The Maine Sportsman August 2023 Digital Edition

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Bear Hunting – Scent Control, and Choosing a Blind P. 21, 50

Build Your Own Game Cooler P. 24

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4 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

High Peaks Refuge Proposal – Let’s Hear Them Out The US Fish & Wildlife Service is holding so-called scoping and listening sessions, receiving public input on the question of whether to recommend establishment of a High Peaks Wildlife Refuge. The proposed area encompasses portions of Madrid, Salem, Carrabassett Valley, Kingfield, and the southern edge of Rangeley.

The easiest position to take on such proposals is an automatic “No,” since many of us have a healthy distrust of the federal government in any form.

However, in our view it does not make sense to shut down the conversation. Much of the initial opposition arises from concerns over supposed provisions that are not part of the proposal.

Simply put, 1) hunting would be allowed; 2) fishing would be allowed; 3) public access would be secured; and 4) the rights of private landowners would not be affected, unless they voluntarily chose to sell their land – or a conservation easement – to the Service.

The proposal does not include any provisions for the use of eminent domain (involuntary taking), nor are there provisions to restrict outdoor activities. And as for permitted activities, in addition to hunting and fishing, the feds know that no proposal would be supported unless it also called for continuation of snowmobile and other motorized travel.

As proposed, current landowners would not be required to do anything, and no new regulatory overlays would affect private owners of real estate who did not wish to participate. Rather, the proposal would authorize the government to negotiate with sellers willing to sell land or an easement to the federal government.

Before joining the opposition, outdoorspeople should ponder a few questions: 1) Are current landowners, including timber companies, willing to commit to allowing public access, fishing and hunting into the future?

2) Are they willing to commit to not selling their property to wealthy individuals or private organizations that do not support public access and outdoor activities?

3) Have your outdoor activities been restricted by sales of land to private individuals, or by development, or by gates across roads that were formerly accessible?

Perhaps we are biased, because we have driven many of the roads in Franklin County that are within the proposed boundaries. We have fished the ponds, brooks and rivers. And we have also seen the unrelenting pressure applied by folks, mostly from out of state, to expand their buildings, develop their land and restrict public access.

To be clear, we are not supporting establishment of a refuge. How could we? There has been no written, detailed plan put forth that draws the boundary on a map, or that takes into consideration the input the Service has received.

And although the Service has answered many questions, others need addressing, especially the complicated formula for reimbursing municipalities for lost tax revenue, and the reimbursement program’s reliance on yearly appropriations from Congress.

However, it’s important to keep talking.

It’s challenging to think in the long terms that are required to ensure access to land for our children and our children’s children. However, when land is developed, it’s gone forever.

Let’s hear the feds out on this one.

¶

On the Cover: Maine’s bear season starts with Youth Day on August 26. The general season runs August 28 through November 25. Bait can be placed starting July 29, and the “hunting with bait” season runs August 28 through September 23. Bear trapping season starts September 1 and runs through October 31. Hunting with dogs is permitted September 11 through October 27. Bag limit: two per year; one by hunting and one by trapping. Resident hunters do not need a bear permit to hunt bear during the firearms season for deer; however, out-of-state residents must purchase a permit to hunt bear at all times. www.MaineSportsman.com

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 609 • 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: Karen Bartlett 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.................................................... 13 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 40 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 26 Big Woods World by Matt Breton & Hal Blood............ 29 Downeast Region by Jim Lemieux............................... 59 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello....................... 48 Get Out There by Staci Warren.................................... 50 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 53 Jottings by Jon Lund........................................................ 8 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 44 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 6 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Holmes....................... 51 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 17 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose............................... 30 Midcoast by Tom Seymour........................................... 60 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 57 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 73 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie............................ 61 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 77 Quotable Sportsman by Will Lund................................ 25 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 69 Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly...................... 43 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 76 Saltwater Fishing by Bob Humphrey............................ 38 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 65 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews.................. 66 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 31 Smilin’ Sportsman by Will Lund...................................... 76 Snapshots in Time by Bill Pierce.................................... 12 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 64 Sporting Environment by David Van Wie.................... 55 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery................. 10 Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts.71 Tidewater Tales by Randy Randall............................... 63 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller.................. 67 Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 78 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 46 Vermont by Matt Breton............................................... 75 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 72

GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS

ATVing in Maine by Steve Carpenteri......................... 18 Bear Hunting in Maine by Bill Graves........................... 21 Boating in Maine by Bob Humphrey............................ 34 GUEST: Build a Game Cooler by Staci Warren........... 24 GUEST: Tying Flies by Dan LaPointe.............................. 47

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Boggy Brook Outfitters on Pristine Branch Lake Boggy Brook Outfitters is a family-owned and operated Maine Guide Service with a main lodge and cabin, located in Ellsworth, Maine. This is a four-season operation, providing year-round adventures and lodging to their guests.

Since 2006, owner Jesse Derr has offered client-tailored hunting and fishing trips, wildlife observation tours, and luxury lakefront accommodations.

Nestled in a quiet cove on pristine Branch Lake, the main lodge offers luxury, log-home accommodations, exceptional sunsets, hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, canoeing and wildlife observation.

The convenient location presents clients not only with a tranquil lakefront retreat, but also close proximity to ex-

plore such must-see attractions as Acadia National Park, Baxter State Park, and much more.

Maine Master Guide Derr and his son Christopher take pride in the exceptional services provided by Boggy Brook Outfitters to their guests from Maine and around the world. They provide fully-guided bear hunting, deer hunting, turkey hunting and moose hunting trips, as well as four-season freshwater fishing trips.

Boggy Brook Outfitters offer deer hunting in all three of the available seasons in Maine (Bow, Rifle, and Muzzleloader). They hunt over active food plots and well-traveled deer trails, and offer metal ladder tree stands, shooting houses and ground blinds. The guides work hard planting and maintaining food plots all year. Trail cameras are placed in hunting areas and food plots. Throughout the year, Boggy Brook Outfitters check over their well-established 1,500 gated acres of hunting land.

Jesse and Christopher look forward to serving each client with professionalism and experience, with hunting and fishing adventures and with memories that will last a lifetime. Lifelong friendships are

often created during these adventures.

Boggy Brook Outfitter’s goal is not only to meet their clients’ expectations, but to always exceed them. For more information, or to contact Boggy Brook, check out their website at boggybrookoutfitters. com, or call (207) 667 -7271 (Office), (207) 266 -0685 (Cell), or email jdcon@yahoo. com.

Tim Pond Wilderness Camps “The Place You’ve Been Looking For and Didn’t Know How to Find!”

Tim Pond Camps, located in Eustis, Maine, consists of a Main Lodge and 11 rustic log cabins. Each cozy cabin is equipped with a bathroom and hot and cold running water, and is heated with a woodstove. Delicious home-cooked meals are served in the spacious lodge dining room, and the cookie jar is always full for snacking!

Tim Pond, which has never been stocked, stretches a mile long and is well known for unbelievable fly fishing for native brook trout. Tim Pond is actually one

of only a few ponds left in Maine that is still all-natural. Although a lot of fishermen practice catch-and-release, each angler is allowed to keep two fish. Brookies are great fighters and a lot of fun to catch, and to eat – if you get “fish-hungry,” the cook will fry up your catch for breakfast!

Guests staying at Tim Pond Camps in September enjoy taking a hike up the brook to see the fish as they make their way to spawn, and they are always amazed at how far up the mountain the fish travel, and the small amount of water needed to make the voyage.

Tim Pond offers many adventures and attractions in addition to the spectacular

fishing. If learning to fly fish is on your bucket list, then enroll in Tim Pond’s Fly-Fishing School, or just to learn some new fly-fishing techniques.

Guests can enjoy an energetic hike, go bird or moose watching, or just sit on the porch and read a book while listening to the loons and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Deer, moose, eagles and fox are often seen without leaving the porch. And, if hunting is your passion, Tim Pond offers upland game and deer hunting in season.

Make Tim Pond Camps your next fishing or vacation destination. Call 207243-2947, or visit www.timpond.com.

www.MaineSportsman.com

6 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters To The Editor

“Amazing” to See Huge Sturgeon in Cobbossee Stream

To the Editor: A truly amazing event occurred here in Central Maine in June – for several days, Atlantic sturgeon gathered in the Gardiner stretch of the Kennebec River, where many of them entered Cobbossee Stream.

The fish were first spotted in the stream by an angler who was casting flies for striped bass. The bass were chasing blueback herring in shallow, fast-flowing water 200 yards upstream from the Kennebec.

Suddenly the fly fisherman found himself surrounded by Atlantic sturgeon, some 10 feet long.

Word quickly got out, and I drove down the next morning to see what was up. I began at the mouth of the stream, and where I looked out into the river and saw many sturgeon leaping. Then I walked upstream along Cobbossee Stream. I spoke with a striper fisher-

man who said as he left the night before, “sturgeon were stacked up like cordwood at the new bridge.” Just then, a large sturgeon surfaced and rolled out nearby.

Climbing up to the Maine Avenue (Route 201) bridge, I looked down into Cobbossee Stream and saw shadowy sturgeon moving in the fast, deep water under the bridge … and there were lots of them.

Northern Maine Needs Pin Smelts for Ice Fishing To the Editor: What are the chances of listing a live bait wholesale directory in The Maine Sportsman magazine for the November and December issues? Here’s why I ask: For the past three ice fishing seasons, on the Fish River Chain of Lakes, supplies of pin smelts always sold out before the Long Lake Fishing Derby.

A huge sturgeon swims under the Cobbossee Stream bridge in Gardiner on June 22, 2023. Steve Brooke photo

Later, I was joined on the bridge by a retired marine biologist, and as we watched, we could see that these fish were spawning in the stream directly under us.

During the four-day run, the bridge and streambanks were lined with people marveling at the huge sturgeon.

The presence of sturgeon and other fish is proof that the dream of a clean, productive Kennebec watershed is slowly becoming reality.

Steve Brooke, Farmingdale, ME

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Photo credit: Solenbaits.co.uk

There is a huge demand for pin smelts during ice fishing for the derby and also at the Madawaska Lake Junior ice fishing weekend. We have one bait dealer who was selling pin smelts for $15 a dozen with no competition, and he was always selling out on both weekends.

Fishing the St. John River, Glazier Lake and Beau Lake for muskie success requires small- to medium-size suckers, as well as lake smelts for bottom feeders, togue and nighttime cusk.

My wife Linda and I attended the (Continued on next page)

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State of Maine Sportsman’s Show this spring. It was a great show. We were hoping to make connections in order to interest a wholesaler to supply Northern Maine with pin smelts, but we did not have any luck.

I would appreciate it very much if The Sportsman could help us publicize the need and the opportunity.

Philip Bechard, St. David, ME Editor’s response: Thank you for writing, Philip. We have notified our sales staff here at The Sportsman, and they will be on the lookout for bait wholesalers to help meet the need, especially during derby season in The County.

—

Keep Permethrin Away from Domestic Cats

can lead to death. This usually happens when cats are administered the substance topically, in flea and tick medications that are intended for dogs. However, according to published research, there are also risks when cats brush up against treated clothing, or come in contact with dogs that have been treated.

Hunters (of which there are several in our household) should be aware of this when they store their permethrin-treated clothing and equipment, if they have cats as pets.

I was surprised to learn of this danger to cats, and I believe it’s worthwhile to inform those cat owners/outdoorspeople who are unaware.

Thanks again to Staci, and please tell her to keep up the nice work.

Mary Hargreaves, Sumner, ME owner of five dogs and a cat

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To the Editor: Research reference: Jill A. RichardI enjoyed reading Staci Warren’s son, DVM, © 2000 The Journal of column titled “Tick Prevention TacVeterinary Emergency and Critical tics,” in the May 2023 issue of The Care. Study results are found here: Maine Sportsman. It was very inforwww.aspcapro.org/sites/default/ mative. files/d-veccs_april00_0.pdf Staci reported that each spring, she designates two pairs of jeans, socks, boots and t-shirts as her “adventure gear,” then takes them outside in a ventilated area, sprays them with permethrin, Boating Grilling Guns and lets them dry. & Ammo When it comes to using permethrin, one thing your readers need Fishing Pool to keep in mind is how Gear Camping Supplies toxic the substance is to A Family Owned Hardware Store with 2500 Sq. Ft. of Sporting Goods cats when they are ex186 Sabattus Road, Sabattus, ME • (207) 375-6253 posed to it. It can cause 2 Miles Off I-95 Exit 86 toxicosis to their central nervous systems which, if untreated,

¶

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8 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Canoes Have Been on Cobbossee for a Long, Long Time Canoes have a bad reputation for being tippy. In some cases, the reputation is well-deserved.

Just look at the numbers – a 14-foot outboard motorboat may be capable of navigating our inland waters with two people aboard without raising any safety concerns, while a 14-foot canoe is a specialized craft that may be suitable with no more than one person aboard.

When we summered on an island on Lake Cobbossee as I was growing up, we needed watercraft to

Do you think Indigenous Peoples risked paddling their handcrafted birchbark canoes through the shallow, rocky upper stretches of Cobbosseecontee Stream? Think again. get to our landing and get to a vehicle, and a small outboard boat was our first choice.

Simple, reliable, and not too expensive. We have a half-mile of open water to cross in varying conditions, and we usually keep rain gear handy for the days of inclement weather.

Younger and Self-Propelled I have noticed that

several members of the next generation keep a variety of kayaks and canoes ready for use. On most occasions, those younger folks can kayak across from the landing to the island in about the same length of time it takes to launch our small motorboat, load it, start it, and arrive at camp. I believe the next generation will not be as dependent on mechanical propulsion

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Counterbalance My older brother Mort and I needed to learn more about the new canoe. We invented a game when we were both in the canoe – one of us would try to capsize the canoe, and the other would try to keep it right-side up.

We learned that by paying attention to our partner and counterbalancing him, we could keep the canoe afloat. We also learned that if the canoe does capsize and we come up inside the canoe, there is no reason to (Continued on next page)

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However, he was open-minded, and soon we added the 16-footer to our fleet.

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become concerned, because we could breathe the air trapped under the canoe for a time.

Whitewater, and Easy Repairs Despite its freshwater versatility, we found that one place to avoid use of an aluminum canoe is in whitewater travel. It is hard to explain, but unlike fiberglass or plastic craft, instead of skidding or bouncing off a rock, aluminum seems to grab ahold of the rock and hang on.

But on the plus side, if you can find a welder who is skilled at welding aluminum, repairs can last a long time. For example, I have an aluminum fly reel that needed a welding repair. The reel factory folks said, “No, thank you,” but a local craftsman welded a neat patch on it thirty years ago, and it is still working today.

Historic Travel Mode In the days when Native Americans traveled our waterways, they paddled their canoes to the coast to harvest seafood in the spring, and paddled back upriver in the fall to hunt moose. The Cobbossee watershed was a major travel route for the Indigenous People, and birchbark canoes were the principal vehicle.

Some ideas regarding this canoe travel can be gathered from looking up item #12125 of the Maine Historical Society collection – a 1765 vintage map showing the shape of what is now called Horseshoe Island and Cobbossee Lake – which was then called Great Pond.

Traveling south on the lake and then turning easterly, com-

ing to the easterly edge of the lake, we see dotted lines extending from the lake shore to a shore of Cobbossee Stream, labeled “Great Carrying Place.”

Stream of Many Rocks I had assumed that when the natives went from Cobbossee Lake to Cobbossee Stream, they would somehow start just below the current location of the dam and the outlet.

But many years ago, I learned that was a hazardous route.

We had only been summering on Cobbossee for a few years when my son, Rolf proposed that in the spring, we paddle Cobbossee Stream. So we did, foolishly, without scouting the area first.

We put in our canoe a short distance below the Outlet dam.

It was spring runoff time, and we floated for a short bit, when the stream broadened out and we ground to a halt in a shallow cobblestone area. Our tough Kevlar hull was scratched but not seriously damaged; however, that was the end of our canoeing for the day.

We carried out.

No way would any native punish his birchbark craft on those cobblestones.

My best guess is that they paddled on the lake past Horseshoe Island, then turned East, left the lake, followed the Grand Portage path, then put in below the rocky area and then paddled through friendlier waters.

It would be interesting to try to follow that Great Carrying Place portage route today.

This detail from a 1765 map of Cobbosseecontee Lake features a dotted line labeled “E.” The map’s key identifies the route as the “Great Carrying Place,” indicating that Indigenous Peoples likely avoided the rough and rocky upper portion Cobbossee Stream, and traveled between the stream and the big lake using this overland route. The map also shows the outlet, and the unmistakable shape of Horseshoe Island. Source: Maine Historical Society and Maine Memory Network. Learn more about the Maine Historical Society, including the benefits of membership, at MaineHistory.org.

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10 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Lakewood Camps & Rapid River The Middle Dam area of the fabled Rangeley Lakes is home to two legendary entities – the 170-yearold Lakewood Camps, and the beautiful Rapid River, arguably the finest trophy brook trout water in the Pine Tree State, and probably in the entire USA. Here, the likes of Carrie Stevenson tied by hand her beautiful and deadly brookie and landlock salmon streamer flies; Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby fished and guided and plied her trade as a noted outdoors writer who covered fly fishing and hunting; and Herb Welch made his long, smooth casts to rising fish.

Well over a century and a half after the early heyday of Lakewood Camps, I stepped out onto the front porch of my rustic but comfortable log cabin, a short stone’s toss from the lake. The sun hovered just below the hills to the east

Comfortable cabins, an historic setting, delicious food, an accommodating staff, and great fishing – and all this, from the longest-running sporting camp in Maine. Get to a Maine sporting camp, says the author, to avoid becoming “effete, enfeebling, and bereft of vigor.” across the lake, and the sky and waters were a bright golden and gaining in intensity of color. A loon, perhaps the same one that sang me to sleep the night before, dove for food just off the shore near the camp’s dock. It was going to be another beautiful day.

This month I’ll describe Lakewood Camps, and next month’s column will focus on the fishing, including trolling Lower Lake Richardson for togue and landlocked salmon, fly casting below Middle Dam in the various currents leading into Pond in the River, and on the Rapid River itself. I’ll also discuss the European method of nymphing

Lakewood Camps has 12 cabins on the water just up from the boat docks.

The clubhouse is a larger cabin with a waterfront dining room and a small office.

All photos by King Montgomery www.MaineSportsman.com

that is proving extremely effective on this colorful stream.

Lakewood Camp’s History The original camp that would become Lakewood Camps many decades later was opened in 1853, and the camps have been open continuously since then. This makes Lakewood the longest running camp in Maine, and probably one of the longest operating in the United States. The current cabins appear to have been built in the early 20th century.

Here’s a great quote from the Society of Architectural Historians (www.sah.archipedia.org) on Maine’s sporting camps and their draw to city folks:

Derived from the late Victorian middle class obsession with the wilderness and nature. the sporting camp was distinctive to Maine.

Rapid industrialization on the East Coast stirred fears that urban culture in New York and other large cities was becoming effete, enfeebling, and bereft of vigor. A search for the “rugged life” ensued; returning to nature for most urbanites meant a hunting or fishing venture, at first in New York’s Adirondacks in the antebellum years, then in Maine after 1870.

Increasingly, in the 1870s and 1880s, these sporting trips were facilitated and promoted by rail lines such as the Maine Central,

Angler’s Retreat was built around 1860, and Middle Dam Camps were constructed in 1878 on the site of the older camp.

Today, women don’t have to wear ankle-length skirts, and men may eschew coats and ties while at Lakewood Camps.

and the Bangor and Aroostook Railroads, and publications such as Harper’s and Forest and Stream glorified the wonders of Maine’s woods.

Lakewood Camps Today Lakewood Camps has 12 cabins on the water just up from the boat docks. The clubhouse is a larger cabin, with the waterfront dining room and a small office. Just down from the cabins is a large fire-pit with plenty of wood and places to sit, post-prandial libation in hand, to reflect on the day just passed, and the day yet to come when brook trout and salmon hopefully will flock to your fly.

The camps have all the amenities, including hot and cold running water, showers, flush-toilets, electricity from 6 a.m. to 10 p,m., and a Franklin wood stove. All the beds and mattresses (Continued on next page)

The cabins can accommodate from two to six guests in rustic comfort.

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 11

The dining room has a line of windows facing Lower Lake Richardson. Richardson Lake was once called “Mollychunkamunk” by the native peoples. It means “Waters of the deep ravine,” a reference to the narrows where Upper Dam now sits.

(Continued from page 10)

are new for the 2023 season, and the cabins are well-situated for some great fishing experiences – both Middle Dam and the Rapid River are within walking distance, or the camp folks can shuttle you to either location.

Lakewood is a full-service destination camp on 1,600 acres of near-pristine land that offers fly fishing, trolling on the lake, upland bird hunting in late September through October, and moose hunting. Registered Maine guides for all those endeavors are available.

Hunters seeking wild turkey and deer are self-guided for now.

Your visit to Lakewood begins with a boat-ride from the South Arm of Lower

The sun hovered just below the hills to the east across the lake, and the sky and waters were a bright golden.

Lake Richardson in Andover, Maine. Vehicles are parked in a designated area, and the Lakewood boat ferries sports to camp on a 15-20 minute voyage.

I first visited Lakewood Camps almost a dozen years ago. I liked it then, and I really like it now, for a number of reasons.

One of the most important reasons is the camp staff. Mike Ring is the general manager, and he is one of the hardest-working folks I’ve encountered at any sporting camp.

His main mission is to ensure you have an outstanding experience during your visit, from start to finish. He is very ably assisted

by Emily Alexander, director of hospitality, and she is such a friendly and efficient

The fishing in the dam outflow can be quite good, and nice water continues on downstream to Pond in the River.

person, you know you’re in good hands when around her.

John Holt is camp manager, and he keeps things running smoothly. He’s also a helluva good fly angler who can answer questions about the fishing. The director of guiding operations is Scott Oehrlein, a registered Maine fishing and hunting guide who works with a solid staff of Maine guides with a lot of experience in the field and on the water. He is top notch for sure.

I can’t speak highly enough about the quality of the food at Lakewood Camps. Every meal is a true culinary experience, thanks to Chef Richard Hunter, and Lisa, a pastry chef of the highest merit.

His meals are superb, and her baked goods

The director of guiding operations is Scott Oehrlein, a registered Maine fishing and hunting guide. Here, he consults “We Took to the Woods,” Louise Dickinson Rich’s engaging tale of life along the Rapid River and Middle Dam area in the 1930s.

are sublime.

Their website contains an accurate description of their mission: Lakewood Camps was purchased in 2022 by a group with one goal – to restore and preserve one of the oldest continuously running sporting camps in the nation. Their mission is to foster a high quality, sustainable, and timeless Maine sporting experience that will be treasured by sportsmen and women, their families, and the community for generations to come.

Lakewood Camps is an icon that deserves to be preserved and protected as one of Western Maine’s treasures. From the shoreline to the tree line, the land, location, and history are rich, and the owners are dedicated to preserving the

Wading can be tough here and in the nearby Rapid River, so be careful. A wading staff is a must. If you hear a siren while fishing, get out of the water immediately.

charm of this historic destination.

I know and have fished with three of the owners – Dennis LaBare, Bob Corsetti and Kevin McEneaney – and they are outdoorsmen and gentlemen of the finest quality and disposition. All this tells me that Lakewood Camps is in good hands, and will continue as a prime outdoor destination for many more years to come.

Contact Lakewood Camps at reservations@lakewoodcamps.com or call (207) 305-0011. The camp is open from mid-May to the end of October. Check their excellent website for more information, and call or e-mail if you have questions. See www.lakewoodcamps. com.

¶

There are some beautiful fish to be had in the narrows below Middle Dam and on the Rapid River. This gorgeous native wild Eastern brook trout fell to a nymph fished Euro-style on a 10-foot long fly rod designed for this type of fishing. www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

“Snapshots in Time”

Historical Glimpses from Maine’s Sporting Past Compiled by Bill Pierce, Former Executive Director, Outdoor Heritage Museum

Author’s note: In the late 19th Century, there were probably few Maine Guides who could match the Rangeley Region’s Ed Grant in spinning a good yarn. He was the founder of Grant’s Camps, still in operation today at Kennebago.

Ed was known as the “Sage of Beaver Camp” and was as superb a storyteller as any Maine Guide who ever lived. His stories were chronicled by Francis I. Maule of Philadelphia into a small book, titled “The Tame Trout and Other Backwoods Fairy Tales,” pub-

lished by Maine Woods and Woodsman Print in 1904.

The story was reprinted in 1939 by the Grabhorn Press as a little 8-page booklet that was given away to friends as a New Year’s gift from Francis and Marjory Farquar of Berkeley CA, who were probably guests of Grant’s at one time. The originals are hard to find, but reprints are available online.

