The Maine Sportsman - December 2018

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2 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 3

Welcome to Matagamon Wilderness Matagamon Wilderness is located 26 miles west of Patten, and 1-1/2 miles from the North Entrance of Baxter State Park.

Nestled on the East Branch of the Penobscot River, and featuring a private boat launch on Grand Lake Matagamon, the cabins and campground are right off ITS 85, known for its scenic snowmobiling.

For sportsmen, Matagamon specializes in guiding hunters as they pursue trophy black bear, moose, whitetail deer, coyote and partridge, in some of the best habitats in Maine.

The region also offers native brook trout and landlocked salmon fishing on pristine waters.

The camp is currently booking for 2019 spring and fall hunts.

There are plenty of other outdoor activities available, for each season of the year: • Spring/Summer: Boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, swimming, relaxing, tubing in the river, and camping fun.

• Fall: Hunting, fishing, leaf-peeping, and relaxation.

• Winter: Ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and relaxing.

The Cabins at Matagamon Wilderness are located on a quiet road across the river from the store. Two of the cabins, Deer Yard and

Bears Den, have new bathroom facilities. All the cabins are great four-season getaways.

Cabins include the “Moose Shed,” the largest cabin, which offers an indoor full bath, running water and refrigerator. Its combination of double beds, twins, queens and bunks sleep 12 people.

For those who prefer camping out to cabins, Matagamon Wilderness Campground is a nice quiet, family friendly campground, and the owners welcome all campers to come and enjoy the facilities.

There are plenty of campground activities in which to participate all year long, including:

• Annual Lobster Bake: On the Saturday of the 4th of July weekend, they hold a huge lobster bake, with all sorts of food – lobster, hamburgers, hot dogs, potatoes, corn, eggs, onions, chips, soda, and blueberry cake.

• Pot Luck Dinners: They hold a pot luck dinner at the picnic area in front of the store periodically throughout the camping season.

• Bean-Hole Bean Dinners: They also periodically have bean-hole dinners, and provide the bean-hole beans, homemade bread or rolls, and water, lemonade or ice tea.

Joe & Sue Christianson have owned Matagamon for 20 years. Joe is a Master Guide, and Sue is a Master Cook.

It’s a family operation, including the assistance of their son, Allen, who is a Master Maine Guide and who works at the camps, as does his wife Brandi. Also on site is one of their daughters, Katie Gowell and her husband Sasha. Sasha has his Maine Guides License, and provides guiding services for guests at the camp. Katie is the Owner of “The Moose is Loose Ice Cream Shoppe,” and both Katie and Sasha tend Gowell’s Bait, where they sell night crawlers all year round.

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4 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

Protecting Maine’s Heritage Fish

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication Readership

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 555 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com OFFICE MANAGER: Linda Lapointe linda@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@mainesportsman.com

Maine’s native brook trout are a special focus of the Heritage Fish Working Group, which just sent its report to the Legislature. Diana Mallard photo

Maine has the largest concentration of native Eastern brook trout in the United States, and the sole populations of landlocked Arctic charr in the Lower 48. These are Maine’s Heritage Fish.

There is general agreement among biologists and conservationists that the use of live bait, both through the ice and during warm-weather open-water season, poses the greatest threat to the trout and charr waters. It’s very easy for spiny fish, and others that can grow to compete for food and space, to become mixed in with baitfish such as chubs and shiners, and to be accidently released into the native fish waters.

However, live bait has been traditionally used in many lakes and ponds, including in Maine’s Northern Zone, and proposals to ban use of live bait on those waters would be met with a great deal of understandable resistance by anglers and bait dealers.

To address this impasse, a Heritage Fish Working Group, with members including Francis Brautigam of DIF&W, Sally Stockwell of Maine Audubon, a retired guide and several other knowledgeable members, was set up to study and evaluate the alternatives and to make a series of recommendations.

The group recently made its report to the Legislature setting forth three options, with the pros and cons of each: Option #1. Prohibiting use of live bait in tributaries to heritage fish waters – simple in concept, but difficult to comply with and difficult to enforce; this option would make an already-thick fishing law book much thicker. This is not a good option for Maine.

Option #2. Establishing special regulations to restrict live baitfish in moving water in the north zone, with exceptions for areas in which live bait has traditionally been used – a good approach in that it would target only “new” areas, leaving traditional-use waters unchanged. However, this approach would not effectively address the larger issue, since anglers don’t commonly use live bait in brooks, streams and rivers. In addition, enforcement would be very difficult. For these reasons, this is not the best option.

Option #3. Changing general law to prohibit use of live bait throughout the northern zone, but listing as exceptions all waters where live bait has traditionally been used. This approach gets at the entire problem, but still respects current use; it’s easy to understand, comply with and enforce; and it would actually simplify the law book. In our view, this is the best option.

In its native fish waters, Maine has something really special – a resource that will keep residents and free-spending destination anglers fishing Maine waters into the future.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, with support from the legislatively-mandated Heritage Fish Working Group, has laid out the three options described above, presenting the pluses and minuses of each.

A series of public listening sessions is planned for this year and next, and if supported, the effort will move to rulemaking next spring and summer.

Slowing and stopping the introduction of invasive fish into heritage waters are difficult and complex issues to address. We support this new direction being taken by the Department.

Look for more details of these proposals in the pages of The Maine Sportsman in early 2019, as public input is added to the Heritage Fish Working Group’s recommendations.

Note: To view the report, go to www.maine.gov/ifw, and at the top of the page under the “Fish & Wildlife” tab, select “Fisheries.” Then click on the “Reports and Publications” link on the right of the screen, and scroll to the very bottom of the page to find the “Final Progress Report F-W Legislative Committee LD 1236 (PDF)” link. www.MaineSportsman.com

¶

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All editorial inquiries should be emailed to will@mainesportsman.com Phone: 207-622-4242 Fax: 207-622-4255 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........................................................ 11 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves......................... 28 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia...................... 39 Bird of the Month, by Erika Zambello............................... 12 Capitol Report by George Smith..................................... 16 Downeast Region by Jim Lemieux................................... 58 Editorial.................................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello........................... 49 Jackman by William Sheldon........................................... 44 Jottings by Jon Lund............................................................ 7 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon............................. 41 Kate’s Wild Kitchen by Kate Krukowski Gooding........... 43 Letters to the Editor.............................................................. 5 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour....................................... 18 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose................................... 34 Midcoast Report by Tom Seymour................................... 32 Moosehead by Tom Seymour.......................................... 51 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.................................. 63 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie................................ 55 Outdoor Chronicle by Ed Pineau..................................... 27 Quotable Sportsman by George Smith........................... 17 Rangeley Region by William Clunie................................. 37 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers................................. 65 Saltwater by Barry Gibson................................................. 60 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth......................... 33 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews...................... 62 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard................................. 53 Smilin’ Sportsman: Adults & Kids by Will Lund.................. 65 Sporting Environment by David Van Wie........................ 46 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery....................... 9 Southern Maine by Val Marquez..................................... 57 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller...................... 66 Trading Post (Classifieds)................................................... 68 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour........................................... 48 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.................. 35 Young Maine Sportsman by Luke Giampetruzzi............ 61

SPECIAL SECTIONS Ice Fishing in Maine by Steve Vose.................................. 24 Snowmobiling in Maine by Shane Brown........................ 19

GUEST COLUMNS Loony on the Lake by Alan Haley.................................... 67

Cover Photo by Stacy Belanger, Eagle Lake

Stacy teaches 2nd grade at the Fort Kent Elementary School.

She’s also a first-rate photographer, and she’s willing to work hard to capture special photos. She sent us a few pictures she’d taken of this monster non-typical rack buck in January of this year, and we told her if she got a better pose, we’d use it on the cover. “So I braved the cold and the storm and went back up to take more pics of my big buck,” she told us. “This deer is a beast.” Stacy’s husband Mark is an ice-angler and practices coyote control in the area, and her young son Drew is already an outstanding fisherman.

Letters

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 5

To The Editor

Eat No Chili at Deer Camp To the Editor: Deer season always brings back memories. One year the boys were all about eliminating scent – masking their human body odor so no buck could get a good whiff. They went to great ends washing their hunting togs in special soap and storing the clothes in a plastic tub filled with pinecones and ferns.

They bought sprays, doe urine and buck lures.

Ben and John were obsessed. They changed clothes in the driveway before stomping into the camp. They had little squares of foam to stand on while they stripped and changed into sweat pants and T-shirts. The clothes tubs stayed in the truck overnight.

Ben and John had been Marines together. They were tough. At 5 a.m., with temps around five degrees, they wriggled into their freezing cold, scent-free clothes. They were determined their body odor was not going to spook a deer.

Not so for the rest of us. I kind of figured the deer had pretty much smelled everything there was in the woods anyway, like sweaty people on a hike, diesel fumes from a skidder, dogs chasing rabbits, raw meat cooked over a bed of hot coals, car exhausts and the unmistakable redolence of an old outhouse on a hot summer day. So I put four apples in my game pocket and walked the tote roads.

Another thing about deer camp is we ate good. Everyone had some favorite recipe they weren’t allowed to cook at home – foods like stuffed peppers, liver and onions, Spam sandwiches, and fried potatoes and onions.

My specialty was chili – hot ‘n’ spicy. I labored over the pot, throwing in whatever came to hand – lots of garlic and peppers and onions, and three kinds of beans.

I put the chili together in the morning, and let it simmer the rest of the day. Oh my.

Nothing like it, when the sun was long gone and the woodstove was smoking and we all sat down under the glow of the gas lamps and tucked into steaming bowls of chili goodness Fins & Furs Adventures

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and munched thick slabs of boule bread.

Ben and John had their share, as did Matt, and Jeremy and Vance and whoever else was hunting with us.

Late at night, we were all reminded just how good that chili was, as loud burps and tainted air filled the cabin. No matter – this was deer camp.

The next morning, just before Ben and John dashed outside in the frosty air to suit up, Jeremy asked, “Can I go along?”

“Sure,” they replied, “why not? You might get lucky and see a big buck.”

They planned to hunt an old logging road where they’d found some good sign. The deer were crossing back and forth. They’d seen buck scrapes nearby and lots of browse nibbled off.

The sun was just coming up. The brothers walked softly with guns held at the ready, intently peering around each bend in the road as their breath condensed in the cold

(Continued on next page)

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morning air. Quietly, softly, they stepped, ever-so-carefully. They could almost smell the deer. They knew they were bound to see one.

And then without warning, the chili erupted. Jeremy was overcome with cramps.

He was taken by surprise, and passed gas in a manner the entire world could hear and smell. He groaned.

The flatulence continued – another one!

Breaking bad! A real Vladimir Pootin’.

The air reeked. The stench settled over the road like dense fog.

Jeremy apologized. “I couldn’t help it – sorry,” he told Ben. But it was too late. Ben lowered his rifle and jacked out all the cartridges. “No more hunting here,” he announced.

There was no spray on earth that would cover that up, so he headed back to the truck.

Jeremy sulked along behind. They came back to the camp early, and this time Ben did not stop to take off his hunting clothes.

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6 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 5)

In fact, he stormed into the camp, and blamed me for everything. “You and your damned chili! Because of you, Jeremy befouled the air out there, completely destroying all hunting for the day. Now my hunting clothes stink to high heaven!”

By the way, to celebrate special days like this, in the evening when the hunt is over we have our own special deer camp drink. We call it “the Maine Guide.” Mix equal parts of Moxie and Jagermeister.

Add a little ice if you like.

Randy Randall – Saco, ME

wish to view our wildlife.

We need to do our best to keep this disease out of the state.

Mark J. Sousa – Shapleigh, ME Editor’s note: In the time it took this letter to get to us here at The Sportsman, Maine officials took action by emergency rule. It’s now illegal for individuals to bring into Maine carcasses or parts of deer, moose or elk, except for boned-out meat; hardened antlers; skull caps with or without antlers attached that have been cleaned free of brain and other tissues; capes and hides with no skull attached, teeth; and finished taxidermy mounts. Carcasses brought into Maine from the State of New Hampshire are exempt from the rule.

—

—

CWD a Serious Threat

Follow-up on One That Didn’t Get Away Pin

To the Editor: I received an email from NH Fish and Wildlife in September regarding the first confirmed case of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in Canada. In my opinion, The Maine Sportsman is the best place to help get the word out. Hopefully, Maine officials will follow the New Hampshire lead, and not wait until it’s too late.

New Hampshire has now banned all cervids from Canada unless it’s processed and wrapped meat or antlers and skull cap only.

No mounts will be allowed if they contain soft tissue on the head.

As an avid sportsman and reader of your magazine, I felt this to be an important subject and the best avenue to let my fellow sportsman know and be aware of the new threat to our deer/moose herd.

Also, your publication has been instrumental in informing state policy-makers of necessary changes that benefit all who enjoy the outdoors.

I believe if we don’t take aggressive action and follow New Hampshire’s lead, we’ll be dealing with this terrible disease sooner rather than later. This has the potential to affect not only hunters, but also those who

To the Editor: This past spring, a Pennsylvania reader of The Sportsman asked for any information on a medal pin he’d found which the original owner had received in recognition of a fish that “didn’t get away.”

I carefully reviewed Bob Elliot’s book, “The Eastern Maine Brook Trout,” but it did not contain any information about the pin.

However, I searched my personal library and found a copy of the Spring Issue, Vol. 1, #1 of the “Maine Fish and Game” magazine, from 1959.

On pages 1 and 2 there is the story of “The One That Didn’t Get Away Club, and the story about the patch.

The “One that Didn’t Get Away” club, according to the article, was established in 1939 by the state’s promotion or tourism board, known as the Maine Development Commission. The club was later transferred to the Department of Economic Development’s “Recreational Promotion Division,” and eventually the program found its way to your offices at The Maine Sportsman magazine.

I expect the metal club pin probably was created in 1939, although the article does not

reference the pin. The patch was created in 1958.

I started work as an undergraduate student for the Department in 1959, and that is how I came about a copy of the IF&G magazine.

I hope I’ve shed some light on the question asked by one of your subscribers in Pennsylvania.

Matt Scott, Aquatic Biologist, Emeritus AFS, AIFRB, & NALMS —

Climate Change is a Threat to Hunting and Fishing To the Editor: David Van Wie’s article on the impact of climate change on sportsmen (see “Sporting Environment”; November 2018) should be re-published in every sporting magazine in the country.

I’m a lifelong Republican, but I’m baffled when most of us in the GOP become politically active only in response to issues such as religion and firearms. Instead, sportsmen and sports-women need to pay attention to a different crucial reality: global environmental change and degradation.

Some in Washington call global warming a hoax, and the US recently pulled out of climate agreements while weakening regulations. The EPA, under directions from the current Administration in Washington, is opening up our public lands to drilling, fishing and uranium mining under the guise of giving hunters greater access.

The science is certain ... just venture outside your door and look at the drastic changes in the natural world. Your good ol’ 30-30 and fly rod will not be needed if we allow the heating and pollution of our planet to continue.

I encourage Maine Sportsman readers to educate themselves and take action.

Joe N. Weiss, Ph.D. – Clarence, New York

¶

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 7

Fish Will Nibble Anything!

The young man rocketed out of the water as if jet-propelled. He’d been skinny-dipping, standing in the waist-deep lake water. He knew that if he stood still, sunfish might swim close and nibble at his feet or toes.

This time, however, a bold sunfish nibbled him in a more sensitive area, and the surprise nip made the young lad dash for the safety of dry land.

After that experience, the youngster always wore swim trunks when he invited the sunfish to nibble his toes.

Brookies Can Be Fooled Brook trout, too, can be curious about strange objects, and lacking other means of exploration, may bite the novel item.

My father was fly-casting from an old Rangeley boat on Redington Pond in Redington Township.

It was a bright, sunny day, and several brook trout were taking his wet flies. A light westerly breeze brought a ripple to the surface of the clear water.

Dad was a chain smoker, and favored filter-tip cigarettes. He casually flipped a cigarette butt into the water, and it floated lightly on the surface, downwind of his boat.

A trout rose and hit the butt.

There was no mistaking the fact that a trout hit a bright white cylindrical object that must have looked unlike anything the trout customarily consumed as food.

It was a strange sight indeed.

In retrospect, perhaps the trout was just

ter, I considered tying up some nail knot flies, but abandoned the idea. I did go back to using a clear coating on the nail knots.

On an Allagash trip I caught an 11-inch trout. It had an unusual bulge in its stomach. When cleaning the fish for dinner, I discovered the bulge was a small vole that apparently had the bad luck to fall into the water.

The tendency of some fish to nibble anything they find in the water, can cause problems for young skinny-dippers.

giving the strange object an exploratory bump.

The Red Nail Knot Caper In an effort to minimize the number of knots that make a wake on calm water, I often attach my tapered leader to the end of my fly line with a nail knot, and secure the nail knot with a coat of clear fingernail lacquer. Once, when I ran out of clear nail lacquer, all I had on hand was some red lacquer, so I applied that to the nail knot. It worked as well as the clear stuff.

That season, as I flycast for trout on a remote wilderness pond, I seemed to be missing some trout strikes, so I watched my leader more

closely. To my surprise, the trout were not hitting my wet fly, but rather

were hitting the bright red nail knot.

The following win-

Opportunistic Allagash Trout Once, on an Allagash trip, our party stopped for lunch at a narrowing of the river and short stretch of faster current where the water flowed past some larger boulders. Never one to pass up a chance to cast a fly, I dropped a small streamer into the edge of the fast water, and was rewarded with a firm strike.

After a vigorous fight, I netted an eleven-inch brook trout, which I enjoyed at our next meal.

The trout had an unusual bulge in its stomach. After cleaning the fish, I opened the stomach sac and was surprised to find a partly digested vole about the size of my thumb.

I had thought voles were exclusively land dwellers. There are water (Continued on next page)

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8 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Jottings (Continued from page 7)

voles, but their habitat is exclusive to US northwest. This was probably a vole that had the bad luck to fall in the water, and be carried by the current near a hungry brook trout.

Does that mean that we should carry a few vole patterns in our flybox? Probably not, unless planning to fish in the Northwest US.

Cannibal Browns?

Brown trout have the reputation of being more carnivorous than brook trout, and for a time when we fished Redington Pond, we explored that theory.

According to folklore, Redington Pond held only brook trout, but a shipment of brown trout was carried on the narrow-gauge railroad and some got away. In the 1960s, the pond held both

species.

After dark, on a quiet evening, the brown trout could be seen slowly finning along, causing small ripples as they traveled. If you plotted their course, and dropped a grasshopper fly just ahead of the last ripple, you could be rewarded with a firm take.

For several years, we compared the stomach contents of any trout that we kept, and found nothing to indicate that the brown trout were inclined to be more carniv-

orous than brookies.

There were signs that Redington Pond did contain some big fish. Dad liked to fish with a popular spring-wound “automatic” reel. Once while fishing with my younger brother, Erik, Dad hooked a powerful fish that headed upstream, and “spooled” his reel, stripped all of the line on the reel, and when it came to the end, broke off.

On the other hand, while fly-fishing a backcountry pond in Maine

this summer that contained both brook trout and chubs, I brought in a brookie that was shy of the ten-inch minimum size limit. As I worked with my forceps to unhook it, I was surprised to see the trout regurgitating a chub that had to be at least 2 ½ inches long.

The apparent lesson is that when trout fishing, if all else fails try a small streamer or bait fish imitation.

¶

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Mark Your Calendars for Maine’s Premier Outdoor Show!

Outdoor enthusiasts wait all winter long for the spring thaw and what better way to spend one of those spring weekends than at Maine’s biggest outdoor trade show,

the 39th annual State of Maine Sportsman’s Show!

Tens of thousands of outdoors-minded folks will gather for an entire weekend of everything outdoors March 29–31. There truly is something for everyone: over 100 exhibitors, kid zone, demonstrations, seminars, taxidermy, art, photography and carving contests, and LOTS MORE!

STATE OF MAINE FIREARMS AUCTION WILL BE HELD AT THE SHOW!

Sunday, March 31st at 12PM • Your Show Ticket Gets You Into the Auction

For Exhibitor or Seminar Registration, Contact Linda Lapointe at (207) 622-4242 or linda@mainesportsman.com

show.mainesportsman.com — STAY TUNED TO OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE FOR UPDATES! —

www.MaineSportsman.com

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 9

Abaco’s Blackfly Lodge: Paradise in the Tropics The sun was rising over Schooner Bay. The luxuriant light gave the water a pinkish tinge that slowly morphed to a brighter reddish-orange.

The young mangrove shoots just offshore were bathed in the sweet light, and the palms in the foreground burst with color.

I’ve always been a “morning person,” and today, like so many, many days before, I’m glad I am.

This little part of the world on Great Abaco Island of The Bahama Islands came alive with the erubescent sun. And as the crepuscular critters softly ceased their serenade, the tide began to ebb, schools of bonefish came out of the mangroves, and I was ready to meet another day in paradise.

My destination travels took me to the eastern side of Great Abaco to the Blackfly Lodge at Schooner Bay. Both the lodge and the settlement are relatively new and, at the time, were well on their way to becoming a neat, well-planned authentic Bahamian harbor village, with shops, vacation cottages, second homes, and

Permit, like bonefish, were everywhere, and they were doing what permit often do when they see your fly or lure; namely, they spit on it, give the angler the middle fin, and then quickly and contemptuously flee, leaving puffs of sand where your dreams were a few seconds earlier.

The lodge is fairly new and is a grand, elegant yet not pretentious manor house, with wrap-around porches. It’s beautifully situated on the scenic harbor. All photos by King Montgomery

businesses designed to fit nicely into the natural landscape. But that was over 5-years ago, and I’ll bet the place really has grown.

Blackfly Has No Blackflies Home to about 16,000 folks, Abaco is one of the more prosperous islands in the vast Bahamas archipelago, and no – Blackfly is not home to squadrons of noxious

Chef Devon Roker, a young Bahamian with a superb culinary mind, presides in the open kitchen. He and his crew turn out truly excellent meals complemented by nice wines, all in a very casual and friendly atmosphere.

bugs, but is named after artist Vaughn Cochran’s logo of a black tarpon streamer fly. C o c h r a n and wife Jean are partners in Blackfly Lodge, and it’s Jean you’ll deal with when seeking information or making reservations for a visit.

Vaughn and Jean, who are in the Florida side of the operation, have run fishing lodges in Mexico and Belize. Vaughn is a nationally-acclaimed art-

ist, former Florida Keys fly fishing guide, and an early member of Jimmy Buffett’s musical team.

“Hi, I’m June Russell … welcome to Blackfly Lodge.” June, a transplanted New Jerseyite, is the on-site business manager, and we indeed felt welcome thanks to her engaging smile and warm handshake. Lunch, she informed us, soon would be served on the front porch, and we settled in

The sun was rising over Schooner Bay. The luxuriant light gave the water a pinkish tinge that slowly morphed to a brighter reddish-orange.

The young mangrove shoots just offshore were bathed in the sweet light, and the palms in the foreground burst with color.

as our luggage made its way to our private rooms on the second floor.

Captain Clint Kemp, an eleventh-generation Bahamian whose family arrived in the early days of English settlement, is general manager and partner in Blackfly. He’s also a well-known fishing guide, chef and entrepreneur.

The lodge is a grand, elegant yet not pretentious manor house with wrap around porches, and it’s beautifully situated on the scenic harbor.

In front of Blackfly near the water is a large fire pit, replete with Adirondack-style chairs. This is a great place to sip a before dinner martini and/ or a post-prandial libation or two with a fine Cuban cigar—hey, the cigars are legal here and, as for the liquid refreshments, you’re not driving anywhere.

The ground floor houses a fly and tackle shop, a small, cozy and well-stocked open bar, and a chef-designed open kitchen and dining room.

Here Chef Devon Roker, a young Bahamian with a superb culinary mind, (Continued on next page)

Business manager June Russell graced our presence at Blackfly Lodge by joining us for dinner each evening. Chef Roker’s fine cuisine -- here, a tasty rack of lamb swimming in a tasty jus -always was superb. www.MaineSportsman.com

10 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Sportsman’s Journal (Continued from page 9)

presides. He and his crew turn out truly excellent meals complemented by nice wines, all in a very casual and friendly atmosphere.

The second floor has a lounge area, with a large Keurig coffee maker and assorted cold drinks. The wonderfully-appointed single guest rooms boast all the amenities, and couples are easily accommodated.

The third level cupola houses a large flat screen TV and comfortable furniture for sitting back and watching Monday or Thursday Night Football.

Each of the guest rooms is named after someone well-known in the fishing industry. I stayed in the Stu Apte room, and the others are named after Lefty Kreh, where a photo of mine graces the wall next to a painting by Vaughn Cochran. Flip Pallot, Pat Ford, Chico Fernandez, Denny Brewer (a very frequent guest), Vaughn Cochran and Joan Wulff round out the list.

Off to the Flats The first fishing day of this early October dawned majestically, with reds, pinks, and oranges lighting the partially-clouded sky, all hues of which reflected in the Schooner Bay harbor’s waters.

The palm trees only gently moved now and

then, so wind was not an issue, always a good thing on the saltwater flats. It was pleasantly warm, not too hot, and the humidity level was more than tolerable.

It was, in short, a great day to go fishing.

At breakfast—Chef Roker had grits; sausage and fried eggs over easy ready for me—Captain Clint Kemp pulled out a topo map of the Abacos and showed us the plan for the day. Since the wind was down and not expected to rise much, all four boats would head to Moores Island (also called Mores Island) to the west – about a 45-minute run in the flats skiffs.

Okay, I thought to myself, I hope the fishing is good enough to warrant the wet beating we’ll probably take as we race across an unprotected expanse of the Little Bahama Bank. And the wind most likely would freshen considerably by the time we headed back to the lodge in the afternoon.

My lower back gave an anticipatory twinge at the thought. The back spoke again, remembering times past on Andros and on Grand Bahama Island, when flats skiffs literally kicked my butt on long runs.

