The Maine Sportsman December 2020 Digital Edition

Sportsman The Maine

December 2020 • $4.99

Muzzleloader Season!

Pages 20, 39, 51, 66, 67, 71

Biggest Bears Photo Gallery Page 31

Ice Fishing Preview Page 32

Get Ready for Snowmobiling!

Page 35

Plus LOTS More!

2 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————

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— The Maine Sportsman’s Featured Sporting Camp —

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 2021 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.

Call to book your stay at Matagamon, 207-446-4635.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

4 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

Maine’s Hunters and Trappers – the “Real” Conservationists Who among us hasn’t heard some variation the following theme: “You hunters and trappers are just taking resources from nature – why can’t you be conservationists, instead?”

As DIF&W recently reminded us in a post from Lauren McPherson, our state’s outdoorsmen and -women are the real conservationists: • Our license and tagging fees, as well as excise taxes on guns and ammo, pay for much of the state’s land and resource preservation, research and restoration activities; • Information from tagging stations allows accurate predictions of population and health of Maine’s game animals, including furbearers; and • Trappers help keep in check populations of raccoons and other predatory animals that would otherwise decimate flocks of coastal seabirds, including the Atlantic puffin, least tern, common eider, and piping plover.

So next time someone questions the conservation ethic of hunters and trappers, set them straight – since without the funding, support and research data provided by hunters and trappers, there would be fewer opportunities for non-hunters and non-trappers to enjoy.

—

Is Technology Getting Ahead of Us? Steve Vose’s “Central Maine” column in last month’s issue discussed newer game cameras that transmit photos to hunters’ smartphones. Which begs the question – Is technology progressing faster than our thoughtful consideration of where any technological lines should be drawn?

Other authorities have begun exploring the issue. The state of Montana has prohibited hunting using game cameras that transmit images. And the rules of the venerable Boone & Crockett club state that animals taken with the aid of cameras that transmit images, are not eligible for entry into their scoring system.

Current Maine law places outer limits on hunting technology, including a prohibition on most remote control hunting (12 MRSA §12101, sub-§1-C), and a ban on the use of drones (12 MRSA §11216).

Some in Maine are mulling over the issue of hunting using long-distance camera transmission. “What’s next?” wrote in one reader, at least partially tongue-in-cheek. “Deer facial-recognition technology that signals the hunter when a specific deer walks by the camera, the site, and a simultaneous communication to a skidder operator providing GPS coordinates and instructions to stand by to haul the behemoth out of the woods?”

We hunters and anglers have enough opposition from the rest of the world that we don’t need to tee up issues for the “antis” to swing at. However, decisions such as those by the state of Montana and the Boone & Crockett club should give us pause as we race headlong into the world of ever-evolving technology.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 579 • 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 DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR: Carol Lund carol@mainesportsman.com Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices.

All editorial inquiries should be emailed to will@mainesportsman.com Phone: 207-622-4242 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.................................................... 12 A Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly.................. 50 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 39 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 27 Big Woods World by Mike Stevens............................... 26 Central Maine by Steve Vose....................................... 62 Downeast by Jim Lemieux............................................ 57 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello....................... 64 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 51 Jottings by Jon Lund........................................................ 8 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 48 Kate’s Wild Kitchen by Kate Krukowski Gooding....... 25 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 5 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Holmes....................... 42 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 19 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose............................... 43 Midcoast by Tom Seymour........................................... 58 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 54 My Maine by George Smith.......................................... 17 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 72 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie............................ 70 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 74 Quotable Sportsman by George Smith....................... 18 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 68 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 75 Saltwater by Barry Gibson............................................. 59 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 66 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews.................. 46 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 28 Smilin’ Sportsman: Adults & Kids by Will Lund.............. 75 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 67 Sporting Environment by David Van Wie.................... 47 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery................. 10 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller.................. 56 Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 76 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 63 True Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts.61 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 71 Young Maine Sportsman by Luke Giampetruzzi........ 45

GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS

Maine’s Blackpowder Innovations by Steve Carpenteri.... 20 1,000 Miles for the Deer Trip of a Lifetime by Ray Strobo.... 22 Technology Impacts Ice Fishing by Steve Carpenteri........ 32 Ride Sensibly, Ride Safe! by Steve Carpenteri............ 35 The Old Servel by Randy Randall................................. 44 On the Cover:

Muzzleloader season begins statewide on Monday, November 30. In the northern two-thirds of the state, it ends on Saturday, December 5, while in the southern districts (check the WMD map carefully), the season extends to December 12. Those prepared to put up with colder temperatures should benefit from tracking snow. Read all about muzzleloading in this issue of The Maine Sportsman.

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Letters To The Editor

Young Sportsman Fans in Florida To the Editor: We are students in Ms. Morrow’s 8th grade English class at Osceola Middle School, in Okeechobee, Florida. Our teacher is from Maine.

We all read The Maine Sportsman.

We like to learn about Maine and the environment. We are interested in learning about the snow.

We want to read more about ice fishing and how to survive the harsh cold. We like fishing and hunting, and like reading about the types of hunting in Maine.

The largest animal we are interested in reading about is moose.

What is the biggest moose ever written about? To us, moose are even bigger than “big bucks”!

We like all your writers, especially Luke Giampetruzzi, as well as William Clunie and his dog, Ginger.

We like the comics that y’all include.

Ms. Morrow’s class – Okeechobee, FL —

Why No Turkey Permits for District 14?

To the Editor: Do you know why the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife decided to prohibit fall turkey hunting in District 14 (Monson/ Willimantic area)? There are areas in the district that are overrun with turkeys, and there are other districts just to the south (like WMD 17) in which hunters are allowed to take up to five fall turkeys.

Matt Pullen Bowdoin & Monson, ME We asked wildlife biologist and game bird expert Kelsey Sullivan for a response: “District 14 is a WMD where we are still trying to increase the population of wild turkeys. We’ve considered opening it for the fall but wanted to obtain information from our banding study before moving forward with that. That district is a tough one, because most of the turkeys are concentrated in small

pockets of habitat, unlike WMD 17, where they are dispersed widely.

“It does raise the question of how we can have a 5-bird limit in the fall in WMD 17, while just north of there in 14 not have a season, but the habitat is different for much of 14.

“We want to maintain a quality spring hunt in 14, and we are cautious about a fall harvest negatively affecting that. I expect our banding data and spring harvest will support a conservative fall hunt in the near future.”

—

Cougar Sighting To the Editor: In this year’s Opinion Poll you asked whether anyone had seen a cougar in Maine.

Ten years ago, two friends who live on the edge of town in North Berwick saw a cougar in their yards, which are several hundred yards apart and which are located between Route 4 and the Great Works River. In each case, they were able to see the animal very clearly.

As for myself, I’ve had a few game cameras out for quite some time and have never seen one. But I did turn the sharp corner on Chick Road near the Sanford/Lebanon line one night several years ago and just barely glimpsed a critter running stretched out into the woods. At first I thought deer, but then realized that it wasn’t quite like that.

The only other place I’d seen something similar was when I saw a cougar north of Rifle, Colorado.

Maybe one of us will get one on camera here one of these days. If cougar can make it to Connecticut, they can make it here.

And if not, then there’s always flying saucers!

By the way, you folks are doing a great job. My wife enjoys reading The Sportsman as much as I do.

Jack Cooper – York, ME —

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Trophy Question To the Editor: Can I shoot a grey squirrel and get it entered in the hunting records?

By the way, squirrels are very good eating. When I shoot a squirrel, I bread it in flour and fry it in olive oil.

Tanner Sirois, Maranacook 8th Grade, ME (Continued on next page)

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6 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman —————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 5) We asked Tom Seymour, our resident squirrel expert. Here are Tom’s comments: “It would be an extremely difficult task to identify a ‘trophy’ gray squirrel.

It would be the same thing as trying to quantify trophy hares, trophy woodcock or trophy grouse.

“Adult gray squirrels are all about the same size, and while a mature, acorn-fed gray squirrel would be somewhat heavier than a younger one, that still isn’t enough to warrant a Maine Sportsman ‘Biggest Squirrel’ patch club.

“Here are some statistics: Gray squirrels – just the head and body – can measure up to 10 inches. Tails can also measure up to 10 inches. Maximum weight (live...I never weighed a field-dressed squirrel) is up to 1-3/5ths pounds.

“Unlike deer, moose or bear, this is as big as gray squirrels get. Once they attain a certain size, they don’t grow any larger.”

—

Great Year for Stripers To the Editor: Here’s my end-of-summer striper report.

Our striper fishing ended on October 10th at Popham Beach, and it was simply the best in 20 years. The new slot of 28 to 35 inches was at first a discouraging limit. That changed in a hurry.

Instead of asking how big, the question became how many.

The striped bass fishing this summer and fall was outstanding, according to Mike Wing, who is shown here.

In 25 days of fishing June to October, family and friends caught and released hundreds of bass on flies, chunked mackerel, and lures. The range ran from 14-inch schoolies to a 39-inch bull.

Four keepers came home for cooking fresh and frozen for later chowder.

Maybe most important, the camaraderie at sunrise was as satisfying as the sweet filets. Schools of stripers raced in and out with the tides, and young and old anglers shared the thrill. Acquaintances became friends, first names re-

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membered for next season.

Pat Keliher advised us once to get a boat. Instead, we got a beach.

Mike Wing – West Gardiner, ME —

“Try Finding a Charging Lion in a Scope” To the Editor: I am writing to commend Jon Lund on his excellent column on iron sights (see November Jottings, “Iron Sights May Benefit from Modifications”).

The only time in my entire life that I used a scope was when I borrowed one to hunt sheep in B.C. And that includes the three years I lived in East Africa and hunted every couple of weeks for meat for our mission hospital – 4-5 animals each time.

My choice of iron sights was as much for safety as anything – try finding a charging lion or leopard in even a low-power scope! I used a “V” until I was about 65, when it blurred, then switched to a peep, which blurred, too, but it didn’t make any difference as long as the front sight didn’t!

The writer states the “average range” of a shot is 75 yards. In my experience the actual average is even less than that. I once shot a deer that was (Continued on next page)

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way, way, off in the distance. I paced it so I could brag about it: 74 yards!

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources did a study many years ago and found that the average hunterto-deer kill distance was 33 yards. That may have increased now that everybody but a few of us old-timers uses a scope.

And, yes, every year I hear several hunters whine, “I would have got that buck if I could have found it in my scope!”

J. Birney Dibble, M.D. – Eau Claire, WI —

Enjoyed the November Issue To the Editor: I enjoyed the November issue of The Maine Sportsman, especially William Clunie’s “Off-Road” article, and Bill Sheldon’s “Jackman Region” column.

Clunie described how to organize your gear in a pickup truck. My tonguein-cheek comment: Isn’t an important part of the hunt, “hunting” for your gear in the truck?

Makes sense to get things organized and in good order. It allows the hunt to go much smoother and probably adds to the success ratio.

In Sheldon’s column, I liked the reference to Bishop’s Store in Jackman, which seems to be the center of the hub of activity in that small town. When I am up there for the week of Labor Day, I always stop at Bishop’s Store to pick up my fishing license and also take a look at the game pole outside and see the weigh-ins of the bear harvest.

Another favorite activity is the horseshoe tournament behind the Northland Hotel each year on Saturday of the Labor Day weekend.

It is surprising and gratifying to see all the activity that a small community has to offer each week.

Wayne Dengler – Danbury, CT —

Personal Observations on Climate Change To the Editor: I am writing to register my agreement with Lou Zambello in his piece in the “Almanac” on how climate change is affecting anglers.

I don’t like to get political about climate change (I assume that whatever theories we come up with are probably wrong), but since I grow my own crops I’ve been keeping detailed records for almost seven years now, and my data concurs with Lou’s.

Here in NJ, it’s been getting warm-

er every year, and the rainfall has become more unpredictable. I have to irrigate regularly, but also plan for flooding rains and violent windstorms, and I didn’t have to use the tractor once to plow snow last winter.

I won’t comment on the why of it or what we need to do about it, but the climate definitely is changing, and I’ve had to adapt to it in many ways.

Bart Schairer – Hammonton, NJ —

Van Wie Defender To the Editor: I am writing in defense of David Van Wie and his September “Sporting Environment” column, when he expressed concerns for how federal policies may affect Maine’s outdoors.

Whether you agree with him or disagree with him, it would be a shame if Van Wie had to watch his every word when writing about Maine’s environment for fear that his opinion will favor one political viewpoint or the other.

Please mark me down on the list of those who support his freedom to write his opinions about our outdoors.

Marty Lebson Tenafly, NJ & Belgrade, ME —

Another Van Wie Defender

vember issue of The Maine Sportsman and came across Kate Krukowski Gooding’s recipe for venison heart. It sounds very tasty (and the mini-cheesecakes looked amazing, also!).

I would also like to try her Mexican Oregano. I’m an avid hunter and host an annual “game feed” for friends at our house.

Please ask her to send me some of the free oregano, as offered in her column. I will let her know how my friends like the resulting recipe.

Usually someone in our party harvests a whitetail, but as you know with hunting, there are no guarantees!

Jerry Scribner – Belgrade, ME —

Likes Christi, and Likes Libby Camps To the Editor: I enjoyed Christi Holmes’ article in the October issue of The Maine Sportsman on her cast & blast trip.

My son and I fished at Libby Camps for 16 years before my son built his own camp in Elm Stream Township, which is off the Golden Road. When we fished at Libby, we usually had Rick Young for our guide, although we did have Jeff Labrie twice.

I just finished Christi’s “first buck” column in the November issue, and I look forward to the final installment of that story.

Bill Keyser – East Andover NH

To the Editor: Having read all of David Van Wie’s columns over the years, I come to his defense! These columns are not political. He presents information to make us aware of our environment. How valuable and how important it is for us sporting folks to recognize and value Stories Celebrating 40 Years of Moose Hunting resources that are limited in nature.

I served in a political position as an appointee to the Board of Environmental ProtecJames and I have endeavored through tion. My philosophy was, and is, these tales and pictures to give a true representation of the “phenomenon” to protect the resources we now on the woods and waters of Maine that have. Government administrais the “Great Maine Moose Hunt”.

We are not lost on the coincidence tions will come and go, but we that not only is this the 40th anniversary must value our resources. The of the “modern” moose hunt but also the Bicentennial of our beloved state of bottom line, be it water or terMaine. restrial, it is habitat, and unless From all the contributing authors we hope you enjoy and find happy we act it will continue to slowly nostalgia in these stories and continue be nibbled away. to promote and pass on one of Maine’s most iconic heritage sports.

Matt Scott – Belgrade, ME – Roger Lambert —

¶

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1960s Shooting Investigation Debunked Heavy Bullet Myth The phone rang at my home at mid-morning on a Saturday. It was a game warden.

They were investigating a hunting fatality in a small Kennebec County town west of Augusta. Could I come out to participate?

The law at the time required the County Attorney to attend and

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The shooter admitted mistaking the victim for a deer. But he said he fired only once, so why were there two bullet holes in the victim? take part in the investigation of hunting fatalities. I agreed to come at once.

The shooter and several of his friends had been hunting deer in the early misty morning. One of them had jumped a deer in a small patch of young pines and alders, and the shooter had moved toward a lowland area.

When he saw a triangle of white, he took

one shot with his rifle, a .401 Winchester. The victim wore the usual red and black wool hunting jacket, under which he wore a white tee shirt that showed a white triangle. Hunter orange had not been invented yet.

The statute requiring the county attorney’s participation in hunting death investigations was an indication of the legislature’s concern over the increasing number of hunting fatalities each year. However, once hunters were required to wear fluorescent orange, hunting fatalities declined sharply and almost disappeared. The contrast demonstrated the shortcomings of

the criminal law as a tool for solving social problems. Before the requirement of hunter orange clothing, Maine experienced as many as a dozen accidental fatal hunting accidents per year.

I participated in the investigation of two hunting fatalities during my two terms as county attorney. In each case, the shooter was highly agitated, almost hysterical, as the reality sank in of being responsible for the death of a fellow human.

One Shot; Two Points of Entry In this case, the shooter was positive he’d fired only one shot. But the facts were puzzling – the

victim had two bullet holes in his chest.

The autopsy solved the puzzle. The .401 Winchester bullet was in two pieces. The copper jacket had separated from the lead core at some point before the two pieces struck the victim a few inches apart. But what had caused the bullet to become two projectiles?

The next day, wardens strung a line between the shooter’s position and the victim’s location. Near the latter, an alder sapling about the size of a finger had been shattered. The impact had apparently been sufficient to cause the bullet to separate.

A few days later, the shooter pleaded guilty to a charge relating to the hunting death.

(Continued on next page)

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Chuck Hawks Rifle Recoil Table Caliber Bullet Weight Velocity

(grains)

Recoil

(feet per sec.) (foot-pounds)

.243 Win.

100

2960

8.8

250 Savage

100

2900

7.8

7mm08

120

3000

7.8

30-30 Win

150

2364

10.6

The author’s first deer rifle was a Model 71 in .348. The recoil was nearly twice the force that one expert deems as comfortable for shooters, and the firearm was quickly replaced with one less apt to cause flinching. Photo credit: Chuck Hawks

.308 Win

150

2800

15.8

(Continued from page 8)

Hawks notes that “fifteen foot-pounds is about the maximum recoil energy most shooters feel reasonably comfortable with.” This writer’s first deer rifle was the relatively new Winchester Model 71 lever action chambered in .348 Winchester. Bigger is better, right?

After shooting it

The Myth of Heavy, “Brush-Bucking” Ammo The fact that a finger-sized sapling would cause a slow-moving bullet to break up is counter-intuitive. One argument in favor of heavier, relatively slow-moving bullets is the folklore that they “buck the brush” better than lighter, faster-moving bullets.

The .401 self-loading cartridge pushed a 200-grain bullet along at a modest velocity of 2140 feet per second, but it came apart when it hit a sapling.

Somewhere along the way, a researcher tested the “slow and heavier rounds buck the brush better“ theory and found that the

claim had no basis in fact. In carefully controlled tests, the slow and heavy larger caliber rounds were just slow and heavy, no more likely than fast and light rounds to hit the target beyond the simulated brush.

The 250-3000 Savage (also known as the .250 Savage) was introduced in 1915. The naming symbolizes its recognition as the first factory load rifle ammunition to attain the velocity of 3000 feet per second. Coupled with the sleek model 99 Savage lever-action rifle, it seemed a winning combination.

However, the 2503000 received mixed reviews, and faced steady competition from older rounds like the venerable 3030, 30-’06, and the

newcomer .308 Winchester, starting in 1952.

Then in 1955, the .243 Winchester was introduced. It is based on a necked-down .308 cartridge. The .243 was touted as producing lighter recoil and being suitable for beginning hunters, women and others who didn’t like the kick of some of the larger and more powerful calibers. The .243 now leads in ammunition sales and is judged to be the most popular caliber in new rifles.

Comparing Recoil Chuck Hawks Rifle Recoil Table, available online, offers information on recoil in all available calibers. See the chart above, right for some of the popular ones.

30-06 150 2910 17.6

Fins & Furs Adventures

TM

a few times, I began to flinch. I probably weighed around 125 pounds. No wonder – look at Hawks’ table: .348 Win 200 grains 2510 f/p/sec 23.7 foot-pounds

¶

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10 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Slingin’ the Blues The color blue appears in nature more frequently than you might think, and for fish – from trout to smallmouth bass and even Northern pike – it’s a “trigger color” that incites the fish to strike, according to the author.

We’re still in the middle of a nasty pandemic caused by the Covid-19, and it doesn’t seem to be loosening its grip on our country or our world.

To help minimize my exposure to the virus – I have enough pre-existing conditions for ten people – I’m spending as much time as I can outdoors.

June found me at Grant’s Kennebago Camps shortly after Governor Mills opened up Maine sporting camps to Maine residents. Days in June, July, August and September were spent on the Androscoggin River with friends and guides Matt Bickford and Greg Bostater.

October – ahh, October; it’s got to be my favorite month of the twelve – saw me in Scott Davis’s duck blind boat hunting for early season wood ducks on the Sebas-

ticook River. And I headed back to Grant’s Camps at the end of October for a cast-andblast for salmon and brookies in Kennebago Lake, and ruffed grouse and woodcock in the surrounding environs.

Plus, I’m looking forward to some more duck hunting and, once the waters solidly are frozen, some ice fishing for this and that – any species that take well to hot peanut or vegetable oil.

Crappie in Unity Pond is high on my list. But that’s another story yet to come.

While fly fishing for Andro smallmouth this summer, one of my go-to flies were blue poppers, some that I’d carried around for years (decades), and used to throw a lot in the Mid-Atlantic Region. They worked well there, and they certainly work well

Summer in Maine finds many of our flowing and still-waters covered with damselflies and dragonflies, the most ubiquitous of which seem to be blue or have some blue as part of their raiment. www.MaineSportsman.com

here, too.

Blue = Food!

In fly fishing for largemouth, and for smallmouth bass in particular, there’s something about the color blue that seems to stimulate these critters to bite. Blue also is a good color for salmonids, including our native Eastern brook trout, landlocked salmon, and stocked and wild populations of rainbow and brown trout. Why? Summer in Maine finds many of our flowing and still-waters covered with damselflies and dragonflies, the most ubiquitous of which seem to be blue or have some blue as part of their raiment.

Zillions of blue damsels cavort on the rivers, lakes and ponds feeding, mating, and feeding fish of all kinds in the process.

Pumpkinseeds, fall

When fly fishing for smallmouth bass, there’s something about the color blue that seems to stimulate these critters to bite.

fish, the basses, pickerel and others often gorge on the plentiful creatures throughout their life-cycle.

Both dragonflies and damselflies are predatory flying insects that appear primitive and very old – ancient, even – and that’s because they really are: fossils show prehistoric species that appear much as they are today, but much larger, with some dragonflies having wingspans over two feet!

Modern dragons and damsels mostly are found in tropical regions, but some species can be found in almost every part of the world except for the polar ecosystems.

Over 5,500 species exist, and there are about 450 species in the USA and Canada.

Some flies are so beautiful, we’re loathe to get them wet, and others are so crude we hesitate to let them see the light of day. But both extremes of these tied flies catch fish.

And some are blue.

I suspect fly anglers throughout the world have at least a couple of blue flies in their fly boxes that imitate the blue creatures that flit over the water here and there.

Blueflies No, that’s not a new species that mimics our famous blackflies, but rather the artificial creations that one finds in an angler’s repertoire that represent either blue dragons or blue damsels, or some other azure aquatic insects or other creatures that frequent our waters.

Flies tied to represent a critter can be almost exact imitations, or just mere suggestions of the actual subject, and every representation in-between.

(Continued on next page)

There are a number of flies out there that are colored blue entirely, or at least have blue as the major color. There are a lot of poppers that range in size from size 8 or 10 to size 2 or 4.

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 11

This August day on the Andro between Durham and Lisbon, blue damsels were everywhere, and this blue popper was most popular with the smallmouth bass -all day!

(Continued from page 10)

Some flies are so beautiful that we’re loath to get them wet, and others are so crude we hesitate to let them see the light of day.

But both extremes of these tied flies catch fish. I’m partial to what I call impressionist flies, those that aren’t exact representation, but are about the same size and color of the real thing. Essence, not necessarily exactness.

There are a number of flies out there that are colored blue entirely or at least have blue as the major color. There are a lot of poppers that range in size from smaller size 8 or 10 to the smaller size 2 or 4. The smaller sizes are designed to catch the smaller sunfishes, such as bluegills, pumpkinseeds, redears, and the like.

The larger poppers

Largemouth black bass are partial to blue, too. If in doubt, tie one on and cast to these bruisers.

are used primarily for largemouth and smallmouth bass, and both catch a lot of other species as well.

If you’re on the water, and blue damselflies are darting all over the place, sometimes the smaller sunfish flies work better than a larger offering.

But, of course, sometimes the larger portion is what the fish want, if they want anything at all. Try both size variations and see what happens.

That’s part of the fun of fishing.

Yes, the blue flies represent food to fishes, but I also believe that under certain circumstances, illusive as those are, fish just react to a color like blue, and it causes or makes them to strike.

Blue, for one reason or another, is a trigger color in my book. So, I believe, is red, white,

Yellow perch and the warmwater sunfishes like blue, too. Blue also is a good color for salmonids, including our native Eastern brook trout, landlocked salmon, and stocked and wild populations of rainbow and brown trout.

and black, though black and white technically are not colors.

(White is the combination of all wavelengths of visible light, while black is the absence of visible light.)

Slingin’ Those Blues There’s probably no bad way to present blue flies, say a popper for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River. You’ll most likely catch some fish if the fly is allowed to sit on the water. The current, usually fairly slow, imparts some “action” to the popper, and a fish eventually will come.

I like to begin with the obvious: cast along the shoreline and work the fly back toward the boat, varying the retrieve within the same presentation, and on different casts. The fish will tell you which retrieve is best.

Cast to structure

Guide Matt Bickford’s fly box has some blue in it. He needs more. However, that’s not a problem -- he works at L.L.Bean so he knows where to get some blue flies.

that presents itself along the drift – rocks, large and small; along bubble lines; into branches of fallen trees; and along the pilings on any bridge you encounter. Pop it, let it set and slowly drift in the current, vary the retrieve. You get the idea.

Sit back for a minute and take a look around. Where are the damsels and/or dragons and what are they doing? Try to mimic their behavior with the fly, and cast where they are doing their thing. If you’re seeing fish rise to the insects, cast in that area and see what happens.

If a fish busts some bait along the shoreline or in a field of ledge or boulders, immediately cast there as well. Chances are the fish are looking up, and there’s a good chance your fly, blue

The Blue Norseman is a proven pattern good for early-season fresh run salmon and sea-trout in Norway, but it, and other streamer flies with blue, score on just about any game fish we’re apt to pursue.

or not, will entice a bass, or large fallfish or even a Northern pike.

If you don’t tie or make your own blue flies, a good source for them is www. breambugs.com, and the other local sources – L.L.Bean, Cabela’s, Orvis, and Bass Pro Shops. I find that breambugs.com has a good selection and ships them quickly.

Anything on that website by my old friend Walt Cary is going to work. Walt tied poppers for Lefty Kreh back before the proverbial “day.”

It’s probably a very good thing humans weren’t around back when dragonflies had wing spans over two feet. Can you imagine trying to cast a fly that large, and can you imagine what kind of fish might eat it?

¶

This Crease Fly is a floater-diver pattern with some blue, and it’s effective all over for bass and other members of the sunfish family. In smaller sizes, it works well for landlocked salmon and brookies. www.MaineSportsman.com

Almanac

12 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Compiled and Edited 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

The following story was reprinted from the New York Sun and appeared in the September 24, 1896 edition of the Rangeley Lakes. It shares some of the exploits, as well as the exploitations, of a notorious French-Canadian poacher by the name of Paul Savarin. The claims made about his lifetime totals of slaughtered moose and caribou certainly seem exaggerated. They more closely resemble the total of bison piled up by

Buffalo Bill Cody on the Great Plains, rather than moose and caribou from the thick woodlands of the Pine Tree State.

I marvel at the dedication and relentless effort put forth by 19th century Game Warden Bill Moriarty and his deputy Tom Sheehan. Brutal cold, countless miles on snowshoes carrying all their gear, and the constant threat of being picked off by the woods-savvy Savarin did not deter the tough men

that finally captured him.

Given Monsieur Savarin’s crimes, his violent resisting of arrest with gun and knife and the injuries and suffering the lawmen endured, I found the level of clemency afforded Savarin by Warden Moriarty as nothing short of astounding.

Enjoy this adventurous tale from Maine’s colorful outdoor past, and be sure to get outside and make some legal outdoor history of your own!

The Poacher and the Warden

The most daredevil outlaw who came to the Maine woods was Paul Savarin, a French-Canadian guide, who lived just over the line in New Brunswick. He started in life as a smuggler of Scotch whiskey, but a long imprisonment in Houlton jail cooled his ardor in this direction and started him a poacher and sneak thief.

He acted as guide in the summer and autumn. As soon as the snow grew deep, making hard traveling for big game, he put on his snowshoes and killed moose and caribou for their pelts, leaving their carcasses to be eaten by foxes and bobcats. In one winter, he sold the hides of 800 caribou and 350 moose to one firm of snowshoe makers. It is estimated that he killed 1,000 moose and caribou every year for ten years.