Ed shared additional stories that were set down in book form. The 1904 edition included other stories like “Grant’s Partridge,” “A Remarkable

Bear Skin,” “Rowing Extraordinary” and “The New Camp Stove.”

The article below, with quotes from Ed (most likely said to Fly Rod Crosby) for the June 6, 1900 edition of the Phillips Phonograph provides examples of Ed’s ability to add “color” to even a simple report from camp. The 2nd short article, from the same edition, shares another Mooselookmeguntic guide’s idea of “Rowing Extraordinary.”

Can you imagine what the spring fishing in Maine was like in 1900? Enjoy, and tight lines, everyone.

Trout Taken with a Dip Net Not Allowed to be Cooked And Deer May Be Snowballed on July 4th Special Correspondence to the (Phillips) Phonograph (Fly Rod Crosby) Rangeley, Me., June 6, 1900

Your correspondent this morning met “Eddie” Grant, who is home for a day or two from Seven Ponds. He said that the travel this year commenced earlier than usual, and they are now working to finish a new camp for Mr. C. M. Hapgood’s party of Easton, Pa., who are coming the middle of this month for a stay of seven or eight weeks.

The buckboard road now makes the Seven Ponds camps (Megantic) only half-a-day’s journey from Kennebago, and more people are coming than ever before.

Mr. A. E. Winter of New York, and his friend Mr. H. Andrews of London, England, who were the first party to go in, have just returned for a two weeks’ stay. They found the fishing fine; in fact, Ed declares the “fish are so thick, one has to use a paddle to get them out of the way, and some lazy fellows want to dip them from the lake into the fry pan, but he has made a law of his own, that no one should catch more than three at a time at one cast, and fish taken with a dip net should not be cooked in camp.”

The Vaughn party of Worcester, Massachusetts, five in number, with Jim Mathieson, Jim Stewart and John Oakes for guides, went in on Monday.

And E. A. Stearns and son, and John Ballard and son of Boston, who have been coming for years, are now in camp for a two weeks’ stay. www.MaineSportsman.com

ebration on July 4, and all parties who come, report seeing deer as plentiful as sheep,” so Ed says—. ***** Author’s note: And in the same issue is this little missive, which shares one guide’s theory that salmon like their flies trolled fast (which is still true today).

—

“Salmon Forgits It” – Guide Tells Why He Rows His Boat Fast

Ed Grant, founder of Grant’s Camps, and “as superb a storyteller as any Maine Guide who ever lived.”

Ed says, “There are now snowbanks in the woods not far from camp, and he is going to have a snowball cel-

A well-known resident of Springfield, Masachusetts, who has already made one fishing trip to the Rangeley lakes this spring, was out trolling a few days ago when he discovered that his sinkers were riding up on top of the water, the result of the very fast rowing that the guide was indulging in.

The sportsman naturally moderated and suggested that for the sake of landing a salmon, once in a while, would he be willing to row considerably slower?

“Oh,” said the guide, “It’s better not to go too slow. These fellers that go slow try to earn the’r money easy. The salmon sees the bait, sees that he kin git it any time, an’ goes off an’ forgits it.”

¶

Almanac

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 13

Mother Nature’s Adventure Test

It begins with an air temperature of 42 degrees and pouring rain. I mean pouring rain – the kind where you bail it out of the canoe so it’s not sloshing around your feet.

This was Day Three of an eightday river trip. We’d canoed all day in that rain, taking a break for lunch and snacks, during which we put up a quick

tarp and boiled a kettle on the stove.

I change into the dry set of clothes. I After much hard work, and teamset up my bed. I put the soaking wet rain work, we made camp, put a tarp over gear back on as a wind/vapor barrier, the fire, and set up the kitchen. The rain and I pull on the same cold, wet boots. was letting up, enough in fact for us to The boots I know will stay warm, with set our tents up. me cooking around the fire.

Now, like many, many times on I put a dry buff around my neck, and many, many rivers, the test begins. I’m a wool hat on my head. Hands will have sitting in an empty tent, my pack beto stay cold and uncovered, because I side me in the vestibule, and the chess have to cook. game gets underway. I’m soaked, rain I passed Mother Nature’s test. Yes, gear dripping on the floor, soaked spot totally pristine dry stuff got damp, but already on the floor of the tent where I’m when it’s that cold, you have to be dry. sitting. Fat drops roll off the brim of my (Continued on next page) hat, leaving a trail wherever I turn my eyes to look at something, but it’s too cold to take it id aine arine off.

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Bad weather is part of what the author calls Mother Nature’s Adventure Test.

Here, freezing rain begins to fall on the author’s tent. Lisa DeHart photo

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14 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Almanac

(Continued from page 13)

My Dad was a bush pilot. He used to tell me, “If you’re ever in trouble, ask yourself two questions: “Am I warm?” and “Am I fed?” … and you only gotta answer “Yes” to one of them.

—

A Stand-up Proposition?

New-Style ATV Breaks the Mold

How do you take an exciting outdoor activity (operating an ATV), and make it even more exciting?

Welcome to the first stand-up electric-powered ATV, that its manufacturer, LyteHorse, describes as “powerful, silent, nimble, and maintenance-free.”

While we have yet to take a demo ride, the specs make clear this machine embodies innovative concepts: • Power to the four 3000-watt hub motors (one in each wheel) is supplied by a 9.6 kWh rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

• Weight capacity is 500 lbs. – towing capacity is 1,000 lbs.

• High vantage point for the operator, for good visibility • Relatively low center of gravity, due to the positioning of the heavy battery.

Although it may be better suited for open-space riding than for Maine’s thick forests, the new stand-up ATV certainly looks like fun. Photo credit: LyteHorse

It’s not entirely clear how a standing rider would easily duck under the low fir branches that sometimes protrude into Maine’s ATV trails, and we’re not sure where the owner would keep his lunch and spare parts for a long ride, but we will say this – it looks like fun.

—

Happy Office Manager; Happy Life

Here at The Maine Sportsman, we believe in getting outside from time to time. We even give our office manager, Carol Lund, an occasional weekend off.

MAINE CAMPING GUIDE —

Carol and her catch on Tim Pond.

On a Saturday in June, Carol, who has been working with Master Guide Sean McCormick on her fly fishing technique, demonstrated that she’d learned her lessons well.

Carol pulled several nice native brook trout from the waters of Tim Pond in Eustis. Her enthusiastic response told us all we needed to know about the joys of fly fishing.

Explore All that Maine Has to Offer!

—

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www.webbsrv.com www.MaineSportsman.com

(Continued on next page)

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 15 (Continued from page 14)

Guide-Recommended Gear for Climbing Mt. Katahdin

by John LaMarca

Mt. Katahdin sits proudly at the northern tip of the Appalachian Trail, rising 5,269 feet above sea level.

“Katahdin” is a Penobscot Native American word meaning “Great MounTo safely and comfortably summit a tain,” and “great” is an understatement mountain like Katahdin takes planning, when it comes to the awe-inspiring and the right gear. views and large wilderness areas that ointment, adhesive bandages, antiseptic surround the mountain, which is located wipes, super glue, 550 cord (15 feet), tisin Baxter State Park. sues, sanitization wipes, bug spray, sunAs a guide, a question I am often screen and a safety whistle. asked is, “What should I bring for the • Walking Stick: Sometimes you hike?” A very good question – there’s need a little more balance, and trekking a lot you can bring, but here are a few poles or a walking stick does just that. I things at the top of my list. personally use a stick I made 15 years • Water: No matter what skill level ago from a oak sapling that had been you are, everyone needs to drink plenty located in the backyard of my childhood of water. A 32-oz. water bottle (standard home. Not only is it very useful, but also Nalgene-style bottle size) can weigh you take a little bit of home with you, no around 2.5 lbs. When I hike Katahdin, matter where you go!

I bring two Nalgene-style water bottles.

— I also carry a water filter straw. This Nearly a Perfect Story – allows me to filter water, so I can refill from streams as I hike. I use the “Platythe Fly and the Trout pus QuickDraw Microfilter” straw.

by Will Lund • Boots: You’re hiking – you live and It had all the elements of a perfect die by your feet! Having properly-fitted story for The Maine Sportsman – wife hiking boots can mean the difference finds ancient yellow fly stuck to the rafbetween an enjoyable adventure and a ters at camp; husband ties it to his line miserable blister-packed slog. and heads out in the canoe; huge trout It’s a good idea to break in your shoes inhales the fly – and then it wasn’t quite before your hike, since the last place such a perfect story, after all. you want to find out you have a hotspot We’d brought the generator that could result in a blister is halfto my wife Sara’s family’s remote way through your hike. I wear a pair of camp in Monson for the biennial L.L.Bean Cresta Hiking Boots. vacuuming. She was on a ladder, • Backpack: A good hiking backgetting dust off the rafters. pack is essential, as it provides more adjustments and features than a standard backpack. They also provide great ventilation for your back, whereas a standard backpack sits flat on your back, causing you to sweat.

Make sure your backpack has a hip strap that allows you to transfer the weight of your pack from your shoulders to your hips.

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“Hey,” she said, “there’s a trout fly up here!”

Sure enough, more than 50 years ago, her father Bill had stuck a fly high along the ceiling supports, likely to get it out from underfoot, and there it had sat.

The mice had munched on the feathers, eating the main wing, the outer wing, the tailing and the topping, leaving only the ribbing, so what had started as a Yellow Sally was now even less than a Saffron Sal. However, a sense of destiny came over me as I headed out on a cloudy day to let the shortened fly do its thing.

Immediately, a medium-size trout grabbed the fly. Because Bill was a pacifist at heart, I released the fish.

Another similar-sized brookie hit the fly. I kept it for breakfast.

Heading back toward the dock, I continued casting. The fly disappeared in a big swirl, and when I pulled, the trout dove and peeled out line.

Even this magic, mouse-chewed trout fly did not have sufficient power to compensate for the boneheaded omission of the angler. W. Lund photo (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

16 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

August 2023 Sunrise/Sunset Bangor, ME DATE RISE SET 1 Tue 5:19 8:03 2 Wed 5:20 8:02 3 Thu 5:21 8:00 4 Fri 5:22 7:59 5 Sat 5:24 7:58 6 Sun 5:25 7:56 7 Mon 5:26 7:55 8 Tue 5:27 7:53 9 Wed 5:28 7:52 10 Thu 5:29 7:51 11 Fri 5:31 7:49 12 Sat 5:32 7:48 13 Sun 5:33 7:46 14 Mon 5:34 7:44 15 Tue 5:35 7:43 16 Wed 5:36 7:41

DATE RISE SET 17 Thu 5:38 7:40 18 Fri 5:39 7:38 19 Sat 5:40 7:36 20 Sun 5:41 7:35 21 Mon 5:42 7:33 22 Tue 5:44 7:31 23 Wed 5:45 7:30 24 Thu 5:46 7:28 25 Fri 5:47 7:26 26 Sat 5:48 7:25 27 Sun 5:49 7:23 28 Mon 5:51 7:21 29 Tue 5:52 7:19 30 Wed 5:53 7:17 31 Thu 5:54 7:16

August 2023 Tides Portland, ME DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

HIGH AM PM 11:18 11:28 — 12:12 12:23 1:04 1:17 1:55 2:11 2:47 3:07 3:41 4:05 4:36 5:06 5:32 6:09 6:30 7:13 7:31 8:18 8:31 9:17 9:26 10:09 10:16 10:55 11:00 11:37 11:41 — 12:16 12:19 12:51 12:55 1:24 1:29 1:56 2:04 2:28 2:40 3:02 3:20 3:40 4:05 4:23 4:55 5:13 5:52 6:08 6:54 7:11 8:01 8:17 9:05 9:19 10:04 10:18 10:58 11:14 11:50 —

www.MaineSportsman.com

LOW AM PM 5:04 5:10 5:57 6:05 6:49 7:01 7:39 7:56 8:29 8:52 9:21 9:51 10:14 10:52 11:10 11:55 — 12:07 1:00 1:09 2:05 2:12 3:06 3:10 3:59 4:01 4:46 4:46 5:28 5:28 6:06 6:06 6:40 6:42 7:11 7:18 7:42 7:53 8:14 8:31 8:48 9:11 9:26 9:56 10:08 10:45 10:56 11:40 11:50 — 12:41 12:50 1:47 1:55 2:51 2:59 3:50 3:59 4:44 4:55 5:36 5:50

Almanac (Continued from page 15) Finally, after a battle that lasted several minutes, it came to the surface.

Reach for the Net I was already envisioning how I was going to fit this lunker into our largest fry pan. I was also mourning the end of fishing for the day, since this lake has a two-trout limit.

I reached for the net.

No net. So certain had I been about destiny that I had taken only my rod, a life jacket and this single fly – and no net.

Where’s MacGuyver When you Need Him? In hindsight, I could have reached down and lifted the big fish by its lower jaw, like a largemouth bass. Or I could have MacGuyvered a net out of my T-shirt. Heck, I could even have performed the old Rangeley boat trick of tipping the canoe sideways while guiding the trout toward me, and dipping the gunwale momentarily below the lake’s surface to slide the fish – and a few gallons of water – into the bottom of the canoe.

care. These are key elements to an enjoyable trip without your day ending in painful blisters.

You don’t need expensive hiking boots; good-fitting sneakers are generally fine for most easy to moderate trails.

Rubbing and pressure are the main causes of blisters. Wet socks and shoes increase friction, as does starting off with dry, scaly skin.

When hiking the 100-Mile Wilderness in Monson, Maine, our family followed these rules of footcare, and successfully trekked during rain and sunny days without developing any blisters: • Wear properly fitted shoes that are well broken-in • Wear only synthetic or wool socks – no cotton • If your feet are wet, remove and replace socks, and dry your feet thoroughly • Keep feet well moisturized – apply lotion or olive oil, and rub in until absorbed • Apply a barrier such as moleskin at the first sign of irritation

Lesson Learned Instead, I tried to slide my hand under the fish’s belly, with the predictable result being a final flip of the tail, and the fish pulling free of the hook.

I sat, head down, to let the lesson sink in.

As my father-in-law would have told me if he were still around, “Always bring a net.”

—

Wilderness First Aid: Hikers Must Take Care of their Feet

by Stacey Wheeler

When hitting the Maine trails this summer, most of us pack the ten backpack essentials for a day hike, which include: • water • snacks • flashlight • first-aid kit • jacket • sunblock • fire starters • compass, and • charged cellphone and/or navigation tool such as a compass.

What many fail to consider is proper fitting footwear and skin

These strong legs and feet belong to members of what the author caller her “hiking tribe,” at the summit of Borestone Mountain in Elliotsville.

Stacey Wheeler photo

Blisters are nature’s way of protecting your feet, and they are a signal telling you to sit down.

If you do develop a blister that isn’t very painful, keep it intact, and cover with gauze and a bandage for protection. If that blister pops, do not peel back the skin. The skin protects against infection. Use a dab of antibiotic cream, and cover.

Always be aware of signs of infection, such as increased pain, swelling, redness, fever or chills.

Seek medical attention when necessary.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 17

Maine Wildlife:

Phoebe

by Tom Seymour

I keep a journal of “firsts,” telling me when the first dandelions are ready for harvest, when I catch the first brook trout of the year (usually April 1), when crappies go on their spawning runs, when the first hummingbird arrives, and when the first phoebe returns.

I often wonder why I even bother to note when phoebes arrive. Their constant flitting about around my backyard is annoying. They are like little perpetual motion machines. They never rest. I like peace, calm and serenity, and with phoebes around, all that goes out the window. Even when sitting, a phoebe will continually pump its tail up and down. Add to that its constant, scratchy “fee-bee” call, and you have a bird that seemingly never rests.

Also, phoebes are messy. Phoebes roost on everything, including manmade items, and they leave their droppings everywhere they go. I could overlook their constant activity, were it not for their messiness.

Every year, sometime between early- to mid-April, I get the first inkling that a phoebe has returned. I’ll see something fluttering outside my window in my peripheral vision. But the sighting is so brief that it leaves me unsure what caused it. Was it a bat? Or perhaps it was a phoebe.

Grand Arrival A week or so later, the phoebe will become much more prominent, leaving no doubt as to its identity. I greet the little gray bird with mixed emotions.

Yes, nature waking up from its long winter sleep is a wonderful thing – another winter has passed, and spring has arrived: all good stuff. But I know the phoebe will soon take over the backyard and more.

The “and more” part often includes an extremely sloppy nest-building process. At my home back in the woods of Waldo, where I lived for much of my life, a phoebe – and probably succeeding generations of the same bird – would always attempt to build their mud-weed-grass and even animal hair nests. The bird would begin by hauling wet clay and splattering it on the side of the house, just above the porch light.

The author has decidedly-mixed feelings about this small, gray bird.

There was only one option for me, and that was to thwart the bird’s efforts by tearing down the nest. The clay was extremely difficult to wash off from the house, and the worst of it was, the bird only relented after I had removed as much as three nests.

Perhaps I sound mean, but who wants to sit on a back deck that is spattered with mud and phoebe droppings?

Besides, the bird had several outbuildings where it was fine to build its nest.

Insect Killer Despite their messy and annoying habits, phoebes possess a redeeming feature. They catch flying insects – lots of them. If I must share my late-afternoon rest time on the back porch with a pair of phoebes, at least there is satisfaction in knowing they are removing some pesky insects.

I find it interesting that most of the time when a phoebe leaves its perch to fly off and nab an insect in mid-air, it returns to the same place. This illustrates that its perch, or point of observation, was carefully selected as being the most profitable location to sit and wait for insects to pass by.

This reminds me of dipping alewives. Few people do it now, but when I was young, lots of people would haunt the alewife streams in order to catch fish for the smokehouse. And to do that, at least to get the most alewives, you

had to find the best position to swing your long-handled net. When in the proper place, it didn’t take long to catch a good quantity of the silvery alewives.

Phoebes operate on the same principle.

Also, phoebes will take fairly large insects, not just mosquitoes. I once bemoaned the phoebe’s presence around my fish pond, because the little birds hammered the dragonflies and damselflies there. These are beneficial insects and should be left alone by everyone.

But how are you going to tell a phoebe that?

Phoebe Generations While sitting out back, watching phoebes catch flying insects, I often ponder things that are beyond my sphere of knowledge. One thing I wonder about is just how ingrained is a physical location to a phoebe? I mean, do they possess some kind of genetic memory that not only causes them to return to the same nesting site year after year, but generation after generation?

Taking that a step further, I see no reason why it is not possible that the same phoebes that come to my backyard every year are direct descendants of those that nested here when the house was built, well over 100 years ago.

Any way you cut it, phoebes are a most interesting member of the Maine Wildlife family. www.MaineSportsman.com

18 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

ATV Trailering Tips

by Steve Carpenteri

Hauling a couple of ATVs, Side-bys or UTVs on a trailer? There are a few things you should know before heading out onto the road. The author provides a primer to help you – and the other vehicles on the road – stay safe while you transport your machines to the trailhead.

Many new ATV owners enter the sport with their minds focused on scenic vistas and well-groomed trails, when in fact the first order of business is to transport their shiny new machine from here to there.

Some will discover that there is more to trailering an ATV than meets the eye, and that it’s not as easy as

one might think.

Each towing situation is different, and the driver must factor in the type, size and overall weight of the trailer and its load.

For example, towing an open trailer offers better visibility than does towing an enclosed trailer. Also, old-fashioned bumperhitch towing (using a hitch that attaches

to the bumper, rather than to the frame of the towing vehicle) creates special challenges, because most of the weight and stress will be on the tongue of the tow rig in a weight-forward situation, particularly when traveling on Maine’s pot-holed rural roadways – paved or not.

Local and state

Trailering your ATVs is not complicated, if you use proper safety gear, determine trailer capacity and your vehicle’s towing capacity, and adjust your driving habits to accommodate the added length, weight and width. Photo: www.atvillustrated.com

laws may determine how, where and what you tow. If you plan to ride in other New England states, it’s a good idea to contact

the state transportation agency to find out exactly what’s required before you tow a trailer. For example, (Continued on next page)

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you can’t haul a trailer of any type along Storrow Drive in Boston (near Fenway Park), nor on any roadways designated as “Parkways” in New York State.

Pre-Trip Safety Check There are a few things you need to check before your trailer wheels start rolling.

First, make sure your load doesn’t exceed the maximum rated capacity of the trailer.

Trailers have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) found on the manufacturer’s plate on the trailer.

Also make sure the trailer doesn’t exceed your vehicle’s maximum tow rating.

Overloading can damage the trailer and/ or cause unsafe towing situations as well as put the vehicle’s mechanical systems – transmission, brakes, suspension – at risk.

Your vehicle’s tow rating is often found on the vehicle identification sticker on the inside of the driver-side door jamb.

Among other things, it provides the GVWR, how much weight each axle can carry, and recommends proper tire pressure.

In addition, make sure that your trailer doesn’t exceed your vehicle’s hitch capacity.

Trailer hitches are rated by class, and each class has a maximum rating. Make sure the tongue weight is within specifications, and that you are using the correct size trailer ball (usually 1-7/8ths inches, or 2 inches) to match the size of the tongue coupler.

Tongue weight is

the amount of weight the trailer and its load will put on the hitch. All hitches have a maximum tongue weight. As a general rule, manufacturers say that tongue weight should be 10 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight (too much weight on the tongue will make the trailer wig-wag). The trailer load should have a slight weight-forward bias, and it should be balanced from side-toside. The load should also be kept as low as possible to maintain a low center of gravity.

Make certain the ATVs are securely fastened to the trailer, and that ratchet straps, chains, ropes, tarps and other fastenings do not drag on the road and are kept free of the spinning wheels and tires.

If you have to brake suddenly, momentum will cause your trailer’s load to try to continue to travel forward. An improperly fastened load can also shift when turning, resulting in a rollover.

Brakes, Chains Speaking of brakes, if the trailer and its load exceed 1,000 pounds, the trailer should have its own brake system (Maine law requires trailer brakes if the weight exceeds 3,000 lbs). Test your trailer’s brake system before each trip to make sure it is operating correctly.

Don’t pull electric- or surge-brake-equipped trailers if the systems are not working.

Always attach safety chains and ensure they have enough slack for sharp turns.

Inspect your tires to make certain they (Continued on next page)

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20 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

ATVing

(Continued from page 20)

have no deformities or damage, and physically check tire pressures using a tire pressure gauge. Finally, make sure the tow rig is equipped with outside rear-view mirrors that allow you to clearly monitor your trailer.

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Pre-Purchase Considerations Most all-terrain vehicles range between 50 and 57 inches wide.

However, check your ATV’s width before you

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©2023 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. Some vehicles depicted may include optional equipment. BRP highly recommends that all ATV drivers take a training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or, in USA, call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. In Canada, call the Canadian Safety Council at (6131 739-1535 ext 227. Read the Operators Guide and watch the Safety DVD before riding. Wear appropriate protective clothing and helmet. For side-by-side vehicles, fasten lateral net and seat belt at all times. Never engage in stunt driving and avoid excessive speed. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations. Side-by-side vehicles and ATVs are recommended for drivers aged 16 and older, and passengers aged 12 and older only. For off-road use only. Never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. Always ride responsibly and remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix.

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Smooth and Steady When pulling a trailer, make every effort to accelerate and brake slowly and smoothly. Remember that your vehicle’s braking distances increase when pulling a trailer. Leave more space between your rig and the vehicle in front of you, and pass other vehicles only where there’s room to accelerate past the other vehicle and then merge (with the added length of the trailer) back into the travel lane.

buy or rent a trailer.

Wider UTVs are about 64 inches wide, and will not fit in a standard utility trailer.

When it comes to towing an ATV in a utility trailer, the same rules apply as in towing any other cargo, such as ensuring that 60 percent of the load is distributed toward the front of the trailer and 40 percent is toward the back.

A trailer will add weight, length and width to your vehicle.

Adjust your driving to allow adequate room for maneuvering on hills and curves. This generally means reducing your speed by about 10 miles per hour.

Glance at your side mirrors to ensure that your trailer and the objects around you are secure. Stop frequently to adjust straps and tie-downs, which may loosen with travel. Be careful; be safe.

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The Highs and Lows of Bear Hunting

by Bill Graves This is not a story about the joy of success and the agony of defeat when attempting to fill a bear tag. Rather, it’s an overview of the pros and cons, a comparison and contrast, of hunting and shooting from high up in a tree versus down low in a ground blind.

For decades, the majority of hunters sitting watch over a personal bait site or using a guide or outfitter have done so

Should you hunt bear from high up in a tree stand, or from a ground blind? The author, an experienced bear hunter, provides all the information necessary for readers to make their own choice. from some style of tree stand. Over the last five years, however, there’s been a notable shift to utilizing various types of ground blinds. Initially designed for turkey and waterfowl gunners, ground blinds have

gotten a strong foothold in West and Midwest states for deer and feral pigs. But how do they work for Maine bear?