I need not have worried, I soon found out, as I walked out the side door of Blackfly to meet

The boats and the guides all proved to be topof-the-line. I fished with different guides each day, and they all were great, and fun company in the boat. www.MaineSportsman.com

In addition to bonefish and permit, anglers will encounter tarpon, sharks, barracuda, jacks, snappers and attractively-colored rainbow runners. my guide Nick Roberts, who was leaning against a gorgeous trailered boat. The boats and the guides—in addition to Nick I fished with Paul Pinder and Ashron Williams—all proved to be top-of-the-line.

I’d become partial to several models of another manufacturer’s flats skiff and I still like them very much, but this East Cape Vantage skiff proved to be something else—a sturdy, steady, incredibly maneuverable craft that could handle the open water with ease and still float gracefully across the shallow flats as the tide moved out taking water with it.

Plentiful Bones & Reticent Permit Thanks to a custom-designed combination leaning bar and padded seat, I was comfortably ensconced on the bow of the East Cape skiff, scanning the clean, clear flats.

At times, bonefish were everywhere; some big ones too. They were in small groups and in large schools, sometimes tails tipped up while feeding, and other times moving from here to there with a purpose.

It appears many of the bonefish were either preparing to move off the flats or actually were

moving out to deep water. In fact, some already had made the journey out to deep water, often over 1,000 feet, to spawn. It seems these fish procreate in the fall at the new moon, and our visit was during both.

On the first day out, Gary, one of the guests, landed an 18-20 pound permit that gave him quite the tussle. It was his first fly-caught permit, and he was as proud as could be. Gary’s favorite places to fish are Alaska and the tropical flats.

Our afflictions to fly fishing run deep.

Permit, like bonefish, were everywhere, and they weren’t distracted with mating stuff – they just were being permit and doing what permit often do when they see your fly or lure; namely, they spit on it, give the angler the middle fin, and continue with what they were doing, or flee quickly and contemptuously away, leaving puffs of sand where your dreams were a few seconds ago.

In addition to bonefish and permit, there are occasional tarpon and plenty of sharks, barracuda, jacks, snappers and others ready to bend your rod. I managed several chunky and attractively-colored rainbow runners mixed in with a

This bonefish bit on a well-placed cast under the direction of a Blackfly guide. Even a small bonefish will take you at least twice into your reel’s backing. Note the camouflaged coloring/markings.

bunch of bonefish. These babies fight long and hard for their small size.

Blackfly is not fly fishing only, and all fishers are welcome. The tackle shop in the lodge has conventional gear in addition to fly stuff, and fresh bait is available too.

Clint can arrange for near shore and offshore bottom fishing or trolling.

This is one of those rare places where the wishes of the customer are favorably considered; and with a smile.

As winter is upon us in the Pine Tree State, wouldn’t Great Abaco be a perfect place to visit – and fish?

Abaco Fishing Information: • Blackfly Lodge: Offers fly fishing/casting/tying schools. See www.blackflylodge or call 904-9972220. Superb destination!

• East Cape Boats: We fished out of custom Vantage models; www.eastcapeskiffs.com, 407-6587934. I want one.

• Vaughn & Jean Cochran: Blackfly Outfitter in Jacksonville, FL; paintings & fine art.

Blackfly The Restaurant in St. Augustine. www. vaughncochranart.com, 407-658-7934.

¶

Pop-up rain squalls often are pretty severe, but short-lived. Rain gear on the flats is an absolute must, and it’s a great idea to put down the graphite rods in case there’s lightning in the area.

Almanac

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 11

Compiled by Will Lund

“Snapshots in Time”

Excerpts from the Annals of Maine’s Sporting Past Submitted by Bill Pierce, of the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc, Maine What follows are two short but interesting submissions regarding Maine’s woodland caribou, first published about this time of year some 113 years ago.

The first is a light-hearted look at a peculiar pastime for two daring Maine woodsmen – caribou bronc riding! Before you totally dismiss their report, please consider that other 19th century woodsmen of note, Fred Barker and John Danforth, reported doing the same practice with large bucks hampered by deep snow in a deer yard, as shared in their book “Hunting and Trapping on the Upper Magalloway and Parmachenee.”

In any case, the practice seems rather brave, considering how far these intrepid (perhaps crazy) characters were from anything resembling “Critical Care.”

A more contemporary instance of the daring practice was shared with me by some Texas ironworkers who came into Judson’s, near Sugarloaf, where I was tending bar.

They were in town to help build the biomass

plant in Stratton.

One of the ironworking cowboys was limping rather profoundly, and looked pretty banged up. He was in need a few shots of “anesthesia” from the top shelf.

While he was medicating, and groaning every now and then, his pals were having a few chuckles at his expense. It seems this “posse” had come across a calf moose trotting along in their headlights while cruising the wood roads with a few beers after work.

“Hop-along,” we’ll call him, had some rodeo

experience, and he quickly arrived at a bright idea.

He climbed out the door and into the bed of their pursuing pickup. The driver had sped up beside the moose, and Hop-along then leaped on young Bullwinkle’s neck, “to grab it by the ears and bulldog it down.”

Hop-along’s wounds were stark testimony to the folly of the enterprise, the possible flaws in his strategy and the power of drink over otherwise sound judgment.

Enjoy what follows from the annals of Maine’s amazing sporting past, and be sure to get out there and, with perhaps better judgment, make some outdoor history of your own!

Parkhurst Man Tells of Wild Ride on Caribou From the Phillips Phonograph; Friday, December 1, 1905

In a recent number of exchanges, “that Parkhurst man” tells of a thrilling ride he once had on the back of “a live Caribou.”

To quote him, he says, “One Sunday morning several years ago, a man named Wallace Smith and myself went out onto a hardwood ridge to cut some wood for axhelves.

The snow was about two feet deep and as light as feathers. Caribou tracks were plenty, and we soon saw three of the animals themselves eating moss from a fallen tree. We crept towards them till they began to prick up their ears, then we threw our axes and with horrid yells rushed after them. The frightened, bewildered animals ran in a circle and bleated like scared calves. I soon got after one and Smith selected another.

We chased them over logs and under The second story, a bit more serious in nature, is a report from 1905 that caribou had been sighted around Katahdin and in other remote portions of the state. Unfortunately, the caribou did not remain, and the writer’s speculation for why they did not remain is

windfalls; I soon got close to mine. I threw away my mitts [got astride the beast] and clinched my fingers in his long hair on his back. You could then hear him bleat a mile away.

Some 40 rods away there was a logging road, hard and smooth and straight to the river three miles away. My caribou headed straight for this, and I couldn’t appear to stop him. I got him by the ears and tried to rein him, but he was indeed as stubborn as a mule.

A moment later I saw the road ahead and heard my caribou give a pleased little bleat. A little later everything was changed. I was still astride my beast, but wished I was off, for we were going down the icy road at a 2:40 clip, and the caribou was snorting and bucking like a bronco.

Presently he shied at a dirty spot in probably factual. Maine’s woodlands had changed dramatically at the time, with many of the large stands of conifers that held tree lichens and mosses that the caribou require having been harvested. Being migratory animals, they simply moved on to proverbial

the road, and I was thrown with some violence onto the ice. While I was rubbing my bruised elbow and getting my breath I heard loud shouts up the road, and saw Wallace coming at great speed on another caribou.

“Stop him! Stop him,” he yelled. “For God’s…STOP HIM! He’s running away with me!”

I felt for my hat to “shoo” him with, but it was gone; I seized a fir bush that had been cut from the road and jammed it in the face of the frantic animal.

As it turned to get by, I seized a horn; but it soon dragged me down and stripped away my clothes with its sharp hoofs. It also cut my breast so badly that I will carry the scar to my grave.

“greener pastures.”

Although overhunting played a role in thinning their numbers, unfavorable changes in their habitat were likely the most critical factors in their extirpation from the State. (continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Almanac

(Continued from page 12)

Snapshots in Time —

Caribou Returning

From Maine Woods, November 24, 1905 The report comes that hunters on the slopes of Mount Katahdin have seen roaming there a herd of caribou, the first known to have been in the state for a number of years. Rumors of the return of the caribou have been coming in this fall from other parts of northern Maine.

It was about ten years ago the caribou disappeared from the state, migrating to Canada. The cause of the migration has been a matter of some dispute, but the most authoritative view has laid it to the lack of proper feeding grounds, and the return of the splendid game has therefore been hoped for, but little expected.

In 1899, Maine passed a law prohibiting the killing of caribou for six years, and the last Legislature extended the time six years more, or to October 15. 1911.

—

Chickless Loons Defend Their Territories Loons are well-known to defend their territory, especially the area near their nests.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin wanted to find out if loons that had successfully raised chicks on a lake would defend their territory more vigorously than loons that had failed to breed.

Using recordings of aggressive loon yodel calls and a loon decoy, PhD candidate Jeremy Spool determined that “Loons that had recent breeding success displayed less territorial behavior toward our decoy, [whereas] loons that had recently failed to breed displayed more territorial behavior.”

Spool reports, “Building knowledge about how breeding success impacts animal behavior is a useful piece of the puzzle for understanding why some animal populations decline, while others succeed and grow”.

(From Letters & Science Magazine, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Fall 2018)

www.MaineSportsman.com

Boat Advocacy Group Unhappy with President’s Plan to Increase Sale of 15% Ethanol Fuel The national organization known as BoatUS (an abbreviation of Boat Owners Association of The United States) is criticizing the President’s plan to allow the sale of E15 (15 percent ethanol) fuel year-round.

E15 is prohibited by federal law for use in recreational boat engines, according to the organization (the maximum percentage allowed is 10%, found in E10 fuel). Further, its use voids many marine engine warranties, and it’s currently banned for sale in many states by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during summer months, over concerns that it contributes to smog on hot days.

BoatUS states that under the Administration’s new proposal, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would grant a waiver to the Clean Air Act to permit the sale of E15 in all 50 states year-round at the same roadside gas stations where many recreational boaters refuel their trailered vessels.

A recent statement by BoatUS said: The proposal to permit the sale of a fuel (E15) during the peak summer boating season that is both harmful and illegal to use in marine engines is a major concern for boat owners. The nation’s 11 million recreational boaters want fuel that is safe for their boats; however, this proposed EPA policy change will increase the chances that boaters could inadvertently put E15 into their tanks. Unlike the physical barriers that prevent misfueling between gasoline and diesel fuel-powered vessels, just one small orange warning label on the fuel pump is all that stands between a boat owner making a misfueling mistake that could lead to expensive, warranty-voiding repairs and catastrophic engine failure.

In addition to concerns about decreased engine lubrication and increased smog from emissions, ethanol is thought to result in phase separation, and absorption of water into the fuel. Marina operators and small-engine repair shops report an increased number of fuel-related problems, including phase separation and water infiltration.

According the Randy Randall of Randall’s Marina in Saco, contaminated fuel is to blame in 90% of the cases in which an outboard won’t start. His marina pumps Valvtec fuel, into which an additive has been blended.

“I have two tools I use when dealing with an gasoline outboard or inboard that won’t start,” reports Randall. “The first is a clear, one-gallon pickle jar, and the second is a sensitive paste for testing.”

If a customer is having problems, Randall daubs the paste onto the end of a yard stick and inserts the stick into the tank. The paste turns green in the presence of water.

“Then I decant gas from a portable tank into another tank, and finally into the pickle jar,” he reports. “After a few minutes, water and crud will settle out of the fuel, and it will be immediately obvious that bad fuel is the problem.”

To address the issue, he puts new, fresh gas into the tank. Then he empties or drains the bowl on the carburetor; empties any inline filters; empties the fuel/water separator canister; purges the rubber fuel hose and bulb; and then puts everything back together.

“And the motor should start,” he concludes. “Sometimes it takes a squirt of Thrust to get everything going again.”

—

Bird of the Month

by Nick Lund, Maine Audubon

Maine’s State Bird is …

Wait – What Is It? We all know Maine’s state bird is the Black-capped Chickadee. It’s a fact I was taught in elementary school and which is reinforced with every Black-capped Chickadee-adorned license plate that passes me on the road.

It’s a beautiful little bird and worthy state symbol, but it’s also a lie. By the letter of the law, the Black-capped Chickadee is not Maine’s state bird – “the chickadee” is.

Boreal Chickadee. Source: Audubon.org

Black-capped Chickadee. Source: Audubon.org

Look for yourself. Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Chapter 9 Sec. 209 reads, in its entirety: “The state bird shall be the chickadee.” Nothing about “Black-capped,” and no scientific name.

(Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 13 (Continued from page 12)

This lack of specificity might not be an issue, except for the fact that the Black-capped Chickadee isn’t the only chickadee species in the state. Flitting around the forests of the northern half of Maine is the equally beautiful and equally worthy state symbol, the Boreal Chickadee.

Details are important. You can’t go into Pizza Hut and order “the pizza” or into a car dealership and test drive “the Ford” and expect anyone to know what to get you. Massachusetts also claims the Black-capped

Chickadee as its state bird, and though their statute also reads only “the chickadee,” they include the bird’s scientific name for clarity.

We need that level of detail in Maine.

One could argue that the drafters of the 1927 legislation adopting Maine’s official state bird meant “chickadee” to mean “Blackcapped Chickadee,” which is more common and widespread in the state than the Boreal. Though the Boreal Chickadee was a widely-known resident of Maine – Ora Willis Knight included detailed state records of what was then known as the Hudsonian Chickadee in his landmark 1908 Birds of

Maine – the Black-capped Chickadee was frequently referred to simply as “Chickadee.”

However, research in conjunction with the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library and the State Archives shows that nowhere in the resolutions or bills preceding the codification of the state bird in 1927 was anything but “chickadee” used. No recognition of the two different species, no use of scientific names, and no recorded debate.

The ambiguity in the law has been superseded by the wide use of the Black-capped (Continued on next page)

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14 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Almanac (Continued from page 13)

Chickadee as our state symbol. It is our state bird, whether the law specifies it or not. But I can’t help but feel bad for the Boreal Chickadee, which has done nothing to deserve this legislative slight except choose to live only in northern Maine.

Perhaps it’s time for the legislators in this state to clarify that our state bird is the Black-capped Chickadee or, if I may be so bold to suggest, honor the residents of northern Maine – and further distance ourselves from Massachusetts – by designating the Boreal Chickadee as the state bird.

—

Book Reviews

Reviewed by George Smith

Dick Folsom: Bush Pilot,

by Jake Morrel If you are a Mainer who hunts and fishes, you likely know who Dick Folsom was. Dick created the largest seaplane operation in the eastern United States, in Greenville. Many of us had the privilege of flying with Folsom’s.

And now, thanks to Jake Morrel, we have a collection of wonderful stories told by Dick Folsom.

This book, Dick Folsom: Bush Pilot, is subtitled A Legend Reflects, and is a series of conversations that Jake tape-recorded with Dick. And oh, what great stories these are.

Dick tells us about many of his close calls and crashes; about a lot of the searches he did for others who crashed; and even about his time in the Army Air Force when he ended up very near to Japan just before World War II ended.

Having spent a lot of time in the north woods, I know a lot of the places in Dick’s stories. But I was amazed at his awesome memory.

The many photos at the end of the book are very interesting too. Dick died at the age of 83, before Jake had the chance to collect all of his stories, but I am so grateful to Jake that he got enough recorded to write

this book.

Jake was a high school teacher in 1971 when he took his first ride is a small airplane.

Eventually he went to work for Dick Folsom as a bush pilot.

Later, he and his wife Beth rebuilt a whole set of logging camps, and founded Hardscrabble Lodge, a fly-in sporting camp.

Jake wrote his own book of great stories called “Hardscrabble Lodge: True Maine Bush Flying Stories.” I really enjoyed Jake’s stories and wrote a review of that book last year. You can read that review in the book review section of my website, georgesmithmaine.com.

Gary Dumond Remembers,

by Jake Morrel

Gary Dumond began flying float planes when he was in high school, flying his dad’s Piper PA-11 over to Eagle Lake to visit with Maine Warden Pilot Jack McPhee.

Jack encouraged Gary to train as a military pilot and then to return to Maine and seek a position as a Maine Warden pilot. at

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of the book, including a number of crashed planes.

I really found it amazing at how effective Gary was at finding lost hunters and anglers.

He had a real talent for that. He found over 200 of them.

And of course there were times when he got stuck on some body of water overnight.

Quite a few of the crashed planes are still out there in the Maine woods and waters, while other planes disappeared without a trace.

Gary also stocked fish by plane, and has some good stories about that.

And how about this passage in his book, in which he writes about warden pilots who saw dogs chasing deer?

Well, technically, if the dogs were chasing deer, you’d shoot them, simple as that. We’d shoot them out of the helicopter.

We didn’t do it a lot; you had to be careful.

Now today, I don’t know if that would fly.

Jack tells of the time they found 19 dead deer killed by 4 or 5 dogs.

Gary doesn’t tell the sad story of Jack McPhee’s tragic death in a plane crash in Baxter Park, where he was tracking Canadian lynx.

Jack used to land at our camp on Sourdnahunk Lake on the edge of Baxter Park to pick up or drop off people. That’s how I first got to know him.

Later, I became good friends with his wife Josie, who still runs McCanamac Camps in the north woods, which were established by Jack.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 15

Current Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits

Christine Young of Westbrook drew her first-ever moose permit this year, and was hunting in T-7, R-14 in late September with husband Paul and their friend Joe. Christine’s calling caught the bull’s attention. Then Joe took over the calling duties, employing grunt calls and racking. The moose emerged; Paul had the clearest shot with a .308, and took it. The bull weighed 910 pounds dressed, and featured a 42-inch spread with 15 points.

Source: mefishwildlife.com

December 2018 Sunrise/Sunset Portland, ME DATE 1 Sat 2 Sun 3 Mon 4 Tue 5 Wed 6 Thu 7 Fri 8 Sat 9 Sun 10 Mon 11 Tue 12 Wed 13 Thu 14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun

RISE 6:53 6:54 6:55 6:56 6:57 6:58 6:59 7:00 7:01 7:02 7:03 7:04 7:04 7:05 7:06 7:07

SET 4:06 4:06 4:06 4:06 4:05 4:05 4:05 4:05 4:05 4:05 4:05 4:05 4:06 4:06 4:06 4:06

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

RISE 7:07 7:08 7:08 7:09 7:09 7:10 7:10 7:11 7:11 7:11 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12

SET 4:07 4:07 4:08 4:08 4:09 4:09 4:10 4:10 4:11 4:12 4:12 4:13 4:14 4:15 4:15

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16 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Time for DIF&W to Get Public Funding It is time to demand public funding for the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department, which does a lot for all the citizens of Maine, but gets almost no funding from most Mainers. Public funding for DIFW should be the top priority in the next legislative session for all of Maine’s groups representing hunters, anglers, conservationists and environmentalists.

Members of the public actually think they contribute to the department, but they don’t.

The work of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, including conservation efforts of the biologists, and the law enforcement and rescue work of the Warden Service, benefits all 1.3 million residents of Maine. However, fewer than 25% of those residents support the department through purchasing permits, licenses or registrations.

The other 75%, says the author, are freeloaders.

The last time advocates made a serious effort to achieve this result was in 2010, when the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (for which I worked at the time), the Nature Conservancy and Maine Audubon stepped up to offer a permanent fix for this long-standing problem.

The initiative would have provided an ongoing revenue stream of public funding for DIFW, protected by the Constitution. Thanks to our previous work, the department’s revenue from hunters and anglers is

protected by the Constitution. We succeeded in getting that done after two legislative sessions in which some legislators tried to steal some of that money from the department.

Tom Bello of the Nature Conservancy distributed a report on our initiative at the public hearing, which included a poll showing two-thirds of Maine voters would support our initiative, which required a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate and then approval by the people in a referendum.

Sadly we were unable to get that support in the House and Senate. It’s time to try again, and I would focus on getting a

percentage of the sales tax for the department.

I want to share with you today some of Ken Elowe’s report to the legislature on this issue.

At the time, Ken was DIFW’s Resource Bureau Director. Here’s what he said.

“Today, money from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses pays for: • the person you call for information about fish, wildlife, and related outdoor matters • the people who ensure that moose, birds, and other animals are there for viewing • the person who acquires and develops boat ramps for the use of recreational boaters (including kayakers and ca-

noeists) and commercial enterprises, as well as for hunters and anglers • biologists who protect loons, seabirds, and bald eagles • biologists who provide regulatory review of development permits to ensure that habitat for fish and wildlife is not degraded • biologists who work with communities to plan development to ensure that open space and wild places are preserved in your communities and remain open to traditional activities • wardens who rescues you when you are lost while hiking • the person who helps you deal with your child’s scout project • the responder when your pet or child has been exposed to a potentially rabid animal, and • the person who provides conservation education in your local school.”

(Continued on next page)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 17 (Continued from page 16)

Ken actually understated the astonishing impact that the staff of this agency has on the quality of life here in Maine. Yet at that time, of the 1,316,456 individuals in the state of Maine, only 326,500 purchased some kind of service from the department and helped pay the bills. The rest were freeloaders.

Now please don’t think I believe the department is perfect. I’ve been advocating for a reorganization of DIFW’s Fisheries Division, including designating species specialists, and for the last two years I’ve championed an initiative to protect tributaries to our Heritage Waters that contain our native brook trout. But I do admire and appreciate the agency’s staff and the work they do for us.

In an August newspaper editorial, South China resident John Glowa, Sr. wrote a scathing critique of DIFW, calling it “corrupt and broken.” In my opinion, he is terribly wrong. He also said, “Maine statutes favor the killing of wildlife over conserving it.” That’s wrong too. In my experience, DIFW’s exception-

al staff always puts conservation of our fish and wildlife first. Indeed, that is their mission and responsibility.

Ironically, as Glowa issued many demands, including that the public be involved in all of the department’s decisions, he failed to ask for any public funding for the agency.

I do, however, agree with his final statement: “The state of Maine needs to start working to promote compromise and fairness so that we might all work together for the betterment of Maine and our fish and wildlife resources.”

So, to Mr. Glowa and others who want services from DIF&W, put up your money, and maybe we can get that done for you.

Chronic Wasting Disease This is very bad news. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been found just 100 miles from Maine, in Quebec. Our Fish and Wildlife Department is taking this very seriously, and working with New Hampshire and Vermont to figure out the best ways to protect our moose and deer.

New Hampshire and Vermont have already

Quotable

Sportsman

by George Smith

We have moose that like to take their summer vacation and go elsewhere, but they’re now back to what is their prime home range, which is really areas where there are timber harvests — cuts — that are between five and 15 years old. That’s prime habitat. And as we progress into fall, those are areas where we will find moose, because they’ll be feeding on browse as everything begins to die back.

Lee Kantar, DIFW moose biologist, John Holyoke story, Bangor Daily News, September 19, 2018 — Many landowners have closed access to their land because of the trash left behind. In

taken some steps to reduce the possibility of CWD, but it will probably require legislative action here in Maine to give the department’s biologists the authority they’ll need. For example, they’ll need to prohibit deer feeding anywhere near the Quebec border, so as not to risk CWD spreading quickly to deer that are gathered in one place to feed.

Because CWD is a bone disease, it’s also possible that DIFW will require hunters near the Quebec border to leave the skull and bones of their moose and deer in the woods.

Here is some of the report from Canada: Following the discovery of a case of chronic debilitating disease (CWD) in a farmed cervid in the Laurentides region, the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP) is putting in place measures to protect wildlife and appeal to the cooperation of citizens, especially hunters. Although the disease has been detected in a farm, the situation requires assessing whether it is found in wildlife and limiting the risk of spread in cervid populations. In order to carry out these operations in an

efficient and safe manner, the MFFP is forced to prohibit the hunting and trapping of a restricted portion of the hunting zones 9 West and 10 East, from September 21, 2018 to November 18, 2018. In addition, in an enhanced surveillance zone, carcasses of animals slaughtered on the hunt will be systematically analyzed.

Native Brook Trout A proposal and plan to expand protection for Maine’s native brook trout is taking shape at Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and I must report that I am very pleased that Francis Brautigam, DIFW’s Fisheries Division Director, has taken the lead on this initiative.

Francis has been working with a small group of individuals, each of whom has contributed to the new plan. The plan was recently shared with the new legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee (see this month’s editorial on page 4). They are the ones who will have to act to authorize and implement the new plan.

Gary Corson of New Sharon, a member of the working group, mirrored my thoughts when he

a state where 94 percent of the land is privately held, littering could be costly to those who depend upon the kindness of landowners in order to hunt, fish or hike.

John Holyoke story, Bangor Daily News, September 10, 2018 — It would be hard to find a place to put this corridor where it would put more brook trout resources at risk.

Jeff Reardon, Trout Unlimited, on CMP’s proposed line to through Maine to deliver Canadian electricity to Massachusetts. Rachel Ohm story, Kennebec Journal, September 8, 2018 — For so many of our farming friends, turkeys will go down a row of tomatoes and take one peck from each tomato, ruining everything. They can be real nuisances.

Heather Retberg of Quill’s End Farm in

said, “This is almost unbelievable, how far we’ve come.”

It’s taken more than a year of work, and any proposed rule changes will have to go through the rulemaking process, but the plan the group has endorsed is very good.

Lyme Disease The LivLyme Foundation is a treasure trove of information about Lyme disease and ticks. Their recent conference attracted almost 400 attendees.

You can learn a lot more about the foundation and access lots of information at www.livlymefoundation.org.

I enjoyed reading the story of 14-year-old Olivia Goodroe, who created Tick Tracks, which tracks vital data like disease outbreaks and tick migration. You can also access about Olivia’s efforts on the foundation’s website.

At the end of their most recent email to me, I read this quote, “Remember, everyone is one tick away from getting Lyme disease.”

Keep that in mind, and check out the information provided by this excellent foundation.

¶

Penobscot, Abigail Curtis story, Bangor Daily News, September 22, 2018 — They’re not as deleterious, as problem-causing, as people imagine. If you and I owned a blueberry field and 100 turkeys walked across it, the first thing we’d think is that they’re eating the blueberries. But they’re also eating grasshoppers and other insects.

The damage they cause is being overstated, I think.

Brad Allen, DIFW Bird Group leader.

Same story — It’s 100 percent fatal for deer. We can’t cure it. We can’t vaccinate against it. If a deer gets it, it will die from it.