Of course, the game wardens were anxious to get him. A dozen or more wardens were sent out at different times, but then they came back home. Few of them wished to make a second trip.

Savarin had a playful way of sending bullets among the hot ashes of the evening campfire, which the wardens did not enjoy.

A few officers stayed on Savarin’s trail a week or so, until one party drove him across the state line, but nobody caught him, and nobody seemed desirous of meeting him alone.

In January 1895, Bill Moriarty volunteered to capture Savarin or at least scare him so badly that he never would come back to Maine. Accompanied by Tom Sheehan, a big telegraph lineman of Bangor, Bill started for Washington County carrying a whole arsenal of firearms and provisions enough to last a month. On the headwaters of the St. Croix, they found www.MaineSportsman.com

Caribou were favorite targets of Maine poachers in the late 1800s. Photo: USFWS the bodies of three frozen moose, and they knew that Savarin was nearby.

Lying in sleeping bags each night and kindling no fires, they walked about sixty miles northwest and found a whole yard of dead caribou that had just been skinned.

Nearby, hidden under an upturned tree, were sixty-three caribou and eighteen moose hides.

Following Savarin’s tracks a few miles farther, they saw a strip of birch bark pegged to a tree. Scratched in charcoal on this bark was a rude drawing of Savarin aiming his rifle at Moriarty and Sheehan.

On the other side of the bark was a charcoal sketch of Savarin giving a war dance upon the bodies of the two wardens.

This was put up to tell the wardens that they would be shot if they went on.

They walked two miles deeper into the woods, wallowed down a great tract of snow, and turning their snowshoes heels in front, retraced their steps and concealed themselves close to the hidden pile of hides, knowing that Savarin would return for his treasures in a short time.

For two days they waited. The weather

was so cold that the Bangor whiskey which the wardens had brought along to use in case of sickness, froze up and broke the bottles.

Early on the morning of the third day, when both men were badly frostbitten, they heard the familiar crunch of snowshoes coming through the woods half a mile away. Moriarty gave Sheehan his instructions, and, putting on his snowshoes, made a wide detour in order to come in behind Savarin.

Sheehan, fixing up a dummy, left it in his exposed sleeping bag and hid in a fir thicket which Moriarty had designated.

Savarin, expecting some sort of ruse, came on cautiously. Sheehan, who had a good view of him, said the French Canadian was the worst looking object he had ever seen. Creeping like a cat through the underbrush, Savarin saw the sleeping bag, and taking good aim at the head of the dummy, fired three shots from his Winchester. The impact of the bullets, combined with a sharp gust of wind, tipped the bag over, and it rolled into a hollow.

With a yell learned from the wild Indians of Canada, Savarin leaped upon the bag, and before he had discovered his mistake Moriarty and Sheehan grappled with him. Though the fight was two against one, Savarin, having more at stake, made a gallant resistance. A bullet from his revolver went through the muscle of Moriarty’s arm, and twice his hunting knife drew blood from Sheehan.

In return Moriarty pounded his face with a pine knot until he was unable to see, after which he was handcuffed and tied up with rawhide thongs.

After a fire had been built and a (continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 13 (Continued from page 12) block of whiskey had been thawed out, Moriarty made Savarin an offer.

According to the usage of the Maine courts, the man who kills a caribou and cannot pay his fine goes to jail for three months, while the man who fails to pay his assessment for slaying a moose gets six months. According to Maine justice, the sixty-three caribou and eighteen moose which Savarin had killed entitled him to free board in the county jail in the state for twenty-four years and nine months, so if he began his term then and there he could not get out until September, 1919, which was a long way to look ahead.

Moriarty said he did not wish to punish Savarin, but he did mean to put a stop to crust hunting, and asked Savarin if he would take an oath before his parish priest that he would never come to Maine again. As Savarin was glad to accept any terms, Sheehan was sent off on a 200-mile snowshoe journey after the priest, while Moriarty and his prisoner regaled themselves on moose and caribou steaks.

Savarin’s father and brother returned with the priest and among them they drew up an ironclad contract, which Savarin has kept faithfully.

On Moriarty’s return to Bangor, the commissioners lectured him roundly for letting such a prize slip through his hands.

Hotel Fills Meat Locker, c. 1900 Jim Duncan of Mirror Lake, NH provided this photo as an adjunct to our monthly “Snapshots in Time” column.

Duncan wrote: I thought you might be interested in this photo for your “Snapshots in Time” series. The resolution is not the greatest, but if you were able to enlarge and enhance the photo you would see moose and deer stacked in the center wagon in front of the Patten Hotel around 1900 (the hotel burned in 1909).

(Continued on next page)

That’s how they stocked the meat locker in those days.

The gentleman standing in front, second from left, with both hands on the

moose antlers, is my grandfather, Offin Palmer Hackett. My mother informed me that my grandfather used to gather up his cronies and strike out for the wilderness for a week at time to hunt moose and deer. Venison was a staple on the Palmer Hotel menu.

I suspect the canoes shown are likely E.M. Whites.

—

Columnists Helping Columnists For last month’s issue of The Maine Sportsman, regular contributor Blaine Cardillo filmed a video describing how to rattle and call in bucks.

In early November, when Blaine was in the woods watching for deer, his phone buzzed, and up popped an email from another columnist, Christi Holmes.

The message read:

Hi Blaine: I wanted to thank you for the very helpful YouTube video you filmed for the Maine Sportsman’s website.

I watched it a couple nights ago, and realized I had been calling too softly – both rattles and grunts.

This morning, I rattled more aggressively, and even tried out buck roars for (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

14 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Almanac

(Continued from page 13)

the first time. I did about four of them, and a minute later a 3-pointer came walking right towards my stand, and I took him!!

I shared your rattling and calling video in the Maine Women Hunters Facebook page.

Thanks again!

Christi Editor’s note: As this issue went to press, Blaine had just used one of his deer tags on a nice small buck, and had a bonus tag still to fill.

—

Maine Hunting Camp Recipes, Part 1

Fred’s Surprise

(a/k/a “System Starter”) (a/k/a “Pre-Prandial Palate-Polisher”)

Ingredients: Saltine crackers Horseradish, minced Sardines, undrained One large onion, chopped Tabasco sauce Directions: Liberally pile horseradish on Saltine cracker Carefully balance sardine on pile Top with mound of minced onion Shake on 4 sprits of Tabasco sauce Consume in one gulp Recipe courtesy Fred, Spoff, Rich and Stu; Hartland, Maine Send your favorite camp recipe to Will@ MaineSportsman.com —

Feds Have Funding Available to Protect Deer Yards Landowners – do you have property in Aroostook or Washington County near a deer yard or deer wintering area?

Would you like to create better habitat for whitetails on your land, by planting cedars or other softwoods?

If so, the federal government is willing to help share the cost of those improvements, and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has set aside $80,000 to do just that.

To learn more, visit or contact your Aroostook or Washington County USDA field office in Fort Kent, Machias or Houlton.

The application deadline is coming up quickly – December 18, 2020.

—

Birds of Maine is a Maine Masterwork

by Nick Lund, Outreach & Network Manager, Maine Audubon We live in an era that has sacrificed quality for speed, where it’s easier to buy a replacement than to fix something that’s broken, and where development of thoughtful opinions is abandoned in favor of a quick tweet. Our national turn-away from craftsmanship seems to sit uneasily in Maine, where (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 15 (Continued from page 14)

“Yankee ingenuity” is part of our identity, but convenience seems to be winning.

Thankfully, into this world of mass-production comes a new Maine original, crafted with all the care and consideration of an original Bean Boot or Hinckley Sou’wester: Birds of Maine.

Assembled over decades by legendary Maine ornithologist Peter Vickery, and finished by his wife and a team of friends after Vickery’s death in 2017, Birds of Maine is the definitive work chronicling the State of Maine’s birdlife.

Birds of Maine paints a complete picture of birds in our state. It covers their distribution among the state’s varied habitats, and recounts the history of ornithology in Maine and our current conservation efforts.

Making up the bulk of the book’s nearly 700 pages are in-depth accounts of more than 450 bird species found here, either throughout the year or seasonally, and even species that have been seen only once or twice. Each species is given a full treatment, including detailed notes on any unusual numbers or out-of-season sightings, and most are illustrated with drawings and paintings by acclaimed wildlife artists Barry van Dusen and Lars Jonsson.

It’s an incredible undertaking, the vast majority written and researched over decades by the late Peter Vickery.

An international scholar on grassland birds and teacher at the National Audubon Society’s famous Hog Island Camp in Bremen, Peter dedicated his life to understanding and chronicling birds in Maine. I ran into him only a handful of times in the field, but knew him primarily through the frequent informational queries he’d send to Maine’s electronic listserv for birders as part of his research for this book.

A quick search through my email history uncovers dozens of these emails, with requests for obscure information like, “I’m interested in observations of Yellow-throated Vireos, especially birds on territory, EAST of the Penobscot River, north of Bangor, and north of Waterville and Skowhegan,” from July 28, 2016, or “I’m interested in winter records (Nov - Mar or Apr) of Northern Mockingbird north of Rt 2 (Bethel to Orono),” from October 8, 2014. Seasoned birders recognized these calls for obscure information as the mark of a thorough compiler.

When Peter Vickery was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, he realized that his decades of work might never be completed. He pulled together a team including his wife Barbara, well-known naturalist

Kimberly Poulin and Jonathan Wheaton enjoyed some “first snow” grouse hunting in mid-October in the north Maine woods. Jonathan Wheaton photo

and author Scott Weidensaul, and others to see the project through.

The result is a monument to Peter Vickery’s craftsmanship and his love of both birds and of Maine. Weighing 7 pounds, it’s not a field guide nor is its primary purpose to help the user to identify

birds – there are plenty of other books for that – but rather it’s a complete and detailed appreciation of our state’s birds.

Like a well-made Bean Boot, it might be the only one you’ll ever need.

¶

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16 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

December 2020 Sunrise/Sunset Portland, ME DATE 1 Tue 2 Wed 3 Thu 4 Fri 5 Sat 6 Sun 7 Mon 8 Tue 9 Wed 10 Thu 11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed

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 7:06

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

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

December 2020 Tides DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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

Portland, ME HIGH AM PM 11:23 — 12:02 11:59 12:39 12:36 1:18 1:16 2:00 2:01 2:48 2:53 3:41 3:51 4:37 4:52 5:34 5:56 6:32 7:01 7:29 8:03 8:23 9:01 9:16 9:56 10:07 10:50 10:59 11:43 11:50 — 12:34 12:41 1:26 1:33 2:19 2:27 3:13 3:23 4:08 4:21 5:02 5:19 5:55 6:18 6:48 7:15 7:37 8:08 8:22 8:56 9:04 9:40 9:43 10:21 10:22 11:01 11:00 11:40 11:38 —

www.MaineSportsman.com

LOW AM PM 5:11 5:46 5:47 6:23 6:25 7:02 7:06 7:44 7:51 8:31 8:42 9:21 9:39 10:15 10:39 11:11 11:43 — 12:10 12:47 1:09 1:49 2:05 2:47 2:59 3:41 3:52 4:34 4:44 5:26 5:35 6:17 6:26 7:08 7:18 8:00 8:12 8:53 9:10 9:47 10:09 10:40 11:09 11:33 — 12:10 12:27 1:08 1:18 2:01 2:06 2:48 2:49 3:30 3:28 4:09 4:07 4:47 4:45 5:24 5:24 6:02

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 17

“Nature at Peace”?

Woodchucks are one of the few wild critters Linda allowed me to shoot in the yard. Anything that got into her garden was fair game. One season I shot two fat woodchucks, but a smaller one eluded me. Our cats would chase it around but never catch it.

Then our friend Dona came through.

One week when we were at camp, she captured the woodchuck in a live trap and, kind soul that she is, transported it far away where it could live in the forest without annoying any home gardener – at least that was the theory.

We had two blissful weeks of harvesting Linda’s prolific garden without competition, when I heard a knock on the door and opened it to find our young neighbor, Justin Brickett, and his beagle.

Always polite, Justin said, “Mr. Smith.

I just saw a bald eagle flying up the road with a woodchuck. The woodchuck was heavy and the eagle dropped it in the bushes just past your lawn.”

Great. We had eagles delivering woodchucks to us. Of course, the woodchuck did have a bad day and it might not have survived the ordeal, but Justin and I couldn’t find it in the bushes.

Whenever I encounter the “eat or be

Nature is rarely at peace, says the author. Rather, it’s a killing field out there.

The author enjoys watching foxes “mousing” in the fields. The outcome, he says, is often not so good for the mouse.

eaten” situation that exists in the wilds of Maine, I am reminded of conversations with Buzz Caverly, who often described Baxter Park as “nature at peace.”

Nature is rarely at peace. It’s a killing field out there.

Bunnies Make Good Meals for Predators Daughter Rebekah was at our camp on the edge of Baxter Park one time, when she heard screeching one night. Outside, she saw a huge great horned owl killing a rabbit on the lawn in front of camp. The owl flew up into a nearby tree and waited patiently for Becky to go back inside so he could enjoy his meal.

The next week, Linda and I found a baby bunny living in the woodpile beside our camp’s fire pit on

the front lawn. The bunny would come out during the day and lie in the grass next to the woodpile. Linda laid out a scrumptious meal for the bunny one day, but he chose to ignore it. He appeared to be healthy.

The morning we were to leave for home, Linda looked out the camp’s front window and saw a large coyote sniffing around the woodpile, hoping for a breakfast bunny.

We chased the coyote away, although he took his time and kept looking back wistfully in the direction of the woodpile. No doubt he was back soon after we left. That bunny didn’t have a chance. We never saw it again.

We accept this, in the wilds. It’s only when the wild critters invade what we consider our space that

we really take notice.

Weasel; Hawk Mike Shaw, who was a legislator from Standish, told me once that a weasel got into his hen house and killed 45 chicks in one night, hauling them under the floor. The tiny weasel is a killing machine.

One Thanksgiving morning during a blizzard, we looked out the front kitchen window of our Mount Vernon home just in time to see a sharp shinned hawk knock a blue jay off the feeder and to the ground. The hawk pecked away rapidly at the jay, blue feathers flying in all directions.

Linda couldn’t watch. I of course was fascinated. Those blue feathers, flying up and into the cascading white snow, were kind of beautiful.

More Encounters Over the years I have witnessed astonishing carnage in the fields and forests of Maine and beyond.

One day while golfing in Florida, I saw a largemouth bass come right out of the water to snare a small bird.

For years, I hated snapping turtles after seeing one take a baby duck off the surface of the pond behind our house. Sportsmen hate coyotes that haul down deer and start cruelly chewing on them while they’re still alive.

But I often enjoyed watching foxes “mousing” in the fields. They stalk quietly along in the tall grass, then jump high and pounce on the unsuspecting mouse. Of course, while I enjoy the spectacle, it’s not so good for the mouse.

In Labrador, we fished with imitations of mice and voles, skittering them across the surface of the river until huge brook trout grabbed them. The trout up there eat a lot of voles that fall into the river.

One year, a woman in the Millinocket area captured on video a bear grabbing and lugging off a moose calf.

All she could do was scream, “It’s killing the baby! It’s killing the baby!”

Ah, yes, but that’s nature at peace.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

18 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

— Trophy Photos —

Leah Moore of Jackman caught a beautiful brook trout this summer. Congratulations, Leah -- that’s a fine fish.

Lots and Lots of Birds – Lucas Patry (left), Steve Pate and their puppy Heidi enjoyed productive grouse hunting in early November along a tote road just off the Golden Road near Pittston Farm. Lucas Patry photos

Six-year-old Waylon Briggs of Rome, Maine had a successful first day of bird hunting on October 10, 2020. He was accompanied by his proud dad, Jeff Briggs.

First Outing – 14-year-old Olivia Knudsen of Gray enjoyed her first-ever bird hunt in early October at a pheasant release site in Windham. Ms. Knudsen was accompanied by Sportsman columnist Christi Holmes, and Holmes’ dog Argo. “The state stocks more than 20 sites in Southern Maine, where ruffed grouse are sparse,” explained Holmes. “Pheasants hold tight, which makes for good wingshooting practice.”

Quotable

Sportsman

by George Smith

“In photography, instead of hanging a head on the wall, you place a giant, beautiful picture on the wall. I call it catch-and-release hunting.”

Roger Stevens Jr, who takes photos of moose from an airplane, and publishes books of moose photos. Aislinn Sarnacki column, Bangor Daily News, August 26, 2020 —

“In a 2018 wildlife report, the Maine www.MaineSportsman.com

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Covel of York scored an impressive Grand Slam during the 2019 season, successfully bagging a moose, a whitetail deer, a black bear, and this handsome spring season tom turkey, which he called in himself.

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said that 1,808 bears were taken by non-resident hunters, while instate residents tagged 1,088 bears. Of the 2,897 bears tagged a year earlier in 2017, a total of 1,889 were taken by hunters who were using guides. A further breakdown of that year’s hunt, by method used: 1,927 bears were shot over bait, 614 were taken with the aid of dogs, 126 were trapped, 87 were shot by hunters who were actively deer hunting at the time, and 37 were taken using spotand-stalk techniques.”

Aislinn Sarnacki column, Bangor Daily News, September 1, 2020 —

“Last year, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife expanded hunting opportunities to encourage a larger harvest of turkeys. Despite this, the total 2019 harvest of 1,980 turkeys was about on par with recent trends.”

Bob Humphrey, Maine Sunday Telegram, September 13, 2020 — “The state approved more than 3,100 moose permits this year – an increase of 11%. The number of people seeking a permit also ticked up to more than 65,000.”

Maine Sunday Telegram, October 18, 2020

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 19

Maine Wildlife:

Bobcat

by Tom Seymour

The bobcat, Lynx rufus, offers an interesting paradox. Although bobcat sightings have become a bit more common in recent years, they are still fairly rare. A paucity of sightings, though, does not in the least indicate a scarcity of bobcats.

In fact, bobcat populations across much of Maine are far higher now than in the not-too-distant past. At face value, this makes little sense.

Consider this – the hare population in much of Southern and Midcoast Maine has shrunk considerably because of habitat loss due to development. Hares, being a mainstay of bobcats, figure prominently into the balance between the populations of both species.

We might expect, then, that a decrease in hares in certain parts of Maine would necessarily correspond to a reduction in bobcat numbers. That hasn’t happened. In fact, the opposite has occurred.

Bobcats are thriving like never before.

Places where bobcats were historically scarce, now hold considerable numbers of the wildcats.

Here in Maine, mean annual home range for each bobcat is estimated at 8.9 square miles. Winter ranges, however, are about 30 percent larger than summer ranges (source: New England Wildlife: Habitat, Natural History and Distribution, United States Dept. of Agriculture, Northeastern Forest Experimental Station).

Bobcat Boom

Home range for any species indicates that while some overlap may occur, the number given is that which supports just one individual. However, the forest behind my home in Midcoast Maine probably covers only about 12-15 square miles, but contains a considerable number of bobcats – many more than it should. This is demonstrated by the number of bobcats taken each year by hunters with hounds. It always puzzled me how so many bobcats could come from a single relatively small forest.

The answer must lie in available forage species. Bobcat menus include a wide range of species, including snowshoe hares, squirrels, mice, birds,

bird eggs, deer, untainted carrion, snakes, fish, crustaceans and insects.

Bobcats will occasionally consume vegetable matter as well.

Something on that list must have become more populous and available, so as to explain the increase in bobcat numbers. The question of which of these species has become more abundant is unclear. However, one species, a relatively new one, may have a bearing on the equation.

Wild turkeys, a re-introduced species, are present in huge numbers.

In addition to turkeys finding plenty of forage in the wild, homeowners contribute to turkey numbers by setting seed feeders for songbirds.

Bobcat Thanksgiving Turkeys now figure prominently into bobcat diets. While turkeys are large, strong and muscular and could give any bobcat a run for its money, we must consider that turkeys roost in trees, and in that position they are not well-equipped to defend themselves.

All a bobcat needs do is to silently climb a tree at night and jump on the sleeping turkey. For bobcats, then, Thanksgiving can come on a regular basis, year-round.

For the red meat part of the meal, deer populations in much of Southern, Midcoast and Central Maine have grown considerably, and these, too, offer bobcats big servings of protein. Deer now live in places where hunting is not permitted because of safety concerns, and bobcats, while long thought to be solitary creatures of the primal wilderness, have no compunctions regarding making forays into suburbia in search of easily available deer.

As for the other critters on a bobcat’s menu – who knows? It appears to me that a number of circumstances have conspired to boost bobcat populations as never before. Of course, nothing lasts forever, and if some component of a bobcat’s diet crashes, bobcat numbers

will plummet. For now, bobcats remain abundant throughout much of Maine.

Looks Deceiving Being fluffy, even a small bobcat appears much larger than it really is.

Bobcats weigh from 15 -40 pounds. Most individuals fall somewhere in between.

A tall bobcat may stand 30 inches high at the shoulder.

While we mostly view bobcats as predators, high on the food chain, it may come as a surprise to learn that bobcats, especially the young, must contend with their share of predators.

Great horned owls, surprisingly, kill and eat young bobcats. Fishers and coyotes also consider small bobcats fair game. Even the bobcats themselves serve as their own predators, in that adult male bobcats will occasionally kill bobcat kittens.

People sometimes confuse Canada lynx with bobcats. However, major differences exist. Lynxes grow larger – nearly twice as big as a bobcat. Lynx tails have a completely black tip, whereas bobcat tails are black only on top of the tip. Also, bobcats have yellowish-gray coats with reddishbrown streaks, while Lynx are of a light gray color, with indistinct spots and long ear tufts. Bobcats have short ear tufts.

Finally, bobcats range throughout Maine, but lynx are predominately creatures of northern and western forests.

Nighttime Serenade Bobcats sometimes vocalize. They are capable of producing 12 different sounds. One, which is audible for one mile away, is called “caterwauling.” It is a mating call. Besides caterwauling (now you know where that word came from), bobcats produce sounds that are typical of all cats.

Keep your ears open tonight. You just might hear a bobcat in the distance.

www.MaineSportsman.com

20 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine’s Blackpowder Innovations

by Steve Carpenteri Looking over the racks and shelves of sporting goods stores across the state, it’s easy to see that the days of “primitive arms” are behind us.

For better or worse, inline muzzleloading is here to stay.

Blackpowder hunters who honed their craft on FFFFg powder, flint or firing caps, and patched round balls, are now the dinosaurs of the sport.

Today’s muzzleload-

Inline muzzleloaders are easy to load and easy to clean. Newly-designed barrels make them accurate out to 200 yards. What’s next – smokeless powder?

Yup – got that, too. ers scarcely resemble the percussion and flintlock arms of old, most featuring stainless steel barrels and actions, rifled barrels, scope sights, shotgun primers for ignition, and pellets rather than powder for propellants.

All of this gives today’s muzzleloader hunter the ability to make killing shots on deer, bear, moose and other big game out to 200 yards and more.

One can only wonder what’s next in the fast-moving world of blackpowder arms.

Inline vs. Percussion Most old-school blackpowder hunters are familiar with percussion and flintlock rifles, which were loaded with true blackpowder or Pyrodex and ignited by 3 grains of FFFFg powder or a No. 10 percussion cap.

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Bullets were usually patched round balls or “greased” projectiles that were designed to expand on ignition in order to grip the rifling on their way down the barrel. At distances under 100 yards, these old-time firearms were surprisingly accurate and dependable if, as the saying went, shooters “kept their powder dry.”

Inline ignition muzzleloaders took the blackpowder world by storm when Knight Rifles introduced them in the mid-1980s.

These guns were significantly improved by adding #209 shotgun primers used to ignite pelletized blackpowder (usually two 50-grain pellets per charge), (Continued on next page)

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Today’s inline muzzleloaders feature sleek designs, new-age scopes and stainless-steel metal components. Carpenteri photo (Continued from page 20)

sending a 290-grain saboted bullet downrange with 100-yard accuracy rivaling any centerfire rifle on the market.

Green Mountain Barrels came along to boost practical muzzleloader accuracy into the 200-yard realm.

Later, Savage Arms introduced its Model 10ML-II, which was designed to use smokeless powder, bringing the “primitive” shooting world full circle.

Current Outlook According to Chris Jordan at Cabela’s Gun Desk, inline muzzleloaders are very popular among modern hunters and shooters for a number of reasons.

“For one thing,” Jordan said, “there’s the issue of convenience. Inlines are affordable, easy to maintain, clean and shoot. They are drilled and tapped for scope mounts, and are very accurate.”

Jordan also said that most modern inline models feature stainless steel barrels

Inline muzzleloaders are perfectly suited to hunting in inclement weather. Powerful #209 primers ensure fast, reliable ignition of granulated powders or pellets. Carpenteri photo

and removable breech plugs, which simplify cleaning and loading.

“Old-style blackpowder guns have to be taken apart, filled with hot water and cleaned using a ramrod and patch,” Jordan said, noting that the process was time-consuming and very messy.

Jordan said that while modern inline rifles will work with blackpowder, Pyrodex and other granulated propellants, most hunters opt for 50-grain compressed pellets. They are easy to transport and load, and generally leave the barrel much cleaner than traditional powders.

Loaded with sabot-type bullets or polymer-based projectiles, today’s inlines are extremely accurate, Jor-

dan said, noting that some manufacturers use Green Mountain or Bergara specialty barrels that are routinely capable of holes-touching groups at 200 yards.

Jordan said that in-line muzzleloader sales have held steady for several years, spiking (as one might expect) just before Maine’s muzzleloader season opens.

“So far, our sales have not been [negatively] impacted by recent events,” Jordan noted. “We expect another uptick in sales now that Maine’s December muzzleloader season is here.”

Jordan also pointed out that today’s modern in-lines use the “very hot” #209 primer for reliable ignition in wet weather, even when using

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Most of today’s break-action inline muzzleloaders can be quickly and effectively cleaned, thanks to easy-to-remove stainless-steel breech plugs. Photo: Idaho Fish & Wildlife

granulated powders, pellets or other blackpowder alternatives.

“The newest development in propellants are the ‘white powders’ that duplicate blackpowder performance but leave the barrel cleaner and therefore much easier to load and shoot,” Jordan said.

There’s no doubt that in-line muzzleloaders are trending among hunters who want to take advantage of Maine’s special December deer

season. While it’s true that traditional percussion and flintlock guns, such as the very popular Hawken-style rifles, are still capable of downing any Maine whitetail at 100 yards or less, modern hunters appreciate the sleek styling, light weight and accuracy of today’s inline offerings, as well as their comparatively low price, convenience and ease of use.

¶

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22 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

— Reader Story —

From North Carolina to Aroostook County –

1,000 Miles for the Deer Trip of a Lifetime

by Ray Strobo The year was 1972.

Our whitetail adventure started with a telephone call from my friend, Ted. “Do you want to go hunting in Maine this fall?” he asked.

Hunt in Maine?

Where did that come from? We were both in North Carolina.

Turns out a friend of ours had become acquainted with a Maine forestry ranger named Joe. Joe had invited our friend and up to five others to come to Maine to hunt whitetails in the fall.

But not just anywhere in Maine – to Aroostook County, the largest county in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River, the “Crown of Maine,” where every year some of the biggest whitetail deer in the country were registered. Home to thousands of acres of prime whitetail deer country. Just thinking about the possibility of such a trip gave me

Cold Start to the Week Monday morning’s sunrise found me on my portable stand deep in the woods. At daybreak, it began to rain. Within minutes the rain turned to sleet. And then it commenced to snow. Welcome to Maine.

It rained/sleeted/ snowed for three days.

We hunted when we could but with little success – no deer sightings. We were constantly cold and wet and trying to dry out and warm up.

I made note of the hardiness of the Maine people. I had on insulated underwear, heavy pants, heavy flannel shirt, lined hunting jacket, hunting cap with ear flaps, and gloves. I was still cold.

Joe, the Maine forest ranger, came by where I was hunting.

He had on a mackinaw-type jacket, wool

Monday morning’s sunrise found our warm-weather North Carolina hunter on his portable stand deep in the woods. At daybreak, it began to rain.

Within minutes the rain turned to sleet. And then it commenced to snow. Welcome to Maine. the shivers.