It’s time to discuss the reasoning – and most important, the effectiveness – of this

newer method of hunting, and compare it to hunting from a tree stand.

Drawbacks of Tree Stands Most military strategists will confirm that controlling the high ground is a

definite advantage for shooting situations.

This has certainly been my experience, based on hunting bear over bait for thirty-plus years.

Having said this, I’ll be the first to admit that setting up, sitting long hours, shooting and climbing up and down from a tree stand isn’t all milk and honey.

First is the danger of falling – while hunt(Continued on next page)

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22 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Bear Hunting (Continued from page 21)

ers are accustomed to the bumps and bruises that come from trips and falls over roots and blowdowns, it’s quite another subject entirely to consider

the risks of tumbling from an elevated tree stand. Many hunters are seriously injured each season as a result of falling from high tree stands.

And there are additional challenges to tree-stand hunting.

You’ve got to locate and trim the best tree, one with the right diameter and a prime wind direction and shooting location.

Then comes the work of building a safe

homemade wooden stand or correctly assembling and erecting a pre-fab metal model that you’ve purchased.

If you don’t own the land, you must obtain permission, and usually the stand has to be removed at season’s end.

Advantages of a High Stand On the plus side, most big game animals don’t expect danger from above, so they seldom look upward. Also, from a 12- to 18-foot high vantage point, a shooter can spot approaching bruin on their established trails to the bait container much sooner than being on the ground. Often it’s possible to get a gun or bow ready and aimed, perhaps even take a good shot, before a ground blind hunter

would have even spotted the bear.

Being elevated also reduces the human scent at ground level, which in combination with a scent-reducing clothing spray and an attractant scent sprayed around the bait site, almost neutralizes any odor.

Eye To Eye Proponents of popup, portable ground blinds extol several features they feel surpass tree stands.

Topping the list is less chance of personal injury – there’s no need to “strap in” if you’re in a ground blind.

Regarding scent, ground blind hunters feel they keep human scent more fully enclosed, especially on breezy days.

And there are dis(Continued on next page)

www.parisfarmersunion.com South Paris • Lewiston • Bridgton • Winthrop • Jay • Newport Turner • Raymond, Maine & North Conway, NH

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 23

Using a ground blind often means a hunter doesn’t see the bear until it’s right by the bait barrel. At that time, you get a real close look — and so does the bear.

All photos supplied by the author (Continued from page 22)

tinct advantages to being in a complete shelter – biting insects are kept at bay outside the structure, and ground blinds protect sportsmen from rain and the hot glare of the sun.

Costs for the two types of blinds are about the same – there’s little or no price difference between a quality ladder tree stand and a sturdy, well-constructed portable ground blind.

Bill Graves wears full camo clothing when bear hunting from a stand. He also makes sure the location has several limbs and leaves for cover, in case a bear looks up.

Tree Stands Hold Edge on Damage Control I and other veteran hunters who have used and compared various models of the high and low options have found a few drawbacks to ground blinds.

Even with windows on each side, visibility is reduced markedly compared to sitting high in a tree stand and having no blind spots due to walls.

Consequently, weapon sweep and field of fire

are more limited in a ground enclosure, and bear aren’t spotted until they appear near the bait, necessitating fast reaction with little prep time.

Also, ground blinds are more susceptible to damage from outside sources. While on rare occasions, a wild windstorm will snap off or uproot a tree, destroying the attached high stand, far more frequently, a negligent moose, occasionally a deer, will become en-

Modern ground blinds, such as this Barronett Grounder 350 Blind (barronettblinds. com), demonstrate the extent to which such a blind seems to disappear into the background of the bear woods.

tangled in the stabilizing ground lines or the nearly invisible camo blind material, causing irreparable damage to the ground blind.

Curious, aggressive, perhaps even territorially vindictive bear will quickly and easily shred these fragile hideaways as well.

The result is tattered cloth, bent and broken aluminum framework and at least a $200 cost for replacement.

One area guide I

know personally needed to buy four replacement blinds during a one-year season, due to animal-involved wreckage!

There you have it – the pros and cons of tree stands versus ground blinds. Now it’s time to see if regional bear hunters can enjoy consistent success from ground-level hunting. For now, I’m still up in the air, literally and figuratively!

¶

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24 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

— Guest Column —

Build Your Own Game Cooler

by Staci H. Warren

So you shot a bear. Rather than racing around the countryside looking for a game processor with a big walk-in cooler to preserve the quality of the meat and hide, consider doing what the author and her husband did – pack the bear in ice and then bring it to their own cooler, which they built in an unused corner of their barn.

We’ve bear hunted for years, and every year we’d worry about meat spoiling.

Two years ago, we finally made the decision to construct our own game cooler. It was relatively easy to build. It also makes a great investment, and it’s far less expensive than a real walk-in cooler.

The least expensive approach is to build a room inside an existing storage building. In our case, we converted part of our horse barn, and built the cooler into the corner, which is roughly 8x10 feet – although yours does not necessarily have to be that big.

Since we already had electricity to the barn, we simply tied into the existing pow-

er for lights and outlets. My dad was an electrician and taught me basic electricity, so that was one of my delegated jobs for this build.

You’ll need enough lumber to frame in two walls – and rafters, if you need to lower the ceiling – and to frame a door. We used 2x6 rough lumber we already had on hand, and used a recycled outside door, so I’m able to lock it.

The goal is to insulate the cooler heavily, and to make it as airtight as possible so it’ll work efficiently.

Items needed: • Lumber – 2x4x8 foot built sixteen inches on center, with a top and bottom plate.

• Wall and Ceiling Insulation – Rolls of R13 roll insulation,

or 2 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. rigid foam board insulation to line the interior of the cooler, including ceiling and floor. There are lots of types of foam board insulation. We found ours in an online marketplace for a fraction of the usual retail cost.

We fastened the foam board to the walls using long screws and washers.

• Insulating the Floor – You have two options here. If you have an existing floor, you can insulate under the floorboard. In the alternative, you can do what we did – we laid foam insulation over the current wooden floor, and added a ¼” sheet of plywood on top of the foam board.

We secured everything with very long screws.

• Air conditioner

The author and her 2021 bear, which was quickly skinned, iced, and taken into the cooler. All photos by the author

– I scored a fairly new used window unit from a friend at no cost.

• CoolBot® – This is a unit that works

with a window air conditioner to “fool” the air conditioner into not shutting off at the low(Continued on next page)

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Here, the author’s husband John wears a mask while cutting ceiling insulation with a skillsaw.

(Continued from page 24)

est 60-degree temperature setting, therefore creating a cooler. As with everything, the price has increased, so you have to look at

A “Coolbot” is a device that overrides the usual 60-degree shotoff on an air conditioner. Because the cooler continues to run, the air inside the heavilyinsulated cooler room drops to refrigerator temperatures.

this as an investment.

Current prices run about $375. I’ve seen hacks with other types of set ups, but I wasn’t that adventurous and stuck with something

Quotable

Sportsman

by Will Lund

“We had just opened up a fish passage to Meddybemps Lake in Washington County, and there were seven eagles hanging out at that site, and hundreds of thousands of river herring pushing their way through an old dam site that we had removed.”

Sean Ledwin of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, quoted in a May 30, 2023 piece by Murray Carpenter of Maine Public Radio titled “Migratory fish flood into Maine rivers after several years of restoration efforts.” The report quoted Ledwin as saying that the number of fish counted at the Penobscot River in Milford has already far surpassed last year’s record run of 3 million alewives and blueback herring, while more than a million river herring have returned to

I knew wouldn’t burn down the barn.

• Suspending the Game – Last, we installed a metal rod with three gambrels, to hang the game.

This photo shows the outside of the cooler, with a lockable recycled house door.

Maybe someday we’ll make it prettier, but for now it does the job and it’s been a sheer delight to not have to worry about the meat or hide spoil-

the China Lakes following a river restoration project completed last year.

— “Organic Firewood.”

A sign on the porch of the Northern Bay Market, Route 175 in Penobscot, Maine. “Call it organic, and they’ll buy it,” mused the Maine Sportsman reader who sent us the photo. “It makes me wonder if The Sportsman were labeled “organic,” would it sell even more copies?”

ing when we’ve put so much work into harvesting the game.

If you build one, please send me some photos – I’d love to see them.

¶

“Bear spray does not work like bug spray.”

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation public service announcement tweet that was shared more than 200,000 times. Across the country, many wildlife authorities, including the National Park Service, have found that humorous messages communicated through social media are good methods for getting points across to folks who don’t get outdoors much.

— “They are definitely spawning, right below the A-1 Diner.”

Sean Ledwin, DMR’s director of the sea-run fisheries program, to Maine Public Radio’s Kevin Miller, in a June 23, 2023 news item titled “Gardiner Witnessing ‘Spectacular Event” as Hundreds of Sturgeon Spawn Near Downtown.” For more details, see Steve Brooke’s Letter to the Editor, page 6.

—

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26 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Big Bucks Don’t Come Easy If big bucks were easy to kill, every deer hunter would have multiple heavy-bodied, big-racked bucks to their credit.

Fortunately, adult bucks are very difficult to kill, and that challenge is what drives many deer hunters to chase them in such a dedicated manner.

Sitting in my favorite living room chair, I often stare at five of my largest bucks, and relive the hunts. Each of these five were particularly difficult harvests, but for different reasons.

The Sleeping Fighter My first trophy Maine whitetail tested my resolve to wait

www.MaineSportsman.com

The challenge is real, says the author, and it’s exciting. for a big buck, and tested my skills as a still-hunter. This 4.5-year-old, ninepoint was locked in a battle with another buck when I arrived at my parking spot that fateful morning. The noise from the battle attracted my attention, and I formulated a plan.

It was the final Saturday of the season.

I’d passed multiple yearling and 2.5-yearold bucks that season.

Each year prior, I’d killed the first buck that had given me an opportunity. I vowed this season would be different, and thus far,

I’d stuck to my plan.

Since it was so late in the season, I took a chance and got aggressive.

Waiting for daylight, I began still-hunting toward the last place I’d heard the bucks fighting.

Over the next few hours, I sneaked approximately 200 yards and only managed to catch a glimpse of a deer in the heavy cover. As I sneaked toward a well-used run and closer to the field the bucks had fought in earlier, I spied my buck. He was curled up, fast asleep, just 35 yards away. A wellplaced shot from my

rifle anchored my first patch buck.

Tall Brows This is a 3.5-yearold buck who might earn a pass today. His 6”-7” browtines were the feature that ultimately convinced me to pull the trigger. It was my calling skills and discipline in waiting for the proper wind direction that landed this bruiser a place on my wall.

For ten days straight, I had waited for a true north wind.

When the wind finally cooperated, I made it to my brush blind, nearly an hour before legal light.

Watching the downwind sides of multiple, large, well worked scrapes, I caught movement in

heavy cover to the north. The telltale quick, short sprints and erratic movements revealed a chase in progress.

As the deer moved out of sight for a few minutes, I decided that some quick, short grunts might bring a straggler into view. My primos True Talker, wooden grunt tube, produced excellent sound. It sounded so good, this buck couldn’t resist. He appeared directly north of me, and was coming on a string. His body was long and fat, but his mid-120’s rack looked small on his head.

At first, I planned to pass. He walked to within 40 yards and began pawing at a scrape. As the sod flew in the air, there was time to examine his (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 27 (Continued from page 26)

antlers more closely.

They were typical of many 3.5-yearold racks. They were starting to gain mass, but not impressive yet. His main beams hadn’t reached his nose, and the G2s and G3s were six or seven inches long.

As I watched him walk away, I noticed his browtines were long. As he walked out of sight, I hit the grunt tube again. Within seconds, the buck was coming back to the scrapes. Closely examining those brows, I was impressed.

At 50 yards and still in thick cover, the buck bolted toward another deer that had come close to the scrapes. I waited 30 seconds, and rapidly grunted four or five times. Again, the eight-point appeared, this time, walking directly at me. Those brows looked more like 10-12” long from that angle. At just 35 yards, I flipped off the safety, took aim and collected another 200-pounder.

Three-Time Winner and All-American Staring Contest Champion The other three bucks on my living room wall all required patience in waiting on the proper wind. Each presented its own unique challenges; however, all three required the same skill from me, just on different days.

The ability to remain absolutely motionless is not easy,

especially as the heart is racing with adrenaline. Holding a rifle absolutely still at the half-ready position for 45 seconds, two minutes and five minutes respectively, is exceedingly difficult. Arm, wrist and finger muscles fatigue quickly, and the pain of holding a seven-pound firearm motionless and at the ready, can seem nearly impossible. Yet, this is often necessary when a five-point, six-

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point or, in the case of my wide ten-point, 7.5-year-old survivor of multiple deer seasons, is the target.

Each of these three bucks and I stared each other down. They waited for me to make a wrong move to identify me as a threat. I

waited for the right time to raise my gun, aim, and fire.

Winning a staredown with any deer is difficult if they see you first or simultaneously. When a hunter is staring at an experienced buck, the task (Continued on next page)

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Big Game (Continued from page 27)

becomes nearly impossible. I was fortunate to be the winner on these three bucks. I’ve probably won more than I’ve lost, and experience helps in these situations. Knowing deer body language and waiting for them to make the first move, is what put all three of these giants on my wall.

Big bucks don’t

come easy. This difficulty is likely the thing that makes hunters want them more. The challenge is real and exciting. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. However, as long as we have fun, experience those adrenaline rushes and run-ins with these bruisers of the forest, it’ll always be worth it!

¶

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The author’s experience allowed him to remain motionless in a stare-down with this huge trophy whitetail. Older, experienced deer will wait for the hunter to make the first move, thereby revealing the hunter as a foe.

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 29

Seven Beds

by Matt Breton and Hal Blood Another fall is almost within sight. Not to wish the days away, but like most big woods buck chasers I know, my thoughts are never far from November deer hunting.

I often drift back to the bucks I feel like I should have killed but didn’t, usually because I was outsmarted by their superior intelligence.

Finding a Good One Finding a good one is often the challenge for me. Once I do, I get sort of locked on to him.

In the case of one particular buck, the hunt took place over two days, though I hope the last paragraph of this story hasn’t yet been written.

There was good snow on the first day of the hunt, in the latter half of November, but there was no active weather to speak of.

Not what I think of as a typical killing day, but if there’s snow, there’s a chance.

I started the day by cruising along a winter road on foot to look for crossing tracks. I found a set of tracks, but it was in underneath the tracks of maybe a smaller buck and a doe/fawn pair. I moved along to catch up, as the tracks had been made in the night.

I followed for a while, until all of the sudden there were a couple of running

Matt embarks on a two-day odyssey, tracking a big buck in the fresh snow. Who will prevail?

A signpost rub made by the buck the author was chasing. The author is already planning a return trip by this tree in November, as soon as the snow falls.

Matt Breton photos

tracks, and one walking. I thought maybe the bigger buck track was one of the running tracks.

After busting some brush and sorting things out for nearly two hours, I noticed that the bigger buck’s tracks were no longer in the mix. I debated my options, and decided that I knew there had been a good buck in those tracks. I headed back to where the tracks had split. Sure enough, his track had peeled off, and I had missed it.

By now it was noon. I ate a sandwich and headed in after him. The tracks showed he had fed and bedded, then walked out of that bed.

I followed him along at a good pace, assuming I was now hours behind. He hit a signpost, then was headed west along the tracks I had followed in the morning, stepping in my boot prints, heading right back to where I’d started things.

He eventually swung north away from the old tracks, working his way along the edge of some cuts.

It wasn’t long until I saw where he’d fed, kind of in the open, and he bedded nearby, which I had already unknowingly spooked him out of. He crossed back over the winter road I’d walked in on, and headed into a brook basin.

I was walking with my head up, thinking I’d catch him in front of me. He crossed a brook with some nasty ice that I crashed through. He led me up

the bank on the other side, where I saw he’d fed heavily on a limb that had old man’s beard on it.

About 20 yards later – another empty bed. I followed for a bit, but it was later in the afternoon, and I felt like I couldn’t kill this buck this day. I pulled off the track and decided I’d try him again the next day.

Day Two Early the next morning, the woods were still calm and frustratingly quiet. I was back on his track by 7 a.m., sorting out where he fed and bedded a couple times through the night, including twice on a nice little knob.

By 9 a.m. I had him jumped up. It was super quiet, and I stayed after him all day, busting him out of another bed or two, plus bump(Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

30 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Big Woods World (Continued from page 29)

ing him while he was on his feet.

I tried sneaking along and going fast, swinging around, and calling. He made some rubs, tried to scrub me off on other deer, avoided crossing roads at all costs (even by just a few yards), and eventually crossed back over the winter road near the end of the day, about 40 yards from where we’d gone in, 11 miles after the fact.

I followed him east to one more bed on a mountainside, and then gave him the win.

Seven beds in the 26 or so hours of his life that I trailed along behind him, but my timing was never quite right to kill him.

I went in the next day,

hoping to cut his track in the fresh snow that had fallen. I didn’t find him right away, and then I heard Dad shoot a different buck, so I went to help him drag, which was a great day.

Hal’s Thoughts Matt is right – as summer marches along, a deer hunter’s focus turns more to the upcoming seasons.

I always look back on the previous season and reminisce about all the days spent in the woods. Whether hunting and scouting or being on the track of an old mossy-horned buck, I’m just happy to be there. As everyone knows, tracking bucks is my passion, and I live for those days when fresh snow blankets the ground

and hangs on the softwood limbs. The anticipation of those days is what makes them even more special, because those days don’t come very often. Because of that, I try to take advantage of them and make the most of them. On those days, I am more focused on the task at hand than any other days, because that snow can be gone as fast as it came.

As I reminisce about those days gone by, I replay every day of tracking that previous year – the ground I covered, what I saw, and what I learned.

Every day brings a new adventure as well as some new lessons from which to learn.

Most of the time, the painful mistakes are the lessons from which I learn the most. I use those lessons to up my

Here’s one of the seven beds the author found while chasing the buck over the course of two days.

game for the coming season.

As you get excited for the upcoming season, take the time to

reminisce, as the season will be upon us before we know it.

¶

Maine Wildlife Quiz: EASTERN PHOEBE by Steve Vose

In 1804, the Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) became the first bird in North America to be banded. John James Audubon attached a short-silvered thread to an Eastern Phoebe’s leg, in order to track its return the following season to its nesting site.

Phoebes inhabit an impressive range stretching across most of North America. Phoebes breed in the northern United States, migrate south for the winter in September and early October, and typically arrive back in Maine during mid-late March.

Phoebes’ heads appear much too large for a bird of its relatively diminutive size. Evolution blessed the phoebe with a short, thin bill, perfectly adapted for catching their favorite foods of in-

Questions 1. In what year did John James Audubon band the first bird in North America?

2. When do phoebes migrate south for the winter?

3. What is the favorite food of the phoebe? www.MaineSportsman.com

sects and grubs. The head, typically the darkest part of the small bird’s body, lightens to a brownish-gray color that blends into its gray breast and white throat.

The phoebe lacks distinct eye rings and wingbars making, it easy to distin4. What features distinguish phoebes from other flycatchers?

5. What do phoebes do while perching that makes them easy to identify by novice bird watchers?

6. What sound or call does the phoebe make?

guish from other flycatchers. Phoebes also wag their tails up and down when perching, making them easy for novice birdwatchers to identify. The phoebe gets its name from its sharp fee-bee chirp that frequently echoes through the Maine woods.

Phoebes are adaptable, and through they prefer open woodland and farmland, they will occasionally invade suburbia and nest on buildings and bridges.

Nests are comprised of mud and grass, and are usually located in protected nooks. Both male and female phoebes care and feed newly-hatched chicks and often raise two broods of 2 - 6 eggs every year. If successful at avoiding predators, phoebes can live to be 10 years old.

7. What materials do phoebes use to construct their nests?

8. How many broods do phoebes typically raise every year?

9. How long can a phoebe live?

Answers on Page 36

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 31

For Success in the Woods, Start Early For wing shooters, getting an early start on the fall hunting seasons means making time to practice with the shotgun before taking to the field.

As with any shooting sport, practice determines proficiency, and assuming Mother Nature cooperates, proficiency puts game on the table.

Anyone who shoots ought to practice as often as they can throughout the year, but the month of August provides a window of time for tuning up just prior to the opening of most hunting seasons. Any number of competing events crop up in August, with family vacations, yardwork, and summer gardening among the leading distractors. However, dedicating any amount of time to refreshing your shooting skills will pay dividends come the fall.

Characteristically, a shotgun provides bird hunters with a margin of error far greater than rifle or muzzleloader shooters enjoy, but birds erase much of that margin as soon as they take to the air. No Magnum shell or dense cloud of shot makes up completely for out-of-practice marksmanship.

Whether at the local gravel pit, a homemade backyard set-up, or a nearby professional shooting facility, spending time in practice is what shakes the rust off shooting skills

Simply put, once they are in the field, wing shooters who have been practicing using clay targets will outperform those who have not.

The author understands that rigorous and frequent practice with sporting clays makes a shooter a more proficient wingshot when hunting season rolls around.

Here, Col. Allard competes in a skeet competition in Kentucky. Photo courtesy U. S. Army

and allows hunters to return to proper, accurate form.

Be it migratory waterfowl or any of Maine’s upland species, if the quarry are birds, then the needed practice calls for flying clay targets. And any wingshot can at-

test that the ability to consistently hit flying targets erodes if not exercised, so the goal becomes translating consistent hits on clay targets at the range into consistent hits on game birds where they congregate.

No target range

substitutes perfectly for field environments.

However, as they have evolved, the available sporting clays games do quite well at replicating the kinds of gun-target situations

found afield. Simply put, shooters who invest in some form of clay target shooting will outperform those who do not.

Pattern First That said, over time manufacturers developed specific shotguns to maximize performance on each of the sporting clays games.

Competitive trap shooters use guns designed to facilitate better trap shooting.

The same holds true for skeet and sporting clays competitors.

Each game calls for a shotgun that helps the shooter gain an edge in that particular form of shooting.

While a bird hunter may never develop into an Olympic trap or skeet shooter, shooting frequent trap (Continued on next page)

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32 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 31)

and skeet courses will make a more effective bird hunter. This is especially true if the shooter uses the same shotgun they plan to use among the bird coverts or in the duck blind.

Consistency reigns supreme.

A warm, late afternoon in August is a fine time to get started, and every shotgunner ought to start by “patterning” their chosen shotgun. With a 40-yard patterning target, learn where the majority of pellets will strike with each selected shot size and choke diameter.

Knowing these things permits mentally making micro-adjustments when the target is an

actual bird.

Most shooting clubs and commercial ranges restrict shot size to 7-1/2, 8, or 9 lead shot. No matter.

Breaking clay with #8 shot will not negatively impact using #6 shot on pheasant, or #4 steel shot on Canada geese. Fit of the gun, the ability to mount the gun consistently and comfortably from a safe carry position, swing into target acquisition, and follow-through, far outweigh differences in shot size when it comes to clay versus live birds rocketing through the trees.

Clothing can sometimes interfere with a proper gun mount.

Practicing in clothes similar in bulk and fit to hunting clothing may help a shooter put the gun comfortably and solidly where it needs to be, time after time. Unfortunately, the dog days of August don’t always mimic frosty October mornings, and authenticity is not always practical. Therein lies the best argument for carrying August’s practice sessions right on into hunting season, and for keeping on breaking clay targets between trips to the field.

Serious Fun Sporting clays games like “Five Stand,” named for the number of shooting positions it utilizes, or walk-out courses using natural ter-

rain and hidden target launchers, offer the most realistic of field-like situations, and therefore provide the best training for hunters. But not all facilities can operate these more complicated and space-consuming games. For many, conventional trap and skeet ranges must suffice, and suffice they do.

Now about 150 years old, trap and skeet are two sides of the same coin. Trap targets fly basically away from the shooter, who relocates after five shots to another shooting position. Twenty-five shots complete a “round.” The launcher, or “trap,” oscillates so the actual angle of flight is always unknown to the shooter.

In skeet, the birds fly from a high position on the left and the “low house” on the right. Shooters move through eight stations, firing either two or four shots at each station. Four of the stations require engaging double targets. Skeet targets fly basically crossing shots at fixed angles.

All of the clay target games hone a shooter’s skills, and demand a shooter’s concentration. Mixing up participation and getting out there often will enhance any shooter’s skills, and anyone of modest abilities can get better with time and attention. Upland season is just around the corner.

¶

Trophy Gallery

That’s a BIG Fish!

Six-year-old Easton Simpson of Minot earned his Maine Sportsman C&R (catch and release) patch with this 21-inch, 4.5-pound largemouth bass. Easton was fishing on May 15, 2023 in Taylor Pond, using a rubber worm. Photo by Andrew Simpson www.MaineSportsman.com

That’s a Keeper!