Nathan Bieber, DIFW deer biologist, reacting to the discovery of chronic wasting disease in Quebec, 100 miles from Maine’s border. John Holyoke story, Bangor Daily News, October 10, 2018 www.MaineSportsman.com

18 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Maine Wildlife: Sea Ducks

by Tom Seymour

I’ve been fascinated by sea-duck hunting since I was a teenager. The idea of long rafts of ducks passing by within shotgun range seemed like duck-hunting heaven.

Also, liberal bag limits served to attract me to this oftentimes rugged sport. Couple that with paintings of hunters in wooden boats, hunkered down in a driving rain and waiting for ducks to come into range before sitting upright and shooting – well, it sounded like an opportunity that no waterfowl hunter could possibly pass up.

But my youthful dreams were delayed because of the lack of a boat. Even hunting from points along shore was out of my league, because I didn’t have a dog to retrieve downed ducks.

However, that all changed upon reaching my 20s. A seaworthy boat and motor put me in the game, and it was then that the realization hit me that sea ducks, common eiders and oldsquaws (as they were then termed) were not the pushovers I had imagined. But then again, the local bay had very few places where hunters could tie off their boat and sit, back-to, on rocky outcroppings where strings of sea ducks regularly passed.

However, then I began working as a videographer for a local guide service. We took our clients to dry ledges out on the open ocean. That was when action picked up beyond anything in my imagination.

After years and years of eating sea ducks, including sharing them with unknowing guests at potluck dinners, I finally decided I’d had enough. managed to capture a well-framed video of ducks passing by and hunters shooting, and missing, one after another. In fact it was possible to see shotgun shell wads flying out well behind passing ducks.

The new steel shot was fast at short distances, but at the somewhat longer distances often associated with sea-duck hunting, the steel lagged behind. The only answer was to either wait for ducks to come closer before firing – the obviously better option – or for the hunters to use a longer lead when they aimed their guns. But it’s hard to teach an old shotgunner new tricks.

Esculent Qualities As it turned out, some of the clients loved shooting sea ducks but had no intention of taking them home and eating them. This caused a dilemma, at least in my mind. And so it was that rather than seeing good food go to waste, I began taking hunter’s ducks home and preparing them in every way imaginable.

Far too many old-timers rank sea ducks as inedible, calling a certain “fishy” taste into testimony against them. But instead of finfish, sea ducks dine on mollusks and crustaceans. Still, a strong taste persists that must be addressed before cooking.

My favorite method of preparation was to skin the ducks and remove the breasts. Each breast half makes a hearty meal for one person. Other parts of these ducks are not worth bothering with.

After removing the breasts, they need to spend at least 12 hours in a solution of baking soda and water, with a little salt added to draw out any blood from shotgun pellet wounds.

After this, the breasts are soaked in fresh water for several hours, and then they are good to go.

Steel Shot It was my job to stay behind the sitPotluck Ducks ting hunters, and when ducks approached I Having had more than ample sea ducks would train the camera on the birds and fol- at my disposal, I began looking for innovalow along as they passed.

This was in order to get a comprehensive segment of oncoming ducks, hunters picking up their shotguns and firing, and hopefully hitting some ducks.

But a new federal law threw a spanner in the works. It was at this time that lead shot was banned while hunting waterfowl.

Most hunters had never used the new steel shot, and for many that proved their undoing.

And so it was that I This Common Eider is often seen in winter. www.MaineSportsman.com

tive ways to prepare and serve them. One of my favorites was to cover the skinned breasts with thinly sliced onions, and then to baste with red wine. The breasts go into an oven-proof container and are then cooked until done, usually for about 45 minutes.

The resulting product was pretty good, but despite this I soon grew tired of sea duck breasts. It was then the idea came to me to bring my sea-duck-special as my offering at private potluck dinners, without specifying to the guests the identity of the mystery meat. As it turned out, people loved the duck breasts and many came back for more, all to my great satisfaction.

In order to legitimize my contribution to these dinners, it became evident that I, too, should partake of sea duck breasts. But that was okay, since I would only take a small portion, telling people that I wanted to make sure everyone else could get their share. My ploy worked for a while.

Then one night someone said, “Tom, what exactly is in your dish?” Thinking quickly on my feet, I just said it was wild game, smiling all the while. This led to fantastic speculation, and people began imagining everything from various big-game animals to such plebian fare as woodchucks and raccoons.

I was eventually obliged to come clean and when the people who had so eagerly scoffed down sea ducks in wine sauce learned the true nature of my offering, they twisted their faces in a sign of disgust.

Different Method After years and years of eating sea ducks, I finally decided that I’d had enough. This happens with other foods, too. I once knew a man who claimed to have eaten so many ostrich fern fiddleheads that he absolutely could never eat fiddleheads ever again.

But sea ducks still fascinated me, and so I switched methods, leaving my shotgun at home and picking up my camera instead.

Hunting with a camera proved almost as challenging as hunting with a firearm, at least as far as sea ducks were concerned.

Most of my camera hunting occurs in winter, when eiders and a host of other marine birds congregate in harbors up and down the coast of Maine.

This new outdoor sport keeps me active, and in winter that’s not always easy. I heartily recommend camera hunting for sea ducks to everyone.

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 19

Loading, Transporting and Unloading Your Snowmobile

by Shane Brown

All summer and fall you’ve been thinking about snowmobiling – and in your mind, you are envisioning the perfectly-groomed trails of Aroostook County.

The County has plenty of snow early in the season, and the region also features some of the best riding in the state all winter.

But many of us don’t live in The County, so if we want to enjoy all that early-season snow, we need to get our machine up north for the weekend.

This requires loading,

Snowmobile trailers feature systems designed to hold the skis tightly to the bed of the trailer. And once you’ve got the skis locked down, then secure the track and skid of the sled, fastening a strap to the sled and then to the tiedown points located at the other end of the trailer bed. transporting and then unloading our sled.

Trailer, or Truck Bed? Start by thinking about how you are going to get your sled there. Are you going to buy a trailer?

Or are you going to load it in the back of a pickup truck?

Personally, I am a huge fan of using an en-

closed trailer to haul sleds. This is a great way to keep your sled under cover and away from all the road debris. This also keeps your sled looking like new. We all know how hard the salt is on our trucks, and it has an equal impact on uncovered snowmobiles.

But you need to be

careful loading and unloading your machine.

When loading and unloading, be aware of your trailer’s construction and its design characteristics.

For example: • Is there a cable that assists the door opening and closing? If so, make sure you don’t get a ski caught up in it.

• Are there external hinges that you need to get up and over? Sometimes the carbides of the skis will get hitched up on these, resulting in a very sudden stop.

• Are there skiguides and track mats on the trailer? If so, you need to be sure you are lined up with these guides, as they provide good ski sliding and extra track traction when loading.

• Is there a low door you need to get under and through? This is common on the hybrid and clam (Continued on next page)

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20 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Snowmobiling in Maine (Continued from page 19)

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© 2017 Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc.

The author’s first choice for hauling snowmobiles is an enclosed sled. The cover is aerodynamic, and also protects the sleds from road salt and sand during transport.

Shane Brown photo

shell-style trailers. You need to be sure you are sitting down, or else duck low when powering into the trailer, so you do not hit your head when you are going through the door opening.

Pick-up Truck Bed Loading When loading and unloading into or from the back of a pickup truck, keep in mind you will either need to buy a ramp or look for snowbanks or loading ramps at different destinations.

Most of the popular areas in The County do feature loading ramps, which make for easy loading and unloading.

Be aware, however, that the bed of your pickup truck is usually much higher than the beds of most trailers, requiring extra effort and caution when loading.

Some riders plan to just lift their sleds into and out of their truck beds. If you have several strong friends willing to help, this can work.

Keep in mind, however, that today’s modern 4-stroke sleds are much heavier than those with 2-stroke engines. This can pose a real challenge under certain circumstances, such as when you are delayed getting

back to the parking area, and when you arrive and it’s time to load your sled, your friends have left the site and are heading for home.

Limitations to Truck Bed Transports There are two other limitations to using your truck bed for hauling.

First, your sled is subject to being pelted by salt, sand and other debris on the winter roads.

Many sleds hang out over the tailgate areas of pickup trucks, further exposing the skid and track components to corrosive road-surface elements.

Second, because modern sleds are so wide, you are usually limited to carrying a single machine, since only one sled will fit in a standard truck bed. This poses problems if you plan to go riding with a friend and you are trying to consolidate to a single truck for transporting to the trailhead.

Securing the Load Now that you have decided you how you’re going to transport your sled, the next challenge is figuring out the best way to keep it secure and attached to the transport vehicle.

If you have loaded it in (Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 21 (Continued from page 20)

a snowmobile trailer, you will notice that most specially-designed trailers have a ski tie-downs fastened to the trailer bed.

These allow the user to lock the front skis down, preventing the sled from moving during transport – especially important if your trip requires travel over rough roads.

Once you have secured the front skis, then look for tie-down points at

the other end of the trailer, and strap down the back of the sled. Securing the back of the sled will prevent it bouncing around, which can damage your sled (if it contacts the side of the trailer) or other sleds secured adjacent to your machine on the same trailer.

Securing your Sled in a Truck Bed When hauling your sled in a back of a truck, best practice is to run a

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strap through your machine’s front bumper, and use that to tie the front of the sled to the hooks found in the front of most truck beds. This will prevent the sled from sliding off the back of the truck bed.

Follow this up by putting a second strap through the skid of the sled in order to secure the back to prevent movement while your truck is (Continued on next page)

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Most open trailers have room for two sleds, are lightweight and easy to load and unload. Some, like this one, are hinged in the center rail, allowing the back edge of the bed to be lowered to the snow’s surface. However, open trailers expose sleds to the elements during the drive to the trails. Photo credit: Broadway Rental, Minneapolis

© 2018 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. This offer is valid in the U.S.A. only at participating Ski-Doo® dealers on new and unused Ski-Doo snowmobiles (excluding racing models and units sold under the Spring Fever promotion) purchased, delivered and registered between September 1, 2018 to November 30, 2018. The terms and conditions may vary depending on your state and these offers are subject to termination or change at any time without notice. See your Ski-Doo dealer for details. *Get up to $1,500 on select 2018 models: Eligible units are select new and unused 2018 Ski-Doo® models. Rebate amount depends on the model purchased. While quantities last.

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22 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Snowmobiling in Maine

A Subscription to The Maine Sportsman Makes the Perfect Gift!

(Continued from page 21)

See Our Gift Subscription Form on Pages 26 & 59

This “T-bar” is designed to be tightened down over the snowmobile’s skis, securing the front of the sled to the trailer. The back of the machine should also be secured to the trailer, using a strap fastened to the tie-down points on the rear of the trailer bed. Shane Brown photo

under way.

When you arrive at your destination, scope out the loading/unloading area. (Now’s the time to do it, in full sunlight, rather than trying to figure it out at the end of the riding day, when the winter light is fading.)

Take note of the location of the loading ramp or snowbank cut-away used for loading sleds.

If you can determine a workable plan to re-

load your sled after riding, that will allow you to relax and enjoys the trails without having to formulate a plan when you return to the loading area after a long day on the sled.

So get out there and enjoy the offerings of a Maine winter. See you on the trails!

Shane Brown manages Bangor Motorsports’ internet presence.

¶

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* Customer cash offer good on select models between 11/1/2018 through 12/31/2018. See dealer for additional customer cash available on prior year models. Always wear an approved helmet and eye protection. Observe all state and local laws. Respect the rights of others. Ride within your capabilities. Allow extra time and plenty of distance for maneuvering. Do not perform stunts. ©2014 Yamaha Motor Corp, U.S.A. All rights reserved.© 2016 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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24 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Ice Fishing Preparation and Technique

by Steve Vose Ice anglers in Central Maine and around the state will do well this month to spend a couple of hours preparing their ice fishing equipment for when the hard waters return to their favorite fishing spots.

I suggest these mustdo items to ensure your ice fishing traps and equipment are in prime condition before the start of the ice fishing season.

15-Step To-Do List 1. Grease all moving parts with Frabill Sub-Zero or Blue Lube.

2. Replace any leader and backer lines that appear worn.

3. Make sure spools are tightly and evenly wound.

4. Adjust spools so they spin freely with little tension.

5. Replace hooks.

6. Start up ice auger, check for proper operation, and replace spark plug if necessary.

7. Put a small first aid kit in your pack basket.

8. Replace any remaining lead sinkers

Points and inlets are both prime ice fishing spots. Points provide structure and hiding places for small bait fish, while inlets flush nutrients into the lake or pond, attracting the small baitfish targeted by trout. And the ideal bait fish for trout is a 2-inch shiner – anything bigger decreases catch rate.

The author’s son Wildman helps his Dad harvest bait for a day of ice fishing. Steve Vose photo

with non-toxic substitutes.

9. Sharpen ice chis-

els or hand crank augers.

10. Thoroughly check ice conditions before ven-

turing out on any lake or pond. Ice is notoriously thin throughout Central

Maine most years during December.

11.

Review the new fishing regulations booklet.

12.

Purchase a new fishing license for 201920.

13. Have your ATV or snowmobile serviced.

14. Check the ATV or snowmobile registration.

15. Check operation of propane ice shack heater.

Shallow Water Where It’s At Anglers this month would be well served to begin chasing brook trout on many of the stocked ponds in Central Maine.

Especially when the early-winter ice is thin out toward the middle, I prefer to stick close to the shoreline, as some of the best brook trout fishing occurs in only a couple feet of water.

Since the typical shoreline contains a vast majority of the available cover and almost all of the food, going deep is completely unnecessary.

I’ve caught brook trout (and a 38-inch northern (Continued on next page)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 25 (Continued from page 24)

pike!) in water so shallow I could hardly put a bait down.

In other words, if the ice auger is hitting bottom, you’re probably in the right spot.

And while nobody wants to take a plunge through the ice in December, if it happens in two feet of water, it’s an inconvenience and not a tragedy.

According to the yearly IFW stocking reports, Gould Pond, located just over the North Augusta line into West Sidney (see (DeLorme Map 12, A/B4/5) and Jamies Pond (also known as Jimmie Pond) in Manchester (Map 12, C-4) are well-supplied with healthy numbers of brook trout from stockings in April and May, with Gould receiving 400 10-inch fish, and Jamies Pond receiving 930 10inch fish.

In addition to brook trout, Jamie’s Pond also

supports good populations of smallmouth and largemouth bass. These species can provide good sport fisheries for anglers who choose to target them.

Keep Mobile, Keep Patient Ice fishing requires anglers to fish vertically rather than horizontally.

In other words, you’ve got to cover water by drilling a series of holes all along a good stretch of shoreline.

Anglers then systematically work down the shoreline, employing the use of tip-ups and jigged lines, jumping from hole

to hole. This system helps anglers locate brook trout holding fast to a spot of cover.

Points and inlets are both prime ice fishing spots. Points provide structure and hiding places for small bait fish, while inlets flush nutrients into the lake or pond, attracting the small baitfish targeted by trout.

The ideal bait fish for trout is a 2-inch shiner – anything bigger decreases catch rate. Shiners work great as long as they stay lively. Replace any bait not actively swimming around – lifeless bait does not attract

trout.

Patience puts brook trout on the ice. When a flag pops up but the spool is not turning, reset the flag without checking the bait. Finicky brook trout will often take the bait, trigger the flag, but then spit out the bait and swim around it. Jigging the ice hole can also help hook the bait-stealer – some-

thing I have experienced many times.

Heavy Metal Winter brook trout anglers typically fish either with worms or minnows, but there are times when the fish are just not interested in either. On days when bait fishing slows, jigging spoons can often trigger a bite re(Continued on next page)

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26 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Ice Fishing in Maine (Continued from page 25)

ICE FISHING SUPPLIES Ice Fishing Shelters

by Eskimo

sponse.

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To extend the bite, place tipups along the eastern shoreline. This causes the rising sun to stay hidden behind the trees, creating a shadow line that will last till late

2006

morning.

Most fish species do not bite well for 48 hours after a low pressure system. However, fish tend to feed aggressively 24 to 36 hours before a low pressure moves through.

When the weatherman predicts temperatures in the 30s, overcast skies and flurries, it’s going to be a good day to fish.

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Finally, thread on a large nightcrawler onto the hook so the entire hook is covered.

Set the worm about a foot off bottom. While the spoon sparkles and reflects light, the worm triggers fish to bite.

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 27

Old Guy 2018 – almost over.

Another year passing by at “warp speed.”

Several months this year revealed startling revelations to me.

February. My oldest grandson, Trev, accompanied me on a sledding trip up north. He drove the second sled. We ventured to our family camp on Moosehead at North East Carry.

Seems like yesterday he was too small to even ride a sled.

April. Shortly after ice-out – or, as the wife says, “water-in” – I had my crew over to help with setting up the dock. Living on a central Maine pond does have its advantages. The 40-somethings took over, leaving me to supervise – or, according to them, to “simply be in the way.” The grandkids, who used to need babysitting, now were the extra hands.

Open water means fishing, before and after work (even sometimes during work). When it comes to fishing, the kids who a short time ago needed advice and help, now grab the rods and prepare all by themselves. All I’m needed for is to supply bait and refreshments. Of course, all my advice about fishing is derived from watching that classic movie, “Grumpy Old Men,” and its sequel.

The springtime also saw the passing of my mother-in-law. At almost 89, she had a good run, but time eventually caught up with her. We miss her very much.

I also took a fishing trip up north with my Uncle Lester – always an

Instead of muzzleloader hunting this year, George and I will spend the days sipping cups of coffee, sharing stories of past hunts. One tale involves him “harvesting” a stump.

Another story has him trying to fire his muzzleloader, except the primer had already been used once. You’ll learn more about these adventures in future issues of The Maine Sportsman.

Here’s my son Trev with a brace of grouse, and my hunting buddy Mike. Mike’s wife dropped a moose on October -- her first. Fortunately, a few young folks like Trev with strong backs were along to help haul the moose.

adventure. He’s 85 years old, and he’s a great camp buddy.

Uncle Lester was the “young guy” when my dad and his friends went to camp. Now, when I go to camp, he is the oldest of the group.

He and I have been making this trip as long as I can remember. I’ve noticed he’s moving more at my pace now – or maybe I am moving at his.

September. Always a month of preparation, for moose season, bird season, deer season, and oh yes: winter.

At camp, the 40-somethings again did the heavy lifting. Docks in, boats up, yard readied for

snow.

I concentrated on making lists for upcoming trips (see my November article about the importance of lists).

September was a month of a couple of moose scouting weekends with my buddy Mike. We rode the gravel roads of Zone 9 during the day.

Evenings were spent in the easy chairs at camp reminiscing about our adventures over the last nearly six decades at camp.

October. A moose hunt with the guys, a wife, and my oldest grandson. Mike’s wife Chrystal felled a bull on Monday morning.

The guys, two with pacemakers, one recovering from a stroke, and one who walks with a cane, pitched in and loaded the moose for the ride to the butcher. Quite the crew, but it all came together.

Thank goodness nephew Nick and grandson Trev were there to help.

October brought some firsts – Trevor’s first grouse, Chrystal’s first moose. It was a month replete with colorful foliage, and laughter that filled the camp.

November. Yeah, November had its own time markers.

The rifle I carried in the deer woods belonged to my hunting buddy Bri-

an. He passed away much too soon.

The gun was originally mine. I lent it to him on a deer week he flew in for years ago. He proceeded to shoot a nice buck on opening day with it.

The next year, flying in again for the deer hunt, he shot a 360# bear on a cold, rainy November morning.

After that, he wanted to own the rifle. I am glad I agreed. His bear rug graces a wall in our home.

December.

This month is one I look forward to all year. I used to fill the first two weeks with muzzle loading with my good friend George.

Now stricken with an unforgiving ailment, George can no longer walk the woods with me.

So instead of hunting, we will spend the season with coffees, sharing stories of past hunts. One tale involves him “harvesting” a stump. Another story has him trying to fire a muzzleloader, except the primer had already been used once.

You will read about these stories and more in future issues of The Maine Sportsman.

This year I noticed I start a lot of conversations with “Remember when ….,” “Back then ….” and “Years ago….”

From grandkids in high school and 40-somethings who do the heavy lifting, to buddies who no longer grace the camp, I have come to realize, proudly, that I am now “The Old Guy.”

¶ www.MaineSportsman.com

28 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

The Month of “Mights and Maybes” Up North Weather conditions throughout Aroostook County during December change like a kid’s mind at a penny candy store – fast and often.

Day-to-day changes quickly alter sportsmen’s plans, and from year to year it’s impossible to contemplate likely possibilities. Some years there are snow drifts in front of the house windows; a few Decembers the lawn is visible; and most are somewhere in between – a difficult month to know whether to hunt, fish or cut bait!

Maybe the ground will be bare and white snowshoe hare will be easy pickins’. On the other hand, perhaps a skiff of fresh snow will aid tracking, and might offer one final opportunity to see a whitetail over the sights of your muzzleloader.

On the other hand, we might see unseasonably warm conditions, perfect for a few woods walks to pot a partridge without donning cumbersome

Weather is the determining factor in Aroostook County activities this month – from hunting grouse and hare to smelting on early ice, prevailing temperatures will govern the “what, when and where” as regional sportsmen plan their December outings.

Snowshoe hare hunting can be top-rate early in December. Bare ground like this is a rare occurrence, but when it happens, it’s much simpler to access productive areas and spot the quarry. All Photos by Bill Graves

snowshoes.

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hold off a bit so maybe they enjoy one more open water duck or goose hunt.

Ice drillers might feel

very differently, and wish Jack Frost to ice over the local ponds for some early-season smelt jigging.

It’s all mights and maybes until it is what it is.

Black Powder Possibilities Although The County merits only one week of smokepole hunting, starting November 26th, it can be a very satisfying and rewarding venture.

There are fewer hunters afield, so pressure on the deer is greatly reduced, and when you find a fresh whitetail track it’s not likely to already have another human track already following.

Colder weather keeps the deer moving to feed, and the likelihood of some fresh tracking snow is fairly high. Despite the multitude of advances in muzzleloaders, powder and ammo, tagging a buck with an older black powder gun or a modern in-line model is an accomplishment to be proud of.

Allagash village and surrounding woodlands have always been synonymous with good white(Continued on next page)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 29

For those deer hunters still holding a tag, the muzzleloader season is a wonderful addendum this month. This trio of “smokepoles,” ranging in design from in-line to flintlock, will do the trick -- and a bit of tracking snow proves extremely helpful.

(Continued from page 28)

tail hunting, and they are certainly worth a visit for this last week of gunning.

A region I’ve visited over the years can be located on Delorme’s Atlas Map 66, E-4 & 5. It’s best reached via Route 161 from Fort Kent and points south.

During archery, regular firearm and muzzleloader seasons, many deer hunters elect to secure rooms and meals in

Hunting pressure diminishes during muzzleloader season in Aroostook. Often, a bit of fresh snow helps the trackers find game. In this photo, a whitetail peers back to see who is on its trail.

Fort Kent and drive the half hour to Allagash forest land daily.

L21, L22 and L23 are two-tracks south of Allagash village that lead toward East Twin Brook.

They wind and wend their way around half a dozen hills and ridges, and are perfect for still hunting this month.

St. Francis checkpoint offers access to the Pelletier Lakes Road, a good region to explore, and my favorite passage,

the St. Francis Road, with its myriad side roads and trails for walk-and-stalk sportsmen. Toward Lewis Brook and Southeast to Hewes Brook lie a tangle of great drive-and-spot gravel byways for heater-hunters who just can’t get out and high step the brush like they used to.

Last chance muzzleloaders might want to drive north toward Escourt to hunt another remote area with some big bucks. I favor Bea-

Light snow cover is a blessing for December partridge hunters in The Crown Of Maine.

However, they must remember to watch the trees as much as the ground, since budding birds like this one are plentiful.

Ed Richard of Bridgewater doesn’t let snow and ice shorten his hunting season, a few big bucks are still in rut and last chance hunting may yield a prize like this brute.

verbrook Road and Boatlanding Road areas, but Pocwoc Hill and the cedar swales and lowlands along the Little Black River have been very rewarding over the years and get minimal late season pressure; see Map 66, C-1 & 2.

Don’t waste a tag – take advantage of an extra week, and mix some black powder with white snow cover.

Feathers and Fur If snow cover remains

minimal, a combo hunt for partridge and snowshoe hare can really keep things “hopping,” so to speak! Bare ground helps hunters spot rabbits easier, but even without hounds it’s possible to enjoy steady shooting with slow, stop-and-go tactics.

This time of year, grouse tend to take to the trees to bud or sit on stumps and downed logs in the sun. Do more gawking than stocking, and you’ll (Continued on next page)

Some years, hunters will find bare ground in Aroostook County in December. The partridge season continues to the end of the month, offering a chance to bag a limit like this. www.MaineSportsman.com

30 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

The County

near Spectacle Pond in the North Maine woods.

Drive from Ashland to 6-Mile Gate, take the Pinkham Road to Jack Mountain Road and finally Spectacle Pond Tote Road.

Map 57, A-3 offers an overview of access roads and the spiderweb of side roads, two-tracks and old skidder trails to meander along, allowing you to spot and pot hare and partridge. Spectacle

(Continued from page 29)

Many Aroostook lakes offer smelt shanties for rent by the hour, day or week. Some are even equipped with electricity. These comfy huts allow angers to do some evening jigging after work.

spot birds and bunnies sitting, allowing a much easier shot than when flushed.

It’s about 70/30 with shotguns favored over .22s for combo fur-andfeather outings, with more game in the pouch winning over less meat ruined. With a .22, it’s either a head shot or miss for most gunners and

they’re OK with that.

I kind of stack the deck a bit, and use a combo gun. Stevens produced several O/U rifle-and-shotgun mixes that work perfectly for small game and upland birds that may sit, run or take wing.

Cross your fingers and maybe light snow will allow woods-walking

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 31

Many local ice drillers take advantage of the waters open to fishing just as soon as a safe layer of ice forms.

They go out for an hour or two before work to snag a few chrome-sided smelt for supper.

(Continued from page 30)

Mountain and the Pinnicle offer likely areas for newcomers to investigate and enjoy consistent action.

Early Ice Chances are pretty good that regardless of snow cover, ice will shroud local lakes and ponds at some point this month.

The big question becomes if there will be

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enough thickness for safe early ice fishing.

