The Maine Sportsman - February 2018

Sportsman The Maine

February 2018 • $4.99

Maine’s Annual 2017

BIGGEST BUCKS CLUB ISSUE

Plus Top 10 Photo Gallery Page 42

Vintage Snowmobile Events Page 19 23

Fowler’s Patagonian Shelter – Part 1

Page 37

Ice Fishing, the Old Fashioned Way Page 47 19

Allagash Waterway for Whitefish Page 34 33

Boating: Choosing a Small Outboard Page 7,3429 Pages

2 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

A True Maine Tradition...

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— The Maine Sportsman’s Featured Maine Sporting Camps ­—

Leen’s Lodge

We welcome this opportunity to introduce you to Leen’s Lodge, one of the finest and most highly recommended vacation spots in the state of Maine.

At Leen’s Lodge, you will find that rare combination of gracious living, rest, and recreation in a rustic atmosphere. We have 9 cabins situated on 23 secluded acres on West Grand Lake and can accommodate 48 guests.

We serve breakfast and dinner in our West facing Dining Lodge overlooking the lake, allowing our guests to enjoy spectacular sunsets.

Located at the center of an area of many lakes and streams, Leen’s Lodge is an ideal spot with all the necessary facilities for the complete fishing or upland bird hunting experience, weddings, corporate retreats, or family vacations.

Fishing: West Grand Lake is part of the

St. Croix watershed, which offers an abundance of lakes and streams, creating a fishing paradise. West Grand Lake has some of the best landlocked salmon, lake trout, and smallmouth bass fishing in Maine. We strongly recommend you obtain a guide for at least one day during your stay and enjoy a shore lunch experience.

Grouse and Woodcock Hunting: Washington County offers some of the best grouse and woodcock hunting available.

There is an abundance of second growth habitat and the flat terrain is hunter and hunting dog friendly. Leen’s Lodge is equipped with several kennels for your use.

Corporate Retreats: Since 1958, Leen’s Lodge has hosted corporate retreats. We continue to be the annual destination for Camp Kotok where global economists gather to discuss the world’s financial landscape. At Leen’s

Lodge, you can take away all the distractions of the common work environment and meet in the serenity of one of the quietest, most scenic destinations in Maine.

Family Vacations: There is something for everyone in the family at Leen’s Lodge.

You and your family can choose from a wide range of recreational activities including boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, or snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of West Grand Lake, hiking the many beautiful trails, or riding ATVs on the 355,000 publicly accessible acres provided by the Downeast Lakes Land Trust.

Make plans now to reconnect, relax and recharge in our Paradise-among-the-Pines.

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Sturtevant Pond Camps Originally known as Big Buck Camps, Stur­tevant Pond Camps were founded in the early 1920s as a classic sporting camp.

Situated on the east­ern shore of 700acre Stur­tevant Pond, the three comfortable housekeep­ing cabins provide guests with spectacular views of panoramic sunsets over the Diamond Peaks region of New Hampshire.

The camps are ideally located to offer unlimited outdoor opportunities, whether fishing, hunting, hiking, paddling or just relax­ing and enjoying nature’s beauty.

For anglers, the pond offers excellent coldwater and warmwater fisheries. With a maximum depth of 58 feet, the pond holds abundant populations of landlocked salmon, but

many of the camps’ an­glers target the feisty smallmouth bass that can be found along the pond’s rocky and undeveloped shoreline.

Others take advantage of some of western Maine’s premier flyfishing waters. The Magalloway River is right nearby, Upper Dam Pool is within a 20-min­ute drive, and the lower end of the Rapid River is but a 20-minute boat ride across Umbagog Lake. But the best keep secret is the several isolated trout ponds and streams within 10 miles of the camps.

Commercial timber­lands surround the camps, offering excellent hunt­ing for whitetail deer and ruffed grouse. Guide service is available on re­quest. Our proximity to New Hampshire allows hunting parties to hunt in

both states.

Paddlers can leave di­rectly from the dock onto the pond and down the outlet to the Magalloway River. From there, they have access to Umbagog Lake, the Androscoggin River and the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge.

Maine fishing licenses are valid throughout Lower Magalloway and Umba­gog waters, even along the New Hampshire side.

The three house­keeping cabins are fully equipped, have screened-in porches and outdoor spaces. Use of boats is in­cluded in cabin rental.

For more information on the camps, go to www.Stur­tevantPondCamps.com, or call 207486-9308.

www.MaineSportsman.com

Editorial

4 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

More Big Bucks – a Good Trend, Even If We’re Not Sure Why The Maine Sportsman magazine administers the state’s “Biggest Bucks in Maine Club,” an association of sportsmen and -women who have taken trophy whitetail – those with dressed weights in excess of 200 pounds – in our state.

Applicants send in their information to our offices – with the weight witnessed by a tagging station attendant, game warden or biologist – and receive a shoulder patch, a certificate, and the admiration and envy of other hunters.

Names of those hunters who qualify for the Club are listed in this February issue each year (see pages 42 through 47). Also showcased are photos of the “Top 10” heaviest deer.

Astute readers may notice a trend over the past several years – namely, the list has gotten longer; that is, more hunters took trophy deer each successive year since 2014.

In fact, with 295 applications received in 2014 and 433 submitted for the 2017 season, the number of patch applications has increased an astonishing 46% in the past three years!

Managing the deer herd is an inexact science, and efforts to find a biologist willing to take any credit for the larger herd proved difficult – these are very humble folks!

They also have a language all their own – forestland is a “shifting mosaic,” as spruce and fir trees age, are harvested, die or are upturned by high winds. Even in public lands, forests are subject to “silviculturally appropriate” cutting practices. And the larger numbers of deer are not spread evenly throughout the state, the biologists say, but rather are “locally abundant.”

But to heck with the arcane language – the fact is (although the total tag numbers have not been tallied yet from all the stations), everybody agrees there were more deer in the woods in 2017, and more on the game poles. In short, last fall proved to be a great season for deer hunters.

Maine has a new “deer guy” – Nathan Bieber took over in 2017, after several years of dedicated work by Kyle Ravana, who had held the position of state deer biologist since 2013. Hopefully Bieber, who is spending equal time these days in the field and in the office, can continue the trend toward more and bigger deer.

Certainly the careful, conservative annual adjustment in the issuance of anydeer permits has played a role, as did the relatively mild winters in 2015 and 2016.

In addition, the state is treating with care those deer wintering areas that are located on public lands. Perhaps good results in those areas will help convince lawmakers that the “cooperative agreements” that have not worked to protect deer yards on privately-held timberlands should be made binding, with consequences for violations.

Whatever the factors behind the increase in big deer this year, let’s hope this is a case in which “Nothing breeds success like success.” If the State of Maine can regain its reputation as a destination with lots of big deer, and if the guides, sporting camps, motels, restaurants and sporting goods stores in northern, eastern and western Maine benefit Will the future produce more trophy economically from a surge of hunters, then bucks like this monster, photographed the goal of statewide deer herd restoration January 5, 2018 near Allagash, Maine will gain many influential supporters.

by Stacy Belanger?

www.MaineSportsman.com

¶

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication Readership

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 545 • 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 ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER:Chris Brawn chris@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........................................................ 11 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves......................... 33 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia...................... 48 Bird of the Month, by Erika Zambello............................... 13 Bowhunting by Chris “Bubba” Johnson.......................... 63 Capitol Report by George Smith..................................... 17 Central Maine by Steve Vose........................................... 55 Downeast Region by Jim Lemieux................................... 59 Editorial.................................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by William Clunie.......................... 56 Jackman by William Sheldon........................................... 52 Jottings by Jon Lund............................................................ 7 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon............................. 39 Kate’s Wild Kitchen by Kate Krukowski Gooding........... 62 Letters to the Editor.............................................................. 5 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour....................................... 41 Maine Wildlife Quiz by Steve Vose................................... 54 Midcoast Report by Tom Seymour................................... 61 Moosehead by Tom Seymour.......................................... 50 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.................................. 78 Off-Road Traveler by William Clunie................................ 65 Quotable Sportsman by George Smith........................... 18 Rangeley Region by William Clunie................................. 74 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers................................. 80 Saltwater by Barry Gibson................................................. 36 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth......................... 64 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews...................... 38 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard................................. 71 Smilin’ Sportsman: Adults & Kids by Will Lund.................. 80 Sporting Environment by Kylee Townsend...................... 72 Sportsman’s Journal by King Montgomery....................... 9 Southern Maine by Val Marquez..................................... 67 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller...................... 58 Trading Post (Classifieds)................................................... 81 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour........................................... 69 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.................. 76 Young Maine Sportsman by Luke Giampetruzzi............ 68 Young Maine Sportswoman by Alyssa Sansoucy........... 70

SPECIAL SECTIONS & FEATURES

Biggest Bucks in Maine Club 2017 List.............................. 42 Boating in Maine by Steve Vose...................................... 29 Ice Fishing in Maine by Randy Randall............................ 19 Snowmobiling in Maine by Cathy Genthner.................. 23

GUEST COLUMNS

Fowler’s Patagonian Shelter - Part 1 by Zachary Fowler.... 37

On the Cover: Michael Yencha of Swoyersville, PA bagged a 231-pound buck last November, landing him a spot in the 2017 Biggest Bucks in Maine Club.

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Letters To The Editor

We Help Save a Marriage To the Editor: I hope you can help me solve a problem. I bought my husband a new hunting coat, and donated his old one to Goodwill.

I didn’t realize the Big Buck patch on the old one was so important to him. I checked with Goodwill and they didn’t have the coat any longer. He was quite upset.

He got the deer in Patten, Maine in the late 1970s. I packed his new coat for hunting trip this year to Jackman. When he got there he called me and said “What’s with the new coat, and where’s my patch?”

We have been married 45 years, and I would like to stay that way.

Could I please get a replacement patch sent to me so I can surprise him?

Thank you so much.

[Name withheld] - Allentown, Pennsylvania Editor’s response: Replacement patches are available for $10, if accompanied by an explanation of what happened together with the details of the original trophy buck. In this case, the patch was forwarded to the letterwriter, who presented it to her husband.

—

Shedding Light on Metal “Big Fish” Pin Mystery To the Editor: In December, a Pennsylvania reader said he had come into possession of a metal “One that Didn’t Get Away” pin. He wondered about the back-story. The pin pre-dated the involvement of The Maine Sportsman in the

current certificate-and-patch program.

Perhaps I can shed some light on the subject of the “gold pin.”

There are four of us old biologists 80+ still around that know something about the pin: Dave Locke, Al Meister, Ray DeSandre and myself.

Robert O.E. Elliot, former tourism and economic development director for Maine, wrote a book titled “The Eastern Brook Trout” in 1950, and Dave Locke owns a copy.

I talked to Dave on the phone, and he is going to review the book for any possible reference to the pin.

This pin was around for a number of years (10 +/-). Bob Foye introduced me to Robert Elliot in 1962 when the arm patch was created and the pin discontinued. I suspect the cost of the pin was a factor for its discontinuance.

I am researching the subject and will share what I find.

The reader’s interesting question is of historical significance. We are losing a lot of institutional history over time.

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

Should a “Traditionalist” be Using a Compound Bow? To the Editor: I read Chris Johnson’s November “Bowhunting” column in which he states that crossbows should not be used by young, able-bodied hunters during the regular or expanded archery seasons.

I believe he may have “stepped in it” without knowing it.

In his own words, he states that he hunts with a compound bow.

Having hunted with bow and arrow for over fifty years, I can agree that there are certain things that a bow and arrow require that a crossbow does not.

He defines bowhunting using devices that are drawn by hand, held at full draw by hand, and released by the motion of the hand.

I’m puzzled – he says he uses a compound bow. Don’t they have a let-off that reduces the draw weight, so the archer is not holding at full draw? I’d guess he uses a release, and doesn’t go bare-fingered, either.

Maybe he’s are not the traditionalist he thinks he is! That would be going back to the long bow and cedar arrows.

And does he think crossbow hunters just walk out the door and are successful – come on! The crossbow hunters I know have been hunting for years with recurves and compounds, and are only going to crossbows because of physical limitations. So if they lived in Maine, they could not hunt during regular archery season.

(By the way this same argument took place years ago when the compound bow was introduced.)

A REAL bowhunter is one who puts the time in to learn how to use the chosen equipment and learn the habits of the game he/she is going after.

Johnson should not be such a snob – in 20 years he may be one of those people that just can’t draw back that non-traditional compound and he’ll have to give up his October days in the woods.

Bill Pickens, Bowhunter/Rifle Hunter Chris Johnson responds: Thank you for your note, Bill.

I completely agree with your point that a real bowhunter is one who puts his or her time in to use the equipment he or she chooses go after that person’s chosen game.

One point I omitted in the column was that the Maine law allows anyone with a physical handicap to apply to hunt any archery season with a crossbow if that person cannot draw back a vertical bow, regardless of age. So there are guidelines in place for those unable to use “regular” bows, which I (Continued on next page)

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6 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 5)

think is a very good thing. My opinions in the article were strictly for those physically able to use vertical bows. For anyone who’s unable to, regardless of age, I absolutely think crossbows should be allowed during archery seasons.

And as far as being a traditionalist, I completely understand what you are saying.

When compounds first became popular in the 70’s, a traditionalist was one who believed in longbows or recurves and was opposed to the compound’s new technology. Now, the term has swayed toward anyone using a vertical bow versus a crossbow. So yes, I think you are 100% correct in the “traditional” sense.

I was just using the term as some folks do so nowadays when talking about archery and crossbows.

Thanks again for your note and for reading The Maine Sportsman.

Editor’s Response: Congratulations, Logan – there are folks who have hunted a long time without getting a nice buck like this.

—

Hey – I KNOW that Cabin!

To the Editor: Was I ever surprised as I read Ethan Emerson’s December “New Hampshire” column, when I took note of the camp picture taken near Phillips Brook Stream in NH. As a young 29-year old forest engineer cruising timber International Paper Company lands in 1961, I and another co-worker, Art Young, stayed in that camp while timber cruising the 24,000 acres in the Phillips Brook watershed.

—

Second Opinion on Crossbows in Archery Season To the Editor: I appreciate Chris Johnson’s article and strong no-crossbow-during-archery-season stance.

He took a courageous position, and I agree with his arguments.

It’s pretty simple – If one wants to hunt during archery season, accept the limitations of archery equipment.

I enjoy his work on a regular basis.

Name withheld - Rockland, ME —

Young Logan – Big Deer To the Editor: My name is Logan Sousa, and I’m 10 years old.

I shot this five-point, 185-pound buck on November 18, 2017, about two miles from my house in Augusta.

I also shot a deer last year.

Logan Sousa - Augusta, ME www.MaineSportsman.com

Not in Favor of Andrews’ Bump-Stock, Large-Capacity Clip Buy-Back Idea To the Editor: I hope you will share my appreciation of the recent article by Jim Andrews (“When is a Deer Rifle Not a Deer Rifle?”; December issue) with your readers. I look forward to adopting his gun control plan in my upcoming campaign.

However, I have discovered that extended magazines are easily obtainable for his Remington Model 742. If his plan fails to stop another mass shooting, the next logical step will be a mandatory buy-back of all rifles that accept a detachable magazine capable of holding more than four rounds.

I’m sure Jim will understand and I hope he had a wonderful last season with his deer rifle.

Sincerely, “Your Next Elected Official” - Southern Maine —

Really Not in Favor of Jim Andrews’ Piece I’m sending you the picture Art took of me sitting on the porch in 1961 – same bear paw and horseshoe as shown in Ethan’s photo.

The District Forester for that area was Don Wittemore and Supt. Willard Rouck in 1961.

The camp, Emerson wrote, was built in the mid 1940s, yet was on I.P. land and at the time owned by I.P. Co. I do not know how I.P. acquired it. Sometimes camp lessees do not want to continue paying a lease fee every year. I think it was $20 or $25 a year then.

I revisited the area in 2008, and the camp was gone completely – no trace. So 57 years later I am still alive at 85.

When we cruised there in 1961, we did not encounter many deer then.

I used to hunt deer above Errol, NH in Wentworth’s Location. Shot some nice deer there in the ’60s.

The I.P. office was in North Stratford, NH, and we had a small office at the old Paris Mfg. Co. campsite at the south end of the 24,000 ac. Phillips Brook Tract.

In the 1960s, it was all horse-logging and picture-book forestry. The trees were all paint marked that were to be cut. I.P.’s main office was in Livermore Falls, ME. I.P. built a nice log cabin lodge at Philips Pond in the 1940s. I.P. owned land in parts of Dummer, Millsfield, Odell, Erving’s Location, and Dixville.

That picture brought back memories – thanks to Ethan for the story.

Russ Hovencamp - Dover-Foxcroft, ME —

To the Editor: In reference to Jim Andrews’ December issue column – this resembles something I would expect to see in a leftist, liberal rag.

Why a sportsman magazine would publish an article promoting gun control is very troubling to me. Jim seems confused, as the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. It is meant to give free people the right to defend themselves from tyranny from within or from outside. More and more of that tyranny seems to me from within. Has he never heard of Dianne Feinstein or Chuck Shumer?

I used to look forward to the Self-Propelled Sportsman columns by Jim, as I am a canoeist, bicycler and backpacker. I am also a gun owner, 2nd Amendment proponent, NRA member and staunch defender of freedom. After Jim’s December column, I think he should be dropped from your magazine.

Butch Durand - Sutton, West Virginia —

Another Perspective, from a Vietnam Vet To the Editor: I wanted to say congratulations and thank you to Jim Andrews for his courage and forthrightness in speaking out about assault weapons and deer rifles in the December issue.

It’s inconceivable that any valid argument can be made for private ownership of bump stocks, high capacity magazines, or noise suppressors.

They sent me into the jungle in Vietnam with 20-round magazines – actually only loaded to 18 – so the argument that civilians need more than 8 or 10 rounds doesn’t wash (Continued on page 8)

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Making Reluctant Transition to Four-Cycle Outboard Motors Our primary use of small outboards use is to traverse the half-mile run from Hodgdon’s Island on Cobbossee to the mainland, in fair weather and foul, using a fourteen-foot aluminum boat.

We also need a motor that trolls smoothly. We favor outboards we can carry to and from the boat, for service or at season’s end.

Simple controls and reliable operation are important, since the boat may be operated by my wife, Joan or other members of our family when they are visiting.

For decades, we had excellent performance and lots of speed using Mercury engines ranging from 6 to 10 horsepower. We were even more delighted when Mercury eliminated the gearshift lever and combined the gearshift with the speed control in the steering handle. The system worked seamlessly, although mechanics didn’t like it because it is complicated and difficult to service.

Another improvement was to lower of the engine’s compression ratio, which made it easier to start.

Two-Cycle Basics These Mercury engines, like almost all the outboards of the past hundred years, were two-cycle engines, which have the great advantage of light weight and simplicity.

Briefly, the two-cycle engine has a power stroke each time the piston comes down. The exhaust fumes leave the engine, and fresh air and fuel mixture comes in,

Living on an island in a lake, you need a small outboard engine that’s easy to use, reliable and portable. Will the author be able to make the change from time-tested two-cycle engines, to a modern four? at the end of the downstroke. Then the piston moves back to compression mode and the spark ignites the mixture for the next power stroke.

With a two-cycle engine, no valves or valve-lifting mechanisms are needed. There is no crankcase or pool of oil for lubrication, because the lube comes in with each fresh charge of fuel, usually at the rate of oneto-fifty, or 1.6 ounces of oil per gallon of gas.

Four-Cycle – Cleaner, but More Complex In contrast, most four-cycle outboards weigh half-again more than the two-cycle models of equal horsepower, and are more bulky.

The additional weight and bulk stems from the fact that the four-cycle engines have an intake and an exhaust valve for each cylinder and a lifting mechanism for each valve. In other words, greater weight and complexity.

While both two-cycles and four-cycles burn gasoline and cause some pollution, two-cycle engines generate more pollution.