Stephen Edgecomb of Lisbon caught this beautiful 4-lb. Sebago Lake salmon -- his personal best -- on June 21, 2023. Photo by Richard Edgecomb

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 33

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34 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Towing and Launching Your Boat

by Bob Humphrey On the way to Sebago Lake early one morning, we pulled into Dunkin’ to grab a coffee. I held the door for the guy behind me, and he said, “Thanks, and do you know the lights on your trailer don’t work?”

I responded, “Have you ever seen any that did?” He gave an ac-

Getting there is only half the job. knowledging chuckle.

With boating season in full swing, there are a lot more trailers being towed along the highways and byways of the Great State of Maine. And it’s not an uncommon sight to see

one pulled over on the side of the road due to some maintenance issue.

If you don’t want that to be you, there are a few steps you can take before you leave to ensure you make it

to the ramp and back.

1) Check your tire pressure – Pressure gauges are cheap, and you can find them in the impulse purchase section of most auto parts stores. Get one, use it, and keep your

tires up to spec.

2) Check your tires for wear and age – The tread wear pattern will tell you if your tires are over- or under-inflated, which they shouldn’t be if you have a gauge.

Also, look for cracks and general wear, and replace before, not (Continued on next page)

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 35 (Continued from page 34)

when, necessary.

3) Carry a spare tire – C’mon, man. I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but it could mean the difference between a late start and a long weekend.

Most trailers have a spot on the tongue to mount a spare, so all you need is the correct-size wrench (you have that, too, right?).

4) Use wheel bearing protectors – Most use spring-loaded pistons to hold grease in the wheel hub under light pressure, preventing water from entering. And they have a grease fitting so you can add grease and maintain pressure.

5) Keep it clean – Whether boating in salt or fresh, spray down your trailer after every use. Salt will destroy metal and moving parts, and weed fragments like milfoil can be transported from one waterbody to another.

6) Check all trailer lights – It’s a joke, but it’s not funny. I’ve been trailering boats since the early 1980s, and I’ve never had a set of trailer lights last longer than three years.

Check them and if (I should say, when) they don’t work, fix them or get them fixed.

7) Disconnect trailer lights before launching – If your lights aren’t waterproof (because they’re broken) and you enter the water, you’re creating a short circuit in your vehicle’s electronics.

The Launch That’s the perfect segue to the next section, which involves launching. Boat launches can be entertaining and frustrating. If you want to be the entertained and not the entertainer, or the cause of someone else’s frustration, read on for a few simple rules of etiquette, and common sense.

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1. Prepare off the Ramp – By the time you back down the ramp, your boat should be ready to launch.

That means gear loaded, plug in, tie-downs removed.

2. First Come, First Served – Launch in the order you arrived at the ramp, unless the guy in front of you waves you by, or you’re not ready and invite the guy behind you to jump ahead. If people are launching and hauling at the same time, alternate.

Haul-outs go in the order the vehicles arrive at the ramp, not by who’s boat got to the dock first.

3. Don’t Linger – If you have a partner, once the boat is off the trailer, pull away and park. When hauling out, make sure the

Boat launches can be entertaining places. The author says careful planning before you back down the ramp will ensure that you are the entertained, rather than being the entertainer.

winch is secure, then pull ahead and away before unloading and strapping down. Save the chit-chat with the other fishermen for after you’re all out of the way.

4. Enlist/Offer Help – Launching and hauling out go much faster

with a helper who can ride the boat off the trailer or hold a line and walk it down the dock, and drive it back up on. I can launch my boat pretty easily by myself, but then others have to wait while I move the boat out of (Continued on next page)

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36 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Boating (Continued from page 35)

the way, or park the truck. If you’re alone, don’t be afraid to enlist help; most folks will (and should) offer anyway.

5. Be Patient – Some folks may take a little longer than others, and haste makes waste. Be considerate, and see # 4 (“Enlist/ Offer Help”) above.

6. Avoid Confrontation – What a wonderful experience it would be if everyone followed the basic rules of ramp etiquette. Unfortunately, like the folks who won’t move over when they’re in the highway passing lane or fail to follow the rules of the road on the water, some folks just feel that the rules don’t ap-

ply to them. You can’t win, so let them go on with their miserable lives and continue enjoying yours.

7. Don’t Forget the Plug – I know I mentioned it already, and it should go without saying, but it something even the most experienced mariners sometimes forget.

But at least my freakin’ trailer lights work, Bub.

Trophy Gallery

¶

Wildlife Quiz Answers: Eastern Phoebe (Quiz on Page 30)

1. John James Audubon banded the first bird in North America in 1804.

2. Phoebes migrate south for the winter in September and early October.

3. Phoebes’ favorite foods are grubs and insects.

4. Phoebes can be distinguished from other flycatchers by their lack of distinct eye rings and wingbars.

5. Phoebes wag their tails up and down while perching, making them easy to identify by novice bird watchers.

6. The phoebe makes a sharp fee-bee chirp.

7. Phoebes use grass and mud to construct their nests.

8. Phoebes typically raise two broods per year.

9. A phoebe can live up to 10 years.

Real Deal Subscriber Thomas B. Dube, Sr. of Patten earned his 2022 Maine Sportsman trapping patch during the fall season by successfully using bait sets to harvest beaver and muskrats.

Dube reports that Game Warden Scott Martin of Patten tags all his fur. www.MaineSportsman.com

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 37

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38 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Blue Collar Fish

Cunner Also called

an

So you don’t have a large, expensive saltwater fishing boat and lots of technical, heavy-duty gear and equipment? No problem, says the author – as he describes how to catch fish that are good-tasting and plentiful, from a kayak, a rowboat or even a pier or jetty.

The cunner (left) and black sea bass (right) are two species commonly caught from or near shore. Photos by Bob Humphrey

ocean perch, and sometimes a “bergall” by folks from away, this member of the wrasse family is our most common and abundant coastal bottom fish. It’s caught from piers and jetties

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and by small boat and even kayak anglers fishing over almost any type of submarine structure.

Cunners are voracious eaters and will attack almost any type of jig, lure or bait, but

INC.

For those with the right saltwater boat and gear, Maine offers “flashy” fish – those glamorous, high-profile species that get most of the attention and glory. This list includes bluefin tuna and mako sharks offshore, and striped bass and bluefish inshore. They’re exciting to catch, but they can also be expensive to pursue, which puts them out of reach of many working-class anglers.

However, our state does offer a smattering of less flashy fish, several of which can be caught from – or close to – shore. Let’s take a look.

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their relatively small mouths make smaller lures like Sabiki rigs and small mackerel jigs good options for hard tackle. Crabs, clams and worms all work well as bait.

Cunners average between 6 and 10 inches, but can grow up to a foot long and 3 pounds.

They have coarse skin, but offer very mild, tasty white meat.

There is no size or bag limit, but smaller fish just aren’t worth the effort required to skin and fillet.

Black Sea Bass Though uncommon, this relative newcomer is now showing up in sufficient numbers to be worth mentioning. Due both to their abundance and taste, they’re much sought-after in southern New England.

Also a coastal species, they’re typically caught by jigging or fishing bait over structure.

The good news is a daily bag limit of 10 fish. The bad news is a 13-inch minimum size limit, which you’re unlikely to find. However, fish grow, and in a few more years we may see the beginnings of a legitimate black sea bass fishery.

Harbor Pollock This cousin of the cod, sometimes called the “Boston bluefish,” is our most abundant inshore fish in the lower half of the water column, usually encountered near the bottom. Like the aforementioned species, (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 39 (Continued from page 38)

they can be caught on most any basic saltwater bait or jigs, with Sabiki rigs again getting the nod if you’re into catching multiple fish at once.

They’re also common around piers, jetties and bottom structure. Most inshore fish are about the size of a trout (6 to 20 inches), but offshore specimens can weigh over 30 pounds. There’s no size or bag limit in state waters, and they make decent table fare if well cared for – meaning you should bleed them and ice them right away.

Mackerel Once the foundation of most coastal recreational fisheries, mackerel have fallen on hard times recently, at least in the mid-Atlantic.

Thankfully, numbers are still quite strong in New England.

Mackerel take up where pollock leave off, filling a similar niche in the upper half of the water column, often near the surface.

They’re a bit more mobile, so bites can come in fits and starts, but a good bite can be triggered and sustained with chum. Best tactics include trolling, casting or jigging mackerel jigs or Sabiki rigs.

Mackerel have rich, oily flesh and thin skin and are often grilled or smoked and eaten with the skin on.

New this year is a 20fish daily limit, which is far more than most folks would want or need for a meal (or two or three).

Winter Flounder Another species of note is the blackback, or winter flounder. Once abundant

in coastal waters, they were overfished, but seem to be making a modest comeback.

Shore-bound anglers within reach of deeper water might want to go earlier in the year. Small boat and kayak anglers have a wider window before the fish move offshore in summer.

Terminal tackle consists of small-gap, long-shank flounder hooks with a sinker and a seaworm fished from shore, on anchor, or on a drift.

Target flat areas with gravel, mud or sand bottom. You can keep up to 8 fish per day over 12 inches, if you can find them.

Tautog The tautog or blackfish is another member of the wrasse family that’s more common to the south, but occasionally shows up on a coastal angler’s hook when targeting other species like cunner or pollock. They’re uncommon enough that they’re not even listed in Maine’s saltwater recreational fishing regulations, so I assume that means no size or bag limit, but you might want to confirm that, because they are tasty.

Tackle Another nice thing about the above species is you don’t really need specialized tackle. You can catch most with a medium to heavy trout rod and spinning reel.

If you want to splurge, a light- to medium-weight boat rod and conventional reel can be had relatively cheaply, and often found at a yard sale for pennies on the dollar.

Add a few Sabiki rigs, mackerel jigs, swivels and some frozen clams, and you’re good to go.

¶

Once located, or attracted by chum, mackerel are easy and fun to catch.

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40 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Brookies, Bears, and Smallmouth Bass Each August I head out, fly rod in hand, in an effort to re-live my idyllic teen years – wading a woods-lined, tree canopied brook. There, native brook trout make their summer retreat from the warming rivers, enjoying Mother Nature’s air conditioning of spring holes, ledge seeps and artesian creek inlets along Aroostook brooks. Regardless of dog day heat and sultry sun, fish can be caught, and memories re-lived and rejuvenated.

North Woods Waters Fortunately, I live less than an hour’s drive from several North Maine Woods checkpoints, and can enjoy a half-day smorgasbord of hopscotch-fishing several backwoods brooks. For more distant anglers, I recommend an RV or tenting weekend to take full advantage of the dozens of roadside wading waters with maximum fishing and

Whitney and Three Brooks wander and meander for miles through agri-fields and small wood lots.

Bright wet flies such as a Trout Fin, Parmachene Belle and Silver Doctor are proven subsurface options. For a floater, you can’t beat a green- or yellow-bodied swept Turkey Wing Grasshopper.

On Prestile Stream, Mike Wallace casts dry flies from a shoreline ledge to a creek inlet. During hot weather, trout tend to school in the cooler inlet waters.

All photos provided by Bill Graves

minimum fishermen.

An excellent outing option begins at Ashland’s Six-Mile checkpoint and onto the Realty Road heading northwest toward Ma-

AUGUST 11-13, 2023 www.MaineSportsman.com

chias Lake. Greenlaw Stream, McConnell Brook and the Machias River either cross or closely parallel the main log hauling road before the lake. South

Branch Road at the East end of Big Machias Lake is an option to reach two branches of Fox Brook as well as a trio of nameless creeks crossing the road.

Continue past Big Machias to reach Twenty and TwentyFive Mile Brooks – both abound with native brookies, and the farther you wade up or downstream from the road access, the more the fishing improves.

A few miles farther near Pratt Lake, Indian Brook and Rocky Brook offer a couple of more roadside options that garner moderate fishing pressure (at best) this month.

All of these woodsy waterways can easily accommodate three or four anglers by wading both directions and hopscotching the many pools and riffles.

Farmland Fishing Central Aroostook residents living between Presque Isle and Houlton, or traveling fishers visiting in this area, will enjoy wading and casting Three Brooks or Whitney Brook near Bridgewater. The influx of trout from the shrinking and warm(Continued on next page)

www.fortkent-muskie.com

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 41

short, slow steps and perhaps using a wading staff. Most stretches require only hip boots. Felt or lug soles help, and many locals just wear jeans and sneakers in the summer heat. Don’t even consider shorts or short-sleeved shirts, since the mosquitoes, black flies and no-see ums seem immune to insect repellant, and will quickly ruin your

(Continued from page 40)

AMP BU W S E

CK

TH

ing Prestile, seeking cooler climes in the two smaller brooks’ spring holes, really perks up the fishing. Multiple field roads, two-tracks and ATV trails offer bankside access to remote sections of both brooks.

Stream bottoms are rocky, uneven and treacherous wading, but you can lessen your peril by taking

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Lined and often canopied with brush and trees, Whitney and Three Brooks wander and meander for miles through agrifields and small wood lots. An angleworm and silver spinner or perhaps a light, nonlead split shot a foot or less above the bait, will always catch fish.

Bright wet flies such as a Trout Fin, Par-

machene Belle or Silver Doctor are proven subsurface options, but it’s difficult to beat a green or yellow bodied swept Turkey Wing Grasshopper for a floater.

Route 1 in Blaine crosses over Three Brooks, and the Bootfoot Road and Boundary Road in Bridgewater parallel Whitney.

Both flow into the Prestile eventually, so

just explore side roads to reach secluded runs and pools where finding another angler is rare. Delorme’s Gazetteer, Map 59, grids B-3 and B-4 give an overview to newcomers; then just drive, investigate and cast.

Somersaulting Smallies Late summer topwater bronzeback action makes me tingle (Continued on next page)

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42 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

The County (Continued from page 41)

all over; I don’t even fuss over the hour-plus drive north or south to the closest bass water.

The only option in the Crown of Maine is the St. John River. You’ll need a boat, but there’s lots of river, plenty of big bass, and minimal pressure.

Southern Aroostook favorites include Pleasant Pond, Mattawamkeag and Baskahegan Lakes and the Penobscot River in Medway, but I like to get off the grid once in a while and

While most regional sportsmen are concentrating on fishing this month, the author finds a few days to sharpen stalk and shoot skills, Fall is just around the corner.

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View DeLorme’s Map 45, B-3 for an overview and precise directions.

Use Heddon Torpedoes, Rebel POP-Rs, Arbogast Hula Poppers or a Lunkerhunt pocket frog to stir up surface action. My back-up bait is a 4”

Setting up trail cameras before bear season where tracks and trails are spotted helps hunters select bait sites or blind locations overlooking farm fields.

Senko watermelon/red green flake worm on a wacky rig.

Crooked Brook is actually comprised of four connected segments with a mean depth of 7 feet and maximum of 20 feet.

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Acrobatic, aerobatic smallies are plentiful in the 2- to 3-pound range, and a few five pounders are boated each summer.

Bear Necessities It’s hard to believe that bear baiting began on July 29th and it will be time to hunt in less than thirty days. Spot-and-stalk hunters need to begin scouting grain fields for sightings, or at least bear sign and trails. Frugal baiters attempting to save money on gas and bait for personal sites by delaying a couple of weeks at least need to prepare locations now.

Clear approach trails, trim shooting lanes, hang bait containers, perhaps even get a tree stand in place to save work later and allow bear to get accustomed to the surroundings.

Youth Day is August 26th, open season the 28th, so licenses need to be purchased, and gear located and checked over. A trip to the range with gun or bow is a must. Plan ahead now, and you won’t fall behind later.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 43

For Conservation Officers, Work is a Lifestyle When I served as Supervisor of the Allagash and lived on the waterway’s property, my nearest neighbor was Baxter State Park. In fact, the two wilderness areas had so much in common that we’d share spring training sessions with instructors from Maine’s State Police, Warden, and Forest Services.

A map of Baxter State Park

Speak with any conservation officer, and you will soon be regaled with tales of search and rescues, encounters with wildlife, and outdoor experiences so unusual as to seem unreal.

But the officers I knew went above and beyond their required duties, often volunteering to share their knowledge and experience to encourage others to learn about Maine’s natural world.

I am proud to say that one such person is my brother Buzz, who spent 45 years in classified service and, after retirement, 17 years as Commissioner of the Baxter State Park Wilderness Fund.

The fund is an endowment dedicated to the preservation of Baxter Park, as advocated by benefactor Governor Baxter. But when certain folks give so much for so long, it then becomes time for younger professionals to step forward, as Buzz explained in this recent letter to the Baxter State Authority.

From: Irvin (Buzz) Caverly, Jr. Corinth, Maine To: Baxter State Park Authority Augusta, Maine Dear Authority Members: As a follow up to the Authority meeting at Kidney Pond, I am writing to confirm and request that I not be reappointed as trustee of the Baxter State Park Wilderness Fund when my term ends on August 24th, 2023.

In March of 2023, I reached my 84th birthday, and it is time for a younger person to accept this appointment.

I was honored when Park friend Frank Trautman requested my appointment to be one of the founding commissioners. That selection was approved by Governor John Baldacci for three years, and then I was reappointed by Governor Paul LePage.

I am proud to have given 45 years of classified service to Baxter State Park in numerous capacities, and having worked with Governor Baldacci as cochair of the Katahdin Lake Campaign.

Given state funding and many contributions from the people of Maine and beyond, we were able to raise $7 million to complete the sales agreement with the Gardner Land Company.

For the next seventeen years, it was my pleasure to work with the many commissioners for the Baxter State Park Trust Fund, including Skip Pierce, Jim Garland, John Lloyd, and Chip Weickert. Former Park forester and Director Jensen Bissel in his role as trustee is an asset to the Authority and management of the BSPW Fund.

I worked with Jensen for years, and he always demonstrated the highest dedication for the Park and its assets.

In Mr. Bissel, the Authority will find the skills and experience for whatever role Jensen accepts. I offer my highest recommendation, as I did when the previous Authority appointed him as Director after my retirement in 2005.

In closing, please understand that from 1960 to 2005, my wife Janice and I felt privileged not only to work, but also to live in the Park. Our employment was not just a job, but a lifestyle for which we will always be grateful.

I want to thank Fish and Game

Commissioner Roland Cobb, Dan Martin, Maine Forest Service Director Austin Wilkins, MFS Director Alec Griffin, Attorneys General Frank Hancock and Steven Rowe for their support, confidence, and dedication to Baxter State Park, especially for their support of the 28 Deeds of Trust developed over 32 years.

I also want to extend my gratitude to all the Park employees whom I had the pleasure to meet. Especially the first Park supervisor Helon Taylor – a giant of a man in every way possible. Helon was honest and firm, and he ensured that his rangers were trained in operations and preservation. Many of those rangers moved out of Baxter to become Supervisors in the Maine State Park System.

Director Buzz Caverly

In closing, I remain grateful to Governor Percival P. Baxter, who not only gave Baxter State Park to the people of Maine, but also provided the opportunity for my family to have a livelihood, a mission and commitment felt deep in my heart that lasted for over 60 years. I always felt that my work was the best job in the State of Maine, which would not have happened without the generosity and caring of Governor Baxter.

If Governor Baxter has a park in heaven, and he needs a ranger, I will apply. If hired, I know that Mr. Taylor will once again be my supervisor.

To all I close with, “God bless you, and may you enjoy happy trails!”

Sincerely, Irvin (Buzz) Caverly, Jr., “a man who loved his job”

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

44 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Kayak Build 2.0 Back in 2020, I built a kayak for my daughter, Hannah.

Building a kayak, as opposed to buying one, served multiple purposes. For me, it was a bucket list item.

Building a kayak from wood appealed to my creative side. And Hannah had started kayaking in a big way.

As a side note to raising children and cultivating their interest in outdoor activities – be patient.

Hannah’s first foray into paddle sports happened when she was 12 years old.

We did the iconic Moose River Bow Trip with Maine Sportsman columnist Jim Andrews and his daughter Gracie. It was an epic three days of paddling, and I think all of us enjoyed it immensely. Yet Hannah did not touch a paddle again

The author spends countless hours fussing over every detail of his kayak builds. Here, he passes long hours fairing the hull of his new boat by day, and by night dreaming about its first voyage on Maine waters. Bill Sheldon photos

for eight years.

Then, out of the blue, during her college years, she bought one of those recycled plastic big-box store kayaks for cheap money. Her kayaking career blossomed. An excited dad decided to upgrade her equipment and check off his bucket list item at the same time.

Plans vs. Kit We selected a set of plans from Ches-

Here, the author’s daughter Hannah puts her Greenland paddle to the water in her custom-built Chesapeake 14. In two years, she has logged over 600 miles on waters from Virginia to Maine. The new build, called “Kayak 2.0,” is a larger version that’s better sized for the author.

apeake Light Craft (CLC) in Annapolis, Maryland. Now, CLC does sell kits, but assembling a pre-cut kit would only count as “half” a check on the all-important bucket list.

We selected the Chesapeake 14, based on Hannah’s weight and height. When selecting a kayak design, whether a custom build or stock off-theshelf boat, it’s critical to fit the kayak to the

physical stature of the kayaker. CLC has some charts to help with correctly sizing a kayak.

So, what has happened in the last three years to trigger a new kayak build? First and foremost, Hannah’s kayak has worked out exceedingly well. The proof is in the mileage.

Since completing the build, she has logged over 600 miles kayaking waters from Virginia to Maine.

What do a wood kayak and modern technology have in common? Keeping a trip log has come light years with the use of GPS. Hannah keeps detailed track of all her trips using the GPS on her watch – “watching” the time and miles build up.

Hooked on Kayaking Last year, Ol’ Bill finally decided to take Hannah’s kayak for a spin. Absolutely loved it. On recent trips, I would use my sit-ontop fishing kayak to tag along with Hannah. While great for fishing, it’s heavy, wide and SLOW. The slow guy on a paddle trip always clogs the toilet. I had a hard time keeping up. Time for action.

A new set of plans for a Chesapeake 16 (Continued on next page)

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arrived electronically, and my woodshop started fabricating parts. I selected the CLC 16 because the extra length and freeboard not only allow for my height and weight, but also offer capacity to spare for carrying camping gear.

Another reason we build kayaks instead of buying kayaks has to do with weight.

Hannah’s CLC 14 tips the scales at just 35 pounds. Despite her 5’2”, 100-pound frame, she easily loads and portages her kayak.

Just for comparison, my fishing kayak weighs a whopping 80 pounds. My new CLC 16 will come in at 42 pounds. I’m looking forward to that.

plywood.

However, they are wrapped in fiberglass cloth and West System Epoxy.

After the epoxy shield, a few coats of marine varnish offers the epoxy some UV protection. That gives us “woodies” the warmth and beauty of a wood kayak and the advantages of the most modern composite units available.

Dad’s Advice One bit of advice I gave Hannah be-

fore turning over the paddle to her was one I learned from my MacKenzie River Drift Boat build. Everyone loves a wood boat. I told her to have her story ready, because she will definitely get lots of questions.

I’ve had as many as a dozen people gathered around my drift boat while stopped at the rest stop in Kennebunkport. She confirmed she has yet to take it anywhere

without getting a compliment or a question about the build.

How long does it take to build a kayak?

The CLC people claim it takes 80 hours to assemble one of their kits. I don’t think that includes putting the final finish on. Because I fabricate my own parts and add some interesting options, I’ll bet I’m double that.

I do the interior cockpit in black carbon fiber. If its’s good

enough for racing sailboats, it’s good enough for a guy trying his best not to clog the toilet. Looks really cool, too!

With any luck, by the time you’re reading this, my new ride should be parting water. I’ve got some time scheduled to do some exploring on Grand Lake Matagamon this month. I look forward to keeping up with Hannah for a change.

¶

Construction Details For those unfamiliar with wood kayak construction, a few comments might clear up some questions.

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46 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Be Prepared for a Lunker If I had landed every huge trout that bit on my line, there wouldn’t be wall space in my house to hold all the mounts. Trophy fish often do get away, through no fault of the angler. A poorly hooked trout may make a fast run and pull out the hook. We can’t help that.

But fish escape for lots of other reasons that we can control, and if we would only pay more attention to small details, we wouldn’t suffer from those recurring dreams of arm-length trout escaping at the side of the boat. I have more than my share of those dreams, primarily as a result of circumstances that were my own fault.

Why Do Big Ones Get Away?

Why is it that landing a large fish is more perilous than landing an average-size fish?

Well, for one thing, bigger trout put a bigger strain on our tackle. Unless everything is in tip-top shape, our chances for failure are greater when we hook a monster.

Also, it seems – at least in my experience – trout of a lifetime often bite under the worst conditions, such as high winds and dangerous waves.

Thus, it somewhat irks me to read where John Doe, who seldom fishes, catches a 10-pound brown trout out of a place where trout haven’t been stocked since 1986, by casting a worm-andbobber rig with a Zebwww.MaineSportsman.com

The big fish hit, and my reel literally exploded, with parts flying in all directions.