A handful of Aroostook Lakes are open for legal fishing at first ice, and that’s the time some of the finest and fastest smelt jigging may be enjoyed.

Big Machias Lake is one of the easiest to reach and simplest to fish – just drive the Realty Road from 6-Mile checkpoint near Ashland. Map 63,

Jim Shaw of Mars Hill enjoys the comfortable confines of his portable shanty to jig for smelt. With his easy-to-move hut on a sled, it’s possible for him to visit a fresh lake every couple of days, as each develops thick enough to become safe to fish.

D-2 offers an overview, and this main wood-hauling road is well plowed all winter.

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snow, and hauling a twoor three-person portable fishing hut offers not only warm comfort and protection from the elements, but the opportunity to fish at night. Some of the most productive early season smelting occurs at dusk and early evening.

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Deer, Grouse, Keep Tom Running December’s Woods A man I greatly respect once called me an “old ridge runner.” His meaning was immediately clear. Ridge runner describes someone who spends an inordinate amount of time in the woods with shotgun or rifle in hand.

Then my friend went on to call me a “swamper.”

While this might sound like something less than a compliment, it is a term reserved for those who, like the old “ridge runner,” spend much time in low country, thrashing through brush and padding through swamps on any number of errands.

And while neither term has much of a following outside the state of Maine, both signify respect. You just can’t buy that kind of stuff.

December, though, brings out the “ridge runner” and “swamper” in all of us. By now, grouse have gone to the dense brush of low ground, and buck deer run on ancient paths along hills and ridges.

Of the two, my first choice runs toward grouse and their low-ground covers. That is, unless the open firearm season on deer failed to produce for me, thus driving me out in the snow and cold to sit along ridges in hopes of a final chance at a blackpowder whitetail.

Even though each season seems just a bit colder to me, I still find some special pleasure in prowling through silent, snow-covered woods, lugging a muzzleloading rifle. Fresh tracks on the snow, places on overhanging boughs where passing deer have www.MaineSportsman.com

I find special pleasure in lugging a muzzleloading rifle through the woods this month – fresh whitetail tracks through the snowdrifts, places on overhanging boughs where passing deer have knocked off newly-fallen snow, and possibility that at any moment a deer will jump up from its trailside bed.

The author enjoys the muzzleloader season on whitetails, since the activity allows him to be both a “ridge runner” and a “swamper.”

knocked off newly-fallen snow, and the ever-present thought that at any moment a deer will jump from its trailside bed, makes this chilly hunting season special.

Squirrel Hunting This past year has seen a marked increase in the gray squirrel population in much of Maine.

The squirrel boom didn’t just happen suddenly, though. More and more gray squirrels have shown up in places where they were previously unknown. But 2018 was the capper, with squirrels be-

coming so prevalent that by virtue of sheer numbers, they have taken a toll on farm crops.

So what do innovative Maine sportsmen do when given a bushel of lemons? Make lemonade, of course. Only these “lemons” come in the form of a tasty game animal.

For those who hate to quit hunting after deer season’s end, gray squirrels give us a new challenge. Squirrels, while uncannily wary, respond well to calls. A few barks on a squirrel call can bring them running.

Squirrels can easily detect hunters walking their way. The saving grace for us is that while wary in the short term, gray squirrels have frightfully short memories.

So all hunters need do is to listen and watch for gray squirrel activity, approach as close as possible, and then sit or stand, motionless. In less time than it takes to tell about it, squirrels will forget the human presence and resume going about their business.

And if for some reason

the squirrels remain out of range, just remember to use the squirrel call.

Do this sparingly, since over-calling can have the opposite-than-wished-for effect and drive squirrels away. One or two chirps should suffice.

Most any gun will do for squirrels, but in many areas the old favorite .22 rimfire rifle can pose a danger. Shooting any rifle at an animal up a tree may have serious consequences, since the bullet can easily pass through the critter and continue on for a mile or more.

Shotguns, then, make the safest choice. In my case, although I own shotguns in larger gauges, a superimposed .410 shotgun stands as my first choice for squirrel hunting.

So as long as the present gray squirrel bonanza continues, we can avail ourselves of it. Fun shooting and tasty eating qualify gray squirrels as respected game animals.

Squirrel season lasts through December.

Final Fishing Once, November fishing was unheard of because few waters were open and because it was far too cold for open-water fishing. But the recent warming trend has pushed the season back even further, and now, even chilly December has its adherents.

Sure, on a sub-freezing day, ice will form on the guides, making it almost impossible to reel in line. But that slight inconvenience means little when trout are biting. And trout fishing in (Continued on page 34)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 33

Don’t Put Those Guns Away Yet! The woods quiet down this month, as many hunters put away their smokepoles in anticipation of ice angling.

Don’t make that mistake! There is plenty afield for hunters hoping to squeak just one more outing in for the year.

From big game to small game, it’s all on the table, at least for part of the month.

Last-Ditch Deer Deer hunters can have at it with bow or muzzle-loader in December, making these “primitive” methods the only games in town.

For stalwart bow hunters, the expanded archery season runs through December 8. In this neck of the woods, portions of Auburn, Lewiston, Hebron and Minot lie within the expanded zone. The season is intended as a way to reduce deer numbers in the more populated areas, and the folks at the Maine Department of Inland Fishers and Wildlife (DIF&W) hope that hunters like you will help thin the herd in residential and close-to-residential areas.

Hunters can arrow one buck and multiple antlerless deer with purchased permits.

Permits for antlerless deer cost $12, and one “any-sex” deer permit costs $32. That’s a pretty good deal, especially if you compare it to cost of a good steak dinner.

The smokepole crowd in the southern zones has through December 8 to tag a deer this year. Deer have been pushed, shot at and moved from their favorite haunts, but each year, successful hunt-

Bow hunters in the expanded zone can hunt through December 8, and now they have much of the region around Lake Auburn and Taylor Pond to themselves. I know firsthand that deer love the woods around these two bodies of water.

Hunter Rene Lavoie of Lewiston works the thick patches near a pheasant release site in hopes of a late season bird. Photo by Tom Roth

ers wait for the woods to quiet down and head out with both primitive and modern (in-line) arms for the last two weeks of the season.

Where to Go Hunters in this region do well to seek out thick wooded areas close to civilization. These pockets often hold deer that thrive in the urban landscape and live virtually undetected by city dwellers. Hunters wanting a more “rural” experience still have plenty of land in the outskirts of the cities.

In Auburn, hunters can roam the woods and fields in North Auburn,

DeLorme Atlas, Map 11, D-4.

Areas around Lake Auburn and Taylor Pond have traditionally been great firearms hunting spots, but as development spread, bow hunters now have much of this area to themselves.

I shot deer with a rifle (when it was legal) in several of these locales, so I know firsthand that deer love the woods around these two bodies of water.

Avian Quarry Keep that shotgun handy – there’s a virtual cornucopia of winged quarry still in season this month. To start with, grouse hunters have un-

til the end of month to pursue biddies.

Now I’m going to try to sell anyone that this region is a top grouse location. It isn’t, but we do

have grouse, and they can be hunted.

Hunters with dog have the advantage, and who wouldn’t want to get their pot-licker out a few more times before winter when there are no deer hunters in the woods.

So wait until muzzle-loader season closes, and you have two solid weeks to chase grouse behind your feather-finder. Concentrate on places where you bumped birds during deer season. I like to work field edges and old orchards, especially if any late, late apples are on the ground or on the tree.

Another fun time can be had getting any “lost” pheasants that managed to make it through the season after being stocked in various state release sites.

In Gorham and Scarborough, the state pheasant release sites get hammered during October, but hunters can still scare up “escaped” birds.

Concentrate on land adjacent to the release sites, when accessible, as birds often fly a good distance when flushed and not hit.

Again, hunters with (Continued on next page)

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34 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 33)

dogs have the advantage, but I walked up a lot of pheasants when I was a kid by busting the brush and covering a lot of ground.

Waterfowl hunters are still in the game, too, as long as there is open water to be found. In the north zone, hunters can

bag the mighty Canada goose through December 8. South zone hunters have through December 26. For ducks, north zone hunters are done December 1, but south zone hunters can blast away until December 26, also.

Game Stew Wait, there are still

Midcoast Report (Continued from page 32)

December in Midcoast Maine can often be rewarding. But for those who enjoy catching fish with rod and reel, December offers one final go at our beloved sport.

December fishing mostly involves fishing for stocked trout in small rivers. But as long as ponds remain ice-free, trolling and even fly-casting can take fish.

For instance, Norton Pond in Lincolnville, by virtue of not being listed in the fishing laws booklet, not only remains open year-round, but anglers on the pond may also keep their legal limit of trout.

Megunticook Lake, connected to Norton Pond via a thoroughfare, also remains open

a few other game species on the December hunting list! Who doesn’t remember a good old-fashioned squirrel hunt when they were young?

This year there seemed to be an invasion of gray squirrel on every road I traveled. Squirrel makes for good eating, especially when slowcooked in a crock pot all day.

Hunters can bag four of these chattering tree-climbers through December 31.

While a small gauge shotgun like a .410 is deadly on bushy-tails, a .22 rimfire makes good sport when you limit yourself to head shots.

Snowshoe hare are also on the game list this month, and many beagle owners start to work the

year-round, but from October 1 through December 31, it’s artificials only and no-kill.

But in December, just catching a trout seems an ample reward. And catch trout people do. It is even possible to find a few terrestrial insects on the surface on a still day.

Personally, my love of trolling keeps me pulling streamers and bucktails behind a chrome dodger. No matter how we go about it, this December fishing has the effect of shortening the winter, lessening the time between closed seasons. And that, in my book, rates as a very big deal.

Find both Norton Pond and Megunticook Lake on the DeLorme Atlas, Map 14, C-3.

bunnies right after muzzle-loader season is over.

I know ice angling is just around the corner, but that’s no excuse to put your bow and guns away prematurely. Relax, take a deep breath and vow to get out into the woods just once more this month. Happy hunting!

¶

Stream Fishing While anglers put considerable pressure on roadside access points on the St. George River, notably the outlet of Sennebec Pond in Appleton and Route 90 crossing in Warren, other places go untapped.

Searsmont, for instance, holds miles of water where an intrepid angler can ferret out new and productive trout-fishing locations.

This section of river seems well worth spending a morning or afternoon seeking deep holes where carryover trout may lurk.

Remember always that now, with freezing temperatures, streamside rocks may be slippery with a thin coating of ice, so step carefully. Good luck!

¶

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ: Sea Ducks by Steve Vose

All ducks, including sea ducks, belong to the family Anatidae, more commonly known as waterfowl.

Anatidae is comprised chiefly of aquatic birds having the physical characteristics of relatively heavy bodies, short legs, webbed feet, and bills with tooth-like ridges on the biting edges. The family also includes several different species of geese and swans.

Of the 150 species of waterfowl worldwide, Maine has 34 different species, including dabbling ducks, diving ducks, sea ducks and geese.

Several species of sea ducks are found off the Maine coast, including the White Wing Scoter, Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, Long-Tailed Duck (previously known as Oldsquaw) and the Common Eider.

As the name implies, sea ducks are adapted to life at sea, and most spend a considerable portion of the year along our rocky coastline.

Eiders remain in our frigid waters even during the winter. This is possible because Eiders have special adaptations for life in

cold environments, including thick fluffy down with incredible insulation properties, and veins and arteries in their legs that warm the cold blood before it is returned to the body.

In contrast to dabbling and even diving ducks, Sea Ducks must dive to great depths to find food in the ocean. Finding such food requires superb diving skills, and sea ducks are among the most accomplished divers of all waterfowl, with some reportedly diving to depths of 180 feet.

Sea ducks prefer animal foods to plant matter and feed on large invertebrates, including clams, mussels, shrimp, snails and

Questions 1. To what scientific family to sea ducks belong?

2. How many species of waterfowl exist worldwide?

3. What are some of the different species of sea ducks that are found off the Maine coast? www.MaineSportsman.com

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

small crabs.

Most sea ducks undergo an annual molt of their feathers between July and September, leaving them flightless for about one month. The birds try to conserve energy while they re-grow their feathers by seeking out safe zones well away from predators and man.

Molting flocks should not be approached during this critical time, as the birds are already facing significant energetic demands just to grow new feathers.

Researchers have documented that more than 95% of sea ducks may be lost to predators in their first year, so it’s important to assist these birds as much as possible throughout the molting process.

If they are able to successfully avoid exposure, starvation and predators, sea ducks have been reported to live to more than 20 years of age.

Sea duck populations appear to have been declining worldwide, As a result, biologists have been working on new guidelines to establish sustainable harvest strategies.

What two physical characteristics do eiders have that allow them to live in Maine’s frigid ocean waters all winter?

How deep can some sea ducks dive?

What do sea ducks eat?

When do sea ducks typically molt?

Answers on Page 47 How old can sea ducks live?

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 35

Muzzleloader Hunting in the Western Maine Mountains As I poured the rich, pungent, granular black powder down the huge .54-caliber bore of my Thompson/Center Arms (T/C) Hawkins muzzleloading rifle, I noticed several snowflakes drifting into the dark emptiness of the open muzzle of the barrel.

I passed this off, thinking the old-timers probably loaded their rifles in snowstorms way back in the day and never had problems with a few snowflakes mixed in with their powder.

I hunted hard all throughout the snowy December day, hoping to find a white-tailed deer that would fill the freezer, but as the daylight faded I knew my supply of venison for the winter would not be coming home with me on this day.

As I neared the truck I decided to fire at a huge stump at the edge of the field to prepare the muzzleloader for cleaning and to see if my powder had been affected by the snowflakes from the loading sequence earlier that morning.

I aimed the heavy rifle, squeezed the trigger, and felt the lock release the hammer. When the hammer hit the primer, it popped but didn’t ignite the powder.

I tried several new primers and it still wouldn’t fire ... the snowflakes had melted and mixed with the blackpowder, ruining the combustive quality of the Swiss blackpower.

From that day forward, I made sure to keep any and all snowflakes away from my blackpowder.

Far in the back of my head I kept hearing the old Mountain Man adage

Keep your powder dry, and take the time to clean your traditional or inline muzzleloader at the end of each hunting day. Can you imagine how disappointing it would be to aim your rifle at a big buck and pull the trigger, only to have it merely go “click”?

Hunting deer in deep snow with a muzzleloader can be quite a challenge, but skilled hunters who prepare carefully and who maintain their hunting equipment properly can meet that challenge. William Clunie photo

ringing in my ears: “Keep your powder dry, boys!”

Muzzy Season November 24 ends the 2018 deer season for rifle hunters in Maine, but folks using a muzzleloading rifle can continue to pursue whitetails during a special season.

All Wildlife Management Units (WMD) remain open to hunting for deer with muzzleloaders from November 26 until December 1; then, from December 3 through December 8, only WMDs 12, 13, 15 through 18, 20 through 26, and 29 remain open.

I have yet to take a deer with my muzzleloader, but always look forward to taking the traditional blackpowder hunting tool out in the woods. Sometimes this late season is the only chance to track deer with some snow on the ground.

Years ago, there always seemed to be at least a little snow available during the November ri-

fle hunt, but not lately.

Times have changed, so now if I want to track deer in the snow, I think of the muzzleloader season.

For several years now

Keeping the powder dry is an essential part of loading a muzzleloader.

The author recommends firing and cleaning a traditional rifle like this at the end of each day’s hunt since condensation inside the barrel caused by changing temperatures can dampen the load.

William Clunie photo

I’ve carried a traditional muzzleloader in the deer woods – a wonderful .54 caliber T/C Hawkens. I fill it with pure, Swiss blackpowder and use lead bullets, maintaining and cleaning it the old fashioned way. I felt that if I was going to be hunting with a replica of a rifle used in the old times, I’d go all the way, utilizing only the methods and equipment available back then.

Cleaning Methods – Old and New The traditional method of cleaning a muzzleloading rifle involves using only natural cleaners – products that don’t include any kind of petroleum base like most modern synthetic gun solvents.

At the end of each day of hunting, I fire the weapon to clear the bore.

Then I remove the nipple and take hot, soapy water, pour it into a small pan, and set the breech of

the barrel into the solution in the pan.

Then I pump the solution into the barrel by repeatedly pumping a patched cleaning rod into the bore.

After drying the excess water from the barrel with several dry patches and my wife’s hair dryer/blower, I run a patch with T/C’s WonderLube through the bore.

This whole “natural” cleaning procedure sounds like a lot of work, but really doesn’t take that long. And for me, it provides an immediate benefit – the natural products used don’t create a clogging effect like some petroleum products.

This allows me to shoot the rifle up to ten times in a row without cleaning in the field.

My “modern” muzzleloader gets cleaned with modern solvents. These petroleum solvents fill the bore with a tarry substance on the first shot, forcing me to clean the bore before each subsequent shot.

There’s another great feature of traditional cleaners versus modern – the modern products carry a powerful chemical odor, whereas the natural T/C WonderLube smells like pine needles – perfect for the woods I hunt.

Modern In-Line My modern muzzleloader, a .50 caliber MDM Buckwacka (currently out of production), uses blackpowder or a modern alternative like Seven or Pyrodex, but ignites from a closed chamber.

It’s known as “inline” blackpowder rifle, since the primer is “in line” with the powder and bullet, as opposed to tradi(Continued on page 38) www.MaineSportsman.com

36 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

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Start Tracking White-tailed Deer Now Deer hunters who are lucky enough to have already bagged their trophies don’t need to come out of the woods yet – continue enjoying the woods by hunting for partridge while at the same time scouting for next year’s deer-hunting locations.

This time of year, at the end of firearms season, through muzzleloader season and beyond, is the perfect time to scout out locations for next year – if you already have your deer in the freezer.

Even if you didn’t get a deer, scouting immediately after the season is over can be the best time to see where the deer will be next season.

Most whitetail activity can be patterned easily now, because deer will be moving in relation to the current breeding season.

Hunters won’t have to guess at where the deer will be during next year’s deer hunt.

If it’s still any part of deer season, be sure to dress with blaze orange, as the law requires, and carry a shotgun in case a late-season bird flushes.

All of those partridge that were spotted during the early part of deer season are still there, waiting for the persistent shotgunner.

After taking an early-season deer a few times myself, I have

found a certain pleasure in hunting for birds the rest of November and into December. While bird hunting, I can roam the woods at will, checking out new locations that I would normally pass up if I happened to be in “deer-hunting-mode.”

hunting season rolls around, I’m already more than half way done with preparing the hunting site – all I have to do is clear the ground of leaves

and sticks, and fill in the framework with some finishing touches. Setting up a ground blind the year before also allows (Continued on next page)

Scouting Time I like to fill a small backpack with a lunch, and some supplies in case I find an ideal, far-off hunting location. I even go so far as to carry a lightweight, folding saw to make a quick framework for a ground blind if the location looks extra promising.

Then, when next

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Rangeley Region (Continued from page 37)

me to keep the location more free of human scent and activity during the current season.

If there’s a little snow on the ground, it makes scouting even better.

Rubs and scrapes, as well as tracks and beds, show up so much more clearly with a white blanket of snow covering the forest floor.

Partridge tracks are much easier to see on a snow-covered forest floor, too. When I find the fresh trail of a November/December bird winding its way through the snowy forest, it gets almost as exciting as tracking a big buck.

I always take along a few gallon-sized plastic bags with locking seals.

When I do connect on a partridge, cleaning the bird and my hands with a handful of snow makes short work of a messy task. Then I put another handful of clean snow in the gallon bag with the bird, seal it, and tuck the chilled bird in my vest.

At home, I dice partridge breasts into oneinch cubes and sauté with olive oil, butter, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Combine the lightly-browned meat with a serving of wild rice or potato, mushrooms, and a vegetable, for a completely satisfying evening meal.

Late November and December bird hunting, with scouting in mind, creates a perfect combination for those crisp and sunny fall days. Nothing generates a bigger hunger for me than a brisk fall bird hunt. Bagging a partridge or two for the suppertime pan fills the belly and comforts the soul – and breaks up the routine of so many scrumptious venison meals.

Trail Scouting Right now is also a great time to be out and about in the woods, riding trails. If the snow conditions in December provide enough white stuff for trail riding with a snowmobile, then hop on your sled and start looking for deer sign.

Some Decembers don’t provide enough snow for snowmobile travel on trails, so an ATV is the preferred mode of travel for scouting trails. I have found several excellent deer hunting locations while riding ATV trails, before, during and after Maine’s deer season.

I like to pack a lunch and make a day of it, searching for deer sign while bird hunting. I usually find an elevated section of the trail, parking the machine well off the trail. I carry a small backpack, load my shotgun and head out into the

Western Maine (Continued from page 35)

tional muzzleloaders, in which the primer is offset, and the sparks from the primer must make an indirect connection with the powder.

My inline rifle gets cleaned with modern petroleum-based products between each and every shot. Now this sounds like a lot of trouble too, but in reality, it isn’t that bad.

I use a wonderful product called WipeOut (paulcompany.com) for cleaning the bore of my modern muzzleloader.

The modern front loader is easier to clean because of the inline ignition construction.

All I have to do is remove the breech plug www.MaineSportsman.com

Cover yourself and your dog in blaze-orange when bird hunting during the deer season, and hang a loud bell from the dog’s collar to alert other hunters. Gene Bahr photo

brush surrounding the trail to search for deer sign and maybe kick up a bird or two.

As mentioned above, I carry a small, folding saw for making a rough frame for a blind if I see enough deer sign to warrant the effort. I look for scrapes, rub lines or game trails and situate a ground blind in a likely downwind position.

Be sure to carry some flagging tape to mark the area so it can be easily located next fall, or mark it on a GPS unit to come back to next season. It is amazing how much the woods changes from one season to the next, so make sure to have some way of finding the loca-

tion the following season.

Winter Deer Scouting Even in January when bird hunting has passed, I still like to get out and look around.

The snow often covers the ground by the first of the New Year and easily shows the scouting deer hunter where the whitetailed deer hang out at that time of the year.

The tracks in the snow provide a hunter with a clear picture of white-tail activity during the hunting season, and often lead to great photographs of deer with a snowy backdrop.

Once the deer begin to head to their winter yarding areas, I back off and shoot photos from more

and run a patch directly through the bore.

This inline construction also has an advantage during hunting season. When the day is over, all I have to do is remove the breech plug, pour out the powder, and tap out the bullet – there’s no cleaning involved because I haven’t fired the weapon.

The next morning, all I have to do to get started is load up the rifle and go.

Will Opt for In-Line Even though I prefer using the traditional muzzleloader, I’m going to continue hunting with the modern blackpowder burner. If I don’t get a deer this year during the regular rifle season, it’s my turn with the blackpowder rifle.

I like the idea of not having to clean the

This 210-pound, eightpoint was taken after scouting ATV trails, discovering a heavily-used area, and then setting up a ground blind.

William Clunie photo

of a distance. I don’t like disrupting a winter yarding area if I can help it ... the deer have it rough enough trying to survive the cold weather, and it makes no sense scouting deer in a yard – they won’t be there next hunting season anyway.

Find out where the deer hang out in late November or the early part of December by scouting at this time. Lock this data into your head or on paper, and return next hunting season. It won’t be long now before we’ll have enough snow on the ground to show us exactly how to hunt these deer next season.

¶

rifle every day, but I probably will stick with cleaning the rifle each night. Sometimes, no matter how well you take care to avoid condensation or moisture mixing with the powder, the bore seeps some moisture in and ruins the powder if left loaded overnight.

Can you imagine how disappointing it would be to end the day of hunting by pointing your rifle at a big buck and only having it go “click” when you pull the trigger – similar to my own stump-shooting failure at the beginning of this column? I’ll play it safe, and go through the daily cleaning process, just to make sure that never happens.

Keep your powder dry, boys and girls.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 39

To Get Big Bucks, Correct These Mistakes Tag soup – I’m willing to eat it every year. That willingness has been key to my success in harvesting 19 mature bucks over the last 21 years.

Each year my sights are set on killing a 3½ year old or older buck.

The willingness to end the season with an adult buck or nothing keeps my finger off the trigger when yearling and twoyear old bucks offer an opportunity. A few times over the last 40 years, I’ve not killed a deer at all.

Sometimes I failed to kill because I made mistakes. Later success means rarely repeating those mistakes.

Lessons Learned For myriad reasons, there have been missed opportunities and messups in my deer hunting that cost me opportunities at killing nice bucks.

Silly mistakes made in previous years aren’t made today. When and if I eat tag soup today, I make sure mistakes of the season are identified and corrected quickly.

Hindsight should always be 20/20.

The number of mistakes a hunter could

We all make mistakes that cost us big deer, but if we don’t identify the errors and correct them, that’s just plain stupid. If hunters identify the obstacles to success and fix them, then big bucks will fall. make in the deer woods are infinite. However, a few mistakes I’ve made are common and easily fixed.

Mistake #1: Being too focused on one buck and one piece of property.

Though I’m not a Maine landowner, I do primarily hunt private land. Because I don’t own the land, I’m forced to share the woods with other people.

When I was younger, I was given permission to hunt on a beautiful piece of land in Unity. I still primarily hunt this 400-acre parcel; however, I learned quickly to get permission elsewhere

and to not get tunnel vision on one buck, no matter how big it is.

The rules on the piece of land I hunt are simple. The landowner’s son and his grandkids, along with any of their guests, have first dibs on available treestands each day.

If someone decides they want to walk around, it can take a huge piece of property out of play.

When wind direction is factored in, there isn’t always a good place to sit if multiple hunters want to be in the woods.

Having no other property to hunt, the choice is to either hunt a spot with marginal or bad wind, or don’t hunt at all.

Adding more acres of permission and locating great bucks on those properties can pay big dividends. More options equal more success.

In 2014, the landowner’s son, his friends and his kids were hunting the 400 acres hard. There were at least two great bucks on the property, and everyone was gunning for them.

Thankfully, I recognized this early in the year and began scouting three other nearby properties I had permission to hunt. While scouting, I found excellent adult buck sign on two of the farms.

There were a few oth-

er people allowed to hunt these farms, and I took the time to meet them and ask where they hunted. I planned strategically and waited.

After a call to the landowner’s son the evening before a cold morning in November, it became clear I’d need to hunt one of the other farms. Checking the wind direction and speaking with two other hunters, I chose to hunt one of the new farms on a southwest wind.

