pollinated by just a single species of bumblebee, the Half-black Bumblebee. Its habitat specifications are strict: growing on a narrow strip of sloped riverbank which is damp, yet not too close to the water and close enough to the forest to benefit from the shade. But, despite threats from erosion, changing river conditions, pollution, and development proposals (including the famous Lincoln-Dickey Dam proposal), the lousewort hangs on. It has the federal government on its side, becoming one of the first plants to receive protection from the Endangered Species Act in 1978. Today they hang on in isolated pockets near the river, a testament to the tenacity of Maine native plants, and to the eccentric and pioneering Maine woman who loved them.

— Trophy Gallery —

August 2021 Sunrise/Sunset Portland, ME DATE 1 Sun 2 Mon 3 Tue 4 Wed 5 Thu 6 Fri 7 Sat 8 Sun 9 Mon 10 Tue 11 Wed 12 Thu 13 Fri 14 Sat 15 Sun 16 Mon

RISE 5:29 5:30 5:31 5:32 5:33 5:34 5:35 5:36 5:37 5:39 5:40 5:41 5:42 5:43 5:44 5:45

SET 8:05 8:04 8:03 8:01 8:00 7:59 7:57 7:56 7:54 7:53 7:52 7:50 7:49 7:47 7:46 7:44

DATE 17 Tue 18 Wed 19 Thu 20 Fri 21 Sat 22 Sun 23 Mon 24 Tue 25 Wed 26 Thu 27 Fri 28 Sat 29 Sun 30 Mon 31 Tue

RISE 5:46 5:48 5:49 5:50 5:51 5:52 5:53 5:54 5:55 5:57 5:58 5:59 6:00 6:01 6:02

SET 7:43 7:41 7:39 7:38 7:36 7:35 7:33 7:31 7:30 7:28 7:26 7:24 7:23 7:21 7:19

August 2021 Tides DATE

The late Bill Holmbom of Monson, Maine and Chebeague Island carried his lightweight freshwater rod, rigged with a rusty imitation daredevil, down to the Chebeague Island beach one morning years ago to see if he could catch some mackerel. Instead, he hooked this monster striper. Knowing his reel was loaded with 6-lb. test monofilament line, he did not try to haul the fish in, but exerted minimal pressure while racing back and forth along the beach, parallel to the course of the fish. At one point the line looped around an underwater rock, and a friend waded in and lifted the line to free it. Eventually, the fish tired, and this photo tells the tale.

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Portland, ME HIGH AM PM 6:13 6:35 7:10 7:28 8:09 8:21 9:04 9:12 9:54 9:58 10:39 10:42 11:22 11:23 — 12:02 12:03 12:40 12:43 1:18 1:24 1:56 2:07 2:37 2:53 3:22 3:44 4:11 4:40 5:05 5:40 6:03 6:46 7:06 7:55 8:12 9:01 9:16 10:01 10:14 10:56 11:08 11:47 11:59 — 12:34 12:47 1:18 1:32 2:00 2:16 2:41 3:01 3:23 3:48 4:07 4:38 4:55 5:31 5:45 6:28 6:40

LOW AM PM 12:03 12:12 1:01 1:05 2:00 2:00 2:55 2:53 3:44 3:41 4:28 4:24 5:09 5:06 5:48 5:47 6:25 6:28 7:03 7:10 7:42 7:54 8:22 8:41 9:06 9:32 9:54 10:28 10:46 11:27 11:42 — 12:30 12:43 1:38 1:49 2:46 2:55 3:47 3:55 4:42 4:50 5:33 5:42 6:21 6:32 7:05 7:18 7:46 8:03 8:27 8:49 9:07 9:35 9:50 10:25 10:35 11:17 11:24 — 12:12 12:17

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18 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Wildlife:

Red Squirrel

by Tom Seymour

Having recently moved from a woodland location to a place on the edge of a small town, I thought red squirrel problems would be a thing of the past for me. How wrong I was. It took some time for ol’ red to make its presence evident, and when it did, it came as a real letdown. On the other hand, a wooded hill sits behind my house, and the little trout stream that serves as my property line is lined with trees. So why wouldn’t red squirrels live there? This particular red squirrel, and surely it is not the only one in the area, has become a nuisance at my bird feeder. When I go out to shoo it off, it runs to the garage, where it has found an access point. That’s bad news, since red squirrels have a habit of destroying material stored in containers, as well as chewing on random objects seemingly just for the heck of it. In my old place, it was easy enough to take out the .22 rifle and kill the squirrel. However, that isn’t an option now. As an acceptable solution, I bought a Crossman pellet pistol with a 650 feet-per-second capability. So if the squirrel positions itself in a place with a safe backdrop, it will find itself in danger. But red squirrels don’t sit still for long, and odds of my winning this contest remain in doubt. Charismatic Critter Everything has something to list on the positive side of the ledger, and red squirrels are no exception. First on the list is Red’s amazing energy. A red squirrel rarely stops moving, jumping, running and climbing, and even when it’s still, its muscles twitch, like springs under tension waiting for release. Red squirrels, being the active, inquisitive critters they are, are almost impossible to track, since the animal crosses and recrosses its steps. In the unlikely event that a red squirrel leaves a distinguishable trail, the trail often disappears without a trace. This happens in winter, when it suddenly decides to burrow under the snow to continue its rummaging unseen and www.MaineSportsman.com

unheard. Red squirrels have amazingly diverse diets. While it’s partial to the seeds of white spruce, it’s also fond of fruit, berries, nuts, twig ends, apples and flowers. It also relishes maple sap. The squirrels can detect the slight sweetness in maple sap, and it has its own method of obtaining the sap (and for this skill, I believe red squirrels must rank among the cleverest of animals). To obtain a steady supply of maple sap, the squirrel gnaws saucer-shaped depressions on the upper side of maple limbs. There, the sap quickly accumulates, leaving the squirrel to sip at its leisure. Who would have thought? Furry Mycologists Mushrooms represent another delicacy on a red squirrel’s menu. Oddly, squirrels seem unable to differentiate toxic mushrooms from safe ones, and they eat both with wild abandon. It’s thought that squirrels are immune to mushroom toxin, but I find that explanation hard to swallow. More likely, I think, the squirrels retreat to a hidden location to die once the toxin takes effect. Red squirrels leave many signs of their presence, and one sure indication that a red squirrel lives nearby is when you find mushrooms stuck to trees, stuffed in crevices in the bark. So it seems that not only do red squirrels like fresh mushrooms – they also have a taste for dried ones. Apples stand as a favorite wintertime food for red squirrels, and it always amazes me to see a tiny red squirrel with an apple in its mouth that is bigger than the squirrel. No matter,

like Atlas holding the world on his shoulders, the red squirrel manages to not only pick apples up off the ground, but also to take them high up in trees, where the squirrel wedges the fruit in a crevice between trunk and limb. There, with the apple frozen but still edible, the red squirrel picks up the apples thus stored and takes them to whatever site it has chosen to eat its sweet treat. It’s quite likely that by midwinter, some of the squirrel’s apples have partially fermented, giving the critter the equivalent of a happyhour cocktail. A tough life, these red squirrels have. Squirrel Middens Maine is famous for the clam-andoyster-shell middens found up and down its winding coast – evidence of aboriginal shore dinners. But there is another kind of midden, not so famous, that abounds in our spruce/fir woodlands. These middens bespeak not of the remains of human dinners, but rather of red squirrel feasts. Red squirrels construct these middens over a long period of time. The sole constituents of squirrels’ midden are pinecone or spruce cone scales. The squirrel climbs high atop the tallest trees, cuts fresh cones, and tosses them down to the ground. Later, the squirrel gathers the cones and makes a pile of them, usually near a rock or even an old stump. There, it eats the seeds inside, leaving the scales. In time, a red squirrel midden can become three feet tall and 30 feet wide. Despite red squirrel’s irritating habits, it has a lot to like. Just look at the bright side.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 19

August an Active Month for ATV Riders by Steve Carpenteri

Even though seasonal (wet-weather) trail restrictions are generally lifted this time of year, some routes still get closed on relatively short notice, such as in active wood-cutting areas. For that reason, it’s important to check with local clubs to ensure you have the latest trail information. This is the month many ATV riders wait all year for! Here’s a rundown of current events and topics.

Maine, if the non-resident’s ATV has a valid registration from another state or a Canadian province.

Free ATV Weekend August 6 through 8, 2021, has been designated a “Free ATV Weekend” in Maine. Any non-resident can operate an ATV that is not registered in

Check to Confirm that Trail’s Open Visitors considering a Maine ATV vacation should be aware that there is much more to riding than simply hopping on a

vehicle, firing up the engine and heading down the nearest trail. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife cautions riders to check with local clubs to see if your destination’s trails are open. For example, this summer, even after seasonal restrictions were lifted, riders in

Even with mostly-dry trails and good weather, Maine riders will experience varying travel conditions. Know your machine’s limitations, and your own. Photo: Arctic Cat

Maine encountered trail closures due to cutting operations. In at least one area of the state, local clubs had difficulty keeping up with the changes,

leading to a lack of upto-date signage. Huge Trail Network; More ATVs Registered That said, ATV (Continued on next page)

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ATVing in Maine (Continued from page 19)

Summer is Your Go Time.

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clubs do an admirable job. Maine has over 6,000 miles of ATV trails, and that network wouldn’t be possible without dedicated ATV clubs. The extensive web of trails is also the result of the generosity of private landowners – eighty percent of the state-supported ATV trail system exists on private land. ATV use is rapidly increasing in Maine, with registrations now totaling over 80,000 annually. Problem-Solving With the increasing interest in ATV riding, there are growing concerns regarding ATV size, riding on private land without permission, and environmental damage. Governor Janet Mills recently created an ATV task force that is looking at a variety of issues associated with the growth in ATV use in the state, including a focus on ATV use on private land. The task force is comprised of 14 members that represent landowners, farmers, government agencies, ATV owners and retailers, and snowmobile organizations. The task force will determine whether the existing trail system can be further expanded. The group will consider the concerns of private landowners, and the increased size of ATVs and side-bysides in recent years. Other issues on the task force’s ambitious agenda include trail standards; trail maintenance; developing a communications and

outreach plan with a focus on landowner relations; registration requirements based on size and value; and funding for the oversight, construction and maintenance of the trail system. Why Join a Club? Clubs are critical to Maine’s ATV program, and at the heart of its success. ATV clubs provide trail stewardship, emergency assistance, rider education and outreach, and help with landowner and government relations. Club members, with the help of ATV Maine, act as liaisons between ATV riders, landowners and the State – monitoring and initiating legislation, participating in public hearings, working with local and state legislators, and building grassroots support. ATV club members know every inch of their trails, often stepping in to provide equipment, personnel and guidance for first responders. They also help to identify and locate problem users. Club members work hard to promote safe riding and positive landowner relations, leading by example and through education and outreach. The clubs publish newsletters, post information on social media, conduct safety and maintenance clinics, and sponsor ATV outings. Club members collect GPS data on their trail system, so the trails can be accurately mapped to ensure insurance coverage and to provide guidance (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 21 (Continued from page 20)

to recreational riders as well as landowners and first responders. When an individual registers an ATV in Maine, the registration fee is currently split between two state agencies: the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (for safety education, law enforcement, and the state’s landowner relations program), and the Off-road Recreational Vehicle Office of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (ACF’s) Bureau of Parks and Lands, which is charged with establishing a statewide trail network, providing development and

maintenance grants to clubs and municipalities, conducting landowner relations, and coordinating with – and supporting – ATV clubs. When an ATV is registered, more than 58 percent of those funds go toward the trail maintenance fund. For example, $26.42 of a resident annual ATV registration (which costs $45) goes directly into the trail maintenance fund. ATV Basic Training State law requires all riders (operators or passengers) younger than 18 years of age to wear protective headgear. Also, the law requires that prospective riders between the ages of 10 and 16 complete an approved

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22 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Better Bear Baiting – Part 2 of 3

Locating Good Sources of Bait, and Setting Up Trail Cameras by Bill Graves

One or two bear will easily consume five gallons of food a day per bait site, so if you lug in one pail daily or two every other day, that amounts to 300 gallons for a 60-day season. Some hunters purchase prepared bait in 55-gallon drums at $80 a barrel, while others mix up their own concoctions from popcorn, old bread, molasses and powdered fruit drinks. Last month, I covered the first four steps to setting up a productive bear bait site: • establishing a location, and selectively trimming foliage; • properly placing the bait container; • erecting your tree stand or ground

blind; and • researching, selecting and purchasing one or two products to be used as attractant scents throughout the two months of baiting and hunting. Although you might initially consider these to be labor-in-

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tensive chores, trust me when I confirm that lugging buckets of bait several times a week is no small task. If you maintain more than a single site, the hot, humid trek over uneven trails among hordes of voracious insects every other day tests even the most devoted hunter.

Steve Hitchcock of Mars Hill heads into the stand for an evening hunt. His guide has a pail of fresh bait and a bottle of Bear Scents Bacon spray, and Steve has a backpack with comfort and safety essentials. All photos by Bill Graves

Sweet Treats That being said, finding a suitable supply of food products to put in those pails for the dozens of trips to resupply the bait barrel over almost 60 days

is Step #5. It’s perhaps the most crucial part of the bear baiting process, because regardless of what else is set up, without regular deposits of tasty, en(Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 23

Ladder style tree stands allow excellent views of the bait site as well as natural cover from tree branches to hide hunter motion. Steve Hitchcock of Mars Hill blends into forest during an evening hunt. (Continued from page 22)

ticing snacks, the process fails. Spring bear are easy to entice, since just out of their dens, they are ravenous and

Set trail cameras out the day you begin baiting, and be sure to use bite-proof protective cases. The one shown was invented by the author, and needs no tree to set in place. This bruin heard the camera take his photo.

very little natural food is available. Protein like meat scraps and fish work well. In the fall, bear need to put on fat for hibernation. They love sweets like pastries,

but even these tasty treats work only moderately when there are plenty of wild autumn berries, nuts and fruits and other options available in their natural environment.

The author adds a bit of challenge to his bear hunts by using a handgun or a crossbow. This 346-pound bruin was taken with an Excalibur Equinox.

One or two bear will easily consume 5 gallons of food a day per bait site, so if you lug in one pail daily or two every other day, that amounts to at least 300 gallons

for a 60 day season. More bait locations, or several bear per single site, require even more bait, and that becomes expensive and time-consuming. (Continued on next page)

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Bear Hunting in Maine (Continued from page 23)

There are bait wholesalers offering various foodstuffs in 55-gallon barrels. These run $80 to $100 per barrel. A few of these suppliers deliver, but often hunters have to utilize their pickup truck or even a trailer to travel and retrieve the season’s bait supply. Hunters who live near a bakery, pastry shop, or other food wholesaler might be able to make a deal to make regular, reduced-price purchases of day-old bread or outdated sweets. Other options are granola or trail mix, large containers of pie filling, frosting, peanut butter, and candy from various outlets. Do-it-

yourselfers trying to save cash can make their own popcorn, or buy old bread and use Kool Aid mix, molasses, maple syrup, caramel, or butterscotch syrups, jams and jellies to coat and sweeten these offerings. A sweet smelling and tasty supply of bait is crucial to attract bear and keep them returning to feed. While it’s possible to save money, bait and time by waiting until only a week before opening day to start baiting, I’m not a fan. Start late or run short of bait, and bear will move elsewhere, perhaps to someone else’s bait site. Start (Continued on next page)

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 25 (Continued from page 24)

on day one, keep them fed, and maybe you will have at least one or two regular bruins visiting when the first day of the hunt arrives. Candid Cameras On the very first day that it’s legal to place bait in a container, I’m on it, and my second chore is to set up trail cameras at the same time. Digital game cameras might just be the greatest asset to hunters in the last 25 years, and technology advances yearly in leaps and bounds. Hunters of black bear are among the prime beneficiaries of this technology, since it’s crucial to know the size, gender and number of different bear visiting a specific bait site, and especially the time of day or night. There are very functional multi-feature cameras available for as low as $50. Some high end models will even connect to your cell phone

or computer and send photos or videos in real time from the bait site to wherever you are at that moment. (If you happen to be sitting at another bait site that’s void of visiting bruin when the transmission is received, that can be more than a little frustrating.) Be sure to purchase a tooth-proof box made of metal that fits your specific camera. Don’t handle bait or attractant scent and then make adjustments to the camera, since the latent aroma left on your camera by your fingers will just entice bear to chew on it. Bear are meddlesome and destructive enough without added incentive. Purchase cameras for each bait site, set them up on day one, and you’ll soon learn where your best opening day spot should be. They also serve double duty for deer and moose seasons. Next month – In the concluding installment in this series, the

author covers the final important bear bait site topics – choice of firearm, bow or cross-

bow; what to wear; how to stay comfortable during the long waits; how to make a

clean kill; and hauling your trophy bruin out of the woods.

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Seven Tips for Successful Groundfishing Back in the “good ole days,” say the 1960s and early 70s, catching a cooler full of cod, haddock, cusk, pollock, and other tasty bottom-dwellers off the coast of Maine was pretty simple. The reason? There were just plain more fish back then. Today, however, it’s a little different. The fishing is still pretty productive on many of the offshore ledges and banks, but the numbers of fish on some of the inshore grounds have dwindled over the years, so catching that cooler-full or limit can be a bit more challenging. I’ve been charter fishing for groundfish for 50 years, and have picked up a few little “hacks” along the way that might be worth sharing. Speed it Up We used to think that we needed a low-ratio “workhorse” reel like the old Penn #65 for bottom fishing, but today’s newer

Bob Damrell of Georgetown with a nice cod taken with a high-speed reel and superbraid line. The recreational cod season is only three weeks per year, so it will pay to use every trick possible to snag a big one like this. Barry Gibson photos

high-speed, brandname models are more than tough enough to subdue any groundfish you’ll encounter off the Maine coast. The benefit of a high-ratio reel is that it makes it faster and easier to reel up a bait to check it, or to crank up a small fish, which will give you more actual “fishing” time on any given trip. For several years, I’ve been using a Daiwa Sealine-X 30SHV that has a blazing 6.1:1 ratio, and it has

belly is what the fish will home in on, so groundfish sharpies will cover the point of the hook with some of the goop, and it can really make a difference. It won’t stay on the hook too long, so you may have to reel up every so often and rebait – thus the benefit of the high-speed reel mentioned above. Steve Rubicam of East Boothbay took this nice pollock on a plastic-tail teaser attached above a diamond jig. Teasers will often out-fish the jig itself.

performed flawlessly on everything from haddock to halibut. Braid is Best We stopped using monofilament line about 20 years ago. Mono is cheap and fairly abrasion resistant, but it’s thick and stretchy – two attributes you don’t want. Today, we use 50pound “super-braid,” marketed under such names as Spiderwire and PowerPro. Braid has virtually no stretch, so it’s eas-

ier to feel a bit and set the hook, and its ultra-thin diameter cuts the water cleanly and helps prevent your line from angling out from the boat, which causes your jig or bait to rise up off the bottom as you drift along. Do the Belly Dance Sea clams make excellent bait for most bottom fish, particularly haddock. But don’t just use the tough “foot,” because it does not contain much scent. The scent of the gooshy, green-brown

Don’t Get Pecked Don’t let your bait rig rest right on bottom, but instead bring it up so your sinker is a foot or two above. This way, you’ll be able to detect any nibblers, such as cunners and other bait-stealers that might otherwise strip your hook bare without you realizing it. Bottom fish can see and smell a bait quite a way up off bottom, and halibut have been known swim up and eat a live bait meant for tuna just a few feet below the surface.

Try a Teaser If you like using a

(Continued on next page)

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 27 (Continued from page 26)

jig (I prefer the old reliable “diamond” style, but others may like the Vike-E models or butterfly jigs), you’ll up your game if you attach a teaser to your leader about 18 inches above the jig. Sometimes the teaser will take more fish than the jig. Hooks dressed with bucktail, called “snapper zappers,” are

time-honored and work fine, but the newer soft-plastic shad-style bodies produce even better. The best color, in my opinion? Green or chartreuse with black vertical bars and some gold or silver metal flake molded into the plastic. Thread one on a 5/0 or 6/0 hook, and you’re in business.

“pump and wind” when you hook into a cod, haddock or pollock 200 feet below the boat. The best method is to simply reel steadily with the rod held horizontally. Haddock in particular have soft mouths, and if you go the P&W route, you’re likely to pull the hook free. Other fish such as cod have tougher mouths, but you can allow the hook to “keyhole” out if you

Reel, Don’t Pump Resist the urge to

pump and wind. Slow and steady wins this race.

preventing the meat from becoming tainted. We’ll rinse the fish and ice every so often with the washdown hose and allow the water to drain overboard. This way, when we dress the fish on the way in, the fillets will be clean and white and ever-so-yummy when later sautéed with capers in a little olive oil!