1,000 Miles to a “Rustic” Cabin We filled two vehicles with gear (including a big cooler – I am an optimist) and drove straight through from North Carolina to the ranger’s hometown of Ashland, arriving there on Sunday morning. Ashland is 1,000 miles from Fuquay-Varina, NC, my home at the time, and about 40 miles from the Canadian border. Then we headed to our cabin, which Joe told us was “rustic.”

“Rustic” doesn’t really describe that cabin. It was a one-room shack with a screenedin porch. There was no electricity or plumbing. The “ac-

commodations for six” turned out to be two single cots and a double-decker double bed.

A wood-burning stove provided heat, and a propane gas stove had been installed for cooking.

The cabin was located on a bluff overlooking the Little Machias River. The river was our water source so, pail in hand, we made frequent trips down the bank to the water’s edge and back.

Friendly Folks in Ashland After scouting the rest of Sunday, we went into town for supplies. Let me say a word about the attitude of the people we encountered in Ashland. Everywhere we went, the people were

friendly and hospitable.

An example: I wanted to buy another pair of gloves. The store clerk asked, “Are you all the fellows from North Carolina staying out at Joe’s place?” We confirmed that we were. “Well,” she offered, “if there is anything you need – gas, food, medicine – let us know. We appreciate you coming up here and staying with us. Tell your friends about us.”

Another time, someone told us where we could hunt pheasants. We went there, and bagged two birds.

Back to the cabin and early to bed. Monday was OPENING DAY!

(Continued on next page)

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pants, and a flannel shirt, nothing heavy or insulated, no gloves, and just a baseball cap for headgear. In response to my question, he said he wasn’t cold. He said that he always dressed lightly when hunting so that he wouldn’t get too hot while walking.

Ranger’s Wife – Truck Driver; Hunter Joe’s wife Betty drove a truck hauling potatoes from the field to the processing location. Each day after work, Betty grabbed her rifle, left Joe a note where she would be hunting, and headed out to look for game.

Joe admitted that some seasons, Betty was more successful than he was.

Joe and Betty informed us that people in that area depended on harvesting game as part of their subsistence. Life in that country was hard, they said, and you did what was needed to get by.

Hunting wasn’t just a sport to them, but was an essential element of their lives.

Weather, Hunting Improves Thursday the bad weather passed on through, and we saw the sun for the first time that week. A beautiful day: clear blue skies, crisp air, snow on the ground – picture-perfect.

The deer began to stir, and the hunters were ready. Our group harvested three deer on Thursday morning in three different parts of the woods – a spike, a four-point and an eight-point. The successful hunters stayed at camp telling stories and doing chores, while the other three – including me – head-

The author’s rustic hunting cabin overlooked their water source – the picturesque Little Machias River.

ed back out to fill their tags.

My hunt that day was an adventure. I found the tracks of a large buck in the snow.

I trailed the deer from a big scrape to a stand of young alders.

And there he was, a massive buck, standing just inside the tree line, facing away from me. He didn’t see me, but I couldn’t shoot through the trees.

Then, for whatever reason, the buck decided to step out of the trees. Bad decision on his part.

Big Buck Down I field-dressed the eight-point, then

went for help. It took four of us the rest of the morning to get that deer to the truck, included wading through a waist-deep beaver pond with the deer strapped to poles carried on our shoulders. I thanked the other hunters over and over for their help. No way could I have gotten that behemoth out of the woods by myself.

I have mentioned the friendliness of the Ashland Mainers.

When we got to town to register the deer, we found a note on the door of the service station which served as the game check-in

This massive deer earned the author a “Biggest Bucks in Maine” patch -- 240 pounds field dressed.

It took four hunters to drag it to the truck, including wading through a beaver bog carrying the whitetail on poles.

site. The note read, “Across the street having breakfast. Come join me.” We looked across the street and, sure enough, a man was standing in the door of the restaurant, waving at us to come over.

After breakfast, he weighed the deer, which topped out on the old beam scale at

240 pounds, meaning the deer’s estimated live-weight was 311 pounds. The attendant said it was the largest deer registered at that check-in station in some time.

A Biggest Buck Patch and a Lifetime Story The deer qualified for the Biggest Bucks (Continued on next page)

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Reader Deer Story (Continued from page 23)

in Maine Club. I still have the patch and the card, reminders of the trip and that massive deer, the likes of which I will probably never see again.

Back at camp I

learned the other two hunters had also tagged out on smaller deer. We packed up and headed south.

Once I got home to South Carolina, I lugged my stuff into

the house and spent the next two hours telling the family about the outstanding time we’d had in the Maine North Woods.

That trip was in 1972, and I am still talking about it. Every year when I start getting ready for hunting

season, I remember telephone ringing and Ted saying, “Hey, do you want to go hunting in Maine this fall?”

That “YES!” was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Thank you, Maine, for your grandeur and your wildlife and

— Trophy Photos —

A Deer with Moose Antlers! -- Noah Hurd, age 14, shot a handsome 165-lb. buck with unusual 10-point “paddled” antlers on November 3 in Waldo County. Noah is shown here with his sister, Emma. Noah’s dad Brandon also accompanied the young hunters. Brandon Hurd photo

Six days before of his 92nd birthday, Jon Lund, publisher of The Maine Sportsman, enjoyed opening day success on October 31, 2020, dropping this fat spikehorn with a single shot in the woods of Richmond, Maine. Lund used a 30-30 bolt-action and copper ammo. Carol Lund photo

your hospitality, and for the memory that has blessed me for 48 years, and will for the rest of my life.

Mr. Strobo has written many outdoor articles and is author of a book.

¶

Snowy Buck -- Cotey O’Neill of New Vineyard used a Remington pump .308 to harvest this nice 6-pt., 186-lb. buck in Zone 7 early on a previous Thanksgiving morning.

Photo by Jackie Rivers

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Venison Roast & Garlic Smashed Potatoes This month’s meat dish features a sauce that works well with a venison roast. It will also be a wonderful accompaniment to moose, bear and

beaver!

The side dish is Garlic Smashed Potatoes, made even more appealing in that I use purple fingerlings, small red

potatoes, Yukon Gold, and small white Maine potatoes.

Shall we begin? Enjoy, and Bon Appetit!

Cabernet Braised, Black Garlic Balsamic Rubbed, Venison Roast Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons roasted cumin, ground • 2 tablespoons Tasteful Things Sweet Butter Olive Oil* • 1 tablespoon Tasteful Things Black Garlic Balsamic Vinegar* • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper • 4-pound boneless venison shoulder roast, tied • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, or ghee** • 3 cups Cabernet (the cook needs some) • 3 cups homemade chicken stock*** • 10 thyme sprigs, tied with string • 5 savory sprigs, tied with string Directions: Preheat oven to 350°.

Roast cumin seeds in cast iron pan, until fragrant. Cool and grind. In small bowl, combine cumin, Sweet Butter Olive Oil, Black Garlic Balsamic Vinegar, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture very well into meat.

Heat a high temperature oil in large heavy casserole. Add venison and brown well on all sides over medium-high heat, about 15 minutes. Transfer venison to large plate. Wipe out casserole.

Return venison to casserole, add wine, chicken stock and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cover with tight-fitting lid and transfer to oven. Braise venison for 2 ½ to 3 hours, turning meat occasionally, until fork-tender.

Transfer venison to large platter and cover with foil.

Discard thyme and savory sprigs. Boil braising liquid until reduced to 2 cups, about 30 minutes.

Remove strings from roast. Slice venison, transfer to plates and spoon sauce on top. Served here with colorful Smashed Potatoes and carrots. *Tasteful Things – www.tastefulthingsme.com **Ghee – a clarified butter that withstands high heat (no refrigeration). Not using a high temperature product will result in burning. ***Here’s one idea to change the flavor of your chicken stock.

This fall I smoked a big chicken in Pecan wood chips, after stuffing the cavity with apple and sweet onions and rubbing Apple Smoked Sea Salt in the cavity and outer skin, then I boiled the chicken bones, apples and sweet onions.

Smashed Garlic-Parsley Butter Potatoes Ingredients: • 4 pounds small potatoes* • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened • ¼ cup garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon parsley, minced • Sea salt, to taste Directions: Steam potatoes in steamer basket for 35 minutes, or use a microwave steamer, for 7 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Melt butter in small pan on medium. Add garlic and parsley, simmer while stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Place potatoes on baking sheet, and gently smash using the bottom of a cup. Transfer to serving bowl, and gently toss with garlic-parsley butter. Season with salt to taste. * Purple fingerlings, small Maine red potatoes, Yukon Gold, and small white Maine potatoes.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

26 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Living Another Opening Day in the Big Woods

by Mike Stevens

Anti-hunters are clueless, says the author, of the bonding and camaraderie that exist in every home, camp and tent within the deer woods. They are ignorant to the wonders of hunting that extend far beyond the killing of deer. We must learn the skills and traditions, he says, and pass them on to the next generation.

In the Beginning I have lived through 54 years of opening days. I still get an upset stomach the night before. I sleep fitfully, dreaming of fleeing bucks. I still check my gear endlessly in the days leading up to deer hunting’s “first pitch.” At my age, I feel a need to share these gut-wrenching feelings and teach others to “keep your head up.”

When a local sheriff (my cousin) caught me tracking bucks well out of deer season (Christmas Day) 45 years ago, he encouraged me to put my deer hunting skills to work in a positive manner.

I got my guide license after this one-sided conversation.

Since, I have shared this nerve-wracking lifestyle with my sons and clients. I feel it’s my mission to keep the tradition alive.

There is more to the

“game” than loading a high-powered rifle and crawling through the woods. In the weeks and days before the season, we scout local hotspots and sight in our rifles. At 4 a.m. on Opening Day, we attend the local hunters’ breakfast, sharing warm greetings and retelling stories of past hunts. These events are part of the tradition.

The Learning Curve Teaching folks the art of tracking and killing deer can only be partly taught over coffee and eggs. The real lesson lies in the big woods. I can tell you I didn’t come from a hunting family. My Dad didn’t hunt, and my uncles took me along to drive deer when I was a teen. I didn’t care for this, but there was a crusty uncle who taught me patience, while another whiskey-breathed

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old-timer taught me how to hit running deer. I never forgot those lessons, meaning many bucks have died because of them. The only way to become a good hunter, is listen more and talk less.

Then come the hours and hours of time in the big woods. When you kill your first buck on a snowy day, miles from the truck, it is now that the lessons have evolved. It is now, you will feel a need to protect our lifestyle. Now it’s time to teach others.

Passing it On This long-lived lifestyle may become threatened by non-hunting groups, but will not be taken from my family or yours … ever. Anti-hunting fraternities will always be around.

We have to learn live with their fruitless attempts to end our great tradition. They are clueless of the bonding, camaraderie and brotherhood that exist in every home, camp and tent within the deer woods. They are ignorant of the wonders of hunting that extend far beyond the killing of deer.

The truth is, these people are mindless-

Mike Stevens (left) and Hal Blood with a pair of opening-week bucks from a previous season – Mike’s deer weighed 220 lbs., while Hal’s was 260 lbs.

ly misled by others who live in a sheltered world where their heroes are phonies looking to end our hunting life. Meanwhile, our heroes are little-known gurus, like Gene Letourneau, Larry Benoit and Hal Blood. Real Americans, whose great accomplishments in the Big Woods have led to books, films and campfire talk that will continue to be shared by an endless audience until the end of time.

We are a proud group, with little tolerance for the ignorant and misinformed.

Always keep your nose to the wind, your powder dry and your eyes on the horizon. I promise good things will come to you that have nothing to do with killing.

Hal Blood Adds His Thoughts Like Mike, I grew up deer hunting back in the 1960s. I was fortunate enough to have a father who hunted, and I started tagging along long before

I could carry a real gun. My father puttered around and sat some, but he was not a wealth of information about deer. I got my education when I was invited to the family hunting lodge when I was 16 years old.

There were some good hunters in camp, and I asked them questions about everything from using a peep sight to shooting running deer.

I shot my first deer at age 12 but when I went to the lodge to hunt, I started a good streak of stacking them up. In fact, after a few years, some of the older guys would ask me where they should hunt. The educations Mike and I received at a young age were invaluable, and that’s why we do our best to pass the skills and tradition on any young hunters who want to learn. Keep the torch lit, and until next month – good luck on the trail!

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 27

A Battle for My Hunting Life Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick, is the reason my life has taken a terrifying turn for the worse. According to the CDC, “Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted when an infected tick bites and transfers the bacterium to a human during the tick’s blood meal.”

On Friday, August 28th, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Sharing my experience to date with our readers is very important to me. I don’t want anyone else to get it, or to experience the symptoms I have thus far.

A Morning Like Any Other Wednesday, August 26th started like many other mornings.

My wife and I woke up around 5:30 a.m., had a cup of coffee and

me to take prescription Doxycycline right away. The kicker was, I already had Doxy on hand in case of tick bites, and I’d used it many times before to stop this from happening.

The author shares details of his sudden and mysterious fight against the effects of Lyme disease, which has caused him pain, has changed his lifestyle, and has cast doubt on his ability to hunt strenuously in the future. watched the news. I had slept well and felt great when we set out for our morning walk around 6:30 a.m. We walked just over two and a half miles before jogging (at a fairly quick pace) the last quarter- to half-mile. I felt great when we finished.

After arriving home, I jumped in the shower in preparation for a 10 a.m. meeting in a neighboring town.

When I got out of the shower, the back of my knee was very sore.

I had my wife rub it and put some muscle salve on it. I thought I’d just overdone it on the run and my 50-year-old legs were

giving me heck for it.

Upon arriving at my meeting, my legs had completely stiffened up. I was now walking like a 90-year-old man ... kind of shuffling, as it was painful to bend my knees.

By dinnertime, I was experiencing tremendous pain and went to bed. On Thursday morning when I woke up, my fever was up to 102 degrees, and went as high as 104 that day. My knees, lower legs and ankles had swelled tremendously, and I couldn’t walk without major assistance. Lyme disease never even crossed my mind. I had never found a tick or had

a rash to tip me off.

Possible pulled muscles from jogging had to be the cause. Maybe the fever was a coincidence?

Instead of going right to the emergency room, I waited a day to see if I’d get better. On Friday, I hadn’t gotten better and went to the walk-in care unit in Waterville. The doctor took one look at me and blurted out, “You have all the classic symptoms of Lyme disease.” I was floored.

After having bloodwork done, I headed home to await the call. When the doctor called me that evening, she confirmed it was Lyme, and told

Lyme is Real, and it Sucks!

Admittedly, I’d heard of many people who “had Lyme,” chronic fatigue syndrome, brain fog, and many other things. I knew it was a thing, but honestly, I always thought some of it was made up, and was more psychological than physical. I could not have been more wrong, and my ignorance is being tasted daily in the plate of crow I’m eating.

The best thing I’ve done so far was to seek out a true Lyme doctor. Dr. Lisa Pelkey, (Big Game Hunting continued on page 30)

Did You Bag a Big Buck?

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28 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

One Pistol, One Rifle and One Shotgun – Sometimes the Good Ones Get Away I was a Lieutenant, and a Sargent offered to sell me a beautiful, diminutive Ruger Bearcat .22 pistol for $50. I declined because I didn’t want to get entangled in his finances. That, plus I didn’t have $50.

Several times over the years, the December installment of The Shooter’s Bench has featured holiday gift suggestions for shooters. Often readers responded saying that they liked the suggestions among the wished-for items.

But 2020 – the year of the Covid-19 virus – is no ordinary year. Economics, politics, education, even basic health and safety seem turned upside down and backwards.

Many a family circle draws tighter this season, shrunk by the virus or the threat of the virus. Christmas trees and holiday dining tables will not have the large gatherings com-

mon in years past.

In keeping with the realities of 2020, this month’s column covers wishes that did not come true, and opportunities seen but not seized. After all, even Santa Claus decides not to bring us everything we wish for, and sometimes we let opportunities slip away all on our own.

When it comes to gun collecting, we all know what we like, but most of us lack the financial resources to acquire everything we want, exactly when we decide we want it.

Juggling the resources, the desire and the opportunities is what collecting is all about.

With the spirit of

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the holidays in mind, this column covers some firearms that never made it to The Shooter’s Bench, but have never faded from memory either. One was a pistol. Another a rifle. And the last a shotgun.

Little Bear Many years ago before the advent of the all-volunteer Army, I was a young lieutenant responsible for a platoon of reluctant but gifted warriors.

Soldier’s pay was low then – very low – and things could get tough for married troopers trying to support a family.

Just shy of one payday, a young sergeant with too many bills offered to sell me a Ruger “Bearcat” .22 rimfire pistol for $50. The Bearcat is an early single-action Bill Ruger designed six-shooter.

Beyond diminutive, it seems almost dainty. Related to the “Single-Six” .22 rimfire also by Ruger, the Bearcat is a scale of its own.

This particular example was an anniversary edition with a deep blue finish, special markings, gold engraving, and gleaming faux ivory handgrips.

A commemorative beauty, it was not an

We can’t always get what we want, and sometimes a classic old piece like this Winchester Model 1895, designed by John M. Browning, slips through our fingers. Winchester Arms collection

example for the field, and I declined the offer.

Much as I wanted a .22 pistol, I wanted one for hard use.

I also knew that no matter how I sympathized with his plight, I wanted to avoid becoming entangled in my soldier’s financial problems. I also wanted to avoid telling him that $50 might as well have been $5,000 to me. With my own rent, car payment and school debt, the $295 I brought home each payday did not stretch far.

The picture seems different in 2020. I wish I had made the leap and found $50 to give. I would have a nice piece to display now, and I would have helped a young soldier and his family make it to payday.

Browning Masterpiece Fourteen years ago I was in Marshall’s Firearms in Boscawen, New Hampshire picking up a brand new Kimber Model 8400 “Montana” and Leupold scope combination, days away from a month-long Alaska hunt. On the wall hung an original Winchester Model 1895 designed

by John M. Browning.

This one, made about 1910, it came in .30’06 Springfield and carried a consignment price of $1,500.

Purchasing the Kimber and scope made it impossible to consider buying anything else. The old Winchester came in great condition, at a fair price, and would have completed one of the unfilled niches in my Winchester lever action collection, but the firearms slush fund lacked the reach.

Still, every time I visit Brad Marshall’s place, I look at that spot on the wall secretly hoping whoever owns the Model ’95 now will consign it again Model 3200 Eight or ten years ago I visited the Cabela’s gun library in the Scarborough, Maine store. An impeccable Remington Model 3200 trap gun, decorated and marked as “One of One Thousand,” sat in the rack. A beautiful over/under gun by any measure, the 3200 carried a price of $1,900.

The one thousand trap guns made in 1973 (as the Blue Book of Gun Values states) (Shooter’s Bench continued on page 30)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 29

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30 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 28)

comprise a limited edition with elaborate engraving and fancy wood. Its 30-inch barrels choke Improved Modified and Full, it is truly a gun for serious

trap shooters.

I killed an hour that Friday evening admiring the Remington, and then walked away. The why of it re-

Big Game Hunting (Continued from page 27)

FNP, practices out of an office in Bangor, specifically for Lyme patients. I sought out a Lyme specialist because I didn’t want to mess around and I’d heard nightmares of standard Lyme treatments not working. I wanted the best help I could get, and wasn’t taking any chances.

By the time I actually got in to see her, I had been taking Doxy for over two weeks of the prescribed one-month period. Within two days of starting the Doxy, my fever was gone, and I could walk with a crutch. After a week, I didn’t need the crutch and I could get around outdoors, but was still in severe pain. Dr. Pelkey answered my questions like a pro, and she’s assured me

mains a mystery, but probably entails a depleted slush fund and not wanting to go into debt to the “House.”

That decision still irks.

Season’s Greetings No, Santa does not bring everything

that we might wish for. Sometimes we must make our own wishes come true.

And as we close out 2020, the promise of a bright new 2021 looks pretty good. Plenty of time and opportunity for new shooting

that we will beat this and manage it so I can resume a “normal life.”

Well, right now, my normal life looks like this. I take three types of antibiotics, twice each day. I take probiotics to keep my gut health strong. I take immune boosters to keep my immune system strong, so it can fight the Lyme.

I take an anti-inflammatory to keep swelling down. I drink beet juice and tart cherry juice to keep swelling down and to help my liver filter out toxins.

I’ve changed my diet completely and lost 22 pounds. No more gluten, and no foods that could cause inflammation.

It’s early in my diagnosis, but I’m feeling far better now than I did just a few weeks ago. I’m out hunting a little, but my body isn’t tolerating cold temperatures like it did before. I can’t climb trees or ladders well. How this

adventures in Maine and Away. So, here’s to shaking off the remains of 2020 and setting sights on the goodness ahead. MERRY CHRISTMAS, one and all.

¶

will affect my future hunting is a mystery. My knees get very sore if I walk too much, and if I really push it, I get debilitating headaches, body aches and fatigue that cost me a day or more on the other end. This has been a nightmare!

Sharing my experience with our readership is important. Lyme is real, and it’s dangerous. Who knows when I got bit? At this point, all that matters is getting the message out. Treat outdoor clothing with Permethrin. Check yourself thoroughly after coming in from any outdoor activity. If your doctor will prescribe it, keep two weeks of Doxy on hand, in case you get bit. Lyme can change your life in an instant. Stay vigilant.

¶

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 31

Biggest Bears (So Far) of 2020 Thanks to all the readers who have been mailing in photos of their trophy 2020 black bears, and who have been applying for membership in the Maine Bear Patch Club. Here are some of the largest bears reported so far.

Logan Harrigan of Springfield, OH scored the largest trophy so far in The Maine Sportsman’s Maine Black Bear patch club, with this 490-pound (538-lb. live weight) monster.

Logan was guided

by Keenan Scanlin of Black Hat Hunting, Millinocket. The bear was taken over bait; its paws were massive. Photo courtesy Steve Scanlin, Black Hat Hunting

A Huge Bear for a Young Hunter Fourteen-year-old Linsy Jackson came within 10 pounds of making the Maine record books for a black bear sow when she dropped this huge 324.5-lb. trophy with one shot from her 7mm-08. She is shown here with her grandfather and biggest supporter, John Pelletier of St. John. The bear was tracked with the help of area guide Mark Belanger and his hounds. Linsy and her grandfather had maintained a bait site all season, but when Pelletier experienced serious health issues, Linsy continued baiting on her own. Pelletier was released from the hospital in time to help his granddaughter celebrate this memorable hunt. Stacy Belanger photo

Deadly with a Crossbow Steven Parsons of Standish filled his bear tag with this 303-lb. male on August 31, 2020 while hunting in Millinocket.

Skilled Duo Christopher Sargent of Surry bagged this 261-lb. boar in Bucksport on September 3, 2020 using his 30-’06. Chris was accompanied by his girlfriend, Emily Goode. Emily is also an accomplished hunter, and later in the month, on September 29th, she harvested a 678-pound bull moose in T7 R18 WELS.

A New State Record Crossbow Bear Richard Harwood of Peru, NY is our newest record-holder, in the category of the largest black bear taken with a crossbow.

Harwood’s monster was killed September 1, 2020 in Littleton, ME. The boar weighed 474 pounds field-dressed [516 lbs. live weight]. The record was certified by Warden Kale O’Leary.

Consummate Outdoorsman William Shea of Hiram killed this 428-pound (dressed) black bear on September 6, 2020 in Baldwin. The 18-year old is passionate about everything outdoors, according to his his aunt, Valerie Day, ever since he got his Grand Slam as a 10-year old in 2012.

Shea is the consummate outdoorsman, bowhunting for deer as well as trapping beaver and coyotes.

If you would like to join The Maine Sportsman’s Maine Black Bear Patch Club, go to www.MaineSportsman.com/Patch-Club or call (207) 622-4242 for more info today! www.MaineSportsman.com

32 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Technology Impacts Maine Ice-Fishing

by Steve Carpenteri What an eye-opener it is for an old-school ice-fishermen when surveying the latest innovations in winter angling equipment.

Anyone who’s been fishing through the ice for more than 50 years will be astounded at how much things have changed. Who would have thought in the

1970s that fishermen would one day be using electric augurs and traps that light up in the dark? These are just a few of the amazing, surprising and unexpected products available to modern-day fans of winter fishing.

Electric Augers Hunter Jellison,

a Cabela’s angling spokesman, said that electric augers are one of the outfitter’s fastest-selling items.

The cream of the crop, according to Jellison, is the new Ion auger, which sells for a whopping $700!

“The Ion features an 8-inch blade driven at a much higher

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RPM than most other augers,” Jellison noted. “The benefits are that you don’t need to worry about using gas or oil, and the battery is rechargeable.

I’ve heard nothing but good comments about them.”

Anglers using the new Ion auger report being able to drill 100 or more holes per charge, which is more than adequate for a weekend outing. Ion claims that its auger will cut through 2,000 inches of ice per charge.

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Fish Finders Jellison said that many anglers come into the store looking to buy the latest in fish-finding equipment.

“The Humminbird Helix series is really popular,” he said.

“What’s good about this unit, which in available in five different models, is that the same transducer can be used for each unit.”

Another advantage of the Helix fish-finder is that it combines GPS and sonar technology in the same unit.

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 33

The Heritage Laker ice-fishing trap is typical of midrange, modern ice-fishing tip-ups, selling for about $35. They are available at retailers such as L.L.Bean in Freeport. Photo courtesy of Heritage Laker Traps (Continued from page 32)

“Fisherman can find the bottom and mark locations, and the unit will also tell the user how to get to the spot using the rules of boating,” Jellison said. “This helps the fishermen return to a marked spot safely each time he goes out.”

ed. “This means fewer lost fish in cases where the ice angler is delayed in getting to the trap.”

The most expensive of these new-age traps run about $70 each, but Jellison said that there are plenty

The new Humminbird Helix series of fish-finders are idea for Maine’s winter fishermen, combining GPS and sonar to help anglers return to previous hotspots. Photo courtesy of Humminbird.

of functional trap designs available that cost about half that amount.

Circle Hooks While snelled hooks have been the standard for ice-fishing for decades, Jellison said that modern

anglers are using the new circle hooks, especially those who fish in catch-and-release waters or who catch fish that must be returned to the water unharmed, such as

The new Ion electric augers weigh just 17 pounds and are designed to cut through 2,000 inches of ice per charge. They can be found at outdoor supply retailers including Cabela’s, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Photo courtesy of Ion

short togue and salmon.

(Continued on next page)

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Traps That Light Up! Jellison said that one of the most interesting innovations in ice-fishing traps or tipups has been the addition of lights so that nighttime anglers can monitor their equipment from the comfort of their shack or shelter.

“The newer traps are spring-loaded so they even set the hook for you,” Jellison not-

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34 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Ice Fishing in Maine (Continued from page 33)

“Circle hooks were originally meant for stripers and other

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water anglers are using them, particularly ice-fishermen. These hooks are designed so a fish cannot swallow the hook, which makes releasing fish much easier and is less damaging to the fish.”

Other Innovations There have been many other innovations in the ice-fishing realm in recent years.

For example, most anglers now use snowmobiles and ATVs to access their favorite ice-fishing hotspots, using customized sleds and trailers to haul their shacks, tents and shelters onto the ice.

Ice-creepers, unheard of just a few

years ago, are now standard gear for winter anglers, providing sure footing on slick ice using various combinations of metal teeth, springs and bars to keep anglers upright. Most of these are designed to strap onto winter boots, and they can be easily and quickly removed after a busy day on the ice.

Better clothing including insulated overalls, boots and gloves make ice-fishing a pleasure. Lightweight, portable sleds that carry all the necessary gear including bait, a shelter, food and drinks only add to an angler’s enjoyment.

Things have definitely changed since the days when Maine’s winter fishermen used hand-made “spuds” to chisel holes in the ice and then stuck hemlock boughs into the pile of ice chips as an impromptu “tip-up.”

When a fish was on the bough would wave and wiggle, alerting anglers to a possible catch. Believe it or not, 20-pound togue were caught using such primitive methods, but these days Maine’s winter anglers are definitely ahead of the curve.