Things worked out better than I could have imagined. I killed a 156” 10-point that dressed 216 pounds, simply because I had another option. The bucks on the other farm were never killed, and I didn’t miss out.

Mistake #2: Not cleaning entry and (Continued on next page)

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Big Game

(Continued from page 39)

exit trails ahead of, or during, the season If you hunted deer after the windstorm of 2017, you should easily understand the importance of keeping trails

cleared. My first day hunting rifle season last fall, I walked to my stand in daylight. The damage I saw was extensive.

In some cases, multiple large trees blocked trails

normally used to access stand sites.

Instead of hunting and trying to sneak around blowdowns, I spent an entire day cutting trees and clearing branches from my entry and exit trails. Quiet, undetected entry and exits are key to my success. Clearing

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trails and adjusting trail markers insured there’d be no breaking branches or clothing brushing against trees to alert deer to the predator (me) entering their forest.

That ultra-quiet entry provided me with an opportunity to walk the trail before sunrise later in the season, and kill a giant eight-point just 20 minutes after legal light.

Had my entry been audible to those deer on a cold calm morning, they likely would have adjusted their track and never walked by me.

Mistake #3: Getting winded because of soiled hunting clothes Few things upset me more in the deer woods than being snorted at by a deer I can’t see. In my

mind, a heavy-hooved critter that utters a deep, loud expulsion of air and then bounds away just out of sight, is always a giant buck.

(Of course that likely isn’t true, but in my imagination it is.)

If there’s one thing in deer hunting that we can’t overdo, its scent control. A deer’s nose is its first and best line of defense.

Wearing hunting clothes, especially base layers (worn against the skin) more than once or twice is a mistake. Even though I’m a huge believer in using ozone to kill bacteria (the cause of odor), there’s always scent left behind on clothing after we wear it.

(Continued on next page)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 41

Old Gear – New Twist While visiting an old friend I noticed a vintage set of LL Bean snowshoes hanging from his rafters.

Other than a little bit of peeling varnish and a faded logo, they appeared in really good shape. At age 88-years, it’s likely my old friend’s prime snowshoeing days have passed.

Nevertheless, I kidded him about heading out on them this winter.

He glanced up at the dusty snow tires. One cheek lifted in a halfsmile, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

He was making tracks in the snow long before aluminum snowshoes and yuppies merged within the last couple of decades. Today, folks simply sign up for a lesson at the LL Bean Outdoor Discovery School and receive a crash course in winter trekking. Back in the day, it was simply trial by snow.

I wondered if my gear would someday tell a story of a life well lived.

Would a set of aluminum snowshoes with plastic lacing speak loud enough for my cheek muscles to lift a smile long after I hang them up for the final time?

Every season, I try to spend some time putting my meager collection of gear together, and occasionally improving it. It’s especially important to have good gear when recreating in the snow and cold weather that goes hand in hand with playing in Katahdin’s winter playground.

Old ShoesNew Bindings After studying those vintage snowshoes for

The wood and rawhide on my vintage homemade snowshoes were in good shape, but the canvas-andshoestring bindings needed replacing. So I installed some modern snowshoe harnesses with nylon straps made by a company in Fort Kent, and they have performed flawlessly.

Snowshoes allow winter travelers near-unlimited access to the Katahdin Region’s winter wonderland. Here, Matt Sheldon demonstrates how productive snowshoes can be when accessing hunting areas in the great north woods. Traversing the snow-covered region has one other distinct advantage this time of year -- no bugs! Bill Sheldon photo

a bit, I decided that the wood and rawhide parts of the shoe were first class. However, the old shoestring/canvas bindings were clearly the weak point of the design.

Looking at old equipment gives those kinds of perspectives, because time has no friends.

When I got home, I dug out my wooden snowshoes and decided to upgrade my bindings. This set already had a few stories to tell, because I made them myself. I had seen a nice set of bindings

on a pair of my rabbit guide’s snowshoes, and decided to look online.

Before long, I had a pair loaded into one of those big brown UPS trucks and headed by way. Nothing beats the sound of the back up alarm on a UPS truck as it gets closer to the Sheldon household.

Because I’m old enough to have wooden snowshoes and still young enough to have fallen for a modern set of aluminum shoes, I was able to make some com-

parisons.

My old wooden snowshoes, with their rawhide lacing, don’t seem to kick snow all over my hind side. However, the aluminum shoes, with their solid plastic lacing, seem to throw snow clear up my back.

The modern shoes, however, hade a much better binding system than my old wooden model. Once I found Marc’s Snowshoe Binders online (www.snowshoe-bindings.com), I was able to merge the old with the

new.

This updated binder system fit my old homemade wood snowshoes perfectly. They took only a few minutes to install, and have performed flawlessly.

Trekking Hotspots The Katahdin Region has unlimited opportunities for snowshoeing enthusiasts. Many folks take advantage of Baxter State Park trails, while others simply follow some of the countless logging roads that criss-cross the region.

The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument also has plenty of real estate for frolicking along in the snow.

I’ve enjoyed mapping out some off-trail courses on my GPS, which has helped improve my electronic navigation skills.

When fooling around with the satellites, I never plan a route or adventure that goes beyond my map and compass skills.

At first, I just started with small loops off the sides of a trail to get the feel and develop gained a level of faith in the electronics. As my confidence increased, so did the length of the routes.

For snow-wanderers looking to stay on a snowshoe-specific trail without having to worry too much about getting lost, the Northern Timber Cruisers Snowmobile Club maintains the “Bait Hole” trail system. The parking area is located along Route 11 just south of Millinocket.

Snow Machine Ready?

The Katahdin Region boasts some of the best (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

42 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Katahdin Country (Continued from page 41)

snowmobiling in the Pine Tree State. We have a unique combination of quality trails, excellent lodges, knowledgeable outfitters and unrivaled scenery. And then we’ve got skilled trail groomer operators who spend all night smoothing and shaping trails, so when folks say we have award-winning trails – we do!

The Katahdin Region Chamber of Commerce website (www.katahdinmaine.com) is an excellent resource for snow travelers looking to hook up with a lodge or outfitter. Many Maine Sports-

man advertisers can also assist with setting up a memorable trip.

I recently took a look at new 2018 snowmobiles, and I quickly realized how far behind the times I’ve fallen.

My 1970 Jay-Hawk, while still in perfect mechanical shape, had the old bogey wheel track system that makes it a bear to stay on.

My “new” machine, a 1999 Polaris, needs a little attention before I head out this year.

On my last ride, I heard some rumbling in the track area. Looks like it needs some new bear-

Big Game (Continued from page 40)

To avoid having to do laundry every day, purchase multiple sets of base layers and at least two sets of outer layers. Depending on use, I may wear outer layers three times, but no more. Base layers and insulating layers are never worn more than twice to avoid

ings and who knows what else. I just bring this up because I know how important it is to deal with these mechanical gremlins BEFORE heading out on the trail for the first time this year.

The other gremlin that I see a lot involves trailer maintenance. I spend a lot of time tooling up and down the Route 95 corridor, and regrettably I see many snowmobile trailers that have been pulled off the side of the road with tire or bearing issues. It’s easy to underestimate the damage salt and sand from the road does to a trailer.

This summer, I overhauled my 2006 Triton trailer. It received

The author updated his homemade snowshoes with a set of modern bindings purchased from Marc’s Snowshoe Binders (www.snowshoe-bindings.com). These bindings, manufactured right here in the state of Maine, are a good match for his ash-and-rawhide snowshoes.

The author enjoys retrofitting old equipment for use afield. Bill Sheldon photo

a new deck, some axle paint, bearings and new tires. The tires were not worn out but had started to show some minimal cracking on the sidewalls.

The rims had started to rust, so I replaced those

the buildup of odor causing bacteria. I will literally not deer hunt if I have no clean and ozone-treated clothes.

Chances at Big Bucks Don’t Come Easy We all make mistakes. We’re imperfect.

However, repeating mistakes again and again without learning and correcting them

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¶

is just plain stupid.

Chances at adult bucks don’t come easy.

They will, however, come more often when we correct mistakes.

Hindsight should always be 20/20. Identify the obstacles to success and fix them.

Big bucks will fall.

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Get those snow toys ready, and let it snow!

¶

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 43

Rosemary, Apple CIder Lamb with Curried Rice, Romanesco and Goat Feta What is your Christmas commitment?

Mine is to buy local!

Don’t we absolutely love to try new dishes during the holidays? This year is no different! I included local bounty, a new (to me) vegetable, Romanesco, paired with apples and lamb.

I love cooking lamb to ring in the New Year. I have created a rich dish to entertain the best of friends: Curried Rice, Romanesco

and Goat Feta with Cardamom, Apple, Rosemary Lamb.

Here are some “juicy facts”: What we call juiciness is not just a matter of how much moisture is in the meat. The most important factors we look for are tenderness, flavor and juiciness.

Other factors are the amount of free water in the raw meat, the water bound in proteins of the meat, where the water is located

in the architecture of the meat, melted and softening fats, especially marbling and also saliva, which is activated be seeing and hearing the sizzle, and seasonings; especially salt. Ah, science talk! Let’s enjoy this holiday feast, and leave science to the scientists, for now.

Bon Appétit and Happy New Year!!!

Rosemary, Apple Cider Lamb It is the holiday season and let’s celebrate – and surprise our guests – with this a new side dish paired with local lamb.

I serve it warm here, and it was delicious • •

• • •

2 tablespoons Fiore Butter Olive Oil 1 cup red onion, sliced thin and lightly chopped ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 ½ cups Honey Crisp Apple, peeled, cored and diced

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

In a small sauté pan over medium heat add oil. Add onions, season with salt and pepper; cook for 4 minutes, onions will be translucent.

Add apples, apple cider vinegar, apple cider and cardamom; cook for another 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and slightly cool.

Meanwhile, lay lamb flat and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt and gently rub into lamb. In lightly oiled roasting pan, add lamb, top with apple mixture, cover and place in oven.

• • • • •

•

cold, too!

Romanesco broccoli is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea. First documented in Italy, it is chartreuse in

color. Romanesco has a striking appearance, because its form is a natural approximation of a fractal (meaning a recurring geometric pattern).

¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup apple cider ½ teaspoon cardamom 2 ½ lb boneless leg of lamb, trimmed* 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

Roast for 30 minutes, then uncover, and baste with pan juices. Once lamb is cooked to medium-rare 160°F (70°C) (or desired doneness), remove from oven and rest lamb for 10 minutes before slicing.* *Chef note: Resting meat allows juices to stay in the meat cells, which delivers juiciness. Juiciness is not just a matter of how much water is in the meat we are eating. However, the qualities that seem to be the most important to us are tenderness, flavor, and juiciness.

Curried Rice, Romanesco and Goat Feta

• • •

• • • •

2 cups water 1 cup white rice 1 ½ cups Romanesco, (Old Mill Farm) cut fractals off core* ½ cup red onion, finely chopped ¼ cup apples, chopped ¼ cup Craisins ¼ cup dry-roasted pecans, chopped

• • • • • •

•

2 tablespoons Fiore White Balsamic Wine Vinegar 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced ¾ teaspoon salt 1 (15-ounce) can butter beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed ¾ cup feta cheese

Bring water to boil in medium saucepan; stir in rice. Cook according to instructions.

Meanwhile, steam Romanesco, covered, for 3 minutes.

Combine vinegar, olive oil, curry, ginger, salt.

On top of rice in saucepan add Romanesco, onion, apples, Craisins, pecans, and dressing, tossing gently. Sprinkle with cheese.

Romanesco

*Chefs Notes: • Katahdin Lamb from Streaked Mountain, South Paris • Romanesco grown at Old Mill Farm, Brownfield • Nubian Goat Cheese from Ramsdell Farm, Denmark • Macoun Apples from Five Fields Farm, Bridgton • Fiore Oils, Bar Harbor • Rosemary from Kate’s garden www.MaineSportsman.com

44 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

It is a Grouse, a Partridge or Fake?

You Decide Earlier this season, while motoring along what I like to call “minimum maintenance roads,” I stumbled across an interesting scenario.

Because my son, Matt, and a few of his buddies were coming up bird hunting, they sent the old man out a few days early to do some scouting. My assignment involved lining up some decent-looking covers that might hold grouse or woodcock.

I was directed not to shoot any birds, but just to find them and report back.

Near as I could tell, two Maine Game Wardens had four or five hunters extracted from

I stopped, got out of my Jeep and stared. Not five yards into the woods sat a partridge – motionless. Something just didn’t look right. Then, two wardens stepped out from behind the bushes. this pitifully small foreign car. Now, I’m not one to judge what folks drive, but my wheelbarrow has bigger tires than the low clearance rice-burner that this outfit operated from. Who knows – maybe the wardens were just trying to figure out how to get them all back in the car?

The other odd thing I noticed was the lack of a warden vehicle. It’s like they just showed up in the middle of nowhere.

Both of the men in green seemed to have everything under control, so I slowly eased my Jeep around whatever was going on.

I gave pause and thought – what a dangerous job these guys have.

This gaggle of hunters not only outnumbered the two wardens, but quite honestly, they didn’t look too classy. But not being one to butt my nose in where it doesn’t belong, I tipped my orange cap and

moseyed along.

December Challenges With the deer season ending at the beginning of this month, I’ll turn my attention to letting my feather-finding dogs sniff out any grouse that survived the October and November portion of the season. As long as the snow doesn’t get too deep, it makes sense to take advantage of an upland bird season that lasts until Dec. 31.

While October rates

Upper

Kennebec Valley —

Gateway to the North Maine Woods

— Solon • Bingham • Moscow • Caratunk • The Forks • West Forks

as my favorite month to hunt the King of Game Birds, November can prove problematic for letting dogs loose. With the deer season in full swing, most dog handlers prefer to leave the hounds safely at home.

This month, however, allows hunting dogs to sniff out birds without accidentally interrupting an active deer hunt.

Tactics for chasing grouse in December depend largely on snowfall totals. Lots of snow makes it difficult. It seems like the seasons have shifted, and it stays warmer longer. Like a deer hunter, I’m hoping (Continued on next page)

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for some light tracking snow that doesn’t impede back-woods travel.

Snow does have some advantages for bird hunters, because grouse still function quite well on the ground and leave tracks.

This helpful sign lets hunters working the edges of cover know when to start paying attention.

I’ve had some luck spotting birds in the trees as the snow deepens. This puts extra pressure on my older eyes, but occasionally pays off. Traditional road hunting works just fine, as long as the roads remain passable.

Partridge, or Grouse?

It’s interesting that Bonasa umbellus goes by two names – ruffed grouse, or (colloquially) “partridge.”

I thought either name meant the same exact bird. It wasn’t until I ran into a crusty old bird hunter with a faded or-

ange hat that I fully understood the difference between a “partridge” and a “grouse.”

“It’s called a grouse when shot on the wing,” he explained. “It’s just a partridge when shot with its feet touching the ground or a branch.”

Hunters looking for grouse might encounter some limitations depending on which roads Weyerhaeuser plows. They only seem to keep the roads open that lead to active logging sites, which means yielding to the big rigs and exercising plenty of caution – especially as the snow banks make the roads narrow.

THE LAST RESORT

Parking Lesson Last year while my guide and I were rabbit hunting in the region, we both parked our vehicles well off the road on the outside edge of a sharp corner. A huge truck pulling a long mechanical processing plant came along. Fortunately for everyone, we were at our trucks eating lunch when he rumbled to a stop.

Even with our trucks well off the road, he couldn’t make the turn.

He instructed us to park on the inside corner, which allowed him to make the wide turn necessary with the long load.

(Continued on page 47)

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46 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Cleaning Up Mercury from the Penobscot River Nine tons. That’s how much mercury is embedded in sediments in the lower Penobscot River, causing ecological harm to the fish, wildlife and residents there.

The former Holtrachem facility in Orrington discharged between six and twelve tons of mercury into the river between 1967 and 2000.

A 2017 study estimated that nine tons of mercury remain in the river.

Apparently, the mercury hasn’t flushed out of the Penobscot after almost 50 years because tidal action holds the mercury within the lower estuary from Orrington to Winterport to Verona Island to Fort Point, where it cycles through the ecosystem. Mercury is a simple element, so it doesn’t break down in the environment.

Because of this contamination, large areas of the lower Penobscot River are closed to lobstering and crabbing. Hunting and other recreational uses are impacted. The Maine Department of Health has issued special advisories on consumption of fish and duck meat from the area.

Maine also has a statewide problem caused by mercury emissions transported in the atmo-

The author believes that after 50 years of studies and wrangling, it’s time for the current owner of the former Holtrachen plant to start cleaning up the Penobscot River, since the ducks, the fish and Maine’s citizens deserve immediate action.

A black duck in flight. Ducks concentrate mercury in their bodies, which has led the government to issue food advisories to hunters regarding ducks taken from Mendall Marsh, part of the Penobscot River estuary. Photo by Bert de Tilly, WikiCommons

sphere to our waters from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest. Since 1994, the state has issued fish consumption advisories for freshwater fish caught in all state waters due to mercury pollution.

But the mercury pollution from Holtrachem is in addition to that problem.

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Industrial Waste Holtrachem produced chlorine, caustic soda and other products for the pulp and paper industry.

The process used large quantities of elemental mercury and electricity to separate sodium from chlorine in salt. The plant discharged mercury-laden brine directly into the river for several years.

In 1986, US EPA ordered Holtrachem to take specific “corrective actions” to stop the discharges. But mercury wastes continued to contaminate lagoons, several landfills, soil and groundwater at the 235acre plant, until the operation closed in 2000. Not until 2014 did the Maine

Board of Environmental Protection order a fullscale remediation of the shuttered plant site.

Major remediation work at the plant is still underway.

The good news is that Mallinckrodt, the giant global pharmaceutical company that currently owns the site, is paying for the restoration, not Maine taxpayers. The bad news is that none of this ongoing effort addresses the mercury downstream in the river.

Cleaning Up the River In 2000, the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Maine Peoples Alliance filed a lawsuit to clean up the mercury in the Penob-

scot.

In a landmark 2002 decision, the court found convincing evidence that mercury in the river sediments was causing harm to humans and the environment.

Studies presented to the court showed that fish and birds contained significantly higher levels of mercury in the lower Penobscot than other Maine rivers, and that other uses of the river were compromised.

Judge Gene Carter ordered further study to determine the extent of the contamination and how to clean it up. This summer, after almost 20 years of studies and legal wrangling, a Portland engineering firm finally filed a plan to clean up the lower Penobscot River as far as Verona Island and Fort Point near Bucksport.

The long-awaited “Phase III” remediation plan calls for: • dredging mercury-laden sediments from large areas of the river, while taking precautions to prevent contamination from moving to other parts of the river, • capping contaminated sediments in Mendall Marsh near Frankfort with a few inches of clean sediment to protect wildlife and plants from contacting the mercury, • depositing clean sediments in parts of the tidal Orland River east of Verona Island, and • monitoring the river for up to 45 years.

High Cost, High Impact It’s not surprising that the price tag for this (Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 47 (Continued from page 46)

plan is enormous – between $240 million and $330 million. Fortunately, Mallinckrodt has the resources to pay. Yes, the cost is high, but the impacts of the mercury – both past and future – are serious indeed.

Mercury is the only metal known to “bio-magnify” in the food chain. In our lakes, bogs and wetlands, micro-organisms convert elemental mercury into methyl-mercury, which is then absorbed by algae, plants and animals.

When a critter eats a

plant or another critter, the mercury accumulates in tissue by 10 or more times at each level of the food chain. Higher-level predators, such as loons and otters, may have over a million times more mercury than the levels found in surrounding water.

How Bad Is It? In 2011, total US air emissions of mercury were about 50 tons per year, about half of that from coal-fired power plants. By 2015, that amount dropped to about 20 tons per year, as the dirtiest plants have closed.

Jackman Region (Continued from page 45)

Even though to me we seemed more in the way parked on the inside, he effortlessly moved that long hunk of iron around that 90-degree bend. His tire tracks dug deep along the spot where I had previously been eating my lunch.

This driver was a real gentleman, but I’m not sure how he would have handled the situation a few hours earlier with us deep in the woods and clueless to the problem we unwittingly created.

Fake Bird?

About an hour after I’d seen the bunch of hunters, the wardens and the small car,

And yet, the amount of mercury in the lower Penobscot River is equal to almost half of what is released annually from all sources in the US today.

Toxic Effects Mercury is a neurotoxin that harms brain and nerve development in animals, including humans. It especially affects the developing fetus and the young. Even for adults, high levels can affect nerve and brain function.

In 2002, the court recognized that mercury levels in Penobscot River fish were so high that

a pregnant woman could not eat a single fish without endangering fetal health. As a result, the lobster and crab fishery in a seven-square mile area of the lower Penobscot River was closed due to the high mercury levels.

Don’t Eat the Ducks A seven-year study found that black ducks living and wintering in the Penobscot estuary were ingesting enough mercury that DIF&W issued an advisory in 2011 to limit consumption of ducks taken from Mendall Marsh. Pregnant and nursing women and chil-

I backtracked and motored through the location of the earlier commotion. All seemed tranquil with no sign of anything, except ….

Still looking for bird covers, I glanced up an old tote road. Not five yards into the woods sat a partridge. (I’ll call it a partridge because it sat on the ground, but, with orders from Matt to “locate” but not “shoot” it could easily fly away and turn into a grouse.)

However, something didn’t look just right (see photo on page 45). I stopped my Jeep, exited the vehicle unarmed (per Matt’s orders) and peeked around the corner. Sure enough, there sat a partridge – one very motionless partridge at that.

About then, two wardens stepped from behind some roadside brush.

Sea ducks belong to the family Anatidae.

150 species of waterfowl exist worldwide.

Maine has six species of sea ducks, including the White Wing Scoter, Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, Long-Tailed Duck (previously known as Oldsquaw) and the Common Eider.

Eiders have thick fluffy down with incredible insulation properties, and

5.

6.

veins and arteries in their legs that warm the cold blood before it is returned to the body.

Some sea ducks have been known to dive to a depth of 180 feet.

Sea ducks prefer animal foods to plant matter. They feed on large invertebrates, including clams, mussels, shrimp, snails and small crabs.

Time to Get Started After 50 years, it’s time for Mallinckrodt to start cleaning up Maine’s largest river. The studies and wrangling are finished. The ducks, the fish, and our citizens deserve immediate action.

¶

“Fake bird,” I said, calmly pointing as one warden walked to the center of the road to greet me. I now knew what the earlier commotion was all about.

After exchanging names and a handshake, he encouraged me to move along because they didn’t want me to blow their cover. He indicated they were trying to catch a very specific poacher, who had a tendency to shoot from his vehicle – and without a license at that. I appreciated the fact that he explained what they were up to in a friendly, courteous fashion.

I’m not really sure whether to call that “fake bird” a “grouse” or a “partridge”? I wonder if it flies?

¶

Wildlife Quiz Answers: Sea Ducks 1.

2.

3.

4.

dren under 8 should not eat any duck meat from that area.

Predators high on the food chain, like cormorants, osprey and bald eagles, also have mercury concentrations in their bodies high enough their nesting success is lower than in other parts of Maine.

(Quiz on Page 34)

7. Most sea ducks undergo an annual molt

of their feathers between July and September.

8. If they are able to successfully avoid exposure, starvation and predators, sea ducks have been reported to live to more than 20 years of age.

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48 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Tackle Tips for Landing Big Fish In the author’s opinion, hook, line and drag are the three most important keys to success when fighting a big fish.

Most everyone has a sad tale of the big one that got away. It happens to all of us, but in a great number of instances such losses are avoidable.

The near-endless litany of reasons a fish gets away includes everything from dull hooks, weak spots in the line, too-tight a drag setting and even rodholder choice.

The issue of rodholder choice deserves a close look. Rodholders allow us to troll with two rods when fishing solo. And after all, two lines in the water double the opportunity of a strike. But rodholders can prove a curse as well as a blessing, especially when they cause us to lose fish.

My favorite rodholder, made by Down-Easter

in Lewiston, Maine, has much in its favor. These devices are made of rugged metal, and aren’t prone to twisting or bending. A rod set in one of these devices cannot come loose, unless the two upright arms that hold the rod are not securely set in the stationary part. If the angler doesn’t secure the two arms properly, the rod can swing around at will and may even, if a heavy fish strikes, jump from the holder. This dictates that we must check that everything is solidly set each time we place a rod in a holder.

The other problem occurs when a fish strikes.

I have had trouble lifting the rod up from the holder when a large fish strikes. And more than

once, this has resulted in a lost trophy.

So why do I continue using my Down-Easter rodholder? Because of its ruggedness and durability. The market abounds in rodholders, but the Maine-made model stands at the top of the line regarding quality. And so even though my rodholder has cost me some beautiful trout and salmon, it has also enabled me to take many more fish than what were lost.

My advice is to experiment in advance. Set the rod in the holder and – pretending a fish has struck – lift it out of the holder. Sometimes just the way we lift the rod makes all the difference in the world. So despite the few drawbacks, I still recommend Down-Easter rodholders. Just take time to become fully acquainted with how to operate the device.

Drag Tips A reel’s drag stands as the next most important item, right after hook and line. A reel with a poorly operating drag may as well go in the trash, because sooner or later it will cause the loss of a good fish.

Fortunately, most reels, even inexpensive ones, come with smooth-working, reliable drags. But there are exceptions, and even moderately priced reels can come off the production line with a faulty drag.

The only way to learn if the drag on your new

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Laundry detergent makes lures shine like new. Tom Seymour photo

reel works as it should is to test it. But rather than testing it on the water, it makes sense to check it before even heading out.

I didn’t always do this, but after losing a fish to a drag that wouldn’t tighten, I now test the drag on a new reel as standard practice.

The way to check a drag is to tie the line to an immovable object, and then pull away with a steady pressure so that the drag pays out line. Begin with a light drag setting and look for hitches or hesitation as the drag allows the line to slip. Any “dry” spot or change in tension as the result of the drag slipping signals a bad drag.

Also, some drags function well at light- to medium- settings but balk at heavy settings. In the aforementioned case of a drag that wouldn’t tighten, I lost a huge brown trout because the drag on my trolling reel failed and would not stop the giant trout from freely taking line. No matter how much I tried to tighten the drag, the line kept slipping out, and finally my trophy won its freedom.