Be Cutthroat When we catch a keeper-size fish that we are going to take home, we remove the hook and quickly sever the fish’s throat latch (underneath the head, between the gills) with a serrated knife, and place the fish on ice. The fish’s heart will rapidly push out all the blood,

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28 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Boating Miscues and Mishaps by Steve Carpenteri

Boating on Maine’s inland or coastal waters can be fun, when you know what you are doing. Ignorance or carelessness can have disastrous consequences, as the certified boat captains quoted below will attest. Not Waving Hello Tom Migdalski, a U.S. Coast Guard-certified captain, recalled

a recent trip that could have ended in disaster due entirely to boater ignorance and carelessness. “I was the last boat heading back to the harbor for the evening,” Migdalski said. “About three miles from the ramp I caught a glimpse of someone seemingly gleefully waving to me in the distance, as boaters often do. I

waved back and kept cruising along at about 25 knots, but started thinking that something wasn’t making sense. I turned around and headed back for a closer look. “As I approached, I saw a 14-foot aluminum boat bobbing offshore with three young adults in it. When I got within speaking range, I cut my motor and asked if

everything was okay. It wasn’t.” The group had borrowed a boat for an afternoon of saltwater fishing, but neglected to check the fuel tank. They started back in at the end of the day, and the motor ran dry. “They asked if they could borrow a couple gallons of gas, but I had no easy and safe way to transfer fuel from my vessel to

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theirs,” Migdalski noted. Migdalski keeps plenty of extra line aboard, so he fashioned a quick tow bridle, got the young men positioned properly in their own boat for best towing weight distribution, and towed them several miles back to the boat launch. He said they hooted and hollered all the way in because it was so much “fun” being towed along by a bigger boat. Could Have Been a Lot Worse No big deal, right? At least not until you consider the other variables. “We were the last two vehicles and trailers back at the ramp parking lot, which means nobody else was coming back in that evening,” Migdalski said. “Plus, there was an offshore wind blowing. There was a fog warning posted for the overnight hours. I was literally their last chance.” The tide was going out, pushing the small boat toward the open ocean. They trio did not have an anchor line long enough to reach and hold bot-

(Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 29 (Continued from page 28)

tom, nor did they have a pair of oars on board. For various reasons, their cellphones either weren’t with them, or the batteries were dead because they had been streaming music all afternoon. This storyline could have very easily become three youths lost at sea, either by drifting out into the nearby Atlantic or by being run over by a large vessel in the middle of the night. “They barely thanked me upon our return, and they continued to laugh and giggle as they trailered up,” Migdalski said. “I asked about their parents, and they said, ‘Oh, we just told them we were going fishing,’ with no other details.” Lesson Learned? They also had no running lights on the boat, because they “weren’t going to be out at night.” In other words, they would have been bobbing around at night, in the fog, no lights, drifting offshore in the cold with no communication device. The lesson here? Bring a set of oars, a specific “float plan” with friends or relatives, more than enough anchor line to reach and hold bottom, charged cellphones in Zip-lock bags, and a signaling device. Know how to wave for assistance rather than waving in what looks like a “Hello” greeting, and carry 33 percent more fuel than you think you’ll need. Can You Canoe? Dan Armitage, another USCG-certified captain with over 50 years of boating experience, laughed as he recalled watching two

The Maine Sportsman’s Small-Boat Safety Item Checklist by Will Lund

Being towed into the dock is the wrong way to end a day on the water. Carry extra fuel and oars as a precaution. Photo by Tom Migdalski

men board a rented canoe, face each other from their seats at each end, and begin paddling toward each other. Talk about a recipe for trouble! “Another time,” he said, “I watched a couple riding a personal watercraft zip by so close to my transom that they passed between me and where my lines entered the water, going under the taut monofilament held just high enough by the rods to keep from decapitating them both. Low Bridge = No Radar Arch “Last year I watched a guy slam his car door so hard it shattered the driver’s side glass,” Armitage said. “He then walked off muttering expletives, leaving his rig in full jackknife position at the base of a very busy launch ramp.” Recently Armitage watched a low pedestrian bridge remove a high radar bridge from a spanking-new powerboat proceeding under the span at planing speed. “When I went to his aid, the guy said that he had cleared it ‘with room to spare’ when he

Those of you who have done much boating in Maine understand the importance of having these safety items aboard smaller powerboats. 1) Plenty of clean, fresh fuel 2) Fully-charged starter battery, and jumper cables 3) Wearable lifejackets for everyone on board 4) Oars 5) Anchor and good line 6) Extra line for towing or being towed 7) Two sharp folding knives 8) Working cellphones and/or a VHF radio 9) Waterproof jacket, and blanket 10) Flashlights and operating running lights 11) Supply of water 12) Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen 13) Airhorn 14) Basic tool kit, including WD-40 (for when something’s supposed to move, but doesn’t) and duct tape (for when something’s not supposed to move, but does). passed under the span earlier in the day … at idle speed.” Check Your Running Gear Maine captain Bob Humphrey recommends going through a quick safety check-list before any trip. “Eager to hit the offshore fishing grounds, one fellow launched his boat and headed out. Unfortunately, he failed to check the connections on his running gear, and 15 miles offshore, his propeller shaft fell off, leaving a

rather large hole in the bottom of the hull. “The vessel immediately started taking on water. It was looking like she might go down, until the Coast Guard showed up. They were able to plug the hole, pump out the water and tow the boat back to shore, but the damage was done, and the craft was declared a total loss.” So whether your boat is large or small, inspect the hull, propulsion system and gear before leaving the dock.

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30 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

— Boating Special Feature —

Boat Corrosion Prevention by Captain Ron Dupuis, Jr.

As a boater who owns and operates my vessel primarily in saltwater, I find it can be challenging to keep ahead of corrosion resulting from exposure to saltwater. Left unchecked, corrosion can cause substantial damage to engines, electronics, and even the structures of boats. For that reason, owners of saltwater boats must perform ongoing preventative maintenance on vulnerable areas on their vessels. Three Types of Corrosion There are three types of corrosion: • electro-mechanical corrosion • galvanic corrosion,

“Rust never sleeps,” goes the old saying. But by understanding the devices and fittings on your boat that are vulnerable, you can take proactive steps to prevent or slow the corrosive effects of salt water. and • electrolytic/stray current corrosion. All three types are caused by an electromechanical process. Each has different causes, but corrosion is faster when unwanted electrical currents are applied (stray current corrosion). The challenge for the boat owner is understanding the type and causes, to minimize the effects and further damage. Purpose of Zincs Engine zincs are

used on boats, and they are designed to protect the items to which they are connected. They are referred to as “sacrificial anodes” and their purpose is to prevent galvanic corrosion to the underwater parts of your boat. The photo shows engine zincs after a summer of use in saltwater. These zincs must be changed at least once each year, or when they appear to be less than half of their original size.

Boat zincs, shown in white, aren’t called “sacrificial anodes” for nothing! All photos by Ron Dupuis

Normal zincs will last between 130-150 days.

Failure to keep up with underwater parts will result in severe damage that will be costly. Transducers and Electronics Salt water can be disastrous for electronics. The NaCl in the water can quickly bond to many surfaces. With fish finders, for example, residual build-up can cause erratic readings or can send the unit completely offline. Transducers can be affected by salt as well, and barnacles and seaweed can adhere to the corroded surfaces. In addition, salt (Continued on next page)

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 31

I’ve seen many outboard motors that were damaged and not repaired and repainted – this was where corrosion starts. Lower units on inboard/outboards also must be protected with zincs and any damaged metal needs to be re-coated.

(Continued from page 30)

Transducers simply won’t “transduce” with this much corrosion and growth.

residue can cause problems for power circuits that provide electricity to gauges and radar systems. Owners can employ preventive measures by applying corrosion inhibitors or dielectric grease to electric terminals. Trim-tab Systems Performance of your vessel can be affected by corrosion on or around the trim tabs. Trim tabs are designed to improve performance of your boat by adjusting the angle at which your boat rides in the water. There are several different failures that can occur if the trim tabs experience corrosion, and inoperative tabs make the boat less efficient and also will negatively impact the operator’s visibility over the bow. Preventative action to maintain trim tabs includes fitting a sacrificial bar anode to the inside of the

Trim tabs are crucial to maximizing fuel economy and keeping guests comfortable on board, but failure to maintain and keep them clean and corrosion-free turns the pistons into useless iron.

ram bracket. Again, these anodes will need to be monitored and changed at regular intervals. Boat Motors Outboards and I/O motors are susceptible to corrosion, as well. Nicks, scrapes and gouges on motors expose bare metal, and can be the start of corrosion.

Maintenance Checklist There are steps every owner can take to minimize corrosion on boats and keep the damage at bay. • Clean your boat after every trip, preferably with soap and water. At minimum, spray your boat down with fresh water, removing salt and

hitting crevices and vulnerable areas. Metal parts such as railings, rocket launchers and hinges should be thoroughly cleaned. • Protect areas of exposure. Tilt your outboard and I/O motors up to their highest positions and get them out of the water. If you store your boat on a trailer between runs, consider covering your boat when it’s not in use. • Install and monitor zincs where appropriate. • Lubricate parts, not only for mechanical uses but

also for protection. If applied correctly, lubricants can protect against corrosion and rust. Ironically, the best way to avoid corrosion on your boat due to saltwater is to keep your boat out of saltwater! Since that’s often not possible or practical, the nextbest way is to clean the boat thoroughly after each use; take active steps to prevent damage to your boat’s vulnerable areas; install, inspect and replace zincs as needed; and use coverings or coatings to protect fittings and electronics that are prone to corrosion.

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32 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

On the Right Track – The Basics by Nick Campagna

New contributor Nick Campagna provides a primer on what to look for in a buck’s track to determine its size, even if powdery snow results in indistinct prints. For Nick, tracking is “an opportunity for adventure each and every time out.” Being a tracker is about more than just following deer tracks; it’s more than just hunting – it’s a way of life and an opportunity for adventure each and every time out. Being “on the track” is also different for everybody, depending on the experience you are looking for. Are you after a mature buck? Or just looking to fill the freezer? Whichever your preference, there are a few obvious ways to help you figure out what kind of deer you are following, and a few less obvious details to learn as well. The Track First things first – the bigger the track, the better. If you are hunting in Maine, a big buck track might be as wide in the bottom as the length of a .30-06 shell, or bigger. If you are hunting in the Adirondacks of New York, a mature buck track is normally only about as wide as a .308 shell. In different parts of the country, whitetail deer have different physical traits. The foot size (or track) is the most important to trackers. Another easy way to tell you are on a mawww.MaineSportsman.com

ture buck is this: When a mature buck with a good rack stops to feed in any amount of snow, he will leave antler imprints just above his nose in the snow. Not only is this very exciting, but it helps you to imagine the size of the buck’s rack and decide whether or not you want to continue pursuing him. What Else? But what if the snow is fluffy and the track is filled in? Or, what if the track is an hour old in a snowstorm? Well, then you need to pay attention a little more. An older buck will have a longer stride (the spacing between steps front to back as he walks). This can change somewhat, depending on if the buck is tired from chasing does, or even walking up or down hill. In most cases on flat ground, a mature buck in the northeast will have a stride 22 – 24 inches long – slightly less in the Adirondacks and other regions with smaller-bodied deer. Also, the stagger side-to-side between steps can be a big telltale of his age – as a buck gets older, his

chest gets wider and his tracks won’t be in line with each other like does and young bucks. He will swing his legs out to the side, spaced 8 -10 inches apart – they get a kind of swagger to them. This will be obvious to all experienced trackers, as it looks as though someone has cross-country skied through the area as the buck slogs along. A long stride paired with a good side-to-side stagger is what all big buck hunters dream of. I’ve covered the basics here. Pay attention to all the sign a big buck leaves you this fall, and picture what he looks like from the sign you see. The more you do this, the more your knowledge will expand, and you’re your success will naturally go up. Good luck on the track! Hal Blood’s Thoughts This is Nick’s first column, so I’ll give Maine Sportsman readers a quick introduction to him. Nick lives in Vermont with his wife and young son. He started his deer hunting career by following his father around in the Adirondacks, long before he

Nick Campagna has put his considerable tracking skills to good use.

was old enough to carry a gun. Nick learned from his father, and became an accomplished big woods hunter and tracker. When there is snow on the ground, Nick will be somewhere looking for an old toe-dragging buck to follow. Anyone wanting to be a buck tracker must start with the “basics,” which is figuring out what is a good track to follow. If you are a beginner, you don’t have to look for the biggest track in the woods. Follow any track you find, and try to get a look that deer. That way you are getting in the practice of staying with the deer and learning what it is doing and its habits. Along the way, if you cross a bigger track and want to change to that one, great. Now you have seen a size difference in the tracks.

This keeps you in the game, as you know somewhere ahead of you there is a deer. Too many new trackers, want to look for a monster track, which is fine if you happen to find one right off. The problem with that is you will spend a lot of the time that you should be practicing your tracking, looking for a big track. Another reason for a beginner to not just look for a big track to follow is that those wise old bucks are the most difficult ones to kill. As a beginner you may get discouraged with tracking, as your odds of seeing an old toe-dragger until you hone your skills is going to be fairly low, compared to following an average sized track. When the snow covers the ground this season, get out there and take up the track!

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 33

Prepare Now for Deer Season! August often brings some of the warmest temperatures of the year. Though we saw some 90-plus degree days in May, June and July, in my opinion, August is the latest serious deer hunters should be doing any invasive woods work in preparation for deer hunting in September and October. Temperatures on August mornings can be as low as 45 degrees in my area. This is the best time to hit the woods, move cameras, place stands, and cut trails. In years where my serious work has

This month is a good time to check and relocate cameras, clear around your tree stand sites, and even make mock scrapes. Put in the work now, says the author, and your preparation will pay dividends once the season arrives. been completed by the end of August, when hunting season came around deer on the farms I hunt were more relaxed, back to regular patterns and more vulnerable to my tactics. Most important, they were more vulnerable to my arrows. While in the woods this month, I spend time moving trail cameras that either hav-

en’t been productive, or that are showing me only does, fawns and yearling bucks. Adult bucks will still be in bachelor groups, and they often avoid areas frequented by maternal groups. In fact, some of the collared deer studies suggest bucks often work hard to avoid the opposite sex in the summer months. Getting multiple

mature bucks on camera this month increases my confidence and hopefully my opportunities to harvest. Now that all my cameras are cellular, there will be no reason to invade the woods again until deer season begins. As usual, we don’t want bucks to think they’re being hunted now. We want them to know only after it’s too late and the arrow has al-

ready done its job. Bring Your Chain Saw While moving cameras around the forest I’m hunting, I inevitably come across downed trees that block entry and exit trails, shooting lanes or in some cases, block deer runs. Running chain saws are a common sound in the summer months. Deer may not associate the sound with food, as they often do in winter, but the sound of a running saw isn’t something that seems to bother them. Don’t (Continued on next page)

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34 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Big Game (Continued from page 33)

be afraid to cut around stands or trails this month. There’s plenty of time for the smells to dissipate between now and late September. While trimming shooting lanes for bow stands or blinds this month, be careful not to cut too much.

The woods will look very different in October and November, compared to August. Cutting wide, completely clear shooting lanes this month could leave a hunter looking like a golf ball on a tee if you’re not careful to leave sufficient

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concealment. Don’t cut branches that are close to the tree. These provide the cover needed to break up an elevated silhouette. Clear branches five yards out and beyond if needed. It’s far easier to adjust an angle when a branch is close, in order to get the shot. Make Mock Scrapes Now August is a great month to start mock scrapes. Deer are naturally curious animals. Any disturbance can bring them to an area. In an attempt to gain their attention early, I often start mock scrapes now, when antler development has peaked and testosterone levels are beginning to ramp up in adult bucks. The increase in testosterone is triggered by the change in daylight. This change is what

ultimately leads to the hardening of antler and the shedding of velvet. Contrary to popular belief, bucks are constantly scentmarking, and will often make scrapes outside the time of the rut. Getting a buck to think a stranger has entered his territory isn’t always easy. Special care should be taken not to spook bucks from bedding areas or leave too much human scent at a site when making these mock scrapes. In fact, use the same precautions now that you use during hunting season. The goal is to get in, make the mock scrape and get out, without alerting a buck to our presence. Rubber boots, clean outer layers and rubber gloves are all a must in my book when setting up these sites.

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Flushing at Camp Does a Maine camp have a flush toilet? What is a Maine camp? It’s not a bunch of bunkhouses and a dining hall and athletic fields where boys and girls come for the summer. That’s summer camp. And it’s not the hundred years old wilderness lodge that caters to fly fishermen. That’s a sporting camp. And it’s not some place where tents and RVs park under the pines on the shore of the Magalloway River. That’s a camp site. A Maine Camp A Maine camp is a small, two- or threeroom cabin situated on the shore of a remote lake. It was built by a family with kids, parents, grandparents, cousins, friends and dogs. The walls are made from logs or 2x4’s; the roof is covered with tar paper; and the floor joists sit on cedar posts. It also has a backhouse where everyone does their business. But, if you install a flush toilet, is it still a camp? Too Complicated? Camps are rustic, make-do sorts of places where no one cares if you spill your beer on the floor. I know this. Life at the old camp gets way more

It’s a question that modern Maine philosophers have pondered and debated at length: If you install a flush toilet at your camp, is it still a camp? complicated when you want to flush. Usually, the motivation for installing a toilet comes from the women in the family. Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to have a real bathroom? They would no longer have to use the nasty old backhouse, and there would be a place for them to shower, do their hair and makeup. Nighttime Backhouse Beasts And they would not have to make the very scary trek in the middle of the night when the pathway to the privy is guarded by fierce wild animals with sharp claws and four-inch fangs. So yes, a real honest to goodness bathroom would be preferred. Negotiations Pointless You say, how about we string some solar lights from here to the backhouse? No. That would only make the fearsome backhouse beasts angry. No, no. We need a real bathroom. But then this won’t be camp, you say. It’ll be changed. That’s okay, they

the kitchen. something.

say, You guys can continue to use the backhouse. In fact, we will insist on it. Work Begins So you ask around and find some people and have a soil test done and get some permits and go to the bank, and then the excavator shows up way back there in the woods and digs a leach field. Now we have to dig a well, so another huge truck arrives, and we have to cut trees so a well can be drilled. Not to mention they only go down a little way and bring in a gusher that floods the backyard. The septic tank, the sludge pump, and the alarm system come next. And what about the actual bathroom? Where is that? Camp is small enough as it is. Bump out, the ladies say. There – past

Build

All This, and Hot Water? You bring up all your tools and knock a hole through the wall and frame up a sort of large telephone booth. Put in a window and slanted roof and finish it off with tongue and groove. It’s small, so the shower is special order, and you have to figure out how to have hot water. Look, without electricity, hot water is going to be hard to get, you say. Cold showers are good for you. But the women protest. We have hot water at home, why can’t we have it here? Because you aren’t home, you say under your breath. In comes a plumber you know, who sizes things up and says, “Five grand,” and you faint. But the female side wins again, and you return to your friendly banker and say, “Hot water.” By Now, You’re In Deep Weeks go by, and things get bulldozed, covered up, cut down, dug up, pushed over and rebuilt, all in the name of a little white

porcelain god named Kohler. All this stuff runs on electricity. By now you’re in deep, and the old camp is becoming a money pit. Electricity! Bah! Gas lamps and Coleman lanterns have been good enough for 80 years. Who needs electricity? This time, the generator people come, and they only need a day to install an 8KW genset. They hand you the user’s manual on the way out. First Flush Summer is winding down, and there has been damn little fishing, boating, and swimming. Every trip has been dedicated to the new bathroom. Then comes the first flush. The generator comes on and the lights glow. There’s a hum from the well and water splashes into the sink. The toilet bowl fills. In a few minutes, the hot water tap is flowing warm. The ladies crowd in. Oh, isn’t it wonderful? It’s so nice. You did a great job. Can we use it now? With your last bit of strength, you reach over and push the handle and the toilet flushes, and deep down in your heart you know camp isn’t just camp anymore.