This 10-pound trophy brown trout caught by Allen Gallant, did not get away. Photos provided by Tom Seymour

co spincast outfit while basking in the noonday sun and sipping a cold drink.

I mean, why can’t I have such luck?

Memorable Losses In a cruel twist of fate, we never forget the big one that got away because of some unexpected foul-up. I have a couple doozies to share with you, thinking that if the same has happened to you, then misery loves company.

Once, while trolling with a brand-new rod and reel, I was fishing an area that held the brown trout of my dreams. A friend had taken a 10-pound brownie a few days before in the same place, and I knew my chances were good of duplicating his feat.

It was a nice day, and my rod tip bobbed with

The author’s trolling reel, filled with new line, stands ready for a lunker trout to hit.

a steady rhythm as I slowly trolled over the charmed deep hole.

My fish locator indicated large fish beneath me, so it was no surprise when something hit, hard. The rod bent in a knot, but before the reel could even begin to let out line, the whole thing exploded. Reel parts flew in all directions, and the lead-core line became an instant bird’s nest.

I tried to land the trout by pulling the line in by hand, but it was too late. It had gotten slack line and managed to free itself from the hook. With stomach somewhere up near my throat, I packed up and went home. If you would like to know the brand of the reel that exploded, just contact me and I’ll tell you.

Wind Enemy Another time, a friend and I were trolling for salmon in a noted trophy lake. We had fished for hours, without so much as a nibble. It was raining, and a heavy wind made it hard for my friend to handle his boat.

Just about the time we began thinking of quitting, something struck my smelt, and I knew I was fast to a monster. It was giveand-take for a while, but the fish finally rolled on the surface, like a porpoise. I could see its sides and back, and realized it was in the 8- to 10-pound category.

I asked my friend to slow the boat down a little, since we were going too fast to even think of landing a big fish. He said he couldn’t. That was

as slow as the motor would go. I continued battling the fish.

And then, just when it seemed that the game was mine, a powerful gust of wind blew the boat sideways, creating slack line, and the salmon of my dreams threw the hook.

Tackle Check There’s not much we can do about a brand-new reel exploding under extreme pressure, and we have no say regarding gusts of wind. But there are a few things we can do that will up our chances of success the next time a big trout bites.

Words can barely describe the sinking, sickening feeling in your stomach you get when a trophy trout escapes due to your own lack of diligence.

First, check the line, especially the terminal end. Last year’s line may be perfectly fine, except that the last few feet are compromised. This happens with use, and our only option is to exercise extreme vigilance.

A good number of my lost trophies swam free due to my inattention regarding line condition.

Hooks, too, can fail.

Points can get bent or dulled, and it doesn’t take much.

So check your lines and hooks. That way, perhaps the next time Ol’ Walter bites, you will have a good chance of landing him.

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 47

— Guest Column —

Tying Flies – Having Fun with Foam

by Dan LaPointe, Dan’s Fly Shop, Gorham, NH Certain fly-tying materials have a compelling appeal to them – they just look “fishy.” These include natural materials such as deer hair, peacock hurl and pheasant tail, which we turn into Muddlers, pheasant tail nymphs, and prince nymphs. These old tried-and-true patterns not only look great to us but, more important, they look appetizing to the fish we are trying to catch.

However, man-made materials have also been part of our tying for many years, such as using mylar tinsel to wrap the bodies of streamers like the Gray Ghost.

One material that has been in use for quite a few years now – and it’s one of my favorites – is sheet foam. Almost any fly with foam incorporated in it gets my attention. The foam adds an undefinable appeal to surface flies and even some subsurface patterns. One of the best-known patterns tied using sheet foam is the Chernobyl Ant. Sheet foam can be purchased in a variety of thicknesses and colors. Foam also comes in different shapes, such as large and small cylinders, or square blocks. You can purchase foam cutters in a wide variety of shapes for making bodies, wings and tails on your fly patterns.

As you can see from the three photos that accompany this column, I have created some new patterns using sheet foam.

To cut the foam material, I use a piece of hardwood board, a straight edge, and a utility knife with a good sharp blade.

With these I cut the different thicknesses of foam in the desired widths for a particular pattern.

The Gumby Ant For example, when making a Gumby Ant, I simply cut 1/8-inch foam into 1/8inch strips to create uniformly square pieces that I cut to length as I tie the fly.

Bass and trout flies tied with foam are colorful, they float high, and they are durable – and that’s a fun and productive combination.

Dan’s Dragon The third pattern pictured is the Dan’s Dragon popper used for smallmouth bass, although when tied in small sizes it’s also effective for trout. I call it Dan’s Dragon because it resembles a big dragonfly.

This simple pattern has three materials: sheet foam, one hackle feather, and the thread to tie the fly – that’s it! Kind of silly looking, yes, but it has accounted for a lot of remote pond and small stream brook trout.

As for the name of this fly, some of you older folks will remember who Gumby is. I’ll leave it to you to explain this character to your younger fishing friends.

H + F Hopper For the H + F (hair and foam) Hopper, I use a single strip of 2mm sheet foam for the underwing and head.

As you can see, this is also a simple pattern that uses just four materials: foam, tying thread, deer hair, and poly yarn. The combined buoyancy of foam and deer hair works very well to float this little hopper pattern.

This fly is bit more involved because it requires stacking and trimming the deer hair. The most important thing is to find the proper deer hair for the job.

The deer hair used for this fly has what I refer to as short tips – similar to what you would use for a Muddler.

My favorite color for this pattern is orange-and-tan. This is a great little hopper to use on rivers and streams with a “busy current.”

This is my favorite bass popper because it is easy to tie, easy to cast, and will float all day! Of course, like most tyers, I am a bit partial to my own patterns, but only if they work the way they should. This pattern did find its way onto the cover of Fly Tyer magazine way back in 2005.

A Plan Comes Together My very first guiding trip many years ago was a half-day fishing for smallmouth bass on a local river. The first fly I tied on my client’s leader was a yellow Dan’s Dragon foam popper, size 4. The water was calm and the sky was overcast – a perfect day for throwing poppers. We worked the river’s alder-lined shores and shallow grass beds.

That afternoon, my client caught and released more than twenty smallmouth, a largemouth, and a few yellow perch and chain pickerel, all on the same yellow Dan’s Dragon. I did retie the tippet several times because of wear and tear to it. Of course, not all days’ fishing experiences are like this, but everything came together on this day and my foam popper did its job the way I hoped it would.

Contact me through dansflyshop.net for detailed tying instructions and recipes for these patterns.

¶

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48 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Effective Fly Patterns for Striped Bass Striped bass pursue the most varied diet of any fish in North America. Fly patterns targeting striped bass are designed to imitate the fishes’ food, but you’ve got to know which fly to use for each type of habitat. Our writer breaks it down for you.

Years ago, I worked near Waterville, and at the end of many an early-summer day, I would park behind an auto-parts store next to the Kennebec River and head down to the river on a steep path. The current ran against a rock-ledge bank.

Foam lines trapped emerging bugs and carried them downstream.

Every so often, noses would poke up to slurp down the bugs. Often, it was a smallmouth bass, sometimes a landlocked salmon, but every once-in-a-while, a big brown trout – my preferred quarry.

One evening, small dark caddis flies were floating downstream – about a size-14. I was fishing a black Puterbaugh Caddis pattern when a nose came up

and took my fly. Feeling the sting of the hook, the fish took off for the center of the river and I couldn’t budge him for the longest time. I thought I had hooked the state-record brownie, until it thrashed on the surface and I saw its dorsal fin and body shape.

A schoolie striper over two feet long had eaten my caddis.

This confirmed for me what I had always read – that striped bass pursue the most varied diet of any fish in North America.

Many folks are fly-fishing for stripers these days, and the two top-of-mind questions they always ask are: “Where should I go?” and “What fly patterns should I try?” In this column, I will tackle the second

question.

Many available patterns mimic the foods striped bass frequently feed on, but it can be confusing, because of their wide-ranging feeding habits.

The Striper Diet Striped bass are voracious feeders, preying on a diverse range of marine life throughout their habitat.

Their diet varies depending on the time of year and the location, but there are several key food sources that consistently attract their attention.

Baitfish Baitfish play a pivotal role in the diet of stripers. These include herring, alewives, menhaden, shad, and sand eels. The abundance of baitfish in

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Nick Prawer holds a hefty striper. Photo: The Tackle Shop

a particular area influences the behavior and feeding patterns of striped bass.

When selecting fly patterns, imitations of these baitfish are highly effective.

Patterns such as the Clouser Minnow, the Deceiver, and the Half & Half (a combination of the previous two), tied in sizes matching the local baitfish, work wonders in enticing strikes. Go-to colors are always white, olive-and-white, or

green-and-white.

New artificial materials such as EP fibers have inspired a variety of innovative baitfish patterns that can be closely imitative of real baitfish and are now fished widely. These fibers are translucent, have good movement, and are durable. If you are a fly-tyer, go to YouTube for pattern-tying instructional videos using these materials.

(Continued on next page)

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 49 (Continued from page 48)

Flats Feeding Crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp constitute another essential part of the striped bass diet.

When targeting stripers, it is crucial to have fly patterns that mimic the appearance and movement of these small creatures. Crab and shrimp patterns, such as the Merkin Crab, the EP Shrimp, and the Crimp (a combination of the two) are effective when fished near the bottom or in shallow flats where stripers forage.

The invasive green crab is bad news for our local clam populations, but food for stripers. Many anglers are now tossing green crab imitations as their first choice.

Slimy Foods Squid are highly nutritious, and serve as a significant food source for striped bass in coastal regions.

Squid flies effectively imitate the unique shape and movement of these cephalopods.

Fish these patterns when you know squid are present, usually later in the summer at night.

When fishing in the dark, black is always a good color choice. Try fishing a tandem rig with a Clouser followed by a squid pattern. The Squid Gurgler is fun to fish because stripers

An example of a squid pattern.

Newly-available artificial fibers allow fly-tyers to create new patterns.

crush it on the surface as it chugs along.

Eels are a striper staple and are prevalent in estuaries and coastal areas. Any dark pattern that imitates the undulating movement of eels can prove irresistible.

Local Resources For those who want more information about where to fish for striped bass and to stock up on gear and flies, we are fortunate in Maine to have a number of local fly shops with specific striper knowledge about their area, including The Tackle Shop (Portland: www.tackleshop. net), Eldridge Bros (Cape Neddick: www. eldridgeflyshop.com),

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On the Midcoast, try Maine Sport Outfitters (Rockland: www.mainesport.com – ask for Seth who

Top three striper patterns courtesy of The Tackle Shop (from top to bottom):Green Crab, the Mushy, and the jig-hook Clouser.

runs the Fly Shop).

Larger retailers such as Kittery Trading Post, Cabela’s, and LL Bean also sell striped bass patterns and gear and can provide good information when you connect with a knowledgeable sales-

person.

Local fly-tyers have created some incredible patterns, so it also pays to peruse the local fly-fishing forums and on-line fly-tyer websites. Tight lines!

¶

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50 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Scent Control in Bear Hunting Many hunters say that controlling your scent while hunting is a no-brainer. “Hunt the wind,” they say.

While that sounds great, it’s not always possible, and with the nose of a bear, you were busted when you got out of your vehicle.

Watching hunting shows, you’d think it’s come-as-you-are, move-all-you-want and talk-as-loud-asyou-want, but I haven’t been that overrun with bear, so I look at every single tactic I can utilize to give me an advantage.

So, what do you do if you want to increase your odds of seeing a bear while hunting over bait?

Use Scent to Your Advantage As an avid DIY bear hunter, I’ve heard about a lot of methods.

One of the most intriguing I’ve come across is the idea of using your scent to your advantage, so that bear associate your scent with food.

The author answers the question: “What do you do if you want to increase your odds of seeing a bear while hunting over bait?”

Note this bear sniffing the air. This bear and the author alternated times on the bait — every day the author was there, the bear wasn’t, and vice versa.

All photos: Staci Warren

The “Baseball Cap” Theory My favorite story is about a guide who hangs a ball cap at the site. He wears a cap into the site and swaps out the caps. He wears the cap he just retrieved to his next site, and repeats the process, thus refreshing his scent as he re-

This big bear showed up at the author’s stand during daylight hours. www.MaineSportsman.com

freshes the bait.

When we bait, we don’t make any attempt to mask or hide our scent. We just choose to avoid hunting hours when we bait, so as not to bump them off the bait during peak hunting time.

Since most bear hunters hire a guide,

The author in her bear stand.

and their stands are set by guides, hunting the wind isn’t an option.

Even then, most times, a bear comes in downwind of the site as it approaches, so there’s always a chance it’s going to smell you, no matter how hard you try otherwise.

This leaves two options to reduce your presence: 1) scent elimination; and 2) scent masking.

Scent Elimination Eliminating scent means removing as much human scent as you can. Starting with personal hygiene, use scent-free/unscented soap, and wear clean clothes to your hunting site.

There are lots of options for shampoo and body wash on the market, and many are less drying than in the past, but I prefer to make soap with the tallow of the bear that I harvest.

Formulated with activated charcoal and baking soda, it’s non-drying and odor-absorbing, and it has no added scent.

You can also find anti-perspirants/deodorants, as well as lip balm, toothpaste, and lotions to round out your personal hygiene regimen for scent elim(Get Out There continued on page 52)

Some of the scent control products the author keeps on hand. She stocks up at the end of the season so it’s always available.

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 51

What Happens at Ladies Hunting Camp?

When I say “hunting camp,” the phrase probably elicits visions of bearded men dressed in buffalo plaid, drinking beer.

You may even smell the smoke from the wood stove and the smoke from the men’s pipes.

But what is ladies hunting camp like?

Back in May, Hal Blood got a glimpse into ladies hunting camp when he hosted members of the Maine Women Hunters group for a deer tracking clinic at his camp outside Jackman. Here’s how it went: After a dusty evening drive into Hal’s remote hunting camp, the nine of us settled into two large wall tents, and unrolled our sleeping bags on the cots. Hal’s camp is off-grid, but there was a generator, and a woodstove was cranking inside each tent.

“I’ll be on woodstove duty, because I get cold easily,” Ally volunteered, and she

What’s a signpost rub? How can you tell how long ago a deer track was made, or how big the animal is? What makes Hal Blood blush? At Ladies Deer Camp, participants learned the answers to these questions and more.

A happy crew of ladies assembled at Hal Blood’s hunting camp to learn about woods navigation, tracking, and hunting. Christi Holmes photo

chose the cot closest to the woodstove.

Anna walked through the doors of the tent. “The seat on the outhouse is really cold, FYI, but otherwise it’s fine,” she reported. “Hal mentioned he cleaned it

Hal initially taught map-and-compass inside, at a table. Emilie Cram photo

really well for us, and brought plenty of TP.” It was getting dark outside, and a chorus of peepers grew louder from a nearby pond.

Though we were all members of the same group, we didn’t know each other.

Learning about Signpost Rubs The next morning after breakfast was “field day.” After a short drive, we began hiking up a small mountain in the woods. We followed Hal, like goslings fol-

Hal then took his students outside, to help them translate book-learning into woods navigation skills. Emilie Cram photo

low a mother goose.

Hal explained “signpost rubs” to us.

A signpost rub is when a buck or multiple bucks rub their antlers on the same tree year after year as a way of marking their territory. Does and young bucks will stop to investigate signposts, as well. Hal explained where to find them (near wet areas), what trees they prefer to use (black/brown ash) and when to hunt over them (when there isn’t snow to track on).

We took selfies, harvested chaga, drank from springs, and never stopped talking.

“Is this a rub?”

“What about this?”

“Look at these tracks!”

“Moose poop over here!”

“I can’t wait to look for signposts on the land I hunt!”

“Another signpost over here!”

We found so many signposts that we stopped getting excit(Continued on next page)

At the end of the day, the group relaxed and debriefed inside one of the walled tents. Candace Sabol photo www.MaineSportsman.com

52 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Sportswoman (Continued from page 51)

ed over them. After about seven miles, we returned to the truck, anxious for dinner.

lized!). Hal blushed, “I’m never going to look at a signpost the same again!” We had corrupted him!

The next day was “classroom day” and Hal went over how to use a map and compass, how to estimate walking distance, and general tips for being in the big woods. Hal shared his favorite clothing, gear and firearms for tracking, and then dove deep into the ins and outs of tracking deer in the snow.

He shared photos and videos, and explained how to age tracks, how to estimate the size of the deer, and how to sneak up on a deer in various scenarios.

Girl-Talk Makes Hal Nervous Back at camp, Candace, the camp cook, had prepared a delicious meal of pork and potatoes. That evening, we gathered with drinks around the campfire, and instead of debating which firearm is best (a common debate at tracking clinic camp according to Hal), we laughed over what physiological feature we thought signposts resembled (and you thought ladies hunting camp was civi-

Get Out There (Continued from page 50)

ination. If you have a long walk into your stand, or if it’s hot, dress lightly to avoid excessive perspiring.

Never Wear Sneakers Launder hunting gear in scent-free laundry wash, and store in a scentproof bag. I prefer bags over hanging clothes outdoors, since a neighbor’s campfire or fumes from a home project can contaminate gear.

Never wear hunting gear in the vehicle or house, and, if possible, dress outside when it comes time to hunt.

Store boots outside, and consider using an odor-neutralizing powder if your boots are leather or don’t have removable liners. Leather breathes, and

Finally, he explained how to get a big buck out of the woods when you’re alone.

After lunch, we loaded into the cab and bed of Hal’s truck, and went to collect firewood. As Hal drove the logging roads, he stopped and explained some strategies for scouting from the road if you have little time, or no clue where to start.

In the afternoon, the ladies piled into the camp truck to go in search of firewood. Holly MacKenzie photo

Not Like Men’s Hunting Camp We returned to camp by 5 o’clock, just in time for happy hour with Candace. Half of our group were mothers, so this was precious time away from their daily responsibilities and without cell service, we could all relax, distraction

free. We gossiped, complained about our partners and dating, and shared our favorite hunting clothes that actually fit our hips. Vastly different conversations from those that usually take place at Hal’s tracking clinics, Candace noted.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but

therefore shares your foot odor, so opt for a rubber boot with removable liners. Never wear sneakers.

There’s lots of gear to buy, if you have the urge to splurge. One of our splurges was an ozone unit. It’s mounted above my head, and as it runs, it “blankets your scent-zone with scent-destroying ozone” (ozonicshunting.com).

I also have a blind made for ladder stands. This combats the movement and scent issues, but it can feel restrictive due to the smaller size of the blind.

Scent Masking Scent masking involves spraying competing scent to cover your scent.

Since I routinely use bear spray scent to refresh the area to lure in bear, it’s easy to just bring a bottle of spray with me and use it to cover my scent on the

this kind of feels like a bachelorette party,” one of the ladies said.

“Well, what would that make Hal, then?!” we all laughed.

Armed with tons of new tracking knowledge, we are all inspired to get out and try tracking on the snow this fall!

¶

way to my stand.

I sometimes use a different spray that not only covers my scent but also changes up the offering so that bear don’t get bored. I then spray the branches around the perimeter of my stand to cover my scent. I make sure I use gloves when I climb my stand to avoid leaving my scent on the ladder.

Final Thoughts Lastly, use the toilet before you go, and don’t eat while you hunt. Eating not only makes noise, but also has scent. Eating also gets the guts moving, and the last thing you want is an emergency bathroom break.

As you prepare for your hunt, know that all these steps will be worthwhile when you finally get your bear. Good luck!

¶

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 53

Efficient Rowing Strictly a Balancing Act Five years ago, I built a set of counterbalanced oars for my drift boat. The process of counterbalancing an oar consists of adding weight between the oar lock and handle.

On these ash oars, I simply hollowed out the handles and filled them with number six bird shot. If you picked them up, the first thing you’d notice is just how insanely heavy they are to lug around. Why would Sheldon add lead to his oars? After all, he’s not building an anchor!

The proof is in the

Although adding lead shot to the handles makes oars heavy to lug around on dry land, once the oars are secured in the oarlocks, you will immediately see the beneficial effect that results from proper balance. stroke. Once these heavy sticks settle into the oarlocks, they balance out and row like two feathers. I’ve spent eight-hour days on the water and not needed a single ibuprofen for sore shoulders.

With the East Coast Drifter rowing like a champ, I turned my attention to my

raft. For some reason, those oars pull out of the water hard and just go kerplunk when they splash back into the water. It’s a workout. Seemed like an easy fix. Add some counterweight and leave the ibuprofen home.

Problem was they are already counterbalanced. NRS sells

four-pound weights that attach to the shaft just below the handle. Even with the NRS accessory correctly attached, the raft is a bear to row.

Size Matters So, I got on the phone with the folks at NRS and explained my dilemma. While thoughts of building another set of wood

oars crossed my mind, they just don’t belong on a raft. No particular reason – just my own preference.

My current raft oars, made of aluminum, are an industry-standard nine feet long. That’s actually the same length as my wood oars for the East Coast Drifter. Well, lo and behold, after the experts at NRS referenced their charts and conferred among themselves, they reported that I am supposed to have eightfoot oars, based on the (Continued on next page)

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54 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Jackman Region (Continued from page 53)

narrow width of the raft.

Taking 12 inches off the paddle end makes a sizable difference in balance. Away goes the heavy lift out of the water and the kerplunk-ing crash back into the water that has punctuated my raft fishing career.

Hard work, and noisy too!

I’m really mad at myself for not looking into this years ago. I wondered if that’s why I wore out all my fishing partners. Maybe now I can recruit some new anglers to share the rowing duties.

Whitewater Now August may just rate as the busiest time of year for rafting companies, due to warm weather, plenty of white water, and streams of high school and college kids looking to end their summer vacation with a splash.

It’s important to use a reputable raft guiding company for this activity. Quality guiding outfitters safely take thousands of adrenalin junkies through the twists and turns of both the Kennebec and Dead Rivers every summer.

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and pros alike. Rafting has turned into the goto activity for corporate team building and family bonding.

My raft, an AIRE Super Puma, is basically a whitewater raft outfitted with an aluminum frame, set up specifically for fly fishing. I guess I could take the frame out and run the Kennebec River Gorge on one of their turbo releases, but I’ll pass.

Baiting Time Warm weather and water sports dominate the Jackman Region this month.

However, bear hunting guides spend long days prepping for the upcoming bear hunting season. Bait can be placed starting on July 29. This allows guides a month to set up stands, study bear movement, and finetune the baiting process.

Preparing for the August 28 opening of hunting bears over bait requires a staggering amount of work. This daily grind of stocking bait sites, checking trail cameras and figuring out

The author purchased shorter oars from NRS (Northwest River Supplies, of Idaho), and used his existing counter weights (just below the handles) in an effort to have a perfectly balanced set of sticks. Properly balanced oars make for an effortless day on the river, and save on trips to the drug store to purchase muscle-ache medication.

All photos: Bill Sheldon

bear activity, goes on throughout the month.

I talked to one outfitter who said he had over 100 trail cameras keeping an eye on his bait sites. It’s a big investment in time, ef-

The author filled his homemade ash oars with number six birdshot and epoxy before laminating them together.

Perfectly balanced, they are a sweet-rowing set of sticks.

fort and money, all to put a smile on a successful client’s face.

By having multiple bait sites, many monitored by game camer(Jackman Region continued on page 56)

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The Winged Spectacle of Dragonflies and Damselflies Anyone who spends time outdoors, from a casual walk down to the lake, to day-hike, to a weeklong paddling adventure, will encounter some of my favorite insects: dragonflies and damselflies.

These ancient aviators add zip and a dazzling splash of color to outdoor adventures, with their specialized shapes, distinctive behaviors, and aerial acrobatics.

Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order Odonata, which can be traced back more than 300 million years. They feature elongated bodies, large multifaceted eyes, and intricately veined wings that allow them to maneuver with unparalleled precision.

Maine has at least six families of dragonflies (Anisoptera) and three families of damselflies (Zygoptera), totaling about 160 species, in all colors, sizes, and shapes. And all sorts of habitats, too – from open flatwater to marshes, lawns and meadows, to fast-flowing streams and rivers.

Damsel vs Dragon First, we need to distinguish the two groups, based on some key differences in anatomy, habits and adaptations.

Dragonflies are robust and active fliers, but when they do land and rest, they typical-

The author once saw a dragonfly returning repeatedly to a post nearby on a dock after catching mosquitoes the author was attracting, almost as if the dragonfly were using the author as bait. Other hunting styles employed by dragonflies and damselflies are known as hovering and diving; wait and ambush; aerial hawking; and even cooperating with another fly in what’s called “tandem hunting.”

Green darner. Judy Gallagher photo

ly perch with their two pairs of wings held out flat, away from the body, like an airplane. The dragonfly’s perching style is typically parallel to the ground, allowing them to take off quickly in any direction when disturbed or while chasing or ambushing prey.