In the end, remem-

ber that hook, line and drag are the three most important factors when fighting a fish. Don’t let a bad drag cost you a possible trophy of a lifetime.

Lure Luster Metal lures eventually lose their luster and become dull and unappealing to fish.

Here’s an anecdote regarding this fact. One September, while headed out togue fishing at my favorite togue lake, I met an angler coming in from fishing. He had taken several togue and was convinced that his success was attributed to him using a brandnew Mooselook Wobbler.

“They won’t bite on anything but a brand-new spoon,” he told me.

The above incident spoke volumes about the need to keep our lures bright and shiny. And of course togue that day would certainly bite on other than fresh-out-ofthe-box lures, as long as the lures hadn’t become dull. They were reluctant to strike on dull lures, however.

There is a way to freshen old, dull metal lures to the point where (Continued on page 50)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 49

Fly Fishing Techniques Guaranteed to Catch Big Trout – Part 2 In last month’s column, I discussed two effective but less-practiced fly-fishing techniques – sinking-line fishing, and wet-fly swinging.

In this column, I will finish up the wet-fly method, and cover both indicator and short-line nymphing.

My intent is to intrigue you enough to try new fly-fishing approaches. Then, when your go-to line of attack isn’t producing fish, you have other means and methods at your disposal – more arrows in the quiver, so to speak.

Wet Flies The wet-fly swing sounds like a square dance move at the Grange hall, but it might be the oldest of fly-fishing tech-

A “strike indicator” is fastened to the line, floats on the surface, and reacts when the trout takes the nymph. We fly anglers call it a strike indicator so we appear more sophisticated than worm fishermen, but let’s be honest – it’s a bobber … and there’s nothing wrong with that. niques. It was used in the British Isles in the 1800s to hook brown trout, grayling and sea trout.

Some anglers at the time cast as many as six flies at a time!

Fishing a wet fly is straightforward. Attach one or two wet flies that will sink slightly to your tippet on a floating line.

Cast slightly down and across the river, and let the flies drift downstream. Do not retrieve or manipulate the flies until the end of the drift when the fly line and flies are directly downstream

from you.

Then retrieve and cast again. Strikes are obvious, and frequently the fish sets the hook for you.

The reason the wetfly swing hooks so many pressured and snooty fish

is that as the fly swings around at the end of the drift, water pressure from the current causes the sunken fly to rise to the surface. Emerging aquatic insects rise to the surface from below, so suspicious fish take that

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Freshwater Fly Fishing (Continued from page 49)

in Maine. While twenty years ago you would rarely see anyone nymphing with a strike indicator, this fall I noticed it was the predominate method of fishing. And yet a number of traditionalists don’t nymph, and maybe one of them is you.

Nymphing is a great option when fish are reticent to rise to dry flies and aren’t aggressively chasing streamers. Nymphs, the aquatic life stage of most aquatic insects, are a major food source, and fish take them eagerly as they drift by.

The most common nymphing rig uses an easy-to-see strike indicator floating on the surface with a nymph pattern drifting underneath – imagine worm fishing with a bobber. We fly anglers call it a strike indicator so we appear more sophisticated, but let’s be honest –it’s a bobber, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

If the section of river or stream you are nymphing is more than a few feet deep, you need to fish a weighted fly such as a bead-head nymph, or add split shot to the tippet. The biggest reason anglers do not catch fish while nymphing is that the flies are not sinking close enough to the bottom.

Maybe you have heard the old fly-fishing adage, “The difference between a poor nympher and a great nympher is one split shot.”

A non-lead split shot, of course.

When nymphing, do not use a tapered leader (you need not turn over a dry fly); instead, attach a length of 5X monofilament. It will cut through the current better, which will give you a more natural drift and sink the fly more quickly.

I want to concentrate, though, on another kind of nymphing. It’s not well-known, but it’s deadly under the right circumstances (figuratively, not literally!).

Anglers refer to this technique by several names – high-sticking, short-line nymphing, or even Czech nymphing. The Czech national fly-fishing team won an international fly-fishing tournament (some consider it the fly-fishing Olympics) with this technique and made it popular worldwide. I will refer to it in this column as short-line nymphing.

Short-line Nymphing Short-line nymphing does not require either a strike indicator or traditional overhead casting, because you are fishing with just the leader and a few feet of fly line.

You flip two nymphs upstream about the length of the leader, and lead them slightly with the rod tip as they sink and float downstream.

Keep a relatively tight line the entire time (no slack). When the nymphs are a leader length downstream, you

Trout Fishing (Continued from page 48)

they sparkle like new. Here’s how.

A publisher friend visited me recently while I was laid up, and offered to clean my kitchen and wash my dishes. It was impossible at that point for me to do much of anything, so I readily assented to her kind offer. And that’s when the big surprise www.MaineSportsman.com

The lower end of the Rangeley River is excellent water to try wet-fly swinging.

Lou Zambello photo

Even large trout will inhale tiny nymphs.

This 20-inch brown took a size 18 pheasant tail. Can you see it, in the corner of his jaw? Lou Zambello photo

let them dangle a bit in the current, and then flip them upstream again.

Anglers detect a fish strike by literally feeling it with their hands or noticing the leader straighten, tighten, or make a sudden movement. Trust me when I say you will develop a sixth-sense for when a fish is taking your nymph.

You might think the limited range of shortline nymphing is a handicap, but it’s not in certain types of streams. Smaller rivers and streams, fast-flowing runs, or bouldery/rocky waters allow a careful angler to

This is a typical short-line nymphing rig -two beadhead nymphs and a section of the butt end of the leader that is colored monofilament to more easily track leader movement. Lou Zambello photo

approach within reach of likely fish-holding spots.

A ten-foot nymphing rod (great Xmas gift!) extended at the end of your three-foot-long arm gives you thirteen feet of reach in all directions. If I remember my high-school geometry, that gives you a circle of over 500 square feet to fish without moving your feet.

The advantage of high-stick nymphing is that without a strike indicator you achieve a more natural drift and you can vary the depth of your nymphs on every cast. On a rocky bottom, you can tumble the nymphs down

came. “Where do you keep your laundry detergent?” my friend asked. Perplexed but trusting my friend that something good was about to happen, I sat back and watched.

Soon, my stove and refrigerator shined as if they were brand-new. In fact, so did everything else. Seeing how a simple scrubbing with laundry detergent made my kitchen shine, as soon as I was able to get up and walk about I decided to try treating my fishing lures with detergent.

into pockets, and then lift them up so you don’t get snagged.

On popular rivers and streams, it seems like it gets more crowded and the fish more educated every year. By the end September, the bigger fish turn up their nose at standard dry flies and streamers, and spook at the sight of a strike indicator.

Under those circumstances, try wet-fly fishing or short-line nymphing (without an indicator). It has saved a fishing trip for me more than once.

¶

And guess what? Those dull, oxidized finishes immediately acquired a startling brilliance.

The takeaway from this is to take some time this fall or winter and go over all metal lures in your tackle box. This one simple trick will make all your lures like new again.

If only we had known about this simple fix years ago, but better late than never.

Here’s to shiny lures!

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 51

Plan Your 2019 Moosehead Vacation Now For those who have longed for a trip to the Moosehead region but haven’t yet made plans, now is a perfect time to start mapping out your trips for 2019.

With so many outdoor activities to partake of during all four seasons, the Moosehead region has something for everyone.

From fishing and hunting to hiking and ATV riding, Moosehead is the epitome of a one-stop destination.

For outdoor activities, nothing else beats the Moosehead region. Although Moosehead Lake is a two-hour drive from my coastal Maine home, it’s a trip I thoroughly enjoy. And that’s saying a lot, since long-distance driving doesn’t appeal to me.

But Maine Route 7, “The Moosehead Trail,” winds its way through farm country and small hamlets, places where you can stop and talk with people and feel as though you belong there.

North/Central Maine is an ultra-friendly place, making a trip here all the more enjoyable.

Fishing Opportunities Fishing being my favorite activity, let’s begin with a rundown of what the area has to offer anglers. First, Moosehead Lake and the surrounding rivers and ponds have long since carved out a name as the area to hit for trout and salmon. And foremost among the rest stands Moosehead Lake, home to trophy-size, wild brook trout and near-record-breaking togue (lake trout).

The lake features two state-of-the-art boat landings – one at Green-

Moosehead Lake gives up some double-digit togue each winter. Open-water anglers could get in on the togue action too, but instead spend most of their time targeting salmon and brook trout. We should all have such challenging decisions to make!

Early morning in the Moosehead Region.

Eric Holbrook photo

ville Junction, the other at Rockwood. Both have more than ample parking and boat ramps that will accept any size boat.

A solo angler can launch at either of these ramps and head out to some of Maine’s best fishing. But for those new to the area, it makes sense to hire an area fishing guide. These people spend all day every day on the water and they know where to go and what to use.

While open-water fishing seems to me as good as it gets, Moosehead Lake really pumps out the fish in winter.

Early in the season, anglers target brook trout and togue. And then, beginning February 15, the law permits anglers to keep salmon. Prior to that, all salmon taken must be immediately re-

Can you spot the Moosehead Region’s namesake in this photo? Eric Holbrook photo

leased alive without removing the fish from the water.

But anglers ice-fishing here in January and early February have plenty to keep them occupied.

Brook trout bite well in the early ice-fishing season, and fish of 4, 5 and 6 pounds have shown up regularly over the last several years. Somehow – and no one really knows why – brook trout in Moosehead Lake have begun growing at an accelerated rate. These football-shaped, wild trout grow so large that experienced anglers come here to catch a lifetime trophy.

These folks know that for a crack at a 4-poundplus brookie, Moosehead Lake is the absolute best place in Maine. And that’s saying a lot, since

Maine is chock-a-block full of trout ponds that produce big trout. But for the biggest of all, head to Moosehead.

Togue Hotspot As everyone who fishes for togue in places oth-

er than Moosehead Lake knows, fishing can be slow at times. One or two fish per day often qualifies as a good day.

Not so with Moosehead. Not long ago, togue were so plentiful that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) decided to greatly liberalize length and bag limits on togue in Moosehead in order to cut down competition for available forage fish. And it worked.

Now, togue, along with all the other salmonids in the lake, have demonstrated excellent growth and fine condition.

Now, with fish in excellent health, DIF&W has tightened regulations on togue. But still, these rules are extremely liberal when compared to other togue lakes. Anglers may keep 5 togue, although only one may measure more than 18 inches. All 5 may be between the minimum length of 14 inches and 18 inches.

Just because the lake offers lots of medi(Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

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Moosehead Report (Continued from page 51)

um-sized togue, doesn’t mean that trophy-size fish aren’t present.

Moosehead gives up double-digit togue in winter.

Open-water anglers could get in on the togue action too, but instead spend most of their time tar-

geting salmon and brook trout. We should all have such challenging decisions to make.

All the same, one July, lodge owner Bob Lawrence of Rockwood and I spent a day togue fishing in the deep wa-

ter north of Rockwood.

We trolled with live baitfish behind dodgers, and were well-rewarded. In my estimation, Moosehead Lake stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best togue lakes in Maine.

Warmwater Species

While best known for coldwater species, the Moosehead region also

boast of some of Maine’s best bass fishing. Indian Pond, a flow-through lake of the Kennebec River system, regularly puts out 4-pound-andover smallmouth bass.

People from far and wide come here hoping to take a trophy smallie. Look for Indian Pond on the DeLorme Atlas, Maps D-4 and C-5.

Indian Pond was once a prime salmon lake and it still produces salmon, but competition from introduced bass has hurt the resource. However, togue continue to thrive in Indian Pond and anglers hitting deeper areas of the lake have a good chance of hooking a fine togue.

(Continued on page 54)

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 53

Vintage Marlin “Goose Gun” Still Goes the Distance The dark days of December signal the end of hunting season for most Maine hunters. In southern areas of the state, muzzle loading fans do get the first eight days of the month this year to go after deer. And some die-hard grouse and pheasant hunters carry on until the last day of the month, but the woods and fields are different now than earlier in the season, when the air felt crisp but without the biting cold.

December keeps most of us closer to the fire, where our thoughts turn toward the holidays and the end of the year. For our waterfowling friends, December means something quite different.

They seem to thrive in the penetrating cold, and opportunities to hunt run right through into January.

The season for Canada geese runs until December 8th in the north, and until December 26th in the south. In the Coastal Zone, the season extends until January 5th. Hunting for sea ducks carries on until January 19th, and for Snow geese all the way to January 31st.

Not for the faint of heart, waterfowling in Maine is challenging at best, and dangerous at its worst. The combination of weather and the environment makes for brutal conditions – tough on people and equipment.

In the past, great shotguns such as the Browning Superposed over/under or the Winchester Model 101 topped the waterfowlers’ choices.

More moderately priced

A no-frills, bolt-action ugly duckling – it resembles an iron pipe bolted to a 2x4, and its only aesthetic is a complete lack of aesthetics – the Marlin Model 55 “Goose Gun” is about one thing and one thing only – performance.

Marlin’s venerable “Goose Gun” may be old, but it is still a viable choice here in Maine where waterfowling conditions can be severe.

slide-action guns such as the Remington Model 870 sold in even larger numbers. Today, modern gas-operated semi-automatic shotguns from Franchi, Beretta, Weatherby, Benelli and Remington dominate Maine’s waterfowl hunting scene.

However, one old timer from Marlin deserves a retrospective look.

Low Tech These synthetic-stocked, CNC machined semi-automatic marvels make superb performers, whether camouflage painted or not. But when it comes

to the harsh conditions of a Maine coastal hunt in December, these contemporary shotguns do not perform any better than a 56-year-old Marlin Model 55 “Goose Gun.” Manufactured between 1962 and 1996, the “Goose Gun” derives from the earlier Model 55 made between 1950 and 1965. A no-frills, bolt-action ugly duckling, the “Goose Gun” is about one thing and one thing only – performance.

Looking like the proverbial pipe-on-a-2x4, the “Goose Gun” originally came with a walnut stock and was available only in

12-gauge, with a chamber fitting three-inch shells and a 36-inch-long fullchoke barrel. The Marlin Company resurrected the “Goose Gun” between 1997 and 2000, and fitted that short-lived version with a black synthetic stock.

The “Goose Gun’s” action includes a tworound detachable magazine. With a round in the chamber, the right-handed bolt-action loads the same number of shells as any modern semi-auto or slide-action shotgun.

Other features include a rubber recoil pad, a leather sling and detachable swivels. A sling makes a great convenience for someone toting a big bag of decoys, a thermos, or a canoe paddle.

Some Limitations Those preferring the behemoth three-and-ahalf-inch shotshell will find no satisfaction in (Continued on next page)

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54 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 53)

the Marlin “Goose Gun.” Selection there includes only two-and-three-quarter-inch and three-inch shells. Whether the extra half-inch bags more birds remains a point of endless debate.

Manually operating the bolt to eject an expended shell and chamber one from the magazine demands a bit more effort than simply pulling the trigger as you would with a semi-auto. But for those familiar with it, the gun requires nothing more than any slide action. The subsequent shot takes just fractions of a second.

The unusual 36-inch long barrel is unique among hunting firearms.

Trap and sporting clays

shooters sometimes opt for longer-than-average barrels, but hunters most often choose 26-inch or 28-inch length as a standard.

Fans of the “Goose Gun” find the extraordinary barrel length helpful in tracking targets, and in both retaining shot velocity and holding the shot pattern tighter over greater distances.

Marlin never built any of the Modell 55s with a sighting rib, but the “Goose Gun” performs fine without one.

The great length of the barrel makes tracking the target far easier than expected.

Fine before the advent of non-toxic shot, the “Goose Gun’s” full choke

Moosehead Report (Continued from page 52)

Other local, and smaller, ponds also hold warmwater species. Prong Pond, a 427-acre pond in Beaver Cove Plantation, holds lots of medium-size smallmouth bass, along with huge schools of white perch. Local anglers coming here in the evening take home good catches of perch – the makings of some

does limit the options when using up-to-date shells. Steel and iron-derivative shot are hard enough to damage tight chokes.

For that reason, I recommend using bismuth or a tungsten-based shot in a “Goose Gun.” They are soft like lead, and will not damage older barrels and restrictive chokes.

Special Place Waterfowl hunting in Cobscook Bay, Merrymeeting Bay, or among the thousands of islets and ledges that make up the coastline is part of what makes Maine special. Not everyone who hunts has access to flocks of migrating birds – especially sea ducks.

No place on the east coast of the United States can match Maine for sea duck hunting. Only some

spots on the west coast, in Washington State and northern California, compare to what we have here.

The late season, and tough, hazard-filled habitat of the goose and the eider demand guns that can take brutal conditions and remain completely reliable. Marlin’s “Goose Gun” is so mechanically simple that it can take almost any conceivable punishment and shake it off.

Never very popular, Marlin’s “Goose Gun” looks like the type of firearm most often seen in the hands of a professional hunter or someone who depends on game for survival. Its only aesthetic is a complete lack of aesthetics. It represents function over form all the way.

fine meals.

Our DIF&W also stocks Prong Pond with thousands of brook trout in both spring and fall. Find Prong Pond on Map 41, C-3.

Premiere Hunting The Moosehead Region stands as the last and best place in Maine for high-quality upland hunting. Grouse are widespread, and flights of woodcock dropping down from

It also represents the bottom of the cost charts.

Never expensive, the firearm’s worth as set by Blue Book of Gun Values is under $200, even in very good condition. Any firearm that can get the job done in the field and still cost under $200 is an amazing bargain.

Clearly not for everyone, the Marlin Model 55 “Goose Gun” is the sort of gun someone opts to take out into the storm when they would prefer to leave the expensive shotgun at home. This gun can take the pounding in the boat, slough off the salt spray, the ice, and survive a drop onto the rocks just before knocking down a limit of fowl.

Sometimes there is more to value than just an object’s price in the showroom.

¶

Canada give us a glimpse of the “glory days” of upland hunting in Maine, when upland gunning was at its best.

Moose, as the Big Lake’s name suggests, also live here in numbers. Lucky is the hunter who draws a moose permit for the Moosehead region.

So plan your trip now, so as not to miss anything this storied region has to offer.

¶

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 55

SnowDog Sled Offers New Method of Transportation for Hunters and Anglers I’m telling you straight-up – you will never believe how cool this machine is for hunting and ice fishing applications. The machine, made by “SnowDog” (snowdog.com), has a track that is powered by a tough Briggs and Stratton engine that pulls a rider and their gear over snow or forest floor.

As described on the SnowDog website: “As a more affordable alternative to the snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle (ATV), SnowDog is tailored to hunters, trappers, ice fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts. With a

I normally wouldn’t be able to get to. The physical problems I’m having, associated with aging, have forced me to reconsider any kind of routine involving long walks up steep hills.

The SnowDog machine with Jet Sled and seat attached makes hauling ice fishing gear a breeze. SnowDog photo

compact and highly versatile machine, the operator can sit comfortably in a sled with an abundance of room to carry gear and supplies. With a machine like SnowDog, hard work

turns into a fun adventure.”

Take a look at the website and discover just how useful this machine would be for someone who wants to quickly get

way back into the woods with a lot of gear. I can see this machine hauling me and my stuff up a mountain trail, providing unfettered access to elevated hunting areas that

The Machine This machine will easily haul me through the woods to the tops of mountains, beyond the end of the road, or off the beaten path where I can dismount, load my rifle or shotgun, and proceed to hunt to my heart’s content. Simply attach a Jet Sled, or similar sled, to the tracked section of the (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

56 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Off-Road Traveler (Continued from page 55) machine and it will pull a rider in a seat with plenty of room left over for gear in the sled.

If riders wish to do so, they can attach a unit that looks like a small chariot to the tracked machine, and roll their way over snow-less, bare ground. Some folks, according to the website, use the Jet Sled for riding on the forest floor, as well as the snow-covered ground.

Check out the videos on youtube.com (type in SnowDog), and it’s easy to see how this machine carries the rider through a forest without problems associated with snowmobiles or ATVs. Let me explain ... this machine is quite small and light, and can be lifted into the bed of a pickup truck with little effort.

The tracked machine doesn’t damage the forest floor, and leaves the woods in perfect shape after traveling the same path repeatedly.

According to the company, SnowDog owners do not have to register or license this machine, and when going through the woods it’s not restricted to traveling just on ATV or snowmobile trails.

With landowner owner permission, any kind of terrain can be easily ac-

cessed directly through the woods – as far as I can tell, there are no Maine state rules or regulations that limit this machine from traveling anywhere in the state, as long the rider has landowner permission.

Purchase I looked on the SnowDog website and found a few dealers in Maine.

I called one distributor, Jack Traps (jaketraps. com) in Monmouth.

The owner Tim Jackson and his crew make some of the finest ice fishing traps around, and he decided to also carry this unique product. I talked with Jack Traps manager, Shawn, and he said ice anglers are really going to like this machine for hauling all their gear out onto the ice.

I can also see myself using this rig to get into tough areas while coyote hunting this winter. The hounds chase coyotes into some very rough areas that are hard to access with a traditional snowmobile, and I think the SnowDog would work perfectly in that type of terrain.

I also like the idea that you can easily load this machine into the bed of a truck. There will be plenty of room for every-

This is the tracked power unit of the SnowDog -- just attach a sled or wheeled cart to the back, grab the handle bars and away you go, over ice and snow, or across the forest floor.

thing in the bed of my Tacoma – space enough for the SnowDog, the Jet Sled, and other gear needed for hunting or ice fishing trips.

I’m pretty sure I’ll even be able to load the SnowDog into the Tacoma bed with a camper shell installed. That would be great, because normally I have to remove the camper shell to load a snowmobile or ATV. All in all, I see this new machine as a great tool for assisting me with hunting and fishing activities. I have plenty of open water fishing locations that require a long hike in on old skid-

der trails. This machine opens up loads of possibilities where traditional means of access limit certain fishing locations.

Final Thoughts In my youth, I never even considered using a machine to get around in the woods. Snowmobiling and ATV-ing were simply fun activities.

But then I injured myself and had to start looking for ways to continue the outdoor activities that I enjoy so much.

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possibilities for those less fortunate than myself.

I’m a board member with the non-profit organization, Back In The Maine Stream (backinthemainestream.org), a group of disabled Maine veterans who help other Maine veterans with disabilities to heal their physical and emotional trauma through fishing.

In the past, our fishing trips have been set up with the individual disabilities controlling what we can and cannot do.

With this SnowDog machine, the limitations can be thrown out the window – I can’t wait to see our program increase its ability to get more veterans fishing with this new machine.

As our current hunting and fishing community ages, many will find this SnowDog machine useful in keeping them in the game beyond what would be considered a traditional retirement age. Elderly outdoors folks will find that they can extend the number of years they can enjoy their hunting and fishing activities with this innovative and versatile new machine.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 57

Emerald Ash Borer Is Invading Southern Maine At a recent public information meeting held in Lebanon regarding the migration of the emerald ash borer (EAB) into Maine, specimens of the insect were provided for our review. As I held a small glass vial with an EAB inside up to the light, I said, “So this is what all the excitement is about?”

After listening to the presenters and reading through the handouts, I came to the conclusion that this is one little badass bug!

Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive beetle that attacks and kills ash trees. The insect is native to China, eastern Russia, Japan and Korea. It was first detected near Detroit, Michigan in 2002, carried to the U.S. in the infected wood of shipping crates.

It is highly destructive, feeding on the inner bark of all ash trees except mountain ash (which isn’t actually an ash) and killing the tree within two to three years.

EAB larvae score the sapwood, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients.

From 2002 to 2018, EAB has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in infested states.

The bad news is it has been found in both northern and Southern Maine.

An established EAB infestation was found in New Brunswick, Canada, within 500 feet of the Maine boarder. Now EAB has been detected near Frenchville and Madawaska, and also in the town of Grand Isle.

Most recently, adult emerald ash borers were recovered from traps in

My family homestead dates from 1779. Throughout history, the farmhouse was protected from the sun and wind by large shade trees – elms and ash trees. With the elms decimated by Dutch elm disease, all that’s left is a single towering white ash. How long until it’s infected?

This is one bad-ass beetle, according to the author, with the power to wreak devastating economic impact on lumber operations, firewood processors and residents whose homes are currently protected from the elements by large ash trees.

Acton and Lebanon here in southern Maine. Both towns depend on their large forests for logging, firewood and recreation opportunities – the borer would adversely affect those industries.

Quarantine!

Due to the destructive nature of the EAB, Maine Department of Conservation and Forestry has enacted an “Emergence Order to Stop Movement of Ash from EAB Areas in Maine.” The emergency order will remain infect until a full quarantine is finalized by both the state and feds.

What products are restricted in the order?

There is a stop-movement order on the following products: rooted ash for planting, hardwood for firewood use, ash logs and pulpwood, chipped wood, and ash green lum-

ber that has not been heat treated.

In southern Maine, the order includes Acton, Shapleigh, Lebanon and Berwick in York County.

Anyone impacted by the order should contact the Maine Forest Service for more in-depth information.

Landowners who are not harvesting ash are not impacted, unless they are cutting and processing it for firewood. Hardwood firewood can’t be moved from restricted areas because it is too difficult to monitor, but it can be moved within the restricted area. This causes concern with some landowners – firewood from Shapleigh can be transported to Berwick, as an example.

What to Look For Adult beetles are ½-inch long and metallic

green. Under the wing covers, their abdomen is purple. None flight times is from October to May they hatch during summer months, this is when they migrate generally within a few hundred feet a season but can travel up to a mile with favorable wind conditions.

How can you tell if your trees are infected with EAB? Woodpecker damage to live ash trees can be the first sign that a tree is infested. Removing the bark on an ash is another method to check for the beetles – they leave S-shaped channels weaving back and forth under the bark.

Ash can be treated with insecticides, but these chemicals may be harmful to other insects and to birds. Some studies have linked systemic insecticides to declines in

honeybee populations.

Is it unrealistic to think we can stop the spread of EAB in Maine?

It has already spread to 35 states and 4 Canadian provinces, and there’s little doubt it will expand here in Maine as well.