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36 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

The Best Upland Gun Dog – Picking Your Breed by Michael Tuminaro

You know you want a bird dog, but what breed? German shorthair? Brittany? Vizsla? Pudelpointer? Griffon? Wirehair? Know your own needs, says the author, and do your homework. Then the answer will be clear. With such a wide selection of gun dogs out there, how do you make the right choice? There are many great dog breeds that will find grouse and woodcock for you, so how do you know which one to pick? Asking other hunters for their opinions is a good place to start, but realize that it’s likely you’ll run into steadfast loyalty and support for the breed that works for them. This may not, however, be the right choice for you and your situation. It’s like asking a Ford owner his opinion on Chevys, or a John Deere fan his thoughts on Kubota – you’re

very likely to get a one-sided response. Third Time the Charm My first dog, Moxie, was a German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP). She fit in well with our family. This was important to us because, like most hunting dogs, she was a house pet 90% of the time. She was great with the kids, and had a low-key temperament. Thinking that I now knew most of what there was to know about bird dogs, I chose my second shorthair, Coal, from a very well respected kennel known for superior performance

Christi Holmes and her brittany Argos after a day’s hunt. www.MaineSportsman.com

bird dogs. He was a hard-charger, and I was told by some wise dog trainers that I had inadvertently “moved from a minivan to a Ferrari.” This dog had hunting skills extraordinaire, but he was also high-strung and too energetic in the house. He was a constant handful. We managed, but it was not pleasant. Lesson learned. Our third shorthair was chosen wisely, because by then I had a relevant basis to compare. Risa is great in the home and with my kids, and she’s also skilled at finding birds for my sports while I’m guiding in the north-

The author’s son Daniel on the first day home with new pup Moxie.

woods. Getting Started – Doing Your Homework So how do you choose the right dog for you? I believe a good place to start is attending a training clinic hosted by the Sebasticook, Yankee or Seacoast chapters of NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Associa-

German shorthair pointer Risa Von Mainstays on point during NAVHDA testing.

tion). NAVHDA is full of people who actually hunt their dogs and don’t just go to field trials. The chapters hold clinics most weekends from April through September, and by visiting one, you’ll find yourself among a group of friendly, knowledgeable hunters who will be happy (Continued on next page)

Peter Beauboef of Topsham with his griffon Sienna.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 37 (Continued from page 36)

to show their dogs to you. Best of all, you’ll be able to see German shorthairs, Brittanys, Vizslas, pudelpointers, Griffons and wirehairs in the field. You can see how the different breeds range, their energy level and hunting style. You can observe the temperaments of sires and dams. Members can also point you in the direction of reputable breeders and upcoming litters. The Next Step – Visiting Breeders Once you’ve lined up the breed you’re after and a potential litter, visit the breeders themselves. Ask questions and get a feel for the type of line they’re going for, and make sure that they are hunting their dogs. Some breeds have largely lost their hunting genes, having been bred primarily to be

Moxie going in for a duck retrieve.

show dogs and house pets. Get some pedigrees and testing results from NAVHDA to see how the parents and grandparents of these dogs did. Hunting dogs are born, not made. The traits you’ll need for hunting are already in their genes. Pulling the Trigger; Opening the Wallet Well-bred dogs are fairly expensive. An average bird dog will run between $1,000

and $2,000, but don’t let that deter you, because that cost will be the least of your concerns over the life of the dog. That extra money will prove out in temperament, cooperation, hunting skills and overall health for years to come, and it’s well worth the expenditure. When you finally get that long-awaited pup, be sure to seek advice at clinics such as those run by

The author is co-owner of Maine Upland Guide Service, in Jackman.

NAVHDA. You’ll be able to take advantage of the wealth of information and experience they offer. Commit to spending 15 minutes a day training your dog on what you’ve learned. That’s all it takes. Progress comes quickly.

When the first bird season comes and your new hunting partner points hard at that thick spot in the brush, it’ll all be worth it. There’s no better experience in the world! Best of luck in the covers.

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ: American Red Squirrel by Steve Vose

The native range of the American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) stretches across the conifer forests of Canada, to southern Alaska, coastal British Colombia, and the United States from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic coast. The only area of the United States devoid of red squirrels is the Pacific Northwest, where their territory is monopolized by the Douglas squirrel. Scientists studying red squirrels have determined that over 50% of their diet is comprised of white spruce seeds. Red squirrels pile consumed seed cones in piles called middens. These piles can sometimes get quite large, encompassing more than a meter in diameter. Red squirrel territories may contain one or several middens. When they’re not aggressively eat-

Questions 1. What is the native range of the red squirrel? 2. How often does the red squirrel breed?

ing, red squirrels collect white spruce cones, tree buds, wild berries and even mushrooms. Red squirrels store food in centralized caches, providing easy access throughout the long winter months when food is less readily available. Red squirrel females usually produce one litter each year. In some years, however, reproduction is skipped, while in other years females may breed twice. Scientists predict that availability of

food, the overall health of the population, and other environmental factors, may affect these patterns. Rarely nesting below ground, red squirrels more commonly nest in the branches or cavities of spruce trees. Litters range in size from 1-5 young. Pink and hairless at birth, baby squirrels are completely dependent upon their mothers until they finish nursing at about 70 days. At 125 days, red squirrels reach their adult size of approximately 9 ounces. Red squirrels experience severe mortality, with only about 22% surviving to one year of age. Those fortunate enough to beat the odds and survive to one year of age, typically live to 2.5 years. Red squirrels in captivity have been recorded as living as long as eight years.

4. How big are red squirrel litters? 5. What percentage of red squirrels survive the first year? 6. What do red squirrels eat?

7. What are piles of red squirrel consumed seed cones called? 8. How old can red squirrels live in captivity?

Answers on Page 46

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38 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Timing is Everything It was October of 1999, a couple of weeks before deer season was set to begin. Early in the day, I received word from our secretary at the Bangor office that Wardens Deborah Palman and Dave Georgia were working on a report of someone killing a deer, in the town of Alton. I didn’t hear any more about this the rest of the day. I thought if there was really something to the report, someone would likely be getting in touch with me, but since I heard nothing more about it, it kind of slipped my mind for the time being.

“I didn’t want you to think I was a quitter,” replied Warden David Georgia, when the author asked Georgia why he had staked out the scene of a poaching crime for 34 straight hours. yesterday morning, she and Georgia had stashed her vehicle and reconnoitered the area behind the suspect’s house. There they had discovered a dressed-out doe deer hanging from a pine tree, about 200 yards from the suspect’s house. She stated that she and Georgia staked out the deer until late in the afternoon, whereupon she left Georgia there alone with the understanding he would call someone when he wanted to be picked up.

Dressed Out Deer in a Pine Tree Late in the afternoon of the following day, I happened to go into the office and ran into Warden Palman. I inquired about the illegal deer complaint in Alton. She stated she had received information two days earlier from one of the neighbors of the suspect, and a day later (which was yesterday), she joined up with Warden Georgia to investigate further. She described how,

Where’s Dave Georgia? I tried to call Georgia on the phone and radio, but I could not locate him. I called his residence, but his wife didn’t know where he was (that was quite normal). I checked with our secretary, and she said that she had not heard from Georgia all day. I asked Palman if there was any chance Georgia could still be at

that location in Alton, and she replied, “With him, who knows?” I decided that I better go to Alton, check out the area, and try to find Georgia. I got directions from Palman, and struck out for Alton just before 5:00 p.m. I stashed my vehicle where Palman told me to go, and started to follow an ATV trail in a northerly direction paralleling Route 16. When I arrived at an area described by Palman, I cut to the right, into the woods. Palman’s directions were right on, and to no surprise, there was Warden David Georgia hunkered down at a spot where he could observe the doe deer, still hanging in the tree. Living on Crackers and Water I asked Georgia if he had been there all the time since yesterday. He said that he had, and I asked if he had any food or water. He said Warden Pal-

man had some snacks that they ate yesterday, and that he did have a bottle of water and a package of cheese crackers, but they were long gone. He reported that no one had come for the deer. However, about two hours earlier, someone on an ATV had come quite close, and the operator seemed to be looking all around. Not a Quitter I asked Georgia why he had not contacted someone to come relieve him, and he replied that he was beginning to think about it, but didn’t want to give up or for me to think he was a quitter. I said, “For crying out loud – you have been here for 34 hours! You need to take my truck and go home!” I told him I would stay there until after dark and then decide what to do. I said I didn’t think the poacher would leave the deer past that night, as the

temperature had not been that cold. Movement But just as I was giving Dave my keys, I saw some movement over by the deer. I said, “Oh – wait a minute.” We watched as a man cautiously approached the deer. After looking all around, he lowered the deer to the ground and start to drag it. We then made short work of apprehending the stunned suspect, who gave up rather easily and confessed to shooting the deer. He couldn’t imagine how we knew about his illegal activities, but apparently he didn’t know his neighbors as well as he thought. As soon as Georgia had a chance to speak privately to me, he said, “I can’t believe that after all the time I’ve been waiting, the suspect arrived on the scene just moments after you got here.” The fact was, I couldn’t believe it either, but I replied, matter-of-factly, “What can I say? Timing is everything.”

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2020-2021 Youth Writing Contest Winner Senior Category – New England (Grades 9–12)

Through Tough Times by Spencer Belson, 9th Grade, Andover, MA High School

An encounter with an invasive fish leads the author to contemplate mankind’s threats to Maine’s native brook trout, as well as that species’ resilience. Finally, the bass splashed into my net, its bronze back gleaming in the dwindling daylight. Sure, it was a stunning fish, but it sparked fury deep in my chest. Just hours earlier, my family and I had been jouncing along a 20-mile-long logging road, traveling far into the spruce forests of Western Maine. The seclusion of our family’s cabin meant I was rarely fortunate enough to visit. From past experience, however, I knew the fishing was well worth the journey. Upon arrival at camp, my mind was set on getting on the water as fast as possible. In my excitement, I barely noticed the maple leaves, tinted gorgeous hues of orange, yellow, and red, gleaming in the mid-September sun.

Soon I was at the river, hauling my fly line through the air, then shooting it forward into the swirling river. It didn’t take long before I felt that undeniable tug at the other end of the line. I set the hook, and my line screamed across the water. Eventually, I gained the upper hand, and the fish swam exhausted towards my outstretched net. Unfortunately, as I scooped it up, I realized something devastating. Despite the logging roads, I thought of these woods as untouched, yet even here, in this pristine wilderness, was obvious evidence of mankind. It sent shivers down my spine to realize that not even the backwoods of Maine were safe from human impact. I glared at the smallmouth bass with

disgust, disappointed at whoever put these fish in the watershed without a thought towards the consequences to the entire ecosystem. Once a gem of native coldwater species, this river was now overrun with highly invasive bass. My mind grappled with the possibility of killing the creature. I knew it didn’t belong there. Nonetheless, the answer was right in front of me, in the fish’s beating heart, gleaming eyes, and quivering fins. I returned the smallmouth to the river. Throughout the rest of the weekend, my mind raced to determine how the bass had found its way to the river. Whatever the case, the answer always came back to one common theme: people. It wasn’t the first time humans had

Spencer Belson fly fishing in Western Maine, on a visit from his home state of Massachusetts. Photo by David Belson, the author’s father

meddled with the area, though. For decades, loggers had clear-cut the land of its trees, turning lush forests into barren wastelands. Now, the damage was less obvious, but just as devastating to those who care. On our final day at the cabin, I caught a gorgeous, wild brook trout. Its royal blue flanks and burnt orange belly hinted at its superb health, reminding me of the re-

siliency of the species. Like the spruce and maples that returned after the work of loggers, the brook trout has persisted through even the toughest of times. The reflection of the woods rippled as the fish swam back to the depths of the river, where its species had swum for centuries past, and as I hoped they would for many more to come.

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Brookies and Bass and Bears – Oh My! Wade-fishing a cool stream for brook trout, casting topwater lures for smallmouth, and preparing for bear-baiting season – how is an Aroostook County sportsman supposed to decide which option to pursue? The author suggests trying them all! If there’s one particular late summer outing that magic-carpets me back to my youth (mind and soul, if not body), it’s wade-fishing a secluded brook. Aroostook abounds with options – some truly remote streams require a day trip to the North Maine Woods, while others are urban edge creeks wending through farm fields, wood lots and rural forests. There are hundreds of brooks spider-webbing across the Crown of Maine, some so narrow you can leap across, but all teeming with native wild brook trout.

As weather warms, the fishing actually improves on the smaller waterways, and the normally mild casting pressure diminishes further under “dog day” conditions. Three Brooks Growing up in Robinson, I was a long stone’s throw from the Prestile Stream, and a fifteen-minute walk from Three Brooks. I’d walk from home on Station Street to the bridge crossing a local swimming hole on the Old Houlton Road, and then fish my way downstream until it joined the Prestile. It was about a twohour venture, featuring lots of trout but

seldom another fisherman. Then I’d climb the bank at the old Iron Railroad Bridge crossing Three Brooks, and walk the tracks back into Robinson. Once I finally got a driver’s license, I began exploring the upper source of the stream, which actually originates clear out in the back woods near 19 Mountain by Number 9 Lake. As each summer progresses, days get hotter and water temperature rise in the Prestile and water levels drop. As a result, many trout move into the cooler conditions of Three Brooks. Ledge seeps, spring holes

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Tom Tardiff lives right beside Three Brooks Stream. He catches trout from the small, cool runs all summer long. All photos by Bill Graves

and tiny creeks combine with the shrouded shoreline and overhead canopy of trees, forming a shaded tunnel of Mother Nature’s air conditioning. Then and now, on the brightest, hottest days, it’s still possible to catch a batch of brookies. Bottom bouncing a fresh wiggling worm is a sure

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way for youngsters to enjoy some fun, but fly casters with the right equipment can easily hook, play and release a dozen trout in the 6to 10-inch range. This month the 12- to 14inch beauties visiting from the Prestile can be enticed to take a fly as well. Patterns and Places A size 10 or 12 gray hackle red, Parmachenee Belle, Silver Doctor or Trout Fin wet fly works terrific, and I have steady action on a dry fly pattern fished wet; try a red Slim Jim, Light Cahill or a gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear. During the sunny part of the day, especially near farm fields along the brook, a yellow or orange foam bodied Turkey Wing Grasshopper will yield steady action and some the largest trout. I suggest a 6 ½ to 7 foot, four or five weight (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 41

Jered Young of Mars Hill visits several brooks on the rural edges of town throughout the summer, and he enjoys steady action regardless of warm weather. (Continued from page 40)

rod with floating line and a 7 ½ foot tapered leader. Slingshot, roll and side casts will be needed on some of the more confined pools. The old Houlton Road Bridge and the Route 1 bridge offer easy access and off the road parking, but I’d suggest walking up or downstream 500 yards to visit lessfished runs. There are several farm field roads, secondary roads and even ATV trails that cross or parallel Three Brooks, offering more secluded points of access. Check Delorme’s Atlas, Map 59, grids B-2 & 3 for an overview of this great hot-weather hot spot. Hip boots are high enough for most of the brook, but the bottom is very rocky, uneven and slippery, so consider felt or lugged sole waders. Or you can go old school with just blue jeans and sneakers to counteract the heat and humidity – the trout won’t care! Northern Smallmouth As with most Aroostook anglers,

Even young fishermen can enjoy angling action on Aroostook’s woods-shrouded creeks this month. Here, Connor Cushman shows off one of several fish he caught this outing.

my regional quarry of choice has always been trout and salmon, but unless you’re a downrigger enthusiast, August can be a tough time. My summers got a lot more fun and exciting a lot of years ago when a cast-and-blast buddy introduced me to bass fishing. Once I discovered summer topwater action with the explosive surface strikes and the acrobatic, aerobatic battles, warm weather weeks became a lot more fun. The downside for Crown of Maine bass enthusiasts is almost two hours of travel hauling a boat, since the closest bronzeback waters are along the southernmost border of The County. A few favorites are even just over the border into Washington and Penobscot. Pleasant

Lake, Crooked Brook flowage, Baskahegan, Upper and Lower Hot Brook, East Grand and Mattawamkeag are all worth the trip, but during the last few years, I’ve found a shorter trip north to the St. John River can be just as productive. When muskie somehow found their way into the St. John River and its connecting lakes and streams a decade or so ago and became a permanent fixture, so did ever-increasing numbers of smallmouth bass. While most residents and visiting fishermen concentrate their efforts on hooking a 3-foot plus toothy “water wolf,” each season more and more casters are targeting bragging-size bass. From Van Buren to Allagash, there are miles of rocky shorelines

The fastest topwater smallmouth bass action of the season can be enjoyed on regional rivers and lakes. Hefty bronzebacks like this one caught by Bill Graves make the travel worthwhile.

with easy access for casting topwater baits. Fishing pressure is light this month and it’s possible to float a boat at Van Buren, St. David, Grand Isle, Frenchville or Fort Kent after supper, stay in sight of town, and boat a dozen smallies before dark. Try a frog colored Heddon Torpedo, a Rebel Pop-R, Arbogast Jitterbug or a Rapala Skitter Pop to stir up strikes. On the rare occasion that topwater action slows, have a rod set up with a Ned Rig (if you’re unfamiliar, check it out online or at the local sporting

Time To Bait July 31st starts bear baiting season, with hunting scheduled to start on August 30th; get your sites set up as soon as possible, before the bear find someone else’s (Continued on next page)

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The County (Continued from page 41)

“restaurant.” If my summer sightings are any indication, there are bruin everywhere, and the dry weather has notably reduced natural food options.

Use plenty of aromatic attractant scent on nearby trees and bushes each time you put bait in the barrel; the wind will spread the smell for a mile or

more. Spread some fresh grease on the incoming bear trails and under the bait container, so visiting bear will step in it and get it on their fur. Any other bear that crosses their track will pick up the

scent and might follow it back to your site. If you live near Bridgewater and can get the landowner’s permission, consider setting up a bait on the Packard Road out beyond Packard Lake (DeLorme’s Map 59,

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 43

Grilled Moose Burger with Smoked Maple Bourbon-Barreled Beer Bacon Jam First off, let me tell you a secret about last month’s pickled togue recipe – the longer you leave the Lake Trout pickling, the sweeter it becomes. We just finished a jar, and I’m looking forward to

making more for our winter pantry. This month: Have you ever heard of a recipe with bacon that’s bad? Me neither. Here is another one of my recipes to prove it. You can make the Bacon

Jam, can it, and taste it throughout the year. YUMMM! Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

slightly smooth with enough visible texture from the bacon. Store in sealed container in fridge for up to 4 weeks, or process canning for the winter.

Meanwhile, make burgers into 6-8 patties. Heat grill on high and cook 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare. Recipe makes 4 cups Jam

Ingredients: • 1 ½ pounds moose burger • 2 pounds smoked maple-cured bacon; 1 inch pieces • 1 large onion, sliced • 1 sweet large onion, chopped • 5 cloves garlic, chopped • ½ cup apple cider vinegar • ½ cup brown sugar • ½ cup maple syrup • 1 ½ cup Allagash Bourbon-barreled beer • 3 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, chopped • 1 ½ teaspoons cumin • ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground • 6-8 burger buns Directions: Cook bacon in cast iron pan over medium heat until bacon get crispy; set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease in pan. Add onions and garlic, sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar and deglaze the pan by reducing liquid by half. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, beer, bacon, chipotle chilies, cumin and pepper; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 1-2 hours. Process jam in food processor until

Summer Blueberry Peach Galette Ingredients: • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed for an hour on countertop • 4 cups blueberries • 2 cups peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced • 2 tablespoons honey, plus more for finishing • 1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom • 1/3 cup sugar • ¼ cup instant tapioca • pinch of salt • 1 large egg • 2 tablespoons vanilla bean sugar • 2 scoops ice cream or whipped cream

Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 12 cast iron skillet. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry until it is about 14 inches in diameter. Transfer the crust to the prepared skillet, and gently press into the base. In large bowl, toss fruit with honey and vanilla extract. In small bowl, whisk together sugar, tapioca, cardamom, and salt. Add sugar mixture to fruit and toss to combine. Arrange fruit in prepared crust. Fold pastry over fruit around the edge, while leaving the center exposed. In small bowl, whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush egg wash onto the crust, and then sprinkle

with the Vanilla Bean Sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and fruit is slightly bubbling, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, and if desired, drizzle with additional honey.

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44 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Summertime Trout Require Stealthy Approach The author now lives beside a trout stream, and what he’s witnessed has taught him a great deal about trout pools and holding areas, as well as about the fish’s behavior and traveling habits. Trout fishing should always be a learning experience. Far from being just “dumb” fish, trout have ways and habits that, if properly understood, can not only foster a newfound appreciation for the species as a whole, but also help us to catch more of them. After nearly 70 years of trout fishing, I still discover things about my favorite fish that surprise and amaze me. For instance, I recently learned that trout will suspend themselves just off bottom in shallow streams and remain there, even

during bright, sunny days. Learn Something New You would think that being so visible would subject them to being easy prey for avian predators. But as with most everything, there is more to the story. Trout only exhibit such behavior in cold, oxygen-rich water. In spring-fed brooks and streams, the depth of each pools is less important than its temperature. As long as the fish is comfortable, it really doesn’t care how deep the pool is. The reason trout tend to congregate in

deep holes in summer is that such places contain the coldest water. It’s that simple. But if a shallower section of stream contains cool water, that’s fine with the trout. This still doesn’t explain why trout will lie in the open, casually finning in order to maintain position, in shallow water. The answer is that trout make sure they have protective cover close at hand that they can dart into at the first sign of danger. This may be an undercut bank, a space between two rocks or generally anything that they can find to conceal their

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Taking trout during summer low-water conditions requires great stealth. Seymour photo

position and get away from predators. It’s the same with other creatures. The best place to erect a bird feeding station is near the treeline, or at least close to some bushes, so if a hawk swoops down, the birds can flee to safety. Transient Trout It always amazes me how trout move about from one place to the other at a moment’s notice. In many cases, trout are here today and gone tomorrow. This is not inconsistent with the concept of holding places, either. Someone with a good eye toward reading the water can look at a brook or stream and instantly determine what places hold trout and what places don’t. But here’s the thing about holding places that fascinates me. If you take a trout from a holding place, sooner or later another one will arrive to take over the location. So where do these fish come from?