This occurs for a variety of reasons: • Some of the lubricating oil is discharged into the air or water.

• The incoming fuel and oil may mix with the outgoing exhaust, especially at high speeds.

• Operated at low speeds for extended periods, as when trolling,

two-cycles. In addition, they discharge less fuel and oil into the water.

Finally, most four-cycle engines can run at low speeds for long periods of time without any clogging or excess fuel discharge problems.

The author found a 6-HP, 4-cycle Suzuki outboard on the “pre-owned” market. Although it’s larger and heavier than the two-cycle motors he’s used for decades, it’s quieter and more efficient, and it throttles down nicely for long stretches of trolling.

two cycles tend to clog up with unburnt oil, or discharge it onto the water.

Two-cycle engines are less efficient, and burn more gasoline, especially when operated at high RPMs. In contrast, a four-cycle engine has a power stroke every second time the piston comes down.

After the power stroke, the exhaust valve opens up and the piston pushes out the exhaust fumes, then the intake valve opens and the piston draws in a fresh charge of air and fuel mixture.

Next the piston moves back up, compressing the fuel mixture for the power stroke that follows.

Because of the design, four-cycle engines are more efficient than

Design Driven by Government Mandate In 1996 the federal EPA set higher emission standards and required outboard engine manufacturers to replace twostroke carbureted outboards with new technology. Manufacturers were given nine years to comply with the new rules to reduce engine emissions.

Some of the early small four-cycle engines were noisy, as is the two-horsepower Honda outboard. The engine was basically a lawnmower engine with water-cooled exhaust. The air-cooled cylinder lacked the usual water jacket to muffle engine noise. In a sideby-side test, it was noisier than a two-horse Yamaha two-cycle outboard, although the Honda was more efficient than the Yamaha.

Dealing with Ethanol The challenge to small outboard engine users was compounded by the introduction of ethanol into auto fuel. The alcohol dissolves accumulated deposits in the fuel systems and clogs carburetors, often causing fuel system problems. It also attacks rubber parts of the fuel system.

Fuel stored in sheds and boathouses absorbs water or separates, deteriorating rapidly.

One solution is to mix in one of the fuel additives designed to counteract the effects of the ethanol. From the reports I’ve heard, the additives seem to be effective, although the complex chemistry involved often sounds like voodoo magic to me.

Another approach is to buy ethanol-free fuel.

It’s sold in one-quart containers with one-to-fifty two-cycle oil added. It’s expensive, but for small engines like chainsaws, may be a good solution.

An ultimate solution is to purchase aircraft fuel, which contains no ethanol, but does contain a small amount of lead. It often costs twice as much as regular auto fuel. Just remember not to put leftover aircraft fuel in your (Continued on next page)

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8 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Jottings (Continued from page 7)

car, since the lead can clog the car’s catalytic converter.

A Thrifty Yankee Looks for a Used Motor So what is a small outboard user like me to do – search the sources of second hand outboards for a two-cycle in good condition, or move to four-cycles? Some used

two-cycle engines on the market have gummed-up carburetors, so if you’re going in that direction, be sure to ask for a demonstration before you buy.

I decided to look into four-cycle engines. After some research, I found that for a short time, Yamaha made a 6-HP in twin-cylinder format.

Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 6)

with me.

But some people find that emotion, stridency, and volume can conceal the absence of validity.

It will be interesting to see how your publication’s mail runs on this issue.

Lloyd C. Irland - Winthrop, ME —

Importance of Perception To the Editor: I am responding to Mr. Clunie’s recent “Rangeley Region” column titled “Black Rifles Ring In Rangeley’s New Year.”

Years ago, Jim Zumbo wrote a column stressing that the “perception” of black rifles would be injurious to the hunting community. This indeed has come to pass, as the perpetration of mass shootings has frequently involved the use of R-15/AK-47 platform firearms.

At the same time, sport hunting is in trouble, as demographics prove that we hunters are not replacing the numbers we have lost. Further decline is expected. In addition, polls show that a majority of our citizens desire greater restrictions on the number of bullets that can be shot by one individual.

I contend that walking down a road, wearing camo or hunter orange and carrying a black gun is certainly not the image we want to portray to the non-hunting public.

Mr. Clunie advises us to explain to the uninitiated how a shotgun with buckshot is deadlier than the black gun. (Actually that would depend on target density.) Nonetheless, the mass murderers would seem to disagree with Mr. Clunie, and opt for black guns with generous clips.

I have spent a lifetime hunting the world. With a magazine holding three shells, I have taken all the dangerous African game, big Alaskan bears, and countless other trophies.

Particularly in the current sociopolitical climate, there is no justifiable need by a sane sportsman for a magazine of 30 bullets. www.MaineSportsman.com

That seemed desirable, since it would be smoother-running. So this past year, I bought a six-HP Yamaha four-cycle outboard second-hand.

The Yamaha was indeed smooth running, and quiet – nearly silent.

But the compression was overwhelming. It was a bear to start. Convenient starting was important to me so I quickly sold it to a younger and more rugged

duck-hunter who wanted a quiet engine.

Then my son, Mike, acquired a 6-HP Suzuki single cylinder fourstroke, and used it all one summer. It ran flawlessly except for one time when water somehow got into the fuel. Once the water was cleared out, it continued running without a problem the rest of the season.

So last year, I scout-

If the decision is between someone’s right to shoot 30 times, versus the general safety of my family as they go about their business... you know which side I’m on.

Joseph N. Weiss, Ph.D. - Clarence, NY —

Looking for Middle Ground on Bump Stocks To the Editor: I just read Jim Andrews’ column on bump stocks.

I want to give him all the credit in the world for his views on those devices. His opinions on the issue are probably not a very popular in your state.

I have not hunted for years, but I have no issues with people who do. We have so many deer here in New Jersey, auto collisions would be off the rails if the deer numbers were not culled back every year.

When I did hunt, back in the seventies, I was a member of the NRA. In my opinion, they long ago lost their way with respect to reasonable gun laws.

Having said that, it’s my hope that both sides on the gun issue can find some middle ground.

Even though I no longer hunt, my wife and I still drag our bass boat up to Maine three or four times a year for the fishing. It’s always worth the trip.

George Tutek - New Jersey —

Experienced Deer Hunter Finds Maine Most Challenging, Satisfying To the Editor: I am writing in response to Chris Johnson’s column touting the skills of Maine deer hunters (“An Ode to the Maine Deer Hunter,” January issue).

I have hunted whitetails in my home state of Pennsylvania, as well as in six mid-western states and three Canadian provinces, and totally agree with Chris Johnson’s take on Maine whitetail hunters.

I have made many trips to the Fort Kent area to hunt deer starting in 1991, and have only shot two bucks.

ed around and found another 6 HP Suzuki on the second-hand market. It starts easily and ran well all summer, although not as smoothly as a twin cylinder might. It powers a fourteen- foot aluminum boat adequately, is very easy on fuel, and is fine for trolling or getting across the lake or to the fishing spot promptly.

It is a keeper.

¶

I can truthfully say that Maine is my favorite of all the places I have hunted.

I get a lot of disbelieving looks when I tell others that Maine is my favorite place to hunt, especially when I tell that to hunters I meet in deer camps in mid-western states where you can see 10-15 bucks in one sitting. Along with the great hospitality while staying with Joel and his family at Track Down Lodge, the hunting is truly hunting.

There is nothing more satisfying than finding deer sign, then trying to figure out what you need to do to catch up to that big Maine buck.

I also like the fact that you need to use a compass and GPS to find your way back after following a big buck track for the day.

I hope to make many more trips to your great state, and always look forward to a great time.

Jim Burns - Sandy Ridge, PA —

Also Agrees with Chris on Maine Hunting To the Editor: I’ve been a subscriber for decades.

Chris Johnson’s article in Maine deer hunters is completely spot on.

I have hunted numerous states over the years, including some he mentions in his piece, and I have always been of the opinion that Maine is THE hardest state in which to hunt.

I believe if hunters from other states came to Maine they would struggle mightily.

I enjoy traveling to hunt deer and feel confident that my skill set from hunting 35+ years here gives me the opportunity to enjoy success elsewhere. Thanks to Chris for enlightening other readers to these facts.

Joe Fenderson —

Quick Note from Vermont To the Editor: Greetings from Vermont!

I enjoy your magazine; wish I’d found it years ago.

Clifton Matthews - Springfield, VT

¶

���������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 9

Place of Down East Grand Slams: Wheaton’s Lodge Sitting propped up on the bed clothed in sweatpants and a brawny flannel shirt, I look up from writing this column and gaze out the window. It’s snowing, and the low this morning was around 6 degrees F. It’s the movement outside that diverts my attention from my yellow tablet and HB pencil that scribes my articles before they are transcribed onto the PC. Now, drab goldfinches – they certainly are stunningly-colored in the other three seasons – crowd the nyjer seed feeder, while darkeyed juncos flit from the bare choke cherry limbs to the snow-covered ground where seeds have dropped, providing a ground-feeder buffet.

The second feeder draws a cardinal pair, blackcapped chickadee, tufted titmouse, and other yearround residents of the Southern Maine Coast.

While my thoughts are rooted in the outdoors

Instead of fly fishing during my August 2017 visit to Wheaton’s, I spent most of the time on Spednic Lake tossing Wacky Worms with medium-light spinning gear. It was wonderful, and I caught nice smallmouth all three days. that I love, they turn to Wheaton’s Lodge and landlocked salmon and brookies in the spring, and smallmouth bass in summer and fall. The nearby Down East waters provide some of the best Maine lake fishing I’ve ever experienced.

And throw in togue, and white and yellow perch, and you have the makings of a true grand slam of angling in Maine.

The perch are fun to catch and can be sort of like fish with training wheels – they usually bite for beginning anglers, from young children to old folks. They are even more stunning in a skillet or on the grill over an open fire along the banks of Spednic or East Grand Lake as part of a typical Wheaton’s shore lunch.

Wheaton’s guides have several centuries of combined experience guiding, angling, and cooking outdoors.

A Little History Wheaton’s Lodge in Forest City is a relatively new traditional family-owned and operated Maine sporting camp dating to 1952, when Ruth and Woodie Wheaton built a Maine lodge and four cabins in a quiet pine grove on the shore of East Grand Lake, which straddles the border with New Brunswick. One of the cabins dates to the earlier 20th century, and it still is in use.

The camps stayed in Wheaton hands, except for a three-year hiatus beginning in 1976 when they were owned and run by a young couple,

but they were not successful in their endeavor.

In 1979, Jana and Dale Wheaton reclaimed the lodge and ran it very successfully until selling to Sandy to Patrick Peterson in 2013.

The Petersons continue to improve the infrastructure, and the lodge maintains the Wheaton levels of character

and excellence in all the sporting camp necessities – nice, comfortable places to stay, excellent cuisine served by wonderfully friendly folks in the wood-paneled dining room, and a number of traditional outdoor recreational opportunities.

The latter includes use of a small beach on East Grand Lake where guests can sun, swim, kayak, canoe, use paddle boats or just hang out. Mountain bikes are available, and there are a number of quiet forest trails and (Continued on next page)

Wheaton’s Lodge on the shore of East Grand Lake is BYOB, but the food is lovingly prepared and served by the wonderful kitchen and dining room crew. Your lunch will be cooked over a fire on the shore of one of the fine fishing venues in this part of Washington County. All Photos by King Montgomery www.MaineSportsman.com

10 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Sportsman’s Journal (Continued from page 9)

roads for riding or hiking.

But Wheaton’s emphasis is on fishing, and no one does it better.

The Fishing Water, water everywhere is not an exaggeration. Lakes large and small, streams and rivers are all in very close range of Forest City, a pretty little sleepy village of not more than several dozen people. And many of them are Wheatons!

There is the aforementioned Jana and Dale. Dale’s brothers Art and Lance also have places in Forest City. Art was a vice president with Remington Arms Company and is an occasional outdoor writer. Lance and his wife Georgi have operated The Village Camps on East Grand Lake for almost 50 years!

Dale was a long-time professor at the University of Maine in Orono. A most accomplished family to say the least. And we haven’t even mentioned the remaining Grand Lake Stream contingent of Wheatons.

The Petersons carry on the traditions and fine example set by the Wheatons. Dale continues to guide for the camps and provides counsel when needed. The other guides – probably more than a dozen readily are available – are outstanding, judging by the very high

caliber of the ones I fished with: Dale Wheaton, Andy Brooks and Mark Danforth. These guys are good, and great company in a Grand Laker. All three put together superb shore lunches, each with their own personal touches.

It was August, so smallmouth bass were the best bet, and Spednic Lake was the water of choice because of wind direction on other lakes, and it had given up some nice numbers and good size fish of late. A very interesting and diverse body of water. All of the parts I saw presented lovely scenery, a sense of history, and some very nice bronzebacks for the camera.

The Waters Turn to the back cover of your DeLorme Maine Atlas & Gazetteer and you’ll find Forest City near the upper right corner of Map 45. It lies on the border with New Brunswick, Take a look at Map 53 above (north) and Map 46 to the right (east), and you’ll get a good overview of the Chiputneticook Lakes chain running northwest to southeast and forming the rather blurred headwaters of the St. Croix River.

The Chiputneticook Lakes comprise East Grand Lake, North Lake, Mud Lake, Spednic Lake

Unless sports request otherwise, a traditional Maine guide shore lunch is prepared on a open fire. These repasts are absolutely delicious! And fun. www.MaineSportsman.com

Former Wheaton’s Lodge owner Dale Wheaton, who guides for the lodge, does a Grand Laker paddle riff before setting out with a sport on Spednic Lake at Forest City.

Not only a superb guide and maker of shore lunches, he also has a sense of humor, but I can’t vouch for his musical ability.

and Palfrey Lake. Together, these waters provide over 60 miles of excellent fishing for the fish species listed above, but they best are known as prime smallmouth bass fisheries.

Introduced here and in other parts of the USA in the late 1800s, smallmouth bass took over a lot of fisheries, eventually becoming the dominant species. They flourished when dams for water control to support the timber industry were built. A dammed river forms impoundments that, over time, become warm enough to support the black basses, usually at the expense of native coldwater species such as brook trout, landlocked salmon, Atlantic salmon, and other anadromous species that enter the rivers to spawn.

There still are plenty of landlocks around to

provide a good catching season in the spring, and a lot of Wheaton’s Lodge regulars fish the salmon, then return later in summer to pursue the engaging smallmouth bass.

About 99% to 100% of the time I fish a fly rod – not because I’m elitist or snooty (I’m neither), but because that way of angling for me is the most fun. But on my August 2017 visit to Wheaton’s, I spent most of the time on Spednic Lake tossing Wacky Worms with medium-light spinning gear.

It was wonderful, and I caught a good mess of nice fish all three days.

All three guides – Dale, Andy, and Mark – put me on to fish over submersed aquatic vegetation, near submerged rocks and wood, and in quiet covers where I suspect the bass were chasing bait and crayfish – perhaps both.

The view from Wheaton’s Lodge small beach and docking area at sunset is spectacular, and, if you’re lucky, a loon will sing to you too.

Wheaton’s Lodge is wonderfully located, managed nicely, a joy to visit, and is located in a very beautiful place. The accommodations have all the modern amenities, there is a ton of things of outdoor adventures to experience, and the fishing can be absolutely spectacular, particularly if you listen to your guide.

I can’t say enough nice things about the staff and guides at the camp, and the folks in the kitchen deserve a very special shout-out for the wonderful food and service they provide guests. I can’t recommend this place highly enough. You’ll fish both in Maine and Canadian waters, but your Maine fishing license is all you need.

Wheaton’s Lodge: 207-448-7723; www. wheatonslodge.com.

¶

Bonnie Holding casts a large Woolly Bugger into New Brunswick from Maine. She connected on a nice smallmouth here. Down East lakes provide excellent fishing for fly and spin anglers.

Almanac

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 11

Compiled and Edited by Will Lund

“Snapshots in Time”

News from the Year 1900

by Bill Pierce, Executive Director Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, Oquossoc This is an excerpt from an interesting article that appeared in the December 28, 1900 edition of the Maine Woods. This important regional newspaper covered Western Maine, with a strong emphasis on the outdoors. The popular publication was mailed to readers throughout the eastern United States, and featured regular submissions by Cornelia Fly Rod Crosby, Daniel Heywood, John Danforth and other notable outdoor experts.

The article covered a topic of intense interest in its day, and took up several pages of the 8-page edition. The topic that demanded such coverage was the then just-released Annual Report of the Maine Department of Inland

Fisheries & Game.

One hundred and seventeen years ago, not much even came close in terms of importance to the State or its inhabitants. For example, “World, National and State News,” by comparison, was not shared until page 4, and was summed up as follows:

Bath is happy. She expects to build one of Uncle Sam’s battleships.

England has decided that the present is not an opportune time for thanksgiving, and the victors of the South African War will have to wait till their large army has disposed of

Registered Guides

The law court has declared the guide law constitutional in the case of State vs.

Snowman [a lawsuit challenging the law enacted two years earlier requiring guides to become registered.]

Many guides have been convicted of gross violations of the game laws. In the future, no person will be deemed suitable to act as a guide who is not in fact a fish and game protector.

In 1897, guides were employed 51,918 days; in 1898, 63,901; in 1899, 75,000; and in 1900, 81,225 days; this at $2.75 per day amounts to $749,771, or $187,442 per year on an average.

We strongly advise guides not to carry rifles while hunting, as it is no part of their duty to kill game for their employer.

During the seasons of 1899 and 1900, a severe drought occurred in September.

Numerous forest fires occurred during September this year, and in no single instance can a fire be traced to a party in the charge of a guide. We have carefully and thoroughly investigated every fire that has occurred. One to a party of berry pickers camping near a bog; one of the large fires seemed traceable; another, a colony of bees was smoked out, and a large fire resulted.

Locomotives, undoubtedly, caused several.

Wardens

There are 74 wardens in the state.

There have been 134 prosecutions. Aggregate of fines imposed: $2,200. Amount

a few thousand more Boers. With none of the powers to interfere, England will have her way in Africa. But it is rather strange that Queen Victoria’s “royal relatives” should so suddenly begin to remember how much they think of her.

Much of the rest of the paper is devoted to the news of the outdoors, including these tidbits from the Dept. of IF&G Annual Report.

Quite a difference from our world today!

Happy New Year from your friends at the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum. Enjoy a “Snapshot in Time” from the 1900 Annual Report of DIF&G, December, 1900:

fatal.

Included in this report are editorials from the Kennebec Journal and Bangor Commercial, recommending a law to specially prosecute such cases of gross carelessness.

Miscellaneous Excerpts

Just 74 wardens covered the entire State of Maine in 1900. Above is a vintage photo of an unidentified “freshly minted” warden of the early 20th Century.

paid: $2,012.73.

Jail sentences imposed: 1,500 days.

Forty-nine deer dogs have been killed.

Ten cases of accidental shooting while hunting have been reported, six of which resulted in a fatally. Four were mistaken for a deer, one for a white-faced bear, one hunter missed a deer and shot his companion, the others were purely accidental.

There have been no prosecutions for these occurrences. In each case where a person was mistaken for a deer, the shooting was

Twenty-seven persons have been licensed to deal in deer. One half of them report selling 59 deer.

Nine have been licensed to deal in deer skins; they report having bought 609 skins; average price paid: 46 cents each.

There are Sixty-three hunters and trappers [licensed professional hunters].

One-half have reported. These reports show 12 bears, 100 martin, 19 wild-cats, 24 fishers, 90 foxes, 10 skunks, 108 mink, 2 coons, 834 muskrats, and 15 otter killed by them this year.

One hundred and seven persons have been licensed as camp proprietors. Seventy-five have reported as having purchased 34 deer for consumption at their camps, and 261 as being consumed for food at their camps.

There are 34 licensed taxidermists.