Purple Box Traps Have you seen those purple box traps hanging in trees as you drive around southern Maine during the summer? They are EAB traps. The deadly beetles are attracted to the color purple, and the traps are also baited with ash tree scent.

The purple traps are only in place during the EAB flight times in the summer; then they are collected and monitored.

This September, a single bug was found in a trap in Acton, and another was trapped in Lebanon. You might think this is not a big deal; however, most insects avoid the traps and lay their eggs.

In other words, thousands of trees could have been infected in these areas.

Studies show that EAB migrate on average of two miles per flight season, which is from June to September. That’s why traps are placed at that time.

Last Tree Standing How will this invasion affect you? Each person will be affected in different ways. Some will not even notice the decline of Maine ash trees, while others will be devastated.

Here is how it will affect me.

We live in my family homestead and have hand-written tax receipts (Continued on page 59) www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

Furs, Feathers and Fish Dominate Downeast Some top-hunting areas to pursue a December whitetail are located in Wildlife Management District (WMD 26) and can be found on the fringes of Bucksport, Penobscot and Castine. Deer in these towns have become so numerous that they are now considered major road hazards and an agricultural nuisance.

Speaking of deer becoming road hazards, my daughter, Lisa, got her first deer in October. She was driving on Route 15 in North Bucksport when an 8-point buck crossed the road.

Fortunately for her, the deer hit the passenger side of her car, leaving her uninjured; however, it caused quite a bit of damage. The 180-pound buck did not survive, and was given to her by the patrolman on duty.

Her husband picked up the deer, and it was cut up the next day.

I have learned that police respond to about six car/deer accidents each week in Bucksport.

Herds of Deer Farmland fields in West Penobscot, along Route 166, where I’ve seen two or three deer in past years are now sporting four, five and even six deer per field. This writer observed 20 deer within a four-mile range

My daughter, Lisa, got her first deer in October. At the time, she was driving on Route 15 in North Bucksport, when an 8-point buck tried to cross the road. There are six car/deer accidents a week on average in the area.

The author reports that farmland fields in West Penobscot along Route 166 sometimes contain four, five and even six deer. In fact, he saw 20 deer within a four-mile range along the road this fall.

while driving on this road during the fall. And the deer I sighted included an adult albino, and a smaller calico deer. Refer to Delorme’s Atlas, Map 15, A-2.

Fortunately, my friend and fellow hunter Ewen Farnum has given me permission to hunt on his woodlot in Castine.

Mr. Farnum scored a nice buck there last fall, so I will not bother him this November. However, if I don’t tag a buck in rifle season, I will be loading up my Thompson/Center, 50-caliber rifle and looking for a buck on his property in December.

This coastal area of WMD 27 contains hundreds of acres of hayfields, blueberry fields

and cultivated farmlands, with an ample amount of prime cover to sustain an ever-increasing deer herd. Top-hunting areas to pursue whitetails are found on the outskirts of Harrington or Addison, Map 25, D-4, 5.

Bunny Hunting Our Downeast coastal climate provides numerous days each December of above-freezing temperatures, which provides excellent scenting conditions for beagle.

Rabbit populations are on the rebound in our region. Hound hunters often report successful tales while hunting the cedar thickets and agriculture areas on Map 23.

The rabbit population seems to be rebounding

nicely in the Downeast Area. A good place for hound owners to load up on shells is in the Orland Region. The area surrounding the Cedar Swamp Road can ensure some fast, fur-flying challenges, Map 23, E-3. Several small streams feed this low-lying landscape, creating ideal habitat for a half-dozen bunnies or more. The boggy edges around the Cedar Swamp Road are a great place to release a pair of beagles.

Another well-populated rabbit cover lies off Route 175 in Orland. The Gilpin Road contains cedar bogs and evergreen covers where hounds often strike a fresh rabbit track in a matter of minutes, Map 23, E-3. Accord-

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ing to Stuart Grindle of Orland, rabbit sightings have been more numerous on his property than usual, and he predicts that hunters should see bunny action this winter.

Cast and Blast Another opportunity that keeps sports afield is partridge hunting.

Grouse season continues until December 31, 2018.

Gunners can find gravel-picking partridge by hunting along many of the country or camp roads in Hancock and Washington County. By traveling any of these country and camp roads, feather-hunters find locations where birds are still available.

An excellent choice to find grouse is located on the camp roads providing access to Halfmoon Pond, Map 22, E-5. Prospect resident Keith Kelley mentioned to me that he often sees quite a few road-side partridge while deer hunting in this area.

There are quite a few residents living in this area year-round, so use caution when trying to bring down a partridge.

Halfmoon Pond also attracts quite a few late-season fishermen.

Biologists have stocked Halfmoon with brook trout for years. According to avid Halfmoon Pond fisherman Myron Herbest of Bucksport, anglers only caught only a few of the 300 brookies stocked in the spring.

The Maine Fish Stocking Report, published by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W), shows that 350 13-inch and 25 (Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 59 (Continued from page 58)

19-inch trout were released into this pond in the fall of 2017. Should this stocking trend continue in the fall of 2018, a majority of those spring brookies and the newly-stocked fall trout should still be available

for December anglers.

This 41-foot deep, 176- acre pond provides prime habitat for trout to flourish. The most productive brook- trout spots lie near the inlet at the north end of the pond.

Another stretch that produces trout lies about halfway down the pond

Southern Maine (Continued from page 57)

dating back to 1779 framed and hanging on our walls. In my youth I played in the shade of a massive elm tree the towered over our home. Along with the elms were large beech and ash trees that protected us from the sun during summer and winds in the winter.

Dutch elm disease killed off our elms,

along the east shoreline.

Brook trout of 13 to 14 inches are the norm on this water; however, anglers occasionally catch some trophy trout.

The Southern Zone for freshwater-duck hunting extends until December 26, 2018. Blacks, mergansers and mallards

may still be feeding on Halfmoon until the ice forms. If weather conditions continue to be above normal, then freshwater duck hunters should have some exciting late-season gunning.

Feather hunters usually stick to the larger bodies of water at this

and then years later disease killed the beech. Only one mature ash remains.

The elms slowly came back from seedlings into large shade trees over the years, covering shade over my yard once again.

But a few years ago, disease again killed all my elms, along with many others in southern Maine.

Now only the large white ash remains.

It’s part of the history of our family. Have

time of year. By scanning DeLorme’s Map 23, camouflaged hunters can locate some larger bodies of water in the Coastal Zone for some exhilarating wing-shooting. Freshwater duck hunting ends here January 5, 2019.

¶

you ever considered the impact trees have on your lives?

At considerable cost, I have had to paint my home three times over the years due to sun damage and fading. We replaced our roof three times over the years, as well, due to excessive heat damage.

So consider how EAB may affect your home and pocketbook.

¶

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60 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

What’s My Fish?

Its markings and coloration – a kind of pale, fluorescent chartreuse – were something I’d never seen in a saltwater fish in Maine.

Back on September 23rd, I was casting a fourinch Tsunami Split-Tail Minnow (a soft-plastic lure) for striped bass in Boothbay Harbor’s Mill Cove.

I had just released a 19-incher, and on my next cast I got another hit, but this fish was smaller and seemed a bit more energetic.

I got it to the boat, but as I was bending down to grab it, it flipped off the lure. I immediately realized it wasn’t a striper, and that its coloration and markings were something I had never seen in a salt water fish in Maine – a kind of pale, fluorescent chartreuse. It looked a lot like a mackerel, maybe a little stockier, but the color and markings weren’t the same.

Coincidently, that evening when I got home, I opened an email from my good friend Capt. Bob Damrell of Westport.

The note read: “Marijke [Bob’s wife] caught this exotic species this morning off Southport.

Just broiled it, and found it to have a white meat, and not as oily as a mackerel. Any idea? Can’t find an exact match on the computer.”

Attached to his message was the photo that accompanies this article.

One Fish, Two Fish ….

Bingo! It appeared to be the same species of fish I had hooked earlier that day.

I broke out my reference books, but could not find any species that quite matched the photo. I then sent the photo down to a couple of knowledgeable buddies who run charter boats in southern Massachusetts. They both replied that they believed it was a juvenile bonito, and that there were lots of them around.

Well, I’m not convinced it’s a bonito. Yes, it appears to have longer jaws than a common mackerel, and a lot of tiny, needle-like teeth like a bonito, and apparently white meat like a bonito (mackerel flesh

is pink or red), but the markings aren’t bonito-like. A bonito has nearly-horizontal stripes running from its gills to the tail on the upper half of its body, but our mystery fish has 16 or so wide, vertical bars. A common or Atlantic mackerel, on the other hand, has 27 to 30 dark, wavy bars or bands, so it would have to be ruled out.

I researched the chub, frigate, and bullet mackerels, but all have the same wavy bands as the Atlantic mackerel. So far I haven’t been able to find anything that comes close. I suppose it’s possible that it is indeed a juvenile bonito whose markings change as it matures, but that would seem like kind of a long shot.

I’m stumped. If any readers can shed light on this, it would be much appreciated. I would really like to be able to identify the fish by its scientific (Latin) name if possible.

Email me at: barrygibson6@aol.com if you have caught one of these, or if you have any ideas as to the I.D. Thanks!

2018 Season Re-Cap The 2018 saltwater season is now behind us, and here are a few observations from my vantage point here in the MidCoast area.

Striper fishing started off reasonably strong in June, but numbers tended to taper off a bit as July turned into August.

Lots of 18- to 24-inchers,

www.MaineSportsman.com

Marijke Damrell of Georgetown caught this specimen off Southport Island in September. It’s not an Atlantic mackerel, and the author is having trouble identifying it.

Can readers help? Photo by Bob Damrell

but keepers were sometimes hard to come by, and many of them just barely made the 28-inch minimum size. Same story from a few guys I know that operate out of southern Maine. My own season’s catch was down 100 bass from 2017, but still decent.

Bluefish? I read reports of a few small blues taken, and a few bite-offs, again along the southwest coast, but nothing landed of any size.

Haddock fishing was off the charts on many of the offshore grounds. I received reports of loads of fish in the 17- to 23-inch range, and there were plenty caught on inshore grounds that hadn’t produced haddock in years,

if not decades.

Cod? Heading for extinction as the federal gummint predicts? Not hardly. Party and charter boats from Boothbay to Cape Cod reported loads of cod – and lots of big ones over 20 pounds – on all the major grounds including Plattes Bank, Jeffreys Ledge and Stellwagen Bank. On one trip I took, we caught lots of cod to 18 pounds, and I had to move twice to get away from them in order to target the haddock.

There was a prohibition on the retention of recreational cod all season long, and it may extend through 2019. Stay tuned.

(Continued on next page)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 61

Taking Full Advantage of Maine’s Trout Stocking Program We use tip-ups with light, 6-pound test leaders, and dace for bait, or we jig for trout with light-action jig rods.

When jigging, we usually tie on a small pink or orange spoon tipped with a minnow, nightcrawler or wax worm.

I do a lot of fishing year-round.

Most of the time I am after trout. They are a challenge to catch, and they taste good.

But I live in Central Maine, where we have a very limited wild trout population.

Therefore, my options for fish to target are bass, pike, panfish or other warm water species.

Stocking List Posted and Updated Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) posts its stocking list online (see maine.gov/ifw/ docs/current_stocking_ report.pdf).

According to Todd Langevin, Maine’s Superintendent of Hatcheries in Augusta, “The fish stocking report features daily updates from hatchery staff. Instead of hearing when and where the hatcheries have stocked well after the season has ended, anglers are now able to easily locate waters freshly-stocked with catchable trout.”

Waters are grouped by county, listed by town, and include the date of

stocking as well as the species, quantity, and size of fish released.

In other words, I can review the online stocking report and get a daily update on where trout have been stocked in my area. This I find helpful in the spring and fall.

In the spring, I can learn where fish have been stocked in open water, and go after them.

In the fall, I can get a good idea of where the good ice fishing will be based on the numbers of fish that were stocked in each area. (I guess you could fish for them to in the fall, but that’s hunting season for me. Also, you’ve got to be careful, since some places are closed to fall fishing, or are under a rule requiring that any fish caught must be released immediately.)

Follow the Stocking Truck, but Not Too Close I always prefer wild trout to stocked fish, but in order to get wild trout, I would have to travel a long ways. Therefore, the most productive local ac-

Saltwater Fishing (Continued from page 60)

Tuna, Sharks, Mackerel Bluefin tuna fishing was excellent, and several of my friends who fish in the General Category took over a dozen, from just-legal to over 100 inches. There were also some larger fish caught this season, many over 500 pounds and a few in the 700-pound range.

tivity for me is to fish for stocked fish.

Sometimes I experience very fast action right away, but usually you want to give newly-stocked fish three or four days to let them acclimate to their new home – sometimes it takes that long for them to me willing to take bait.

Last year I went ice fishing with a buddy at a place where there was an abundance of trout stocked.

We had steady action, and we were at our limit of trout in no time. They were easy to catch, and it was really fun.

Light Rigs and Sharp Hooks For gear, we used tipups with light, 6-pound test leaders, small, sharp hooks and the smallest minnows we can find.

We usually like dace – they are tough, and trout really seem to like them.

Trout are a lot of fun to catch on a light-action jig rod. When trying this method, we usually use a small pink or orange jigging spoon tipped with a minnow or sometimes

If the author doesn’t have time to get away from the Central Maine area in search of native trout, he checks out the online DIF&W stocking report, and goes where the fish are! As shown here, this approach works well for him.

nightcrawler or wax worm – but I don’t think it makes much of a difference.

So if you are experiencing slow fishing, then I recommend checking

I have not heard a lot about sharks, and don’t know whether it’s because everyone was targeting tuna, or the sharks were a bit scarce. I’ll investigate.

Mackerel were plentiful, and it was a banner season for squid for those that enjoy deep-fried calamari. However, the abundance of squid on the offshore grounds made for difficult tuna fishing, as in many areas the squiddies attacked live hooked baits (mackerel, whiting, herring, pogies) as soon

out the current year’s stocking report online on DIF&W’s website, where you’ve find daily-updated information about fish stocking.

¶

as they were deployed overboard – very frustrating.

So what’s going to happen in 2019? I’ll write down my predictions and offer them to Maine Sportsman readers over the next couple of months.

Regarding the accuracy of those predictions – to paraphrase the famous Billy Joel song, “I may be wrong, but for all you know I may be right!”

¶

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62 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

What it Takes to Hunt for Deer on Every Legal Day Once you’re in the woods, slow down and focus. Take some deep breaths. Absorb the forest through all your senses.

In Japan, they call it “forest bathing.” In Maine, we call it deer hunting.

As the 2018 deer season winds down, those of us with a tag still in our pocket are second-guessing ourselves. The deer herd is plentiful in many areas this year – but still no buck on the pole. Did we really spend enough time in the woods this fall? Did we think buying fancy new hunting gear could be a replacement for spending the necessary hours of effort?

Maybe we need to supplement the week at deer camp with some daily, non-vacation deer stalking.

A Daily Routine In my early years of deer hunting, I had an elderly aunt who bagged a deer nearly every fall.

Long after her mobility was limited by her age, she had venison in the freezer at the end of most hunting seasons.

Her secret was a fallen-in hay barn that had settled like a broken-down hen on property she owned with my uncle. The barn’s collapse was almost complete, but the hardwood beam and tenon construction had saved one corner from total failure.

That corner overlooked an old kitchen orchard, comprised of three overgrown apple trees – still bearing obscure varieties of antique pie apples 100 years after being planted.

Inside the remains of the barn, my aunt salvaged an old milking www.MaineSportsman.com

stool, and placed it near an empty window casing that provided a view of the apple trees and a steady rest for her open-sighted, lever-action carbine.

She waited there during legal hours in the late afternoon. Every day.

It was as much a part of her routine as having coffee in the morning.

If her car wasn’t parked in front of the dilapidated barn on any given November afternoon, it almost certainly meant she already had a deer hanging in the dooryard of her homeplace just a quarter-mile down the hill.

Longer Seasons and Busier Lives Back in those days, the “hunting season” for deer meant the November firearms season. Very few people bow-hunted or used muzzle-loaders – and even if they did, there was no separate designated seasons for those activities.

In 2018, if you hunt in an area open to the Expanded Archery Season, it is legal to pursue deer in Maine from September 8 to December 8. That’s a full three months, minus Sundays.

Hunting during each of those days would require a monumental degree of perseverance.

Very few of us lead lives so devoid of responsibilities to others that we could commit even a part of every single day for three months to the hunt-

ing gods.

And even committing to hunt on every day of the November firearm season would be a huge task. The 10-11 hours of legal shooting time available each day in November is a small window – one that is crowded with winter preparations, paid employment, family obligations and all the other distraction of life in the 21st Century.

But if what we’re doing now isn’t working, how can we fix this?

What would it take to get into the deer woods every day?

Here are some modest proposals: 1. Cut the travel time. We need a hunting spot in our backyard. If we can walk out the back door and be hunting in 10 minutes or less, it’s a hotspot. Even if there are fewer deer here than only a few miles away, taking a motor vehicle out of the equation simplifies things and saves time.

2. Use mornings as well as afternoons.

Storm fronts and quiet rainy stalking conditions don’t follow an afternoon schedule. Often, it’s the first hours of daylight rather than the last that will be most productive.

Plan the next day’s strategy the night before.

3. Be unpredictable. If we arrive at the same time every day, from the same direction, and sit in the same stand, in the same place, we are

Increase your chances of deer hunting success by getting into the woods as often as you can, making the most of whatever time you have, and focusing your attention fully on your surroundings. J. Andrews photo

exhibiting a pattern that deer can predict. If we play the wind on each approach, take a different stand, or stalk our prey instead of waiting in ambush, we increase our odds. And we make the hunt more enjoyable.

4. Use whatever time is available. It’s easy to say it’s not worth it when you only have 45 minutes or a half-hour to hunt. But it only takes a few seconds to shoot a deer. And even a halfhour in the woods can supply valuable information on recent deer movement. Are they hitting the apple trees after that wind yesterday? Where should I be tomorrow?

5. Leave the gear at home. We need a ri-

fle, a knife and not much else. Ten minutes from the back door means the freedom to leave all that survival paraphernalia, electronic communications equipment and GPS technology at home.

6. Focus and slow down. Some days will be a bust – we’ll be thinking about work or family and barely register the woods we are stumbling through. But if we practice every day, we can learn to set those things aside for just an hour.

Take some deep breaths, let some things go – in Japan they call it “forest bathing” – taking in the forest through all your senses. In Maine we call it deer hunting.

¶

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 63

Life Lessons from the Deer Woods – Part 2

There are many things I’ve learned over the Octobers and Novembers that are quite simple and inarguable: wild animals are insanely tough creatures and deserve respect; peeing into the wind is a bad idea; .30-06 ammo doesn’t fit into a rifle chambered for .270; just because a deer walked across thin ice without breaking through doesn’t mean that I can; and there’s no better church pew than a stump in the middle of nowhere.

There are other things learned in the deer woods, though, that are applicable and lend a guiding hand to matters all across the beautiful spectrum of life. #1: Don’t Sweat the Little Things As in life, when tracking a deer, it is easy to overthink things, such as the direction of the wind, or whether to leave the track or stay on it. Sometimes you’ve just got to do it and let whatever’s going to happen, happen.

It is so easy to beat yourself up over minor mistakes. If you are mentally cursing yourself out for snapping a twig when pussyfooting up on a bedded buck, then you are distracted from having your senses heightened at the most crucial moment. Twigs snap all the time for all kinds of reasons (e.g., wind, cold, moose). Even if it does jump the deer up, getting mad about a simple mistake it is only going to cause you to lose your focus, thereby decreasing your chances of catching the buck looking back at you within a couple hun-

It’s better to be lucky than good. At times I’ve employed painstaking effort, technique, and strategy, without any antlers to show for it. Other times, I’ve floundered through the woods like a bumbling idiot, and walked right up on a deer. When it is meant to happen, even a simpleton like me can’t screw it up.

This 8-point taken by the author exemplifies all three lessons. After an exhausting eight mile hike without cutting a track, he drove home, but once in the driveway decided to not let the last two hours of daylight go to waste. He picked the closest big woods he could think of, double-timed it up the mountain, and cut a reasonably fresh track. With waning daylight, he employed no skill or tact, just a carelessly loud, quick pace. After walking briskly through three beds, the author caught the buck slowly loping away from a fourth. A few lucky branch-blasting shots later, the buck was down with about 20 minutes of light left.

dred yards.

When moving a few months ago, my wife and I had everything packed up and in the vehicles with the exceptions of a couple of guns and my antelope skull, which sits on a large cactus-and-sage habitat base.

I brought the guns out to the truck, and when I turned around, I saw my

wife had come outside.

She had her hands on her cheeks, trembling. She just looked at me petrified and said softly, “I’m soooo sorry, honey!”

I knew instantly what had happened. Though she acted like she just gotten a phone call bringing news of a dead relative, she, in fact, had just picked up the antelope

taxidermy base, forgetting that the skull was just sitting there, not fixed to it at all. When she swung the base around, the skull came tumbling off, shattering into at least a hundred pieces on the floor.

It was terribly upsetting, given what that father/son Wyoming hunt had meant to me, but it

was a mere accident—I could have done it myself. Letting that emotion get the best of me, and expressing it outwardly and onto her, would only make matters worse. I also knew that as terrible as I felt about it, I could see in her face that she probably felt worse.

I just wrapped her in a hug and told her, “It’s okay. I’m not mad. I was just an accident. I love you.”

(I may have added that she would just have to get me another antelope hunt for my birthday, though. However, my birthday came and went…still waiting….) #2: It’s Okay to Not Know Everything In my life as a teacher and academic, I’ve always tried my best to learn everything I could. I am a curious person, and I hate having to admit to an inquirer that I simply don’t know the answer.

I’ve found that this philosophy in the deer woods can be troublesome, though.

Needing to know what lies beyond the top of that next hill or on the other side of that swamp has gotten me into some gnarly situations and well-distracted from my game pursuits.

I’ve also found that while tracking a deer, though it is beneficial to figure out its habits and behaviors, there comes a point where the studying and contemplating becomes too time-consuming or moot.

For example, after wasting hours trying to figure out what happened (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

64 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

New Hampshire (Continued from page 63)

in a mess of tracks, and only making myself dizzy and frustrated, I’ve started to just circle those areas in wider and wider sweeps until I find where the buck’s track (or any big, fresh one) comes out.

It takes less time and causes less of a headache.

“Get what you need and get away from there” is a practical philosophy for these cases.

The past couple months I have distanced myself from the news – specifically, political news. For years I have been borderline-obsessed with politics and its inner workings.

I used my job as a history teacher as an excuse to read the latest news a half-dozen times a day. I found myself feeling the same way I do in an area of all-night group deer feeding – the more I tried to figure out, the less I

understood—and the angrier and more distracted I got.

Now I wait for outcomes, read just what I need to stay lightly informed, and get out. I am much more focused and happier for it. Ignorance is bliss. #3: It’s Better to be Lucky than Good This one is quite simple. For all the time I’ve spent honing my skills (target shooting, navigating, exercising, and reading books from “experts”) in anticipation of that one fleeting moment of hardearned success, it has been happily squandered by a few sporadic moments of sheer luck. I’ve had hunt after hunt, year after year of long hours, tired legs and hungry stomachs, being painstakingly aware of effort, technique, and strategy—without any antlers

Welcome to

Northern New Hampshire

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Brian Emerson took this beautiful 8-point buck with his long bow on the next to last day of the late bow season in NH. He planned on moving his stand to a new location that day, but after getting out of work late, he had to leave it where it was ... twelve yards away from where this buck walked by. “I’ll take being lucky over being good any day!”

to show for it.

Then I’ve had a few hours where I couldn’t get out of my own way floundering around like a bumbling idiot, or walking as fast as I could with my head down thinking about God-only-knowswhat—and stumbled onto a suicidal deer wearing a lead-magnetizing

hide around its vitals.

I’ve scientifically determined that when it’s not meant to be, there’s no Benoit secret or Annie Oakley shot that can make it happen. And when it is meant to happen, even a simpleton like me can’t screw it up.

The only sure thing one can do to help them-

selves is to make sure they are out there, allowing luck to hit them square in the face. As my dad has said to me many times, “You aren’t going to shoot a deer sitting in here on the couch. Get up and get out there.”

¶

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 65

Smilin’

Sportsman Accompanied by her next-door neighbor, a wife went to the police station to report that her husband was missing.

The policeman asked for a description.

She said, “He’s 35 years old, 6 feet 4, has dark eyes, dark wavy hair, an athletic build, weighs 185 pounds, is soft-spoken, and dotes on me day and night.”

The next-door neighbor protested, “Your husband is 5 feet 4, chubby, bald, has a big mouth, and spends all his time hunting and fishing!”

The wife replied, “Yes, but who wants HIM back?”

••••••••••••••••••• I mentioned to my wife that she was coloring in her eyebrows too high.

She looked surprised!

•••••••••••••••••••

Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com

Q: What do you get when you play a country song backwards?

A: You get your dog back, your spouse back, your house back, and you sober up.

••••••••••••••••••• Two old hunters were playing cribbage.

“You know,” said one, “you’ve been my friend for 40 years, and I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve completely forgotten your name!”

“Ummm,” replied his buddy thoughtfully. Then, after a minute of silence, he added, “How soon do you need to know?”

••••••••••••••••••• Zeke: What’s claustrophobia?

Luke: Fear of closed places.

Zeke: Then I have claustrophobia!

Luke: Why do you say that?

Zeke: Well, I’m headed down to the corner market for beer, and I’m afraid it’s closed!

The Smilin' Sportsman Youth Edition Kids! Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com.

A skeleton walked into a bar.

“Give me a tall beer,” he said to the bartender, “and a mop.”

••••••••••••••••••• A dog went to a telegram office, took out a blank form and wrote: “Woof. Woof. Woof.

Woof. Woof.”

The clerk examined the paper and politely told the dog, “There are only five words here.

You could send another ‘Woof’ for the same price.”

“But,” the dog replied, “that would make no sense at all!”

••••••••••••••••••• A kid walked over to a cop standing by his K-9 car.

“Is that a dog in the back seat?” the kid asked the cop.

“Sure is,” replied the cop.

“Gee,” asked the kid, “what did he do?”