As a young angler, I always thought that the bigger trout ruled the roost, and when a large fish took up residence in a traditional holding place, it would act like a bully and keep other, smaller, fish out. In turn, these smaller trout would lurk around nearby, waiting for a vacancy in the holding place. But this is assigning human qualities to fish, and it is mostly wrong. Yes, a big trout will dominate a holding place, but smaller fish do not linger, waiting for it to leave. Instead, the next fish to take up residence in a good holding place may well come from far downstream. Trout are travelers, and they think nothing of moving a mile or more to find suitable or more preferable conditions. Trout Laboratory While most of my life was spent within easy walking distance of a trout stream, I (Trout Fishing continued on page 46)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 45

Fly-fishing Mishaps are Part of the Sport The author lets us in on a little secret – fishing guides make mistakes just like the rest of us! Can you catch fish with only two parts of a three-part rod? Yes. Can you wade a cold stream with two leftfooted waders? Not so much. Many fly fishers lament their fishless outings, tangles, lost equipment, and assorted mishaps that end with a soaking. They aspire to be like the fly-fishing “professionals” (fly shops, outfitters, guides, writers, and social media influencers) who catch fish almost every time – often trophies - and never break off fish or snap fly rod tips in car doors. Let me just say, as a registered Maine guide and a fly-fishing writer, nothing could be further from the truth. We “professionals” put on our leaky waders one leg at a time (and often the wrong one) like everyone else. We don’t necessarily advertise our foibles because, well, we have reputations to uphold! Otherwise, we might sell fewer books or guided trips. I often have beginners ask me, “How long will it be before I tangle less and stop hooking trees, the river bottom, and myself?” My answer is always the same, “Never.” Then I add, “You eventually get faster and more adept at untangling knots and re-rigging, because of the practice you get!”

I snag my fly on nearby obstructions as much now as I ever did, but I am wicked good at freeing it quickly. I have to be. I am an expert at setting the hook on a fish, missing it, and then having the momentum from the set tangle my rig high in the tree branches behind me. And don’t even get me started about how often I tangle my fly line around my size-13 feet. Mishaps are part of the sport, and other guides I chat with anonymously admit the same. Missing Waders How many times have you reached your wade-fishing destination without your waders, and cursed yourself for your stupidity? Guides forget their waders, too. I remem-

ber fishing in Colorado with one from a wellknown fly shop. When we arrived streamside after a long drive from town, his waders were not with us. Water temperature? Forty-six degrees. Although our stoic guide insisted he could wade wet no problem, after about an hour he appeared in so much pain that I made him get out of the stream and sit on the bank. My wife and I had the fishing dialed in by that point anyway, and our guide had given us access to private water, so his value pivoted to cooking us an awesome shore lunch. It is easier to start a trip without the correct waders than you might think. Most of us now fish with stocking-foot waders and

This is how I lose nets. While taking a big fish photo, the net floats away. Photos by Lou Zambello

separate boots. So, you have two chances to forget at least one or the other.

Then there’s the issue of similar-looking waders. My extended (Continued on next page)

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Freshwater Fly Fishing (Continued from page 45)

family of seven people all flyfish, and our waders are LL Bean or Simms. I have showed up streamside with my son’s boots (slightly small but usable) or my taller daughter’s waders (way too small). We really need the equivalent of luggage tags! One time, I guided a gentleman for several days who also happened to be my boot size. After the last long day on the water ending at 8 pm, I needed to head south. I shook my sport’s hand at Bosebuck Sporting Camps and bounced 16 miles down the rutted dirt road to Route 16 and then another hour to Bethel, where I picked up my cell phone signal again. I had a message from him. Somehow, I had picked up both my left-foot boot and his

left-foot boot. He was fishing for another few days and needed his missing boot. I turned around and drove the hour and a half back to Bosebuck to trade boots, turning a threehour drive home into a six-hour slog. All after 12 hours on the water. Lost Nets I am also infamous for losing nets (and finding them). “What happens to them?” you ask. Well, they float away while I am photographing a fish release, or I put them down somewhere streamside and forget where. Often, I misplace them in my boathouse or at one of the myriad of places I stay at. I often come across the nets again or find new ones. I own at least three nets, and recently, I couldn’t find even one

Trout Fishing (Continued from page 44)

never lived on a trout stream. Until now. A small stream only feet from my back door has icy-cold water and lots of cover for trout. The stream debouches into a larger, tidal stream, and fish move back and forth between the two environments. One pool, the bottom of which is visible from my bedroom window, usually holds a trout or two. Because of that, I have begun monitoring the pool on a daily basis. What I found surprised me. One trout of perhaps 8 inches, showed up several weeks ago and has remained there ever since. So I

of them. I grudgingly bought another one (the rubber-net ones are not inexpensive). The very next day, I was fishing on a middle-of-nowhere stretch of river and I inexplicably found a beautiful net, partially covered in debris. It looked like it had washed down from somewhere upstream weeks ago. Later that same evening, I found a missing net that someone had buried under an avalanche of boots and backpacks in a closet. I was back to three nets in less than 24 hours, but don’t worry, I will probably misplace at least one before you read this. Lost Rod-tip Then there was the time I mountain biked six miles to a remote river. Young alders and fir trees crowded the narrow trail in spots. I had my rod broken down into three piec-

es sticking up out of my backpack. When I wearily stopped at my streamside destination, I only had the bottom two pieces. Somewhere, the end of a branch had somehow caught the tip of my rod and gently pulled it out of my backpack without me realizing it. Given that this could have happened anywhere during the one-hour ride in, I didn’t even bother looking for that needle in a haystack. It turns out you can productively streamer fish with two-thirds of a rod. You can’t cast very far, and playing a fish leaves a little to be desired – it feels more like hand-lining than fly-fishing. but I did hook several good salmon and landed them all. Oh yeah, as I started to bike back, I found my missing rod tip. It was less than 100 feet up the trail, lying in

thought that probably meant that the pool had some special significance as holding water. That wasn’t necessarily so, though. Several other trout, in the 5-inch range, showed up one day and only remained for a few days before moving on. Then one sunny day, I crept up to the pool and spied a pair of 12-inch trout. Sure that this pair would linger. Because I was busy that day, I decided to fish for them another day. But the next day, the trout were gone. So it appears that my little pool serves as holding water, but mostly on a temporary basis, as a rest area for trout on the move.

Always attach contact info to each of your fly boxes. Losing one is expensive (if you purchase flies) or time-consuming (if you tie your own.)

plain sight. If I had attempted even a cursory look, I would have found it at the beginning of the day instead of the end. Having the ability to laugh at yourself is integral to the fly-fishing experience.

August Trout August allows anglers a final shot at taking enough stream-bred trout for a meal – a salute to the passing season. Don’t spend much time on places that don’t produce, no matter how appealing they may look. And don’t discount less-than-perfect spots, either. Just remember, trout by now have sought the coolest, most oxygenated water they can find. It may take some walking, but that goes with the territory. Persist. and eventually you will be rewarded with a pool filled with speckled beauties. Marvel at them, and enjoy their beauty. Good luck.

Wildlife Quiz Answers: American Red Squirrel 1. The native range of the red squirrel stretches across the conifer forests of most of Canada, to the southern Alaska, coastal British Colombia, and a wide majority of the United States from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic coast. 2. Red squirrels usually produce one www.MaineSportsman.com

litter per year. However, in some years reproduction is skipped, while in other years females may breed twice. 4. Red squirrel litters range in size from 1-5 young. 5. Only about 22% of red squirrels survive to one year of age. 6. Red squirrels eat spruce and pine

(Quiz on Page 37)

cone seeds, tree buds, wild berries, and even mushrooms. 7. The piles of seed cones consumed by red squirrels are called middens. 8. In captivity, red squirrels have been known to live to eight years old.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 47

The Author Shares His Locations with the InReach Explorer+ For years I’ve wandered in woodlots from Maryland to Maine with nothing more than a DeSilva compass in my pocket. And, while I didn’t always know where I was, I can confidently say I was never “lost.” There is a fine line difference. At a young age, my father taught me three simple tactics that promised to at least get me to safety should I get “lost.” Not one to coddle his children, he told me if I could learn to walk a straight line, I’d eventually come

The author says he’s at a stage in life in which he wants to know exactly where he is in the woods – and he wants others to know, also. out somewhere. The second trick? Just simply listen. Sounds carry a long way. Logging trucks rumble along from time to time. Woodcutters burp their chainsaws. Dogs bark in the distance. All clues to the civilized world we tried to leave behind. The third trick – follow running water. Dad promised me it would cross a road sooner or later. De-

cades later, while bird hunting along the Canadian border and abandoned by a setting sun, I befriended a small tributary. Its steady trickle led me back to a road I traveled in on. Topographical Maps Eventually, my good friend Lenny Potvin introduced me to the world of topographical maps. No more guessing what road that tributary

Discover the

crossed. Maps not only enhanced my off-grid adventures, but also gave me vital information when pre-scouting from home. A map and a compass have served me well for nearly half a decade. I won’t give up either anytime soon. While navigating the backcountry I have always felt confident knowing precisely where I’m planting my feet.

Katahdin Region

Outside Contact A few gray hairs licking my scalp got me thinking that maybe someone else should know exactly where my boots landed. And, perhaps, maybe, I should have contact with the outside world, just in case I need help in some remote wood lot. The search began for a satellite communicator. While cell phone coverage has improved dramatically, it hasn’t showed up at Baxter State Park’s most northern camp(Continued on next page)

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48 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Katahdin Country (Continued from page 47)

site, Little East, yet. For those searching for a satellite communicator, the internet has an insane amount of information. I watched countless YouTube video reviews on the various units available. Before long I was on information overload. Did I want something for just sending out an SOS emergency call, or was I really looking to share my adventures with family and friends? Eventually, I narrowed my choice down to two Garmin products – the Mini Explorer, and the In-

Reach Explorer+. The Mini, paired with a cell phone, does a lot of the same things (SOS, Text Message) as the larger Explorer. Again, YouTube has many videos of hikers reviewing and comparing both products. If you are in serious trouble, either of these units can trigger an emergency rescue operation. Explorer+ Eventually I ordered the Explorer + model. I guess I wanted all the bells and whistles. The Explorer comes with downloaded topographical maps

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This group photo uses the confluence of Webster Brook, East Branch Penobscot River and Grand Lake Matagamon for a background. With no cell phone coverage in Baxter State Park’s northern most campsite notice author Bill Sheldon (second from right) has his Garmin Explorer+ clipped to his belt. The ability to send and receive text and email communication made spending time in the backcountry significantly less worrisome for everyone involved. Bill Sheldon photo

that allow navigating with the unit without pairing it to a cell phone. It also features an impressive amount of battery life. I prefer using the larger screen when the unit is paired to my cell phone. However, should the cell batteries give up the ghost, the Explorer+ can get me home as a standalone unit. The only knock on the Explorer+ so far would be the relatively small screen size. That’s where using the large cell phone screen really shines. While kayaking to Little East this past spring, I strapped my cell phone to the deck while the Explorer+ stayed clipped to my life jacket.

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nication really shines on both ends. It’s good peace of mind knowing I could be contacted in case of an emergency at home. All this conversation comes with a cost. Garmin has various monthly subscriptions to pick from. Halfway through our three-day expedition, the skies looked a bit cloudy. With one eye on the sky, I requested a weather forecast. Within minutes, the Explorer+ delivered a forecast that turned out right on the money. While the electronics oohs and aahs everyone, we still used the Baxter State Park maps while hiking the Freeze Out trail.

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out. By “Sharing” the route with pre-set contacts (Text or Email) I can click “Share,” and these lucky folks will get a link and access to my Map Share page at Garmin. At preset intervals (default every 10 minutes), the satellites record the location, creating a bread crumb trail on a topo map. This allows friends and family to know EXACTLY where my travels lead. On the trip to Little East, I emailed and texted several contacts a note when I left the boat ramp. They were able to follow my route through the island-studded Grand Lake Matagamon all the way to camp. It was also neat to get some replies. Twoway satellite commu-

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 49

The Ultimate August Trolling Setup When air temperatures climb this month, it’s important to go deep, especially if you are pursuing trophy togue. Here’s how to get your trolling rig to the depths where the fish are holding – from 45 to 80 feet down. August can bring some unbearably hot days, but that doesn’t mean fishing is off the table. Although midday temps are sometimes pushing triple digits, mornings and evenings stay pretty cool. These are the best times of day for coldwater fishing this month. August can definitely be a tricky time to target coldwater species, as the heat pushes them deeper and can make them more lethargic. Even under these conditions, however, I’ve had success targeting togue. Even though the air is cooler in the mornings and evenings, the water temperature remains fairly consistent throughout the day. The biggest key to laker success with hot water temps at the surface, is running deep. How to Get Deep The two primary methods for running deep are downriggers and lead core. Downriggers consist of a cable on a spool with a heavy weight at the bottom. The line of a regular rod is clipped to the weight, and sent down to an appropriate depth.

Lead core rods, on the other hand, are stiff rods that accommodate a big reel, which is loaded with lead-filled sinking line. You simply tie a rig to the end and let it out to a certain amount or number of colors, with different colors indicating different depths. Downriggers tend to cut a straight path through the water, while lead core tends to “snake” a bit. Prefers Lead Core Having used many combinations of both setups, my personal preference is definitely lead core. Although they aren’t as convenient as downriggers, or as precise, mastering their use has resulted in many more successful hookups than on downriggers. Using lead core is more labor intensive, because, for example, achieving 45 feet of depth requires much more than 45 feet of line. A quick reference at the lead core chart accompanying this column shows that it takes upwards of 300 feet of line out of the reel to get 45 feet of depth. On the other hand, 45 feet on the downrigger would only

require about 50 feet out of the reel. Personally, my hands and forearms get pretty fatigued after cranking in a heavy line of spinners on 8 colors of lead core. But I believe the negatives are definitely outweighed by the increased success I’ve experienced. Bigger Fish in Shallower Water? In the heat of this time of year, I’ve never had success with lines any less than 45 feet down. My go-to running depths are around 60 feet on the downrigger, if I’m using one, or 8 to 10 colors of lead core. The SPIN survey conducted at Sebago to study togue revealed some helpful findings for fishermen. For example, it appears that larger togue prefer shallower water than the small ones. Perhaps the smaller ones can handle more pressure, allowing them to swim in deeper waters. So, to catch a lot of fish, running in as much as 80 feet of water makes sense, but to target trophies, shallower makes sense, around 45 feet. Trolling Rig For a rig, I like a big, flashy set of spin-

This lead core depth chart illustrates how much line the angler needs to let out to reach a given depth using conventional line and the deeper-diving “advanced” version.

August fishing provides beautiful sunset views such as this. Nolan Raymond photo

ners – the bigger, the better. Dave Davis spinners are a personal favorite. Behind the spinners, I have a 4-foot leader of 20 lb. test monofilament. Togue have some nasty teeth, and can chafe right through light leaders. Lures are all dependent on personal preference. My go-to lure is a Yakima Flatfish, and I also troll DB Smelts, Mooselook Wobblers, and many other spoons. I’ve re-

cently taken a liking to the Orange Crushed Ice spoon from Northeast Troller. Overall, any wobbling, brightly colored lure is a good choice for togue. Laker fishing can be a great way to stay on the water this month, when a lot of other fishing slows down to a stop. Hooking into a big togue can make a good fight, and they are super tasty fish.

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50 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Kayak Fishing for Striped Bass “Over there – birds!” I shouted to Travis, pointing toward some gulls on the horizon. Two hundred yards away, a dozen birds circled and dove into the sea. I turned my kayak and started pedaling toward the commotion. Travis caught up to me quickly – his kayak has a built-in trolling motor. He sat comfortably, remote control in hand, cruising toward the birds. I pedaled my feet harder to keep up, and felt my quadriceps starting to burn. The surface of Casco Bay was as flat as glass, and it was hard to believe we were in the ocean. But I could feel the energy of the ocean just inches beneath me. It felt magical and a little dangerous, all at once. The sun peeked over the horizon, its rays immediately warming me through my down jacket. I could tell it was going to be a hot day. Fish On! When we arrived near the feeding gulls,

The author had a successful morning striper fishing in Casco Bay. Photo: Christi Holmes www.MaineSportsman.com

The author enjoys the freedom and independence of a kayak – no boat trailer required, her boat’s pedal design keeps both hands free for fishing, and it’s so quiet she can sneak up on the bass – both largemouth and striped!

The author enjoys fishing out of her foot pedal kayak, an Old Town Sportsman Salty. She writes that kayak fishing allows you to feel the energy of the ocean. Photo credit: Jillian Piehler

I cast a Hogy soft plastic and retrieved it quickly, twitching it occasionally. Nothing. I stood up for my next cast, and from the higher vantage point, I could see a school of pogies off my port. They were near the surface, rippling and finning gently. That’s what the gulls and stripers are feeding on. I cast into the

school, and felt the pogies bump the lure as it sank. As soon as I started retrieving the lure, a striper struck. I set the hook and began reeling. “Got one!” I hollered. It was a small schoolie, and it came in quickly and easily. After a quick release, I looked up and saw Travis fighting a fish. It was larger than mine, and took

him longer to get it in. We were both on the leader board, and our morning was off to a good start. The Independence of a Kayak Fishing from a kayak is great fun. I was tired of casting from shore, shoulder to shoulder with other anglers at Ferry Beach. I wanted a boat, but a boat

Some kayaks, like the Maine-made Old Town Sportsman Autopilot, have a built-in trolling motor. Photo credit: Jillian Piehler

seemed daunting to me. For starters, backing a trailer down a narrow launch ramp is a challenge, and since I often hunt and fish alone, I wanted something easy and manageable. An easy-to-transport kayak gives me independence. Fishing from a kayak also allows me to fish places that large boats can’t go, like closer to shore, or carry-in ponds without a boat launch, or ponds with motor restrictions. I’m also quieter, allowing me to sneak up on those largemouth bass beds undetected. Many Choices There are many factors to consider when purchasing a fishing kayak; here are a few: Propulsion Type: 1) Paddle. Paddle kayaks are the lightest and least expensive kayaks. If you troll a lot, a paddle kayak will meet your angling needs – just add a trolling rod holder or (Maine Sportswoman continued on page 52)

Make sure you choose a kayak that has room for your four-legged fish finder. Holmes photo

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 51

My Fantasy Summer as a “Trout Bum” – Part 1 Over the years, I’ve enjoyed reading all of John Gierach’s fly fishing books, especially one titled “Trout Bum.” Trout Bum is exactly how some would probably describe me – and that’s just fine with me. But if I really were a “trout bum,” this is how my fantasy summer would go. ***** My Fantasy I pack my customized Chevrolet van to the hilt before heading out the door on my fishing adventure around this gorgeous Pine Tree state. I hol-

The author imagines having a Chevy van with a screened camping enclosure, plenty of fish gear, a flytying vise, an entire summer with no responsibilities, and an understanding and supportive spouse who agrees with his idea of taking an entire summer off to pursue brook trout – so what’s not to like? ler to my wife, “Love you, Honey – see you at the end of the summer!” Such a wonderful wife ... she knows my deep need to get away from it all. She understands my desire to have one last fantastic summer of fishing before I get too old to do it. She is the spouse about whom most men can only

dream. She gives me a peck on the cheek and hands me a bag of her homemade chocolate chip cookies through the driver’s side window before I pull out of the driveway. I’m taking it slow and easy on this imaginary summer adventure, planning to stop a mere two hours from home for my first

campsite – a scenic camping area right on a huge lake north of Rangeley. I get to the remote campsite and find it empty. On the weekends, there are usually several trucks there, but my midweek stop finds the place abandoned – just as I had planned.

Brookies Cooked Over the Fire It’s still the middle of the morning. I park the van so I can open the sliding door and enjoy a wonderful view of the big lake – a screened enclosure will allow me to sleep with the door open, and there’s even room enough for a folding table and chair. A campfire, located ten yards farther toward the lake, looks as if it was prepared just for me. I throw a few large chunks of wood near the fire pit, and string up my fly rod.