Only half have reported. They report 1 moose, 79 moose heads, 44 deer, 674 deer heads, 47 bears, 64 foxes, 3 turtles, 27 squirrels, 7 porcupines, 1 wild-cat, 22 coons, 9 mink and 351 birds being received for mounting.

We continue to draw attention to the negative impact of the red squirrel, given its propensities to destroy the seed of the spruce.

(Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

12 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Almanac

(Continued from page 11)

Will Congress Give Recreational Saltwater Anglers a Seat at the Fisheries Management Table?

On December 13, 2017, the Congressional Committee on Natural Resources approved H.R. 200, a bill sponsored by Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) that amends the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The intent of the proposed revision is to benefit recreational saltwater fisherman and recreational fishing boat manufacturers, since many observers believe current fisheries management laws are geared to address large-scale commercial ground fishing and netting, but not recreational fishing.

A group called the Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management has been working for years to incorporate recreational fishing into the overall national fisheries management plan. The group is referred to as the Morris-Deal Commission, for its co-chairs Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, and Scott Deal, president of Maverick Boat Group.

In 2014, the Morris-Deal Commission released a report titled “A Vision for Managing America’s Saltwater Recreational Fisheries,” which included six suggested policy changes designed to enhance the economic benefits that saltwater recreational fishing provides.

“America’s 11 million saltwater anglers have a $63 billion economic impact annually, and generate 440,000 jobs,” said Mike

Guide Alec Griffin holds a huge redfish. Recreational saltwater fishing advocates, citing the economic boost saltwater angling gives to seaside towns, guides and boat manufacturers, want to play more of a role in developing the nation’s fisheries management plans.

Nussman, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. “However, recreational fishing has been treated as an afterthought in the federal fisheries management system for decades. If enacted, H.R. 200 would finally give saltwater recreational fishing the attention it deserves in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.” “We commend the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources for taking the next step in reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act,” said Patrick Murray, president of Coastal Conservation Association. “The need to update our nation’s fisheries management system to ensure the conservation of our public marine resources and reasonable public access to those resources is abundantly clear.

We look forward to the full House consideration of the bill.”

Photo Credit: Maine DIF&W

process as easy as possible: • Licenses can be purchased from any one of more than 800 licensing agents statewide; • The Department’s online licensing system – found at mefishwildlife.com – offers the convenience of purchasing from home, camp or office, and provides the opportunity to print out multiple copies of licenses; and • Lifetime licenses are available for children under the age of 15 and adults 65 and older. Lifetime licenses, according to DIF&W, make excellent gifts, allowing the bearer to fish in Maine for their lifetime, regardless of where they live in the future.

—

Kids-Only Ice Fishing Ponds

—

Ice Anglers – Don’t Forget Your 2018 Fishing Licenses!

DIF&W Fisheries Biologist Elizabeth Thorndike recently issued a reminder that ice fishermen need to obtain 2018 fishing licenses before angling on Maine’s frozen lakes, ponds and rivers.

The Department has made the

UP TO $6,300 IN REBATES* *When purchasing a qualifying KIOTI Tractor or KIOTI Tractor with Implement(s) Package. Promotional offer January 1, 2018–March 31, 2018. See your dealer for details.

Photo Credit: Maine DIF&W

Maine offers several kid-only ice fishing ponds, many of which are specially stocked to increase the chances that youngsters will have a productive experience.

They include: Pickerel Pond (Hancock County), T32 MD, near Stud Mill Road; Map 34, E-1. In past years, Pickerel has been stocked with 500 13” brook trout, and 40 17” brook trout. Note: Motor vehicles are not allowed on the ice at Pickerel.

Penobscot County Conservation Association Pond in Brewer (Map 23, B-3). This tiny, one-acre pond is heavily stocked with 8” and 13” brookies.

Foxhole Pond (Washington County), on the headwaters of Great Falls (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 13

tronic devices to identify, monitor and track animals.

5. Penalty. A person who violates this section commits a civil violation for which a fine of not more than $500 may be adjudged.

(Continued from page 12)

Branch Brook in Deblois (Map 25, C-2). This four-acre pond is regularly stocked with 13”, and a few 17”, brookies.

Round Pond in Lyman (York County; Map 2, B-5) is next to the York County Fish & Game Association. It receives several hundred 9” brook trout, and a smaller number of 12” brookies.

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Trail Cameras, Like Tree Stands, Must Be Labeled if On Another’s Property Few innovations have impacted hunting in Maine as much as trail cameras. The ability to identify game travel patterns, and even to allow hunters to zero in on a particular animal, has changed how many hunters approach the sport.

However, it’s important to remember that Maine requires the person placing the camera to obtain permission of the landowner, even if the property is open to hunting.

At least one hunter has contacted The Maine Sportsman to ask about the background of the legal restrictions on hanging trail cameras, in the hopes that the strict law can be eased in the future by the Legislature.

Here is the 2013 law’s current wording, which is somewhat difficult to locate in the Maine statues, since it’s in the “property” section of state law, not the hunting section: Maine Revised Statutes, Title 33: Property

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Bird of the Month: Killdeer with the written consent of the landowner or pursuant to a warrant shall label the camera or electronic surveillance equipment with that person’s name and contact information.

3. Remove or disable. A landowner may remove or disable a camera or electronic surveillance equipment placed on the landowner’s private property in violation of this section.

4. Exceptions. This section does not prohibit the following: A. The use of a camera to deter theft or vandalism of a motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is temporarily parked; or B. The use of implanted or attached elec-

by Erika Zambello

(Continued on next page)

§2001. Placement of Cameras and Electronic Surveillance Equipment on Private Property 1. Prohibition. A person may not place a camera or electronic surveillance equipment that records images or data of any kind while unattended outside on the private property of another without the written consent of the landowner, unless the placement is pursuant to a warrant.

2. Labeling. A person who places a camera or electronic surveillance equipment described in subsection 1 on the private property of another www.MaineSportsman.com

14 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Almanac

(Continued from page 13)

Killdeer have an odd name for being an otherwise fairly typical shorebird. Known for their reverberating call, which some describe as sounding like “kill-deer” (hence the name), this species arrives in Maine during the summer months, and spends the rest of the year across the southern half of the United States and into Central and South America.

Because they are so verbose, early birders and wildlife observers also called them the “Chattering Plovers” and “Noisy Plovers.”

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the Killdeer as “the shorebird you can see without going to the beach.”

Though they can swim, Killdeer like most open habitats. While they prefer natural fields, sandbars, and flats, I have seen them at construction sites, agricultural fields and ballparks, while others have recorded Killdeer presence along golf courses, airports, and parking lots.

Brown backs contrast with white bellies, and each Killdeer sports a double strip around its neck.

They eat insects and other invertebrates,

as well as seeds.

Killdeer prefer to nest on bare ground, scraping a small bowl into the dirt and laying 4-6 eggs before adding rocks and other hard materials to the depressions. However, they will also nest on gravel rooftops! While these nests are often safer from predators, chicks can have a hard time leaving the nest (especially if the roof is several stories tall).

Between 1966 and 2014, the North American Breeding Bird Survey reports that Killdeer population numbers decreased nearly 50%. However, there are still two million breeding Killdeer across North America, and because they can tolerate human-modified habitat and the presence of people they are not currently a species of concern. However, because they are not shy of people, they are often killed by collisions with cars or by accidental pesticide poisoning.

To protect nests in heavily-trafficked areas, local wildlife staff or concerned citizens mark their tests with stakes and tape until the chicks are ready to leave.

—

Book Review: Uses for Mooses,

by Paul Cyr Reviewed by George Smith

LCE N L I~ BM B Y HOCOLATIER

AINE

One Location

Made in Maine, enjoyed everywhere.

419 U.S. Route One, Scarborough, ME 207-883-4897 Home of LENNY the Moose!

www.MaineSportsman.com

I’m a fan of Paul Cyr’s photography, and his new book, Uses for Mooses, published by Down East Books, demonstrates why.

The moose photos in this book are amazing.

And the book is also a fun read, with lots of humorous comments to go with the photographs.

For example, there’s a photo of a cow and two calves, staring at us, with the cow telling her calves, “Act natural – the humans are staring at us again.” There’s a fabulous photo of two bulls fighting, with the caption, “Swing your partner round and round.”

You’ll see moose in rivers and streams, fields and forests, and even on a golf course. I loved the (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 15 (Continued from page 14)

photo of a moose stomping through a farm garden with the caption, “I don’t know what these plants are, but that farmer sure gets mad when I step on them.” Mad, indeed!

My favorite photo brought back a memory, and a story that’s in my book,

A Life Lived Outdoors. The photo is of the head of an old moose with a ragged rack emerging from the water.

My wife Linda and I, along with our kids, were canoeing in Little Sourdnahunk Lake one August, watching an old moose with a spindly rack standing in the pond, eating plants. His head was covered in flies.

When the moose ducked his head under water to chow down on a plant, the flies would hover in the air above him.

Well, I paddled too close to the moose, and when his head plunged under water, all those flies moved over and settled on me! No flies settled on Linda and the kids.

I paddled frantically away, swatting at flies, but it took about 20 minutes to get rid of them all. (That’s not a fond memory, it’s just a memory!)

Paul Cyr is a professional photographer in Presque Isle who specializes in wildlife. I guarantee you will enjoy this book.

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16 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

­— February 2018 Hunting & Fishing Information — Hunting Seasons and Rules Crow Spring Season in WMDs 7 – 29 started January 20, 2018 and runs through March 31, 2018; while in WMDs 1 – 6, the season runs February 3, 2018 through April 14, 2018. (No daily bag limit on crows.)

Gray Squirrel season ended December 31, 2017, but remains open for hunters using falcons, until February 28, 2018.

Snowshoe Hare season, which began October 2, 2017, runs through March 31, 2018 (except in Vinalhaven Island, where it closes February 28, 2018).

Bobcat season, which started December 1, 2017, runs through February 21, 2018.

Fox season, which began October 15, 2017, runs through February 28, 2018.

Raccoon, Skunk and Opossum seasons ended December 31, 2017.

Coyote Night Hunting Season, which began September 16, 2017, runs through August 31, 2018.

Coyote (day hunting), Woodchuck, Porcupine and Red Squirrel: No closed seasons.

Spruce Grouse, Lynx and Cottontail Rabbit: Hunting for these species is prohibited year-round.

Special Falconry Season: In addition to the regular migratory bird season, there’s a special falconry season on ducks, geese, mergansers, and American coots – North Zone: December 22, 2017 - February 12, 2018 (Closed to goose hunting February 1 to February 12, 2018) Coastal and South Zone: January 8, 2018 February 28, 2018 (Closed to goose hunting February 17 to February 28, 2018) Falconry season daily bag and possession limits for all permitted migratory game birds cannot exceed 3* and 9* birds, respectively, singly or in aggregate. (*All species restrictions apply.)

Spring Wild Turkey: Youth Day is April 28, 2018.

WMD 8: Season runs April 30 – June 2 (one tom).

WMDs 7, 9 – 29: Season runs April 30 – June 2 (two toms).

WMDs 1 – 6 have split seasons, alternating weeks based on year of birth (check law book), April 30 – May 26, 2018 (one tom); All hunters in those WMDs can hunt May 28 – June 2, 2018 (one tom).

No Sunday hunting.

HUNTING HOURS: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, except for migratory game birds (1/2 hour before sunrise, to sunset) and raccoons (night hunting allowed in season).

Ammunition: Non-toxic shot only for migratory waterfowl. ­­————————­­————————————

Fishing Seasons and Rules

Season – Rivers, Streams and Brooks From October 1 through March 31, rivers, streams and brooks are closed to all fishing.

Season – Lakes and Ponds North Region – From October 1 through March 31, lakes and ponds are closed to open-water fishing and ice fishing, unless ice fishing is permitted under a Special law (“S” code).

South Region – Open to ice fishing and open-water fishing all year; general law.

Size Requirements Minimum size for brook trout, splake and arctic char: 6 inches; for landlocked salmon: 14 inches (with a maximum size for salmon of 25 inches in much of Washington and Hancock Counties); for togue: 18 inches; for brown trout: 14 inches in lakes; 6 inches (with maximum of 25 inches) in streams and rivers; for rainbow trout: 12 inches in lakes; 6 inches in streams and rivers.

Bag Limits: Brook Trout: Daily bag limit

2 trout on lakes and ponds in South Region (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington and York Counties); otherwise, 5-fish limit. Five-fish limit in rivers and streams statewide.

Other Fish: Other daily bag limits and minimum lengths (if any): Bass (2 fish; 10inch minimum; only one longer than 14 inches); Whitefish (3 fish); Smelts (2 quarts); Pickerel (10 fish; no minimum size); Northern Pike and Muskies (no size or bag limit); Eel (25 fish); Shad (2 fish); Striped bass (one fish; minimum 28 inches); Alewives (25 fish).

Go to www.eregulations.com/maine/ fishing/general-law-information/ , find the lake, pond, river or stream you want to fish, and interpret the codes that apply.

Look up the “S” (special rules) Codes.

Learn the open-water season, the ice fishing season (if any), whether you are limited to artificial lures, or catch-and-release, and whether there’s a slot limit. ***** Atlantic Salmon can’t be targeted, and if caught they must be released immediately.

Current saltwater fishing regulations are found at www.Maine.gov/dmr/ recreational-fishing/regs-tips/index.html.

Use of Lead Tackle 1) Lead Sinkers: The sale or use of lead sinkers not exceeding the designated length (2.5 inches) and weight (1 ounce) requirements, is prohibited.

The definition of a lead sinker does not include artificial lures, weighted line, weighted flies or painted jig heads (see bare lead jig discussion below).

2) Bare Lead Jigs: As of September 2017, the sale or use of bare lead jigs not exceeding minimum length (2.5 inches) and weight (1 ounce) requirements is prohibited.

February 2018 Sunrise/Sunset

February 2018 Tidal Chart

Portland, ME

Portland, ME

DATE 1 Thu 2 Fri 3 Sat 4 Sun 5 Mon 6 Tue 7 Wed 8 Thu 9 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed

RISE 6:54 6:53 6:52 6:51 6:50 6:48 6:47 6:46 6:45 6:43 6:42 6:40 6:39 6:38

SET 4:54 4:55 4:57 4:58 4:59 5:01 5:02 5:03 5:05 5:06 5:08 5:09 5:10 5:12

www.MaineSportsman.com

DATE 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed

RISE 6:36 6:35 6:33 6:32 6:30 6:29 6:27 6:25 6:24 6:22 6:21 6:19 6:17 6:16

SET 5:13 5:14 5:16 5:17 5:18 5:20 5:21 5:22 5:24 5:25 5:26 5:27 5:29 5:30

DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

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

HIGH AM PM 11:20 11:57 12:12 12:48 1:04 1:38 1:57 2:29 2:51 3:21 3:47 4:15 4:46 5:11 5:48 6:09 6:50 7:07 7:49 8:00 8:41 8:49 9:27 9:33 10:07 10:12 10:44

LOW AM PM 5:04 5:42 5:57 6:32 6:49 7:22 7:43 8:12 8:37 9:03 9:34 9:56 10:34 10:52 11:36 11:50 12:38 12:49 1:36 1:45 2:29 2:35 3:15 3:19 3:56 3:59 4:33

DATE 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

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

HIGH AM PM 10:49 11:18 11:24 11:51 11:59 12:24 12:35 12:59 1:14 1:38 1:57 2:20 2:44 3:08 3:38 4:01 4:39 5:02 5:46 6:08 6:57 7:16 8:03 8:21 9:04 9:21 9:59

LOW AM PM 4:36 5:07 5:12 5:40 5:47 6:13 6:24 6:47 7:03 7:25 7:46 8:06 8:33 8:52 9:26 9:44 10:26 10:43 11:31 11:48 12:40 12:56 1:47 2:02 2:48 3:03 3:44

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 17

Bad News – Maine Coyotes are Becoming Wolves!

The newspaper headline would have pleased many Maine hunters: “Future of Coyotes in Doubt.” But Patrick Whittle’s Associated Press story related that the reason the future of coyotes is in doubt is because they are becoming wolves.

“The increasing wolflike traits are making it a larger, more adaptable animal equipped for survival on the East Coast, scientists say” reported Whittle. “The growing wolf-like characteristics mean humans must learn to better coexist with the adaptable predators, scientists and wildlife advocates said.”

“It’s especially bad news for deer,” he noted. And boy, he got that right.

Scientists predict coyotes, as they continue to grow larger and more wolf-like, will become more effective predators.

I thought they were already pretty effective predators!

According to Roland Kays, a leading coyote biologist with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, our coyotes are 8 to 25 percent wolf. They are also 8 to 11 percent dogs, due to past interbreeding with feral dogs. Our coyotes already average 35 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than western coyotes. They’ve spread everywhere, including to Central Park in Manhattan.

But of course, our concern is the impact that this new animal is having

on Maine’s native wildlife, especially deer. And in 2009, coyotes killed 19-year-old Canadian singer Taylor Mitchell while she was walking in a national park in Nova Scotia.

Whittle reported that scientists believe our coyotes “will have a greater chance of survival if they have access to large deer.” More bad news.

Dave Trahan, executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, told Whittle that he has observed wolf-like tendencies in Eastern coyotes, such as hunting in packs.

Also interesting was this bit of news: “State wildlife authorities are interested in finding what more wolf-like traits will mean for the future of coyotes, according to Wally Jakubas, mammal group leader for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.”

Jakubas also said, “Whether these wolf genes are conferring some kind of advantage to these coyotes – that’s where it really gets interesting.”

I’d change the word “interesting” to “frightening.” How about you?

Protecting Brook Trout This month, DIF&W and its new fisheries working group will report to the Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee on its progress on two initiatives to expand protection

of our native brook trout.

The fisheries group and this project were organized by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in reaction to two legislative bills that I proposed.

One bill called for protecting tributaries to brook trout waters on the state’s Heritage List, and the other bill would have placed more brook trout waters on that list. Although DIF&W originally opposed both bills, they eventually stepped up and promised to achieve those goals and report back to the Legislature in February.

The legislative committee held over one of my bills to use if DIF&W failed to complete this job.

Stocking Plan Draws Criticism A proposal by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to stock Portage Lake in northern Maine has drawn criticism from some of the department’s fisheries biologists, a very unusual situation. (Portage Lake is located south of Fort Kent, and west of Caribou and Presque Isle.)

Normally, state biologists avoid criticizing each other’s plans.

Here’s the proposal as described by the department: Stock up to 1,000 fall yearling brook trout into Portage Lake, the shallowest of the eight major lakes of the Fish River Chain in northern Maine.

Since the production of fall yearling brook trout has been capped, we would reallocate fish from other programs and utilize any LD [low density] fish that might be available. Therefore, the full complement of 1,000 fish may not be stocked every year. This proposal developed from discussions (Continued on next page)

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18 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Capitol Report (Continued from page 17)

among regional staff after the winter creel survey conducted during January-March 2015.

A request from the Portage Lake Association and the Town of Portage Select Board was received regarding stocking Portage with catchable trout, citing the successful brook trout stocking program at Madawaska Lake in northern Maine.

The groups’ interests lie in providing better fishing to Town residents and increasing use of the lake.

Perhaps the most significant criticism came from Merry Gallagher, the department’s lead brook trout biologist.

Here’s what Merry wrote: “I can’t support this stocking proposal unless sterilized fish are used….

I can’t support your proposal for Portage Lake as is because you are proposing to stock hatchery brook trout over a remaining wild component in the North zone. Since this is a previous “B list” water and there are other Heritage Waters in

the system, I think all attempts to increase wild recruitment and alleviate current threats should be a primary strategy.”

Another fisheries biologist wrote that “the stocking proposal states that ‘stocked brook trout from Portage Lake would have limited access to Round Pond.’ Round Pond is on the State Heritage Fish Water list.

There is also unfettered fish passage to Soldier Pond, a State Heritage Fish Water, located downstream from Portage Lake. Whether they are stocked directly or indirectly, the integrity of state heritage waters should not be jeopardized by hatchery-reared fishes, and this stocking proposal will do just that.