¶

BAIT DEALERS DIRECTORY

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207-463-2828

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Shiners • Suckers • Worms & Crawlers Smelts • Walk-in or Reserved Open Daily – 207-534-2261 Brad & Maggie Scott - Reg. Maine Guide

Resident & Non-Resident Licenses - Snowmobile Registrations

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9 Elm St., Jackman, ME 04945 • 1-800-644-5621

Worms, Dillies, Crawlers 143 Every Mills Road, Rt. 109 • (207) 636-1325 (on Lower Mousam Lake)

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 35

Ride Sensibly, Ride Safe!

by Steve Carpenteri With luck and an early snowfall, Maine’s snowmobile brigade could be on the trails early this month. After a long, hot, dry summer, outdoor folks are anxious to hit the throttle and make tracks for the North Country’s scenic winter byways.

According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, taking a ride on a snowmobile is a great way to be active and enjoy the beautiful Maine winter. The Department recommends following basic safety precautions, current regulations and common sense to ensure that your ride is as safe as it is fun.

Dress for Success Staying warm and dry during your ride will make the trip more enjoyable and safer. Wear a snowmobile suit, which usually consists of a jacket and insulated bib. Under your snowmobile suit, dress in layers.

Stay away from cotton, because if it gets wet it will freeze. Choose polyester blends to wick moisture away from your body.

In addition, wear a DOT-approved full-

Keeping yourself and your family safe while snowmobiling is not a mystery -- dress warmly, know your machine, make a plan, supervise young riders and set a good example for them, stay on marked trails, and don’t let your speed exceed the snow conditions. face helmet, goggles or a face shield, waterproof gloves, winter hat, wool face mask and winter boots.

Tips for Young Riders If you have a youngster who is about to go on his or her first snowmobile ride, there are special considerations to keep in mind.

Although a child may be the recommended age to ride, not all youngsters have the strength, skills or judgment needed to safely operate a snowmobile.

Supervise your youngster’s operation of the machine at all times. Permit continued use only if you determine that your youngsters have the ability and maturity to operate the machine for their own safety as well as those around them.

of all ages, no matter how long or short the trip. This includes checking the mechanical condition of the machine, ensuring you have sufficient fuel, and making certain you have spare parts,

survival gear and personal items.

Riders should also leave a trip plan with a responsible adult, listing the destination, travel times, contact information and anything else that could

aid in finding a rider who gets lost or injured on the trail.

Know Your – and Your Machine’s -Limitations Each snowmobile model handles differently, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with each machine you ride by reading the owner’s manual and following its safety, maintenance and operational guidelines.

(Continued on next page)

16 23 13

Pre-Ride Checklist Having a pre-ride safety checklist is a good idea for riders www.MaineSportsman.com

36 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Snowmobiling in Maine

0% APR FOR 48 MONTHS — or — REBATES UP TO $1750*

(Continued from page 36)

— See Your Polaris Dealer for Details Today! — JACKMAN Jackman Power Sports 549 Main Street 207-668-4442 www.jackmanpowersports.com

TOPSHAM Woody’s Performance Ctr. 70 Topsham Fair Mall Road 207-729-1177 www.teamwoodys@outlook.com

LEWISTON Central Maine Powersports 845 Main Street 207-689-2345 www.centralmainepowersports.com

GORHAM, NH Absolute PowerSports 461 Main Street 603-466-5454 www.absolutepowersportsnh.com

Offers valid on select new 2018-2021 Polaris snowmobiles purchased between November 1st, 2020 – December 31st, 2020. Minimum payments required. Offer may not be combined with certain other offers, is subject to change and may be extended or terminated without further notice. Model specifications subject to change. All rebates are paid to the dealer. The Promotional Limited Warranty consists of the standard 12-monthly warranty plus an additional 12 or 24 months of additional promotional limited warranty coverage for a total of 24 or 36 months of warranty coverage. See dealer for details. Any additional warranty coverage after the initial 12 month factory warranty is subject to a $50.00 deductible per visit.

Valid at participating Polaris Snowmobile dealers only. Model & year exclusions apply. See your local dealer for details. Valid on amount financed of $1,500 or more of select new untitled Polaris Model Year 2018-2021 Snowmobiles purchased between November 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. Down payment may be required. Sales tax, registration fees, and dealer fees not included. Minimum Amounts Financed, Interest Charges, and penalties for accounts non-current, may apply. Promotional offer of 0% for 48 months is a Tier 1 offer only and valid only on MY18-MY20 800cc models, excluding Titan. Promotional offer of 0% for 12 Months, then 9.99% for 60 months thereafter is a Tier 1 and Tier 2 offer only. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Valid at participating U.S. Polaris dealers only. Offers subject to credit approval. Other financing offers are available. Rate advertised is based on minimum bureau risk score of 700. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Offer effective on eligible and qualified units purchased from a participating Sheffield/Synchrony dealer. Offer subject to change without notice. Offer valid only in US. Read, understand, and follow your owner’s manual. Polaris recommends that all riders take a safety training course. Do not attempt maneuvers beyond your capability. Always wear a helmet and other safety apparel. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never drink and ride. Polaris is a registered trademark of Polaris Industries Inc. © 2020 Polaris industries Inc.

READY FOR DOMINATION

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JACKMAN Jackman Powersports 549 Main Street 207-668-4442 www.jackmanpowersports.com

SKOWHEGAN Whittemore & Sons 257 Waterville Road 207-474-2591 www.whittemoreandsons.com

RANGELEY Rev-It-Up Sports Shop Route 4 207-864-2452 www.revitupsports.com

TOPSHAM Woody’s Performance Ctr. 70 Topsham Fair Mall Road 207-729-1177 www.woodysyamaha.com

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.

www.MaineSportsman.com

When riding in groups, discuss trail conditions or any changes in itinerary before heading out so everyone knows the day’s travel plan. Photos courtesy of Arctic Cat

Riders should also know their own abilities and limitations and never over-drive their machine in an effort to keep up with other, more experienced riders or merely to impress onlookers.

Safe Riding Tips Driving at a moderate pace will allow you to react to an unexpected obstacle on the trail and avoid an accident. It is important to be observant and watch for exposed rocks, stumps, fallen trees, remnants of barbed wire and other fences, ditches, open water, other snowmobiles (and parts), snow drifts, animals, snowshoers and cross-country skiers.

Many trails have posted speed limits to follow. Marked trails are safer to ride on because many have been groomed by local clubs and are less likely to contain common hazards.

Going off trail can result in accidents because you are treading on unfamiliar terrain.

Also, many trails run close to private property. Unless you have received permission to explore from the

landowner, stay on the marked trail. Be a responsible rider by following the posted signs and trail markers. Failure to do so can also result in the trail being closed to the public in the future.

Make sure you check your manufacturer’s guide for the approved number of passengers and also the amount of weight it can carry. Exceeding these maximums by adding a passenger or heavy gear can increase the chances of having an accident or suffering an injury.

Snowmobiles are not designed to pull passenger sleds, skiers or saucers, and it is unsafe to do so.

Finally, a snowmobiler should not ride alone as this will increase the chances of getting into trouble if something bad happens. Ride with a friend or a group especially when taking on a long or challenging trip.

Ride safely, ethically and sensibly this winter. The goal is zero snowmobile accidents and fatalities in Maine this winter.

(Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 37

TAKE EVERY RIDE TO THE

NEXT LEVEL

Visit Your Local Ski-Doo Dealer for the Current Offers!

AUBURN Wallingford Equipment 2527 Turner Road 207-782-4886 www.wallingfordequipment.com For safety’s sake, stay on mapped, well-groomed trails where others can find you if you break down.

(Continued from page 36)

No Cowboy Antics The MDIFW reminds riders that serious injury can result from improper use of snowmobiles.

Using snowmobiles for racing (especially on crowded trails), jumping obstacles, trick-riding and other forms of impromptu entertainment are risky, reckless and almost certain to result in damage to the sled or injury to the operator or onlookers.

Snowmobiles are designed for recreational riding. Variables encountered by

riders include unexpected trail conditions, different levels of rider experience, local weather conditions, trail traffic, and the capabilities of the snowmobile itself. Demanding more out of the machine than it can give is a recipe for disaster, especially when traveling across lakes, ponds, rivers and other waterways.

If you think your machine can make it but aren’t sure, don’t take the chance – one mistake is all you get in Maine’s unforgiving winter environment.

DETROIT Huff Powersports 284 North Road 207-487-3338 www.huffpowersports.com

LINCOLN Lincoln Power Sports - Access Auto 265 West Broadway 207-794-8100 www.lincolnpowersports.com

AUGUSTA North Country Ski-doo 3099 N. Belfast Ave. 207-622-7994 www.northcountryh-d.com

FORT KENT LEEDS Fort Kent Powersports Reggie’s Kawasaki Ski-doo 377 Caribou Road 255 US Hwy 202 207-834-3659 207-933-4976 www.fortkentpowersports.com www.doitatreggies.com

CARIBOU Plourde & Plourde 11 Laurette Stree 207-496-3211 www.plourdeplourde.com

GREENVILLE JUNCTION Moosehead Motorsports 13 Industrial Park 207-695-2020 www.mooseheadmotorsports.com

WINDHAM Richardson’s Boatyard 850 Roosevelt Tr, Rt 302 207-892-9664 www.richardsonsby.com

JACKMAN Jackman Power Sports 549 Main Street 207-668-4442 www.jackmanpowersports.com ©2018 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Products in the United States (US) are distributed by BRP US Inc. Always ride safely and responsibly. *Observed HP measured on internal Dyno test in optimal conditions for 2-stroke engines.

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. DOMINATE.

¶

— Visit Your Local Arctic Cat Dealer for Details — CARIBOU Plourde & Plourde 11 Laurette Stree 207-496-3211 www.plourdeplourde.com

JACKMAN Jackman Power Sports 549 Main St. 207-668-4442 www.jackmanpowersports.com

SIDNEY Kramer’s Inc. 2400 West River Road 207-547-3345 www.kramersinc.com

GORHAM LEBANON BERLIN, NH White Rock Outboard Northeast Motorsports Jericho Outdoors 351 Sebago Lake Rd. 451 Carl Broggi Hwy. 232 Jericho Rd. 207-892-9606 207-457-2225 603-215-6002 www.whiterockoutboard.com www.nemotorsportsofmaine.com www.jerichooutdoors.com Ride at prudent speeds, while keeping an eye out for obstacles, animals and other riders.

Always wear a helmet and don’t drink and ride. © 2020 Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc.

www.MaineSportsman.com

38 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Snowmobile Rental & Guided Tour Directory Moosehead Region Trailside Lodging

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 39

From Black Powder to Sea Ducks, Aroostook Sportsmen Have Many Options This Month Whatever deer-hunting technique you use during the one-week Aroostook County muzzleloading season – drive-and-spot, tracking, stalking or stillhunting – you’re likely to find many deer and few other hunters.

December tends to be a month of mystery for Aroostook outdoorsmen, since Mother Nature, Jack Frost and Old Man Winter seem to follow a different script each year.

I’ve seen snow arrive in early November and stay until May, while on rare occasions the ground has been bare until Christmas week.

Once in a while there’s a mid-winter warm spell that leaves bare ground for a week or so, and then back to the deep freeze! Which quarry to pursue – fins, fur or feathers – all depends on snow depth and ice thickness this month in The County.

Black Powder and Whitetails One certainty is the muzzleloader season will provide action regardless of weather, and a growing number of hunters not only take part but prefer the challenge of tagging a buck using a “smoke pole.” Pressure is always lighter – a lot of folks have either gotten a deer or don’t hunt with a muzzleloader, and many prime areas only see one or two hunters.

There’s only a week unless you drive south, so it’s important to have a couple of likely areas scouted.

Although it’s a bit

of a drive from Presque Isle or Caribou, there’s a copse of woods near Allagash well worth the trip, and with most of the local guides and outfitters done for the season it’s even better.

Just drive Route 161 or 11 to Fort Kent and then continue on 161 to St. Frances checkpoint a few miles before Allagash Village.

If you take the Pelletier Lakes Road and follow it to Hews Road, it is then possible to connect to the St. Francis Road and loop back to the gatehouse where you began.

Some hunters drive-and-spot hunt when snow cover is light; others look for fresh tracks crossing

a road, then stop and stalk. For those who prefer to get into the woods and still-hunt, there are plenty of side roads and old logging and skidder trails to explore when snow cover allows. The twotracks and trails between Pelletier Brook and Casey Brook deserve extra attention.

Delorme’s Atlas, Map 66, E-4 & E-5 will direct newcomers to toprate whitetail woods.

Tip Top Territory For many years during the 70s and 80s, my Dad and I, along with one or two friends, would spend Thanksgiving weekend – the last few days of deer season – near Escourt Station.

Scott Carlin of Presque Isle is skilled at tracking whitetails on a fresh snow cover. He often has his best luck the last few days of the regular season or during blackpowder week.

We used a camp right on the bank of Little Black River, stalking and still-hunting Beaver Brook Boat Land-

The Most Remote Hunting in the North Maine Woods Wilderness

ing and Pocwok regions with excellent and consistent luck on (Continued on next page)

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40 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

If there is enough ice on certain lakes this month, smelt fishing can be fast and furious -- the perfect time for a father-and-son outing.

There’s goose hunting to be enjoyed the first week or so of December as long as the deep snow holds off. Roger Shaw of Mars Hill wore plenty of warm clothes and enjoyed a successful late season outing with friends.

The County (Continued from page 39)

big bucks. The tip-top crown of Aroostook is far more accessible currently, even after several snowstorms, as logging operations keep roads cleared.

We would often cross into Canada at the Fort Kent/Clair N.B. border station, a shorter route, but not possible now due to COVID 19 causing a closure of the Canadian boundary. Travel

to Allagash and Little Black Checkpoint, then Hafey Road to Rocky Brook Road.

Review DeLorme’s Map 70, B-5 for the Boat Landing region.

There’s every likelihood of spotting a deer while driving, and a very low percentage of seeing other hunters throughout this area during black powder season.

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Early Ice There’s little doubt that ice will cover regional lakes and ponds this month, the vital question for self-preservation is, “Will it be thick enough to support an ice fisherman?” A fair number of Aroostook lakes open to smelt fishing as soon as there’s safe ice, and often the early jigging for these tasty silver slivers can be the fastest of the season. Each waterway differs with depth, current, inlets and spring holes, so it’s crucial to test thicknesses with an ice chisel as you move away from shore.

I’m no shrinking violet size-wise, and if there’s not 4” of clear blue ice, you’ll find me at the restaurant!

I’ve made no secret of my affinity for Pleasant Pond in Island Falls – I’ve been visiting and enjoying consistent early smelt action since my teens.

Another simple-toreach lake for central Aroostook handliners this month is Big Machias, about a 20-minute drive beyond 6-mile checkpoint in Ashland on the Realty Road. Thanks to year around logging ventures at several sites in the North Maine Woods, the main roads are well plowed.

While a snowmo-

As goose season winds down in Northern Maine the geese flock to dug potato fields to eat the leftover tiny spuds for the sugar and starch to help them withstand the snow and frigid weather. The hunters set up near an irrigation pivot for this outing.

bile is necessary for most ice fishing, it’s often safer to walk on the new ice this month rather than chance the extra weight. The main road actually parallels the northern shoreline of Big Machias, and it’s a short walk to the lake. Some camp owners utilize their cabins all winter and even plow right to the lake’s edge, offering even easier access. Some December there’s plenty of ice for a portable shanty to be pulled by hand and set up for one or two smelt jiggers to allow night fishing.

Big Machias is a moderate-size lake and simple to fish with an inlet, an outlet and a couple of creeks running in. Smelt are everywhere, so just find an easy access point, drill a hole and start jigging a handline. DeLorme’s Map 63, D-2 should work for an overview and directions.

To the Sea Anyone who’s read my articles for a while knows I’m not above stepping over the line – the border line, that is! I’ll go to New Brunswick for spring Atlantic salmon or Quebec for bright salmon in July and August, or drive to an “Aroostook adjacent” county for summer bass or

winter white fish. My point is, when Aroostook outdoor ventures dwindle, as they often do in December, local sportsmen might want to travel south for an ocean option.

Lots of local hunters head downstate where there are more turkey and more deer, and for decades I’ve visited the coast regularly in November for ducks.

Gunning for puddle ducks and geese is one of my favorite outdoor challenges, but hunting sea ducks is my passion. Not only must you outsmart big, tough eider, fast-flying old squaw and three species of scoter, but also rough seas, wild winds, and changing tides must be factored into every outing. For years, my friends and I would leave after work Friday, dragging my 20’ Alaskan and its full collapsible mounted blind, spend the night at a Bangor hotel, and rise in the dead of night to launch before dawn.

After 4 to 6 hours of fantastic wing shooting, we’d load up, have a lunch and head back to the Crown of Maine abuzz with stories and adrenaline-overpowering exhaustion. Then we would do it all over again the next weekend.

(Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 41

Duck season is still underway in early December, and as long as open water on streams and ponds is available, there will be shooting on big mallards and redleg black ducks. Here, Beaver Pierce of E Plantation had to clear sheet ice to set decoys, but the birds were attracted to the open water like a magnet.

(Continued from page 40)

First-timers should consider Naskeag Harbor near Blue Hill, Lamoine Beach or Milbridge for sea

Bill Graves fires at a passing drake eider while he and Mike Wallace of Freeport were gunning from a ledge in Naskeag Harbor.

duck outings. While there are literally hundreds of launch sites with great shooting, these three are fairly close, simple to locate and launch from, and

pretty much guarantee chances at all sea duck species. If you are a waterfowler who hasn’t ever experienced a sea duck hunt and are seeking a new

Several friends traveled from Aroostook County with writer Bill Graves to enjoy a weekend sea duck hunt, Mike Wallace and Buddy Horr pose for a quick photo following a very eventful outing.

December pastime, head south until you find a seashore. It’s likely you already own most of the necessary gear. A lot of spouses enjoy Christmas

shopping in Bangor, so make a weekend of it – it’s a win/win, even though you do have to leave The County!

¶

Aroostook County —

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42 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

My First Deer – Part 2 Our story so far – In Part 1, the author shot a buck, which left a blood trail on the snow.

She and her friend Randy tracked the deer until dark. She then called Scot Clontz, a certified tracking dog handler, and arranged to meet him in the morning. Scot recommended not going back after the deer that night. The author initially agreed, but did not keep her promise.

Randy insisted we not leave the deer overnight due to the number of coyotes in the area, and I trusted Randy’s guidance.

With fresh batteries in our headlamps, we began tracking the deer again at 9 p.m.

The blood trail was easy to follow in the woods, where snow covered the ground, but in fields where the ground was bare, we struggled to find blood.

Once, we bumped the buck and he crossed a small stream ahead of us. We backed out again, and hoped he would bed down and expire.

At midnight we went in again, and that’s when we saw it – a drag mark in the

ed, “and if the deer is alive, you do not shoot until I give you the goahead.”

The author and her first deer, found thanks to Scot and his tracking beagle, Darwin.

snow. I had shot the deer in the leg.

I felt terrible, knowing this animal was suffering and struggling. A major reason I started hunting was to mitigate animal suffering, and now look what I had done. This was not how I envisioned it. I was ashamed and disappointed in myself.

And what would

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we do if we caught up to it? It wasn’t going to bleed out from a leg wound that night. We couldn’t shoot it, since it was night.

At 1 a.m. we decided to go home and wait for Scot in the morning.

No Sleep As I lay in bed, sleep evading me like the buck I’d injured, I worried over possible scenarios for the next day. What if we didn’t find him? What if coyotes found him? I remembered a video I watched once of a deer crying, coyotes eating it alive. Here I am, in my warm bed, and coyotes might be eating my buck alive at this

very moment. What have I done? Six years I’ve been trying to get a deer, and I finally get my chance and I fail. I should have given up on deer hunting, and stuck to turkey and duck hunting.

No, that’s not true; deep down, I know the reason I never gave up on deer hunting – I’m not a quitter. And I wasn’t going to quit now.

I anxiously awaited Scot’s arrival the next morning and was relieved when he arrived at our meeting point. He wore jeans and sneakers and carried his beagle, Darwin, under his arm.

“Darwin and I will go first,” he instruct-

Darwin Works His Magic Scot put Darwin down where we had stopped tracking the night before. It was impressive to watch Darwin work. He spent a few minutes sniffing and turning and deciphering which direction the deer went, and then he was off, lunging at the leash, trying to run.

I struggled to keep up, at times jogging with my 12-gauge slung over my shoulder.

About ten minutes into the track, Darwin started howling.

We must be close. We stopped at the edge of the stream, as Darwin worked out which direction the deer had gone. Then I heard ice breaking and looked upstream just in time to watch a buck struggle across the barely iced-over river. He slipped and broke through, but made it to the other side. “There he is!” I exclaimed, as the buck limped into the forest on the opposite bank.

Scot scooped Darwin up, and we crossed a beaver dam nearby.

We walked upstream, found fresh blood, and Scot put Darwin down to go back to work.

The Final Shot The woods were denser on this side

(Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 43

“My stomach was in knots, but I remained confident we would find him; there was just too much blood not to.”

(Continued from page 42)

of the stream, but almost immediately we jumped the deer. He disappeared through the thickets and I didn’t have a shot. Darwin tracked him back toward the stream and we caught up to him in the open.

Scot Clontz, and Darwin pick up on the blood trail where the author lost it. The deer was about 100 yards away.

Scot gave me the goahead. I dropped him with a neck shot.

We walked over to the buck, my first deer.

I knelt behind him and sunk my fingers into his thick, oatmeal-colored coat.

His rear leg dangled from his body. I shook my head in dis-

belief – what resiliency, what strength, to keep going on three legs.

A wave of relief washed over me. The highs and lows from the past 16 hours flooded out in tears of shame and sorrow, appreciation, and pride.

I sat with him until it

“Hunting appealed to me because it forced me to face head-on the serious impact of eating meat­­– of taking an animal’s life.”

was time to gut him.

Hunting whitetails in Maine has taught me a lot about myself. Sitting in a tree stand for hours, cold, hungry, bored, and discouraged humbled me and taught me patience. Four a.m. alarms taught me discipline, and tracking

my first deer for hours taught me perseverance.

But the most important lessons deer hunting taught me is to slow down, stay in the moment, and never give up.

¶

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ: Bobcat by Steve Vose

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) was named for its distinctive stubby, black-tipped tail, which appears to have been cut or “bobbed.”

Bobcats are members of the cat family Felidae, and range across the entire continental United States, even into parts of Canada and Mexico.

An adaptable predator, bobcats are able to thrive in a diverse range of habitats, including forests, swamps, semi-desert, and even the edgings of urban areas.

The bobcat’s razor-sharp retractable claws, its 28 pointed teeth and its average adult weight of 20 pounds (twice the size of most house cats) make the animal a formidable predator, capable of killing prey much larger than themselves, including juvenile deer.

Bobcats possess black-tufted ears, and reddish-brown colored backs with a

lighter colored belly.

Bobcats are patient and methodical hunters, capable of blending seamlessly into their environments and stalking prey with amazing stealth.

Bobcats are solitary, elusive and nocturnal creatures and therefore rarely spotted by humans. This leads some to believe that bobcats are rare or endangered. However, scientists estimate North American bobcat populations to be quite large, with as many as one million bobcats in the United States.

Questions 1. What is the average weight of an adult bobcat?

4. When do bobcats mate?

2. Are bobcats endangered?

6. How big a territory does a male bobcat typically patrol?

3. How many bobcats do scientists estimate live in the United States?

5. How soon after birth can a baby bobcat (kitten) begin to hunt?

Bobcat mating season occurs in February and March. Females typically birth litters of 3-6 baby bobcats (called kittens) that are born in late April or early May. Kittens begin eating solid food at about eight weeks, and start learning to hunt at five months. The young cats will stay with their mother for up to a year before setting out on their own.

Bobcats establish territories using scent markings that include urine and scat. Territory sizes vary widely, measuring up to thirty square miles for males, and about five square miles for females. Bobcats will typically maintain a primary or natal den, as well as several other shelters across these territories. They favor rock caves, hollow logs, fallen trees and other protected places.

7. How big a territory does a female bobcat typically patrol?

8. How do bobcats establish and mark their territories?

9. Where do bobcats typically “den”?

Answers on Page 45 www.MaineSportsman.com

44 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

— Guest Column —

The Old Servel

by Randy Randall

One day, after more than 40 years of reliable service, our Servel didn’t get cold. “You’ve got to turn it upside down and burp it,” our neighbors patiently explained. So we did. And it worked again.

I like things that are built to last. Not much is, these days.

Built to last, that is.

Most things are designed for “planned obsolescence.” No one repairs anything either. In most cases it’s cheaper to chuck the broken drill/car/phone/ TV/washer/microwave/fishing reel, and just get a new one. It’s no wonder the landfills are overflowing.

But there are a few things that last – almost forever. Like our ancient Servel refrigerator.

Many camp owners know all about the old Servels. Ours was in the cabin when we bought the place forty years ago. We eventually learned it was a 1947 model (they were made from 1933 to 1957), therefore it was already 40 years old when we came to the lake.

For anyone who has not seen a Servel fridge, they’re built like a Sherman tank, and weigh just as much. There are no moving parts except the door and the gas valve.

Starting the Servel Servels run on propane, and starting one was a process. The routine goes like this: • Lie on the floor in front of the fridge • Remove the metal kick plate, exposwww.MaineSportsman.com

ing the burner and pilot light in the back • Turn on the gas valve • Push in the bypass button • Ignite the pilot light • Continue holding the button in until the gas control clicks on and the main burner ignites, usually with a loud Whoomp!

• Hold your breath as you slowly, gently release the button, and if all is well, the flame doesn’t die • Finally, set the temp, put the kick plate back, and go in search of a cold beer from the cooler.

The method of checking how things were progressing was to pass your hand over the top of the exhaust stack and feel for the heat. If the air was cold, you knew it was time to lie down on the floor again, say another prayer, and re-light the damn thing.

“Burp It,” the Neighbors Said Each year when we opened the camp, there was always a question whether the fridge would light and get cold. It always did.

Until one summer it didn’t. Get cold that is.

We asked around, and were told to turn it

upside down. “You’ve got to burp it,” the neighbors said. “You’ll hear it gurgle.”

This was no simple task, considering the thing weighed a ton, but with the help of the boys and a blanket we turned the fridge upside down and heard the refrigerant gurgling inside the pipes.

We left it that way for a few hours.

When we turned it right-side up and lit the burner, we soon had ice.

Tune-Up We lived with this appliance for years until finally we just knew it needed a tune up. That’s when we found Art Gauthier in Burlington on Saponic Lake.

Art had been reviving and repairing Servels most of his working life. He was famous. The Bangor Daily once did a story about him and his refrigerators.

We had to remove the fridge door in order to get it out of the cabin. We laid down planks and skidded it on a blanket into the bed of my Ford Ranger. The springs sagged under the heavy weight.

Art knew all about our fridge, and a week later we brought the rejuvenated Servel back to the camp.

Servel fridges were built like Sherman tanks, and weighed just as much.

Unsafe?

The years rolled by, and we began to hear rumors from the government that Servel refrigerators were not safe. Carbon monoxide leaks tended to kill people. There was even a rebate offered by the Servel Corrective Action Commission. They’d pay you a hundred bucks plus transportation to dump the old fridge.

Something like that.

But this was old news. Most camp owners we knew of parked their old Servels outside on the front or back porch anyway.

I installed a CO detector. But in the end, we sort of knew the old Servel’s days were numbered.

I am absolutely sure there are still hundreds of old Servel

refrigerators humming along in the Maine woods at cabins and lodges and sporting camps silently and reliably keeping the produce fresh and the beers cold.

I was reluctant to get rid of ours, but the family ganged up on me, so we bought a modern propane refrigerator. It’s nice and lights easily, but as soon as we lifted it into the truck, I knew it was not the same as the old Servel. It hardly weighed anything – all plastic and foam and aluminum. I gave a sigh of relief for my sore back, and then I thought of the old adage, “The high-speed lightweight steam roller just isn’t the same.”

And neither is the new propane fridge.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 45

From Trout and Salmon to Togue and Toothy Pike – How to Rig Your Ice-Fishing Traps I love ice fishing and I enjoy rigging my traps to match the species of fish I’m after. In my experience, some ways to rig a trap work better than others.

Variables include hook size, leader material, pound test, and the split shot or sinker I use – these can all change depending on what species I’m targeting.