(Continued on next page)

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Off-Road Traveler (Continued from page 51)

I slide the kayak into the lake and fish a little, working up an appetite before lunch. The fishing is so good I skip lunch and decide instead to bring a few brook trout back for an early supper. When I get to the campsite, I light the fire and cook two 12inch brook trout right over the coals in my cast-iron skillet. Setting back in my lawn chair, I let my full belly settle before grabbing the DeLorme’s Atlas and Gazetteer to see what’s next on this traveling fishing trip around Maine. Now this is the life! Moving On After hitting all of the fishing locations around this campsite, I decide to move on. It’s been three days,

and I haven’t even seen another angler. Still, I don’t want to stay in one place for too long. I bag up the screened material, gather up the rest of my gear, and head on down the road. The next section of the trip is going to be a scramble of sorts – I’ll stop, camp and fish a few nights in each location, then move along to the next spot when the fancy strikes me. Free and easy. Kind of like I’m following the fishing ... wherever it takes me. This is what I’ve wanted my whole life. I had it as a teenager for one summer, and now this old fellow is getting a rehash of the same kind of summer I enjoyed all those years ago. This is my “bucket list,” except it’s all jammed into

— Trophy Gallery —

one summer road trip of fishing and camping. I am suddenly the “trout bum” I’ve always dreamed about. Match the Hatch Before Heading North For the next month and a half, I camp and fish alongside numerous remote trout streams that really produce. On several occasions, I set up my tying vise and create a fly to match a specific insect that was coming off the water. I do this happy chore at the end of the day, right after supper, hoping to find the same hatch the next morning, and it actually works a few times. August comes upon me hurriedly, like the quenching downpours that quickly fill the parched river systems I’m fishing. I decide to head deep into the back country to fish the multitude

“Off Road Traveler” columnist and trout bum William Clunie is shown here fishing on a remote pond in the north woods of Maine. Clunie photo

of remote ponds north of Baxter State Park – unpredictable weather won’t affect the fishing on these trout ponds, and the higher elevation keeps the water a little cooler in the hottest part of the summer. I hit the Indian Hill Trading Post to resupply before traveling the rest of the way up past the Golden Road. Of course, I stop in Greenville for one last civilized meal

Maine Sportswoman (Continued from page 50)

Our “Downeast” columnist, Jim Lemieux, went striper fishing last summer on the Damariscotta River with Capt. Joe Rego. Jim landed a total of 14 fish, this one being among the largest.

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two to the bow. 2) Pedal. Foot pedal kayaks allow your hands to be free to make casts, fight fish, or drink coffee if you’re trolling. 3) Motorized. Kayaks with trolling motors provide the same advantages of a pedal kayak, but the large open deck makes this the perfect option for fly fishing. You also won’t get tired, so you can go farther and fish longer. You do have to register the kayak, since it has a motor, and this type of kayak is the most expensive choice. Size: Longer kayaks are faster, but shorter kayaks turn more quickly. The wider the kayak, the greater the stability, allowing anglers to stand up while casting. Heavier kayaks allow you to carry more gear (or four-legged

before heading out into the remote fishing country to the north. My fried haddock dinner is great, but not as good as my “over the coals brookies.” I think I’m growing fins; I could eat fish every night for supper as long as I have a little wild rice to go with it. This is the life – the life of a Maine trout bum. Next month: Part 2, the finale.

friends). If you will be transporting your kayak on the roof of a car, you may want a lighter-weight kayak. If you have a pickup truck or a trailer, you can opt for a heavier kayak. Water Type: Consider whether you’ll be fishing calm pond waters, fast moving streams, or rolling ocean waves, and choose a kayak with the appropriate hull design. Price: Fishing kayaks range in price from Tractor Supply’s $300 “Lifetime” kayak, to Old Town’s $4,000 “Sportsman Autopilot,” which features an inline trolling motor. Fishing from kayaks is gaining in popularity, and the thoughtful designs of the newer models reflect that. Newer kayaks feature rod holders, live wells, accessory mounting rails, fish finder hook ups, and extremely comfortable seats to keep you fishing longer.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 53

Outboard Motors and Moral Compromises I dragged the two small outboard motors to the tailgate of my pickup and prepared to hand them over to my local boat mechanic for repairs. He glanced at the chipped blades on the small props, the beatup skegs, the worn starter cords and the other signs of hard use. When I gave him my name for the repair tag, he said, “Aren’t you supposed to be that self-propelled guy?” Necessary Evil I am not a fan of motors, outboard or otherwise. I hate the smell, the grimy oil and gas stains, the constant necessary maintenance, the fuel mixing for twostrokes, the ever-present blue smoke, the balky carburetors, sheer pins, cotter pins, sticky chokes, frozen water pumps, cracked fuel lines … I could go on. But motors, especially outboards, are

Guides, wardens and rangers who work on the Allagash and St. John River watersheds have developed a special technique for motoring in shallow water. They head directly toward the underwater rocks or gravel bar, and when most of their 21-foot canoe is beyond the obstruction, they lean sideways to tip their outboard’s propeller out of harm’s way. a necessary evil in my outdoor life. Sometimes a guest and his family have just four days to spend on the Allagash, not three days and definitely not five. If one day is a planned traverse of Chamberlain, or some other big lake, it would be stupid not to tuck a 2-horse and a side-mount into the bow of the tripping canoe. The risk of being wind-bound is too great. If a canoe-hunt client shoots a moose upstream of Holeb Falls on the Moose River, we have two choices. We could portage 400 pounds of moose quarters and bagged meat along the portage trail

A pole and a side-mounted motor, combined with the operator’s skill, make for efficient shallow river travel. All photos by Jim Andrews

around the falls and then continue paddling downstream to a takeout spot. Or, we could clamp a 4-horse motor on to the Old Town canoe and motor back upstream to where the truck is parked. If the best trout fishing is at daybreak on the north end of a remote lake, and the only campsite is on the south end, I’m probably not going to start paddling at 3:00 a.m. to get there in time. But I might use a side-mounted 3-horse to make the trip.

outboard. Professionals Show the Way The professionals of the motorized canoe world are the guides, wardens and rangers who work on the Allagash and St. John River watersheds. Early outboards were a welcome relief to these river men, who spent long arduous hours poling guests or gear upstream to camps, woods operations or supply depots. They quickly adopted the outboard and made specialized gear to suit their purposes. Massive home-made motor mounts and specially fabricated splash guards permitted them to use bigger outboards – 6- or even 8-horse motors. When combined with their hard-earned wisdom about the location of low-water channels in the riverbed, these experts can run upstream in all but

Side-Mounted Motors are Special Almost any outboard motor can cause problems at times, but

a side-mounted outboard on a canoe is a special kind of potential disaster. The weight of that motor, mounted on the very end of the stern, and outside of the gunnel – makes even the most stable canoe want to turn turtle at the slightest provocation. The only solution is to load the canoe with the heaviest gear on the opposite side of the boat from the motor and up near the bow seat. The most frequently used counterweight for this purpose is … as you might have guessed – a spare outboard motor. Every experienced motored-canoe operator I know carries a backup

A 21-foot Tripper, with 3-horse outboard and gear.

A professional’s rig on the Allagash – note wide splashguard on outboard’s lower unit.

(Self-Propelled continued on page 58)

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A New Idea from Out of the West Christensen rifles, with their ultra-modern components, light weight, high level of accuracy and modern-art all-weather stocks, have done well in the Western United States, and the author believes we will see them carried in the Maine woods, as well. While we old traditionalists have been looking elsewhere, a new, ultramodern family of firearms has started slipping into New England from the West. With roots in the aerospace industry, Christensen rifles offer shooters dramatic variations on the theme of firearms for hunting and other sporting purposes. Originally founded in 1984 in tiny Fayette, Utah by Roland Christensen, the company supplied structural materials to airplane and rocket manufacturers. Christensen Arms came into existence in 1995, after Roland developed the carbon fiber rifle barrel. Now owned and managed by Jason Christensen, the company produces a full line of hunting rifles, modern sporting rifles (MSRs), and pistols. Success brought the firm to new, larger quarters in nearby Gunnison, Utah in

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2009. Using ultra-modern grist such as titanium, carbon fiber, and cutting-edge designs along with stateof-the-art production techniques, Christensen Arms makes some of the lightest and most accurate production rifles available. Offered in a variety of traditional calibers such as .30-’06 Springfield and .270 Winchester, as well as modern ones like 6.5mm Creedmoor, .28 Nosler and .300 PRC, Christensen rifles are intended to meet the requirements of both hunters and target shooters, while keeping prices moderate. An unplanned stop at The Shooter’s Outpost in Hooksett, New Hampshire brought me into first contact with the Christensen Arms line-up. And the first impression is unabashedly positive— even for a conventional, fine wood and blue steel guy like me.

Three Models For most hunters, Christensen offers three models and a couple of variants suitable for field duty in places like Maine. The Mesa, the Ridgeline, and the Traverse share many characteristics and features common to all Christensen rifles. These include lightweight carbon fiber stocks, a spiral fluted two-lug bolt, skeletonized bolt handle with fluted knob, and a seamless removable muzzle brake that covers a threaded muzzle suitable for mounting a suppressor. Variations of the Mesa and Ridgeline models offer a titanium action that reduces weight to 6.1 pounds in the Mesa and 5.8 pounds for the Ridgeline. Stainless steel finishes can be either tungsten or burnt bronze Cerakote. Titanium versions have what the company calls a “natural beadblast finish.” Ridgeline and the Traverse models include the distinctive carbon fiber wrapped barrel that is the root of Christensen’s fame. Stainless steel barrels keep the Mesa’s price lower than other models. Distinctions of the Traverse model include a side-baffled

A pair of new Christensen rifles on display, showing the options for finish and stock design. Allard photo

muzzle brake, a Picatinny rail, and a Monte Carlo cheek piece on the stock. Christensen guarantees a sub-minute of angle performance (MOA) from their rifle, with all models except the notably less accurate .450 Bushmaster caliber. The MSRP for the Mesa stands at $1,295. The Ridgeline commands an MSRP of $1,995, and the Traverse $2,395. These are not bargain basement rifles. However, they incorporate the most impressive materials available today and combine them with the highest grade of American manufacturing, resulting in a level of performance seldom achieved. Adding to the swirl of choices of features and calibers, color becomes a factor for many today. Christensen rifles seem to be colored by model, but there may be some choice in the matter. Some come in black with gray “webbing.” Others may be gray with black webbing, or green with black and

tan webs. Rifles and shotguns today look like Jackson Pollack paintings. Somehow it seems to work on a Christensen stock. Tough Terrain In many respects the Christensen rifles represent the future for American shooting sports. Lighter weights, composite materials, muzzle brakes, threaded barrels and adjustable triggers are all indicators of an evolving firearms business. For a number of years, hunters have long been shifting their purchases to firearms with an all-weather finish— lock, stock, and barrel. They have clamored for lighter-weight rifles, as hunters spend far more time carrying than ever they do in shooting. People like dealing with recoil using a high-tech pad and a muzzle brake rather than shooting a heavier gun. First proven in the mountains and high deserts of the Great Basin and Rocky (Shooter’s Bench continued on page 58)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 55

The Coil Spring Trap Trappers can adjust the setting on a coil spring trap to match the species being targeted. A trap adjusted for big coyotes is less likely to fire with the weight of a fox or fisher. This is especially helpful during the early canine season, since other furbearers must be released unharmed. It’s time once again to get ready for the upcoming trapping season. Most trappers today utilize the coil spring type of foothold trap. These devices range from the size #1, used for muskrat, mink, and other likesize furbearers, up to a #4 and the MB-750, which are used for much larger furbearers such as the beaver. Back when foothold traps were still used for bear trapping, the largest coil spring traps I ever saw were manufactured in New Portland, Maine. There were two styles manufactured – one square-jawed, and the other round-jawed. These were the only coil spring bear traps that I ever saw. Care and Maintenance Traps must be cleaned and dyed annually to preserve and maintain them. If properly cared for, traps will provide many years of good service, and they will continue to function well in our harsh outdoor weather conditions. Many traps for in-water use are treated with chemical compounds such as Speed Dip and Formula One. This approach is a lot

less time consuming than boiling in dye and waxing. Some trappers also use this method for their traps used on land, while most canine trappers still prefer the old tried-andtrue method of dyeing with logwood types of dye and waxing. Most agree that dyeing and waxing, while more labor intense, seems to lessen the abilities of canines’ sharp noses to detect the traps. Also, it is a fact that the wax not only helps to preserve the trap metal, but it also lubricates the moving parts of the trap, resulting in a faster action when it fires. Adjustable, and Less Expensive One of the more desirable features of coil spring traps, especially when used for canines, is the ability to adjust them for a required amount of pressure on the trap pan. The trap can be adjusted for the amount of foot pressure desired, ensuring the canine is committed at the set, which results in the trap getting a better grip on the foot. Other styles of traps do not allow a precise pan adjustment, unless they are modified in various ways, which

is time-consuming and more expensive for the trapper. Also, the coil spring trap is generally cheaper in cost than other types of foothold traps. They also have the advantage of having various parts that can be replaced easier and cheaper than with other types. The adjustments to a coil spring trap pan for a specific pressure (weight) on the pan is easy and fast to accomplish. All one needs is a socket, combination wrench, or box-end wrench of the size that fits the nut, and a flattip or Phillipss head screwdriver, depending on what the bolt requires. It would be

Size #1 trap, which features a trap pan that can be adjusted with a wrench. A screwdriver is also required to adjust the trap. Miller photos

nice if all traps came with the same sized nut and bolt, but they don’t. The two traps in the illustrations each use a different size nut and bolt. One requires a Phillips screwdriver, while the other a flattip. The smaller #1 trap requires a larger 5/16 wrench or socket, while the larger #2 trap requires a size 9/32. Most of the larger trapping supply dealers stock brass nuts and bolts suitable for use on coil spring traps. If you are around a

Size #2 trap, adjustable with socket and a screwdriver.

large discount store that has a lot of hardware in stock, you may find it a lot cheaper to buy the nuts and bolts there in volume. Just make sure they are brass. Brass does not corrode, which is important, since corroding hardware would restrict or prevent pan movement. When the bolt assemble is tightened, more weight is required to move the pan in a downward direction. Most trappers ad(Trapping continued on page 58)

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From Moose River to Local Ponds – “Simply Messing About in Boats” If you are canoeing around the Moose River Bow, relax and make it a 4-day trip. And spend some time at Holeb Falls. It’s a very special location – arguably the most magical stop on the route. I purchased my first canoe in the summer of 1989. Yup, a brandy new Mansfield. The mallard green fiberglass, with a wood rib inlay, set the tone for some shiny ash gunnels. The cane seats had me at hello. Back then, fishing small ponds rated as my top priority. With that in mind, I selected a short (13-foot) stubby (42” wide) mod-

el – a canoe that could handle a fisherman’s hankering to stand up and cast occasionally. While the 13-foot Mansfield was among the more stable canoes available at the time, everything has a tradeoff. In this case, it was speed. I didn’t realize it until years later when I took it on an extended trip with a group. Yup, slowest boat on the planet.

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That didn’t stop me from using it on the Moose River Bow trip twelve years ago. Heck, what’s the hurry? She handled two people and a full load of gear like a champ. Only glad I wasn’t racing anyone. Moose River Bow Trip The Moose River Bow Trip easily ranks among Maine’s iconic and memorable canoe

August shines for self-propelled watercraft in the Jackman Region. Lower water levels associated with summer have little effect on canoes and kayaks that only draft the width of a paddle. Some of the smaller ponds make for idyllic evening paddles. Paddlers can choose from multi-day trips like the iconic Moose River Bow Trip, or just a few hours on Crocker Pond. Bill Sheldon photo

trips. It takes three days of steady paddling, but a four-day

Jackman-Moose River Region

excursion does the trip justice. Too much solitude and scenery to (Continued on next page)

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 57 (Continued from page 56)

see. Think “Journey,” not “Destination.” I won’t get into details about planning a trip, because the internet is ablaze with information. However, I do have a few thoughts to share. First, I would recommend going with someone who has already put paddle to water and completed the trip. This helps eliminate any anxiety. That someone can simply be a friend, or a hired Registered Maine Guide. I went with Jim Andrews (our Self-Propelled columnist and a registered Maine Guide). Without him realizing it, Andrews

taught me a lot, not just about the river trip, but about canoeing and camping, too. Skilled people can unknowingly share their knowledge with those of us willing to pay attention. Not everyone likes portaging. We started our trip from Holeb Pond. This eliminates

the 1.25-mile portage between Attean Pond and Holeb. That portage comes at the very beginning of the trip. Jim Andrews and I had our young daughters with us at the time, and Andrews wisely suggested we not discourage them early in the expedition with a physically de-

manding portage. Spend some time at Holeb Falls. It is a must-portage falls anyway, so take a break and enjoy this

very special spot. No sense in hurrying off from arguably the most magical stop on the trip. (Continued on next page)

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Jackman Region (Continued from page 57)

Take the slow canoe, and don’t worry about the extra day. There’s plenty to see, and relaxing at a campsite adds years to one’s life. Moose River to Long Pond Most folks paddle this lesser-known section of the Moose River as a day trip. Put in at the boat ramp on Big Wood Pond, and paddle to where the Moose River enters the Long Pond. The river weaves

through some pristine wilderness for six miles, where it mixes with Long Pond. It’s another 5.5 miles to a takeout where Parlin Stream enters the watershed. This is the end of the slow water. It’s a good day’s paddle, so plan accordingly, and arrange to have a shuttle vehicle meet you at the takeout on Route 15. Roughly three miles below the takeout starts an assortment of fast water that registers all the way to

Self-Propelled (Continued from page 53)

the driest conditions. The best of them can power upstream directly toward a too-narrow channel between rocks, or a gravel bar that blocks their way. When most of their 21-foot canoe is beyond the obstruction, they lean sideways to briefly tip their prop out of harm’s way, and let their momentum carry them into the pool upstream from the rocks or gravel. The very best of them can do this

Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 54)

Mountain West, Christensen rifles gathered a reputation as easy to carry, agile, and accurate at any hunting distances. They established themselves among sheep and elk hunters, antelope and mule deer hunters. Anyone who

Trapping (Continued from page 55)

just their traps by feel, although there is a device to tell at what weight the pan movement fires a trap. The one I have seen is called the “Sullivan Trap Tester” and it’s graduated from 1 lb. to 4 lbs., in one-pound increments. There may be other testers out there, but I haven’t run across them. Again, most of the larger trapping supply dealers stock testing devices. Trappers adjust the setting dependwww.MaineSportsman.com

class 4 rapids. I’ll let my old slow canoe live to float another day. This section of water requires expert skills few of us have. Just Messing About “Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING – absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows. It doesn’t always have to make sense. Sometimes just motoring around on a lake or pond just feels good. Both Big Wood Pond and Attean Pond

have public landings for captains looking to mess about in boats. I, for one, love trolling while chugging around a lake. Why not drag a few streamers through the water while exploring the shoreline? Both Big Wood and Attean have excellent fishing, so why not wet a line? Overlooked Gems Cars whizz by Parlin Pond all day long. Located conveniently along Route 201, it often gets overlooked by boaters heading to name waters. Another idyllic water, Spencer Lake,

repeatedly, for miles, while standing – and with a beer in their free hand. Allagash Rescue Allagash River guide Norman Marquis came to the rescue one time on a moose hunt in just this way. We were just about to finish quartering a big cow moose that a fellow-hunter shot on the riverbank. The water was so low I was worried about poling and dragging the canoe to get the heavy load of meat down to Henderson Bridge. Just then, a 21-foot Old Town suddenly whizzed upstream around a bend

also deserves a visit. For slow canoes like mine, Crocker Pond is as good a place as any to spend a morning or afternoon. It takes a little extra effort to access, but Little Big Wood Pond also makes for great canoe or kayak water. Page 39 of The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer details access and boat ramp locations for the above-mentioned waters. August may just be the perfect month for messing around in boats.

in the river. Norman stood in the stern, tiller in one hand, feathering the throttle as he motored over a piece of river that looked more like a gravel pit than a waterway. When he came to a stop and shut down the 6-horse, I told him how happy and amazed I was that he could make it with the motor all the way up from Jalbert Camps on Round Pond. Norman drew on his pipe, adjusted his toque, smiled at me and said, “Aren’t you supposed to be that self-propelled guy?”

walks a long ways over tough terrain and still finds a long shot at the end of the walk appreciates this type of rifle. Its spread to the East Coast seems natural, given the successes elsewhere. Christensen rifles are not poised to take over or dominate the local market any more than Kimber, Cooper or Barrett rifles have done. But, at less than half the price of Melvin Forbes’ New

Ultralight Rifles, they will attract a segment of the market around here. Maine has plenty of tough terrain where moose and deer and bear hang out, and we have plenty of hunters and would-be hunters who want the features that the Christensen family has built into their products. Look for them to do well all over New England.

ing on the animal being targeted. Pan tension can also make a trap set more species-specific. One adjusted for our big coyotes is less likely to fire with the weight of a fox, fisher or similar size animal. Most all predators, be they canine, feline, or of the weasel family, are attracted by many of the same baits and scents. During the early canine season, a set pan tension is helpful, since all other species of furbearers must be released unharmed, although a trapper may keep incidental raccoon and skunks.