“It appears there is considerable social pressure surrounding this stocking proposal. Understandably, anglers want to catch fish (i.e., brook trout) close to home. However, it seems that there must be other smaller waters (e.g., town ponds, farm ponds, small

Quotable

Sportsman

by George Smith

Just because it’s fall and it’s hunting season, the woods do not belong to the hunters. It’s not a person’s responsibility to wear orange or not go into the woods. It’s the hunter’s responsibility not to fire at something unless they know what they’re firing at.

Jeremy Wrentzel, the brother of Karen Wrentzel, who was shot and killed by a deer hunter. John Holyoke column, Bangor Daily News, November 10, 2017.

—

The growing wolf-like characteristics mean humans must learn to better coexist with the adaptable predators, scientists and wildlife advocates said. …It’s especially bad news for deer. www.MaineSportsman.com

public waters, quarries, etc.) in close proximity that will provide much higher returns and not threaten State Heritage Fish Waters or other self-sustaining salmonid populations. Even if other viable stocking waters are unavailable, this stocking should not happen. It’s not worth the risk or scrutiny.”

To be fair, there was also lots of support from fisheries staff. One wrote, “I concur with the proposal. This lake has been heavily stocked in the past and re-instituting the program with FY [fall yearling trout] could provide significant fishing opportunities for the large number of residents on and around the lake. Looks like a few of the other lakes in the drainage have had some stocking history as well.

I don’t believe there is a significant risk of these fish intermingling with other BKT [brook trout] waters in the drainage.”

Another wrote, “Great proposal. I think that the use of FY brook trout in Portage Lake would be a great use of these fish for providing a put and

take fishery that will likely increase use on this underutilized water.

Additional use may also generate increased harvest of the abundant LLS [land locked salmon] population there.”

Local folks also weighed in, including David Pierce, who wrote, “I am the chairman of the Portage Lake select board and a member of the Portage Lake Association board of directors. I have been working with the local biologists in hopes of implementing a stocking program. There are many interested locals and camp owners as well as myself and family. It would definitely also draw people from at least an hour drive away, which will definitely help the local economy. The local store owner even said he would get set up to carry live bait. The native trout and salmon are very skinny and limited.

Healthy stocked trout are needed to make a good local winter fishery that is very accessible to the public.”

One of the more thoughtful responses came from Jeff Reardon

Patrick Whittle’s Associated Press story about coyotes becoming more like wolves.

November 18, 2017.

— Whether these wolf genes are conferring some kind of advantage to these coyotes, that’s where it really gets interesting.

Wally Jakubas, DIFW mammal group leader. Same AP story.

—

It kind of hit me that I jumped the cat, and that doesn’t usually happen. The cat was downwind of me. That should not have happened. It was there for a reason. So I kind of looked around and all of a sudden, maybe 15 yards away from me, I could see antlers turn, and [a deer] looked at me.

Valerie Thompson of Levant, who saw a mountain lion eating a small buck. After scaring off the lion, she shot the wounded buck. John Holyoke story, Bangor Daily News, November 24, 2017.

of Trout Unlimited.

“Stocking of brook trout into Portage Lake represents a significant departure from a long-standing commitment to wild brook trout management in the Fish River Lakes, wrote Reardon. “The proposal does not include an assessment of anticipated movement of stocked brook trout from Portage Lake to adjacent waters that will continue to be managed for wild brook trout. Rather than move ahead with this proposal, we believe it would be more appropriate to take the time to re-evaluate a fisheries management plan for brook trout for the Fish River and Fish River Lakes above Fish River Falls.”

As you can tell from the comments of Jeff and others, this is about more than just the stocking of a single water. And the decision will indicate how concerned the department is about our native brook trout, and how committed they are to protecting and enhancing our native brookies.

¶

I like sharing the passion of being on the water. You have to be in the moment when you are fishing. You think of nothing else.

Evelyn King of Cundy’s Harbor, who founded and directs Maine Women Flyfishers.

Deirdre Fleming story, Portland Press Herald, November 23, 2017.

—

I can’t support your proposal for Portage Lake as is because you are proposing to stock hatchery brook trout over a remaining wild component in the North zone…. I think all attempts to increase wild recruitment and alleviate current threats should be a primary strategy.

Merry Gallagher, DIFW brook trout biologist, criticizing a plan to stock fish in Portage Lake in comments submitted to DIF&W.

¶

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 19

Gramps Caught Fish Through the Ice, Even Without Fancy Gear — Part 1

by Randy Randall Grandfather had two types of ice fishing tipups. Both were homemade.

One set was nothing more than wood laths about 14 inches long with a deep “U” carved into each end. Fishing line was wound around the stick from end to end.

The flag was a metal stay from a woman’s corset, and the trigger was a piece of coat hanger.

These traps might have been his father’s.

The tip-ups in other set were also wooden strips – probably taken from a decrepit snow fence – and painted red.

They had the same corset stays for the flag and coat hanger trigger, but they sported the luxury of a reel for storing the line.

These were discarded typewriter ribbon spools fixed to the side of the stick with a nail.

Gramps’ other ice fishing equipment included a formidable ice chisel, an equally rugged ice skimmer and a box to hold the traps.

For some reason, Grandfather did not store his ice traps in a pack basket like everyone else.

Instead, he had a small rugged wooden box to which he had tied a stout piece of rope. He slung this over his shoulder, and when he walked, the box thumped and banged

Gramps’ ice fishing tip-ups were fashioned using pieces of wooden snow fence, metal stays from women’s corsets, and old typewriter ribbon spools, but he managed to catch more than his share of pickerel, bass, perch and trout. against his hip.

Once all his traps were set out, Gramps used the box to sit on.

Spud and Skimmer Gramps’ ice chisel, or “spud,” was a five-foot length of ½ inch galvanized pipe with a large wood chisel brazed to one end. The other end had a “D” shaped handle from a shovel. The chisel had been patiently sharpened to a scalpel’s edge on Gramps’ ancient grindstone.

His skimmer was a dish of heavy steel drilled

full of holes and screwed onto a long steel shaft.

Not only could he reach way down into the ice fishing hole with this tool, but he also used it to bust up ice chunks and scrape away the snow down to the surface of the ice.

Thus equipped, Gramps would spend a day tending his traps and catching fish – lots of fish.

It has occurred to me now, many years later, how much work it was for those old guys to go ice fishing. Snowmobiles had not been invented. There

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were no power augers or even hand augers, and most of their cold-weather clothes were heavy wool.

Cold-Weather Clothes Gramps wore felt boot liners inside a pair of rubber galoshes. His union suit was wool, and so were his forest-green pants.

He wore two shirts, one flannel and the other wool. Over these he often wore a vest lined with sheepskin.

His overcoat was a dense grey wool an-

kle-length surplus military coat, with large collars and buttons. How he managed to move around in that garment is beyond me.

He wore a leather trooper’s hat with ear lappers trimmed in rabbit fur. His mittens were large leather-palm choppers. In his vest pocket he carried a pair of sunglasses. I think they were welding goggles made with round tinted lenses, wire bows and little pieces of leather on the sides.

Breaking Trail; Chipping Ice All ice fishermen in those days had to be physically fit, because usually extreme effort (Continued on next page)

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20 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Ice Fishing in Maine (Continued from page 19)

was required just to get out on the ice.

The men wore snowshoes, or just broke trail with their heavy boots.

They pulled homemade sleds loaded with their gear, and tramped a halfmile or more from the closest plowed road to the

shore of the pond. Often times the guys got a workout just shoveling a parking spot for their car in the “V” bank beside the road.

When cutting his holes Grandfather shed

his woolen overcoat. He wore both a belt and suspenders. He’d often slip his galluses off his shoulders so they hung to his knees.

He’d slip the leather sheath off the chisel and then chip, very carefully, the outline of a circle seven or eight inches across on the surface of the ice.

This was his guide. As he banged the ice chisel up and down into the ice, chunks broke loose and piled up, and every so often he’d stoop over and scoop out the chips.

Cutting a hole through two feet of ice took at least 10 or 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise. The mark of an experienced cutter was that the sides of his hole were plumb and not slanted toward the center.

Gramps wore a little lanyard looped on his wrist so he would not lose his chisel when it suddenly broke through the ice into the water. He worked his way around the hole, shaving the (Continued on next page)

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sides and cleaning up the jagged bottom edge.

Catching Fish He set his traps by poking a slot in the ice near the hole and shoving the butt of the trap into that slot. He’d unravel all the fishing line and lay it out on the snow. He determined the depth of the pond by using a lead sounding weight he’d cast at home with a plumber’s furnace.

Once he’d found the distance to the bottom, Gramps tied a slipknot in the line, fastened the hook into a shiner and pushed the fishing line down into the hole. He

hooked the knot over the trigger, and we moved on to the next hole.

Modern fishermen could find a hundred different ways to make Gramps’ ice traps better, but his traps caught fish.

He knew all about the shortcomings, so he made the rounds to his traps, constantly clearing out the skim ice, checking the bait and making sure the line ran free.

We fished shallow-water ponds. Gramps was not into fishing deep.

His game was pickerel and bass and white perch and brook trout. He’d even catch the occasional salmon just under the ice.

(Continued on next page)

Gramps’ ice chisel, or “spud,” was made in the late 1930s from an iron pipe with an old wood-chisel blade brazed to one end and a shovel-type handle attached to the other.

Gramps filled the pipe with lead, to add some weight for the down thrust. Randy Randall photo

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— The Maine Sportsman —

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22 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Ice Fishing in Maine (Continued from page 21)

Setting the Hook Flags were cause for much running and ex-

citement, with guys hollering, “Flag!” and “Hey, someone’s got a flag

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were using much more sophisticated tackle, augers and winter garb.

Next month – Gramps loses his treasured ice chisel down the hole, and the author’s leg also gets submerged in the cold, icy water.

About the author: Randy Randall and his wife Jean run Marston’s Marina on the Saco River.

He authored a 2011 book, “Sand Box Camp Tales from a Maine Storyteller,” has been published in Down East magazine, and is a regular contributor to Points East and The Maine Sportsman.

¶

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gers. He’d wait, feeling the fish mauling the bait.

At the right moment, Gramps snatched the line, hooking the fish, and then he’d begin handover-hand hauling it in.

Long pickerel, almost black in color, would come head first up out of the hole, flapping onto the ice.

Grandfather would then lift the liner out of his bait bucket and put his catch into the bottom of the pail.

Applying his skills and experience, he was able – employing the most rudimentary gear – to complete on equal terms with anglers who

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ICEforFISHING Lunkers

Fowler’s 50-Day Fire – Part 2 Page 62

Pages 23, 52 Pages

Early Winter Snowmobile Events Page 19

Challenges of Dog Sled Racing Page 47

Choosing a Portable Generator Page 34

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 23

Events and Festivals Extend This Great Season of Sledding — Part 2: February Events

by Cathy Genthner With cold temperatures and lots of fresh powder, the 2018 snowmobile season is off to a roaring start. Maine’s 300 local clubs and their volunteers have been working hard to maintain Maine’s 14,500 miles of groomed trails.

In addition to regular club gatherings, many of our state’s municipalities join with area clubs to sponsor special events and festivals.

“Events and festivals add to the experience on the trail,” remarked Bob Meyers, executive director of the Maine Snowmo-

The 18th annual One-Lunger Vintage Snowmobile race will be held February 17, 2018 in Turner, featuring antique sleds and a number of different categories. Photo courtesy Jim Leighton, Limestone, Maine

bile Association. “They give people yet another reason to visit Maine

from out of state, or for Mainers to travel to new regions.”

“It’s not uncommon,” he added, for us to see many folks at these

events who don’t even participate in the sport of snowmobiling.”

In other words, they just come for the fun!

Continuing on last month’s listing of events for January, here are some of the highlights of the February, 2018 snowmobile races, shows, great meals and festivals calendar: Poker Rally and BBQ; February 3, Norway, hosted by the Norway Trackers Snowmobile Club. For more information, follow the club’s Facebook “events” (Continued on next page)

Snowmobile Rental & Guided Tour Directory Moosehead Region Trailside Lodging

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Rockwood, Maine (207) 534-2261 Open 7 Days WE RENT POLARIS & SKI-DOO SNOWMOBILES! www.mooseheadsled.com www.MaineSportsman.com

24 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Snowmobiling in Maine (Continued from page 23)

listings under “Norway-Trackers-Snowmobile-Club”.

Annual Polar Blast, February 8-10, Eustis/Stratton. This is a

three-day event featuring many winter activities, radar runs, a cribbage tournament, a chili cookoff, ice skating, a bonfire and a benefit auction. For more information, visit Presque Isle

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— Visit Your Local Arctic Cat Dealer for the Latest Promotions — AUBURN Ames Sport Shop 84 Littlefield Road 207-782-4917 See Us on Facebook

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

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Always wear a helmet and don’t drink and ride.

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ArnoldTrailSnowmobileClub.com, MainesHighPeaks.com, or the clubs’ Facebook pages.

Annual Blessing of the Sleds, February 10, Mexico, at Mountain Valley Middle School.

The annual blessing of the sleds is hosted by the Mexico Trailblazers Snowmobile Club and the Poodunck Snowmobile Club of Dixfield. The blessing begins at noon with hot food, drinks, raffles and an antique snowmobile display, which is new this year. For more information, visit the clubs’ pages on Facebook.

Winterfest, February 16-24, Millinocket.

This annual event begins Friday night, February 16 with an antique snowmobile parade through the center of town, followed by a bonfire and activities throughout the following week.

John Raymond is the president of the Northern Timber Cruisers Snowmobile Club, which hosts the event in partnership with the local chamber of commerce and area businesses.

“We hold Winterfest during school vacation so the whole family can take part in the activities,” he said. “The town fills the main drag with snow the night of the parade and then cleans it up afterwards. Very few communities in the state would allow that to happen.”

“The town has supported the club big-time over the years,” said Raymond. “We put a lot of thought, work and money into grooming these trails, and the base of our community is Baxter State Park. The views are picturesque, and people come to ride in some of the most beautiful country in the state.”

For more information, email John Raymond at trailbuilder992@gmail. com, or visit NorthernTimberCruisers.com or the club’s Facebook page.

Annual One-Lunger 100 Vintage Snowmobile Race, Turner, February 17, 7 a.m.

This event will take place at the intersection of Route 117, near Schreps Corner Store in the TAA Fields, formerly Caldwell Field. Vintage sleds are raced in a number of classes and age groups.

This is the 18th year the race has been held, which is a major fundraiser for the Turner Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club, whose volunteers work to make the race a success year after year.

“People just love these old sleds,” said Mike Kuroly, the trail master for the club. “It is a blast.

When the final race happens after all the preliminary qualifying races, and you hear those old, loud and terrifying sleds howlin’ at you, there is (Continued on next page)

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

no better feeling in the world.”

“It is a family-oriented race and brings a lot of people into the community,” added Kuroly. “It also takes a lot of people to put it on and get the trails ready.

We are always looking for new people to help out.

I am in charge of safety, and I have often gone through the crowd and asked people to be flaggers so we have a sufficient crew.”

Complete information can be found at the site: www.turnerridgeriders. com/1-lunger-100.html Annual Vintage Snowmobile Ride-In and Show, February 17, Orrington. The

event takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Orrington Trail Riders Snowmobile Club House, located at 262 Long Hill Road. The club describes itself as “a group of families dedicated to snowmobiling and the 36 miles of trails maintained within the Town of Orrington, Maine since 1974.” For more information call (207) 852-8000, go to OrringtonTrailRiders.com, or visit the club’s page on Facebook.

For a complete list of snowmobile events, visit the Maine Snowmobile website at www.mesnow. com/Calendar.html

The crowd shows its support and encouragement during last year’s One-Lunger Vintage race in Turner. Jim Leighton photo

¶

Mark your calendars soon!

Feb. 8th-10th Mountains of Possibilities...

Come Play In Our Backyard!

See Your Local Yamaha Snowmobile Dealer for Details!

BUXTON Reynolds Motorsports 702 Narragansett Trail 207-929-6641 reynoldsmotorsports.com

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

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

FORT KENT Roger’s Sport Center 214 Market Street 207-834-5505 rogerssportcentermaine.com

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

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

1 AS LOW AS 0% APR UNTIL PAID IN FULL 1: Offer available on approved purchases of new 2015-2018 Apex, Viper & Sidewinder models made on the Yamaha Credit Card issued by WebBank, member FDIC. Subject to credit approval as determined by WebBank. Offer valid through 4/30/18. Available to cardholders of the WebBank Yamaha Card. Account must be open and current to be eligible for this offer. 0%, 4.99%, 8.99%, or 12.99% APR with Minimum Payments of 1.67%, 1.89%, 2.08%, or 2.28% respectively of the purchase price balance, based on your creditworthiness, are effective until the purchase is paid in full. Minimum Interest Charge $2 per month. Standard APR 15.99%-23.99%

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2 0% APR FOR 6 MONTHS: Thereafter, your standard APR will be 15.99%-23.99%. Offer available on approved purchases of new 2015-2018 Yamaha Snowmobiles made on the Yamaha Credit Card issued by WebBank, member FDIC. Subject to credit approval as determined by WebBank. Offer valid through 4/30/18. Available to cardholders of the WebBank Yamaha Card. Account must be open and current to be eligible for this offer. Eligible purchases will be charged no interest for 6 months from the transaction date. Thereafter, you will be charged your standard APR 15.99%-23.99%. Minimum Interest Charge $2 per month.

*CUSTOMER CASH: Offer good on select models between 1/1/2018 to 4/30/2018. Excludes Spring Power Surge and LE models.

www.MaineSportsman.com

26 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Lincoln Sno-Cross Races FEBRUARY 10 & 11, 2018 LINCOLN POWER SPORTS

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 27

See Your Polaris Dealer for Current PromotionsToday!

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

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

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

LINCOLN Richard’s Sport Shop 239 W. Broadway 207-794-3363 Visit Us on Facebook

GORHAM, NH Absolute Power Sports 471 Main Street 603-466-5454 absolutepowersportsnh.com

MILO Country Club Polaris & Country Cabins 83 Park Street 207-943-2686 ccpolaris.com

LANCASTER, NH MOMS Lancaster 244 Main Street 603-788-2281 moms73.com

Always wear an approved helmet and eye protection. Observe all state and local laws. Respect the rights of others. Ride within your capabilities.

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28 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

GRAND TOURING There’s more to a Ski-Doo touring sled than a 2-up seat.

Adjustable passenger backrests and handholds, mirrors, luggage racks, an electronic security system and so much more, are standard.

On LE and SE packages, so is SilentDrive track technology that quiets sound to the riders.

AUBURN Wallingford Equipment 2527 Turner Road 207-782-4886 wallingfordequipment.com

Contact Your Local Ski-Doo Dealer for the Latest Models and Offers Today!

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

FORT KENT Fort Kent Powersports 377 Caribou Road 207-834-3659 fortkentpowersports.com

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

HODGDON Tidd’s Sport Shop 154 Calais Road 207-532-6476 tiddssportshop.com

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

GREENVILLE JUNCTION Moosehead Motor Sports 13 Industrial Park 207-695-2020 mooseheadmotorsports.com

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

WINDHAM Richardson’s Boatyard 850 Roosevelt Tr, Rt 302 207-892-9664 richardsonsby.com COLEBROOK, NH Lemieux Garage Inc. 161 Main St 603-237-4377 lemieuxgarage.com

LEEDS CONWAY, NH Reggie’s Kawasaki Ski-doo Profile Powersports 255 US Hwy 202 1319 White Mountain Hwy. 207-933-4976 603-447-5855 doitatreggies.com profilepowersports.com LINCOLN Lincoln Power Sports 265 West Broadway 207-794-8100 lincolnpowersports.com

©2017 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.

www.MaineSportsman.com

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 29

Choosing the Right Outboard for a Small Fishing Boat

by Steve Vose Sportsmen looking to get the most out of a boat and motor must find a balance between boat size and outboard horsepower.