If I know I’m going after trout or small salmon, I’ll take my traps and tie on relatively lightweight leaders. I use Heritage Laker traps – I’m not sponsored by them; I just like their reliability. They work on everything from trout to pike, once you’ve put on the right leader to match the size of the fish you are pursuing.

Some people have two sets of traps, and they don’t have to change leaders all the time. I do have trout traps but they’re old, and I only use them in ideal conditions. I am too cheap to buy two sets of Laker traps in order to swap them out to get the right

leaders.

Trout Leader Type, Length My trout setup is almost always fluorocarbon. It doesn’t stretch like monofilament, and it’s supposed to be less visible to the fish than other fishing line. Regardless of whether the fish can see it or not, I just like it because it does not have any stretch.

This makes it easier to set the hook or get a hung up fish out of logs and rocks. It’s best to not have a line that’s gonna stretch an extra foot.

I use 6-8 pound test for trout. You could go lighter, but when a trout gets hung up they might break off, or you might hook onto a fish like the one in the photo accompanying this column, so I’ll take my chances with the couple extra pound test.

I always use about 6 foot of leader. I never fish in water much deeper than that for brook trout anyways, and salmon traps I keep right under the ice.

Hooks I’ve used all kinds of different hooks and I found that a size 8 red octopus hooks with a snell knot works best for me and a small non-lead split shot about a foot up from the hook that doesn’t seem to bother them.

And that’s pretty much the setup I use for everything except lakers and pike and then I take everything I just mentioned and go up in size.

Lakers, Pike, Cusk – Go Big or Go Home For lakers I like 15-pound test fluorocarbon and good-size hook. For example I’ll use a number 4 octopus, especially with big bait, and a goodsize non-lead sinker to get down 60 feet without being there all day.

Frequently I’ll use that same set up for cusk, so that’s why I like that set-up; it’s perfect for them too.

And I don’t fish for pike much, but when I do it’s probably a derby so I don’t want to be losing fish and I don’t want to miss fish by using cable line which

There’s no such thing as a leader that’s too strong when you get a lunker trout like this on your line.

Giampetruzzi photo

some people swear doesn’t scare fish and it probably doesn’t, but if it’s a derby-winning fish he’s probably seen it all so again I stick with floro 25 pound test they won’t chew through it.

So use a size 6 treble hook with a goodsize sinker to get big bait down the hole – that’s what works for me.

Lighter Color Line This Year It’s always good to try out different setups for different scenarios, but everything

Wildlife Quiz Answers: Animal 1. Bobcats weigh an average of 20 pounds, roughly twice the size of an average house cat.

2. Bobcats are solitary and elusive creatures, but are not rare or endangered.

3. Scientists estimate that as many as a million bobcats populate the United States.

4. Bobcat mating season occurs in February and March.

5. Baby bobcats will begin hunting five months after birth, but will still stay with their mothers for up to a year before heading out on their own.

6. A male bobcat will typically patrol an area of approximately 30 square miles.

I just mentioned has worked for me.

Other anglers have their own preferences, like how I always used to spool my traps up with black ice line. It probably doesn’t matter, but come to find out fish see black the best, and when you’re looking down the hole to see what the line’s doing where the fish is going whatever you can’t see it very well in deep water, so I’ll probably switch this year to a lighter color – anything but black.

¶

(Quiz on Page 43)

7. A female bobcat will typically patrol an area of approximately 5 square miles.

8. Bobcats establish territories with scent markings that include urine and scat.

9. Bobcats typically den in rock caves, hollow logs, fallen trees or other protected places. www.MaineSportsman.com

46 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Age-Defying Equipment for Older Deer Hunters The baby-boomer generation makes up the largest number of deer hunters in America. And we currently range between 55 and 73 years old. Agencies that keep track of such things are worried that American deer hunting is approaching the edge of a generational cliff – one from which it may never recover.

The anticipated losses in license revenue, tax revenue on hunting gear, and business income from hunters’ lodging and travel, could destroy the great American wildlife conservation success story that has marked the past 100 years.

The push-back has been impressive. State game agencies, including Maine’s DIF&W, have created ongoing efforts to recruit new hunters, retain current hunters and re-activate hunters who have wandered away from the tradition. So, applause is due for efforts to expand the population base like the Becoming a Maine Outdoors Woman program. And the availability of lifetime licenses for the youngest and oldest hunters is fantastic.

More liberal crossbow regulations, expanded opportunities like the ever-more-popular muzzleloader season, and bonus deer permits, all help the cause.

Working Theory But I have a theory about older hunters www.MaineSportsman.com

The author resisted lugging extra hunting gear as long as he could, but after a couple of physical setbacks he discovered a few helpful items that allow him to continue pursuing elusive whitetail bucks along the ridges in Maine’s high country.

Quality binoculars held in place by an elastic chest-harness allow a hunter to observe game from a distance.

and why we stay home from the deer woods.

It’s not a lack of game, a lack of hunting opportunity or high license fees that keep us home. And it’s certainly not about a lack of hunting desire.

My theory is that once our eyesight and our mobility reach a certain deterioration point, we consider ourselves done. Physical pain and fading eyesight are powerful motivations. Take it from someone who has experienced both a total hip replacement and major eye surgery in the last five years.

No amount of regulation change or cheerleading can revive us as hunters if we convince ourselves we just can’t do it anymore. Knowing that climbing a familiar ridge may put us in traction tomorrow – or fearing that we can’t distinguish between a buck and doe in heavy brush – is frustrating and embarrassing.

It ruins the magic of something we have lived for since we were very young.

Equipment Can Help Larry Benoit wrote his iconic book How to

The author hunts with a single trekking pole, modified by the addition of a V-yoke shooting rest at the top.

Bag the Biggest Buck of Your Life back in 1975. I was an immediate convert. And when Benoit openly ridiculed hunters who carried lots of gear in the deer woods, I laughed right along with him. Five feet of rope, extra cartridges, a sharp knife, and a few matches made up the sum total of my hunting gear for many years. A whole generation of deer hunters in Maine felt the same way.

But when it comes down to either giving up hunting or finding a way to make it work,

gear can come to the rescue.

“It’s Not a Walking Cane – It’s a Trekking Pole!”

Ten years ago, I bought a pair of Black Diamond™ trekking poles from L.L.Bean in Freeport. I was about to set out on a monthlong, self-propelled trip from Kittery to Fort Kent. One that included a multi-day hike from Nahmakanta Lake to the northern tip of Baxter State Park.

The adjustable aluminum poles could be extended up to five feet in length, and with removable snow baskets, they doubled as backcountry ski and snowshoe poles. There’s a saying among backpackers that there are two types of hikers – those who always use poles, and those who haven’t tried them yet.

The Black Diamonds helped propel me up and over Katahdin on that trip, with a full pack. They snubbed my descent on the downhills and provided extra power on the ascents. I have rarely hiked with a pack since then without having at least one of those poles in hand.

Rehabilitation after hip surgery required gentle walking – preferably on flat surfaces with a walker at first, then progressing to a cane and eventually going handsfree. I considered the walker a bad look for (Self-Propelled Sportsman continued on page 49)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 47

Pacing (as in “Pacemaker”) Myself This Bird Hunting Season Our Sporting Environment includes not just our natural surroundings, but also the space inside our skin, including the space between our ears.

I was reminded of this in early October, when my bird hunting season – the first with my one-year-old Llewellin Setter, Autumn – was interrupted by a few days in the hospital so I could have a pacemaker installed.

A pacemaker wasn’t entirely unexpected, although the ride in an ambulance was.

Slow-Hearted I was told ten years ago that I would someday need a pacemaker because of my very slow resting heart rate (low 40s).

But we had a sudden change of plans a few weeks ago when I had a serious bout of dizziness and nausea one morning. So off I went for tests and to get some new hardware installed.

For a lifelong athlete and outdoors person like me, it was very frustrating to have internal electrical problems disrupt my training and grouse hunting with Autumn. After months of work, I was thrilled to have her out there working her Llewellin Setter magic in the woods and fields.

Organ Recital Before I go on, I must say that my wife hates it when peo-

A detour to the hospital allowed our columnist to gain a renewed appreciation of all that’s important, including getting outside with his bird dog before the end of grouse season.

The author and his one-year-old Llewellin Setter, Autumn, are pacing themselves this fall, hoping for upland action through December.

ple over 50 go on and on about their latest health issues. She calls it an “organ recital.” I fully appreciate her point, but this story is as much about bird hunting as it is about my health.

And I must say further that my health issues, including two knee replacements and a fickle ticker, are pretty minor league compared to our colleague, George Smith, who is dealing with ALS. I count my blessings everyday that my ailments can be treated with technology and a bit of titanium.

The late great Corey Ford and his English Setter, Tober, son of Cider.

Photo: Dartmouth College archive

My turbocharged heart goes out to George and others who face prognoses far more serious than mine.

Road to Tinkhamtown It’s funny how our brains work, sometimes bringing various life experiences together at unusual times. As I lay in the Operating Room getting prepped for my implant, I couldn’t help but think about Corey Ford’s famous story “Road to Tinkhamtown.”

Field & Stream called it the great-

est outdoor story ever written. It’s a beautiful and heart-wrenching story about a dying old man in the hospital, fading in and out of consciousness.

His family and doctor are talking about him while he is dreaming about hunting in his favorite secret bird cover, a place he calls Tinkhamtown, with his beloved English Setter, Cider, who had died some years ago.

As the old man straddles between this world and the next, he finds himself sliding back to Tinkhamtown where Cider is waiting

for him. As Ford says, “the memories kept coming back to him, or maybe he kept going back to the memories.”

Still Kicking I, of course, wasn’t dying. But as I lay in the OR, I was thinking about my mortality, and also about my own beloved setter who was at home wondering why I wasn’t taking her out looking for birds today.

And I couldn’t help but wonder if … no, when, I’d get back out there with her.

At various times of stress, we all have our Tinkhamtowns where we would like to go escape our troubles.

Ford wrote, “the past is always the way it was. You leave it, and go to the present, but it is still there, waiting for you to come back to it.”

I was glad, I’ll tell you, that I didn’t go to the Tinkhamtown in the story just yet. My procedure was minor and uneventful. Fortunately, I was out walking in the real woods with Autumn a few days later, on the road to recovery.

Corey Ford’s Dogs Corey Ford, who is best known for his humorous Lower Forty Club stories in Field & Stream, loved his English Setters. He wrote about them with love and expert attention to the details of bird hunting. He actually owned and hunted a (Sporting Environment continued on page 49) www.MaineSportsman.com

48 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

New Gun for Doubling Up on Grouse AND Rabbits!

The romance of hunting large white rabbits on a blanket of snow has captured my fancy for the last decade. Owning two bird dogs with great feather-finding noses keeps me waist deep in thick bird coverts throughout most of October and November.

Come December, before winter storms cover the tops of bull briar bushes, chasing fleet footed hares

The author found the perfect grouse-and-rabbit gun – a pre-1964 Model 24 Savage in .410 and .22 magnum. Now he faces a more daunting challenge – getting it back from his son. fills my spare time – almost. The grouse season ends Dec. 31, while the snowshoe hare season runs all the way to March 31.

I plead “guilty” to trying to pour 10 gallons into a five-gallon bucket. Why not “double dip” during the

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month leading up to the New Year?

Old Habits Two years ago, I decided to change my approach to bird hunting. For years I carried a classic 20-gauge side-by-side.

Parker Brothers made this Trojan Grade double barrel for the working man.

Its 28-inch barrels, choked, modified and full, might seem too tight for Maine’s thick covers. Nevertheless, it fit me well and it has racked up its fair share of birds.

In fact, I think

the tight chokes were complemented by my painfully slow reaction time. Usually the birds had a good head start by the time I took the slack out of the trigger.

It also scored a rabbit or two over the years.

Double Auto Then, for some unknown reason, I started using my dad’s Browning “Double Automatic.” This lightweight 12-gauge was designed by Sam Browning, John Browning’s son. It only holds two shells in an

aluminum receiver – one in the chamber, and one below the chamber ready to feed in.

I stayed away from it for years because it’s tricky to load … the action just slams shut when you slide the shell in. I have a battle scar from getting my finger caught in it as a young lad.

However, after I finally learned to palm the shell in, it quickly became my favorite gun.

New Double Barrel The idea for the new-to-me gun started incubating 35-years ago. An old family friend, Wally Potter, would go rabbit hunting with a Model 24 Savage. This overand-under featured a 20-gauge barrel topped with a 22-magnum rifle barrel on the top.

Potter would take stationary rabbits with the 22-magnum barrel, and save the 20-gauge shotgun blast for moving fur.

His was the sporting “Deluxe” model which featured some checkering on a nicer stock.

It took 35 years for that dream to hatch.

After searching the “Gun Broker” website, I ordered my new piece – a pre-1968 Savage Model 24, in .410 gauge/22 magnum.

The selection of the .410 gauge involved my minimalist approach to life.

I felt that in Maine’s tight covers, the .410 (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 49 (Continued from page 48)

would work fine at close range. For longer shots at stationary rabbits or birds, the .22 magnum seemed ideal.

There are plenty of 410/22 Long Rifle guns out there, but for me the extra powder in the 22 magnum was well worth the search.

The 20 gauge/22 magnum combination is also a little bulkier but arguably a better bet.

Mine came with a cheap scope, which I promptly threw in the garbage. I replaced the stock sight with a Williams (www.williamsgunsight.com) peep sight. It took some machining to get it to fit.

The front sight, which now required raising, was replaced with a light-gathering fire red dot.

For the record, both caliber and sight selection just boiled

down to personal preference. After bore sighting and punching holes in paper, the little Savage was ready for a true field test.

First Field Test This October, while looking for bird covers, we – meaning my two sons Matt and Willie, along with my cousin Hacksaw (another story) – came across three grouse.

For some reason, whenever I complete a project, one of the boys wraps their hands around it and I never see it again. I noticed Matt fondling the new gun.

The boys jumped out and headed into the suddenly-alerted grouse. Matt left his expensive Benelli over and under in the truck and grabbed the pre1968 working man’s gun.

One bird flew, dropping to the ground

Self-Propelled Sportsman (Continued from page 46)

me, so two-days post-op I retrieved the trekking poles from the barn. Rehab continued at an accelerated pace.

When I got back into the deer woods, I took one pole with me, telling myself it was temporary. In fact, I’ve used it ever since then. And I modified it to add a v-yoke shooting rest at the top. The improvised monopod shooting stick ensures a steady rest for offhand shots. The trekking pole also guaran-

Sporting Environment (Continued from page 47)

setter named Cider and another named Tober (short for October), who was Cider’s son. (Any guesses why our setter is named Autumn?)

In “Tinkhamtown” he wrote about the old man’s relationship with Cider this way: “There was a closeness between them that he did not feel for anyone else …. They could talk without words, and they could always find each

at the report of the .410. Matt quickly swung the Savage on another fast escaping runner. The crack of the .22 magnum completed the final phase of the test.

I couldn’t have been happier. Two birds, one with a single hole so as to not ruin any meat, and another with a few number six shot to work around.

Without a doubt the next big test comes this month on snowshoe hare, with an eye on picking off a grouse to cook along with some rabbit meat.

Hire a Beagle The best way to grab a December “double” involves hiring a good Registered Maine Guide who specializes in snowshoe hare hunts. For years we did this yearly hunt without one, and the results were marginal.

Our motley crew

Multi-purpose guns appeal to the author. This Savage Model 24 lets Bill Sheldon decide between a .22 magnum rifle or a .410 shotgun with the flick of a button. This “double” on grouse proved that both barrels work equally well. Bill Sheldon photo

has found that, by everyone chipping in, it’s relatively inexpensive to hire a guide. More importantly, good guides will place their hounds in areas they have previously scouted or had success in.

Hunters attempting a do-it-yourself hunt can turn to page 44 of DeLorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer and start with checking out the low-lying bog areas

tees that things hurt a lot less at the end of the day.

Eyes on the Prize I’ve owned a pair of Nikon™ 8 X 25 compact binoculars for years. They were an impulse purchase at an L.L. Bean factory store. And they gathered dust in a gear bin for a decade before I discovered binocular harnesses made

by Butler Creek™. The flexible, elasticized harness holds the binos silently at the ready, close to the body at chest level and then stretches to allow raising them to eye level for viewing.

But I never used the glasses for

other in the woods. Cider was the kindest person he had ever known.”

Anyone who has a bird dog at their feet right now knows what Ford was talking about. I sure do.

Pacing Myself With a new pacemaker installed, I am “pacing” myself to get back out into the woods. I was instructed not to shoot a shotgun for six weeks after surgery.

Fortunately, grouse season goes on through December.

I plan to make up for lost time with Autumn.

highlighted by the little blue “wetland” markings. Search the edges of these wetlands for tracks.

During daylight, one has to almost step on a hare to get it moving. If at all possible, find a friend or guide who has a sharp-nosed beagle.

I think Matt took the Savage 24 to his house … let the search begin.

¶

deer hunting until I had eye problems that resulted in surgery. Now they are as much a part of my hunting gear as my rifle. I used them to watch a doe pawing for late acorns at 80 yards last December. The buck I was hoping for never came along – but I enjoyed the show for over an hour.

I don’t run after bucks anymore like Larry Benoit taught me to do. But I still cover a lot of ground – roaming and still-hunting on high ridges after hiking up there to find deer.

It beats the alternative – which is giving up and staying home.

¶

Lately, I, like many others, have learned to appreciate every minute I have for the things I love, including my family, my dog, and many outdoor activities.

And when I’m back out there with my shotgun watching Autumn’s flaggy tail flying above the brush and hearing “the silvery note of her bell,” she and I will be looking for our own Tinkhamtown to make memories together.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

50 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Search for Lost Hunter – Part 2:

Cold Weather Rescue Mission Susan and I were preparing to try to find a lost hunter who was somewhere on a distant shore from our Umsaskis Lake home. Determining the best way to reach the sportsman was by canoe, I left the warmth of our cabin to pull my 20’ Grumman out of winter storage.

of November, in the middle of darkness, in the middle of a snowstorm.

Not far from shore, flurries swelled into a full-fledged squall. Motoring, we heard the train-like roar of an approaching nor’easter, while shards of ice banged against the canoe’s aluminum sides. In the cold darkness I used a flashlight to read my compass. The magnetic pull on the instrument’s needle ensured we traveled in a straight line.

Allagash Wilderness Waterway Umsaskis Lake Headquarters. Photo: L. Hoar Collection I stepped outside. The wind moaned, and the snow swirled. My wife Susan followed me to the door. She said, “I am going, too. You may need help.”

Realizing she was right, I turned and replied, “OK, leave the front porch light on so we can find our way back. Wear your cold weather gear and lifejacket; it’s starting to snow. Grab the first aid kit, compass, extra life jacket, and our five-cell flashlights.”

Within a short time, our canoe was launched. I took up position in the stern while Susan sat low in the bow on her knees – a husband-and-wife team motoring across Umsaskis Lake, in the middle

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East Shore of Umsaskis Lake. Photo: T. Caverly Collection

In the bow, while Susan scanned the blackness for land, I yelled to be heard over the night sounds. “Turn on your light, keep it trained over the front of the canoe, and watch for shore.” She flicked on her lamp, the yellow beam highlighting the spitting snow. Inside the canoe, white flakes covered our paddles, lifejackets, and gas tank.

A Blaze Appears Soon after Susan turned on her flashlight, we saw a yellow flare from the far shore. I took a new compass bearing and turned the canoe straight for the blaze.

Drawing closer, we saw a final strike of a match. Then the metal keel of our canoe screeched in protest as it skidded to a stop on a flat rock.

We had crossed the mile-wide lake and arrived on the far shore. In front of us stood a big man, silently staring, not believing what had emerged out of the storm. Disheveled, soaking wet and shivering uncontrollably, he was missing his gloves and his hat. A tattered orange vest hung off a tall frame. In his freezing hand, he carried a rifle.

I asked, “Are you alone?”

He just gasped with mouth open. I asked again, louder, “Is there anyone

with you?” The hunter shook his head no. So I said, “Well, welcome aboard, let’s go get you a coffee and warmed up.”

I offered to carry his rifle to ensure that the magazine was empty. Upon my invitation, he grinned and limped to our waiting canoe, anxious to escape the dark, cold, snow-covered forest.

All day the sportsman had tracked a deer, and after walking miles in the wrong direction, he became lost. When Susan had turned on the camp lights, the hunter had seen their glow, and he’d fired his rifle to get our attention. The intermittent blazes we’d seen from the canoe was a panicky man burning everything in his wallet that was made of paper, in an effort to signal for help. By the time we arrived, he’d run out of ammunition. and with his last match, he’d set fire to a final $20 bill.

Safe at Last Not expecting to be out after dark, the hunter had not bothered to carry a flashlight. Other than being hypothermic; he was not hurt.

Once we were all seated in the canoe, I turned the 20-footer and, with the snow and wind now at our backs, motored west across the lake over cresting waves. In an hour, we returned to the welcome warmth of our cabin.

After cups of coffee and a hot meal, I drove our visitor ten miles to his campsite at the lake’s thoroughfare. His friends were sure tickled to see him.

When he explained about burning $20s to catch our attention, an unsympathetic friend suggested, “Next time, carry ones not twenties.”

The situation ended well, but if Susan hadn’t turned on our kitchen lights or had failed to hear his gunshots; the outdoorsman might still be in the forest today.

The following week, I was flying again to check a siltation complaint. As we passed Whittaker Brook, I noticed that the poacher’s blue tree house mentioned in Part 1 of this series, was gone.

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

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 51

Cat Country!

One of the outstanding benefits of writing a Maine Sportsman column involves the interaction and feedback I receive from readers. It’s important because without readers the publication would cease to exist. I know our editor, Will Lund, values “Letters to the Editor” highly and prints them monthly.

I received an email this past month from Nate Woodman, who has a camp in the Upper Enchanted Township. Woodman shared the following information: “I was partridge hunting yesterday down in the Moxie area around the Boise Road, and as my girlfriend and I were riding around, we had three lynxes come out in front of us – two babies and a large female.

The two babies crossed the road in front of us,

man was hunting the Moxie area, my motley crew and I were searching for birds just below Bingham.

And what did we see?

At about the same time Maine Sportsman reader Nate Woodman was watching a family of Canadian lynxes in Moxie, the author and his friends, hunting just south of Bingham, spotted a mother bobcat and two kittens. and the mom stayed on the other side and started screeching at them to call them back to her. So, after prancing around, they finally crossed back over and rejoined her. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, and I’m glad I had the privilege of watching

it. It’s crazy how much bigger they are than bobcat. Also, they had black tufts on their ears. It’s safe to say the population is doing well to recover in the state!”

His attached photos show a very stern looking parent and an adorable kitten in the

road. Nice job getting those photos!

Speaking of cats and coincidence – on the same day Wood-

Bobcats Too! We saw a mother bobcat and two kittens. The mother crossed the road, but (Continued on next page)

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52 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Jackman Region (Continued from page 51)

the two kittens decided to play on the overgrown logging trail just a bit. I didn’t do very well getting my camera out and getting good photos like Nate did. I did manage to snap a photo of one of the kittens from a distance – enough so we could confirm the sighting.

We managed to shoot a few birds that day, enough to fill up the crock pot. But the sight of that healthy cat family dominated the conversation for the next few days.

In fact, I noticed that Woodman’s email conveyed excitement concerning the lynx sighting. He never

mentioned if they got any birds that day.

Often, it’s the journey, not the destination, that creates the fondest memories.

Last Chance Venison The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) offers a statewide muzzleloader season in this northern region that starts Nov. 30 and continues

until Dec. 5. This gives smoke pole hunters a narrow window of opportunity to harvest some venison before hard winter sets in.

Muzzle loading firearms have come a long way since I started experimenting with them back in the late 1970s. Modern inline ignition systems have improved dramatically over the older percussion cap that I grew to both love and hate.

Regardless of which style you use, it’s a one-shot challenge. It takes preparation, time on the shooting range and a comfortable knowledge with a black powder gun to make that single shot count.

Despite all the progress made in black powder firearms, a few dedicated purists still rise up to the challenge of using flintlock rifles

(Continued on next page)

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 53 (Continued from page 52)

copied from the early years of America’s fabled outdoor history.

Muzzleloader season really allows individuals to choose from a wide spectrum of options when it comes to harvesting a mountain buck. The internet has a dazzling amount of information for anyone wanting to explore this multi-faceted hobby.

Coyote Night Hunt The Coyote Night Hunt opens this month on Dec. 16 and continues until August 31, 2021. Hunters need not put away their favorite deer rifle just yet. Keeping the coyote population in check will help the deer population during the cold months ahead.

DIF&W offers the Coyote Night Hunting Permit for only $4.

Predator hunting for the price of a cup of coffee!

Many of the folks that hunt coyotes do it over bait. While coy-

Nate Woodman photographed this stunning Canadian Lynx while partridge hunting in the Jackman Region. The adult female stayed in the wood line, while keeping a close eye on her two kittens.

Lynx sightings have increased in recent years.

Eventually, the big cat got vocal, and the kittens ran back to their mother. Nate Woodman photo

otes have no closed season during daylight, hunting at night offers some advantages. Experts tell me coyotes are typically the most active at dawn and dusk. The darkness on each side allows hunters precious extra prime hunting time.

After hours coyote hunters favor a bright light with a red lens.

I’ve read that both coyotes and red foxes cannot see the spectrum of light associated with red.

With that said, hunting coyotes during the day can also produce good results.

Coyotes are known to increase daytime activity during extremely cold weather. I’m thinking as the Jackman winds roll hard over the frozen mountains, coyotes will need to keep moving to stay warm and fuel their increased caloric needs.

I don’t speak coyote. However, Maine does allow the use of electronic calls. I pur-

Reader Nate Woodman captured this photo of one of the two Canadian Lynx kittens that interrupted his Jackman Region partridge hunt. Fortunately Nate was on the spot with his camera, as these life memories often arrive unannounced. In a blink, the two kittens returned to their anxious mother. Nate Woodman photo

chased an inexpensive electronic call (Mini Phantom Digital Call), and it works fine for me. More serious coyote hunters might do well to investigate the many options now on the market.

I’ve had equally good luck, on both coyote and red fox, with a simple mouth operated dying rabbit call.

For some reason, the call seems to work better in very cold conditions and during broad daylight.

The cold and hun-

— Trophy Photos —

All in the Family – At 7:30 a.m. on Saturday November 7th, 2020, Sara Lalemand harvested a handsome 8-point, 177-lb. buck.

Sara asked her 10-year-old son, Connor Haley, whether he wanted to accompany his mother to the tagging station. Connor declined, explaining that he preferred to continue hunting. Twoand-a-half hours later, Connor, not to be outdone, dropped a 10-point, 188-pound monster. Sara and Connor are shown here with their respective bucks and with Sara’s father (and Connors’ grandfather), Russ Lalemand.

gry theory steps forward here. I practiced with my manual call until it sounded similar to the electronic call and feel equally comfortable when playing the role of the dying bunny.

Local guides and outfitters cater to coyote hunters by setting up ambush sites, usually over some type of bait. In colder weather, their heated shacks offer a level of comfort the coyotes lack – advantage hunter!

¶

Alexis Gradie of Waterville bagged her first moose with a single shot while hunting in Spencer Bay Township on October 15, 2020.

The bull weighed 696 lbs. and had a 44-inch spread. Her father, Rick Gradie, was her subpermittee. www.MaineSportsman.com

54 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Fishing Rules for North Zone Need Clarity In the new fishing rules booklet, the large print taketh away, while the fine print giveth back. The author is afraid many Mainers and out-of-state ice anglers will be misled by the booklet’s early warnings on live bait and fishing dates, and not dig into the more generous details.

The 2020 Maine Fishing Laws booklet begins with a misleading regulation. Specifically, the terminal gear section of General Laws for Inland Waters for the North Zone, found on the first page of the inside flap, reads, as printed: “Use or possession of live fish as bait is PROHIBITED.” Well, that just isn’t so. If it were, an entire industry would come crashing down. The use of live bait is permitted in the North Zone on waters managed under the S-11 special law code. The

various “S” codes are explained on the bottom of the first page.

Generally, the use of live baitfish is prohibited on specially-managed brook trout ponds. Most other water bodies come with an S-11 code, which reads, “The use of possession of live baitfish/ smelts is permitted.