It can be a real circus if a trapper has to release a fisher or bobcat. If you trap with a partner, this is one time some help is really useful. The coil spring is the newer type of foothold trap. Some sizes of the older style long-spring traps are still manufactured by the various companies. Under spring (jump) traps are no longer manufactured, although thousands in various sizes are still in use today. However, the coil spring trap is the foothold most commonly used today.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 59

Governor Vetoes Bill to Ban Aerial Spraying, Orders Review of Practices If you’ve driven along paper company roads in Maine’s North Woods, you may have noticed large clearcuts that are devoid of vegetation. They are also devoid of wildlife. No moose, partridge, hares or songbirds. What gives? Areas so affected may have been the recipients of aerial spraying of herbicides, notably solutions containing various synthetic herbicides, including Glyphosate, the same chemical found in the commercially available herbicide Roundup. The practice of aerial spraying of herbicides in Maine’s woodlands has become a topic of considerable controversy. While commercial landowners maintain that the chemicals pose no threat to humans or wildlife, others dispute those claims. Legislation Introduced One critic of the practice is Senate President Troy D. Jackson. On March 2, 2021, Senator Jackson submitted testimony in support of the bill he sponsored, LD 125, “An Act to Prohibit the Aerial Spraying of Glyphosate and Other Synthetic Herbicides for the Purpose of Silviculture,” to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Senator Jackson

testified that thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Bayer, manufacturer of the weedkiller Roundup. Jackson said he believes aerial spraying of glyphosate is potentially harmful to humans and to wildlife. Jackson testified, “Many municipalities in Maine have taken steps on their own to ban this practice, including my hometown of Allagash. The reality is, the use of aerial herbicides in the Maine woods benefits the bottom-line of large landowners at the expense and well-being of the people living and working in the region.” Opposing Voices Patty Cormier, Director of the Maine Forest Service, spoke out in opposition of LD 125, saying, “Herbicides are an important tool for Maine’s large forest landown-

ers seeking to improve growth of desirable trees and control competition of undesirable species.” Making the point that the bill would not prohibit all use of the chemical but only its aerial application, Director Cormier said, “Banning aerial application has the potential to drive landowners to rely on less practical and less reliable ground application.” Director Cormier then summarized a theme common to supporters of the practice: “This bill would have significant impacts on the practice of intensive silviculture [the science of growing trees for timber] and would take away a valued tool for the industry that helps maintain a robust and sustainable crop.” Landowner Testimony Large landowners also testified in opposi-

tion to LD 125. Anthony Hourihan, representing Irving Woodlands, said “A ban on approved herbicide use in Maine will effectively result in a ban on tree planting in the state.” Hourihan went on to point out that the areas treated with synthetic herbicides “sequester 4 times the CO2 as a naturally regenerating forest.” Hannah Stevens, representing Seven Islands Land Company, also testified in opposition to LD 125, saying that her company and others participated in an independent audit in 2019. She said the audit concluded that aerial applications adhere to a “high level of

compliance” with the state’s current guidelines, and that the regulatory framework is “functioning as designed.” Governor Vetoes Law, Calls for Study The bill received a divided report from the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, meaning two versions went to lawmakers for consideration. The majority report called for expansion of buffers and increasing setbacks to further protect residential properties, waterbodies, wetlands and wildlife habitat. However, the legislature enacted the minority report, which (Continued on next page)

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60 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Moosehead Region (Continued from page 59)

called for a ban on aerial application. The Governor vetoed the bill that would have banned aerial application, stating that she prefers the approach supported by a majority of the Committee. Nearly simultaneously, she issued an executive

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In the meantime, all of us who spend time outdoors will have to trust policymakers and private landowners to make the right decisions. In a state such as Maine in which the woodlands industry is such a huge economic force, sweeping change will not come easily. The good news is that the issue will remain “front and cen-

Report Results Due in Five Months So who’s right? Does aerial spraying with synthetic herbicides cause health problems in humans and wildlife? If it doesn’t, why have the State of Vermont and some Maine municipalities banned it? And if spraying is truly benign, how can its supporters prove their claims?

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 61

Allagash Fire – Part 2 of 2 Someone researching the maps of Maine’s U.S. Geological Survey will discover a proliferation of camps in our unorganized territories. Some dwellings belong to landowners, while others are secured by leases. One such lease was the Page Camp, along the east side of Long Lake, north of Glazier Brook in T12R13. The camp, built by John Page in the 1950s, was purchased when the Waterway was established. Aesthetically pleasing, the log camp was complete with fieldstone fireplace, wood cook stove, and as reported in last column titled “Wilderness Theft, Part 1 of 2,” a wagon wheel chandelier.

Page Camp. T. Caverly Collection

After my headquarters was burned in 1982, the result of arson, my director suggested that the Page Camp become my living accommodations. It would have been a wonderful place to live, but since the primary suspect in the burning of our home had not been charged, I informed the Bureau that I was uncomfortable with placing my family in danger. That fall my wife gave birth to our daughter, and for security reasons the decision was made to build a Headquarters at Churchill Dam. Wagon Wheel Chandelier As detailed in my last column, I was patrolling by canoe on Long Lake in the summer of 1995 when I found that the Page Camp had been broken into, and I discovered that the wagon wheel chandelier was dangling by two chains. Expecting that the trespasser would return to finish the job, I removed the wheel and rolled it into my canoe. The

wheel was so heavy that once I was back at Umsaskis, all I could do was carefully flip it out of the canoe and onto the dock. Eventually I managed to get it into the back of my truck, after which the historic artifact was placed into secure storage at Churchill Dam. In the summer of 1997, a Maine University was using the Page Camp for environmental studies, but the building was in disrepair. A local contractor was hired to make renovations, which were expected to take several weeks. My director instructed I should monitor the work and report any discrepancies. Reviewing the budget, I found that as the project was nearing completion, the carpenter had already spent several thousand dollars more than had been allotted to the project. Information about the expenditure overage was conveyed to the Augusta office. A few days later, I met with the contractor, who spoke to me about the excellence of his work. While he was talking, I spotted a soft spot on an inside wall about four feet off the floor. I picked up a wooden dowel, and pushed the stick straight through the log’s 12-inch diameter. When I asked the worker what he was going to do about the dry rot, he replied, “I’ll put some wood preservative on that, and that wall will be good for another 40 years.” I doubted that to be the case, but refrained from what was sure to become an argument. I shared the incident with the Augusta office.

but the blurriness of the photos meant they were not useful for determining the source of the blaze.

Camp Cleared Out, Then a Fire Two weeks later, the Bureau’s maintenance mechanic and I drove to a back trail leading to the camp. Walking into the building, we found something very odd. Even though there were repairs left unfinished, the camp had been completely cleaned out. No generators, no tools, no lumber, nothing remaining to indicate plans for additional work. Within a few days, I received word the Page Camp had burned. By chance, the Conservation Commissioner happened to be flying over, and observed the orange flames consuming the building. He took pictures, which he gave to me,

Frustrated they couldn’t find a spindled wheel, the couple inquired if I knew where they might find one. Today, visitors to the Allagash will find the restored wagon on display in the Churchill Dam Museum. The wheel you can see on the right rear of the wagon was once a chandelier hanging in the Page Camp.

Happy Ending for the Wagon Wheel After the construction of Long Lake Dam was completed in 1911, two of the horse-drawn belly-dump-gravel construction wagons were abandoned on site. In 1995, before the attempted theft of wagon wheel and the burning of the Page Camp, a husband and wife visited me at Churchill Dam and requested permission to rebuild one of the historic conveyances. While the couple volunteered to do the restoration, they did request help with cost of materials. I gave approval, and they spent days at Long Lake Dam retrieving wagon parts, even diving into the cold water under the spillways, where lay discarded steel wagon wheel rims without spokes.

Restored horse-drawn belly-dump-gravel construction wagon.

Tim Caverly has authored ten books about Maine’s northern forest. For more information, visit www.allagashtails. com

www.MaineSportsman.com

62 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Mackerel, Squid, Draw Anglers from Near and Far There’s a special protocol that accompanies catching a squid while fishing from a public dock; namely, hold the squid at rod’s length over the water while it discharges its jet-black ink. Don’t let the ink squirt on another angler, and don’t let it make permanent stains on the wooden planks of the dock. By August, schools of mackerel have entered Penobscot Bay, and Midcoast anglers flock to the bays, inlets, docks and piers in pursuit. We in Maine are fortunate to have public access points up and down the coast. Most coastal towns have boat launch sites or other locations open to the public where we can cast from floats or breakwaters. Credit at least some of this access to the movement to preserve traditional uses of coastal harbors and inlets. This fortunate trend has ensured that visitors will continue to view lobstermen at work, along with all that goes into the commercial fishing industry. Were it not for far-sighted people working together to preserve access to the coast, many prize spots would be lost to development.

Close to Frankfort While trolling with my boat is my favorite method of mackerel fishing, it isn’t always feasible to take the boat out. Often, offshore winds make for difficult boat handling and in those cases, I make use of public access points. Even on windy days, it is possible to have good sport from buoys and breakwaters. After having moved to the northeast section of the Midcoast region, I’m finding new places to fish, including concentrating on areas close to home. One such place, Fort Point State Park, offers shore-based casting for mackerel and striped bass. The fisherman’s pier at the park allows anglers to either cast from the pier or from a small float. A sandspit at the park’s north end sees rip currents, where

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water from the Penobscot River mixes with that of the upper bay. Here, striped bass hang out in search of prey. See Fort Point State Park on the DeLorme Atlas, Map 15, A-2. Other Species While Atlantic mackerel and striped bass are the major draws for near-shore and from-shore anglers, other species, too, can brighten an angler’s day. Bluefish, irregular visitors to the upper bay and not always dependable in the lower bay either, sometimes visit Maine’s shores, and when they do, it’s crazy, crazy fun. The only thing, though, that we can count on regarding bluefish is that we can’t count on them. So I can’t tell readers that they’ll catch bluefish from such-andsuch a place, because

This squid is solidly hooked on a squid jig. Notice the barbs on jig turn upward. Photos by Tom Seymour

Columnist Tom Seymour and one of many mackerel he took during a day angling in Lincolnville.

even my in my favorite bluefish spot, Belfast Bay, bluefish presence is never a given. But again, when bluefish come in, everybody gets in on the action. At a minimum, it’s a good idea to always carry a few wire leaders and bluefish lures when pursuing mackerel or stripers, since you just never know when the toothy migrants will appear. Another species, squid, often show up along floats and docks in midsummer, remaining through early autumn. It’s possible to catch squid on bait – just cast out and let the bait swirl in the current; when a squid bites, reel it in slowly

and hope for the best – but special squid jigs, made like upside-down pinecones, account for the majority of the recreational harvest. Squid fishing from floats and docks has a special protocol. When agitated, squid squirt out a black “ink,” something that clouds the water and allows the animal to escape from predators. Squid also squirt ink when brought up from the water, and this stuff can spray a person in the face, and it also stains the wood on docks and floats. So when lifting a squid from the water, hold it at rod’s length for a moment in order to allow it to squirt out its charge of ink. A float in one coastal town was closed to recreational fishing because thoughtless people had allowed squid to spray all over it, staining the wood badly, defacing it. (Midcoast Report continued on page 66)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 63

China Lake The author’s classic go-to lures weren’t doing the job on China Lake in Central Maine. Meanwhile, his friend and guide, Eric Lind, was using a rubber worm Texas Rig to pull in bass after bass. So the author – against his nature – made the switch, and quickly got in on the action. Located northeast of Augusta, China Lake is situated in the towns of China and Vassalboro. China Lake has two large basins connected by a narrow neck. The elongated eastern basin has an average depth of less than 30 feet and features a heavily-developed shoreline. The nearly circular western basin is as deep as 85 feet. Shoreline development is limited, as the western basin serves as a water supply for Waterville and Winslow. Fishing The principal warm water fisheries in China Lake are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white perch, yellow perch, and chain pickerel. The primary cold water fishes are brown trout. First introduced by DIFW in 2005, brown trout have adapted well to the lake conditions. Brook trout are also present in the lake. Brookie fishing is sustained by stocking legal-size fish from hatchery production. In April of 2021, China Lake received a stocking of 450 10-inch

brook trout. Two access sites are available to the public. There is an improved boat launch facility located in Vassalboro on the west basin near the outlet, while a second boat launch is located at the north end of the lake in the town of China. On my recent visit to China Lake, the bass fishing that I enjoyed occurred mostly in the eastern basin, around the many small rocky islands and along the shoreline. The extensive shoreline development, consisting of docks, floats and moored boats, offers the perfect spots for large bass to hang out in the shade waiting to ambush an easy meal. The Courage to Try Something New One of the problems I have always had as an angler is my inability to try something new. I have tackle boxes filled with lures; however, I always seem to get stuck on a few favorites, even when the fish are refusing to bite them. The Terminator Spinnerbait and Classic Rapala have been my go-to lures for decades, and while they certainly catch fish, in

certain situations, like on China Lake, they just cannot compete with rubber worms. After I tried chucking my “go-to” lures and catching absolutely zero, my guide and friend Eric Lind of Augusta (who was dragging a bass into the boat almost every cast!) talked me into tying on a Texas rig.

Augusta Town Council Member and Master Bass Angler Eric Lind showed up the author, once again, during their fishing expedition to China Lake. Steve Vose photo

The Texas Rig Watch any popular bass fishing show and I guarantee that the pro is likely going to at

some point be casting a Texas Rig. The Texas rig is certainly not (Central Maine continued on page 66)

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64 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Sebago Offers Fast Fishing Action Despite Warmer Temps The line on the trolling fly rod snarled with only 12 feet of line out, but I didn’t have time to deal with it, since a client’s fish had tripped the downrigger on the other rod. Suddenly, a salmon jumped right behind the boat, and the fly rod with the snarled line doubled over – two fish on! The dog days of August push many folks toward the lakes and beaches – perhaps not for the angling, but for the cooling waters. Despite warm water temps, fishing is still hot in this region. Lake trout are like us – they seek out cool waters. Meanwhile, salmon are chasing bait, bass are suspended in colder water, and marauding pike still prowl the shallows and mid-levels for prey. The only hard decision is where to go. Sebago Lake August is probably the busiest month on the big waters of Sebago Lake (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, C-1). Tourists flock to Sebago as if it were Mecca, and last summer was even busier than ever.

Folks just wanted to get outside and on the water. Boat dealers sold all their inventory, camp rentals were hard to find, and we guides were right out straight. So some good came out of the pandemic. This summer is proving to be another busy year in the Lakes Region. And this month, like all Augusts, will offer fast salmon fishing action. Beginning in July, we started trolling just under the surface where big congregations of alewives were breaking the surface, fleeing salmon and lake trout. I couldn’t figure it out, but we were catching salmon in 70-degree water.

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two clients had us into some fast action. One of the two women I had on the boat was helping me by feeding line into the water from a fly rod equipped with fast-sinking line. As her fishing friend was playing a lake trout on the opposite side downrigger, the woman who was helping pay out line got the reel backlashed with only about 12 feet of the fluorocarbon line in the water. I jammed the fly rod into the rod holder in order to free up both hands to net the fish that was coming toward the boat. All of a sudden, I saw a salmon jump right behind the boat. At first I did not understand what was happening, but then I saw that the fly rod in the holder was doubled over. We had a salmon on, with hardly any leader out, right on the surface. Amazingly we landed both fish, a laker from down deep, and the salmon on the surface. As the month went on, we kept catching salmon up top, trolling the spring-time set up – a fly line with 30 feet of leader and a sinking line. Sometimes I would only let a bit of

Brian Lovering of New Gloucester shows off a nice hook-jawed salmon taken while fishing with the author on Sebago Lake. Photo by Tom Roth

line out, with the leader doing most of the work. What a set-up! We were catching lakers on our down riggers set on the bottom, and salmon up top on fly lines. Double trouble! Deep Lakers The lake trout are easy this time of year, they are on bottom in varying depths. The most productive way to catch them is with a downrigger set just a foot or two off the bottom. I prefer to drag bait, and by this time of year, I can usually still get shiners, but frozen smelt and shiners left over from the spring work well, too. Lures also work, especially anything copper and nickel colored. For those without downriggers, lead-core works if you can get it to the bottom. I like dragging a large flatfish lure over sandy stretches in 60 feet of water. I let out most of the line until the lure starts digging into the bottom, then I back off

until it just occasionally hits bottom. This is deadly medicine for lakers! Lunker Pike Despite warm temperatures, pike angling is good throughout the summer. Since pike were illegally introduced into many area waters, those who target these toothy species are doing the lakes a good service. Several anglers fish Sebago Lake just for pike. They concentrate on the shallows and places like the Crooked and Songo Rivers. If I were going after them, I’d work the reeds along the Raymond Beach. I just know there are pike hiding out in the cattails waiting for a big offering to swim by. Two More Pike Areas Sabattus Lake (Map 12, E-1) is another pike hotspot. Although Sabattus sees a huge influx of ice-anglers, not many (Sebago to Auburn continued on page 66)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 65

Bear Hunting in Southern Maine – Is it Worth Your Time? Records from the 2019 season show that 95 bears were killed in Southern Maine. Top-producing towns included Porter (14 bears), Parsonsfield (14) and Acton, Shapley and Waterboro (a combined total of 13). The author tells where and how to achieve success, including the importance of avoiding conflict between bear-baiters and hound hunters when the two seasons overlap. Maine has the wellearned reputation for the best bear hunting in the lower 48. Maine bear guides are considered the best in the country, with a high success rate. Maine’s non-resident bear license is inexpensive (license $115; bear tag is $27) compared to non-resident licenses in western states (for example, Idaho’s hunting license is $185, and a bear tag costs $231). Also, Maine is within easy driving distance from urban areas along the east coast – reducing air fare travel expenses. The general hunting season in Maine begins August 30 and runs to November 27. Bear baiting season is from August 30 to September 25, and the hound hunting season runs from September 13 to October 29. North vs. South To maximize their chances for success, non-residents should bypass Southern Maine and continue driving to northern, eastern or western parts of Maine, and then hire a guide to take advantage of our

great bear hunting. Based on information from a report on the 2019 bear season – the most recent data I could find – bears were taken in 12 of the state’s 16 counties, and 24 of the 29 Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs). The greatest numbers were taken in Aroostook County – 684 bears, constituting nearly 30 percent of the total harvest of 2,370 bears. No bears were killed in the more southern counties of Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Waldo, also no bears were killed in WMDs 22 to 25 and 29. Clearly, northern sections of the state present better bear hunting opportunities. The report also makes clear that those who hire guides experience better success – both residents and non-residents should consider hiring a Registered Maine Guide if they are serious about killing a bear. In 2019, guides assisted their clients to kill a total of 1,583 bears. The customers were from in-state (240 residents) and out of state (1,343 non-res-

idents). Combining these two sets of data, it’s clear the best way for most hunters, both residents and non-residents, is to go north, and hire a guide. Southern Maine Bear Success However, bearhunting opportunities do exist in Southern Maine. In 2019, in WMDs 20-21 and 15 – the three most southern WMDs in Maine – 95 bears were killed. There are very few bear guides available in this region, so most successful bear hunters here are resident hunters who bait bears or run hounds. Of those who run hounds in Southern Maine, many of them are also guides. In general, they enjoy working with their dogs and the chase, and they do not kill small bears or cubs. They often tree bears, take photos, and then let the bears go free. I often encounter them when I am bear hunting in the area. Eighty-three bears were killed in WMD 15, with the town of Porter accounting for

The author with a 300+ lb. bear he killed with a bow. He traveled north and hired a guide to kill it. Southern Maine has bear, but it’s more difficult to bait them in, once bear hound season begins, or during years with heavy mast crops.