Finding that sweet spot is accomplished by looking specifically at your individual needs. For most anglers, this means having a safe and stable platform from which to fish, combined with the necessary horsepower to transport the boat to a favorite fishing spot in a reasonable

enough power to cross large bodies of water, while their light weight keeps the boat nimble enough to navigate shallow tributaries … all with the added bonus of being relatively affordable.

Proper outboard motor selection is all about matching the weight and power of the engine to the boat, while also factoring in your expected uses of the boat. A small, efficient and affordable motor will push a 16-foot aluminum boat fast enough for most anglers. Photo courtesy Smoker Craft

amount of time.

Small aluminum fishing boats (12-16 feet) aren’t typically going to be

used for high speed power sports, so it isn’t necessary to equip them with high horsepower motors.

Outboards in the 5-25 horsepower range are perfect for small boats, as the engines can provide

2018 MAINE BOAT SHOWS

Choose the Right Size Outboard In 1973, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) began requiring all boats to be equipped with a capacity plate, listing the boat’s maximum (Continued on next page)

PORTLAND BOAT SHOW: March 1–4 • Portland Sports Complex AUGUSTA BOAT SHOW: March 9 • Augusta Civic Center BANGOR BOAT SHOW: March 16–19 • Cross Insurance Center MAINE BOATBUILDERS SHOW: March 23–25 • Portland Sports Complex STATE OF MAINE SPORTSMAN’S SHOW: March 30–April 1 • Augusta Civic Center

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30 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Boating in Maine (Continued from page 29)

total weight limit and the motor’s maximum horsepower rating.

For safety reasons, it is important to not exceed either of these limits.

These days it seems many people are in a big hurry to get wherever they are going. Because of this, it’s not uncommon to see large, powerful outboards being installed on

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small boats.

These powerful behemoths often exceed the safe horsepower rating of the watercraft and may also cause the boats to go faster than their safe hull speeds. This is dangerous, and unnecessary.

Cost, and Planned Usage As horsepower goes up, so does price, rapidly.

Remember – the maximum horsepower rating is just that – a maximum.

Just because a particular hull design is rated for a maximum horsepower of 40, that doesn’t mean a 40 HP motor must be purchased. In most cases, a 20-25 HP motor will propel a watercraft with plenty of thrust for a wide majority of angling pursuits.

However, don’t go too far the other way, by purchasing an out-

board that’s too wimpy for your planned excursions. In fact, a big complaint among first-time boat buyers is that they wished they had originally purchased a larger outboard motor.

The sales staff at Richardson’s Boatyard in Windham cautions sportsmen that when financing a new boat purchase, don’t simply decide to buy a boat that is good for you and your family today; rather, try to determine what will still be good for all of you ten years from now.

Most boat purchases are financed for 10 to15 years. Therefore, the commitment to a new watercraft is long-term.

For that reason, sportsmen and -women need to be satisfied with the purchase for a considerable (Continued on next page)

CUSTOM Float Services 11 Wallace Ave., So. Portland, ME 888-844-9666 | info@customfloat.com

YAMAHA OUTBOARD SALES EVENT:

THE KEY TO RELIABILITY

For a limited time, purchase a new, select eligible 2.5HP – 300HP Yamaha Outboard and choose either:

Free Travel Cover on Select Models!

— See Your Local Yamaha Outboard Dealer for Details! — BAR HARBOR Bowden Marine Service 713 Norway Drive 207-288-5247 BowdenMarine.com

JONESPORT Moosabec Marine 3 Rosemary Ln 207-497-2196 Moosabec.com

THOMASTON Jeff’s Marine 2 Brooklyn Heights Road 207-354-8777 JeffsMarine.com

ROCHESTER, NH NECC Boats 144 Flagg Road 603-335-1570 NECCBoats.com

*PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Consumer benefit for purchasing a new (unused, not previously warranty registered) select eligible Yamaha 2.5 to 300 HP four-stroke outboard is a choice of either a 24-month Yamaha Extended Service contract (choice offered in Florida is a 24-month Yamaha Limited Warranty), or a credit based on MSRP toward the purchase of goods and/or services at the authorized participating dealer that sold the outboard, at no extra cost to consumer. NO BENEFIT SUBSTITUTIONS. To be eligible, outboards must also have been manufactured since January 2011. Promotion is only applicable from authorized participating Yamaha Outboard dealers in the USA, sold to purchasing consumers residing in the USA. Promotion is limited to available stock in dealer inventory that is sold, PDI completed, delivered and warranty registered on YMBS by the dealer in accordance with Yamaha’s Promotion and warranty registration requirements during applicable dates.

Applicable models may vary. Any new models introduced after December 1, 2017 are NOT eligible for this Promotion. No model substitutions, benefit substitutions, extensions or rain checks will be allowed. Outboards sold or provided for commercial, camp, resort, rental, promotional/demo, government agency, competition, tournament or sponsorship use are not eligible. This Promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other Yamaha offer. Some exceptions may apply. See authorized participating Yamaha dealer for complete details. Yamaha reserves the right to change or cancel this Promotion at any time. Other restrictions and conditions may apply.

www.MaineSportsman.com

Marina: 633 White’s Bridge Road • Windham, ME • 207-892-4913 Hours: Mon–Fri 8AM–4:30PM

Annex: Route 302 • Windham, ME • 207-892-9664 Hours: Tue–Fri 8AM–5PM, Sat 8AM–3PM

www.richardsonsby.com All dollar values are USD. Participating dealers are responsible for a portion of the rebate, and may affect final negotiated price. Dealer sets actual price. Prices may vary by dealer. Offer expires 3/31/18. See dealer for further details.

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 31 (Continued from page 30)

amount of time.

The Upgraded Outboard Eventually, there will likely come a time in your angling life when you decide to upgrade your watercraft. Upgrades may be simple – increased horsepower motor, more comfortable seats, downriggers and rod holders – or the upgrades could be much more complex, up to and including purchasing a new boat. Comfort is rated as one of the most significant factors driving plans to upgrade. Replacing pull chords with electric starts and installing power tilt really help save wear and tear on aging bodies. However, larger boats and added equipment mean more weight, and that means more horsepower will be needed to push the boat

to achieve a proper cruising speed.

However, anglers also have to keep in mind that many while large outboard motors can get you to the fishing grounds in a hurry, some of those same motors can’t slow down to a speed that allows for proper trolling.

the simplicity of having a single motor, many companies sell trolling plates.

Trolling plates are simple units that attach directly to the motor’s anti-cavitation fin. The plates

then drop down behind the prop to slow the boat to trolling speeds of one mile per hour or less, while still providing the control needed for navigation.

One of the trolling plates on the market, the “Easy Troller,” has a patented hinge design that flexes to divert prop thrust downward, pre(Continued on page 35)

Go Big and Still Go Slow You can’t catch fish if the fish can’t catch you.

For this reason, when upgrading, many anglers keep their small outboard as a “kicker” or auxiliary outboard to serve as a trolling motor.

The angler then is able to use the larger motor to make it quickly to his or her favorite fishing spot, and then use the kicker to troll at a nice slow, steady speed.

Trolling Plates For those who prefer

The Honda Power of Boating

CELEBRATION!

Visit Your Local Suzuki Marine Dealer for Current Promotions BAMFORTH MARINE Brunswick, ME • 207-729-3303 bamforthmarine.com LAKE & SEA BOATWORKS Bar Harbor, ME • 207-288-8961 www.lakeandsea.com PORTLAND YACHT SERVICES Portland, ME • 207-774-1067 www.portlandyacht.com RICHARDSON’S BOAT YARD Windham, ME • 207-892-4913 www.richardsonsby.com

GETwith UP TO $700 INSTANT SAVINGS the Purchase of Any New 40hp–250hp Honda Marine Outboard! *

Visit Your Local Honda Marine Dealer for Details!

LEWISTON Al’s Sport Center 1818 Lisbon Street 207-784-7591 alssportcenter.com

MACHIAS Whitney’s Tri-Town Marine 29 Dublin Street 207-255-3392 tritownmarine.com

WINDHAM Richardson’s Boat Yard 622 White’s Bridge Road 207-892-4913 richardsonsbycom

LINCOLN Lincoln Motor Co., Inc. 37 Lake Street 207-794-2741 lincolnmotorcoinc.com

PORTLAND Portland Yacht Services 400 Commercial Street 207-774-1067 portlandyacht.com

YORK York Harbor Marine 20 Harris Island Road 207-363-3602 yorkharbormarine.com

*At participating dealers only. Qualifying retail customers may receive instant savings off the selling price of a Honda powered boat package or Honda Marine engine(s) sold for repower. This promotion is limited to new Honda Marine 40 HP through 250 HP outboard engines, 2013 and newer models, sold and delivered between January 3, 2018 and June 4, 2018 and registered by the Dealer in accordance with American Honda Motor Co., Inc.’s sales registration requirements. Only Honda Marine outboard engines sold for personal use qualify for this promotion. Fleet, commercial & government sales are ineligible. Engines sold under special pricing / promotions are also excluded. Honda Marine reserves the right to modify, amend, cancel or revoke, in whole or in part, this promotion at any time without prior notice.

www.MaineSportsman.com

32 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Be Sure You’re Ready!

Call Us Now for Boat Tops, Covers & Interiors

Repairs and Alterations Welcome!

nd Your a u o Y Keep & Dr y! n a e l C Boat

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 33

Ice-Fish “Aroostook Adjacent” Chamberlain and Ross Lakes for Tasty Whitefish Anyone who has followed my articles for a few of the nearly 40 years I’ve been a Maine Sportsman columnist knows I’m a “County” boy, born and bred. If I’m not surrounded by forest and farm fields and up to my knees in snow for five months of the year, it’s just not home. Once in awhile however, I need to venture outside the Crown of Maine, literally and for a story, to satisfy certain needs. I call these locations “Aroostook adjacent,” and I highly recommend the bit of extra travel for the sporting reward.

These first two ventures are just such spots.

Wonderful Whitefish Aroostook anglers sing the praises of brook trout, salmon and togue – most every ice driller’s terrific triumvirate – but a surprising number of hard water fishermen seek out a change, a challenge and a more unique piscine venture.

Whitefish offer a pleasant alternative, as they respond well to jigging tactics allowing direct angler interaction rather than simply watching for flags.

In addition, a high percentage of fishermen regard the delicate flavor of a well-prepared whitefish filet right up there with fresh fried brook trout or grilled Atlantic salmon steak.

Chamberlain Lake, a semi-remote gem among the Allagash wilderness waterways, is toward the southern end and offers superb whitefish action. One of only a couple whitefish waters avail-

Brothers Pete and Jim Daigle of St. David love to musky fish on Glazier Lake. These two toothy water wolves were caught just over an hour apart, and one was a state record for a few weeks.

able to Aroostook ice fishermen, Chamberland also boasts dependable brook trout fishing, with many 3- to 4-pound square tails and a fair chance to ice a 5- to 7-pound togue.

There’s very little development along this 17mile conifer-lined stretch of snow and ice, with one set of sporting camps, Nugent’s, offering a temporary domicile for those who aren’t just day fishermen.

Due to the vast size of

the waterway, crowding is seldom a problem, but a snowmobile is pretty much a necessity to secure solitude from easyto-fish shoreline locales.

The Thornton family runs Nugent’s Camps, offering various cabin and food options, and fine fishing just off the shoreline. Check them out online (www.NugentsCamps.com).

This waterway and snowmobile trail system really deserves more than

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a single day outing, not to mention the grueling long and rough drive from most Aroostook locations.

The best winter traveling route utilizes the Golden Road from Millinocket, and then north on the Telos Road.

Ice drillers venturing from Central and Northern Aroostook should take the Pinkham Road from the Ashland area toward Munsungen and Haymock Lakes, then join the Telos Road.

Delorme’s Atlas Maps 55, 56, & 57 provide an overview to the approach roads, while segments D & E offer a look at the huge lake.

Fishing locations for newcomers to check out include Leadbetter Brook, as well as the south shore where Lost and Ellis Brooks join the lake. The east side of the Arm of Chamberlain out from the designated campsite is another likely drilling location.

The shoreline across the lake from Lock Dam campsite is also a productive spot to set out tip-ups and use a jig rod.

Swedish pimples are sure bets for whitefish. A small Little Cleo spoon, DB smelt or an Al’s Goldfish Living Lure ice fishing jig will also yield action.

Despite the long drive, Chamberlain’s whitefish are well worth the effort for a change of venue and quarry, so visit this “Aroostook adjacent” lake (Continued on next page)

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34 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Aroostook County (Continued from page 34)

Mary Morris of Fort Kent loves to go fishing with her Dad. Here, she shows off a hefty whitefish taken from a remote backwoods lake.

this month.

More Whitefish It’s likely you’ve never heard of Chemquasabamticook Lake – it’s a mouthful, so most folks just go with “Ross Lake.”

It’s another good location to possibly hook a 20-inch or longer whitefish, and it’s a bit closer – but not much easier to reach – than Chamberlain Lake.

Located in upper Piscataquis County just south of the county borderline, it’s anoth-

It’s very important to introduced a new generation of anglers to all aspects of the sport. This young lady pays close attention to her tip-ups in hopes of a flag.

er “Aroostook adjacent” ice fishing spot worth a visit. Togue and brook trout are plentiful, as are whitefish, and Ross Lake camps (www.RossLakeCamps.com ) offer several versions of lodging and food options for folks who would like to spend at least a couple of days.

Realty Road offers the best access from the north, starting from 6 Mile Gate near Ashland, then traveling southwest and joining Bertrands

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Mill or Poulin Road to Ross Lake campsite boat launch. See Delorme’s Atlas Map 55, A & B-2.

Experienced whitefish anglers recommend fishing in 20- to 30-foot depths, and suspending small live baits just a few inches above bottom.

When jigging, work the lures slowly down near bottom, and then work them upward a foot at a time for 10 feet, then lower and start again.

Boucher Brook Cove is a likely location, and try just out from Gannett Brook too.

Ross Lake gets a nominal amount of ice fishing attention, but due to the remoteness, pressure remains light most weekdays. A snowmobile

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Water Wolves -Muskies For those winter anglers seeking uncommon species, a tough fighting quarry and perhaps a new State of Maine record, Glazier Lake and its toothy population of muskellunge must be near the top of the list.

Glazier is a border water split between Canada and Maine, and while called a lake it’s actually a very wide stretch of the St. Francis River.

Since ice fishing with tip-ups tends to be fair-

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ly random, I’d suggest using a large smelt, at least 6 inches long, or if available a 10- to 12-inch sucker. Musky do tend to adhere to the old adage, “big bait for a big fish.”

Make sure hooks are large and sharp. A circle hook works well; wire leaders with a strong line and sturdy reel system help during the tug and tussle.

Ten-pounders are common, and 20-pound muskies are more prevalent than you might imagine. Local musky aficionados ascertain that there are certainly record-setting 30-pound fish finning around Glazier Lake.

The waterway can be accessed by a shorter route through Canada via Fort Kent border crossing, but there can be hassles with live bait, so I suggest the Fort Kent to Allagash to Little Black Checkpoint and then the Hafey and Bypass Roads.

View Delorme’s Atlas, Map 66, C-4 to find explosive opportunities (Get it? C4 = explosive!)

Glazier is a fairly simple waterway to fish, even for newcomers, since there are few brook inlets or coves and points to learn. Use your snowsled to explore. Check water (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 35 (Continued from page 34)

depths and locate bars to set traps along.

Open water anglers call musky the fish of a thousand casts. Ice fishing changes all that, and evens the odds for novices.

Visit Glazier for a day this winter – it’s a novel adventure, and a possible battle with a water wolf is just frosting on the cake!

¶

Big whitefish can be difficult to locate and catch on the few remote Northern Maine lakes that contain this rare species. A trio like this can be very rewarding on the line and on the table.

Boating in Maine (Continued from page 31)

venting damage to the engine or the device if the angler inadvertently hits the accelerator without first lifting the trolling plate.

This was a problem with older designs – if an angler hit the throttle without disengaging the plate, the resulting high-speed water pressure would bend or break the plate.

Drift Socks and Buggy Bags It is a common misperception that drifts socks and buggy (trolling) bags are the same thing and can be used interchangeably.

However, that’s not accurate.

Drift socks are used with drift fishing

Dan and Jen Pelletier love to fish together and celebrate each other’s success on the Fish River chain of lakes. Shown is on eof the rewards of a trip to Long Lake.

when the boat is NOT under power. Buggy bags, on the other hand, are used for trolling when the boat IS under power.

Anglers looking for simple solutions to slow down large outboards to acceptable trolling speeds should try deploying one of the buggy bags distributed by Amish Outfitters (www.amishoutfitters.com).

Variable RPM Settings If you’re looking to upgrade to a new outboard motor, the sales staff at Richardson’s boatyard in Windham explained that a recent development in outboard design is the variable-RPM setting available from almost all of the major brands.

This technology allows an outboard to

crawl along at only 50-1000 RPMs, meaning a 150-HP motor can now effectively troll.

2018 Boating Season Rapidly Approaches!

With snow still on the ground and the lakes still covered with ice, it is difficult to imagine spring will be here before we know it.

For those planning a watercraft purchase or upgrade, this is the perfect time of year to attend boat shows, conduct brand research and start saving for a spring watercraft purchase that will bring you, your family and your friends many happy fishing memories for years to come.

¶

THE CROWN OF MAINE

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36 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

You Can Prevent Seasickness!

“Are we likely to get seasick?”

As a charter boat captain, I get that question every so often from potential clients. My usual reply is: “Of course not… er…well, probably not.”

In other words, that’s a question to which there just plain is no good answer.

Seasickness (or “motion sickness,” if you prefer) is a common affliction. Any normal adult or child can get sick from motion. Some folks may be more resistant than others, but if the appropriate motion exists and lasts long enough, virtually anyone can experience this age-old malady.

The most notorious cause of motion sickness is probably the sea.

Whether called seasickness or mal de mer, it’s the same thing.

What Is It? Seasickness is characterized by symptoms that include malaise (a vague feeling of discomfort), pallor, cold sweating, nausea and vomiting. Although the victim may not be aware of it, other changes may occur in the body, such as fluctuation of blood pressure, pulse rate, rate of respiration,

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and glucose levels in the blood.

Motion sickness results from unnatural or unaccustomed movements of the body or the visual field. There is some controversy over the role of other influences, such as apprehension of getting sick, and the effect of what has, or hasn’t, been eaten.

Although it’s not known why, some people are simply more susceptible than others. Newborn babies and very old people are normally relatively free of symptoms.

Women seem to be more likely to become seasick than men, as are heavy people opposed to slimmer ones. It also seems to run in families.

One of the most frustrating aspects of motion sickness is that it is not predictable. Even those who believe they are completely resistant may experience it – sometimes when least expected.

Some who are susceptible find that no matter how long they are subjected to motion, their bodies will not adjust to it. (It is reported, for example, that Lord Nelson, the famous British admiral of the late 1700s, was sick

that motion sickness started as a warning system to life-threatening situations.

However, none of these theories are totally satisfactory.

The ReliefBand looks much like an ordinary wrist watch. It emits gentle electrical pulses to a nerve in the wrist, designed to prevent motion sickness by sending a signal up to the nausea-control portion of the brain.

every day he was at sea.)

Others find that they build up a resistance to motion sickness, known in nautical parlance as “getting your sea legs.”

Scientists think this happens because the body becomes accustomed to a particular motion.

Why It Happens Scientists believe the cause is related to the sense of balance. Within the inner ear, there exists a delicate group of nerve fibers. Normally, these fibers help people maintain balance, but in some people, motion increases the activity of the fibers, leading to the symptoms.

The exact mechanism isn’t known, but there are three theories. The “conflict hypothesis” claims the problems arise from conflicting sensory information. The eyes and ears send the brain conflicting input, which causes the reaction.