My concern regarding the regulation as printed, is that people from other states who may not be familiar with Maine’s fishing laws, may well cancel a planned fishing trip to Maine’s North Zone because the regulations appear, at first glance, to specifically prohibit the use of live

baitfish in all waters.

And that would be a shame, both for Maine and for the myriad out-of-state anglers who visit Maine each year.

I voiced my concerns to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W), and I was assured this misleading regulation is an oversight and will be corrected in the 2021 Maine Fishing Laws booklet. So if you have decided to forego a planned ice-fishing trip to Maine’s North Zone because you thought that the use of live baitfish was prohibited in all waters, look through the body of the regulations for the water you plan to fish. If it has an S-11 regulation, which the majority of waters do, you may use live baitfish without fear of repercussion.

Open Waters In another oversight, found on the same page as the live baitfish regulation, the North Zone seasonal listing for lakes and ponds states, “From Oct 1 to Mar 31: Closed to all fishing.”

Only by looking at the

www.MaineSportsman.com

bottom of the page under the Season and Special Law Codes do we see that an “A” or “B” listing explains that ice fishing is indeed permitted. I fear that for some, the regulation listed at the top of the page might suffice to cause a person to look no farther and thus lose out on some of Maine’s best fishing opportunities.

An “A” listing signifies “Open to ice fishing and open water fishing for all fish from Dec 1 – April 30,” while the “B” listing pushes the opening day ahead by one month, to January 1. Waters closed to ice fishing come with a, “CI” listing. Waters that are “Closed to open water fishing from Oct 1 – Mar 31,” are labeled with a “CO” listing.

If all this sounds complicated, that’s because it is. But familiarity with the regulations makes them easier to decipher. Every year, I devote the better part of a day to studying the new fishing regulations. And even then, I am sometimes unsure of what is or isn’t permitted.

To make absolutely

certain of any confusing regulation, just call one of the DIF&W offices for clarification.

Numbers and addresses of regional offices are listed on the back cover of the law book.

Both the “Closed to all fishing” rule at the top of the page and the “Use of live fish as bait is PROHIBITED” statement need to be accompanied by a reminder to check the S-codes for the water where you plan to fish. Until the new law book arrives, remember that, with the exception of some tiny ponds, all waters in Maine are listed in the law book. If there are no S-code regulations, then that water body falls under general law regulations.

Early Ponds The Moosehead Region contains some early season ponds where ice fishing begins on December 1.

Consider Prong Pond in Beaver Cove. Prong Pond contains brook trout, smallmouth bass and white perch.

Prong Pond features easy access.

Also, at only 427 acres, it is easy enough to cover much of the pond in a short time. The deepest water, best for white perch, lies just to the south of the largest island, near the center of the pond.

Find Prong Pond on the DeLorme Atlas, (Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 55 (Continued from page 54)

Map 31, B-2.

Mountain View Pond falls under the same regulations as Prong Pond and serves as a destination pond for early season ice-fishers. Except for some baitfish, the main fish species here are brook trout, which DIF&W stocks in large numbers. Last fall, DIF&W released 1,967

10- to 18-inch brook trout here between October and November.

See Mountain View Pond on the Atlas, Map 41, C-1.

Snowy Grouse Grouse season lasts through December, and my friend Eric Holbrook, Moosehead Region guide, takes advantage of the late season. With few hunting clients this time

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of year, Eric works his dogs in his favorite covers, and often comes home with several grouse.

Anyone can do the same. Just visit the Moosehead Region this December. Ice fishing and grouse hunting are just a few of the outdoor activities available this month.

¶

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56 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Winter Trapping

Trap set covered.

Trapping in the winter is challenging, to say the least. Snow covering trap sets, snow crusting over, daytime warming that melts the snow that freezes in the night, and a hundred other things a trapper has to deal with in subfreezing temperatures.

Different methods must be employed to help reduce the difficulties of the trapping of furbearers in the winter. Bobcat, fisher and marten are three of the species that should be trapped in the later part of the trapping season when their fur is prime. This allows the trapper to realize the most value for his efforts.

Trapping fisher and marten in Maine is currently done using the lynx-exclusion devices. These allow trappers to use the condi-bear style of trap while protecting the threatened lynx

Trap in bed on waxed paper to prevent freezing down.

from entering them.

Another method that can be used to trap fisher, martin and bobcat is foothold traps. The foothold trap requires center swiveling with two other swivels required – one midway in the chain, and the other at the anchoring point.

In the lynx zones, the trap must be anchored where a trapped animal cannot get entangled within a catch circle.

For a full explanation of these requirements, one should look at the “Regulations for Specific Types of Traps” found in the Maine Trapping Laws booklet, which is published annually.

The range of marten in Maine is mostly within the lynx zone, with the fisher being found statewide.

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Trap covered with waxed paper to prevent trap from freezing.

ing stakes of any type into frozen ground is a difficult task.

Will We See More Footholds Used?

With the limit on fisher being increased to 25 annually starting this year, I expect more trappers will be using foothold traps for fisher. The use of foothold traps eliminates the large bulky exclusion device and saves the cost of their purchase or of manufacturing them. They are also heavy, and many trappers do not want to carry them too far from their truck.

The only downside of using foothold traps is the requirement to check them every 24 hours. This will prevent many who have regular jobs from utilizing the foothold.

The use of foothold traps for marten would be difficult, because of the requirement of swiveling the trap along with entanglement restrictions.

This is because the best size trap for marten are the small size 1 or 1½ trap.

These size traps are not manufactured with center swiveling, and it would be difficult for a trapper to modify them as re-

Trap ready to be covered and set and blended in.

quired by law.

Never say never, because I am sure there will be a few trappers who may modify their traps to meet the state requirements. Those who do will also eliminate the use of the smaller exclusion device used for marten.

Coil Spring The coil spring traps used for fisher are the size 1½, 1¾, and size 2. The size 1¾ and 2 are suitable for bobcat.

Most trappers today use the coil spring type of trap, which is fine for fisher. Single spring size 1½ traps should not be used, as they will not hold a fisher or bobcat, plus they would be difficult to modify to meet the swiveling and entangle requirements.

There are not any size 1¾ traps other than the coil spring.

The size 2 double long spring is also a good fisher trap. The size 3 double long spring is used by some for bobcat where legal.

Preventing Frozen Traps The methods used to prevent traps from freezing down so that they will operate properly are many and var-

ied. The good thing is that bobcat, fisher and marten are not too shy of traps, and strange odors (such as human scent) which would prevent species like canines from committing to the trap set don’t bother them as much.

In addition, the great care required in stabilizing the trap and compacting dirt tight to the trap for the canines is not required.

One of the easiest sets to make is to place the trap up under the root system of a large spruce or fir blowdown.

This area is frequently found to be protected from weather. Under these conditions, the dirt and duff up under the roots remain dry and loose. Bedding the trap here is simple and fast.

Other than that situation, many trappers use wax paper.

Placing a piece under the trap and another on the top before covering keeps the trap from freezing down and prevents snow from filling in the area inside the trap jaws and under the pan which could freeze, preventing proper firing of the trap. The wax paper is some(Trapping continued on page 60)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 57

Downeast Region Offers Excellent Hunting and Fishing A white movement to my right caught my attention. The blurred image of a bounding hare came clearly into sight as it raced along on the powdery snow.

I raised my single-shot 20-gauge to my shoulder and squeezed the trigger lightly. The shotgun recoiled softly against my plaid hunting jacket. The #6 shot connected, dropping the rabbit in his tracks.

Pat, our family’s beagle, continued to howl after my shot.

Could she be chasing another rabbit? That question was soon to be answered.

I remained motionless, and then saw another white puff emerge from beneath some cedars about 40-yards away. The rabbit bolted in my direction and stopped about 20 yards from me. Slowly, I raised my shotgun, carefully aimed, and pulled the trigger. The bunny toppled over.

“Two for two!” I hollered excitedly to my dad. Not a bad day for a 12-year-old hunter.

Even though that was nearly a half century ago, the thrill of listening to hounds baying and the excitement of seeing a fluffy-white bunny race across a logging road still brings back the unequaled thrill of rabbit hunting.

Lucky for me, I will again experience exciting rabbit hunts with my friend and fellow

There are rabbits galore in the region, says the author, and he has plans to re-live the memorable hunts of his childhood. Here’s where to find the area’s snowshoe hares.

The author’s first rabbit, 1960.

The author’s father made this ice fishing trap in the 1970s. Obviously, it’s effective. Jim Lemieux photo

Master Maine Guide, Joe Rego of Prospect.

Joe has asked me to join him and his beagles for a few days of rabbit hunting this winter.

James McCown caught and released this 5.8-lb. smallmouth while fishing Branch Lake in Ellsworth this past fall, meaning the fish is still available for Downeast region ice anglers soon after freeze-up.

Rabbits Now According to devoted bunny hunter Larry Hall of East Orland, rabbit hunting success in the Orland region is on the upswing.

Small streams along

Route 15 from Orland to Blue Hill feed this low-lying landscape, creating ideal habitat to sustain multiple pockets of snowshoe

hare. The boggy edges provide ample opportunities to release a pair of beagles to pursue more than a few ever-circling rabbits.

Several logging roads in the area provide easy access to these locations. Refer to Delorme’s The Maine Atlas, Map 23, E-3 to pinpoint this region.

Another hotspot in Washington County where I have successfully hunted bunnies with beagles is off the Stud Mill Road (Map 34, E-1). The covers there contain a high population of rabbits.

Several small streams feed this low-lying landscape, creating ideal habitat for snowshoe hare.

December Ice Fishing Most Decembers, I spend time tuning my Heritage ice traps to perfection while sitting in the comfort of my Bucksport home.

However, at other times my ice-fishing fever is so strong that, as soon as freeze-up occurs, I have to go cut a few ice holes on a (Downeast Region continued on page 60)

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58 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Severe Drought Takes Its Toll on Wild Trout Stream fishing was tough late this year due to reduced water levels and flow, and is now closed.

So what to do? Find a river that’s still open to legal open-water fishing, or head for the ocean shore!

As of October, Midcoast Maine had gone from a light drought to a moderate drought to a severe drought. Subsequent rains eased the problem temporarily, but some damage had been done to trout and their stream habitats.

Extreme low water in streams takes a heavy toll on wild brook trout. During the summer’s drought, even perennial oases, in the form of deep holes, were compromised. Warm water makes life difficult for trout. It also allows predators easy access to what fish remain.

Our wild trout had a tough row to hoe this year.

On the last day of open-water fishing under general law, I headed out to the deep pool that I traditionally visit each year on the final day. The pool was reduced to less than half its usual size. Barely any water flowed from the pool, and like so many other pools and small ponds, the water had become muddy – hardly beneficial to trout. I caught a few undersized trout and then left in disappointment. Hopefully, the few little trout left in that pool will survive the winter and serve to re-populate the stream in the future. www.MaineSportsman.com

All is not necessarily lost, though.

Streams and brooks that permit fish access to ponds and lakes allow trout to drop down to better survivable habitat. One such place, Goose River in Swanville and Belfast, flows into Smith Pond, a spring-fed, flowthrough pond on the Goose River system.

Here, fish live all summer in the comparative comfort of cooler spring water.

December Surprise While fishing brooks, streams and rivers has closed under general law, some select places – small rivers – remain open year-round.

These are places with little or no natural reproduction. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) stocks these rivers, usually during September and into October. But that didn’t happen this year because water levels were far too low for stocked fish to live.

Accordingly, hatchery personnel must continue holding on to fish that would otherwise get released into the wild. This creates problems, since the space where these fall-yearling trout are held is scheduled for use in rearing more trout for release next

spring.

The fish that were held back will have to go somewhere, and that depends on whether or not we see any continued rainfall. If that happens, and streams rise to acceptable levels, then anglers could reap a true bonanza. Consider this. December temperatures run warmer than, say, 25 years ago or more. This allows for more pleasant days afield. I have taken many trout in December and let me say, the cold water, rather than making them lethargic, has an opposite effect. Fish fight well in December.

If we don’t see a rise in stream levels before winter fully sets in, these approximately 13-inch fall yearling trout will have to go to places other than those that fisheries managers had planned. Our best hope, though, is for a big shot of much-needed rainfall. Hopefully, this will occur before winter sets in.

Saltwater Fishing Continues December in the Midcoast region stands as an in-between time to me. Ice usually hasn’t yet become thick enough for safe walking, and while upland hunting remains open through

This small Midcoast river was at near-record low levels this fall. Tom Seymour photo

the month, the best times for hunting have already passed. However, saltwater fishing continues. Here is my advice as to where to go.

Harbor pollock, my usual late-fall, early winter quarry, were scarce at Lincolnville and Rockport over the last several years. I’ve heard reports of people taking pollock at other locations, though, so the problem, if indeed one exists, seems a local one.

My suggestion for eager saltwater anglers, then, is to head for points south of Rockport. The Rockland Breakwater offers harbor pollock and cunner and the beginning point for a day trip along the coast.

The latter are diminished in size and numbers as of late because of overfishing. Pollock, though, haven’t suffered. There is even the chance for some late-season mackerel.

Lately, mackerel have remained in the upper bay far longer than they used to even 10

years ago.

For those who fish from boats, even in December, I’ve had excellent reports of groundfish coming to inshore waters in good numbers. One of these, redfish (euphemistically called “ocean perch” by commercial purveyors) have become extremely abundant. These must measure 9 inches. Ironically, most fish taken fall somewhat under 9 inches, wouldn’t you know it.

Perhaps with ever-increasing numbers of these tasty groundfish, regulations may loosen and allow for the keeping of 8-inch fish. Still, even with the 9-inch restriction, anglers usually catch enough redfish for a meal or two. There’s no bag limit on redfish.

Wildlife Watching December ranks as a great time to grab a set of binoculars or a spotting scope and head out to any public landing in the Midcoast region for some wildlife watching. This (Midcoast Report continued on page 60)

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How to Lose ’Em! The author says that in 50 years of running a charter boat out of Boothbay Harbor, he’s discovered some really bone-headed ways to lose big fish, with only himself to blame. Here are a couple of prime examples.

It happened on the last day of the Boothbay Harbor Tuna Tournament in early August of 1978. We were aboard my old Shark II, a 34-foot lobster boat I had re-jigged for chartering, drifting on a flat, pewter-colored sea south of Seguin Island. The mood was pretty melancholy as we hadn’t had a tuna bite in weeks, and had just pulled the hook on a big thresher shark that had picked up a bait and rocketed to the surface. My vision of receiving the Largest Shark trophy and $50 check – to thunderous applause, no doubt -- at the awards banquet were quickly evaporating in the humid air.

But the little green balloon closest to the boat suddenly popped, and 130-pound Dacron began streaming off the 14/0 Penn Senator. Glenn Hodgdon of Southport jumped into the fighting chair and snapped the harness to the reel’s lugs. We scrambled to bring in the other lines, and I hit the starter button. The big Buick V-8 roared to life, and we were off.

As we backed down, the tuna streaked away just un-

der the surface, then dove deep. For nearly three hours Glenn determinedly pumped and reeled, gaining a few yards now and then, only to lose them as the fish made run after run. Finally the line began angling upwards, and the tuna surfaced.

Prize-Winning Size What a fish! I could tell by the distance from the dorsal fin to the upper lobe of the tail that it was probably over 700 pounds. The biggest one entered in the tourney’s Rod and Reel Division so far was a 537-pounder, so here was a likely winner that might even smoke the guys in the Harpoon Division, who generally brought in the biggest fish.

Glenn worked the tuna closer and closer as the afternoon southwest breeze picked up.

I put the engine in neutral, and with trembling hands grabbed the wooden-handled Pompanette flying gaff and placed the eye of the rope over the starboard stern cleat. I wasn’t going to trust this gaff shot to anyone but myself.

I grasped the double line and, with Glenn, worked the big

bluefin to boatside.

What a monster, glowing blue-green just ten feet down! But suddenly the fish disappeared from view as the line angled under the boat. I let go of the line, and Glenn pulled back mightily. The rod arced over, but hung solidly in place.

He backed off on the drag, but nothing. The line had caught in the skeg. The giant fish was gone.

It was a long, silent two-hour ride back to the harbor.

But there were two lessons learned that I have never forgotten. First, never try to land a big fish from the downwind side of the boat, because it may well drift over the line. And second, never leave the controls.

Ever. If you don’t have a crewman capable of leadering and gaffing, you shouldn’t be out there.

The Tuna Club Tournament awards banquet was a gala, upbeat affair. But not at our table.

When a big fish is on the line, success depends on everything going right. Often, it doesn’t. The author admits that in many cases, equipment errors and procedural errors are the result of “guide errors.”

Photo: Blackfin rods

Long Beach #65 reels was missing. The reel seemed a tad wiggly, but I figured it would go the rest of the season. What could go wrong?

A week later we were out on a bottom-fishing charter, doing pretty well with cod, pollock and cusk.

Suddenly the woman at the port corner – as I recall, her name was Maria – screeched “Oh my gahhhd!” She was hunched over, hanging on to the rod which

was hard on the rail, the tip bent down towards the water.

This was no cod or pollock. The rod tip bounced up and down mightily, and I instantly realized what it probably was – a halibut. At that point in my career I had hooked and lost one other fish that I was pretty sure was a halibut, but had never landed one.

We buckled a leather rod belt (Continued on next page)

For Want of a Screw Sometime during the summer of 1980 I noticed that one of the two screws that attached the side-plate to the reel stand on one of my reliable Penn www.MaineSportsman.com

60 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Saltwater Fishing (Continued from page 59)

around Maria’s waist, and she began pumping and winding. She’d gain a few yards, then the fish would bangbang-bang its way back down, pulling 50-pound braided Dacron against the tightest drag I felt I could safely set.

Something Wrong Suddenly, with a grimace on her face, Maria stopped reeling. “It’s stuck,” she gasped. “I can’t reel!

You try!”

She thrust the rod at me, and sure enough, the reel was stuck. It wouldn’t wind. Then I noticed

Trapping (Continued from page 56)

times just folded over the trap instead of using two pieces – whatever works best for the trapper. One of the better solutions is to use “waxed dirt” under the trap for bedding and more to cover the trap.

The only downside of waxed dirt is it’s fairly expensive to buy from a trapping supply dealer or it’s a lengthy process for the trapper to make his own. If one is to carry it any distance to make

Downeast Region (Continued from page 57)

nearby pond and rig my traps with bait to fish for pickerel or perch.

I often choose to begin my ice-fishing season by drilling a few holes on Silver Lake in Bucksport (Map 23, D-2). This lake offers some of the best and early-winter fishing prospects in the area. White perch and chain pickerel are the main bait-stealers on this lake. December days usually produce a high number of flags. I often catch and release a dozen or more pickerel.

Most cold-weather anglers target largemouth and smallmouth bass, with a few white perch also part of a day’s catch.

Access to this water can be gained all along the Silver Lake Road in Bucksport. Because of Silver Lake’s roadside location, it is easy to tend your ice traps from your pickup or car. The cove at the boat landing usually freezes first, and produces the safest and the best early-fishing action.

Midcoast Report (Continued from page 58)

simple pastime has much to recommend it. www.MaineSportsman.com

that something was off-kilter, that the reel’s cross bars and side-plates were at slight angles to each other. The second screw of the side-plate had sheared off at the reel stand. The whole business was adrift.

The fish pulled hard, but now the spool wouldn’t even rotate to give up line. I handed the rod back to Maria, told her to back

up, and reached out and grabbed the line, taking a single wrap with my bare right hand. I started pulling, but the Dacron burned painfully into my fingers to the point where I had no choice but to let it go. The guitar string-tight line slid along the stainless steel bang-plate on the outside of the gunwale until it met a screw head that barely

protruded. But that’s all it took. Pop! Game over.

We never even got a glimpse of the fish, but I’m positive it was a halibut, maybe a 100-pounder. Or a 200-pounder.

When you lose ’em, they can be any size you wish.

¶

multiple sets, its weight becomes another factor. Some trappers use the local dirt as a covering for the trap and spray it with a mixture of water and glycol or glycerin to try and keep the set freeze-proof. In areas where it is cold and extremely dry, peat moss or buckwheat hulls are utilized. One can also gather dried spruce or fir duff in the summer to be utilized the same as the peat moss or hulls.

New ideas and ways pop up on occasion. I recently read where a wolf trapper in Alaska ran out of waxed paper and used some thin foam material that

goes under laminate wood flooring that is about a 1/16 of an inch thick. He cut it to size to go both under and on top of the trap the same way he uses the wax paper. It worked great.

He later saw a similar material that a manufacturer of siding used to wrap the siding with during shipment. The builders just throw it away, so he had a ready source of the material at no cost.

It was a little thinner than that from the floor underlay, but worked just as well. He now uses it instead of waxed paper.

Downeast ice fishing this month often features a lack of snow cover and thin ice conditions on most waters.

Therefore, anglers can travel light without any power equipment. First, since the ice is relatively thin, a sharp chisel will do nicely to cut ice holes in 4 to 5 inches of ice. Second, forget buying smelts – emerald shiners will entice just as many voracious fish at this time of year. Third, a plastic sled will be sufficient to carry bait, traps and a lunch for the day.

This time of year often allows smoke-pole carriers the possibility of hunting on snow-covered terrain. The colder weather makes deer move more during the day, and causes bucks in the area to search for available does.

Top hunting areas to pursue a December whitetail are found in Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs) 26 and 29. Fortunately, several of my friends in WMD 26 have given me permission to hunt on their woodlots. I plan to spend many hours looking for a black-powder buck this December, if I don’t tag out in November.

The coastal areas of WMD 29 contain hundreds of acres of key cover to sustain an ever-increasing deer herd.

Prime deer habitat can be found in District 29, which includes most coastal islands from Penobscot Bay to Kittery seaward of the first upstream bridge that are not connected to the mainland at low tide or by man-made structures.

Black-powder Possibilities Muzzle-loading season in the Downeast Region starts November 30 and ends December 5, 2020. Black-powder hunters like myself who hunt in WMD 12, 13, 15-18, 20-26 or 29 can continue to hunt deer until December 12, 2020.

If I’m not fortunate enough to tag a deer in November, I can clean my Thompson/Center, 50-caliber black-powder rifle, and continue hunting deer for another week.

December skies are usually crystal-clear, making for sharp, long-distance viewing. A great variety of wildlife becomes available to wildlife watchers now. Seabirds and seals both

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entertain visitors.

So even if you don’t feel like fishing, get out for a seaside walk. It’s a great stress reliever.

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 61

“What Can You Tell Me About That Truck?”

When the truck came roaring at me, there was only an instant to decide – no time to mull it over.

It was Friday evening October 12th, 1973. The moon was full. Warden Norman Gilbert and I were parked in a surveillance spot in the Town of Corinna that we called “the clothesline.” It was so-named because it was located where a set of farm buildings had burned about ten years prior, and our parking spot was right between the still-standing clothesline posts, concealed by trees, tall grass and huge burdocks. The position was on the highest point of land and surrounded by large fields with only a lone hay storage barn about 100 yards to our north.

Working night hunting activity on a moonlit night can be difficult. For one thing, people looking for deer in a field can merely scan the field with binoculars or a rifle scope, thus eliminating the need to illuminate the field with a light. Additionally, it is often quite difficult to conceal your vehicle in a decent observation spot during clear moonlit nights.

Vehicle Appears As we sat there in the moonlight, a vehicle approached from the north, stopped in the road and proceeded to back up the driveway to the open barn door. Our suspicion was that they had shot a deer in this vicinity

A theft, a high-speed chase, a shot fired and a truck towed from the scene. It’s a good thing the author’s supervisor would likely never find out about it! and were returning to pick it up. With that in mind, we decided to walk down the road to see what they were up to.

As we got closer to the barn, we could make out that the vehicle was a pick-up truck with some kind of side boards on the cargo bed. It was so light that I was afraid we would be silhouetted on the road, and as we came to about 25 yards of the driveway someone yelled, “Let’s get out of here!”

At that point I ran to the driveway and turned on my five-cell light just as the Ford pick-up was firing up. The trucks lights came on and it started to move as I closed a little bit of the gap between us. Its rear wheels were spinning, the engine was roaring and there was no doubt about their desire to make a hasty departure.

Shot Fired I unholstered my .38-caliber revolver in hopes that might deter them from running me over, but that had no effect, so with a split second to spare, in an act of self-preservation I lunged to my right.

As the truck sped by me, I fired a shot down at the base of the left rear tire. I didn’t know if it had any effect, but at any rate the truck was moving so fast that it didn’t quite

make the right hand turn onto the road-way and went down the ditch on the opposite side of the road before getting back entirely onto the road surface.

In the direction the truck was heading there was a four- way intersection less than a quarter mile away.

As I sprinted to retrieve my 1973 Rambler Ambassador (the Warden Service had a number of those, and that’s a story in itself), I shouted to Norman to watch which way they went.

The Chase When I slid to a stop and picked up Norman, he told me the truck had taken a left onto the Cider Hill road heading towards Exeter.

I made the turn onto the Cider Hill road and was really flying down the dirt road. As I crested a small knoll, I suddenly saw a bale of hay right in the middle of the road. Norman’s fingers sunk into my dashboard, and blurted out “Don’t hit it!”

Luckily for us, I was able to slide by the bale and stay in the road, but it was now clear that stealing hay was their specialty, not deer. Continuing down the road, we encountered more hay bales, and I was able to dodge them all except for one that was broken apart and

resulted in hay being stuck to some parts of my Rambler.

Capture About half-way to Exeter, we caught up to the truck. The hay was all off the truck and there was a guy in the truck bed as every so often he would stick his head up from behind the tailgate to peek at us. The left rear tire was flat and as it was flopping it threw up a rock and broke out my left headlight. Shortly thereafter, the tire came completely off the rim and flew into the ditch, but the truck continued.

When we arrived at the intersection of Route 143, the truck finally came to a halt.

As we got these two guys handcuffed, we couldn’t get much out of them except that they were from the Town of Charleston.

The driver was apparently fond of knives, as he had a hunting knife on his belt, a machete under the seat and a bowie knife in the glove box.

What About the Truck?

I knew the farmer who owned the barn and hay, so I had the barracks call him to come retrieve the hay from the road while Norm and I dealt with getting these guys off to jail and having a wrecker haul off their truck.

In the aftermath

I was somewhat concerned about my shooting the tire. I told Norm that I guess I hit that tire and maybe I should call my supervisor, Lee Downs. Things were a lot looser in those days but still, that was not a normal or accepted practice.

Norm, a 25-year veteran, suggested in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way that they must have run over a sharp rock and punctured the tire. I knew that story wasn’t going to fly, but rather than report to my supervisor right away, I mistakenly, decided to sleep on it until the next day.

The next morning, just before 7:00 a.m., my wife woke me up to say there was someone at the door. I opened the door and there was Lee Downs, my supervisor.

I invited Lee in and quickly stated, “I’m glad you stopped by.” Lee replied, “Does what you’re about to tell me have anything to do with the truck I saw at my friend’s Texaco station in East Corinth this morning when I was gassing up?”

The tow truck driver reported that he’d picked up the truck in Exeter after some wardens had shot a tire right off it.

“What can you tell me about that truck?” my boss inquired.

“Well,” I responded, “I was just getting ready to call you.”

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www.MaineSportsman.com

62 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Pike in Messalonskee; Modern Fishfinders; and How to Catch Your Own Baitfish While trolling the waters of Messalonskee Lake this summer, the kids and I succeeded in hauling in several sizeable Northern Pike.

This success has me very excited about fishing Messalonskee again this winter season.

Anglers can gain winter access to the lake, and find some of the area’s best pike fishing, by using the Sidney boat landing.

The landing is well-plowed during the winter season, and when the ice is safe, trucks typically plow roads up and down the lake to some of the popular fishing locations.

Vexilar Transforms Fishing At the beginning of the 2019 ice fishing season, I purchased the Vexilar FL-18.

This is a fish-finder unit designed specifically for ice fishing, featuring an easy-toread display.

At a whopping $400, it was a decision that I did not make lightly. I’m not saying I’m cheap; however, forking over the money hurt a little and I really hoped that this little unit was as good if not better than the positive reviews I’d read on Amazon.