14 bear killed, and Parsonsfield with 14 bears. These numbers were highest in that WMD. I think these numbers are due to the cluster of hound hunters who hunt in the area, as well as the bear-friendly terrain featuring large swamps and mountains. Numbers in WMD 20 and 21 totaled 13 bears, and these bears were killed in the northern towns of Acton, Shapleigh and Waterboro. Clearly non-residents should consider their bear hunting in the north and hire a guide (check out the many guides who advertise in The Maine Sportsman). Do It Yourselfers What about the 787 successful do-it-yourself bear hunters who killed bear without using a guide? Most DIY hunters killed their bears over bait, while the rest succeeded while still-hunting during the regular firearms season, or by

trapping. Most bear hunters here in southern Maine are resident hunters who use bait. The best locations to hunt are in northern portions of the region. In southern Maine, bear hunting success is influenced by a number of factors; however, natural food availability is the most important. During years with an abundance of mast crops (nuts and acorns), hunters hunting over bait have poor results, while hound hunters have better opportunities because bear are moving about foraging for food. Another factor that affects bear hunting here is hunting pressure. Last year, I baited in Parsonsfield. The hunting was difficult because there was a heavy mast crop. I did get one bear coming to my bait consistently, but this occurred during the hound hunting portion of the bear season, and hound hunters (Southern Maine continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

66 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Southern Maine (Continued from page 65)

treed and killed that bear near my bait. In Maine, parts of bait season and hound hunting overlap, and

that timing can cause issues. Southern Maine bear hunters should avoid towns with high-

Midcoast Report (Continued from page 62)

Here’s another thing about squid – they bite, and it’s a severe bite at that, so keep your fingers away from their mouths. New Waters Having spent most of my life in the Belfast area, I naturally devoted most of my saltwater fishing efforts to local environs. But now, living in a different part of Midcoast Maine, I’ve been exploring new waters, new places and even new species. This excites me

Central Maine (Continued from page 63)

new; for decades it has been one of the most effective ways to present a soft plastic bait. Bass anglers simply slide a ¼ oz. bullet weight on their line, tie on a 3/0 Gamakatsu Extra Wide Gap (EWG) hook, thread on a soft plastic 6.5” Green Pumpkin Finesse Worm or Zoom Z Hog (Creature Bait), and they are ready to catch fish. Since Texas rigs are practically weedless, they can easily be flipped into heavy cover to lure bass out of vegetation. The Wacky Rig To fish effectively, it pays to have more than a single weapon in the angling arsenal. Having two fishing poles rigged and ready to fire, depending on the bite and the particular fishing situation, will allow significantly more hook-ups.

Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 64)

boating fishermen and -women hit this spot. Big crankbaits, topwater plugs and large shiners work wonders here for the leviathan Northern pike. The Androscoggin River from Turner through Auburn (Map 11, C-5) is another top pike destination in this region. Get in the backwaters and eddies. Look for slow water and vegetation. This draws in smaller fish like bass and of course, the pike, in pursuit.

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er bear kill numbers – these areas receive a lot of hound hunting pressure – and instead, hunters should key in on more remote areas. Just because an area doesn’t have a high success rate

doesn’t mean there are no bear there. Bear hunters should select a northern area of this region, and bait near a deep, dark swamp with hardwood ridges nearby. Is it worthwhile

hunting bear in this region? If you live here and you’ve got the time and energy to invest, then in my opinion, it’s well worth it.

greatly, since upon looking at it, I realize that I have limited myself. That is changing. Being curious, I always enjoy going for new species, even if they were illegally introduced. To that end, I’m anxious to try Marsh Bay in Frankfort for white catfish. These whisker-fish grow quite large. Friends have given me white catfish they took in the Kennebec River, and they averaged 3-4 pounds – much larger than the 1-pound hornpout I’m accustomed to taking. White catfish are now in the Penobscot River, and people take them in the

Brewer area. It seems to me that these exotics should also inhabit areas south of Brewer, such as Frankfort. The public boat launch at Howard L. Mendall Wildlife Management Area on Marsh River allows boaters to zip out to Marsh Bay, the widest part of the Penobscot River. The boat launch itself might be a good place to cast nightcrawlers for white catfish. I’ll never know until I try. And of course, I’ll announce the results here. Meanwhile, good fishing.

The wacky rig works well around China Lake’s numerous boat docks and floats, allowing the angler to place it with precision close to these manmade obstacles, where it slowly floats down into strike range. The wacky rig certainly catches fish; however, for the uninitiated, it takes some experimentation and practice to use it to consistently hook bass. Anglers need to carefully watch their line for a strike, and wait for just the right moment to set the hook. A wacky rig is comprised of a 1/0 Red Octopus hook, soft plastic 6.5” Green Pumpkin Finesse Worm and an 8mm O-ring. Adding a weighted jig head helps anglers cover water faster, while still creating an effective presentation.

the June edition of The Maine Sportsman interesting, as it discussed the dangers fishing plastic worms presents to all fish species. While I have seen photographs of fish loaded with plastic worms, I had never seen it firsthand until my recent foray to China Lake. Upon removing my Texas rig from a sizeable largemouth bass, I pulled 6 large plastic worms out of its mouth. How it could even eat my worm is amazing to me. If you’re not sold on the Bio Bait option, as Christi suggests in her article, I recommend that anglers switch out their plastic lure at the first sign of wear. This increases the chance that a strike or hard hook set won’t tear the plastic off the hook, after which it floats slowly to the bottom of the lake where it may be consumed by – and potentially harm – fish.

Rubber Worms in Fish I found Christi Holmes’s article in

Where to Go for Bass Angling While the bass do retreat to cooler climes this month, if you know the lake structure, you can find them. Sebago has huge rock piles on the bottom of the lake, and a good fish-finder will point them out. Look for structure in 20 feet of water, and work a jig around the rocks. I like the Ned rigs or any crayfish jig. Thompson Lake (Map 5, A-2) in Poland has some phenomenal bass angling and also has those deeper rock piles all across the lake. Lake Auburn (Map 11, E-5) is an-

other good bass water. The small rock pile island just in view of Route 4 slopes down, and bass hang on the edges. Also try the deeper waters off Salmon Point, as they often hold bass. The dog days of August are here, and while it may be refreshing to get in the water, it’s also a good time to get out on the water. Do your angling early in the day, to beat the heat and the recreational boat traffic. Fish deep – but keep a shallow line out for salmon – and you may find that August becomes your favorite month on the water.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 67

Lodges, Guides Enhance Rangeley Angling Experience Whenever I fish in the Rangeley Region, I can’t help but think of the myriad anglers who have plied the crystal-clear and cold waters before me. With each cast, I am reminded of the rich fly fishing history associated with this gorgeous region. But it isn’t simply the rich fishing heritage that keeps me coming back – this region really has some of the state’s best fishing. Throw a fly into the Kennebago or Rapid River, or troll around any of the big lakes in the region, and you’ll come home with some real trophy fish, as well as fishing memories. The area is rich with fishing tradition. I really enjoy the old fishing camps, with their log exteriors and varnished pine interiors. Anglers can sit back after dinner at one of these rustic lodges, close their eyes, and almost feel the hum of fishing chit-chat from centuries ago. The dank and ancient smell of wellworn fishing vests, wet waders, and fly dope are soaked into the floors and walls – a welcome scent to those that can appreciate the restorative nature of fishing at one of these historic lodges. When your mind is taken back to a beautiful angling past, it’s easy to forget any present troubles.

The author prefers fishing camps in remote locations – the farther away from civilization, the better. And the Rangeley Region offers great options, including the Rapid, Magalloway and Kennebago Rivers.

A healthy trophy brook trout from the Rangeley Region. William Clunie photo

Remote and Rustic Three familiar fishing lodges in this region are Grant’s Camps on the Kennebago River, Bosebuck Mountain Camps near the Magalloway River, and Lakewood Camps on the Rapid River. There are plenty of other camps around this region, but these three stand out as the most popular. These lodges are all fairly remote ... something that adds to the rustic character of a fishing lodge. Getting away from it all is what it’s all about, anyway. For me, the farther back the better – it’s quieter, less crowded, and more pristine. These three river systems provide some of the best trout and

salmon fishing in the State of Maine. The Rapid, Magalloway, and Kennebago Rivers never fail to keep the angler’s rods bent, and many find their “personal best” fish of the season at one of these locations. Hiring a guide at the lodges assures an angler will have the best shot at catching a trophy fish. Local guides, hired by the lodges, know where to go and what fly to use. They are current on the recent hatches and best places to find trophy fish. These are remote fishing locations, and anglers won’t get lost when they hire guides. Fishing out of a lodge also provides a rustic atmosphere conducive to complete relaxation. Nothing

beats a gourmet dinner after a day of fishing the wild waters. I can guarantee a good night’s sleep will be had by all who experience this kind of activity. Good food, plus good fishing, equals good sleep. What to Bring Maine weather changes frequently,

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often several times during a single day. Don’t forget a good rain outfit – I like my “Frogg Toggs” rain suit. It is compact and light, and it provides ease of movement to the wearer, so you can put it on and just keep fishing. Take some good bug repellent ... mosquitoes and black flies can ruin a trip if an angler doesn’t take some kind of protection. I make sure to treat all of my fishing clothes with permethrin to keep ticks and other bugs off my body. I also use a “Thermacell” unit when the wind isn’t too gusty – I wear the unit on my belt, and find that it really helps keep the flying/biting insects at bay as long as there isn’t a wind. I always carry a back-up repellent with at least 40 percent DEET (like “Off Deep Woods”). My wife taught me a good trick that assures a good night’s (Continued on next page)

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68 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Rangeley Region (Continued from page 67)

sleep when lodging in a new place. She always makes sure to pack our pillows from home. I often have a hard time sleeping the first night at a new location, but sleeping on a familiar pillow seems to help me get a perfect night of restful sleep. Most guides will have the correct flies for the local waters, but I like to call ahead and get a few recommendations. Local fly shops, like the Rangeley Region Sports Shop on Main Street in Rangeley, can set anglers up with anything they require for a fishing adventure. I have called their shop to request flies for a particular location, had the flies delivered by mail within the next few days,

and then successfully fished with those flies the following week. Last on the list for me might seem goofy, but I take two rods with me, just in case. One rod is loaded with weight-forward floating line, while the other carries weight-forward, sink-tip line. One rod is rigged for fishing dry flies, and the second for swinging streamers or nymphs. If one fails me, at least I have another rod that is familiar to me. Like my familiar pillow that helps me get a good night’s sleep, my second, familiar rod provides me with a better chance at catching that trophy fish.

— Trophy Gallery —

Young Hunter; Really Big Bear A young man from of Canton, MA had a very good day hunting bear last year. “My name is Max Thomas,” he wrote to The Maine Sportsman. “I am 8 years old. On August 31, 2020, when I was 7, I shot a black bear with a Mission crossbow that my Dad’s friend Chris Reed gave me as a gift. I hit the bear behind the shoulder like my Dad told me to. We found it 150 yards away. We brought the bear to Bishop’s Store in Jackman. It weighed 487 pounds.” Congratulations, Max!

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�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 69

Crazy for Crayfish All you ever wanted to know about Maine crayfish (but were afraid to ask). It’s a common sight for many anglers, at least those of us who frequent streams and rivers: On the rocks beside a cascade or pool, we find a scattering of shells, claws and legs, bleached in the sun. This is unmistakable evidence that a crayfish (or two or three) became a meal for a great blue heron or an otter or raccoon. Crayfish are the largest freshwater invertebrates in Maine. Known as decapods, they are an important part of the freshwater ecosystem and provide an important food source for many species of birds, mammals and fish. And humans. Freshwater Lobsters I’d guess that many of you, like me, think of crayfish as a single type of animal, without distinguishing among different species. Henry David Thoreau called them “freshwater lobsters,” and reported finding them in Lobster Stream near the West Branch of the Penobscot. Crayfish are abundant in waterbodies across the state. It took some research to learn more about these fascinating creatures, including our native species, and the threat of non-native species on our ecosystems. Biol-

ogist Matt Scott has been studying crayfish for decades, and he enthusiastically shared some interesting information with me. Unlike southern states, which have upwards of 50 species, Maine has just seven resident species of crayfish: three native, three introduced, and one possibly native but of uncertain origin. An eighth species, also introduced, has not been documented recently, but could still be here. Three Native Species The Appalachian brook crayfish (Cambarus bartoni) is native to the northern third of the state, preferring cold, swift, rocky streams. Although it’s not clear from the photo, many of them have large claws (called chelae) that look like they are inflated with an air pump. The northern, or virile, crayfish (Orconectes virilis) is a widespread native species found from Aroostook to York County in a wide variety of habitats, from rocky bottoms to slow moving, muddy streams. They are brown in color overall, with bluish claws that feature distinctive white bumps. The spinycheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus) has, yes, spines on its cheeks. These small, tim-

id crayfish are found mostly in the lower half of the state, in both streams and lakes. The calico crayfish (Orconectes immunis) is possibly native and less widely distributed in western and coastal Maine counties. They are found in stagnant pools and ditches, or slow streams with mud bottoms. Calicos have slender claws and legs, and a pale jagged stripe on the tail. Non-native Species The three introduced species include the rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus), obscure or Allegheny crayfish (Orconectes obscurus), and White river crayfish (Procambarus acutus). All three of these have limited range in Maine, at least so far. Because of the possible problems that non-native, invasive species may cause, crayfish should never be moved to, or used as bait in, a water body other than where they are found. Rusty crayfish can be identified by the rust-colored “fingerprints” on either side of the carapace, and by yellow and black tips on the front claws. They have been in Maine since perhaps the 1950s. The white river

Appalachian brook crayfish, found mostly in northern part of the state in cold, stony streams. All photos courtesy of Matt Scott

crayfish is presently limited to the Union River watershed, near Ellsworth. The red swamp crayfish (Procambrus clarkii) was reportedly brought into Maine years ago as bait, but has not been found in Maine since 2013. Eighty percent of the “crawfish” eaten in New Orleans restaurants are red swamp crayfish. Keystone Species Crayfish are omnivores, and are efficient predators. They graze on aquatic plants, scavenge dead animals, and shred rotting vegetation. According to biologists, cool-water species of crayfish function as “keystone” species, because of their important role in controlling vegetation and populations of fish and invertebrates. They also move significant amounts of sediment while burrowing. And as a high value food for other species in the food chain, crayfish are important to the entire ecological

web. Don’t Move Them! For the non-native crayfish species, their prominent role in the ecosystem can be negative. The rusty crayfish is very aggressive, and can outcompete other native crayfish species. Their local abundance can alter the ecological balance. There is also some concern that rusty crayfish can help spread invasive aquatic plant species by creating fragments that can re-establish in new locations. Good Eating These crunchy crustaceans are a favorite food for smallmouth and largemouth bass, larger trout, cusk and other game species. They therefore make excellent bait. But they should be used as bait only in the water body where they were trapped. As anyone who has been to Louisiana knows, crayfish or crawfish are also a delicious food for hu(Sporting Environment continued on page 71) www.MaineSportsman.com

70 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Trophy Fishing Returns to Upper Androscoggin River A huge, mature bald eagle soared majestically overhead as I stood in the front of the comfortable drift boat and cast a homemade Sneaky Pete with my 7-weight fly rod. My guide, Laurin Parker from Western Maine Guide Service, strategically rowed the drift boat as I dropped my fly as close to the

rocky shoreline of the river as I could. I spotted huge, nearly-submerged granite boulders the size of a small cars strewn throughout the river. After catching several smallmouth bass in the 18- to 20-inch range, I hooked into the big daddy of the river – a calico-colored smallie that definitely

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surpassed the 20-inch mark. We took a quick photo and then revived the fish in the cool river before it kicked its tail and swam away. A little farther down the river, I switched positions with Parker to give my casting arm a rest – my arm and shoulder are honestly tired from hauling in all of those huge fish. As soon as the highly-experienced guide dropped his fly in the water, I saw his rod tip deeply bend, so I dropped anchor and grabbed the net. As the fish approached the net, we realized it was a nice rainbow trout, around 16 inches long.

In the next few casts, swinging a streamer, Parker once again hooked into a nice fish. Right before the fish got scooped into the net, we both exclaimed, “It’s a brook trout!” Later that day, just down river from Dixfield, I caught a similar-sized rainbow trout and another brook trout. At the end of the day, Parker and I did a guesstimate and figured we’d boated around 40 smallmouth, two brook trout apiece, and a few nice rainbow trout to boot. Spectacular Fishing Returns

From about 2005 until 2015 the Androscoggin River held loads of huge smallmouth bass, enough to draw the likes of well-known anglers from around the globe. Then, for some unknown reason, the fish decreased in size and number, and I told my fishing clients to go elsewhere for better fishing. This fish “drought” lasted for several years, but the river has now recently returned to the awesome days of the past ... except this time, it came back with some extra special perks. I’ve never really caught (Continued on next page)

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many rainbow trout in the river, and only one little brook trout. I think the river has improved so much that it can now support trout as well as plentiful “world class” smallmouth bass – something I had hoped I would see again in my lifetime. It really takes a drift boat to navigate the scenic Androscoggin River ... anglers in kayaks and canoe can’t hold their watercraft in swift water at all, and for that reason they are forced to pass by many perfect holding areas for fish. I laugh when I see them fly by me, since it appears they’ll be pushed by the fast current all the way to the Atlantic Ocean before they get a chance to hook into a single fish. I guided on the An-

droscoggin River out of a drift boat for nearly 20 years, and can tell you that an angler certainly couldn’t hire a guide with more knowledge of the river than Laurin Parker and his business partner, Bob Harkin. Together they have mastered the art of safely and comfortably navigating the river, while at the same time gaining an extensive understanding of the strikingly beautiful fish that live in that gorgeous waterway. Contact the co-owners and guides online at WesternMaineGuideService.com, or on Facebook under the same name. Old Dog/New Trick After spending more than a few decades fishing the Androscoggin River, I can tell you one thing for sure ... you will never

figure it out completely. Once an angler discovers a method that works for catching fish routinely, something changes, and it’s back to the drawing board. For years, I used surface flies exclusively ... poppers, divers, and various floating imitations that worked great. The problem was this – about ten percent of the days fishing, the surface flies just wouldn’t work. Parker showed me several unique streamer patterns (huge, articulated flies) that work even when the surface flies fail. The best thing about his secret subsurface streamers is that they also attract fish other than smallmouth bass. Both rainbow trout and brook trout smashed these streamers and added a great deal of enjoy-

The author with his “Big Daddy” smallmouth trophy.

ment to the time we spent drifting the Androscoggin River. Parker also showed me how a sink-tip line works to get these streamers down to the depths that the big fish inhabit. Rolling the sink-tip line out is also amazing ... you flick the rod, and that heavy tip just flies.

There’s nothing like spending a day fishing with a guide who really knows his stuff ... from the flies that work to hook these finicky fish, to the fauna and flora that surround you with beauty and amazement while you float down the river.

Sporting Environment (Continued from page 69)

mans. See recipe. Crayfish can be trapped with a modified minnow trap (enlarge the openings) using a chunk of fish or a handful of dried dog food as bait. Trapping is best in knee-deep water when water temperature is above 60 degrees F. Because crayfish feed at night, traps should be left for a good 24 hour “soak” and checked daily. At least one Mainer on Facebook (“Maine Crawfishing”) has made a practice of trapping crayfish for personal consumption. He has posted videos about how he traps crayfish, and reports catching as many as 180 in a day, enough for a good boil using traditional New Orleans spices. According to DIFW, there are no restrictions on trapping crayfish for personal consumption or to use as bait (in the same water body). As with minnow traps, each crayfish trap must be tagged with the trapper’s name and address. A license is needed to sell crayfish meat, and it is illegal in Maine to mix crayfish with lobster meat for sale (12

The virile or northern crayfish is found statewide.

MRSA §6861-A). Bon appetit! Crawfish Boil Recipe For this recipe, use Old Bay™ or other Louisiana Fish Fry brand spices, available in stores or on-line. Ingredients: • 4 lbs. of whole (live) crawfish (or as much as you have) • 1-2 lbs. of smoked sausage, cut into 1” chunks • 8 medium red potatoes, in chunks • 2 onions, cut into wedges • 6 ears of corn, cut in half • A can of beer Directions: In a 10 quart pot, add a ½ cup of

Rusty crayfish is an invasive, non-native species with distinctive rusty “fingerprints” and yellow and black tips on the claws or chelae.

Old Bay or other seasoning to 4 quarts of water. Add a can of beer. Add other spices to taste, such as McCormick Cajun spice or lemon-pepper sauce. Bring the water, beer and spices to a boil. Add potatoes and onions and boil 8 minutes. Add sausage and corn, boil 7 minutes. Add crawfish and boil 4 minutes, or until red. Turn off heat, and let everything soak in the spices for 10 minutes. Drain and serve.

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72 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Cow Tipping The author and his friend Jack headed into the Maine woods with a cow moose permit in hand. When the hunt was over, they’d learned a great deal about the challenges and rewards of time spent hunting the big animals. I have been blessed in that I have been invited to partake, in some form or other, in three of the last four years’ Maine moose hunts. I’ve worked my way up from just scouting and hanging around the camp in 2017, to going along on the hunt and witnessing a superb archery kill in 2018, to being a sub-permittee on a cow tag in 2020. The Maine Sportsman offers readers plenty of articles about calling, understanding, hunting, outsmarting, and shooting big bulls. I am as guilty as the next of writer and reader of getting hung up on the allure of the male specimen. However, there is much less literature and hype concerning the understanding and hunting, of the female of the species. As I learned from our hunt last year, a cow moose tag isn’t a shoe-in. And maybe more caution and study should be taken by those with a cow tag to fill. Jack Gets Zone 5 Permit My friend Jack was drawn for a Maine cow tag in Zone 5. I was listening to the drawing and heard them www.MaineSportsman.com

say his name. When I called and told him the news, his reaction was the same as mine – “Where the heck is Zone 5?!” And then, when we learned the answer to our question, “Uh-oh – what did we get ourselves into!?” Long story short, I was asked to be his sub-permittee. Jack is a septuagenarian, so I suspect he was just using me for my legs, pack frame, and ability to run OnX maps. But nonetheless, I was honored. Fish in a Barrel I was amazed to learn there were 175 antlerless-only permits issued for that zone. I was even more impressed when I saw that that was on top of 225 bull permits issue for the two weeks preceding our hunt. This was a big change compared to the 40-something permits issued for the entire state of New Hampshire! After reading all these numbers and looking around a bit on OnX maps to find endless amounts of good-looking habitat, I initially surmised that this would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Boy, was I wrong!