The “over-stimulation” theory says the receptors in the inner ear become over-stimulated, sending nerve impulses to the brain which causes over-reaction, which in turn affects neighboring parts of the brain.

Finally, the “evolutionary” theory suggests

Avoidance and Treatment One way to avoid seasickness is to minimize the motion that causes it. General rules on the water are: big boats are better than small ones; the middle of the boat is better than the bow or stern; and it’s better to be out on deck in fresh air than in the cabin, galley, or “head.” Experienced boaters have a variety of additional recommendations, from lying down, to keeping busy, or watching the horizon or other fixed object or reference point of stability.

There are probably as many home remedies for seasickness as there are for hangovers, ranging from eating a raw egg to covering one eye with a patch. Luckily, though, medical science has made great inroads.

Perhaps the oldest drug employed is scopolamine, first developed in 1889. Even today, scientists are uncertain as to how scopolamine works, but the prevailing thought is that it blocks the transmission of impulses from the inner ear to the brain that cause motion sickness.

In years past, this drug had to be administered by needle in high doses, which had unpleasant side effects. But in 1981 a company called CIBA Pharmaceuticals began producing a dimesized, stick-on, band-aidlike disc containing1.5 mg of scopolamine, called Transderm Scop. The

disc is placed behind the ear, and the drug is absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream at a slow, controlled rate. You put it on about four hours before you need it, and it lasts up to the three days.

It’s said to be about 75% effective, and side effects, if any, are normally mild.

You can find out more by visiting www.transdermscop.com.

Although Transderm Scop is only available by prescription, there are a few recognized overthe-counter drugs that have stood the test of time. Dramamine and Bonine pills will often do the trick, but they cause some people to become drowsy, many of whom will simply fall asleep on the boat and miss out on the day’s activities. Some of my passengers have told me that taking the pill the night before helps counteract the drowsiness, but I suggest you contact you physician for advice on that.

Finally, there’s a nondrug alternative that’s been around for a number of years called the ReliefBand, which looks much like an ordinary wrist watch. It delivers gentle electrical pulses to a pressure point on a nerve located in the wrist. This is designed to transmit a signal to the nausea-control part of the brain, thereby resolving the conflict between what you see and what you feel – the root cause of motion sickness. It’s said to produce no side effects, and retails for $94.99. For more information visit www.reliefband.com.

¶

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 37

— Special Feature —

by Zachary Fowler

Making a Shelter Into a Patagonian Home – Part 1 Back-story: Zachary Fowler was flown from Maine to Patagonia in 2016 to compete against nine other contestants in the History Channel’s reality television show “Alone.” To survive the approaching Andes winter, Fowler knew he had to use the ten tools he’d selected and materials he found to construct a warm and sturdy shelter.

He took the process a step further, creating what he thought of as “a home.” ***** In preparing to go and survive in Patagonia for History Channel’s Alone 3, I had developed a survival technique I thought of as “Homesteading.”

As an avid watcher of survival shows before I went out on the show, I felt the “survivalist” mindset of the contestants was the wrong approach and, in a way, doomed them to failure.

So in interviews leading up to my time surviving on Alone, I told the producers I was going to go out and build a homestead and live off the land. After all, a million embroidered throw pillows can’t be wrong: “Home is where the heart is.”

Of course, it’s the kinship and love of family and friends that make the home what it is, but since my family and friends were not with me in Patagonia, I knew I had to make something that embodied my passion and affection for those I missed – a structure that would keep me warm and safe from the elements until I found my way back to them.

The shelter – nay, “home” – I built myself out of bamboo, with double insulated walls and an interior fire pit, was likely the most vital accomplishment leading to success and survival during those 87 days.

Fowler’s Patagonian bamboo shelter featured double walls with leaves between the layers for insulation, a fire pit, and a tarp roof. Note the huge fallen tree that formed the shelter’s back wall, providing strength and stability, as well as thermal mass to hold the heat generated by the fire. Photo courtesy Zachary Fowler

Temporary Tarp Shelter It was late fall when I was dropped off at my site, and the forest was dense and wet.

I set up a simple tarp shelter on my first day.

There was not much to it – just a ridge line, over which I stretched a tarp and tied it down, into the shape of a low A-frame.

This gave me a place to sleep and store my stuff out of the rain, but not much else.

I spent a month living like this while I built my

home.

First “Real” Shelter The terrain around my camp in Patagonia was a blend of flood plain and steep slopes.

I built my first shelter in the flood plain by the lake. The rest of the terrain was 45 degrees uphill.

I carved a series of 150 steps to get over the slope, and discovered a level place flat and full of dense copses of bamboo.

I knew instantly I could use this bamboo as my chief building materi-

al, and that the structure I had imagined before the show could become a reality.

At my home in Maine, we like to use small saplings to build hurdle wattle (woven wood) fences to make raised garden beds.

A Plan Comes Together This bamboo worked perfectly for that type of woven wall construction.

The local species of bamboo was considered invasive, so I could harvest as much of it as I wanted. It grew to be about 3/4” in

diameter, and averaged 10 to 14 feet long.

I found a giant fallen tree to use as the back wall of my shelter. This reduced the amount of materials I needed to collect, as well as working as a thermal mass that would help hold in the heat.

Next, I dug a fire pit that I later lined with rocks to prevent igniting a ground fire inside my shelter. My fire pit ended up about one foot in diameter – in a rough horseshoe shape bowing out from where it attached to the giant log.

Insulated Warmth I made the woven bamboo walls double thick. The gap between the walls was about 8 inches, so I filled that with debris to act as added insulation.

The roof was simple teepee poles covered with old my tarp.

I left a hole in the folds of my tarp slightly off-center, to line up with the fire pit.

It proved to be an extremely comfortable shelter, due to the high level of insulation and the fire that consistently warmed the space even when banked.

The shelter – nay, “home” – I built myself was likely my most vital accomplishment leading to success and survival during those 87 days.

Next month: Fowler returns home a winner, and then re-creates the construction process in the woods near his home in Maine, using materials found on his property.

¶

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38 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

February Dreams of Open Water It’s February, and we are already imagining open water and snow-free woods adventures that will come this spring. A few bright warm February days can drive us mad with anticipation.

Two ways to cope are by planning upcoming trips and creating or modifying gear specific to those adventures.

Map Exploration I keep exploring (by map and satellite photos) a group of trout-filled, small mountain ponds that lie just west of Jackman in Attean Township.

Take a look at DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 39, B-3.

The valley between Sally Mountain and Burnt Jacket Mountain is an area peppered with remote small ponds.

Both the DeLorme paper map and the satellite photos suggest these ponds should be easily accessible by vehicle – because a serious woods road passes through the edge of valley. The road is referred to as the Gander Brook Road, and it intersects Route 201in the village of Moose River. After passing between Wood Pond and Little Wood Pond it winds its way into Attean Township and constitutes main hauling road for that entire area.

Problem solved! Gas up the truck, load the canoe on the rack and let’s go fishing!

Attean Access But access to this area is a little more complicated than it might appear.

Note the point where the Gander Brook Road crosses Wood Stream near the outlet of Little Wood Pond. The bridge www.MaineSportsman.com

My plan is to access the remote, gated trout ponds of Attean Township hauling a 40-pound canoe behind my mountain bike on a trailer made from a lightweight carrier originally built to transport small children.

These Attean Township trout ponds -- protected by what the author calls “a big, steel, industrial-sized, stay-the-hell-out type of gate” that prevents recreational access by motor vehicles -- are fueling the author’s imagination and helping him survive the long winter.

Credit: Google Earth

across the stream is home to a big, steel, industrial-sized, stay-the-hell-out type of gate.

The locked gate is the result of a Maine Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC) concept plan entered into by area landowners back in 1993.

The Plan strictly prohibits recreational motor-vehicle access to almost all of Attean Township. The only motorized traffic allowed beyond the gate is that related to harvesting activity, and only a few primitive campsites are permitted.

This arrangement suddenly made Attean Township a very remote place. It also made it a self-propelled paradise.

I’ve been exploring different parts of the Township by canoe, bicycle and shoe leather for the last 10 years. But I still haven’t made it to the cluster of trout ponds in the so-called Benjamin Valley. This area was so

remarkable for its physical beauty and existing stands of old-growth timber, that a major focus of the 1989 concept plan was to create a forest preserve in the valley.

But how to get there?

A mountain bike seems to be the obvious answer. I biked the road beyond the gate at Wood Stream a few years ago on a moose scouting trip. It’s about four miles from the gate to the area closest to the ponds. That’s an easy commute for a mountain bike – but the big question is: Once I arrive at the ponds, how am I going to get out on the water?

Mohawk Canoes The Mohawk Canoe Company exists in name only these days. Twenty-five years ago, the Tennessee company was using Royalex™ material to mold a wide range of whitewater and flatwater boats.

Many of the com-

pany’s canoes were designed for solo paddlers.

And one of them, a 13foot solo flatwater boat, somehow ended up in a western Maine garage.

Here, in the land of Old Town double-seaters, the little boat was an oddity.

I adopted the orphan into my flotilla several years ago after seeing an ad in Uncle Henry’s.

The seller said he bought it new down south and painted it green when he arrived here in New England.

Other than the peeling green paint, the Royalex hull was pristine.

The boat weighs in at a mere 40 pounds and is only 30 inches wide at midships. In other words, it’s the perfect vessel for carrying into and fishing small mountain ponds.

Reality Sets In But it’s February, folks.

Biking and canoeing in the Jackman region are still months away.

The occasional bright warm day teases us into thinking about spring fishing. Then 18 inches of snow and slush reminds us of how far we are from the feel of open water under our keel. We put the maps away and fill the woodstove. We clear the slush and snow from the driveway. We load the truck and make our weekly trip to the dump.

As I back the truck out of the barn, I glance up at the Mohawk 13-footer. It hangs there – mocking me – ready for immediate use. How the hell am I going to get that boat from the gate on Gander Brook Road to the Benjamin Valley?

Trash and Treasure The Farmington Solid Waste Transfer Station is a magical place. It’s well-known for the best scenic view of any dump in Maine. Mount Blue looms on the horizon. The staff is friendly and helpful. But best of all is the “Trash and Treasures” building.

Over the years, I have off-loaded a ton of items I consider trash into the tiny building. To my spouse’s chagrin, I have also brought home at least a ton and a half of treasures found there.

Skis, shelving, abandoned exercise equipment, books, bike parts, cabinets, tools – all kinds of essential stuff.

In a back corner I find exactly what I’m looking for. It’s a perfectly serviceable bike trailer for towing toddlers.

The lightweight aluminum frame is wide enough to accommodate (Continued on page 40)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 39

Outdoor Discovery School Takes on Huge Challenge Last year while snowshoeing the Bait Hole Trail in Millinocket, I crossed paths with an athletic gentleman on cross country skis. With his wool cap pulled down over his eyebrows and a coat collar zipped tight to his chin, he glided smoothly into the northerly breeze that licked the cold off the crystal snowflakes blanketing the trail system.

As he got closer, I could make out his cold blue eyes and friendly smile. Perhaps it was the piercing wind in his face, or just a friendly gesture, but he pointed his skis slightly inward and sloshed to a complete stop. I stabbed my trekking poles hard into the snow and leaned forward to introduce myself.

Outdoor types share a bond. Often, while out playing around in remote areas, I’ll bump into the occasional person doing exactly the same thing.

Sometimes it’s at a hard to reach fishing destination or someone hiking along a trail in nearby Baxter State Park. These chance meetings usually last only a few minutes,

Because of the excellent cross-country skiing instruction provided, most of the students caught on – all except one student, who I nicknamed “Tumbledorf.” He fell every 15 feet, including tipping over while standing still, listening to the instructors. but often carve an interesting sidebar into my outdoor wanderings.

Three-Minute-Rule The conversations range from trail conditions and weather, to what fly seems to interest the local brook trout.

Once in a while, someone spots a piece of gear and asks for a report on its performance.

Occasionally, however, I get a person who thinks it’s important for

me to hear their life story. I’m a wanderer, so I don’t mind listening, as long as it takes less than three minutes.

I call it the “threeminute-rule.”

This gentleman made sliding along on cross country skis look effortless. At the time, I had signed up for an LL Bean Outdoor Discovery Class in cross country skiing, but had not taken it yet.

About a minute into our conversation, after

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some small talk about the cold weather, I mentioned my upcoming class. He quickly told me that he had cross country skied for 70 years, starting from age twelve. That impressed me big time.

I peered into those cold blue eyes one more time to see if I could detect a hint of embellishment. His next statement confirmed his age.

“Lessons … you don’t need lessons; this is easy,” he insisted. With

my three-minute-rule fast approaching, I could see he thought I was a fool to get professional advice.

As my knees stiffened up in the cold and the three-minute clock expired, we tightened our caps, cinched our collars and moved on. Later on, with my brain fully thawed out, I realized that the old gent was offering me a lesson. My own “three-minute-rule” had backfired, as I am sure he could have taught me a great deal.

Outdoor Discovery The day finally came when my wife, Denise, and I attended the Out(Continued on next page)

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40 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Katahdin Country (Continued from page 39)

door Discovery class in cross country skiing. We boarded a bus at the flagship store in Freeport and made the quick ride to the Outdoor Discovery School on Dessert Road.

Needless to say, I tried to size up our classmates on the ride over.

It seemed like a combination of yuppies, baby boomers, and – get this – a freshly-married couple from Colorado on their honeymoon. As the lone “Swamp Yankee,” I felt a bit out of place.

The classroom portion of the class included some basic orientation and equipment selection.

Getting to touch, feel and wear modern equipment definitely made the experience easy.

Many times, folks like me get into sports utilizing hand-me-down equipment. Recently, I accepted some older cross country skis and shoes that were in great shape and state of the art – 50 years ago. When I got home from the class, I threw them away.

Ski, boot and binding technology has come a long way, and it makes sense to take advantage of all these improvements. The chances of an enjoyable experience increase dramatically with

comfortable equipment.

With that said, my archaic gear got the job done well for many years, and with a little more skill and knowledge I’m sure I could have continued on with the older equipment.

Soon the instructors led our group to a large meadow, where they taught us a few maneuvers that might come in handy, like stopping and turning.

I felt bad for the lady who fell first as she turned into a demonstration on how to get back vertical after a fall – embarrassing and entertaining all at the same time. Before long our motley class was doing laps around the open field. Even the poor “demo” lady seemed to cruise along.

Tumbledorf Aside from one student, who I nicknamed “Tumbledorf,” most everyone seemed to catch on to snow travel using skis.

Tumbledorf fell about every 15 feet. Sometimes he’d just tip over while standing still listening to the instructors.

From the field, we moved on to a trail cut through the woods.

I can see why folks like to cross country ski.

The soft sound of parting

snow with a chorus of soft pines whispering in the breeze lets winter travelers navigate without the help and noise of the internal combustion engine. It’s a joy to connect with the region’s winter wonderland without all the noise.

On the return trip to the classroom I was in front of Tumbledorf, and somehow Denise got behind him. At one of the intersections, I looked back to see Tumbledorf sprawled across the trail. Unfortunately, Denise couldn’t stop quickly enough, so she went down to avoid running over Tumbledorf.

It took a few days for her sore shoulder to feel right again, and I think we both decided we will stick to snowshoes. And, for the record, Tumbledorf made it back to the classroom, a true tale of gritty determination.

For cross-country skiers, the Bait Hole Trail in Millinocket rates as a must-do trail system.

The Northern Timber Cruisers (www.northerntimbercruisers.com) grooms the trails for the ski crowd, and those who prefer to navigate on snowshoes can stay to the side of the groomed trails.

The old gent told me he skis the Bait Hole Trail most days. When I see him this year, I’ll still

Bill and Denise Sheldon pose while enrolled in the L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Program cross country skiing class. The program provides gear and instructors. These introductory courses allow folks of all ages to explore outdoor sports with a minimal financial investment. For the record, the Sheldons came home in (nearly) one piece.

Bill Sheldon photo

have snowshoes strapped on, but I’ll spend a few extra minutes listening to see if he offers me anoth-

er cross country skiing lesson.

¶

Self-Propelled (Continued from page 38)

the hull of the Mohawk. I just need to find a way to extend the tongue to allow for the length of the boat.

I load it quickly into the truck before any other savvy winter dump-goer can steal my treasure.

At home in my basement workshop I make some quick calculations. The canoe weighs 40 pounds. Add 30 pounds of camping and fishing gear. Four miles from gate to put-in spot. Stash the bike and trailer in the woods – launch the canoe and stay for a week, leap-frogging from pond to pond.

Suddenly, I can feel the water under the keel.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

The author’s winter plans are to convert this lightweight bike trailer/toddler-carrier -- found in the Farmington Transfer Station’s “Trash and Treasure” barn -- into a bike trailer to haul his solo canoe. Photo by Jim Andrews

The author says over the years he’s dropped off 2,000 pounds of items at the “Trash and Treasure” barn at the Farmington Transfer Station, but -- to his wife’s concern -- he has brought home 3,000 pounds of items. Photo

by Jim Andrews

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 41

Maine Wildlife: Black Crappies

by Tom Seymour

Black crappies, or simply “crappies,” have inhabited Maine waters since first being stocked in the headwaters of the Sebago drainage in 1921.

From there, their range expanded throughout Southern, Central and Midcoast Maine, and crappies have even made inroads into northern Maine.

In addition to their natural proclivity to extend their downstream range, crappies are aided in their spread by illegal stocking. Despite a possible $10,000 fine, people continue to facilitate the crappie dispersion with impunity.

Many older Mainers have yet to catch a crappie, let alone purposely fish for them.

White perch, the old standby warmwater game fish, continue to hold reign over the hearts of most Maine anglers. But for those who have experienced red-hot crappie fishing, these exotics represent a new facet in freshwater sport angling.

I’ll admit it – I love catching crappies and I love eating them. The flesh tastes equally as sweet as our beloved white perch, and it keeps better and longer in the freezer. And when a school of 12-inch crappies swims by, action can come at a fast and furious rate for as long as the school remains within casting range.

Crappies, being wide and flat-sided, use their shape to advantage when hooked. The fight begins as a spirited tug-of-war and continues on with frequent short but powerful runs.

Crappie Habits Crappies, like any other fish species, have special requirements and a distinct feeding pattern that is contingent upon their age. Immature crappies live primarily on zooplankton, but after two or three years they begin feeding upon larger prey, including various baitfish, the young of perch and bass, and even their own species.

An important point to keep in mind while crappie fishing is that these are exclusively a schooling species, and to paraphrase an old potato chip ad, I bet you can’t catch just one crappie. But since crappies travel in schools, the age, or year-class of the school determines the average size of individuals in that school.

Sometimes a school of large crappies

presents itself, while other times schools of smaller fish are the order of the day. Often, an angler can find a school of larger fish simply by changing location.

Also remember – a 12-inch crappie is a respectable fish, and anything longer than that touches upon being a big fish. I’ve gotten into schools of 14- to 15-inch crappies and have even taken my share of 16-inch fish, but these are far and few between. H o w e v er, in waters that crappies have recently pioneered, it usually goes that the average size for the first decade or so runs much larger than where the species was long established.

This axiom holds true for most fish.

Springtime Spawners Crappies spawn in mid-spring, usually when maples exhibit red flowers, ostrich ferns put out their edible fiddleheads and red quill Mayflies begin to hatch. This takes place in areas with lots of brush in the riparian habitat. Slow-moving streams that enter or exit lakes and ponds make excellent crappie spawning areas.

One pond I fish has prime spawning habitat in the form of a deep, slow-moving stream that leaves the pond and winds through a large wetland. Crappies leave the pond and head downstream each spring to complete their annual spawning ritual.

Once, I stood just where the stream leaves the pond, and watched a seemingly endless line of crappies all heading downstream to spawn. It was an amazing sight, and it disabused me of ever thinking that any crappie population could be harmed due to fishing pressure.