After receiving the unit, I watched a few YouTube videos on how to use the device effectively. I strongly encourage others to do the same. The unit isn’t excessively comwww.MaineSportsman.com

plicated, but fine-tuning the unit to properly identify lure, fish and depth takes a little practice. Plus the videos showed how not only how to find fish but also how to catch fish.

One of the best pointers, I learned, was to slowly raise the lure as a fish swims by. This creates a situation where the fish believes dinner is swimming away, and a strike almost always occurs.

If you want to hook kids into ice fishing, a Vexilar is the ticket.

Watching the small screen is almost like participating in a video game. It’s quite honestly mesmerizing, and the kids and I enjoyed hours watching the screen intently and catching perch after perch.

Fishfinder Even Works on Smelt Last February, my son and I rented a shack at Baker’s Smelt Camps in Pittston. Next to us were my brother, dad and two friends.

I brought along my Vexilar and thought maybe it would be as effective smelt fishing as it was ice fishing.

Boy was I right! My son and I out-fished my brother, dad and friends 30 to 1!

The biggest advantages with the Vexilar are first, determining the correct depth where the smelts are located; and second, determining exactly when the fish are

schooling under the shack.

Once, during the evening, when my son was about to eat a handful of pretzels, I noted the Vexilar was indicating a large school of smelts right under the shack. I told my son to wait on his snack and to immediately grab his jig pole.

Seconds later, he felt a strong tug and pulled up three!

Trap Bait and Save Money Maine law allows anyone who holds a valid fishing license to take live bait for their own use with hook and line or bait trap.

Baitfish traps must be marked with the name and address of the person who is taking or holding the baitfish, and must be checked at least once every 7 calendar days by the person who set them.

It is also important to note that not all bait-sized fish are legal to possess. Here’s the permitted list: smelt, lake chub, Eastern silvery minnow, golden shiner, emerald shiner, bridle shiner, common shiner, blacknose shiner, spottail shiner, Northern redbelly dace, finescale dace, fathead minnow, blacknose dace, longnose dace, creek chub, fallfish, pearl dace, banded killifish, mummichog, longnose sucker, white sucker, creek chubsucker, and American eel.

To ensure anglers harvest only legal baitfish, IFW main-

The author’s sons, Wildman and Manimal Vose, are shown using the Vexilar fishfinder (the unit on the ice) to slay yellow perch on No Name Pond. Steve Vose photos

tains a website (www. maine.gov/ifw/fishing/ species/identification/ baitfish.htm) listing most of the above species along with full-color pictures.

To trap bait in the winter, it helps to have an auger, ice scoop and chisel. The auger quickly drills the large hole needed to accept the bait trap, the ice scoop cleans slush from the hole, and the chisel chips out ice on future visits, when the hole is frozen over.

How to Set the Baitfish Trap The best place to locate baitfish is on weed edgings in close proximity to the shore, where small fish tend to feed and hide from larger fish.

Start by drilling a single hole and using sounder to check the depth. I prefer bait fishing in four feet of water or less. If the depth seems right, drill three more holes (for a total of four), all touching each other,

Wildman with a Northern pike pulled out of Messalonskee Lake this past summer.

then use the chisel to connect the four holes, thus creating the one large hole needed to accept the bait trap.

Lastly, use the ice scoop to clean out the slush and large ice chunks so the bait trap can be easily lowered through the hole.

Always start out with a larger hole than seems necessary, as it helps immensely later. That’s because in Maine’s extremely cold weather, the edging of the hole closes in quickly with ice, becoming smaller with every visit.

I bait my Gees minnow traps with a cup of dog food and a slice of bread. The two choices seem to encourage more baitfish to enter the trap than if they had just one choice.

Other anglers swear

by Cheetos, spearmint gum, hotdogs, corn, dry cat food and even Styrofoam! Half of the fun with bait trapping (Central Maine continued on page 65)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 63

Preserved Smelts from Maine are Popular Nationwide Perhaps you read about them in this column. Or maybe you saw them in your local bait-and-tackle shop.

Those preserved smelt and other baitfish that have become so popular over the last few years are all produced in the small town of Canaan, Maine, by John Whalen, of Harmon Brook Farm.

Whalen began dealing in baitfish back in the 1970s as a small-time operation, began expanding in the mid-1980s, and got seriously involved in 1988. In the beginning, Whalen caught and purchased live smelt for his customers. He gradually expanded to the point that now he offers live, frozen, salted and preserved smelt, frozen shiners, suckers, Eastern silvery minnows, salted shiners, fathead minnows, river dace and suckers. Whalen also offers frozen chunks of white suckers, for cutting up into smaller pieces for use as bait. A new product, preserved eels, some pre-rigged for angler convenience, is beginning to take off with saltwater anglers.

Finally, Whalen has introduced colored, preserved baitfish.

These currently come in shades of pink, blue and golden brown.

A portion of Harmon Brook Farm customers reside outside of Maine. Because this state has only about 85,000 – 90,000 ice fishers, Whalen de-

John Whalen in his shop with some frozen baits.

cided to look farther afield for customers.

While he ships baits to other parts of the country, the Mountain States stand as the biggest consumer of frozen smelts.

The difficulty of shipping baitfish to other states lies in the various regulations regarding importation of baitfish. It seems, according to Whalen, that every state has different rules. What might be legal in New York is prohibited in Minnesota. He says he spent years deciphering requirements for the different states.

Also, the states dictate what goes on the packaging label for baitfish products, making a complex job even more complicated.

John’s Ponds Whalen’s property, originally a farm field, carefully selected for its umbrageous nature (it has numerous springs, and also two spring-fed streams that don’t go dry even during serious droughts), holds 29 ponds, where he raises

Some of John Whalen’s commercial bait traps.

white suckers, golden shiners, eastern silvery minnows (often erroneously called “emerald shiners”) and rainbow smelt.

“If I were younger,” Whalen said, “I’d have even more ponds.” The scope of his present operation, though, seems impressive enough to this writer.

The key to these ponds holding water is in the nature of the ground. Clay abounds, and clay makes an impermeable barrier, so water cannot leach out as often happens with ponds with gravel bottoms.

What’s more, the ponds are all connected to an extensive irrigation system, whereby fresh, cool water can be supplied on an as-needed basis.

And since the sources for this spring water are among the most dependable around, there are never problems associated with low water.

In addition to what he raises in his ponds, Whalen buys live, wild-caught baitfish for his operation. To-

gether, these combine to give Harmon Brook Farm all the product needed to supply Maine anglers’ needs, as well as the demand from anglers all over the country.

Production Facility John Whalen took me to his “inner sanctum” – the place where he raises his fish and where he preserves his baitfish utilizing a proprietary formula that he developed.

The preserved fish, Whalen explained, are best for trolling, but as of late, anglers have used them for casting as well as jigging through the ice.

Salted baitfish, he said, help to attract fish by scent – something useful when fishing for such species as white perch or

black crappie. Skeptical at first, I tried John’s salted shiners on white perch and found them excellent.

They worked as advertised. Salted shiners should also make a good choice for hornpout fishing and for fishing for Maine’s new fish species, white catfish.

Frozen baitfish, primarily smelt, allow anglers to use smelt as bait long after smelt runs have ceased and supplies of live smelt have dwindled to nothing. Some anglers swear by frozen smelt, and Whalen’s operation provides those important baitfish yearround.

While picture-taking was not allowed, let me say that the inside of John’s place looks like a high-tech science lab. Pipes run hither and yon, and tanks fill the several rooms where he propagates and raises his baitfish to maturity.

The tedious work involved with running this state-of-the-art operation includes draining and disinfecting all the tanks and pipes each time a run of baitfish ends. There (Trout Fishing continued on page 65)

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64 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

A Fly-Fishing Christmas List I read recently that because Covid-19 travel concerns and social distancing needs, the holiday season this year will feature fewer gatherings of family and friends. To compensate, the “experts” expect more gift-giving.

In that spirit, I offer the following ideas if you have a fly fisher on your gift list, or if you are giving loved ones hints as to what you might want for a present under the tree.

In my early fly-fishing days, if I was after trout or salmon, I grabbed my freshwa-

Lou’s holiday guide will help if you’re 1) buying gifts for a fly-fisher, 2) dropping hints about what you’d like for Christmas, or 3) just purchasing something for yourself, because – well – it’s been a tough year, and you deserve it! ter flyrod and was off.

Today, anglers try a variety of methods and specialty rods abound because they do help you optimize your approach. For example, if you enjoy trolling, you can purchase rods and reels specifically for that purpose.

Two-handed switch rods help you cast long distances.

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Nymphing Rod Today, I find myself nymphing more and more, and I don’t think I’m alone. It’s just so effective when fish aren’t rising or chasing streamers.

Nymphing rods are designed specifically for that purpose.

At least 10 feet in length, they increase your reach when highstick nymphing and leverage when mak-

ing those all-important mends. A 3-weight nymphing rod has a very sensitive tip, allowing you to feel the most subtle take. I leave mine rigged up all the time, and when I choose to nymph, I just pick it up and I am ready to go.

Air-Lock Strike Indicator Since we are on the subject of nymphing, let’s talk strike indica-

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tors. Strike indicators are always evolving.

TheThingamabobber has been the most popular option for a decade, and why not?

It suspends heavy nymphs, floats forever, and is visible.

But it does have its downsides. It can be difficult to change depths without kinking the leader, making a knot, or having it slide down unexpectedly. If Thingamabobbers come free (and they do), these bright plastic bubbles litter the environment.

An alternative is the improved Air-Lock strike indicator. It features a slotted top with a screw-down fastener that makes changing depths a breeze. It is made of lightweight foam, lands daintily, and is biodegradable.

Hip Boots Fly-fishing and waders seem to go together like ballet dancing and leotards or surgeons and scrubs.

But in the last few years, I have rediscovered hip boots as an alternative to waders.

I realized that most of my wade-fishing is no deeper than midthigh depth, and it is more comfortable and less fatiguing to fish in hip boots. Plus, hip boots are ideal if you are getting in and out of kayaks and canoes.

I will never go back to waders for most of my fishing.

You can purchase standard hip boots in lots of places, but pro(Continued on next page)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 65 (Continued from page 64)

fessionals wearing hip boots every day purchase fitted hip boots from Dan’s Hunting Gear. The exact name is Dan’s Frogger Boot with Brush Buster Briarproof Chaps by Dan’s Hunting Gear®.

Google the name and choose a retailer that offers them. (To purchase the correct size, you will need your boot size, inseam length, and mid-thigh circumference). It takes several weeks for your made-to-order hip boots to arrive.

Mine fit so perfectly that they stay up without fastening the straps, and I can walk a fair distance comfortably. Often, I almost forget I have them on.

Fly Assortments When in doubt, flies are a good gift choice, because what angler doesn’t need more? I own hundreds of patterns, and I still lust for additions every year. But how do you choose?

I suggest a fly assortment, sometimes referred to as a fly collection or selection.

The term refers to 6 to 24 different fly pat-

terns related by enduse (for caddis hatch), style (parachute), pattern (Adams selection), or by popularity (best-sellers). Each fly might differ from the others by color, size, or tying pattern.

Fly-fishing retailers often offer pre-packaged assortments based on their experience of what sells.

They can assist you in making a choice.

Let me make one unique recommendation that you won’t find commercially, but you can create yourself. How about a Wulff Assortment?

A Wulff pattern is a heavily-hackled creation from Lee Wulff (that is why it sounds like “wolf”, but is spelled, Wulff).

This deer and moosehair pattern floats well even in turbulent water or after several fish have drowned it.

The well-known Royal Wulff is often fished as an attractor – its peacock and red underside seems to draw fish up to the surface.

But other less-known Wulff patterns can be deadly (figuratively, not literally!).

The black Wulff is a great choice under

Central Maine (Continued from page 62)

is working to find that perfect combination that will lead to big hauls.

Once baited, the traps are lowered down through the ice on a rope until the

Trout Fishing (Continued from page 63)

is little downtime for Whalen in his business, but it is what he loves to do, and he thrives on hard work.

Field Trials Of all of the Harmon Brook Farm products, preserved smelt rank as my favorites. These look and feel like live smelt. The formula used to preserve

Royal Wulff, Black Wulff, Parmachenee Wulff.

Lou Zambello photo

Here is the author nymphing a run at Upper Dam near Rangeley with his favorite 10-foot nymphing rod. Jeff Sloan photo

low light conditions because it presents a clear silhouette for the fish looking up at a dimly lit sky. I fished a heavily-fished pool this fall where the trout became impossible to fool. But at first light, I nailed three gorgeous trout before sun-up by retrieving a large black Wulff.

A Parmachenee Wulff - with its yellow body and mixed white and red hackles - is a great September attractor when trout and salmon display bright colors. Other great options are a white Wulff and a Kennebago Wulff. Create your own Wulff assortment.

Better yet, use

your own imagination and assemble your own gift assortment.

Travel Books With travel curtailed and fewer indoor activities available, it will be a long winter. What better time to peruse a travel fly-fishing book to plan an adventure or two for 2021, or at least daydream about one? Anglers who usually fly to exotic destinations may now be more interested in fly-fishing options that are drivable. New England anglers overlook intriguing options in states such as New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania.

If you nymph with indicators, try this newly available alternative.

Rangeley Sport Shop photo

Wilderness Adventure Press publishes fly-fishing guides to just about every state in the country, including the one I wrote, Flyfishers Guide to New England. Each book is written by an angler who knows that state well, and includes detailed maps of important waters.

You can purchase from the website, wildadvpress.com, or from Amazon directly.

Remember, there is nothing wrong with giving yourself a gift for the holidays. It has been a challenging year; you deserve it.

¶

trap rests about a foot off the bottom.

The other end of the rope is then tied to a long straight branch suspended above the hole using two forked sticks.

The sticks help keep the rope and the branch from freezing into the ice directly above the hole. I then mark

the opening with a small spruce tree, warning people of the large opening in the ice, and also ensuring that even after the deepest snowfall, the location can still be easily found.

them retains the lifelike colors, and also toughens them to the point where if nothing bites, the smelt can be removed from the hook for use at a later time.

These preserved smelt must stay in the plastic envelope they came in, since that contains the liquid that keeps them fresh and lifelike. After use, the fish can be stored in the freezer. While the product never fully freezes, that doesn’t hurt a thing. As long as they

are kept in a below-freezing situation, they are good to go.

Regarding John’s preserved, prerigged eels, these are a brand-new product and will be available next season.

To purchase any Harmon Brook Farm products, go online to www. harmonbrookfarm.com. In-person visits require an appointment. Call (207) 474-1215.

¶

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

66 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Cast and Blast Opportunities Still Available This Month This past October the author took his boat out of the water to concentrate on bird hunting. What a mistake! Guide Glen Gisel, Jr. of Sebago Sport Fishing has pulled salmon out of Sebago Lake weighing five, seven and nine pounds! That’s reason enough to fish later in the season.

It was a frigid December morning. I was enjoying my coffee while looking out at Sebago Lake (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, C-1).

It was calm and bitter cold, but I was comfortable inside with my first cup of the day.

As I looked out at the lake, something caught my eye. There was a boat on the lake – an unusual sight for this month.

I picked up my binoculars and sure enough, two guys were out there trolling.

They were bundled up like they were ice fishing, but ice hadn’t formed yet.

In talking with a few diehard anglers on the lake, I’ve learned that people do fish on Sebago into December and they do well.

Salmon are still on the bite, enjoying the cooler water temperatures near the surface, and the lake trout action is as hot as ever.

This past October I pulled my boat to concentrate on bird hunting. What a mistake!

Next season I will keep it in the water longer. Guide Glen Gisel, Jr. of Sebago Sport Fishing has pulled in salmon weighing five, seven and nine www.MaineSportsman.com

pounds! That’s reason enough to fish later in the season.

Meg Exley, who runs Exley Excursions with her husband, James, told me they plan to be on Sebago fishing as long as the ice stays away. Diehards!

I generally concentrate on one season at a time, but there’s no logical reason to do so. The laws have changed a bit, so you have to read up on them. Starting October 1 through December 31, anglers must use artificial lures only and must release any salmon caught immediately.

Lake trout may be kept, as per usual. Anglers can keep unlimited lakers up to 26 inches, and can keep one fish 26 inches or over.

Thompson, Trickey, Long Nearby Thompson Lake (Map 5, A-2) is also open to stalwart December anglers.

Anglers here must release all trout, salmon and togue, so no keeping any of these species, and the same artificial lure rule applies.

Trickey Pond in Naples (Map 4, B-5) is another great fishing

water open this month.

Trickey boasts some great splake fishing, has the same artificial lure ban and does not allow you to keep any trout, salmon or togue.

Long Lake (Map 10, E-4) in Harrison (and down to Naples) is also open this month with a similar artificial lure requirement and an instant-release rule on trout, salmon and togue. This fall, 30 breeder size brown trout were stocked at the Harrison launch, and they should provide some good sport this month. A number of years ago I was trolling a Gray Ghost tandem streamer in the town cove in Harrison right after they stocked some breeder fish. I caught and landed a 6-plus pound, 24-inch brownie that is my personal best to this day. What a thrill on a fly rod!

Lures, Flies and Open Water Most anglers will drag hardware – namely spoons – this month.

Mooselook Wobblers, DB Smelt and Carlson spoons work wonders.

I’ve had tremendous luck with Gulp artificial minnows and Live Action twitch minnows, so I recommend

The author shows off a six-pound brown trout taken from Long Lake in Harrison. Breeders like this one were recently stocked and make for some good December angling. Roth photo

giving those a try. I’m sure flies near the surface would work well in these cool surface temps.

For fly-fishing enthusiasts, the Presumpscot River from Windham to Falmouth (Map 5, D-2) provides some year-round angling opportunities for brook trout, brown trout and landlocked salmon. Be sure to check the law book and know where you are, as some parts are fly fishing only, while other parts of this waterway are closed completely this month.

Deer, Birds, Squirrels Hunters still have plenty of opportunities in December. The muzzleloader crowd enjoys the solitude of their season, running through December 12 in this region.

Anecdotally, my deer sightings have been up this year, so I predict it will be a good season, not only for archers and firearms

hunters, but muzzleloaders as well. Plenty of mast crops such as acorns will still be in the woods this month, so I’d concentrate on those hordes.

Bird hunters can chase ruffed grouse all month, and many dog hunters like to take their pups back out once the deer crowd is done for the season. During deer season I invariably bump the same grouse from the same cover many times throughout the month. I surmise that since the bird is not fired at, it returns to its usual haunt without much concern for my traipsing through.

Recalling that spot and returning with a scattergun is a great way to get one more partridge meal in before the end of the year.

Upland hunters can also target gray squirrels all month.

It’s been years since I went on a good old (Sebago to Auburn continued on page 69)

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 67

Refine Your Hunting Tactics During Muzzleloading Season The author says hunters must remain flexible this month and adjust their tactics to accommodate different conditions in the woods. Soft snow or wet leaves? Follow that deer. Frozen leaves or crunchy snow? Still-hunt, or take a stand.

It was quiet and still in the woods. I could hear snowflakes landing on hemlock branches that surrounded me. My .50 caliber muzzleloader was leaning against a tree within easy reach as I watched the oak ridge that showed deer activity in the snow.

On some days I feel like I’m a true predator and part of the natural order, like a ghost slipping through the forest – while on others, when the leaves are dry and ankle deep, I feel like I’m a bumbling, stumbling outsider. On this day I felt like a ghost, part of the forest – a competent predator.

To take your deer hunting here in Maine to the next level, you need to just micro-manage the basics.

Here are a few things to take into account while muzzleloading for deer this month.

Scent Control You can’t walk in the woods without deer detecting your scent, and depending on weather conditions, that scent may last for two full days.

So every time hunters enter the woods, they are spooking and educating deer. A deer’s sense of smell is dif-

ficult for humans to understand. Here’s an example.

Many years ago, I was back-tracking a deer in the snow while winter scouting on Mann Mountain in “The Owl’s Nest” located in Shapleigh. This is a pastime I enjoy – it’s like reading a book on deer, but you are physically inside the book’s pages.

That deer was covering ground. It was traveling on a bee-line somewhere. The track was large – it was obviously a mature buck (does generally meander and are in groups during the winter).

After a few hundred yards, the buck stopped in his tracks and took 6 steps to his left, I wondered why.

The evidence was there in the snow. He had smelled an acorn buried under 3 inches of fresh snow. He then pawed it up and chewed it; small bits of acorn hulls were lying on the snow. The buck then continued on his way.

Human Scent Deer can easily locate hunters in two ways – from the humans’ airborne scent and from the ground scent – so work on staying downwind and

also avoid walking where you plan to ambush a buck – simple stuff.

This season, really work on controlling your scent – not with the aid of store-bought gear and cover scents, but concentrating on the basics while hunting. Try to keep your scent away from deer, rather than trying to eliminate it.

Movement; Noise This fall I was hunting in Freedom N.H. during archery season and killed a turkey while sitting on a stool located in the shadows. From the direction the flock entered, I was sky lined – not a good situation when attempting to draw a bow on these sharp-eyed birds. To add to my problems it was a large flock (I stopped counting at 18 birds), so I was literally surrounded with birds.

As the flock topped the ridge, many of them passed by me at 10 yards or less. I was eye to eye with them.

I never moved, and didn’t make direct eye contact with any of them as they tried to stare me down.

I waited until all the birds fed out of sight, then drew and

The author killed this turkey with a bow after sitting still in the shadows in a natural makeshift blind for over 45 minutes as a large flock fed around him.

Hunting from the ground during muzzleloader season can be productive, too. Hunters need to remain undetected, and adapt to winter conditions.

Doris Marquez photo

killed the one remaining bird as it fed – a mature hen (legal in the fall season).

I had a leaf suit on, and camo makeup on my face, but the reason I killed that bird was I remained motionless for the 45 minutes the birds were feeding around me. My bird only went a few yards, so I let it lay there and remained in my little hide-out, hoping a deer might come by.

For Deer, Adapt to Weather and Snow Conditions Turkey can’t smell very well, if at all, or I would have been busted from the get-go.

However, when you are deer hunting, you must deal with a deer’s exceptional nose, keen eyesight and radar

ears.

This month, hunters must adjust to cold and windy weather, frozen leaves and crunchy snow that make it impossible to walk without deer hearing you hundreds of yards away. Deer are also spooky because of two months of hunting pressure.

But then there are those perfect days when the conditions are great for hunting.

Damp wet leaves and snow, a gentle consistent breeze – these are the days to hit the woods and sneak and peek your way through good deer cover. You can’t make things happen in the woods; rather, you need to take what nature gives. Ad(Southern Maine continued on page 69) www.MaineSportsman.com

68 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Tying Flies and Chasing Rabbits Deer season comes to a close this month, and my thoughts turn to the long winter ahead. Chasing coyotes and tying flies will fill many of my snow-filled days this winter. I am also hoping to get out with Rumford rabbit hunter Ryan McDonald and his beagles – hunting snowshoe hares with dogs runs deep in my

Campaign season is over; pollsters aren’t calling anymore; and we’re back to “world’s greatest pillow” advertisements on TV. In the sudden peace and quiet, it’s time to tie up some flies. The author has been replicating the monochrome marabou-tailed “Marsters’ Mayhem,” and now he’s ready to try some colorful variations. blood. I’ve been doing it since the time I was old enough to safely carry a shotgun, and probably will continue

until I flop over.

I have held off on coyote hunting for the past couple of years for a number of reasons ... mostly because I had a new puppy (Ginger) in the house and didn’t want to leave her side.

She has become my best buddy and likes to be around me constantly. I also don’t like to be away from her for any length of time and feel guilty being out in the woods without her.

This year, I’m thinking I can take Ginger with me and take up a position on

the gravel roads, staying in the comfort of the warm truck. If I see the hounds on my Garmin Tracking Unit chasing a coyote our way, I’ll jump out and prepare to take a shot, while Ginger stays warm in the truck with a pile of blankets and pillows ... she’s such a spoiled girl.

Of course, I’ll let her out to play and run when the action takes the coyote to a far-off location. We can get back into the chase when the hounds bring the coyote closer to our position, while

in the meantime, Ginger can run and play and get her exercise on the snowy trails. I’m pretty sure this will work out, and I won’t be in the way of the rest of the fellows on the hunt. As much as Ginger would like it, I won’t let her out with the hounds. She has no clue about chasing coyotes and would just want to play with the other dogs. They don’t play around – they have a laser-focus that only includes getting the coyote.

Winter Fly Tying I have promised myself that this winter I will definitely tie more flies. Most winter months go by without a single fly getting tied, and then when fishing season rolls around I’m all panicky (Continued on next page)

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about getting some flies tied. This winter will be different.

I had blown discs in my lower back this past September and couldn’t do much at all. For a while I was able to get up to the tying bench and put out a few flies every night ... some nights I could only take sitting there long enough to tie one fly. It helped me get through my day knowing that I was at least productive – even if it was only a single fly.

The focus during that period was on producing spin-off streamers from a pattern that Steve Marsters has perfected.

Marsters, a friend of mine from Rangeley, ties a simple fly he calls “Marsters’ Mayhem.” The fly has a tail of marabou and a deer hair body – and that’s it. He has used a few different colors; black, white, gray and brown ... I’m not sure if he’s used any others.

The pattern he ties is always the same, and I’ve tied a few that replicate his fly exactly. My attempts this winter will be to tie a large number of variations on this fly.

I started several variations while I was laid up in September, but this winter I really want to follow that ini-

tial drive with a fullscale tying campaign of producing some real good-looking variations.

I’ll definitely keep the marabou tail; in my opinion, marabou is the perfect feather for imitating the slinky, flowing movement of a baitfish. The trick is to tie the feather on in a way that allows it to perform to its fullest abilities.

If I tie the marabou tail on in the traditional location, right at the rear of the hook where it begins to bend, then it will flow in a generally-attractive manner. Marsters showed me one fly that his friend tied that had the marabou tied on at mid-shaft and the way that thing twitched and flowed through the water really got my attention – I can only imagine what the fish think of that kind of action!

Marsters also stuck with a single color throughout the fly. This winter I’ll experiment with a few different colors, subtle and appropriate for certain conditions. I’ve always found orange to be a great color for streamers in the fall, so I want to include a version in orange for when the fishing turns on in the autumn.

Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 66)

squirrel hunt. I know I’d carry my first gun, my grandfather’s old Lefever .410 single shot. I’d scout the oak stands if squirrels are on your agenda this month.

December may spell the end of the year (which many of us are looking forward to, after the year

Spare Time After all of the activity mentioned above, if I find myself with any spare time, I’ve been thinking of getting back into artwork. I enjoy oil painting, but have really noticed some great work folks have been doing with wood burning tools. They put it on cork fly rod handles and wooden boxes, or just on stand-alone pieces in a frame.

Of course, my focus will be on my two outdoor passions – bird hunting and fly fishing. I won’t be trying to win any awards or attempting to sell enough of my work to make a living; rather, it will be for the simple pleasure of creating something that pleases my eye and hopefully pleases the eye of others as well.

I really find total relaxation in delving deeply into an art project – it kind of takes me to another peaceful level that’s hard to describe. If I can’t be out there bird hunting or fly fishing, perhaps it’s that I can get close to it by creating artwork in the subject matter?

With the elections over, December should be filled with plenty of spare time – no more answering the constant barrage of political campaign phone

it’s been), but there is still plenty of sport left. I mentioned fishing, deer, grouse and squirrel hunting. But there’s more. Hare hunters are still active and hoping for a dusting of snow. Night hunting for coyote starts December 16, and bobcat, fox and raccoon are all legal quarry.

There’s plenty of sport – just hurry and enjoy it, as there are only 31 days in the month!

¶

“Marsters’ Mayhem” fly (bottom), and several of my own variations. William Clunie photo

calls. It will be such a pleasure to get back to the regular television commercials, too. No more negative political advertisements, just the same old, burned out advertisements for the best pillows, the

most awesome sealant and the greatest hair tonic. What do you think – should I just cancel the cable and have total peace this winter full of sparetime activities?

¶

Southern Maine (Continued from page 67)

just by still-hunting or taking a stand when conditions warrant.

There are no big, earth-shaking tactics involved with killing deer with a muzzleloader this month. Hunters need to just refine basic hunting methods and adapt to changing winter conditions. A few minor changes can make a big difference while hunting this month.