However, when resting, dragonflies often orient their bodies to regulate their body temperature, sometimes perching vertically, or raising their bodies to point their

tails up, a curious posture called “obelisking.”

Dragonflies may land on twigs, grasses, or other protruding objects in sunny areas.

They also perch on the ground, on rocks, and other structures.

I once saw one returning repeatedly to a post nearby on a dock after catching mosquitoes that I was attracting, almost as if it were using me as bait.

Damselflies, on the other hand, have a different posture when resting. With their

slender bodies and more delicate flight capabilities, they usually hold their wings together, closed over their backs or slightly open in a ‘V’ shape.

This is one of the key differentiators when identifying the two.

Damselflies are often seen perching on the tips of plants, particularly near water bodies where they lay their eggs and their nymphs develop.

They prefer sheltered spots, hanging onto the underside of leaves or stems with their

weaker legs, safe from the wind and potential predators.

Both types of ordonates use several hunting strategies, depending on habitat and individual adaptation, including hovering and diving; perch and chase; wait and ambush; aerial hawking; and even cooperating in what’s called “tandem hunting.”

Five Cool Creatures Here are five species worth looking for this late summer and fall, with some comments to help understand their differences.

Common Green Darners (Anax junius): One of the classic dragonfly species found near lakes and ponds, the Common Green Darner is named for its resemblance to a darning needle. You might see a blur of green and blue torpedo past you along a riverbank or dock. Agile aerial predators, they hunt mosquitoes and other insects near open water. The females have a bright green thorax, where the wings attach. The males have duller green eyes and thorax, and blue on their long thin abdomen.

Superb Jewelwing (Calopteryx amata): Switching to the damselfly camp, you’ll love the Superb Jewelwing, a stunning species that sports an irides(Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

56 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Autumn meadowhawk. Van Wie photo

Beaverpond baskettail. Van Wie photo

Sporting Environment (Continued from page 55)

cent, metallic-green body (males) with clear wings and brown wingtips. The females are duller in color, with a yellow underside. They prefer swift rocky streams and rivers, and they perch in shrubs over riffles.

So next time you’re angling for trout, see if you can spot one of these.

Calico Pennants (Celithemis elisa): The colorful Calico Pennant is a petite dragonfly found in weedy meadows near water.

The red male or golden yellow female have clear wings with distinctive brown spots, usually three spots per wing with a big spot at the base. They fly around at knee height.

Jackman Region (Continued from page 54)

as, Registered Maine Guides can make educated decisions regarding hunter placement. This dramatically increases the odds of success, by targeting trophy animals while leaving the younger bears alone.

Coyote Primer Bear hunters looking to sharpen their rifle skills before engaging with Ursus americanus would do well to squeeze the trigger on a coyote or two.

Both the day and night coyote seasons www.MaineSportsman.com

Superb Jewelwing damselfly. Van Wie photo

Beaverpond Baskettail (Epitheca canis): This full-size dragonfly has bright emerald eyes and a brown/ black body with elongated yellow spots on the sides. They like slow streams, sloughs and bog ponds, such as oxbows on meandering streams. They have clear brownish wings with a small stigma-like a dark dash mark near the tips.

Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), also known as the Yellow-legged Meadowhawk, is one of the last flying dragonflies you’ll see during the season, often still active in meadows and yards into late October and early November.

Its body is typically bright reddish-orange, and the wings can appear clear or golden, depending on the light. This species is

quite common in New England. Look for them soaking up the sun on your woodpile or wooden fence.

If you are interested in learning how to identify these fun creatures, I recommend the encyclopedic field guide Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East by Dennis Paulson, with excellent photos and explanations.

¶

remain open all month.

Hunting coyotes out of a stand with your bear gun will allow you to closely replicate the shot required to bring down a trophy bruin. While using a bear rifle on a coyote might make the hunter feel a bit over-gunned, re-familiarizing yourself with the firearm you plan to use for bear will pay off during bear season when that massive bruin comes into view.

Taking in all the region has to offer this month may just prove to be a balancing act.

¶

With balanced oars, the author looks completely at ease on the river.

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 57

Moosehead Lake Sees Best Fishing Ever Once in your boat on Moosehead, avoid the “Let’s get out of here and go to the other side” syndrome, since so much good fishing exists near the boat launches. By immediately cranking up their motors and heading for distant parts of the lake, many anglers unknowingly pass over some great fishing spots.

What every hopeful boater wants to see on the screen – lots of fish suspended at various depths, and huge, irregularly-shaped blobs, the blobs representing large schools of smelt. That’s what I witnessed on a recent fishing trip to Moosehead Lake.

That’s not all. Fish I landed were fat and well-formed, in excellent condition. Also, upon netting a togue or salmon, the fish would regurgitate numbers of smelt. This occurred so frequently that it prompted me to wonder why anything would bother to bite on our artificial lures, what with so much natural bait available.

I also wondered if the abundance of smelt was related to past efforts by the Moosehead Lake Coalition, which stocked great numbers of tiny smelt in the big lake. It certainly had to have had at least some effect.

As it stands right now, fishing is the best I have ever seen it. And that’s saying a lot. Moosehead has always been dependable, and in the past there were slow days, as happens anywhere,

but there were never any fishless days.

Now, Moosehead Lake offers the best lake fishing of any place that I can name. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed.

Untapped Resource So here we have the ideal situation – a lake, the size of which calls to mind pictures of Penobscot Bay, full of fish and with several state-of-the-art boat launch facilities, and relatively few people to take advantage of it.

Sure, boat launches stay busy on the weekends, but not all of those boaters are anglers. Even on a sunny Saturday in summer, the number of boats seen trolling on Moosehead seems tiny and insignificant.

I know the East Outlet of the Kennebec River sees substantial angler use, float trips and wading and

casting for its legendary salmon, but right alongside it we have a vast, inland sea, teeming with salmon, togue and monster-size brook trout, with only a handful of boaters on it on any given day.

Why this situation would occur remains a mystery to me.

On the other hand, from a boater’s standpoint, I can positively say that there is no competition, no need to worry about other boaters infringing upon your trolling lane. Many times, yours will be the only boat in sight.

Just knowing that you are trolling over layers of good-sized coldwater game fish is reassuring. With all those fish down there, one must surely bite.

And most of the time, one will. And usually more than one.

Dawn Holbrook holds a Moosehead salmon she just landed. Tom Seymour photos

Best Times Best times to ply Moosehead’s deep, icy waters vary from month-to-month, and year-to-year. In past years, early morning represented the best chance for red-hot action. Now, while mornings see steady action, the fast-and-furious times come later on in the afternoon. But

that can turn on a dime, which makes fishing such a game of unknowns.

What I’m saying is if you only have a few hours free in the morning, certainly go for it. And if possible, try to spend some time out there later in the afternoon.

(Continued on next page)

Holbrooks Guide Service Fishing • Moose Watching • Bird Hunting Eric Holbrook, Master Maine Guide

Moosehead Region (207) 349-0366 • www.HolbrooksGuideService.com www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Moosehead Region (Continued from page 57)

Here’s something else to ponder. It’s a point I have made several times over the years.

It’s called the “Let’s get out of here and go to the other side” syndrome.

In other words, most people launch their boat and immediately crank up the motor and head for distant parts of the lake. In doing so, they unknowingly pass over some great fishing spots.

For example, the area off the boat launch in Rockwood has a solid reputation as being a steady fish producer.

During my last trip, we took one fish after another in this piece of

water. And yet, few, if any, people target this area. Similar situations occur on lots of other lakes, so it may help if you bear it in mind.

Magnificent Scenery Moosehead Lake, being ringed with majestic mountains, offers a visual treat whether fish cooperate or not.

So do other lakes in the area, but Moosehead’s size allows for the greatest expanse of mountain scenery.

Here’s an interesting history note regarding Mt. Kineo, the singular peak that stands in the center of

Despite haze in the air, Moosehead Lake’s great scenery shines through.

Moosehead Lake. Kineo is composed of rhyolite, a type of flint used by the ancient peoples for making tools and weapons. During passage of the last glacier, the ice lopped off a significant

portion of Mt. Kineo and carried it over 100 miles to the shores of Penobscot Bay, crushing and grinding it on the way.

This explains why so much Kineo rhyolite

exists on Sears Island and other coastal spots.

That is where the glacier debouched and left its load of what was left of the part of Mt. Kineo that it had sheared off.

¶

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Region Offers Exhilarating Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing in August In recent conversations with professional saltwater fisherman and Master Maine guide Joe Rego of Prospect, the author learned that stripers in the Gulf of Maine are becoming more numerous and larger.

Downeast anglers often pursue lake trout in August. Lake trout are deep-dwellers that prefer very cold water year ’round. They feed mainly upon smelts, but they can also eat aquatic insects and small fish. Consequently, these prolific feeders can grow quite large.

One favorite water to catch a few summer-fattened lake trout is Green Lake in Dedham. Refer to DeLorme’s Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 23, C-5. Green contains nearly 3,000 acres of prime salmon and lake trout habitat.

Especially during the month of August, Green Lake is best

known for its healthy population of lake trout. According to Maine Fisheries biologist Greg Burr, Green Lake is one of the more consistent producers of togue weighing more than 10 pounds.

This time of year, the best method of fishing for togue is trolling with lead core line or downriggers, using minnows or

copper, white, or silver lures. In August, anglers usually catch lake trout here at depths below 60 feet.

There are two boat-launching facilities. One is located about midway down the south side of the lake, and the other one is at the north end of the lake.

Washington County Washington Coun-

Downeast Region columnist Jim Lemieux with a 14inch brookie caught at Simmons Pond earlier this summer. Simmons is a 13-acre coldwater pond located in Hancock Twp.

ty also has reputable togue fishing waters in August.

They include: Pleasant Lake, Map 45,

E-2; West Musquash, Map 45, E-3; or one of the state’s best lake (Downeast Region continued on page 62)

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60 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

When Saltwater and Freshwater Compete for Our Time Oh, what problems we face in August.

Whether to go to the saltwater and fish for mackerel, pollock and squid, or to head to the nearest inland lake or pond to fish for white perch. That is the dilemma. I can never make up my mind.

Usually, I’ll let the weather decide for me.

If the day dawns hot and humid, then a mackerel-fishing trip seems in order. But if it looks to be mild, or even on the cool side, or perhaps there’s an overcast sky, then white perch become my target.

Call me old-fashioned, but the phase of the moon also influences my decision as to what to fish for. A full moon, or a near-full one, means white perch will be close-mouthed, and red-hot action seems unlikely. At the same time, mackerel bite as well or perhaps better during the full moon.

This may seem like foolish folklore, but I find that time and time again, it pays to go by the moon.

Both salt- and freshwater options hold lots of promise.

By August, every bay

What’s a Midcoast angler to do? With the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and productive freshwater lakes and ponds on the other side, it’s a tough call.

The author’s approach? Figure out how to do both! and inlet brims with mackerel, and schools of white perch prowl mid-range depths in lakes. We could have worse things to worry about, you know.

Perch Jigs Past years would find me on the lake, drifting for white perch, with one rod out with a lively earthworm (nightcrawlers are a second choice, after garden worms), and a rod dragging a lip-hooked shiner on the other side of the boat. These took fish all right, but the bait bucket was a nuisance, and the worm container was messy. Besides, both methods required re-baiting after every fish.

Today, I seldom use natural bait, preferring artificial lures – panfish jigs, to be precise. With these, you can haul in a perch, unhook it and kill it, and immediately drop the lure back down to other waiting perch. No muss or fuss; no re-baiting.

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Here is a selection of panfish jigs, Crappie Magnets, bodies and jigheads in bright colors that have produced for the author in 2023. Tom Seymour photo

And jigs take as many – and probably more – fish than natural bait.

The only time natural bait outperforms artificials is when targeting larger white perch – fish in the 14-inch-plus range. A 2-inch shiner, dace, or even sucker, appeals to big perch, and when fished side-by-side with jigs, the naturals usually take more giant perch.

That’s not to say that jigs don’t take all sizes of perch and other fish, because they do.

If you go armed only with jigs, you won’t be at a loss. In fact, even when I know the place I’m going to fish contains 2-pound perch, I’ll stick to jigs, and I do catch my share.

Bass, Too Bass, both smallmouth and largemouth, come as a bycatch while fishing for panfish such as white perch. While most people fish for bass along the weed and water lily edges, many bass prefer to stay in 15 – 20 feet of water, along with the schools of perch.

And while most people are thrilled when a 3- or 4-pound bass takes their panfish jig, it just aggravates me.

It takes valuable time to land a bass, even a 2-pounder, and for me, that time would be better spent catching my intended quarry – perch.

But be that as it may, bass are attracted by panfish jigs, and I find myself catching more bass by accident while perch fishing, than my bass-fishing friends catch while plugging the shorelines with plastic worms. I often go perch and crappie fishing with a friend who always insists that I take the boat to the shallows for a break, so he can cast for bass with his outsized bass lures. Once in a while he’ll catch one, but we always take more bass on panfish jigs while perch fishing. I should take more pictures of these bycatch bass,

but I’m always in too much of a hurry to get back to catching white perch.

Smaller jigs work better for me, allround, than larger ones. I pretty much stick to 1/16-ounce jigheads, and find that small and medium-sized fish take them eagerly, as do larger specimens.

Mackerel Time No matter where on the coast you live, you will find plenty of places to fish for mackerel.

I used to fish mostly from my boat, but now stick to docks, floats and piers, since you can take just as many mackerel, without the burden of trailering and launching a boat.

I use small Diamond jigs and Swedish Pimple jigs interchangeably, but mostly Diamond jigs simply because they are far less expensive than Swedish Pimples. Besides, unless you are diligent about rinsing all your gear in fresh water after mackerel fishing, Swedish Pimple hooks rust faster than Diamond jig hooks.

Diamond jigs have a single, very strong hook. This makes unhooking fish far easier than with the thin wire treble hooks on Swedish Pimples.

Also, try squid jigging with commercially-available squid jigs.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 61

Survival Mindset for the Off-Road Traveler A friend suggested watching the television series “ALONE,” and I asked him, “Why do they call it ‘Alone’ when there is a camera man right there with each of them?”

He said, “The contestants film themselves … they are truly alone, and this is the only reason I watch this show and not the other ‘survival’-type shows.”

So, I decided to watch, and I was pleasantly surprised.

This television show is a series where a certain number of folks each season get dropped off in the wil-

When it comes to surviving in the wilderness, there’s toughness, and then there’s mental toughness. The television show “Alone” illustrates what happens when contestants think they can fully prepare for outdoor emergencies by watching a few instructional videos. derness with a satellite (Sat) phone and a limited number of survival items/tools. The contestant who stays out there the longest wins $500k. At any time, they can call on the SAT phone and declare that they quit (tap out) if things aren’t working out right for them or if they en-

counter a dangerous situation they can’t handle … otherwise, they are all by themselves in a true wilderness setting.

After I watched several episodes, a few things stood out to me as highly important. It was so interesting to watch these outdoors folks struggle with ba-

sic tasks like lighting a fire. One fellow lost his ferrous striking stick and had to call it quits (wouldn’t you think he would have a second fire starting item, like a lighter?). Another contestant drank bad water and got sick, and then called for an extraction.

We can learn so

many things from this show … mostly that an individual traveling in wilderness areas should actually perform basic survival techniques before they head into the back country. I watched several contestants struggle with techniques and then mention that they never had performed that actual task before but did see someone else do it. It’s really different when you are out there by yourself and have to successfully perform outdoor survival skills with(Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

62 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Off-Road Traveler (Continued from page 61) out the help of anyone else – especially when things aren’t going as planned.

What Skills?

These contestants knew they needed to be able to build a fire, find a good water source, build some kind of shelter, and then start gathering food (not in that order). In the episode I watched, the ten contestants were dropped off at various remote locations on Vancouver Island, one of the dampest places on earth – so, starting a fire loomed as a real struggle until some of them discovered that the cedar trees around them provided a solid source of fire-starting material. Even under the wettest conditions, the oil in a cedar tree

is highly flammable.

To make water potable enough to drink without getting sick, you must boil it at least five minutes (a rolling boil). Some declare 15 minutes, but I’ve lived after drinking gallons boiled at five minutes only. If you have a small, hand-held filtering pump, it’s so much easier. For some reason, none of these folks on the show had a pump.

Most of the folks on the show did well with building shelters, except one guy who tried to erect a yurt … it turned out to be more of a smokehouse than a shelter. When it started snowing, the best shelters really helped to keep the contestants warm by containing the heat from

Downeast Region (Continued from page 59)

trout waters, West Grand Lake, Map 35, B-3.

Still-fishing with shiners or trolling with live bait and a dodger can produce outstanding results at any one of these waters.

Togue, Smallmouth and Perch Hancock County offers salmon and togue in such places as Donnell Pond in Sullivan, Map 24, D-5. Donnell is a 1,120-acre water with a maximum depth of 119 feet. This sprint, hatchery trucks dropped off 250 7-inch lake trout. The hope is that stockings of togue in each of the last several years will reestablish a healthy population of fish.

This lake also contains some fine smallmouth bass fishing. The fish population includes many bass in the 15to 17-inch range. The lake also yields a few 3½- and 4-pound smallmouths.

According to a past fishing report written by IF&W fisheries biologist, Greg Burr, “August is a great time Downeast for bass and white perch fishing. Bass fishing is pretty good, particularly for those who love to fly fish for bass. Anglers who like to fish with live bait are also finding success in the drop-off areas.” www.MaineSportsman.com

Getting in and out of wilderness areas requires the judgment to make decisions that will protect the health and safety of all participants. William Clunie photo

even a small fire.

Mind Control Many of the toughest-appearing fellows on this show seemed to mentally break down after only a week in the bush. The strongest-seeming contestants sobbed with

great emotion, even though they had a SAT phone to immediately get them out of their wilderness situation.

As I watched many of the contestants drop into this sad mental state, I wondered how they would fare in a situation where they were stuck and alone in the big woods of Maine – without a phone for help.

There are a lot of places in the north woods of Maine that don’t have cell phone reception. Maintaining a clear mental state of mind when things go wrong during off-road travel, requires plenty of forethought. If you have physically performed these survival tasks ahead of time, it sure clears your head of excessive doubt and makes a world of difference when the chips are down.

White perch here also provide good action, especially during warm August evenings. A fair number of 10- to 12inch perch are caught each summer, with a few extra-large 14-inch fish boated by lucky anglers.

Washington County also features outstanding fishing for perch and bass.

Bass can be found along the shorelines or in shoals at dawn and again around dusk. White perch school up during the summer months and can create a lot of action, especially near dark.

Waters where bass and perch fishing are top-notch include Second Lake in East Machias, Map 26, B-4, and Pocomoonshine Lake, Map 36, D-2.

Striper Fishing Downeast The tidal waters from Penobscot Bay to Lubec feature a rebounding population of striped bass. Bass anglers fishing from Bucksport to Eastport boat many stripers in the 28- to-31inch slot limit. The past few years have been very encouraging for striped-bass anglers. In the last few years, those anglers have been catching more and heftier stripers.

In recent conversations with professional saltwater fisherman and Master Maine guide Joe Rego of Prospect, I learned that stripers in the Gulf of Maine are experiencing an upward swing in population and size.

Surviving in the wilderness is not a matter of strength, stamina or physical prowess.

Surviving is almost 100 percent what’s in your head. I watched several of the contestants give up because they just didn’t use the power of their own mind to lead them in the right direction.

My suggestion would be for anyone traveling through remote or wilderness areas to spend several days in the woods alone, at different intervals. Do these three- or four-day trips in a semi-remote region, and get used to performing the routine tasks that keep you alive … it’s really the only way to practice what you need to do when you are out in the real wilderness.

¶

Several top-notch striper haunts exist in Prospect off Sandy Point in the waters along Gondola Cove, Map 23, E-2, while other productive striper spots lie upstream near the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.

Families can also enjoy discovering the interior and exterior of Fort Knox, or take an elevator ride to the top of the observatory.

The shoreline from Fort Knox upriver is a good place to troll an imitation eel to entice a few battling bass.

Successful bass fishers usually use salt-water lures or eel imitations. Another way to fish the river is to use Bucksport’s fishing pier, adjacent to the new Veterans’ Memorial off Main Street.

Saltwater anglers can find other striper-fishing waters by travelling farther east on Route 1. Some of the hottest saltwater fishing happens in August. Many of the bays along Route 1 have large concentrations of baitfish.

Fishing can be exciting, if you can find a school of pogies or mackerel.

Hotspots for stripers are found on Map 26, C-4: Machias Bay; and Pleasant Bay, Map 25, D-4. These regions have several rivers emptying into the ocean, which creates excellent striper habitat.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 63

The Problem is Bears The problem is bears. At least she thinks they’re a problem. Oh, they’re here all right. Spectacle Pond is known to be prime black bear habitat, but in more than thirty years at the cabin we’ve actually, really, only seen two.

Maybe two bears.

But it’s the idea of the bears that worries her. “Are there really bears around here?” she’d ask. “Well, yeah,” I’d reply.

“Bears live in the woods, but ….”

“Don’t they roam around at night?”

“Well, yeah, bears can be nocturnal.”

“And won’t they smell our garbage?”

“We put the lid on tightly.”

“No, no,” she’d say. “I know there are bears out there.”

Because of the perceived threat of bears, I had to buy a porta-potty for the cabin – one of those portable toilets you see in boats and RVs. I got ours at the local boating supply. Set it up in the back bedroom of the cabin.

“There, now,” I told her, “you don’t have to go outside. If you have to go at night, use this.”

It Helped It helped. A little bit. And it let me sleep.

Prior to the potty, she’d wake me up, too. “Randy, Randy,” she’d poke at me. “I have to go pee.”

“Well, go,” I would mumble in a sleepy stupor.

“You have to come out with me,” she’d say. “Get up, please.” It was no use. I would slide into a pair of old bunny slippers, grab the flashlight, and escort her to the back door of the camp.

“You go first,” she’d say. “Make sure there are no bears.” Once I’d cased the rear of the cabin, I’d wave the light and whisper, “C’mon. There are no bears.

No bears ’round here, certainly not – at least when the Missus is in residence at the cabin!

“Deer track? No ... actually ... why yes – you’re right. Looks like a maybe a big buck.”

It’s perfectly safe.” Then I’d stand guard outside the privy.

She’d whisper urgently through the door, “Randy, are you there?”

“Yes, I’m right here.”

“They’re as Scared as We Are” You can see how the bears and the threat of bears was a problem, for her and for me. More and more of our conversations seemed to turn to bears.

“Are you sure there are no bears around here?”

“Quite sure. They’re as scared of us as we are of them.”

“How do you know that?” she’d ask.

“When was the last time we actually saw a bear?” I said.

“That night six years ago when we arrived in the dark. He was walking along the logging road. You slowed down so the boys could see it. That bear was huge.”

We have learned not to mention bears. When guests come to the cabin and inquire about the wildlife, we don’t discuss bears.

“Any black bears around here?”

“What? Oh, bears. Hmmm. Well not really. No there are no bears … to speak of.”

“Too bad. I’d like to see a real bear.

This is a pretty wild place. Good place to see a bear.”

“Well, no, no, we aren’t troubled by bears.”

Tell-Tale Track But then one day we were strolling on the beach. “Look,” she said, “is that a moose track?”

I glanced at the disturbed sand.

“Yes,” I said, “you’re right. There was a moose past here last night.”

“And there, “she said, “what’s that?

Is that a deer track?”

I looked at the fresh, unmistakable bear track squished into the wet sand, not 100 feet from the front door of our cabin.

“Deer track? Why, no – I don’t think … but, yes, you’re right, Dear. There must have been a deer pass this way too. Looks like a maybe a big buck. Now which way did that moose go?”

As we strode off, I made sure to step right on top of the track. Bears? Heck, no. We don’t have any bears around; at least not when she’s at cabin.

¶

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64 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Family Outings with a Hidden Agenda Doris was mad – real mad. During our 50 years of marriage, I had seen her this mad only a few times – we will not elaborate here on the other occasions.

I had talked her into a hike to the summit of Prospect Mountain in Freedom, New Hampshire.

She is not an outdoors person. And my mother had warned me not to marry a city girl.

I had a hidden reason for the outing – I wanted to locate a campsite for an upcoming hunt with Ron Wilson. We planned to camp out for a few days and bowhunt deer.

I needed to do some scouting and preparation for a campsite.

Doris was having a hard time with the difficult off-trail hike.

She was fighting off tree limbs and traversing the rough terrain that I slipped through and around easily. Repeatedly, she asked “How much farther?”

I replied, “Just a little farther to the top,” as I checked for deer sign and a spot to set up camp.

When we finally reached the top, things really started going bad, real fast. We stepped out of thick brush onto a wellgroomed trail with arrows and signs. She turned to me and said, “You knew there was a trail, but you made me go through all that stuff?” I won’t include www.MaineSportsman.com

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Williams Town Park in Shapleigh has many historic sites like this stone impoundment. It also features an abandoned fire tower, and lots of hunting opportunities. Photo by Val Marquez

the rest of the conversation; it would get edited out anyway.