In fact, fishing pressure only helps to keep the population robust and prevents the fish from becoming stunted. A hard-fished crappie pond will keep on producing largesize crappies year after year. Talk about a renewable resource!

As for spawning, year-class fish swim in the same school and spawn en masse. In my favorite crappie spot, large fish spawn first and immediately head back to the pond, where they can be taken in good numbers.

As spring progresses, smaller individuals make the downstream spawning trek.

Oddly enough, many of these small- to medium-size crappies remain in the stream after spawning, and when bigger fish out in the pond fail to cooperate, we can usually count upon these smaller fish to bite. And since small crappies are as easy to clean as larger ones, a cooler full of 8-inch crappies is as welcome as a smaller number of larger-size fish.

Ice Fishing It appears that more people fish for crappie through the ice than fish for them in open water. One man recently told me that he catches plenty of crappies through the ice, but cannot figure out how to catch them in open water. It seems to me that he couldn’t have tried very hard.

It’s true that crappies make a fine fish for wintertime angling, and their being plentiful and easy to catch makes them a hit with young and old alike. In fact, ice-fishing for crappies has largely eclipsed angling for coldwater species on many ponds and lakes.

Unfortunately, many smaller, unsung waters hold crappies as a result of illicit stockings. And in some small ponds, crappies exist through natural migration. These places, mostly overlooked by the thundering herd, offer solitude and good sport.

To find such waters, just make sure first that crappies can be found in nearby lakes and ponds, and then go fishing. Chances are, you’ll find crappies.

Limit your crappie search to warmwater ponds – fairly shallow water bodies with lots of weeds and boggy edges. In days past, most such places held just chain pickerel, but now many of those same waters contain black crappies.

Crappie Future Because black crappies have gained such a foothold in places where they surely don’t belong, it only makes sense to fish for them and take them home to eat. Because of potential competition with native fish species, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) imposes no seasons, length limits or bag limits on crappies.

¶

A trio of 12-inch black crappies. Tom Seymour photo www.MaineSportsman.com

42 ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— 42••February February2018 2018••The TheMaine MaineSportsman Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

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Jefferson Bolton Dennistown Maynard Sidney Jonesport Portage Greene W. Gardiner Canaan Bristol Sutton Rangeley Sedgwick Ludlow Rangeley Wilton Baker Wiscasset Delram Newcastle Moody Burlington Rangeley Newburgh Auburn Hampden Houlton Caswell Richmond Lewiston Fairfield Leroy E. Millinocket Orneville Twp Farmington Little River Rockwood Lincolnville Cornville New Sweden Benton Augusta Newport Fairfield Woolwich Madrid Twp York S.Berwick Oakland Arrowsic Auburn Oakland Bucksport Portland Greenbush Winterport

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Manorville Corinth Fayette Dayton Gorham New Gloucester Gray W. Baldwin Freeport Richmond Bucksport Livermore Turner Princeton Bethel Danville W. Enfield Hermon W.Gardiner Cross Lake Twp Franklin Minot Wells Ashland Ashland Augusta Lyman Stratton Roque Bluffs Bangor Palmyra Waldoboro Bethel Alna Patten Sidney Canton Wilton Canaan Anson Bethel Brownfield Lyndonville Turner Masardis Sebec Murrels Inlet Woodville Madawaska Trevett Lee Rangeley Cape Neddick Masardis Harrington Wells Calais

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Donald Donald Trevor Samuel Mike Miles Michael Leslie J Robert Fred Ronald D Christopher Steven Zachary Joseph E Mark Randy L Joshua Ben Forrest Noah Jeffrey Jason Roger Alan W Frank Keith W David A Allen R Richard Thomas W Jeffery Judson C Brian J Tanner Barbara Timothy A Randy Alan L Terry D Randy James Ronald J Shane Cody Josh Alvin C Carl Jamie Auguste Raymond

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TOWN HARVESTED Unity Fort Fairfield Rockwood Parkertown Corinna Sherman Bethel Rockport Chain of Ponds Liberty Freeman Lebanon Skowhegan Jonesport Athens Adamstown Wilton Jackman Otisfield Warren Woodland Burlington Township 8 Bristol Machias Dresden Masardis Norridgewock Unity Durham T9 R11 Machiasport Sherman T 41 Bristol Garfield Plt Vassalboro Unity St. John Twp Corinth Windham Scarborough Stetson Belfast Van Buren Carthage Bethel Upper Cupsuptic Mercer Union

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Appleton Appleton Parsonfield Prospect Westwood Sullivan Windham S. Berwick Brooks Cornville Presque Isle Winterport Norridgewock Canaan Lee Washburn Waltham Brunswick Bingham Sheffield Albion Temple Oxford Little Deer Isle Bowdoinham Webster Jasper Bucksport Jay Clinton S.Berwick Skowhegan Portsmouth Caribou Topsfield Berwick Minot Buckfield Etna Arundel Knox Lee Mechanic Falls Jay Farmington Westford Albion Perry Moutonborough Newport Clifford

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tival Fes

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18

LAST Doyon Dufour Dunn Duprey Dutton Eames Eastman Eaton Ecker Sr Eggen Elliott Estes Esty Fenton Fessenden Fifield Fitch Fitzgerald Flagg Flagg Flynn Fogg Follette Fortin Foss Foss Sr Fox Frost Fuller Gamache Gardner Geel Gerrish III Getchell Geyer Gillis Giroux Goldrup Graley Grant Grant Green Greene Grindle Grivois Gross Gross Guay Guimond Guite Gushee

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46 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������� LAST

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King Komenda Kubrak Lacombe Ladd LaFreniere Lagace Jr Lake Lake Lambert Lamont Jr Landeen Landry Lane Langevin Langone Laplant Laskey LaVallee Lawerence Lawlor Lee Lee Libby Libby Libby Light Sr Littlefield Littlefield Lord Luker Lunt Maceachern Mahoney Malier Marky Martin Martin Martin Martin McAllister McCarthy McCrillis McCullogh McFarland IV McGrath McGuire Mckechnie McLaughlin McLaughlin McLaughlin II McVey Merrill Merrill Metherell Michaud Miles Miller Millett Momaney Moon

William F Larry Rob Jeffrey W Albert Zach Donald Garrett Robert Morgan Walter Shane Lisa Aaron M Jared Matthew Matthew Stephen E Todd M Brady Mark Tylar Logan Lew Zane Kenneth C Dave Michael L Bruce Richard A Ethan Ian Brooke Tammy Jason Jesse Arnold Michelle Ed Wesley Forrest A James Sally Arianna George A Peter Paul Owen Daniel Shawn Nicholus Charles David J Faxon S Tyler James Mark Tom Mary Drew Jacob Brian Matthew Steven Mitchel Matthew

Woolwich Red Hook Pittsgrove Oakland Byron Howland Sidney Greene Manville Norridgewock Lincolnville New Sweden Princeton N Anson Willamstown Wilmington Baileyville Whitefield Candia Mechanic Falls Merrill Springfield Jefferson Norridgewock Hersey Bowdoin Jefferson Rochester Orland Alfred Farmington Corinth Mattamiscontis Warren Windham Albion Starks Richford Mechanic Falls Winthrop Hampden Lovell Windham Nobleboro Rockport Gardiner Ellsworth Howland Patten Lebanon Detroit Gray Mendon Vassalboro Houlton China Sangerville Princeton Lancaster Brattleboro Enfield

ME NY NJ ME ME ME ME ME RI ME ME ME ME ME VT MA ME ME NH ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME NH ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME VT ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME VT ME ME ME ME ME NH VT ME

TOWN HARVESTED Woolwich Twp 26 Wesley Hancock County Belgrade Byron Orland Parkertown Bowmantown Belgrade Norridgewock Montville New Sweden Talmadge T8 R9 Weld Somerset County Aurora Whitefield Porter Mechanic Falls T8 R4 Lakeville Jefferson Cornville Hersey Bowdoin Jefferson Waterford Swansville Alfred Industry Corinth Mattamiscontis Warren Casco Palermo Starks Caratunk Mechanic Falls Winthrop Hampden Lovell Upper Cupsuptic Nobelboro Lincolnville Bowdoinham Trescot Maxfield Patten T8 R16 St.Albans N Yarmouth Dover Foxcroft Vassalboro Houlton Palermo Sangerville Talmadge Waterford T9 R5 Nicatous

DRESSED 228 203.2 201 205 205 200 202 219 200 200 218 211 202 203 207 200 206 215 209 240 252 219 201 212 203 201 263 215 211.5 214 242.3 200 209 210 213.8 200 218 202 200.2 200 208 223 224 201.4 206.6 201 202 200 227 211 202 201 212 203 210 203 205 206 206.4 201 244

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10/28/17 11/18/17 11/10/17 11/4/17 11/10/17 11/21/17 11/15/17 11/18/17 11/10/17 11/9/17 11/4/17 11/4/17 11/23/17 11/17/17 11/9/17 11/18/17 11/23/17 11/9/17 11/4/17 10/31/17 11/17/17 11/16/17 10/28/17 11/1/17 11/1/17 11/6/17 11/1/17 11/20/17 10/28/17 11/8/17 11/1/17 10/28/17 11/11/17 11/10/17 10/28/17 11/10/17 11/4/17 11/18/17 11/21/17 10/30/17 10/28/17 11/25/17 11/4/17 9/30/17 11/8/17 11/14/17 11/1/17 11/7/17 11/7/17 11/6/17 11/20/17 11/3/17 10/31/17 10/14/17 11/8/17 11/4/17 11/13/17 11/16/17 11/7/17 11/17/17 11/11/17

Moon Moors Morrell Morrell II Morrill Morris Morse Morton Motta Mudgett Naas Nelson Nelson Nelson Neville Nichols Nickels Nickerson Norzow III Nunes Nutting Nye O'Clair Oswald Otis Ouellette Paine Palmer Paquette Paradis Jr Parlin Patterson Patton Paulsen Peabody Pease Pelkey Pelkey Pelletier Pelletier Pelotte Pennington Perry Petzal Phelan Philbrook Pierce Pierpont Plessner Plummer Sr Pohopek Poland Pollard Jr Potter Poulin Powers Pratt Prince Proulx Puiia Pushee

Adam Kevin Cameron Kenneth L Devin Hale B Brian F Eric Stephen Tyler M Hazen E Rachyl Christopher Scott A Jason A Steven C Gary C Thomas Alex J Stephen David Lincoln Arnold Carl Ryan Ronnie Rustin Mike Michael Joseph B Roger J Jeff Stephen Michael J Gregory Regina Kyle Samuel Shane T Nicholas Liam Aubrey Ronald Dave Leo Tyler Darren Edwin Stefan Wayne Christine David M Robert J Kyle Donald A Mia Reggie Hartwell Michael Gregory A James

Enfield Hampden Topsham Standish Falmouth Rockland Hiram Plainfield S.Thomaston Parsonfield Sherman Cornville Winter Harbor Hope W. Newfield Bristol Swanville Palermo Bowdoin Hudson Industry Rome Ashland Rumford Searsmont Stockholm Livermore Falls Dixfield Waterville Industry Westbrook Winterport Springfield Spruce Head Addison Fairfield Gorham Mattawamkeag Verona Island Winterville Plt Waterville Searsmont Vanceboro Cumberland Topsfield Rangley Danville Jefferson Morrill Lisbon Falls Woolwich Danariscotta Chester Quebec Winslow Norridgewock Minot Harpswell Buxton Hanover Grafton

TOWN HARVESTED

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T3 Dixmont T7-R9 Standish Rangley Plantation Masardis Newry S.Thomaston Parsonfield Staceyville Starks Gouldsboro Hope T2 R10 Bristol Swanville Palermo Moro King & Bartlett Dead River Twp Belgrade Ashland Rangley Plantation Searsmont New Sweden Chesterville Mexico The Forks Insustry Mercer Winterport Prentiss St. George Cherryfield Hinckley Gray Reed Plantation Prospect T16 R8 Strong Appleton Forest Twp Eustis Topsfield Upper Cupsuptic Elliotsville Twp Union Morrill T1 R13 Woolwich Walpole T6-R7 T3 R11 Fairfield Norridgewock Minot Sapline Twp Gorham Bethel Allagash

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202 230 220 200 210 203 225 221 247.1 236 200 213 209 201.1 205 210 224 225 240 238 218 202 218 200.5 213 200 204 212.6 200 213 212 211 208 214 235 204 200 200 225 209 207 210 221.5 239 203.5 246 207 221 202 228 218 200.1 234 202 205 201 202 235 202 212.5 236

DATE 11/24/17 10/28/17 10/28/17 10/28/17 11/11/17 11/3/17 11/13/17 11/13/17 10/28/17 11/4/17 11/25/17 10/28/17 11/11/17 11/2/17 11/18/17 11/8/17 11/23/17 11/2/17 11/5/17 11/18/17 11/25/17 11/17/17 11/24/17 10/30/17 10/28/17 10/31/17 11/4/17 11/13/17 11/25/17 11/4/17 11/9/17 10/28/17 11/16/17 11/11/17 10/31/17 11/25/17 10/28/17 11/23/17 11/18/17 11/18/17 11/18/17 11/4/17 11/16/17 11/13/17 11/15/17 11/4/17 11/16/17 11/4/17 11/25/17 10/28/17 11/1/17 11/2/17 11/8/17 11/25/17 10/30/17 11/14/17 11/18/19 11/23/17 11/11/17 11/17/17 11/21/17

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DRESSED

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 47 LAST

FIRST

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Pyle Quimby Jr Quincy Quist Ramsdell Rand Ray Ready Record Reppel Richard Rider Ridley Ridley Robbins Roberts Robinson Robinson Rocque Rocque Rogers Jr Rost Rouillard Ryan Sabins Sargent Sargent Schussler Sears Seeley Severance Shaw Shaw Silvesan Sinclair Jr Siron Smiley Smith Smith Smith Smith Smith Smith Snow Snow Soule St.Jean Stanley

Timothy Eric Dana G Cheney David Dana Jason James Shawn Donald Jeremy Charles J Kyle Bobbi Jo Joseph Bob Douglas Scott Steve Peter Amy Kenneth Adam Kevin Mike Jonas Hunter Dan Kenneth Kris Stephen Cierra Kalista David E Solomon Joshua James Soron Craig CB Matthew Kenneth Bret Steven G James Glenn S Robert Chris Michael J David Joseph L

Port Deposit Turner Windham Newfields Harrington Sweden S.Portland Livermore Falls Oxford Hebron Fort Kent Presque Isle Ashland Shapleigh N. Berwick Sinclair W. Newfield Mars Hill Vassalboro Vassalboro W. Gardiner Cumberland Lewiston Palermo Union Ellsworth Waterbury Berwick S Yarmouth Edmunds Lincoln Whitefield Hersey Fairfield Cherryfield Skowhegan Vassalboro Caribou Lebanon Buxton New Sharon Greenbush Pittston Carmel Colchester Sullivan Bowdoinham Shapleigh

MD ME ME NH ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME VT ME MA ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME CT ME ME ME

TOWN HARVESTED Long Pond Turner Hiram T16 R 4 Deblois Sweden Letter E Livermore Oxford Hebron T15-R11 Mapleton Nashville Plt Sanford North Berwick T16-R5 Newfield Td R2 China Vassalboro T5 R17 Castine Lewiston Lincoln Plt Warren Ellsworth T5 R19 Rangley Edmunds Twp Lincoln T5 R9 Hersey Fairfield Cherryfield Brighton Plt Vassalboro Caribou Lebanon Barnard New Sharon Greenbush Pittston Talmadge Avon Franklin Litchfield Shapleigh

DRESSED 207 204 220 221 210 214 207 202.2 212 202 201 215 251 214.4 201.6 214 256 202 226 202 240 208 201 213 210 233.6 203 235 210 233 212 210 202 205 202.6 210 209 235 213 204.5 203 202 200 225 215 209.6 200 207

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11/13/17 10/28/17 11/4/17 11/25/17 11/10/17 11/6/17 11/8/17 11/10/17 10/28/17 11/13/17 11/1/17 11/4/17 11/14/17 11/8/17 11/8/17 11/4/17 10/28/17 11/25/17 11/3/17 10/30/17 11/21/17 10/31/17 11/17/17 11/13/17 11/11/17 11/1/17 11/14/17 11/14/17 11/13/17 11/4/17 11/18/17 11/10/17 11/22/17 11/13/17 11/7/17 11/10/17 11/1/17 11/20/17 11/3/17 11/18/17 11/17/17 11/6/17 11/16/17 11/15/17 11/15/17 11/9/17 10/31/17 11/14/17

Stearns Stevens Stevens Stevens Stewart Stone Sutherland Sweetland Talbot Talgo Tardy Taylor Tesseo Sr Thayer Thompson Tompkins Tourtelotte Turner Verney Verrill Vigue Vilasuso Wade Wallace Waltz Wancus Jr Warlick Warren Watson Weeks Wentworth Wentworth Wentworth White White Whitley Jr Whitney Wiley Wilkey Willette Willette Williams Wood Jr Wyman Yencha Young

Dan Vicki R Wade Lance Thomas G Travis Joshua Charles A Darren Aaron Larry Jesse Michael Dexter T Peter Parker Kyle Linwood Brett Charles Jeremy J Brent Brandon Alton Gary Edward J Jason Johnathan Pamela M Dean Wendell Christopher Scott Gerard Furnie A Paul A Joseph Rex Jared Wade W Cole Tim Barry Adam R Michael James

Rumford Starks Sidney Standish Alexandria Owls Head Lincoln Liberty Shapleigh Searsport Limestone Brewer Palermo Bridgton Mexico Robinson Gardiner Skowhegan Newcastle New Gloucester Oakland Orrington Bucksport Milbridge Whitefield Prospect Woolwich Wilton Denmark St. Albans Washington Washington W.Kennebunk Hermon Athens W.Gardiner Jonesboro Fryeburg Bridgton Cornville Gardiner Sidney Machiasport Cambridge Swoyersville Monson

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ME ME ME ME PA ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME PA ME

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TOWN HARVESTED Andover Starks Sidney Gorham Somerset County Rockland Lincoln Montville Sandy River Plt Searsport Ft. Fairfield Chain of Ponds Palermo Bridgton Byron Mars Hill Gardiner Hampden Newcastle New Gloucester Oakland Orrington Bucksport Cherryfield Whitefield Knox Woolwich Fayette Denmark St. Albans Washington Washington Kennebunk Carmel Athens Windsor Centerville Fryeburg Fryeburg West Athens The Forks Square Town Twp Whitneyville Anson T8 R13 Monson

DRESSED 214.8 243 204 201 237 206.6 210 230 207 211.5 224 233 215 201 208 224 204 214 265 203 205 202 229 204 208 242 209 201 216 200 263 228 206 201 200 200 229 201 205 218 210 203 214 200 231 201

DATE 11/11/17 11/3/17 11/18/17 11/4/17 11/13/17 11/12/17 11/16/17 11/29/17 11/3/17 11/2/17 11/2/17 11/11/17 11/11/17 11/4/17 11/14/17 11/13/17 11/18/17 11/10/17 10/31/17 11/25/17 11/1/17 11/4/17 11/22/17 11/17/17 10/28/17 11/9/17 11/7/17 11/23/17 11/11/17 11/8/17 10/28/17 11/4/17 11/6/17 11/17/17 11/13/17 11/4/17 11/11/17 11/11/17 11/4/17 10/30/17 11/21/17 11/23/17 11/21/17 11/17/17 11/25/17 11/24/17

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48 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Etiquette and Ethics – What’s It All About?

It was going to be a great morning! Zach woke up before his alarm even went off. The anticipation of hunting this piece of property was taxing his patience. Today he’d hunt a small section of public property, less than 20 acres in size.

He’d bowhunted there a few times in early October, and saw little indication anyone else was hunting or scouting the property. A busy work schedule and unfavorable winds had prevented him from hunting the spot over the last two weeks.