••••••••••••••••••• Luke was complaining about getting caught in one of those new-fangled speed traps.

“In today’s mail,” he complained to Zeke, “I got a letter with a photograph of myself driving fast in Massachusetts. The letter said I owed $50 for speeding.”

“So what did you do?” asked Zeke.

“I got a $50 bill, took a photo of it, and sent them the photo!”

•••••••••••••••••••

Internet tip of the day: If you get a “friend” request from Hormel Foods, do not accept it – it might be SPAM!

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66 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

A Well-Earned Award Dana Johnson, a former president of the Maine Trappers Association and the state’s leader of trapper education, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, at the 2018 Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine banquet.

The award was given in recognition of Johnson’s lifetime of trapping, hunting and fishing, and for his role as cooperator with IF&W for the development of the Federal Incidental Take Plan for the Canadian Lynx.

Dana was the primary developer of the lynx exclusion device, and worked with IF&W to finalize the design and test the devices. This effort has enabled trappers to continue to trap fisher and marten, while protecting the lynx from incidental capture.

Dana was also involved with trap-testing with the North American Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ program of the Best Management Practices (BMPs) for trapping. The BMP program reflects international efforts to demonstrate to the public that trapping is a highly regulated activity, humane, and benefits society.

Well done, Dana!

Winter Trapping for Canines and Felines The snow and cold of winter makes the harvest of furbearers much more difficult than trapping under fairer conditions.

The freezing temperatures and snow affects the operation of traps in many ways.

The bedding of traps in freezing conditions involves trying to keep www.MaineSportsman.com

If you are setting traps in the snow for coyotes, look for active deer runs, and then find an obstacle that’s low across the trail. Any place where the deer are jumping over an object (such as a blow down tree) and the coyotes are going under, that’s the location you want for your coyote trap – directly under the obstacle. the trap stable and operational. If the trap is to be bedded solid in the ground, several different methods maybe utilized to prevent it from freezing in place. If a trap is frozen down, it operates efficiently or not at all.

Once a bed is dug for the trap, a layer of material is needed to effectively bed the trap. Various materials are used, such as waxed dirt or dry dirt with some calcium chloride applied to keep it from freezing.

Also freezing down of a traps pan is possible, which would prevent the trap from firing if the covering material is allowed to get under it.

Several things may be used under the pan so that it does not happen, including fiberglass insulation, poly-fill, buckwheat hulls or peat moss.

Covering the Trap Once the trap is bedded, the trap is covered with the same material, such as the waxed dirt or sifted dirt with calcium chloride. Most trappers use a pan cover of wax paper before cover material is placed over the trap.

The last thing needed is a very thin layer of natural ground cover applied, if the ground is bare. If repeated freezing and thawing is expected, some trappers may spray a light mixture of water and glycol or glycerin over a trap that is bedded on the ground (where there is no snow) to prevent of the trap freezing

in the ground and to keep the covering material unfrozen.

Setting the Trap in Snow If the snow has any depth to it and the temperature are expected to stay well below freezing, then a trap set in snow is possible. If coyotes are to be trapped, one would look for deer runs that they are traveling on.

Any place that the deer are going over an object (such as a blow down tree) and the coyotes are going under is what you want.

Here’s the mini canoe paddle used by the author as a snow spoon, for digging cubbies or tamping down the snow’s surface when setting traps under the snow. In the past, some trappers decorated their snow paddles and checkered the handles like gun stocks to aid in gripping the paddles. Miller photo

The trap is placed under the object to prevent the deer from springing the trap.

A handmade tool called a snow spoon is used to bed or place the trap under a layer of snow in the track of the coyotes. This tool is similar to a miniature canoe paddle (which I now actually use) with a thin outline similar to a dished British Cricket paddle.

Back when trapping was done all winter long, many trappers in the North Country had, hand fashioned well embellished snow spoons for this purpose.

An ideal trap for this type of trapping is the #3 and #4 jump traps or a double long spring of the same size, if that size can be legally used. They are better suited to this type of trapping, because of the simple spring assemblies, whereas the coil spring traps have a tenancy to freeze down easier.

The important thing to remember here is that the temperature must remain cold, without freezing and thawing. This is so the snow does not form a crust.

The trapper must stay off to one side and out of the deer run so as not to disturb the run.

The snow spoon is used to pat down a trap bed or is inserted into deep snow under the canine tracks and wiggled around to form a pocket into which

the trap is placed. This is accomplished by placing the trap on top of the paddle and sliding it into the formed snow pocket.

The trap chain and drag are thrown off to the side and covered with snow using the spoon. No bait or lure needs to be used in the run sets.

Cubbie Set If a cubbie set were made in snow (especially for cats), a bait would be used along with a good strong lure to entice them to the front of the cubbie where a trap would await them.

If the weather stays cold and stable, the trap does not need to be in a pocket under the snows surface. The snow spoon is used to pat down a snug trap bed in the snow to stabilize the trap and to dust snow over the trap.

The trick to setting traps in deep snow is to ensure that the trap and the snow spoon are the same temperature as the environment. Using equipment at the existing temperature prevents freezing of the snow (causing it to crust). Finally, the spoon is used to complete the set by brushing out your sign around the set. As long as the weather stays below freezing, you will take some fur.

Making a Snow Spoon When you’re planning to trap in the snow, it’s worthwhile to make your own snow spoon.

As described above, such a spoon has a number of uses.

To make a snow spoon, select a piece of soft wood about three feet long and about a one foot (Continued on page 69)

�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 67

— Guest Column —

by Alan Haley, Skowhegan

Loony on the Lake After scouting sites to establish a new tent camp for hunting, the five of us guides slept on the beach by the fire under October’s northern lights. Then, before dawn, we awoke to hear a haunting noise – the distant, eerie, echoing sound of an animal calling. “Keep the Thompson handy,” I whispered to Rick.

In the early 1980s, North Maine was consumed with the “Big A,” a proposal by Great Northern Paper for a huge hydroelectric dam.

Building the dam would flood out the very best whitewater on the West Branch, so Wayne Hockmeyer, along with several other outfitters on the river, mounted a substantial opposition that eventually involved both state and national organizations.

In 1985, Wayne brokered a deal with GNP in which they would put rafting water in the “dryway” in exchange for him dropping his opposition to the dam. The Dryway is a section of the West Branch with no significant water in it. All the water is diverted at Ripogenus dam into underground tunnels to the McKay Hydroelectric station, three-quarters of a mile downstream.

It is very hard to get a clear idea of what a section of whitewater will look like until it’s actually run, so before the deal could be finalized, we had to see if it was commercially viable. Although we had run it years before when the sluice gates at Ripogenus had been opened in a flood, none of us could really remember what exactly it had been like.

The obvious answer was to try it out again, but there was so much paperwork and legal understandings, and an aura of secrecy to maintain, it seemed the planning of

a Dryway run could never begin. Running it on a weekday in August would have been the best choice, but it was well into October before Wayne could even get close to finalizing a deal with Great Northern Paper.

The guides’ concern in October was the fall deer hunt. Rafting anything, least of all a one-mile section of a killer river, was the last thing anyone wanted to wrap up the season with.

Establishing a New Hunting Camp That year we had decided to set up a new tent camp on the shore of Caucomgomoc Lake, and we needed to get it situated well before the November hunt began. Charlie had been running one near Loon Cove, but the lake was large enough to accommodate another.

As all of the hunting out of these camps was done on foot, we had no worry of crowding each other’s territory. The only uncertainty was exactly where to put the camp.

Caucomgomoc is a very large lake, but much of it would not be suitable for a deer camp.

We decided the five of us would go up with a raft and motor, find and develop a site, and scout out the countryside. Wayne was having a big meeting with the Northern, and could not go with us.

Wayne the Pain Although there was something attractive about Wayne’s personality, having him around on

a trip like this was a major pain in the buttocks.

He hated manual labor, could not organize anything, and frequently got sidetracked on last-minute, time-consuming whims that caused the required work to be done in the middle of the night.

If Wayne were to spot an appealing deer topography on the way to the lake, the whole project would be put on hold while he led a scouting expedition.

We arrived at Caucomgomoc Landing early in the morning, and by nightfall we had Charlie’s tent camp on the far side of the lake set up and ready to go. The next day, we started down the lake looking for an additional camp site.

Caucomgomoc had been the center of logging for over a century, so much of its shoreline was either recently cut over or covered with identical growth. Putting a remote deer camp in an area dominated by one type of growth is inviting disaster.

When weather conditions change, feed changes. An area thick with deer on one day could be empty the next if certain weather conditions developed.

Although most hunters who booked these camps were in good physical shape, nobody likes to hike for miles to go hunting in the morning.

We had to be careful in our choice of area, and used the entire day to explore the north shore.

Author Alan Haley (left) and Rick Thompson, breaking camp in 1985 at Roll Dam on the West Branch of the Penobscot River. “Rick was one of the more observant hunting guides I ever knew,” Haley told The Sportsman.

“He rarely spoke more than 50 words a day, which made him an excellent partner in the north woods.”

By late afternoon, we had moved to the south shore and had located a promising site. Although we did not have time before darkness fell to scout the area, it seemed reasonable to chance putting up a wall tent and staying the night.

Cold weather in Maine does not really come till late November.

October has always been a woodsman’s month to travel and explore. There are no bugs, no extreme heat, usually plenty of water to travel on and no need of real cold-weather gear. This day had been particularly warm. So much so that we decided to eat and sleep on the shore of the lake.

Sublime Beauty One of the downsides of being a professional guide is an acceptance and hardening of sensibility towards those very values and experiences that made the profession desirable to begin with.

The sublime beauty and pristine moments become

more a part of the job, something expected. The sounds and smells of a forest world, its dramatic landscapes and mysterious forces become part of the normal, part of the day’s work.

Yet inside that October night, it was hard to ignore what lay around us – a fire on the beach of a still northern lake and a slight moon that gave just enough light to distinguish mountains from sky and islands from shore.

There was a slight autumn breath moving through the forest, chill enough to warrant sitting near the blaze but not enough to make anything uncomfortable. Above it all, leaping and soaring into the sky, came the Northern Lights – cold white and blue shimmering sky crystals of a planet spinning through the void. We were transfixed in a cone-shaped universe that started at that fire and expanded (Continued on page 69) www.MaineSportsman.com

68 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

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

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HOLLIS - 35 ACRES GREAT HUNTING Gated Property, Private Gravel Rd. nearly surrounded by State-owned land with 435’ on beautiful Killick Pond. Fish, hunt, or watch wildlife, ATV/Snowmobile Trails abound! 35 minutes to Portland, 25 minutes to I-95. Single floor living, over XL 2-bay heated garage. Open concept kitchen/dining area with cozy living area. 2 Bedrooms, full bath, large living room that could be used as bedroom. Additional 1500 sq ft industrial size garage.

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�������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2018 • 69

Trapping the Silent Places (Continued from page 66)

wide. Cut a spoon handle of about a foot (or

Loony on the Lake (Continued from page 67)

upward and out.

We were more than just travelers watching the attraction, more than outsiders searching for meaning, we were part of it all that night. Five of us who really did not know the meanings of each other, did not really ever take the time to truly ask how each of us was or where each of us wanted to go.

We talked, as men mostly don’t. Nothing said in particular but everything in specific. Embarrassing, sad, funny and profound thoughts that would ever afterward remain on that beach under that night sky.

And finally each of us, by the measurement of his own time, quietly lay back, pulled up a blanket or sleeping bag, and slept inside a dream.

longer) on the piece of wood. If desired, one can checker the handle area like a gunstock so that it will not be slippery when handled.

Cut the other end to the shape of a spoon by rounding the bottom and dishing the top.

Heat the spoon until very hot (do not

burn), and then dip into hot trap wax. Waxing prevents it from getting wet or snow sticking to it.

A couple of coats of polyurethane may also be used in place of wax.

A Distant Animal Calls Rick was always very aware of everything around him, but rarely spoke. When he did, it was best to listen. A calling on the lake awoke him before dawn.

He shook me awake and whispered to listen. Way out on the lake, muffled by a thick mist, was a bird calling. It was so mournful; so lonely. It seemed to quietly echo against the shoreline, though it was subtle enough that it might have been only echoing in our minds.

“It’s beautiful, Rick,” I said.

“Never heard that b’fore,” he responded.

“It’s somethin’ strange.”

I reminded Rick that there was a large loon population on the lake, but he did not believe it. “You ever hear loons crying this early in a fog?” Loons do not talk much in complete darkness, and they rarely cry in the hours before dawn.

“Sounds jus’ like it’s calling you!”

Sure enough, if you listened closely, it sounded like some animal was crying “Aaaaaaalan …. aaaaAAAAlan!”

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Mystery Solved A chill went up my spine. “Rick, you’re freaking me out,” I said. “Keep the Thompson handy and go back to sleep.” Rick always carried a Thompson single shot pistol with a shotgun barrel. It was just the right tool for killing zombie creatures.

We all awoke shortly after daybreak and started cooking breakfast.

At the same time, six miles up the lake at the boat landing, Wayne was shouting into a forest ranger’s radio, instructing his wife Susie: “Call Great Northern and cancel the Dryway trip. I been out on the lake shouting all night long, and can’t find those damn guides anywhere!”

¶

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RANGELEY - SNOWMOBILE, fish, play cards from this sweet 2 bedroom cottage that abuts conservation lands.

Many updates with all new kitchen, Rinnai heater, 1/2 bath. Enjoy Rangeley Lake views, deer and wildlife galore in your yard. Super location just minutes to town witheasy sled-trail access, walk to Hunter Cove boat launch, golf at Mingo Springs. Nice spot for full time or vacation home. $148,500 TOOTHAKER ISLAND - 5 PRIVATE ACRES with unlimited peace and quiet!! Super opportunity to own a piece of paradise with 236’ frontage on Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Wooded and level parcel offers plenty of space to build your camp, enjoy the elevated lake and mountain vistas, low plantation taxes. Property surveyed and soils tested. RELAX it’s Island time! $195,000 - Offers considered DALLAS PLT - SPARKLING LOG SIDED CHALET ready for your immediate enjoyment! Tucked away off the beaten path, this 3 bedroom home offers cozy sunfilled living spaces, knotty pine interior throughout, wrap-around deck plus spacious rear deck perfect for entertaining and relaxing. If you’re looking for a PRIVATE and QUIET spot to hang your hat, this is the place for you! Fully year-round, low plantation taxes, striking distance to Saddleback Mt. Beautiful location. $174,900

Rumford - Look no further than this fifty acres in an incredible private country setting with stunning views of local mountains all the way to New Hampshire and Mt Washington. This lot is set up with a driveway, power and is ready for the next step. If you’re looking for that once in a lifetime building site here it is...! And it’s only 8 miles from Sunday River & The Bethel Village. $125,000. MLS # 1369414

New Vineyard - 25.9 acres with 953’ of road frontage, mostly wooded with a nice cleared field. The lot has plenty of large pine and hardwood plus is very flat with some stonewalls and access to ITS trail and ATV trails. Owner has a small camp/shed on property so it’s ready for the next step. MLS #1360567. $49,500

Peru - 59.3 surveyed acres walking distance to Worthley Pond.This lot offers 231’ of paved town maintained rod frontage plus your own water frontage on Worthley and Thomas Brooks come see why this is great spot for your own private resort and get away. $69,900. MLS #1363508 Carthage - Exceptional building lot with southerly exposure and incredible sunset views. This lot is located in ATV and snowmobile friendly community and it’s only 2 miles from Mt Blue State Park & The Webb Beach camping which has a beautiful sandy public beach,boat launch and shower rooms...come enjoy the hiking,biking and all the recreation opportunity’s the Western mountains have to offer. $39,500.

MLS #1358742 Bethel King Lot - This land boasts exceptional development potential or enjoy the vast land with your friends and family, excellent road infrastrucure and beautiful views of local ski areas. 1356 acres offered at $1,250,000. MLS #1335965 Weld - Looking for a remote spot for your cabin or camper? Here it is! 8 acres with easy access, nice view right in the heart of the Western Mnts, a few miles to Mt. Blue State Park & Webb Lake. $18,500. MLS #1282348 Woodstock - An absolute dream come true! 97 acres near Sunday River. This property has nice brook meandering through the lower portion of the property and a series of old roads and trails will lead up to spectacular views from Mollyockett Mountain in Woodstock. Come enjoy all the seasons and activates Maine has to offer! $69,900.

MLS #1326728 North Rumford - Very private 17 acres with great brook frontage and a common area on Meadow Pond located deep in the Western Mountains. $32,000. MLS #1269352

NEW 14’ X 36’ CAMP with 6’ screened porch. Located on 4.18 acres with direct access to ATV and snowmobile trails from your property, plus you’re in the heart of Maine’s recreational area! $28,900

Near Bethel in Albany Township - This 40 acre lot has several hidden building site well off the paved road with beautiful Southeasterly views. Some areas would make great spot for passive solar cabin. The Crooked River meanders on through the lot for great wildlife watching. Only 7 miles from downtown Bethel. $45,000. MLS #1325975 Carthage - Excellent building lots w/ easy access to ATV and snowmobile trails. All lots surveyed and have driveways into building site. Ready for your new cabin in the woods? Then come check em’ out. $26,500. MLS #1205057 Phillips 40 Acres - Set up your camper next to the fire pit while you pick your building site. This 40 acre lot offers privacy, views and a wonderful babbling brook an acre or so of nice field with some small planted trees. $54,900. MLS #1309063 Rumford - 347 acres with unique road systems that will lead to pinnacles and peaks with views of the Mountain Valley and Swift River Valley and beyond. This parcel also has frontage on Goff Brook along with frontage on a no name Brook. The recreation opportunities are endless with great hunting, ATVing, snowmobiling, hiking, skiing and all the other great activities available in the Western Mountains of Maine. $225,500. MLS #1369627 Roxbury - If you have been waiting for the right time and the right lot then here is the one spectacular views of mountains and valley. Large 26 acre lot on a private association road. 10 acre common area for all lot owners. All lots have protective covenants to insure investment and privacy. $69,500. MLS #1205455 Albany Twp - Excellent 6.8 acres on the Crooked River. Surveyed and soils tested.

What a great spot for your cabin in the woods! $27,500. MLS #1372779

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MAGALLOWAY PLT #428 - Remote, gated, renovated waterfront log camp on Big Beaver Pond. Hunt, fish, snowmobile, access to Richardson Lake. Land is a lease. $275,000 List # 136 102 167 107 103 192 115 170 768 137 694 683 592 197 199

Amenities Easy road access, Industry Garage, slab, Phillips Driveway, power, New Portland Brook, driveway, Farmington Corner lot, near hunting, Rangeley Near Saddleback, Dallas PLT Trail access, Rangeley Near hunting, well, Rangeley Views of Dodge Pond, Rangeley Near hunting, Rangeley PLT On Nile Brook, Rangeley Sandy River Plt., trails Small camp, Anson Long road front, Oquossoc Roads, power, Jay

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One of a kind property in the North Maine Woods. Enjoy 40 acres of solitude with 672 feet of frontage on Black Brook Pond. Fish for brook trout right from your own doorstep or just enjoy the lakefront view. Come see this nice 2 bedroom camp and imagine the possibilities. MLS# 1333203 - $149,000 SOLON - A work in progress! Part of this camp was originally an old school house, which was taken down to framing and then rebuilt with 2 additions and completed with log siding. New windows and doors, shingled roof and new posts on concrete pads are great benefits. Circuit breaker and dug well ready to be hooked up. Lots of inside storage potential as well as an outside shed for storage. Immediate access to ITS trail from your door. Bring your tools, ideas and finish this beauty to your liking. MLS #1351048 - $49,900 - ALSO SEE MLS# 1357522. YOU CAN PURCHASE BOTH PROPERTIES, FOR A TOTAL OF 2 CAMPS, FOR JUST $99,900. WOW! WELLINGTON - MOOSE AND BROOK TROUT! Nice, off-the-grid cabin on 21 acres with spectacular view and over 1,000 feet of frontage on Wellington Bog (Higgins Stream).

Enjoy fantastic hunting and cast to brook trout from your own property. This cabin has gas lights, gas refrigerator and range, and large sleeping area. Kingsbury road also serves as an ATV trail and snowmobile access is close by. Also enjoy easy access to Kingsbury Pond. If you are looking for your own private, slice of heaven, this is it! MLS# 1323247 - $59,000 SKOWHEGAN - Mostly wooded 12.45 acre parcel with frontage on the Oak Pond Road, just a few short minutes from Skowhegan or Canaan. Currently in tree growth for tax purposes. (Hb178) MLS# 1064957 - $27,000 WELLINGTON - Well-wooded 42 acre lot on an old county road in Wellington. Enjoy plenty of peace and quiet. Great place to hunt or build your secluded cabin in the woods on a nice southeast facing slope. ATV and snowmobile access nearby. Possible timber investment. Come have a look. MLS# 1348521 - $39,900 RIPLEY - Here is a nice, well-wooded lot located out in the country yet only a few minutes from town. Great place to build your dream home, vacation retreat, or hunting cabin. Easy access off Route 154 with power at the road. This parcel also has the benefit of a ROW on an old woods road at the back of the property. MLS# 1340777 - $19,000 WELLINGTON - Hunter’s paradise! A whopping 580 acres of land – a rare fine. There is a gravel pit within the property and frontage on both Higgins Stream and Buzzell Brook.

Property offers 3 miles of interior roads. This is truly a piece of Maine’s beautiful outdoors and waiting for you to come and explore! MLS# 1369861 - $580,000 SOLON - Nice parcel of approximately 118 acres on U.S. Route 201. Great place for a house or camp. Enjoy the area with the Kennebec River close at hand. Hunt, fish or snowmobile from this location. Entrance driveway already existing. (Hb355) MLS# 1097927 - $105,000 HARTLAND - Approximately 212.14 acres with about 1600 feet frontage on a brook.

Town maintained road. Driveway already existing. Power and phone at road. ATV trail on property. Currently in tree growth for tax purposes. (Sa014) MLS# 1100933 - $99,000

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Lincoln - Nice 1.77/2.78 acre lots with 240’+/- of frontage, driveway in, electricity available and owner financing. Enjoy 800 acres of water to play on and snowmobile trails for winter fun on Long Pond. $89,000 Reduced to $59,900

Lakeville - Large lot offers privacy and is on a large cold water lake. Lot has great waterfront, is improved with a driveway, and has a breath taking view. Enjoy the outdoor sports at this one of a kind property on Sysladobsis Lake. $240,000

Mattamiscontis - Nice 1.7+/- acre lot.

Located on a year round road not far from I-95 or downtown Lincoln. Enjoy fishing, hunting, and paddling on the Penobscot River. $16,000

Lincoln - Large rolling lakefront lot has driveway in. Sandy bottom swimming, large pine and hemlock for shade, electricity at the road, and end of the road privacy! Come take a look today to fulfill your lake front dreams on Long Pond! $68,900

Lincoln - Lakefront lot has electricity available at the road and driveway installed so you are ready to set up.

Owner financing for qualified buyers means no more excuses. It is time for you to start enjoying Long Pond today. $64,900

Chester - This 10 plus acre lot has a driveway installed to a nice knoll on the river. Several additional acres behind the cabin site provide lots of privacy and diverse habitat for wildlife on Penobscot River. $27,900

Lincoln - This inexpensive lot is one of the few left in this attractive development just a couple miles from town. Buy this lot to build your home on or as an investment right on Center Pond Drive. Motivated Seller wants to look at offers. $8,000 Lincoln - Sellers have priced this property to move AS-IS. Previously used for a mobile home: well, septic, electric, driveway, and gravel pad. Lots of cleanup needed.

You can make this into a great investment on Bagley Mt. Road. $14,900 Lincoln - Wooded 5.58 acre lot, rock walls, driveway already in, Big Narrows public boat landing just up the road, electricity available, year round access with 352’ along Stanhope Mill Road. $29,500 Lincoln - Nice lot in a great neighborhood.

Has driveway and some clearing. Within walking distance to hospital and close to shopping. Easy lot to work with on Penobscot Valley Avenue. $24,000

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

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72 • December 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������

The Ultimate Outdoor Gift Guide Give the gift of time spent outdoors to all the sportsmen and women on your list. We’ll be happy to help.

VISIT OUR HUNTING & FISHING STORE, OPEN 24/7 IN FREEPORT, MAINE

1

MAINE GUIDE SHIRT WITH PRIMALOFT Tightly woven of premium wool with nylon for durability and an extra-warm lining

4

RIDGE RUNNER HUNTING BOOTS Waterproof and insulated to keep toes warm all the way to -30°

BUCKSKIN CHOPPER MITTS Traditional double-layer style resists wind, water & wear

WE BUY & TRADE USED LONG GUNS

Check out our extensive selection of new and used long guns firsthand Available from over two dozen manufacturers We can special order firearms, ammunition, optics and more

with purchase of $50 or more*

3

WATERFOWL SWEATER VEST Naturally water-repellent merino wool is perfect for raw, wet conditions

6 5

FREE $10 GIFT CARD

2

MAINE WARDEN DAY PACK Designed with the help of Maine State Game Wardens, it’s the same one they carry

CONTACT OUR FIREARMS EXPERTS AT USEDGUNS@LLBEAN.COM OR CALL 207.552.7728

L.L.BEAN PATHFINDER LED CAP Hands-free lighting for those predawn hours

CAN'T MAKE IT TO FREEPORT? FIND MORE GIFT IDEAS AT

LLBEAN.COM

when you shop by December 24. *One (1) $10 promotional gift card will be provided for orders of $50 or more until 11:59 p.m. ET, December 24, 2018, while supplies last. Limit one card per customer per 24-hour period. To qualify, orders must total $50 or more before any discounts, taxes, shipping, oversized delivery or duty charges are applied. Gift card purchases, exchanges, return labels and orders placed at our outlets or through our global.llbean.com and www.llbean.ca websites, L.L.Bean for Business or Japan Business offices do not qualify. Promotional gift cards received from phone or online orders are redeemable upon receipt; those received at our stores are redeemable 24 hours after receipt. Promotional gift cards will be valid on future L.L.Bean merchandise purchases in US dollars until 11:59 p.m. ET, February 6, 2019. Cards cannot be redeemed on the original qualifying order. For complete details, please visit llbean.com/promocard.

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