Fish in a Sea I fell into the trap of thinking that with all the gravel roads and all the cut-over habitat, and (apparently, based on the number of permits issued) all the moose around, we were bound to just bump into a cow sooner or later. I failed to take into account that we were on Week #3 of moose hunters driving those roads. Combine that with it being the fourth week of the best bird season in memory – with a record number of people with time off from work, due to Covid. To say the least, the moose were a tad road-shy and skittish. Now, I think I know what many readers are probably thinking right now: “Isn’t this the guy who is always writing about how you have to get way back in the woods and make your own path? And now all he wants to do is road hunt?” Touché. It was a tough situation. I am an advocate of getting well away from the roads to hunt. And this was the perfect situation to illustrate how important that is to do. Unfortunately, however, my friend Jack has physical limitations, which pre-

A good-sized cow moose enjoys a fall morning drink from a mountain pond. Emerson photos

cluded us from venturing too far off road. Know Your Limits We saw a few moose from the road. But none of them stuck around looking stupid like they do in other parts of the year. We saw relatively few tracks in the road, indicating that they were even avoiding them during the nighttime. Just about every time we did take a walk down an undriveable winter road or skid trail, we ran into lots of tracks and browsing sign. We even saw a couple of moose on our short hikes, but we just couldn’t get a clear antlerless iden-

tification and a clear shot to make it happen. It seemed like the farther away from the truck we got, the better our encounters got. But we just couldn’t get that far. As frustrating as this limitation was to me, I know that it was even more frustrating for Jack. In his younger years, before the broken back, Agent Orange poisoning, asbestos poisoning, malaria and heart disease, he could leave anyone in the dust. As a teenager in Gorham, NH, he’d pack propane tanks up Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman’s Ravine for the (Continued on next page)

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 73 (Continued from page 72)

ski huts. As a Navy Corpsman attached to the Marines First Recon, he “humped” hundred-plus pound packs up and over the steep, rugged jungle mountains of Vietnam. And his hunting career is marked with dozens of deer taken miles from the nearest road. Success Comes in Different Forms Long story short, we didn’t kill a moose. We saw some, including a giant bull in his mid-day bed, and had some exciting close calls with cows. We explored new coun-

try, a favorite pastime of both of ours. We shared some good laughs and great stories, and made some even better memories. It was a hunt that Jack and I will both cherish for the rest of our days. And despite not pulling a moose out of the woods, it was surely a “successful” hunt. Here are the key takeaways I learned for a Maine cow moose permit holder: 1. Get out of the truck and away from the drivable roads. 2. It’s late in the season, so focus on winter transition

areas, with lots of food (such as maple saplings, and small firs). Not newer clear cuts. 3. Good binoculars or a spotting scope are a must. It is much harder to confirm that a moose does not have antlers, than it is to confirm that it does have antlers. 4. Don’t leave moose to find moose. If you find an area that is holding moose, stay there and hunt it. If you do enough skulking around, you’ll bump into them. 5. Don’t take things

Moose hunting is about more than putting an animal on the ground. To have a fully successful hunt, you have to enjoy the little things, like how the morning fog settles in the valleys.

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Deep Thoughts While Stacking Firewood (OK, maybe not all that deep – and maybe not all that much stacking!) Every spring I get four or five cords of green firewood dumped in my backyard. And there it sits for weeks while I implore the woodstove fairies to stack it for me while I’m sleeping. Those little creeps never come through. The logs sit there day after day providing shelter for squirrels, mice, a pregnant garter snake or two, and the snow shovel I threw at a porcupine that I never bothered to retrieve before the wood got dumped on it (the shovel, not the porcupine, who ignored me and waddled away). Eventually, I’m forced into the realization that this year will be no different from any other. If I want reasonably dry wood to heat my house next winter, the stuff has to be stacked. And more distressingly, if I want it stacked, I’m going to have to do it myself. I put on ratty, old clothes. I somehow locate the pair of work gloves I tossed aside after completing this chore last year. I coat myself in an inch-thick layer of DEET. That seems like enough effort for today. I’ll get to that wood another time. Like after the Super Bowl. As is so often the case, my wife has other ideas. I clear debris off the pallets that held last winter’s wood. Several of them appear rotten. It would be unsafe to put any significant weight on them. “Stacking will have to wait,” I tell my spouse. “There’s a nationwide pallet shortage.” “Fortunately,” she replied, “I anticipated something like that by picking up some new pallets last month. They’re next to the woodshed.” If she’s so good at anticipating, how come she didn’t get the wood stacked? Oops, what I mean is thank you, dear. And so, the chore begins. One log next to another. And another. And another. Soon, I’m in a trance-like state with deep philosophical questions floating through my meditating mind. Such as: • If I’d only been a little more patient, like maybe waiting another week or www.MaineSportsman.com

using its relatives to heat the house. • What if a bear shows up and attacks me? What if I get trampled by a moose? What if all these garter snakes form a rope and try to strangle me? • What if a tick bites me and I get Lyme disease and have to be put in a nursing home?

two, isn’t it possible the woodstove fairies could still have showed up?

• What if the nursing home has wood heat, and they make me stack the fuel or freeze? • What if the food is awful?

• Is that a tick?

• What if I can’t sneak in beer?

• No, just a speck of dirt.

• Doesn’t wood smoke constitute air pollution? Doesn’t it contribute to climate change? Don’t I have a moral obligation to halt this stacking as a show of solidarity with those seeking to save the planet?

• Does this log look suspiciously like Mitch McConnell? • Do all logs look suspiciously like Mitch McConnell? • If I had ordered a couple cords of Mitch McConnells, would they just stack themselves? • Is that a tick? • Nope, seems to be a freckle. • Is it too early to quit and drink beer? • Is it too early to pretend I’ve thrown my back out? • Is it too late to buy a heat pump? • Why are my ungrateful grandchildren working at jobs and living fulfilling lives in another state instead of being here to help their poor, old grandfather stack wood? • On the other hand, if they did show up, would it be because they quit their jobs and decided to move in and sponge off me for the rest of my life? • Is that a tick? • No, it’s a bottle cap. Doesn’t even look like a tick. Maybe I’m becoming delirious. • Is it too early to pretend I’m delirious? • Seems dangerous out here. What if a tree falls on me? It might hate me for

• Is that a tick? • No, you idiot, it’s a spider. • Is it poisonous like a black widow? Or a brown recluse? Or a blue biter? • Is there even anything such thing as a blue biter? ***** No, it seems there isn’t. And it’s not any of those other things, either. And it didn’t bite me. But it is time for a break. Oh, I see by the expression on my wife’s face that it’s not time for a break. According to an article I saw on the internet, more people in the United States die each year while stacking wood than those killed in the entire world by barracuda. Doesn’t that statistic put the danger of this job in proper perspective? My wife appears skeptical. Some people have no appreciation for science. Is that a tick? It is! I’m saved! Al Diamon ticks people off by writing the weekly column Politics & Other Mistakes for the Portland Phoenix and the Daily Bulldog. He can be emailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 75

Smilin’ Sportsman Ebb: “I just came up with a great idea!” Flo: “What’s that?” Ebb: “Instead of calling my bathroom the John, I call it the Jim. That way, it sounds a lot better when I say that I go to the Jim first thing every morning.” —

Customer: “Waiter, why is your thumb on my steak?” Waiter: “Sorry about that – I didn’t want it to fall on the floor again.” — I never wanted to believe that my uncle was stealing from his job as a state highway worker, but when I went to visit him, all the signs were there. — Girl #1: “I once dated a guy with a lazy eye.” Girl #2: How did it go? Girl #1: “Not so good – it turns out he was seeing someone else on the side.”

“I find that the less we elaborate, the quicker we get the hell out of here.”

www.MaineSportsman.com

76 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

— TRADING POST — • Subscribers may place one free 20-word line classified ad per month (2-month limit) • Items for sale must include a price • Real estate ads must include an address or location

• The regular rates are $15 for up to 20 words and 50¢ for each additional word • Check, money order, MasterCard or VISA (Credit or Debit) are accepted

• You may submit your ads by: Phone: 207-357-2702 E-mail: classifieds@mainesportsman.com Mail: 183 State Street, Suite 101 Augusta ME 04330

SUBMIT AD AND PAYMENT BY THE 30TH OF EACH MONTH AND YOUR AD WILL APPEAR IN THE NEXT ISSUE. BOATS 1972 TREMBLAY CHIPPEWA 20’ CANOE Made in Ontario Canada. Good cond. very stable. Guide retiring. $1,200 OBO Call 207532-6639 Houlton. GRAND LAKE CANOE With trailer. Classic 19 1/2 ft square stern canoe great for fly-casting or streamer troller. Handcrafted by Pierce Pond fishing guide in 1983. Blue. Canvas cover. Fiber glassed exterior. Fly-tying platform near stern. Rangeley boat seats.

In Brunswick. Seldom used trailer. $7,200. Many Extras. Call or text 207-751-2940. —

beach. Hunting, Fishing, Boating, ATV, $600/wk. 207-8311447. —

CAMPS & CAMP SITES FOR RENT

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

CAMPING SITES LINCOLN, ME PRIVATE! All ready for camper or tent. ATV trail at end of driveway. $400/year. Also daily or weekly rates. Call: 207-322-3877 EAST GRAND LAKE DANFORTH, ME 24x32 Camp- Greenland Cove, Sleeps 6-10. Deck, small dock/

#315 – Richardsontown TWP – Camp, walking distance of Upper Dam Pool. Leased land $1,525 per year. MLS#1477070 – $164,500

DEVELOPER’S DREAM: 6.6 ACRES 370ft. road frontage on Whittier Rd. in Farmington, Maine, just off Routes 2 & 4. Electricity on site, 4 water hookups and 4 sewer hookups, Tax Incentives possible. 207474-0778. THREE STORY “OPERA HOUSE” ON RT 2 IN WESTERN ME Dining room, balco-

ny, stage, basement. Restaurant equipment, furniture, dishes, paved parking. Event venue, fishing lodge... Boat launch, great fishing. $139,500 call 207-5627564. — DOGS QUAIL HOLLOW KENNELS: BRITTANYS Simply the best personal shooting dogs and family pets. Puppies and started dogs. Woodcock training November through March. Forty years of excellence. Call after sunset 856-935-3459. GUN DOG TRAINING At Spruce Meadow Kennel in Rangeley, Maine. Experienced with pointing and flushing upland bird hunting dogs. Contact Jeff Hawksley 207864-3610 or 207-6708010, www.fb.com/ rangeleydogboardin-

The Genuine. The Original. Serving the Bangor Area Since 1948

Residential & Commercial Garage Doors & Openers Sales, Service & Repairs

56 Liberty Drive Hermon, ME

(207) 848-2866

www.overheaddoorofbangor.com

www.MaineSportsman.com

gandgundogtraining. — FOR SALE FISHING SUPPLIES Full line of Materials and Flies, Tools, Kits, Lessons, more. Mr. Ed’s Flies & Supplies, 11 Honeysuckle Ln., Brunswick, ME. mredsfliesandsupplies.com or call 207229-8468. 2014 RAPIDO LOCO JR FIREWOOD PROCESSOR WITH TRAILER 24ft elevator. Good condition. 567 hours. $40,000. Pictures available upon request. 413-854-3516. TAXIDERMY One Bull Moose shoulder mount and four Whitetail Buck shoulder mounts. Great for Sporting Camps or Bar. $3,000 Firm. Call 207-944-9027. — LAND FOR SALE GUILFORD Just below Moosehead Lake, 18 buildable acres on town rd. w/power. Excellent hunting,fishing & snowmobiling. Sebec Lake nearby. $2000/ acre 413-229-2969. (Continued on next page)

Be Sure to LIKE The Maine Sportsman on Facebook!

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 77 (Continued from page 76)

REAL ESTATE SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY FARMHOUSE WITH 120 ACRES Early 1900’s, 8 room, 1 1/2 bath, farm house with 120 acres, mostly wooded, excellent hunting, has snowmobile and ATV trails, Also 1200ft airstrip. For sale by owner. $450,000.00 Call 207578-1482

ICONIC PARMACHENEE CLUB 2-ACRE ISLAND Gated access to 1,000s of acres of prime hunting, fishing & snowmobiling! 5 furnished cabins w/over $150k in new roof & pilings on steel beams. Spectacular views & one neighbor. Incls. shared lot at Landing for dock & parking. $475K. 207491-4771

WANTED DEER/MOOSE ANTLERS Buying any size deer and moose shed antlers/racks or antlered skulls. All grades

bought by the pound. 802-875-3206 LOOKING FOR COUPLE WITH CAMPER Who would love to be in Grand Lake Stream

for the season. Looking for help at the camps in return for camper space. Private docking. 207-796-2822, indianrockcamp@gmail. com

Discover the versatility and convenience of Northeastern’s Camp and Cabin kits. Perfect for vacation homes or retirement retreats, these log cabin kits are easy to build and very affordable. They feature simple, open designs and come complete with pre-cut Eastern White Pine Logs, insulated doors, windows, rafters, roof sheathing and subflooring, plus step-by-step instructions.

—

Just imagine relaxing in your very own Northeastern log retreat!

10 Ames Road, Kenduskeag, ME

Caryn Dreyfuss, Broker • (207) 233-8275 caryndreyfuss@morton-furbish.com www.realestateinrangeley.com

RANGELEY PLT – Privately sited on 53.9 wooded acres on the Bemis Road, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home features open floor plan, sun-filled living spaces, roomy screened porch. Detached 2-car garage with finished room above offers additional potential living space. On-demand Kohler generator plus being sold furnished. Level lot in tree growth tax status on town maintained year-round road. Super spot for 4-season recreation. MLS #1500634 – $499,000 RANGELEY – Westerly views overlooking Rangeley Lake. Well maintained and updated home featuring 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, sun-filled living spaces, wood stove, spacious deck. Finished basement offering additional living space. Attached 2-car heated garage with storage above, deeded access to HOLA waterfront on Rangeley Lake with marina, small boat launch, swimming area. Super location for your full time or getaway home, handy to town and area amenities. MLS #1496570 – $599,000 RANGELEY – Year-round living on tranquil, no-motors Quimby Pond! Well maintained 4 bedroom, 2 bath log home privately sited on .85 wooded acres with 112’ sandy waterfront. Spacious side deck and roomy screened porch with pond and mountain views. Detached 1-car garage, ondemand generator, numerous recent updates. Plus access to association 2.6 acre common waterfront and 29 acre green space - don’t miss out on this one, call today! MLS #1488170 – $549,900

GENERAL MANAGER PRIVATE SPORTING CAMP — 2022 SEASON —

1-800-624-2797 • (207) 884-7000

www.northeasternlog.com

Penobscot – 105 acre 4th generation farm with 1850’s farm house and barn with updated barn along with guest/rental home close to Castine and Blue Hill. $549,000.

Wilton – 55+/- acres. Waterviews and access to Varnum Pond. Mature timber on lower half. Potential Sugarbush with 4,000 to 5,000 taps. Seasonal access. $99,000

Rumford/Peru – 321 acres. View from Lovejoy Hill/Burgess Hill, South Peak are simply amazing. Recently harvested. Snowmobile trail (17N) passes through lot. Good access. $295,000

Roxbury – 89 acres. Rugged, incredible mountain views, steep terrain and good road frontage on Route 120. Recently harvested. Elevations reach approx. 1,680’. $79,900

Temple – 5,391 acres. Over 8 miles of improved gravel roads, several brooks, elevations of 2,500’ bordering Mt Blue State Park. Great distant views. Miles of maintained ATV and snowmobile trails. $2,900,000

Hancock County - Over 800 acres with 5,400 sq. ft log cabin completely surrounding Fox Pond. Miles of maintained trails. Adjacent to 20,000 acres of conservation lands. www.foxpondestate.com. $4,300,000

Caratunk – 1,064 acres. Views of the Kennebec River – Wyman Lake, Moxie Mountain -east & Bigelow Mountains -west. Interior gravel roads and groomed snowmobile trail. $625,000

General Manager position is hands on day-to-day management of a private 30-member rustic off-the-grid camp from early May to early October beginning 2022 season. The successful candidate will have experience in the outdoor industry and be a jack-of-all trades able to think independently. Excellent people skills and cooperative attitude are critical. In-season housing provided. Salary and benefits in-line with experience. Call 207-577-4726 or email gmillert@yahoo.com.

Beauty runs deep. So does our land sales experience. John Colannino Broker & Forester

Pembroke – 25+/acres. Coastal Maine property with over 2,000’ of tidal shore front along Hardscrabble River. Year round access. Amazing views. $150,000.

AFM Real Estate 40 Champion Lane | Milford, Maine | 04461 O: 207.817.9079 | C: 207.266.7355 John.Colannino@afmforest.com For more information on available properties please visit:

www.AmericanForestManagement.com www.MaineSportsman.com

78 • August 2021 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

— Trophy Gallery —

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Be Sure to Check Out Our Website

www.MaineSportsman.com! ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Ava Kochis, age 4, shows off her first trout ever, and it’s a good one! Ava caught the big brookie at Drummond Pond, in Abbot. Drummond is classified as one of Maine’s 50 “Special Opportunity Waters” by the state’s DIFW, meaning only those under 16 years of age or who hold a complimentary license are permitted to fish there. Photo provided by Sara Edwards

Burlington – Cute camp has electricity already and with a nice, sandy swimming area on Saponac Pond. Both lofts have 2 single beds in them and the BR has a double. It’s just a matter of coming to take a look. $99,000

Prentiss TWP – Cozy cabin with 46 acres, off year-round state road, Averill Road. Camp has lots of new features and additions. Large shed has plenty of room to keep your toys and tools. Peaceful days and starry nights await you! $99,000

Prentiss TWP – Sitting on 43 acres in a nice wildlife area, the cabin has been lived in, year round, the past few years right on Rosewood Haven. Put the work into removing the mold, put down a floor and turn this into a nice, little hunting cabin. $49,900

Lakeville – Spacious inside with a covered porch and large back deck. Two sheds. Solar and generated power. Two driveway entrances for your convenience on Birch Hill Road. Extremely low taxes and access to dozens of lakes. $129,000

Lee – A traditional northern Maine hunting camp. Located along an ATV and Snowmobile trail. Private location and hidden from view on Ames Road. This is a wonderful hunting location and is priced fairly. $29,900

Grand Falls – This cabin was landed on this lot two years ago and ready to finish off and use. This 41 acre lot sits high on a hill with great views on Lord Brook Road. ATV and snowsled from this location. Take a look. $79,000

Lincoln – This large private lot with 500 feet on Egg Pond is a must see. The lot has a new driveway and gravel pad. With 6.5 acres enjoy the privacy. $109,900 Lakeville – Gorgeous waterfront lot with a nice, wide driveway in place. Some clearing has been done. Electricity is nearby. Nice frontage on Duck Lake. LOW TAXES. A wonderful location to build your dream home or a seasonal getaway. $110,000

On June 22, 2021, eleven-year-old Eli Parent of Union caught this trophy brook trout at the Riverbrook Preserve in Waldoboro. Open to the public for low-impact use, the 400-acre preserve stretches along the Medomak River, and is maintained by Midcoast Conservancy. Photo: Valerie Parent www.MaineSportsman.com

Springfield – Looking to purchase a small piece of northern Maine? This 2+/- acre parcel would be perfect. Priced to move. Ready for your camper or getaway cabin right on Route 6. $18,900 Lincoln – Grab this lot now if you want to own one of the few locations left on Transalpine Road. This large lot feels out in the woods but is only 1.1 miles from the hospital and one more to downtown. $18,900

R E A L

E S T A T E

5 LAKE STREET, P.O. BOX 66, LINCOLN 207-794-2460 www.cwalakestreet.com E-mail: cwa@cwalakestreet.com

1-800-675-2460 Call any of our brokers to work for you! “Tate” Aylward ............. 794-2460 Peter Phinney............... 794-5466 Kirk Ritchie................... 290-1554

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION ON OUR PROPERTIES VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT CWALAKESTREET.COM

�� The Maine Sportsman • August 2021 • 79

www.MaineSportsman.com

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