There are other public lands that hunters can scout and hike with the family without bushwhacking through tough terrains. Their hiking trails meander through some of southern Maine’s best hunting locations.

Williams Town Park This 300-acre park is located in Shapleigh on the County Road.

It’s one of the most diverse public lands in the region – this isn’t a typical town park; Williams Town Park (WTP) is comprised of rock walls, old cellar rock foundations, ponds and brooks with wild brookies, and an old, abandoned fire tower.

It has over three miles of hiking trails, with park benches along some of the trails where you can sit and

enjoy views of fields and mountain tops.

However, WTP isn’t just for sightseeing – it offers good hunting and fishing, as well.

Deer, bear and moose, along with small game, live in the area, and the ponds offer warm-water fishing. Norton Brook, which flows from Fort Ridge into lowland swamps, contains some feisty wild brookies.

The park is well maintained, with signs to each trailhead.

The trails are mostly old dirt roads that are handicapped- and baby carriage-passable. However, the fire-tower trail has some steep sections.

There’s a parking lot, and from that point it’s gated, so hikers and explorers will not encounter vehicles.

WTP is a “park” in name only; in fact, this is a wild section of forest, with well main-

tained, marked trails.

Once you step off the trails, you will be surrounded by forest with thriving wildlife.

Visitors can create an adventure, ranging from a leisurely walk in the woods, to a great wild outing of fishing and hunting during the fall hunting seasons. If you want to explore 200-year-old stone architecture, then WTP is a place to go.

Mount Agamenticus To the south, nested in Maine’s busy tourist area, is a large section of forested land, the “Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region.” Located in York, it features 30,000 acres of public conservation lands that are open to outdoor recreation.

Agamenticus Park is 10,000 acres, and it’s located within the conservation region.

There are 16 hiking trails tracking over

seven miles of mountain terrain. To locate the summit, follow the Mountain Road and look for a sign indicating the “Mount A Summit Road.” You can drive from the base to the summit of the mountain. At the top, you’ll find great views of the surrounding mountains and the ocean.

The park has three mountains, with a network of trails leading to each. Agamenticus Park and the surrounding conservation lands have the highest diversity of animal and plant species in the state. I can assure you that the area has good hunting opportunities.

These two areas are good locations to do a combination outing with the family; they will enjoy hiking, while you look around and locate some good hunting and fishing areas. Avoid bushwhacking and extremely rough country on these outings – you can do that later, during an in-depth solo scout.

Doris and I are doing well now. She’s calmed down some, but she revisits the hike from time to time – wives have a Rolodex of old issues that have a way of popping up anytime. I’ve learned to avoid key words and phrases, such as “Let’s go hiking.”

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 65

Targeting Big Fish in August “The rod bent, the drag screamed and the line smoked. I asked for help getting the other lines in, because I knew this was a good fish.”

By August, regular anglers on Sebago Lake (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, C-1) have the fishing dialed in. Back in the springtime, fishing is all over the board (or lake), but as the summer doldrums take over, the lakers go deep, the salmon go deep and anglers in the know can dredge up some whoppers.

Here’s a little how-to and where-to if you want to catch the big ones.

If you spend enough time dragging hardware and bait on Sebago Lake, you are bound to get a double-digit fish. I firmly believe that a record-breaking fish is swimming along the bottom of the big lake, waiting to tangle with an angler. While most of us, Guides included, hope for a whopper, we also like to see volume in our catches. However, there is a fraternity of anglers who just target trophy fish.

Here are some of their tricks.

Anytime I fish a derby or want to catch a bigger laker, I drag a flatfish along bottom. I may not catch a lot of fish, but I use the largest Flatfish I can find, remove the middle hook, and then drag the bottom. If a fish hits, chances are it is a big fish.

To properly fish a Flatfish on bottom, I

select a depth, like 60 feet, and aim for sandy spots to avoid rocks.

Much of the west shore of Sebago Lake has a sandy bottom. So does the water just outside the buoys coming out of the Songo River.

Try this technique around the Dingley Islands, and you will catch more rocks than fish. Let out lead until the lure digs into the bottom, and then reel back in slightly so you are just hitting bottom occasionally.

This drives the big fish crazy. When you feel a steady tug, it’s usually a fish!

Big Bait Equals Big Fish?

Bait anglers targeting big lakers swear by the “big bait – big fish” adage. One such big-bait diehard is local Angler Cory Simmons. Cory owns Lucky Dozen Bait, a 24-hour self-serve bait shop in front of Seba-

go Outfitters in Raymond. You will see Cory on the lake in his beautiful Crestline boat.

Cory took out the proprietor of Sebago Outfitters, Leah Drinkwater, and her young son Aden, promising him a big fish. “We set out four lines with the biggest shiners I had,” he explained. “I knew it would be slow, but we had sandwiches and Aden’s toys to keep us busy.

“The downrigger bumped, and I thought it was hitting bottom, so I went to the rod, and at about that time it started smoking line. I told Leah she needed to help get lines in, because this was a good fish.

“The drag was screaming and the rod was bent. The fish headed into the deep water and didn’t want to come up, but know-

Cory Simmons of Lucky Dozen bait, with young Aden Drinkwater and a whopper Sebago Lake togue. Photo provided by Cory Simmons

ing my gear was all in great shape, I put the pressure to him.

“When he got so I could see him, he took off again to bottom. When I got him to stop, I knew he was tired, so I got things ready, and when he showed again, I didn’t waste any time getting him in the net.”

Although Aden was bit taken back by the size of the fish – bigger than he is – he celebrated with his mom and Cory.

This lunker Sebago lunker tipped the scales at 17.2 pounds and was 37 inches long and 21-inches in girth.

What a trophy!

Jigs and Spoons On any given weekend on the big lake, you will see most anglers trolling. Lately, a small cadre of anglers can be seen fishing from small boats or kayaks, targeting lakers by jigging for them. By trolling over (Sebago to Auburn continued on page 68)

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66 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Planning a DIY Moose Hunt

by Canoe So, you were fortunate enough to have your name drawn for the 2023 Maine Moose Hunt?

Congratulations! Now what?

Maybe you’ve been on successful moose hunts in the past and are looking for a new challenge. Or maybe you’re a novice and have been disappointed to learn that a Maine moose hunt usually involves a lot of driving on logging roads – either to spot your prey, or to travel to and from the farflung places where you have chosen to concentrate your hunt.

Hunting by canoe has a long history in Maine. And no big game animal is more associated with the environs of canoe travel than the noble moose. Joe Attean, famous wilderness guide for Henry David Thoreau, killed a moose from his canoe near Chesuncook Lake in 1853. And this type of heritage hunting was certainly being practiced long before that event. Traditionalists understand that a canoe hunt is more challenging for the moose hunter, and more respectful of the animal,

Far from the road. Photo by Jim Andrews

than a hunt consisting of driving up and down logging roads.

First Step: Adopting a Mindset A Maine moose hunting permit is not easy to come by. And the success rate for Maine moose hunters fell to 62% last year – an all-time low. In that environment, it takes a special mindset to adopt a hunting method that almost certainly will further reduce the odds of successfully bagging a moose.

Maine’s modern moose hunt is at least partly a numbers game – the more miles trav-

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eled, the more moose seen. Hunters can easily travel a hundred miles a day by truck.

They can effortlessly commute from camp to a remote site, and quickly transfer from one hotspot to another. They can even be picky about what size animal they want to shoot.

None of this will be available on a DIY moose hunt by canoe.

The canoe hunter’s thought process needs to value the experience of hunting for a week, by canoe and on foot from a base camp in a remote area – enough to offset the lowered odds.

Acknowledge up front that you will see fewer moose than a hunter who accesses the road system.

Get used to the idea of slowly traveling only a few miles per day.

Prepare yourself for the strange looks from bystanders when you show up at a registra-

tion station with game bags filled with moose quarters, instead of an entire field-dressed animal to hoist on the scale.

It’s a mindset.

Scouting From Space and On the Ground Choosing the place for a base camp is a crucial step. Maine is blessed with the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, the St. John River, and hundreds of other remote lakes, ponds and streams.

The base camp should be in a flat-water area that provides access to several miles of the best moose habitat. The recreational canoeing season has mostly ended by moose season, and hundreds of remote, water-access campsites will be readily available.

Selecting the right one depends partly on prior experience in consistently seeing moose in certain sec-

tions of a river or lake system. Boots on the ground in late summer and early fall can also establish areas of recent activity. Look for habitat that provides more than just summertime water plants as a moose attractant.

Toward that end, target water-only access areas that border on recent wood harvesting activity. Calling moose down from these areas or hunting on foot up into these harvests is a great tactic. Think of the canoe not only as a vehicle you can hunt from, but as a means of transport to and from areas not accessed by roadbased hunters.

Google Earth, or other digital mapping systems using satellite photography, are vital in locating recent wood harvests near your potential base camp.

Any Boat in a Storm It would be great to have an extra-large canoe, or even a squarestern freighter model, for hauling gear into your camp and then carrying moose quarters on the return. But the truth is that any full-size tripping canoe at least seventeen feet long will do the job for both hunting and gear hauling, if multiple trips are made.

The shooter sits in the bow, glassing and calling when necessary. The stern paddler provides power and steering to slip around the inside cor(Self-Propelled continued on page 68)

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 67

Another Season Approaches Do events occurring in foreign countries affect fur prices here in Maine? Absolutely, but harvesting pelts in their prime, and preparing them properly, also ensures top dollar at the auctions.

It is that time of year to start thinking about gearing up for the upcoming trapping season, which is only a few months away.

The time of summer and fall gatherings of trappers at various rendezvouses is close at hand. It is time to start making up the annual list of needed supplies. Many venders are available at the two major annual trapper gatherings in Maine – the New England Trappers Weekend held in August, and the Maine Trappers Association’s Rendezvous in September.

Of special interest to many Maine sportsmen (especially bow hunters) is that Tom Miranda is going to be at the Neal Olson’s 45th Annual New England Trappers Weekend held in August in East Bethel, Maine (DeLorme’s Maine Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 10, A-3). He will be available to talk to

the public on all three days – the 17th, 18th and 19th of August.

Tom has an interesting article in the June 2023 edition of FurFish-Game about how the trapline made him a better bowhunter.

Many trappers will already have started scouting for sign.

Although the days of beaver pelts bringing really good money is but a memory, the overall value of the beaver fur, combined with castor and meat, is making trapping beaver worthwhile.

There are still some hard-core beaver trappers out there taking 300 and 400 beaver a year.

One of the best ways of scouting out beaver flowages is to follow water courses with a fishing rod in hand. Google Earth has all but replaced flying over the back country for searching out the beaver flowages.

The Fur Trade Fur prices are controlled by supply and demand, and for that reason, the war between Russia and Ukraine has had – and continues to have – an impact on North American wild fur prices. Both countries were major purchasers of our wild fur, especially the longer fur types.

Even with two of the major international buyers of our raw furs out of the market for now, things appear to be moving in a better direction. For one thing, the prices that trappers received at our local auctions for their furs have started creeping up ever so slowly.

For example, here are average local auc-

Well-preserved beaver pelts like these bring premium prices at auction. Photo by the author

tion prices from 2022 and 2023: Beaver – 2022: $14; 2023: $27.70 Fisher – $24 / $36 Marten – $21.50 / $29 Muskrat – $2.00 / $2.35 Otter – $28 / $33 Fox – $13.50 / $18 One can see that it is hard for a trapper to make a profit.

After you add in the

cost of supplies – and especially fuel – along with many hours on the trapline and the time required to properly pelt and board the furs to get them ready for auction, it almost seems that trappers are paying for their trapping activities.

The newer trappers need to keep in mind that the best (Continued on next page)

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68 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Trapping (Continued from page 67)

prepared raw furs presented at auction bring the highest prices. When the North America Fur Auction (the old Hudson Bay Co.) was still in business, their “Top Lots” were the best of all furs picked out and presented as special lots for the international buyers to bid on. This was a great incentive for trappers to do their best in preparing their furs for market. If any of your pelts were selected for the Top Lots, you would receive the maximum dollar paid for furs. Sometimes this would amount to as much as double what the other furs received. For those furs selected for this special category, the trapper received an award certificate and a hat with the logo,“NAFA - Top Lot” on it.

Fur Preparation A trapper must take certain steps and actions to prepare quality furs for the market. It starts with trapping specific species when they are fully prime. Furbearer management programs should ensure that animals harvested are fully prime.

Many “general” trapping seasons do not take this into account. Not all animals become prime at the same time.

An example here in Maine is our marten. The last half of the trapping season is when they are at their best. Unfortunately, too many trappers who don’t live in marten habitat rush north to trap them early in the season.

Furbearers should be cleaned

prior to skinning by combing out burrs and other foreign objects, and washed with a mild detergent and water to remove any blood or dried mud. It is much easier to wash out a really dirty or muddy pelt while in the field, if possible.

Care should be taken in skinning furbearers to ensure there are no holes cut into the pelt, and that those cuts needed are done correctly.

Tail strippers should be utilized on pelts that have tails attached, to reduce the possibility of damaging the tail. Muskrat, beaver, and opossum are three that do not have tails attached for marketing.

Special care should be taken while skinning around the head area of all furbearers ensuring that eye and ear holes are not enlarged and that nose and the mouth are not damaged. Ensure fleshings of the pelts are well done, while taking care not to “scrape holes” in the belly of those furbearers that have thinner belly skin, such as opossums, canines and felines.

Utilize the proper dimensions for stretching boards. The correct measurements are illustrated in The Trapping Handbook, published by the National Trappers Association. These are handed out in many states while candidates are taking the trapper’s course required to get a license. This book contains much needed information to help one become a better trapper. Also, any fur buyer should be willing to help you out on the subject of preparing your pelts for sale.

¶

Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 65)

likely spots and stopping when you see fish, you can catch some decent double-digit lake trout.

Tube jigs, heavy spoons and crawfish pattern jigs work well with this technique.

I’ve caught several fish from one hole while ice-fishing, so the same technique will work in the summer.

When you catch one fish from a hole, keep watching your fish-finder, as another one may be nearby. Jigging always seems to dredge up some whoppers, but you will likely catch other decent-sized fish.

Finally, anglers using downriggers set up to skim bottom do well with big fish. Trolling big bait like Cory Simmons did, or dragging lures, draws big fish.

Copper-colored lures always work well on Sebago. I prefer Northeast Troller spoons in copper and nickel combo patterns. Likewise, orange-hued lures catch a fair number of fish.

With hot summer days and warm evenings, now is the time to fish deep and target a lake behemoth. Good luck!

¶

Self-Propelled (Continued from page 66)

ners of river bends and pond contours. Both hunters should always wear PFDs that are comfortable for both paddling and shooting.

The water is too cold at this time of year to risk an upset.

Only the bow person has a loaded weapon at any time the canoe is underway. The stern paddler should concentrate on developing a paddling style that features a silent underwater recovery stroke, Prepare for the “Oh-My-God!” Moment It will happen before the echo of the final shot has faded. You will look at the immense animal at your feet, realize how far you are from your truck or the road, and wonder aloud, “OMG, what was I thinking?”

With some prior preparation and planning, two hunters with sharp knives can break down a moose carcass in a few hours.

The best way to do this is the so-called “gutless” method – skinning and field- butchering without ever opening the body-cavity. The internet has several excellent videos demonstrating step-by-step instructions for this procedure. The end product is five or six game bags containing moose quarters and loose meat – along with the head or antlers, if the moose is a bull.

You’ll still get some strange looks at the tagging station, but the satisfaction from this type of heritage hunting can’t be overstated.

And a week away from dusty roads and other hunters has its own rewards.

¶

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 69

Pond Fishing for Brookies During August Heat Most folks understand there are a few unethical anglers out there who concentrate their brook trout fishing near spring holes in ponds during the heat of an August lunch hour without batting an eyelash.

I would like to help readers understand how to ethically fish brookie ponds during the heat of this month without harming a single fish.

Many anglers are just getting their trout fishing season going when August rolls around, and they are looking to fish any-

where just to scratch that fishing itch. Typically, in excessively hot parts of the summer, what most anglers will do is switch to fishing shaded streams where water is cooler – fish are less stressed in well-oxygenated, cooler water sources.

Spring holes feed remote ponds in this region (and others) with colder water from deep mountain aquafers.

During the heat of summer, brook trout congregate around these incoming sources of cool water, and some anglers

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hover over these holes and harass the heatstressed fish without thinking about the damage they might be doing to the overall population.

Hooking a trout, fighting it, and then releasing it takes quite a bit out of a fish – especially during hot weather. Some anglers think that if they get the fish right back into the water it will help the fish live. This works great during conditions where water temperatures hover around 60 degrees or below. As soon as water temperatures

This nice brookie came home for dinner; otherwise, it would have remained in the net for a quick release. William Clunie photo

get warmer than this, anglers need to change their train of thought.

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If an angler prefers to fish small ponds that can heat up when mid-summer temperatures rise, they can do (Continued on next page)

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70 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Rangeley Region (Continued from page 69)

several things to help the fish population stay strong after they leave for the day.

Number one is to get on the pond as early as possible, before

daylight. Fish only in the morning, and leave as soon as the sun starts warming the water. Most ponds in the Rangeley Region are cool enough to

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Don’t fish directly over spring holes where heat-stressed fish are recovering and struggling to stay alive. If an angler fish-

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es a stocked pond and only wants to take a few home for supper, they should leave as soon as they catch the fish they plan on eating … don’t stay around and harass the remaining fish by catching and releasing them during the heat of the day.

The most important thing an angler can do to help a fish stay alive during hot weather conditions is to keep the fish right in the net while unhooking it. It’s easy to simply reach into the net with a pair of hemostats and twist the hook right out of the fish’s lip while it’s still in the water. Even if this hook-removal process takes longer than planned, the fish remains in the water while in the net, rather than in the hot air or on the overheated deck of the canoe.

Taking this hot weather catch-andrelease method one step further … extend the revival time for heat-stressed fish for longer than would be necessary under regular conditions.

Most thoughtful anglers want to get a fish back in the water as soon as possible, but during hot weather conditions, keep the fish in the net and in

the water for an extended period of time to revive it properly. I like to reach in the net after the fish has been there for a while and grab the tail gently to let it slide out of the net. Once it’s out of the net, I want to feel the fish really kick its tail before letting it go. In other words, I wait to ensure the fish takes off under its own power – I don’t just push it back into the pond and see what happens.

More Hot Weather Tips Using barbless hooks speeds up the unhooking process, and extending the revival period in the net should do plenty to keep more released fish alive. Show respect to the gorgeous brook trout. Be an ethical, upstanding angler … one whom you would be proud to meet on the pond.

I don’t think a large number of people really believe in Karma, but they do understand the concept of “What goes around, comes around.” Don’t be that guy that hauls his legal limit in over a spring hole and then continues to pound the fish throughout the rest of the day. Don’t be that guy.

¶

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 71

The Great Outhouse Race Nobody was racing to the outhouse; rather, they were racing with the outhouse. That was the scene at the Maine Trappers Association annual rendezvous held at the Dixmont, Maine snowmobile clubhouse in September of 1987.

How Did This Happen?

I’ve always had an affinity for trappers; I like being around them and asking questions about their profession.

They are very down-to-earth, and possess a large dose of common sense. I never got tired of hearing what they had to say, and I found I could learn a great deal from them, especially from the longtime trappers.

I enjoyed going to their places to tag their pelts. Some trappers preferred to come to my house and have my wife tag their fur, as she gave them coffee and got their entire family histories before they left.

At any rate, while I was at their places I would always learn something, and at several I’d get some coffee and a slab of pie – mincemeat, if I was lucky.

As a result, I had positive associations with quite a few trappers, and occasionally was invited to speak at one of their meetings, usually at the Palmyra town hall. So, when their annual rendezvous was coming up for the aforementioned year, I was invited to attend, along with other wardens from my working group, and participate in some competitive events.

One event was to be an outhouse race, which was scheduled to be the main event. After consulting with other wardens, we accepted their challenge, but knew losing would not be an option, as we would never have been able to live that down.

Getting Prepared We had to build or acquire an outhouse. The rules had some restrictions, but still left room for some innovation.

With the idea of keeping it as lightweight as possible, we came up with the idea of utilizing a sulky cart that warden Dave Priest had for a pony, and building an outhouse on top of it.

A few days before the event, we gathered at Dave’s house in Milford to fabricate our racing entry. First, we con-

Steve Smith and Dave Georgia pulled, while John Blagdon, Mark Thompson and Mike Morrison pushed. The two girls inside the outhouse blasted the siren, toilet paper rolled out the back, and our wives cheered.

Throngs lined the race course as the wardens attempted to pull and push their wheeled outhouse to victory — with two young passengers inside.

structed a wooden frame out of strapping, and enclosed it with chicken wire.

Then, we covered the structure with cedar boughs, with just an opening in the front. Also, we had made this a two-holer, as both of Dave’s young girls were going to ride in it while toilet paper trailed out behind.

Additionally, we added a battery-operated siren for the girls to blow as we raced. We finished by pumping the tires up hard to help make it roll easier. We hoped we’d built a winner.

Race Day It was a beautiful early fall day,

With dignity, pomp and circumstance, the wardens accept their trophy — a ceramic outhouse. From left, John Blagdon, Doug Tibbetts, Steve Smith, Dave Georgia and Mark Thompson.

Photo by Dave Priest

many of our family members accompanied us, and the setting seemed like a small country fair. There were a number of other events scheduled, such as trap setting and horseshoes. We entered them all without having much success, but they were minor events, as the outhouse race had top billing, and everyone was geared up for that.

Finally, it was time for the race, and after drawing straws, we learned that we’d be the last entry for the timed event. Of the several that went ahead of us, there was one I was worried about. It was also on wheels with some strapping young trappers powering it, but luckily for us it broke a wheel about half-way into its run.

I had my own crew of young studs lined up, with Steve Smith and Dave Georgia pulling, while John Blagdon, Mark Thompson and Mike Morrison pushed. The two girls inside blasted the siren, the toilet paper rolled out the back, our wives cheered. During the race we discovered that all the boughs we’d used in construction created a substantial wind resistance drag, but we managed to overcome it, just enough to win.

The Trophy To our surprise, there was a trophy waiting for the winners. It was a very well-made ceramic outhouse that we accepted with much pride, and had our picture taken by warden Dave Priest.

Thus, the wardens’ pride and prestige was saved from the dreaded agony of defeat.

Our trophy was hung on the wall at our Bangor office, where it remained for many years, until somehow it got knocked onto the floor and broken all to pieces.

The Real Reward Although we were successful in seizing the outhouse bragging rights, it was a secondary victory. The larger victory, by far, was the great camaraderie that was fostered between the wardens and trappers. It was a happy day – the best I ever experienced with an outdoor sporting organization. It was a day we will always fondly remember.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

72 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

New Puppy Lessons for an Old Dog Lover – Part 1 You would think I’d have learned my lesson after the grueling task of raising and training Ginger, our Hungarian Pointer (Vizsla), from eight weeks old to her present age of four. No, it didn’t stop me – or my wife – from adding another bird dog to the long line of hunting animals in this family.

Ginger just needed a friend to play with, so we decided to get another Vizsla. Since the breed has a unique personality all its own, we needed to make sure our two dogs “understood” each other.

Also, what do we do when Ginger passes?

Let’s say she goes to the “Happy Hunting Grounds” four years from now – I’d be in my mid-70s and it might be too much for me to raise a highly-driven bird dog at that age.

This new puppy will be able to step up and take Ginger’s place when Ginger passes, and will already be trained and

To get your hunting dog puppy accustomed to loud noises, put out his food, then go into the next room and start banging and clanging on a cooking pan.

The new pup, “Andro” (on the left), will also be trained by our older Vizsla, Ginger. William Clunie photo

ready for action in the bird-hunting woods.

As much as folks don’t like to think about it, dog owners must prepare for future events that will eventually happen.

This new puppy carries the name Andro, short for Androscoggin. We almost named him “Fang” or “Baby Shark,” because as soon as he got anywhere near our hands, he would sink his razor sharp teeth into our skin.

New Trick I’m not sure who coined the phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but I’m here to tell you I’ve learned plenty while training this new pup.

Old dogs like me just need to try to keep an open mind.

I wanted an extremely driven hunting dog to effectively work the heavy covers that the Maine woods often provide, so I found a breeder who understood this desire.

Now it’s time for me to go to work gently training this awesome little beast.

The breeder, Kim Barry, owns “Forest King Vizslas” (forestkingvizslas.com), and she knows exactly what it takes to produce a hunting dog with plenty of drive.