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70 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Christmas Gifts for the Off Road Traveler With Christmas right around the corner, it’s a great time to talk about gifts for the off-road travelers in our life ... those hearty souls who enjoy scooting around the wild areas of our state on snowmobiles, ATVs, pickup trucks, vans, and various other vehicles made for backwoods roads.

Gifts for the Pickup Over the years I have gathered a selection of gear that never leaves my hunting truck – a good tow strap, a military entrenching tool, a full set of wrenches and hand tools in a box, warm blankets, an emergency medical kit (with a fire-making kit inside), a bow saw, flat tire kit, a small air compressor, and lately, a portable jump starter and high-lift jack.

A good gift for a truck owner who travels back roads is a com-

The most thoughtful gifts for off-road travelers include tools that allow them to repair their machine or deal with a flat tire, and devices or smartphone applications that let them navigate the complex web of trails and woods roads. plete set of wrenches and hand tools specifically matched to the vehicle. Too many times in the past I’ve needed some tool out in the woods and realized that I had left it in the garage where I used it last. Now, the toolbox I’ve dedicated for the truck stays in the vehicle – fully loaded and ready when needed.

A family member gave me an awesome high-lift jack one Christmas long ago.

That jack sat in the garage for years because I never wanted it rattling around in the bed of the truck. I always told myself I’d get a locking rack for securely mounting it in the truck bed. Finally, I got a locking

mount for the jack.

So surprise someone with a jack and a locking mount this Christmas.

They’ll have no reason at all to leave it in the garage, and probably will immediately mount it in their truck bed. They also will really appreciate the fact that it’s in their truck the next time they find themselves stuck in the woods and in need of a great high-lift jack.

Another cool gift is a small compressor for inflating flat tires.

I stuff my tire repair kit in the bag that holds my compressor, and I’m all set for any tire emergency the wild woods can throw at me. It sure came in handy when I had to use it a few years ago.

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I couldn’t get the lug nut off the wheel of a flat, so I fixed the hole in the tire right there on the truck, let it dry a bit, and re-inflated it without difficulty. It doesn’t matter if you have a spare tire if you can’t get the flat tire off the truck – with this compressor and flat tire kit, I was able to get out of the woods easily.

ATV Gifts An often overlooked product for ATV owners is a good cover for their machine, one that can be used while trailering the machine. The cover keeps the ATV protected from dirt, dust, and flying debris during transport, and also protects the machine from the elements when it’s sitting outside at home.

Those without a trailer would appreciate an ATV ramp so they can load their machine in the bed of the truck. I own a ramp that folds three ways to help it more easily fit in the bed of the truck during transport. Make sure to get a rig that securely binds the ramp to the truck during the loading process.

I once owned a ramp that failed on me while

loading, breaking the wimpy strap and dumping the heavy machine, with me still astride it.

Just as the flat tire kit and compressor make a good present for truck owners mentioned above, these two items also make a fantastic present for ATV owners. Not too many folks carry a spare tire on their ATV, but with a quality repair kit they can make it out of the woods.

ATV riders nowadays make use of their cell phones, loaded with GPS mapping apps, for navigating around remote trails.

Consider the gift of a handlebar mount for holding cell phones, making it unnecessary to open a bag or dig in a pocket to retrieve the cell phone.

Speaking of mapping devices, a gift of a mapping program for guidance along the maze of trails in the wild backcountry would be much-appreciated by any ATV owner. I like the latest GPS mapping app from OnX Hunt (onxmaps.com). I use this app for getting around remote hunting areas as well as finding contact information for landowners to gain permission for access.

Any backwoods ATV rider would appreciate a gift of one of these navigational apps.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 71

Muzzleloader Deer Hunt Means Heading for the Hills The past decade or so has often found me without a deer in the freezer by the end of rifle season. I remember several years where the snow didn’t even come until closer to the end of the year, and finding a deer became difficult without the nice white background and good tracking that snow provides.

Those years, I would pull the muzzleloader out of the safe and make a few quick trips to the range to adjust to shooting my blackpowder rifle.

Each time I’ve had to

do this, I am amazed at how much I miss shooting blackpowder rifles – I fall in love with shooting the smokepole all over again.

There’s a process to shooting blackpowder and the more consistent one becomes at that process, the better the odds of a shot finding its mark come hunting season.

In blackpowder shooting, consistency means accuracy – and I like that challenge.

Cleaning the bore thoroughly helps, too, as well as pouring the

exact amount of powder each time when loading up. Equal pressure on the ramrod for each load also maintains this consistency, placing the bullet in the same position on the powder charge with the same amount of pressure for each shot.

Compromised Powder Blackpowder hunters really have to be careful to avoid any kind of moisture when using the conventional versions of these primitive weapons. Tra-

ditional blackpowder attracts moisture, and this often will cause the powder to fail to ignite. Even a little condensation can cause a blackpowder firearm to fail to fire, so proper precautions must be followed.

I remember loading my Thompson/ Center Hawken rifle during a snowstorm that drove huge snowflakes in a straight line to the earth. A few of those big, wet flakes must have gotten into the barrel of the rifle while I was loading it up, because it wouldn’t

Using a blackpowder weapon for hunting snowshoe hare helps prepare hunters for Maine’s blackpowder deer season. William Clunie photo (Western Maine continued on page 73)

Merry Christmas!

Get out and enjoy the lakes, mountains, rivers & woods in Western Maine!

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72 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Gift Guide for the Real Outdoorsman –

End the Camouflage Christmas!

I think a lot of true outdoorsmen are simple people. Simple people are extra hard to get Christmas gifts for. They also sometimes struggle to get gifts for others. I fall into both of these categories, but I thought I’d try to share a little bit of insight of what I’ve learned over the past few years.

Avoid Clichés There are certain stigmas to those who like to hunt and fish.

Not all people who hunt like camouflage.

When hunting, I wear plaid wool almost exclusively. Also, just because you are a girl/ woman and you like the outdoors, doesn’t mean you want pink camouflage accessories!

No guy needs Realtree toilet paper and

Though he’s still young, our New Hampshire columnist is a fast learner, and he shares timeless lessons on how to get what you want – and give what your companion wants – this holiday season. no woman needs a Muddy Girl hairdryer.

And fuzzy camo crocs?

Give me a break!

In the same way, just because someone likes to fish doesn’t mean they want a talking Larry the Bigmouth Bass mount or a “kiss my bass” bumper sticker.

Do Your Research Serious outdoorsmen take their gear seriously. You have to know your outdoorsman and exactly what he/she likes to use.

With so many variations of rods, fishing tackle, guns, and ammo, it is easy to get it wrong.

Welcome to

I used to drop hints to my wife about particular gear I wanted/ needed for the upcoming season. But after I received a box of .270 WSM instead of .270 Win, I stopped dropping hints and did the shopping myself.

Serious shooters are particular about their ammo. Even within calibers, there’s a wide variety of options where you can make a mistake. I shoot Remington CoreLokt 180 gr. Roundnose bullets out of my .300 Savage 7600.

Federal 180s don’t shoot well for me. I don’t like the smaller 150 gr. bullets. The

Northern New Hampshire

new Hornady bullets won’t even chamber in my gun for some reason. And I choose not to use any kind of Winchester ammunition.

Trout and salmon fishermen don’t need big ugly bass jigs. Bass fishermen don’t need Dave Davis trolling spoons. And nobody needs a Chuck Woolery battery-powered Moto Chug bait, as seen on QVC! (Good thing my grandmother rarely reads my TMS articles….)

Be Sentimental Outdoorsmen can be a tough lot, but I think beneath the calloused skin, most of us

are fairly sentimental people. We just may not be sentimental over the same things as others. We cherish the memories of the hunt and the catch and the time spent with loved ones in the outdoors.

Most of us aren’t the most organized bunch, though. We have pictures scattered about in different Rite Aid envelopes and on old computer hard drives.

A great idea for these types is a nice photo album or multipicture wall-hanging frame filled with hunting, fishing, or camp life photos. I’m sure if you dig deep enough, you’ll find some real tear-jerkers of memories shared with those who have passed away (Continued on next page)

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 73 (Continued from page 72)

or who have lost their ability to traverse the woods like they once did.

Another idea that could be combined with this is a scrapbook like project with excerpts from old camp logbooks, diaries, or other writings.

(Maybe re-write or type out the entries, rather than cut them out of the logbook.)

Share Adventures Many of us want to share our knowledge, memories, and experiences with others (another reason a handy scrap book is a good idea). What better way to fulfill this than to gift your time with that person? I’ve received homemade vouchers in the past from my wife for “one day of shed hunting,” “2 days of fly-fishing at camp,” and so on.

These aren’t her most favorite activities, but

she knows that I cherish sharing them with her.

We all have trips we desire to do. Some of them may be small, such as weekend snowmobiling in the Jackman area. Others may require a bit more planning – like a week of trout and salmon fishing in Labrador. Still others may be life-long obsessions – for example, a mountain caribou and moose hunt in British Columbia.

One thing that has really been made apparent to me in my new career in the health and life insurance industry is that things can change in the blink of an eye. I deal with almost exclusively retired people, and I hear over and over again, “I should have gone and done that when I was young and healthy.

Now I’ll never be able

Western Maine (Continued from page 71)

fire when I tried to shoot it at the end of the day’s hunt. Good thing I wasn’t aiming at a huge buck when the rifle failed to fire!

I used to either shoot the load out of my rifle or drive a threaded rod into the bullet and pull it out of the barrel each night after a hunt to avoid having to rely on a load of powder that had been sitting overnight.

Today I use an inline blackpowder rifle (an old MDM), and simply push the bullet out of the bore from the rear after removing the breech plug.

Another trick someone taught me long ago when using a caplock firearm is to fire a few caps before loading to clear the priming chamber. This takes care of any excess oil or moisture, ensuring a clear path for igniting the powder charge. I haven’t ever hunted with flintlock rifles, so I’m not sure if that same trick applies for cleaning the

to.” If you can afford to gift a special trip to that special someone, do it now. Don’t wait.

What to Give to Others if You are an Outdoorsman The simple answer to this is – give your time. You’ve just spent the past few weekends, or weeks – or, in my case, months – focusing all your thoughts, time, and energy to the woods and water. You may have neglected those whom you love, in order to do what you love. Now is the time to make up for it.

Have lazy movie nights. Go see a comedian. Have conversations about your companion or spouse’s work, their school, their interests. Take a trip. Do the things they enjoy. After all, they allowed you to do the things you enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

¶

The author’s wife made this stunning, decorative Christmas tree from her father-in-law’s shed antlers while the men were off at hunting camp. It was a quite a surprise to her father-in-law, who’d had the antlers carefully arranged in labeled crates according to where they’d been found.

Photo: Ethan Emerson

priming chamber of debris and moisture ... I would think it would.

I also always covered the muzzle of my blackpowder rifle with a small balloon to keep rain and snow out of it, thus preventing a misfire from wet powder. Some folks even keep the hammer of a caplock rifle closed down on a piece of rubber over the nipple to keep moisture out of that area. I’m not sure about that – I just figured the priming cap would cover that problem, and I didn’t want to take the time to remove the rubber and replace it with a priming cap if a hunting opportunity provided itself.

Blackpowder Practice There’s nothing difficult to becoming proficient with a blackpowder weapon. One of the best ways to become better at hunting with your rifle is to practice with it ... the same as honing your skills with a modern smokeless rifle.

To make it easier to hunt deer with

a blackpowder rifle, shoot the rifle as often as possible during the off-season.

I got a smooth-bore barrel from Green Mountain Gunworks for my Hawken to shoot shot charges through it for small game hunting.

Hunting snowshoe hare with the “shotgun” style blackpowder weapon allowed me to become proficient at the whole process of prepping, cleaning, maintaining, and shooting a blackpowder weapon. When deer season rolled around, I was already good at hunting with the muzzleloader.

Hopefully, this year I’ll drop a huge buck during the November rifle hunt and I won’t have to consider using my MDM. If I do have to go that route, I know I’m already prepared to handle the weapon without any difficulty at all – I can confidently go into the woods and shoot accurately and ethically. A simple trip to the range for a few rounds to check the sights, and I’m good to go.

¶

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74 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

Nature is Trying to Kill You In his book How to Die in the Outdoors: 150 Wild Ways to Perish, author Buck Tilton details interesting ways to be killed in wilderness places all over the world, including from snake bite, elephant foot and rhino horn. Al Diamon believes we Mainers are in comparable danger here in our home state.

Maine is a dangerous place. The author earns some required “community service” credits by warning readers of the potential risks of encounters with deer, moose, beavers, mongooses, cone snails and our emblematic Bald Eagle.

According to a study of deaths in the United States conducted by what I’m sure is a thoroughly reliable research organization called “Man vs. Beast,” the animal that’s most likely to kill you when you wander outside is a “large mammal.” I

assumed that meant bears or whales or NFL linemen, but the researchers say the actual deadliest warm-blooded creature in America is the deer.

In an average year, Bambi and his pals gun down 120 people.

I might be exaggerating the part about the shootings. A closer examination of the data reveals most of those fatal incidents involve collisions with motor vehicles. Still, it seems past time our lawmakers took action to restrict anyone

sporting antlers from accessing firearms.

You can’t be too careful.

Fear the Cone Snail As a worldwide

cause of death, deer don’t rank particularly high. Mosquitos kill way more people, followed by human beings murdering other human beings. Snakes take third place.

But the situation is different when you consider just the U.S. Other American animals that regularly engage in homicide include dogs (28 deaths per year), cows (20), horses (20) and black widow spiders (7).

Bears finish a distant sixth, in a tie with cone snails, alligators and mountain lions, each averaging one death per year.

Cone snails?

How to Die in the Outdoors According to the book “How to Die in the Outdoors: 150 Wild Ways to Perish”

by Buck Tilton, many seemingly benign animals are capable of doing us in. Take beavers, for instance. Attacks are rare, Tilton says, but “if they can bite down a tree, there (Outdoors & Other Mistakes continued on page 80)

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������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 75

Smilin’

Sportsman

Youth Edition

“Dad,” said Little Johnny, “I’m late for football practice. Would you please do my math homework for me?”

“But Johnny,” said his dad, “it just wouldn’t be right.”

“That’s okay,” replied Little Johnny.

“Just as long as it’s close.”

••••••••••••••••••• “What are ‘sins of omission’?” the Sunday school teacher asked her class.

Little Johnny raised his hand, and the teacher reluctantly indicated he should answer.

“Those are the sins,” Little Johnny

Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com

explained, “that we should have committed, but didn’t!”

••••••••••••••••••• Little Johnny was playing cards with his friends.

“Four of a kind – I win!” said one friend, laying out his cards.

Johnny threw down his hand, muttering, “That’s it – I’ve had it! You’re cheating!”

“How can you tell?” another friend asked.

“Because,” Johnnie replied, “those aren’t the cards I dealt him!”

Adults Only

Marriage counselor: “Welcome to your first session, Joe and Joanna. Now Joe, if you’re going to improve your marriage, it’s important for you to understand your wife’s personal preferences. For example, do you know her favorite flower?”

Joe, smiling at his wife: “Of course I do!

It’s Pillsbury All-Purpose, right, Honey?”

••••••••••••••••••• A minister took a winter vacation and stayed at a tropical resort that featured a nude beach.

As he walked down the beach, a beautiful young lady smiled and waved enthusiastically, yelling “Good morning, Reverend!”

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the minister stammered, “but without my collar, how did you know I am a minister?”

The lady replied, “Oh, Reverend, it’s me – the church secretary!”

•••••••••••••••••••

A police officer pulled the pickup truck over, walked up to the driver’s window and asked the driver, “Do you know you have a taillight out?”

The driver got out, ran back to the rear of his truck and began loudly wailing, “OH, NO!!! TELL ME THIS ISN’T HAPPENING!”

“Take it easy, buddy – it’s not that serious,” said the officer.

“Oh, really?” replied the motorist, suddenly hopeful. “So you’ve found my camper trailer?”

¶

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76 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

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Outdoors & Other Mistakes (Continued from page 74)

will surely be no problem in biting through your leg.”

Other small, but equally wily, furballs pose grave dangers to humanity.

If provoked, the seemingly gentle mongoose will go for your neck, severing arteries with its viciously sharp teeth, leading to bloody death.

I can anticipate your objections to this warning. “Al,” you’ll say, “there aren’t any mongooses … er, mongeese … er, whatever you call ’em … in Maine.”

Keep in mind that the experts say there aren’t any mountain lions here, either, but plenty of people claim to have seen them. If the experts are wrong about something as large as a mountain lion, they’ve got almost no chance of spotting a tiny, elusive mongoose. There are probably whole colonies of them hanging out in Eustis, which explains why you never see a cobra in northern Franklin County.

And by the way, the plural is “mongooses.”

Also, I’m not sure those things in Eustis are mongooses. They could be meerkats. I really can’t tell them apart. www.MaineSportsman.com

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Cougars, Moose and the Ever-Dangerous Bald Eagle Let’s get back to mountain lions. As noted in the Man vs. Beast study, the big cats do occasionally make a meal out of one of us. In his book, Tilton advises that if you find yourself face to face with a cougar, “try to appear fierce and unappetizing.” Sort of like the special at Taco Bell.

What we do have for certain in Maine is moose. According to Tilton, this largest member of the deer family (and we all know how deadly ordinary deer can be) is “particularly easy to offend, especially in the season of the rut.” He says an enraged bull will attack cars, sink boats, knock over buildings, down low-flying planes and cause spy satellites to self-destruct. (Again, I may be exaggerating.)

The good news, according to Tilton is that once a moose has used his antlers to rip your flesh and his hooves to crush your bones, he often gives up while you’re still alive. Bullwinkle just walks away, leaving your carcass as prey for cone snails.

Another beloved Maine creature capable of doing you in is the noble bald eagle. Sharp beak. Powerful talons.

The ability to dive bomb you at up to 90 miles per hour. If a 15-pound eagle

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¶

slammed into your head, you’d be dead or wishing you were. Tilton does point out that there are no recorded cases of this ever happening, but nevertheless offers this sage advice: “Do nothing to upset an eagle.”

But Wait – There’s More!

The above-listed creatures are only a small sample of those that can kill you without feeling any remorse.

Even as you read this, murder hornets may be migrating toward us, and local stinging insects could be plotting to join them in bringing about your demise. Maine amphibians, long envious of their poison-arrow cousins in South America, could be evolving similar defenses. Sharp-toothed seals can’t be written off just because none of them has ever killed a human.

In short, your chances of surviving a trek through the outdoors could be worse than winning the lottery.

Of course, if you stay home, another person will likely do you in.

Safely ensconced in his bunker, Al Diamon writes the weekly column Politics & Other Mistakes for the Daily Bulldog and the Portland Phoenix. He can be emailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.

¶

������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • December 2020 • 77

The Maine Sportsman wishes our valued readers and advertisers a very Merry Christmas!

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ANSON Built in 2009, this charming camp is waiting for you to make it your own! The exterior is fully finished and the majority of the interior has been done as well – just bring your finishing touches. Located on 3.8 wooded acres, it offers plenty of privacy in a country setting. The upstairs has 1 bedroom and offers additional space for optional sleeping areas.

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DALLAS PLT. - wooded, level 1 acre building lot in quiet/private setting. Nice spot for your full time or get away home. Ideally located for 4-season adventures, Saddleback Lake and Saddleback ski area are nearby. Low plantation taxes, snowmobile friendly, short drive to Rangeley amenities. Don’t miss out on this one, inquire today! MLS #1475457 – $40,000 OQUOSSOC - tucked away off the beaten path and yet handy to everything! Looking for a quiet and private spot to put down roots, then check out this generously sized 7 acre wood lot. Surveyed, soils tested (expired septic plan can be updated), power at road. Build here and be minutes to public boat ramps, Oquossoc Village amenities. Don’t miss out on this one, inquire today! MLS #1468666 – $62,000 BEAVER MT. LAKE - WATER ACCESS! 2.34 acre wooded land parcel offers potential views of scenic Beaver Mt. Lake! Several possible building sites to choose from. Located directly across the road from deeded lake access with small boat launch. Town maintained year-round road, plus low plantation taxes. Nice spot close to Rangeley amenities, Saddleback ski area. Don’t miss out on this one inquire today! MLS #1475451 – $95,000

EAST MOXIE TWP – Location and quality all remarkable opportunity to own your very own 2 acre island on Moxie Pond. Enjoy the views and the solitude amongst the towering pines. Only a short boat ride from the boat launch in Moxie, this property is extremely unique and in need of a little TLC. Call today for your private showing. MLS #1474905 – $139,000 SOLON - Great getaway on 5 acres in Solon. Located just off a town maintained paved road and nicely nestled in the woods sits a well kept camper with an addition. There is a pounded well, gray water system and privy as well as a shed for storage. All of the appliances and furniture are included. Come take a look and enjoy your summer in Maine. MLS #1455545 - $46,500 HARMONY - 22 acres with this 2 room camp, generator hookup and about 1700 feet of frontage on Higgins Stream. Right of way into the camp. Wood stove for heat. Sweet hunting or get away spot just for you. MLS #1472657 - $49,900

Beauty runs deep.

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MADISON - Off-Grid hunting camp on 70 acres in the Madison countryside. Multiple year classes of timber on this lot with a good mix of hard wood and soft wood. This is perfect deer habitat. Cabin is in need of TLC but everything is there to get you started. You’ll have plenty of space to roam on this large parcel of land. Easy access down the camp road to ITS trail system. MLS #1474590 - $69,000 CLINTON - Surveyed and soil tested 2.82 acres of land. There is a started house on the property. Power is available at the road. MLS #1470404 - $57,000 MOSCOW - Approximately 19 acres being offered on the Deadwater Road in Moscow in the heart of recreational country. Moscow is along the Route 201 corridor, a short drive to White Water Rafting or ATV trails, several fishing and hunting opportunities in the area. Possibility for mountain views with some clearing and lots of potential. MLS #1474828 - $34,400 MONSON - Sportsman’s Retreat only minutes from Greenville and Moosehead Lake. Here is a very nicely conceived camp on 4.43 private acres in the Monson countryside. Enjoy good snowmobile and ATV trail access right from the camp. This is the perfect spot for the avid hunter and fisherman as well with Lake Hebron, Monson Pond, Doe Pond, Spectacle Ponds, Piper Pond, and Whetstone Pond all within a 5-mile radius. Enjoy quick and easy access to Greenville and Moosehead Lake as well. This camp is rigged for generator and also has propane gas lights, range, and refrigerator. Two spacious bedrooms and a very large living area make it the perfect spot to bring your friends to enjoy your favorite outdoor pursuits.

There is also plenty of overhead space to construct an additional sleeping loft. MLS #1471284 - $67,500 CORNVILLE - Nicely wooded 2.84 acres of land with Fir, Cedar, Pine and White Birch.

Property is located on the outskirts of town yet close to town. Power available at the road.

Mobile homes permitted. MLS #1401926 - $15,000

12/20

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78 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

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— MILO —

(207) 943-5225 www.dewittjonesrealty.com MILO - 38.97 located on the Pleasant River. Property is mostly open fields, has a pond and a fair amount of river frontage. Fishing, kayaking, ATV and the trails are easily accessible. A portion of this property is in the flood zone. Perfect spot for building a camp or home. Opportunity to purchase a connecting property with a home on it.

MLS #1453712 - $55,000 LAGRANGE - 32.5+/- acre recreational lot, perfect for any outdoorsman.

Seasonal road great area for hunting, ATVing and snowmobiling. Possible owner financing. MLS #1359357- $19,900 BROWNVILLE - House or camp lot on 61.5 acres. Non-maintained seasonal road just minutes from Schoodic Lake. MLS #1465897 - $45,000

Completely off the grid home with solar power and a diesel generator for backup. 40 acres of fields, woods, mature fruit trees, grapevines, kiwis, elderberry bushes and plenty of privacy.

Two barns and a building housing the generator. High speed internet capability. 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 half baths, open concept kitchen, living room, dining room and an enclosed porch that goes completely around the house. MLS #1442271 - $199,000

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Discover the versatility and convenience of Northeastern’s Camp and Cabin kits.

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

— ORNEVILLE —

Cute and cozy one room cabin with a loft on 5+/acres. Screened-in porch for added room. Great area for a weekend getaway or use for hunting. Just minutes from Little Boyd Lake. MLS #1472509 - $59,000

CHECK OUT OUR LAND LISTINGS ON OUR WEBSITE!

Noyes Real Estate Agency

Just imagine relaxing in your very own Northeastern log retreat!

10 Ames Road, Kenduskeag, ME

1-800-624-2797 • (207) 884-7000

www.northeasternlog.com

2388 Main Street • Rangeley, ME 207-864-9000 • info@noyesrealty.com www.noyesrealty.com

ENJOY THE 4 SEASONS IN RANGELEY #511 – MLS #1475188 – Close to Village, views of Saddleback, 3+ bedrooms, 3 heating sources (hot air furnace, pellet stove, and electric).

Sled trail access nearby, SO MUCH TO OFFER. $275,000 #542 – MLS #1463708 – Charming home, over 2,000 sq. ft. Located between Stratton and Rangeley.

4.5 acres, a small pond and 2 out buildings! $240,000

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

Lee - A cute little hunting camp tucked nicely in the woods of Northern Maine on Hale Farm Road. Easy access to recreational trails and good Maine hunting. $29,900

Springfield - Complete with a full, concrete foundation, well, septic, laundry. Cabin can easily be year round residence for someone looking to live off grid on True Road. With snowmobile access. It is situated in a great recreational area. $89,000

Prentiss TWP - Well built, nice cabin has acreage to electricity, year round access and Maine’s Great outdoors. Pine floors and walls, cathedral ceiling and full bath on Averill Road. Can be full time residence or vacation get away. $119,000

T5R7 WELS - Views of Mt. Katahdin from the shore, this new and beautiful cabin has 247’ of waterfront on Lower Shin Pond.

Access to Katahdin National Monument and Baxter State Park.

Amenities of home in the deep Maine woods. $279,000

Grand Lake Stream - Exceptional frontage on West Grand Lake, one of Maine’s premier cold water fisheries. Manicured and gorgeous rustic house, well built with cathedral ceiling. AND has its own private boat launch. $419,000

LAND UNDER $40,000 — Good Values!

#768 – MLS#1324211 – Privacy, 1.96 acres. Some clearing and birches! 2 lots. $37,500 #170 – MLS #1440445 – Level 0.9 acre lot, close to golf course and walking trails, drilled well. $39,000 #138 – MLS #1426492 – Wooded lot in Rangeley Plantation off Birsdeye Road. Snowmobile/ITS access nearby. Close to state park and marina. $39,500

SCREEN PRINTING & EMBROIDERY T-Shirts $6.00 Heavyweight 100% Cotton Pre-shrunk

Lincoln - Very nice water front lot on Upper Pond. This lot has very nice frontage. The lot is located in a great recreational are. Enjoy the swim or that kayak ride. Boat, fish, ATV or hike the many roads. $55,000 Lincoln - Lots of Frontage, acreage and privacy. ATV trails nearby. Nice southern exposure. Swim, kayak, boat, fish and much more. This lot is a must see Lot is 5.6 acres and has 895 feet of waterfront. $69,000

FREE set-up on orders of 72 pieces or more!

Prices on 36 pieces ($20 set-up) Price includes garment and 1 color 1 location screen print Rush Service Available ~ Call for free catalog

Hats $7.00

T-Shirts-Jackets-Sweatshirts-Sweatpants Hats-Aprons-Totes and more

BERG ACTIVEWEAR 852 DEXTER ROAD • CORINNA, MAINE

1-800-242-2374 • 207-278-7740 WWW.BERGACTIVEWEAR.COM

www.MaineSportsman.com

Lakeville - This lot is bordered by State of Maine Public Lot. The Long Point road is maintained by Lakeville Shores Lot Owners’ Association. Electricity is just 1000 feet away. Great lot to build that cabin getaway. There are some owners in the association that live year round.

Nice lot to own. $16,500 Lee - Large acreage with year round access. Electricity is available at the road plus there is already an interior road in place (needs finish work) that is nearly 3/4 of a mile long. This parcel would be a good one for development or splitting right on Skunk Hill Road. $189,000

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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80 • December 2020 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————

www.MaineSportsman.com