She also understands the difference between a high-strung dog, versus one with an energetic temperament that can be trained to be calm in the home

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Suffice it to say that picking a good breeding kennel is the first step to raising a desirable dog, and not just for hunting. It’s important to find a knowledgeable breeder even if you’re getting a regular pet dog for keeping around the house. In simplified terms, a good breeder has the rare ability to create a litter of puppies that combine the best of traits in both the sire and dam, while at the same time eliminating undesirable traits.

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��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 73

New England States Offer Infant and Youth Lifetime Licenses –

Hunt For a Lifetime

I recently became a father. Our beautiful baby girl arrived after several years of trial, heartache, and prayer.

So, needless to say, not only is she loved, but she is also spoiled.

While my wife was busy buying her more clothes and shoes than Kim Kardashian, I was busy shopping for something a little different – the chance for her to hunt and fish freely for the rest of her life.

I notably disapprove of most trends in hunting and fishing.

One wonderful trend,

though, is for state Fish and Game agencies to offer lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for sale. Particularly beneficial is the opportunity to buy a lifetime license for a young child at a substantially discounted rate.

New Hampshire New Hampshire offers a “Newborn Lifetime Combination Hunting and Freshwater Fishing License.”

For the incredibly low price (relatively speaking) of $300 (plus a $4.50 habitat fee), a resident can purchase

such a license for their child. To qualify for a “Newborn” license, the child must be under one year of age.

Since in NH one does not need a license of their own until age 16, the Newborn license bought is actually a certificate. Once the child turns 16, he or she must return to the Fish and Game headquarters in Concord with that original certificate (and proof of Hunter Education) to redeem it for an actual lifetime license.

The NH Newborn (Continued on next page)

The author and his wife Maylynda pose with their newborn daughter, Eylamay, outside of the NH Fish and Game Headquarters after purchasing Eyla’s Newborn Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License.

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74 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

New Hampshire (Continued from page 73)

license includes a general hunting license, a freshwater fishing license, and a bear license (which was a pleasant surprise that I didn’t know until actually purchasing it). At the current fee rates ($56 for combination hunting/fishing, $16 for bear, and $3 transaction fee), my daughter would have to use the license for only four years in order to get her (my) money’s worth out of it. Certainly a wager I’m willing to make!

Inflation makes this an even better deal.

Children over the age of one cannot buy a lifetime license until they are 16 years old in NH, when the price is currently $1,564! The Newborn license does not offer archery or muzzleloader licenses, but both of these options can be bought at age 16 for lifetime privileges. The archery option is $895, and the muzzleloader option is $436.

There is currently no non-resident option for newborn lifetime licenses in NH. But

other states where you may be a resident do offer similar licenses.

Maine Maine offers youth lifetime licenses to both residents and non-residents in four distinct categories: hunting, fishing, trapping, and archery.

Beneficially, Maine gives parents and guardians more time to make the purchase decision, creating two age categories: 0-5 and 6-15.

For residents ages 0-5, the licenses are $150 each, $250 for a combination of any two, or $400 for a combination of any three categories. For non-residents, they are $450 each, $750 for a combination of any two, or $1,200 for a combination of any three categories.

For youth ages 6-15, the prices are exactly doubled in every category and combination.

Vermont Vermont also offers youth lifetime license options for both residents and

Western Maine (Continued from page 72)

puppy’s personality would match with the new owner’s personality … I had never heard of this test before.

First Step One of the most important parts of raising any dog is teaching the pup to be comfortable around a large mix of other humans and other animals, especially during the first three months of life. Have the new pup meet as many new dogs and people as possible. Have the new people your pup meets feed doggie treats to the pup, so the young dog learns how fun it is to meet new people.

After getting the new puppy home www.MaineSportsman.com

non-residents, though at a higher rate than NH and ME. For newborn babies under the age of one, lifetime licenses are offered at eight times the annual adult license price.

This equates to a $376 resident combination hunting/fishing license and a $1,144 non-resident combination hunting/fishing license.

Like Maine, Vermont offers the ability to purchase youth lifetime licenses until age 15. The price for youth ages 1-15 is sixteen times the price of a comparable annual adult license. For all the math wizards reading this – yes, that is exactly double the above prices for newborns.

Hunting-only and fishing-only licenses can also be purchased at each level for lesser amounts.

Spread the Word I’ve proudly told many people about purchasing Eylamay’s newborn NH lifetime license for her. But most of the time when I’ve mentioned it, the person I’m talking to has a confused look on

Born in April, baby “Eyla” arrived just in time to join her daddy in the springtime moose shed hunt -which yielded this perfect Eyla-sized antler. With her lifetime hunting and fishing license, the author hopes to make a lifetime of outdoor memories with her.

his face. I’ve been met with many responses like “They really offer that?” And “I thought you were joking!”

It is understandable, considering that the above information is a little tricky to track down online (especially the NH license information). And I’ve never seen much in the way of agency advertisements for youth lifetime licenses.

There are enough barriers to entry as

at eight weeks, let them get used to the routine around the house before taking them out and about. After a few weeks, start by walking them around the yard on a leash to experience all the new sounds, smells, and sights of the backyard. This can be increased to neighborhood walks and visits with other dogs and people within this critical three-month period.

Another important step at this early time of the puppy’s life is to make sure they don’t become afraid of loud noises. For hunting dogs, this training is imperative … there will be plenty of gunfire in their futures.

Feed the puppy, and then go to another room to bang and clang a cooking pan while the pup eats. I don’t start

it is to enjoy the outdoors. Future license costs shouldn’t be another one. If you have a child you care about and want to enjoy the outdoor world for decades to come, I urge you to see what your state offers for lifetime hunting and fishing licenses. I promise you it is a much more thoughtful and loving gift than any toy or electronic device on the market.

¶

right off with a huge bang, but slowly increase the decibel level by banging louder and getting closer to the feeding pup gradually, over the course of several days.

The “noise training” can be carried through to the field training later, where the puppy can be introduced to gunfire in the same manner. For now, stick with the banging pans, and get the pup used to loud noises before something like the Fourth of July comes along.

In Part 2, I’ll discuss how to introduce your current dog to the new puppy, and we’ll cover some advanced puppy training.

¶

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 75

Sporting Clays It was a good thing Jill and I didn’t keep score or make any bets. She dusted me, but thankfully she was polite about it.

Some parts of the maple tree that came down over the winter that I’m finally getting around to bucking up will make for nice heat in the coming months, though the sawdust stuck to my sweaty arms suggests I don’t really need a fire this time of the year. We’ll have outdoor fires, of course, to keep the bugs away and enjoy the summer evenings that are starting to thankfully become short in supply. My house projects are winding down, the wood will be stacked, and, by the end of the month, a hint of fall will be in the air.

Part of the preparation for fall hunting includes a lot of shooting. Some people have a natural ability to shoot; I’m not one of those people. Over the last couple of years, I’ve gotten lucky enough to get invited to shoot at the Northeast Kingdom Skeet and Sporting Clays Club in Burke, VT, by some friends, and have finally broken down to get my membership so I can shoot more often.

Sporting Clays I recently met my friend Jill to shoot, since she said she wanted to check out the sporting clays course before she and

her family made their big move back out to Wyoming after a few years here in VT. She is a staunch conservationist and member of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, as well as a bad-ass hunter. We bonded through the suffering of a moose pack-out that ended up finishing in the dark a few years ago.

We showed up with 50 rounds of ammo each to walk the 14-station course.

Jill had been shooting skeet in Waterbury for a month, but I hadn’t touched my 20-gauge pump since cleaning it after the close of rabbit season in March.

I’m not a competitive shooter and I don’t get out too much, so this is the only sporting clays course I’ve ever shot. I have heard that it is a good one from people who get around.

The process of shooting sporting clays strikes me as being very similar to playing golf, with proper places to stand, and varying challenges laid out at each station. Safety is an obvious priority, and everyone is a range officer when on the course.

We moved station to station around a well-designed hillside.

Some stations called for true pairs or report pairs; in short

order, we declared we weren’t keeping score and decided we’d shoot each target one at a time. This obviously can’t be done when in a competition, but for training purposes for upland game hunters, it worked just fine.

Types of Shots There were shots launched from just about every conceivable angle. Passing and crossing shots, rolling rabbit targets, clays that dropped away, came toward us, from behind us, and some that seemed to go straight up. As if the angles weren’t hard enough, the traps threw the targets at us at different speeds, too. And like the good pitchers I faced in high school baseball, a fast clay followed by something slow was sure to lead to a swing-andmiss. To simulate real hunting situations, Jill and I each chose to mount the shotgun as the bird was launched.

This will wreak havoc if you’re keeping score, but I think it makes for better transfer over to hunting game.

With bird season about a month away, shooting sporting clays is a great way to focus on all the fine details of shooting. There are opportunities to work on classic wing shoot-

Here, Jill shoots better than the author at one of the stations on the beautiful NEK Clays course.

Moments earlier, a clay had flown by, and Jill promptly reduced it to tiny airborne flecks of red dust. Matt Breton photo

ing techniques that involve a good cheek weld, target acquisition, estimating lead, and finishing with a good follow-through.

Some targets allow for more of a point shooting approach, where things are more reflexive, and to me, is more typical of the ruffed grouse I get shots at. I have found the sporting clays course is way more fun than other more static shooting like skeet or trap, though the lack of repetition of the fundamentals may hamper my improvement.

The Northeast Kingdom Skeet and Sporting Clays Club (www.nekclays.com) has public hours available, weather permitting, May 15th thru October 1st on Wednesdays from 4pm - 7pm and Sundays 11am - 4pm. They have coaches whom people can connect with, and are very welcoming to folks new to

this discipline of shotgunning. They have worked with a local high school as well as the local 4-H program to get kids shooting.

There are also some fun competitive shoots that take place.

It was a good thing Jill and I didn’t keep score or make any bets. She dusted me, but thankfully she was polite about it. I did manage to hit some targets, and as we neared the end of the course, we found out that the last station wasn’t working. That left us a few rounds of ammo left. I had missed a rabbit just two stations earlier, so went back and managed to hit that one twice in a row.

The only thing now is that I’ll have to find some time to put a clay in a gravel pit to practice ground-sluicing birds – hard to believe they didn’t have my favorite shot on offer!

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

76 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

Smilin’ Sportsman

Grandma: “Things aren’t like they were in the old days. When I was a little girl, I could go to the store with a dollar, and come home with enough food for a week.”

Grandson: “But you can’t now, because of inflation?”

Grandma: “That, plus all those security cameras.”

— A hunter at a lodge in Northern Maine placed his beautiful firearm in the cabinet. Another guest at the lodge, who was there with his son, approached him and said, “My boy over there really likes your rifle, and wants me to buy one just like it for him. Did you get it nearby?”

“Yes,” said the owner. “A small shop in Greenville hand-crafts each one.”

“That’s wonderful,” said the father.

“How much did it cost?” “$12,000,” replied the owner.

“Thank you,” said the father. Walking away, he yelled to his son, “He got it in California!”

—

www.MaineSportsman.com

Teacher: “Where is the English Channel?”

Student: “I don’t know – we switched cable companies last week.”

Wife: “What do you want for your birthday?”

Husband: “Something that goes zero to 200 in six seconds.”

Wife: “But you already have a bathroom scale!”

— A farmer’s wife and son are in the big city for the first time, staring at something they’ve never seen before – an elevator. As they watch, an old man walks into the elevator car, and the doors close. A few minutes later, the doors open again, and a young man steps out.

“Quick,” said the farmer’s wife, “go get your father.”

— Senior law partner: “You’ve applied to be an associate here at our law firm. Would you say you are an honest lawyer?”

Applicant: “Let me tell you just how hon-

est I am. My parents paid for all three years of my law school education, and after my first court case, I repaid them in full.”

Senior law partner: “Very impressive!

What was the case?”

Applicant: “My parents sued me for all the money, and they won.”

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 77

A Sedentary Person’s Guide to Hiking Apparently, there’s some sort of popular outdoor activity called “hiking.” Since I hate to miss out on the latest trends, I asked my friends, some of whom identify as “hikers,” to explain what this hobby entails.

“Well,” said one, “it involves going outside and walking around, gaining a greater appreciation of nature.”

“Oh,” I said, “so it’s like in the morning when I stroll down the driveway like Tony Soprano in my bathrobe and flip flops to retrieve the newspaper.”

“No,” said my neighbor, “that’s not hiking. No self-respecting hiker would dress like that.”

I had my first clue about this hiking phenomenon. It was all about the clothing.

Or maybe the lack of clothing. Just as I was about to invest in an expensive wardrobe of bug-repellant cargo shorts, scientifically engineered boots, and vests with lots of little pockets, I discovered that some people go hiking wearing nothing at all. They even celebrate World Naked Hiking Day every June 21.

According to a Bangor Daily News article published in May, “Naked hiking isn’t as taboo as you might imagine.” In Maine, it’s legal for both men and women to go topless, and the law may allow them to shed their pants as well, so long as they don’t do so to “cause affront or alarm.”

“If you can’t appreciate what this body does for me,” one naked hiker told the paper, “then shame on you.”

I have plenty of appreciation for what my body does for me (provides a convenient place to pour beer into). I’m also willing to risk causing affront or alarm, but I do have a few bodily parts I try to keep free of DEET. Forget naked hiking.

I’m also not enthusiastic about spending more than my annual bar tab on dorky outfits designed to make their wearers look like they’re auditioning for the lead role in the next Indiana Jones movie, minus the anti-aging CGI effects.

I don’t want shorts that crowd my delicate extremities, nor shirts that demonstrate the flabbiness of my abdomen. I don’t want my sweaty feet confined in shoes that require a college-level course just to lace up. My usual sar-

Our columnist thinks about taking a walk in the woods – and then thinks better of it. torial style prioritizes comfort over all else, and any outdoor exercise I engage in should accommodate that viewpoint.

Sitting on the deck with a cooler full of cold ones meets that criterion. Scaling lofty peaks without benefit of motorized transportation and/or Sherpas does not.

I was content to let this whole hiking fad run its course without my involvement. But then, I learned of something called “soft hiking.”

The word “soft” always catches my

The author claims he participates in a daily “soft hike” – down to the end of his driveway, to retrieve his newspaper.

attention, whether it modifies heads, landings, pillows or toilet paper. I was further intrigued when the Bangor Daily reported in April that soft hiking was “all the rage on Tik Tok.” Since I don’t follow social media, I had missed this development, and for all I know the Tik Tokian rage may have abated by now, replaced by soft eating or soft sleeping or soft column writing. It’s not easy staying current.

Nevertheless, I felt obligated to investigate this trend, in case it was still hanging on. The newspaper defined soft hiking as “hiking with the goal of simply enjoying yourself, with an emphasis on slowing down, exploring, taking breaks and being present in the moment.”

Which pretty much defines my daily walk down the driveway to retrieve the newspaper. It also covers sitting on my deck and drinking beer, assuming I can fulfill the exploring requirement by opening a can of some brew I haven’t tried before. As it says in a popular soft hiking video, “It’s not about pushing yourself to the limit or taking something off.”

Take that, naked hikers.

It was now obvious that I’d been participating in soft hiking all along, managing to do so without meeting any kind of dress code or engaging in any physical exertion. I suspect those requirements have been imposed on the sport by Big Hiking, which is intent on selling expensive accessories such as radar-equipped hats, first aid kits that can perform open-heart surgery, and walking sticks that shoot laser beams. Better to spend our hard-earned dollars on adult beverages and comfy cushions.

Despite my hiking epiphany, I have not yet been welcomed into the company of experienced hikers, whether soft, hard or naked. But as a newcomer, I’m content to do as I was advised and live in the moment.

If I do that long enough, maybe this silly fad will go away, and I can get back to just goofing off.

Al Diamon writes the weekly column “Politics & Other Mistakes” for the Portland Phoenix.

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www.MaineSportsman.com

78 • August 2023 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————

— TRADING POST — • Subscribers may place one free 20-word • The regular rates are $15 for up to 20 line classified ad per month (2-month limit) words and 50¢ for each additional word • Items for sale must include a price • Check, money order, MasterCard or VISA (Credit or Debit) are accepted • Real estate ads must include an address or location

• 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 FOR SALE TWENTY FOOT JACKSON CANOE Motor mount, 8-HP

Johnson with spare parts. One ton capacity; draws 2 inches.

Hull reconditioned. $1,200. Call: 9-mile Mike 518-573-2058 EUSTIS Beautiful lake and mountain views. ATV and snowmobile trails are across the road from the camp. Just 20 minutes to Sugarloaf. All the best that Maine has to offer! $249,000

CAMPS FOR RENT

SportingLodge.com.

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CAMP RENTAL IN SOLON, ME Deer and Bow hunts.

Small game hunting.

Fishing. Camp sleeps 6. Full amenities, wifi. $1000.00, plus tax, for 7 days- Sunday to Saturday. 207-399-1317. www.BucksPoint-

QUAIL HOLLOW KENNELS: BRITTANYS Simply the best personal shooting dogs and family pets. Puppies and started dogs.

Woodcock training November through

DOGS

March. Forty years of excellence. Call after sunset 856-935-3459 TRI-COLOR MALE ENGLISH SETTER FOR SALE Whelped 6/3/20. Started.

Three months professional training. $1800. Please call or email for specifics:

(Continued on next page)

More Camps and Land Available. Call Joy Dyer at

CSM REAL ESTATE 207-265-4000 • joy@csmrealestate.com

259 Main Street, Kingfield, ME • www.csmrealestate.com Hartland – Cozy, beautifully crafted 3-4 bedroom, 1 bathroom, year-round cabin with waterfront access on Great Moose Lake. Open concept kitchen & living area, fully furnished, hand cut and milled hardwood floors and beautiful pine board walls throughout. Master bedroom and full bathroom occupy the first floor. Another 2-3 bedrooms upstairs in the loft space. Home is easily maintained and heated efficiently with propane and a pellet stove. MLS #1556303 – $279,900 Milo – Well-maintained 2-3 bedroom, 1 bath New England cape cod home with additional rooms to expand. This charming, sunny home sits on 30 wooded acres with over 1300’ of road frontage. Detached 1-car garage for extra storage. Recent updates including a metal roof, vinyl siding, insulation, windows, paint, plumbing, electrical, and more! Efficient to heat with wood boiler. Sellers offering $3,000 credited in closing costs towards new flooring! MLS #1557271 – $314,000 Warren – Many opportunities await with this home! Main home has over 3,000 sq. ft. with 5 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. Large yards, ample storage with full foundation, new heating system and many other updates to the plumbing and electrical systems. Two car garage sits between the main home and apartment. Recently finished, easily accessible 1,400 sq. ft. 2 bedroom 1.5 bath apartment with private entry includes its own septic and oil tank. MLS #1556466 – $575,000

“The County to The Coast” (207) 532-4500 www.FirstChoiceRealEstate.com

Lindsey Brann Associate Broker, REALTOR®

Integrity Homes Real Estate Group 4 Beach Road, Monmouth, ME cell 207-441-9317 | office 207-933-8042 lindsey@integrityhomesregroup.com www.integrityhomesrealestategroup.com

Ed’s Sheds & Cabins CABINS • SHEDS • GARAGES • HORSE BARNS

WHY RENT When You Can Lease-to-Own One of Ed’s Sheds?

This Could Be Your

Sportsman’s Paradise!

Handcrafted in Maine

Bangor / Millinocket (207) 738-5315 Dexter (207) 270-2312 edwardl@edssheds-cabins.com

www.EdsSheds-Cabins.com www.MaineSportsman.com

Silver Ridge Township, Aroostook County, ME This remote lodge sits on nearly 5 acres. Interior is beautifully finished in 6” pine, top to bottom. Loft, cathedral ceiling, 3 bedrooms and bath. All electric, all modern appliances, including dishwasher, drilled well, and approved septic. Wildlife galore!

Great deer hunting on property and abutting land. Could be a hunting camp with memberships for full-year hunting, lodging, and fishing. Many great deer camp memories have been made here and many trophy deer harvested over the years.

It is a 45 minute drive to Lincoln, ME (Lincoln Lakes area) known for great fishing for trout, salmon and smallmouth bass! This beautiful turnkey property (ready at day one) is being offered to carry on the heritage and tradition of Silver Ridge Lodge.

Reasonably priced. For info, call 931-698-6714 or email buckreiley@icloud.com.

��������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • August 2023 • 79 (Continued from page 78)

bburnell001@outlook. com, 207-642-3052.

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LAND FOR SALE 50 ACRES FOR SALE IN CORNVILLE, ME Abundant Wildlife, Moose, Bear, etc. Land abuts Paper Company land. ATV Trail Access, Snowmobile Trail to ITS 84. 12 1/2 miles from Showhegan. Power Available. Owner finance option. $200K. Call 207-612-6294

VEHICLES FOR SALE 2003 GMC 1500 PLOW FARM TRUCK 166000 miles, 10 ply tires. 1100 cash or bank check, 207-215-5504.

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Zone 4 North Maine Woods.September & October. Meals and lodging provided. Call 207-474-2644

MISC.

SKI DOO, ELAN OR TUNDRA Any Condition. Have Cash. Will Travel. Call Or Text 207-522-6940

Be Sure to Follow

The Maine Sportsman

¶

on Facebook and Instagram!

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.

WALL MOUNT 10PT. MULE DEER Neck Mount For Sale $350 (Pictures on request). Call Fred 978430-3167 —

WANTED

Just imagine relaxing in your very own Northeastern log retreat!

MOOSE GUIDES For sporting camps in

10 Ames Road, Kenduskeag, ME

1-800-624-2797 • (207) 884-7000

www.northeasternlog.com

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

PARKERTOWN TWP – Fishing/hunting camp on owned land with 100’ sandy frontage on Aziscohos Lake. Off-grid insulated 2 bedroom camp with knotty pine throughout, gas appliances/lights, Empire wall heaters, wired for generator, 10x12 storage shed, 12x12 deck, outhouse on concrete holding tank. Sold furnished. Gradual sloping lawn to beach, unobstructed views, private boat launch.

Roll-in dock included. MLS #1562572– $234,900 RANGELEY – Rangeley’s newest neighborhood!

Great opportunity to build your own home just steps away from Rangeley Lake, downtown and 4-season recreation. The .47 acre corner lot is improved with town water/sewer, underground power at the street. Deeded shared/owned waterfront with sandy beach on Rangeley Lake, plus 15 acre common green space to enjoy. Snowmobile friendly too. MLS #1563894 – $155,000 RANGELEY – Pond-side cottage is move-in ready and waiting for you! Kayak, swim, ice fish, ATV from your door. Bright and cheery 1 bedroom cottage - updates include: new wiring, plumbing, insulation, windows, siding, metal roof. Town water/sewer. Sold fully furnished and equipped.

Walking distance to all Rangeley Village amenities.

Enjoy the panoramic water views, listen to the loons, gaze at the stars. MLS #1560550 – $299,000

T4 R7 – Looking for remote pristine waterfront? Enjoy seeing a perfect starry night sky? Do you enjoy hunting and fishing? This leased camp on Seboeis River could be just what you are looking for. Call today for your appointment to see. $49,000

Lakeville – Large, private waterfront property on Lombard Lake and Stream, with cheap taxes. Cabin needs some love, but appears solid and square.

Post and beam construction, on a full concrete foundation, offers plenty of potential. $229,000

Winn – This cute cabin is insulated with a knotty interior. The lot is heavily wooded and gorgeous.

Situated on North Road; a paved, year round, secondary road. With a little fire pit sitting just off the cabin’s screen porch. $49,900

Prentiss TWP – Brand new home situated in the small, northern Maine Township. Cute, modern, located 1.5 hours from Bangor and Baxter State Park. Some of the finest outdoor recreational activities at your fingertips right on Park Street. Call today. $99,000

Prentiss TWP – This piece of land is on a year round road with power, has a drilled well and a septic system (we think). Most of the site work is done and is priced fairly right on Park Street. Rural, near many lakes and other outdoor recreational possibilities. $24,900

Prentiss TWP – It’s time to drive to “God’s Country” and buy a small slice of Heaven on earth.

With views of Mt. Katahdin and a dead end Bluegrass Road - your new vacation lot awaits. POSSIBLE OWNER FINANCING $24,900

T3 R1 – Remote. Private. Wooded and beautiful. With deeded access to Bill Green Pond, this would be a wonderful place to build your seasonal cabin right off Engstrom Road. POSSIBLE OWNER FINANCING. $22,900 Enfield – This large lot is part of a larger parcel, owner would consider selling larger piece.

Not far from Cold Stream Pond and Cold Stream. Public road of Caribou Road and short distance to electricity. $34,000 Lee – Looking for some privacy but still need year round access and electricity? This lot is well wooded, fairly level and ready for you to take a peek at on Old Steamboat Road. $37,500 Lincoln – Nice lot on year round Half Township Road. Great lot for that year round home or cottage.

This lot is located in a rural area close to ATV trails. Explore the Maine woods from this lot. $29,500

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

www.MaineSportsman.com

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