He’d seen two adult bucks there on opening day of bow season, and had a separate encounter with a monster buck the following weekend.

With fewer than three days of archery season remaining and a perfect wind this morning, Zach hoped he’d have a chance at one of those bucks today.

Zach left his house about an hour and a half before legal light. He

If we treat each other with respect, hunters will be able to enjoy the sport for generations to come. On the other hand, if we choose to behave in ways that others, especially the non-hunting public, don’t agree with, our sport will change.

It’s never fun to arrive at your favorite spot and find another hunter’s truck already there. Your response, says the author, is governed by your sense of ethics. Photo credit: Diamondback

dreamed of shooting that big buck during the entire 20 minute drive.

As he turned onto the road leading to the parking area, his heart sank.

An unfamiliar vehicle was already there.

There was little doubt the truck belonged to a hunter. A large antler

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sticker was displayed in the back window.

“Now what do I do?”

Zach thought to himself.

Real-Life Etiquette Etiquette is defined as the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.

Ethics are the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity.

Synonyms include values, rights and wrongs, principles and ideals.

I don’t know why, but it seems as if I heard more complaints this year relating to etiquette and ethics in deer hunting than I’ve heard in a long time. More specifically, I heard lots of complaints about the lack of good ethics, and about the definition of etiquette as it relates to deer hunting.

Some of the complaints I heard were certainly warranted, while with others, I question the validity of the complainer’s argument.

What’s right?

What’s wrong?

WTH is going on?

I believe 99% of deer hunters would agree – it’s highly unethical (and illegal) to shoot deer from a vehicle, at night, with a spotlight and high-powered rifle. The deer are extremely vulnerable, and there’s little sport in this method of harvest.

Most hunters would never partake in such an activity. It isn’t proper etiquette in our sport.

Usually when hunters agree a particular method or behavior is unethical, it’s also illegal.

Night hunting, baiting and hunting deer with dogs all come to mind.

However, some methods, even those just cited, are perfectly acceptable in some parts of the country. Why is this?

Simple – within those groups, hunting using these methods is considered acceptable and proper etiquette.

Impact of Hunting Shows from Different States?

Perhaps a reason for the increase in complaints of poor behavior is occurring because social media, the internet, TV and even popular magazines, have increased the exposure of Maine hunters to practices we’ve traditionally been opposed to?

When we see deer hunters on the sportsman’s channels, shooting huge bucks over piles of corn, mineral licks or flavor-infused powders, we start to wonder whether that activity should be considered acceptable.

However, when the (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 49 (Continued from page 48)

neighbor gets caught doing the same thing next to a property you hunt, it might not seem so cool.

Different Options Present Themselves What does Maine hunting etiquette say about the situation Zach was in? Is it ethical to hunt a small piece of land when another vehicle is parked there? Is it proper etiquette to sit within sight of another hunter in the woods on public or private land? What about hunting a piece of private land without asking the landowner, even if that land isn’t posted?

There are myriad scenarios hunters can experience in Maine or any other state, which should cause a person to ask the question, “What does proper etiquette dictate in this situation?”

Ethics are often dictated by upbringing or shared among a group of individuals. The groups of peo-

ple we’re close to, often dictate proper etiquette or the ethics we have in a given situation.

Zach wanted to hunt that stand so much it hurt. Instead of parking his vehicle, changing into his hunting gear and heading into the stand, Zach knew how he’d feel if he had been there first and another hunter came walking into the forest knowing he was there.

He wouldn’t be happy.

He also knew proper etiquette dictated he leave.

The property was too small for two hunters and the other guy was there first. He needed to hunt somewhere else today.

Smartly, Zach left the hunter a note with his contact information on the windshield of the other truck. He asked the owner to contact him to let him know when he was hunting, so they wouldn’t interfere with each other.

This Story has a Happy Ending The next day, the other hunter called him.

He’d shot a doe at first light on the property, and was tagged out for the season.

Zach went back two days later and scored on one of the adult bucks he’d seen in early October. His ethical behavior and positive attitude and lots of patience, helped him score on his best archery buck ever. Had he disregarded proper hunting etiquette and forced the issue two mornings earlier, his chance at that buck might not have happened, and in addition the other hunter might not have scored on the doe.

My grandfather always told me ethics are what you do when nobody else is looking. With the vast majority of hunters agreeing on proper etiquette in most hunting situations, we should police our ranks and help

those who are ignorant to what proper etiquette is, to do the same. If we treat each other with respect and dignity, we’ll enjoy our sport for years to come. If we choose to behave in ways that others, especially the non-hunting public, don’t

agree with, our sport will change. More properties will be posted off limits to hunting, and the non-hunting public will turn on us just as we will turn on each other.

Let’s keep what we have by behaving ethically.

¶

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50 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Huge Salmon Await Ice Anglers Salmon growth in Moosehead Lake rates as a grand success story for fisheries managers. Over the last several years, the average sizes of coldwater game fish in Moosehead Lake have grown by leaps and bounds.

Bob Lawrence, owner of Lawrence’s Lakeside Cabins in Rockwood, reports that during the recently-ended open-water fishing season, people were taking landlocked salmon up to 5 pounds.

A 5-pound salmon ranks as a trophy anyplace, any time.

A little background.

For many years, an overabundance of smallish togue had practically guaranteed success on any Moosehead fishing trip. But fast catch rates on fish less than 20 inches meant that larger individuals were few and

far between. That has changed.

Several years ago the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIF&W) embarked upon a campaign designed to thin Moosehead Lake’s togue population. The intent was to free up more forage fish – smelt – so togue and other coldwater species, salmon included, would have less competition for food and therefore grow larger.

Well, it looks like the DIF&W plan worked. I was admittedly skeptical, mostly because it seemed to me that togue, a fine game fish, were getting short shrift. But in the end, my fears were unwarranted. The big lake still has plenty of togue, but not quite so many as before. And now they are far larger than prior to the togue purge.

And those 5-pound salmon, a direct result of the togue-thinning, make Moosehead Lake fishing as good as it gets.

Salmon As well as togue have done, salmon are February’s headliners. Much of this has to do with anticipation. The ice-fishing season on Moosehead Lake salmon opens February 15, a month-anda-half after ice fishing opens under general law.

Prior to February 15, anglers are required to release any salmon unharmed and without removing the fish from the water. It’s for sure that lots of big salmon have regained their freedom under the current system. But in February, anglers may keep their one salmon per day from Moosehead. And with the very real chance of land-

ing a 5-pound or larger salmon, lots of anxious anglers have February 15 marked on their calendars.

Salmon, one of Maine’s most popular game fish, are not native to Moosehead Lake, as are togue and trout. So in order to perpetuate the fishery, DIF&W annually stocks Moosehead with salmon. Stocking numbers appear rather sparse, considering that Moosehead Lake covers 74,890 acres.

In 2017 – and this seems typical, numbers-wise – DIF&W released 1,500 8-inch salmon in Lily Bay Township, and another 2,000 8-inch salmon in Greenville.

Given these numbers, little possibility exists of Moosehead Lake becoming overpopulated with salmon.

Note, however, that Moosehead Lake also has some natural salmon production. But this isn’t adequate to keep salmon numbers up at desirable levels, which explains the need for continued stocking.

Fishing Conundrum Ice-fishing for salmon in Moosehead Lake presents anglers with a real quandary. For many folks, an 18-inch salmon, the minimum legal length for Moosehead salmon, seems like a pretty good fish. This especially holds true for those new to ice fishing. An 18-inch salmon, particularly one that has a belly full of smelts and has thus acquired the characteristic “football” shape typical of well-fed fish, looks pretty attractive.

But now consider that (Continued on next page)

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an 18-inch salmon, while a good fish anywhere else, pales in comparison to what swims under that sheet of ice. So what to do upon taking an 18, 19 or even a 20-inch salmon?

Some may say just keep it and call it good, which is certainly an option. However, keeping a smaller fish invites endless second-guessing about what might have happened if that 18-incher were released. Might one of the now-legendary 5-pound salmon have bitten later?

No one can ever answer that question. For those who have caught few, or no, salmon, keeping a perfectly good fish makes all kinds of sense.

This holds even truer for those who have only one day to try their luck on Moosehead.

But for those who either live within driving distance of Moosehead Lake, or those who have booked local reservations

for a longer period of time, devoting at least some of those days to trying for a trophy seems a reasonable approach. In the end, it’s always the angler’s choice. And besides, we could have far more difficult decisions to mull, and any way you look at it, catching a Moosehead Lake salmon – no matter the size – seems one of the better things in life.

Brook Trout Not everyone who fishes Moosehead Lake has salmon fever. Some anglers, realizing that Moosehead represents one of the better wild brook trout fisheries in the northeast, concentrate on brook trout. The hope here is to land one of those increasingly common 4-pound Moosehead Lake native trout.

Brook trout of this size, especially wild fish born in the lake, are not to be found just anywhere. But they live in Moosehead, and people

Smelt-filled Moosehead Lake salmon. Erik Holbrook photo

catch them with some degree of regularity. What surprises me about this is not that Moosehead Lake produces monster brook trout, but that more people haven’t flocked to Moosehead to take advantage of this amazing fishery.

Lots of serious anglers from around the country fly to distant locations just for the chance to take a trophy brook trout. And we have that very item right here, in Moosehead Lake!

While brook trout are found in all parts of the lake, two places, Beaver Cove and the water in front of Rockwood, come to mind as premiere locations for taking huge, native charr.

I suggest that those who are genuinely excited about the possibility of taking a world-class brook trout contact a local guide service. These people know exactly where to go to find big brookies. Many guides offer ice-fishing comfort in the

form of heated ice shacks, as well as bag lunches and hot drinks. To learn more about Moosehead region guide services, check out the ads in this magazine, or talk to folks at the upcoming State of Maine Sportsman’s Show over Easter weekend. If you only have time to hit Moosehead once this season, hiring a guide is the best way to ensure a successful trip.

¶

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52 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Snowmobiling – Pick a Destination or “See it All” A few years back, my wife Denise and I arrived at Northern Outdoors in The Forks for a weekend of snowmobiling. Because my old snowmobile was, well, old, we opted to rent a machine instead of chancing a breakdown along the trail.

While that sounded right for the ever-practical Sheldons, I kept quiet about the urge to try out some new machinery.

Snowmobile technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in just the last decade.

For kicks, I usually take out my 1971 JayHawk, a bogy-wheel tracked machine, and run it with my 1999 Po-

In preparing for a snowmobile trip, the author packs as if he may have to take over as guide. On previous excusions, he has provided guides with many necessities, including – sadly – maps to get them all home. laris at least once a year.

It’s a handful just to keep the old machine upright.

I chuckle when I throttle the ultra smooth-riding Polaris. And, without doubt, a new 2018 would make the 1999 seem archaic.

That morning we met our guide and a nice family of four who would accompany us. Like most guides, he dutifully asked us where we wanted to go and what our goals were for the day. He wanted to

please everyone.

I simply wanted to test the new sled, run up to Jackman, eat a cheeseburger at Mama Bear’s Restaurant and take a few photos along the way. The other couple with two pre-teen children said they wanted to “Do it all,” whatever that meant. The guide’s interpretation of that translated into 10 hours of hard trail riding – and lots of stops along the way!

One of the things I

learned from that trip involved putting a little pre-trip planning into play. That family had no real idea that 10-hours and 150-plus miles on a snowmobile translated into a long day. In defense of the guide, I think we saw it all, and still had time for a cheeseburger at Mama Bear’s.

Bring T.P. Even when employing a guide, it’s a real good idea to prepare for the trip as if it was a do-

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it-yourself affair. Some guides are nothing short of excellent and pay attention to every detail.

Some, however, pay less attention to detail, in favor of pursuing the big picture.

Over the years, I’ve given guides everything, including batteries for their dead GPS, toilet paper, binoculars and – sadly – maps to get everyone home. I’ve gone as far as to share my lunch with them.

I’ll admit, I go a little overboard, mostly because I enjoy preparing for all of my outdoor adventures, to the point where I could fill in for (Continued on next page)

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 53 (Continued from page 52)

the guide if necessary.

And, in a catastrophic situation, that actually could occur. Without going crazy, I highly recommend some pre-trip planning and packing some well thought out gear.

When things start running in short supply, that backpack full of goodies suddenly seems like a good idea. And, don’t worry, you won’t have to announce to the world you’re packing toilet paper, because – believe me – someone who needs it will find you.

Area Destinations One of the many sights we saw on that day included Coburn Mountain (northwest of West Forks, and west of Route 201; Delorme Atlas, Map 40, D-1). At 3,717-feet above sea level, Coburn Mountain is the tallest mountain in Maine that’s accessible by groomed snowmobile trail.

The first leg of the

trail leads to a radio repeater tower. The trail is regularly groomed and accessible by riders of average ability. The trail has no outlet, so riders not going the final mile to the summit often turn around here.

The final mile of the journey requires navigating a steep incline in order to make it to the summit. It’s not only steep, but relatively narrow.

This last trail to the summit requires riders with plenty of experience.

When we went, others ahead of us had trouble, and one sled had left the trail trying to turn around halfway up, so we

THE LAST RESORT

decided not to make the final push.

Use caution, and listen for sleds returning from the summit, as it is a narrow, two-way trail.

We arrived on a busy weekend with folks waiting at the radio repeater tower and taking turns running that short but steep trail to the summit.

It’s doable but requires some decent riding skills and the ability to exercise some caution.

Riders looking for this experience should take advantage of the lower volume of traffic during the weekday.

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In fact, one of my largest salmon to date using a fly rod came to hand just below the falls.

Some folks refer to Grand Falls as the “Little Niagara of Maine” because of its 40-foot drop.

It seems a lot taller when fishing under it.

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(Continued on next page)

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special spot lies in the fact that the seasonal changes make it a worthwhile visit most anytime.

Especially in the winter, with the ever-changing ice dams, the falls rarely disappoints camera-toting visitors.

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54 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Jackman

(Continued from page 53)

derness.

Head East Folks sledding east from Jackman to Greenville do so for a variety of reasons. Fine dining and the many shops that make up the hamlet of Greenville give winter travelers a pause in the trail-riding action and a taste of an iconic Maine destination.

Many of these small gift shops and diners give visitors a taste of Maine with her hair down – the real Maine, not the advertised Maine.

For on-trail destinations, the B-52 Memorial Site attracts major interest. It’s located just outside of Greenville off

ITS 110, and riders can follow yellow signs to the site. The crash of the Boeing B-52 during WWII on Elephant Mountain bears somber testament to the men and women who fought for our freedom during the Second World War. The crash site still contains some of the wreckage from that fateful flight. Many large, identifiable pieces of the plane were left at the site, which eventually became part of the Maine woods landscape.

February rates as the best month to “See it all” in the Jackman Region.

¶

Two rented snowmobiles cruise some of the region’s most scenic trails. The hamlet of Jackman serves as a “hub” for sled jockeys. Trail runners using Jackman as a base have options that include visiting Canada, The Forks and Greenville. Many snow-goers simply enjoy cruising the local trails. Photo courtesy Northern Outdoors

MAINE WILDLIFE QUIZ — Black Crappie —

by Steve Vose

The black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) is a species native to the eastern United States and Canada. Due the popularity of the black crappie as a sport and commercial game fish, illegal stocking efforts quickly expanded the crappies’ range to all 48 contiguous United States, including Maine.

Also known as calico bass or just plain crappie, the black crappie possesses a rich silvery-olive to golden-brown coloration overlaid with a pattern of dark black blotches. The laterally-compressed body and dorsal fin spines cause the black crappie to closely resemble bass and sunfish species.

The largest black crappie ever caught in Maine was a 3 lb., 4 oz specimen pulled from Sibley Pond in 1986 by Wayne Morey, Sr.

Breeding typically occurs in spring in nests built by the male. Males build nests by using their tails to create shallow depressions in sheltered waters near shore.

1. What is the native range of the black crappie?

Quiz Questions

2. As the result of illegal stocking, where can black crappies now be found?

3. What other names does the black crappie go by?

4. How much did the largest black crappie caught in Maine weigh?

5. When do black crappies breed?

www.MaineSportsman.com

Female crappies deposit eggs in these depressions. Males release milt to fertilize the eggs, and eggs and sperm become randomly mixed.

After spawning, the male guards the nest until the eggs hatch, which is 2-3 days after initial fertilization occurs.

As fry grow into fingerlings and finally adults, they feed on a progressively larger and wider array of plankton, crustaceans, insects and small fish.

Black crappies reach sexual maturity at between 2–4 years of age, and those hatchlings fortunate enough to evade predators live for up to seven years in the wild and fifteen years in captivity.

6. What do black crappies feed on?

7. How long does it take for black crappies to reach maturity?

8. How long do black crappies live? * * * * * Bonus Question * * * * * – Is the name of the fish pronounced “crappie,” or “croppie”?

Answers on Page 60

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 55

Electric Auger Speeds Ice Drilling on Local Ponds My old Jiffy ice auger coughed, wheezed and finally sputtered to life like an asthmatic struggling for breath at a dust mite convention.

Loaded with last year’s “un-stabilized” ethanol fuel, and operating in an ambient temperature just above freezing, the poor old girl’s carburetor strained to maintain a healthy purr. Despite her initial complaints, the beast to bored four impressive ten inch holes through the ice. In the process, it succeeded in rattling just about every dental filling out of my jaw.

Then suddenly and quite unexpectedly, something inside the machine made a loud “Clank!” The motor whined, bucked and then died. A quiet calm settled onto the lake, as the auger’s final belches of exhaust spewed out its muffler.

This incident marked for me the end of an era – a final goodbye salute to an old friend. It also proved to be the last time I ever picked up a gasoline-powered ice auger.

Electric-Powered Ice Auger?

Years ago, I would have scoffed at the prospects of an electric-powered ice auger, but the Ion electric ice auger is an amazing piece of equipment.

Powerful, fast and quiet, the 8-inch Ion will drill up to 40 holes through 2 feet of ice on a single charge. A t just 22 pounds, the Ion is not quite half the weight of my old gas -powered ice

Both Togus Pond and Little Togus Pond offer fast fishing that will appeal to parents and kids. However, public access is found at the windy ends of the ponds, so if you are with young anglers, wait for warm, sunny days, or bring a shelter and a small heater to ensure maximum comfort. auger. And there are other features as well: • It boasts special blades designed to create smooth breakthroughs while avoiding jarring stops.

• The Ion’s motor and blade direction can be reversed, so that slush can be flushed down the drilled hole.

• I purchased my Ion about four years ago, and since that time, the company has continued to update its design.

The newest model is called the Ion X, 40-Volt High-Performance Auger. The manufacturer claims this version has the power to drill through nearly twice as much ice as the older models. It also has a center-point blade – like the old Jiffy – that allows precise blade positioning.

The X also features integrated LED lights for drilling in low-light situations, as well as a new trigger and handle shape designed to make operation easy.

Even with all of these upgrades, the Ion still weighs only 22 pounds.

When you can hand a powered auger to your 11 year-old son and have him safely drill all of the ice holes, you realize that the initial investment is well worth the money.

Electric ice augers like this one from Ion make fast work of drilling holes, and improved battery technology means latest models cut more ice on a single charge compared to earlier versions. Electric ice augers are also offered by StrikeMaster, Razr and other manufacturers.

Ice Chisel Valuable Tool I made another investment last year in my ice cutting arsenal – a new ice chisel. Now a sane person might wonder why an individual with a power ice auger also needs an ice chisel, but be assured, there is a need.

My previous spud, a vintage model used by my grandfather, consisted of a long iron pipe. One end had been flattened with a hammer, then sharpened with a file.

While it eventually hacked its way through the ice, I always felt there must be a better way to bludgeon my way to fishing success than by using this ancient tool.

The Eskimo Redneck Ice Chisel is truly the Lamborghini of ice chisels. While I would not use it to hack my way through 3 feet of ice, it is a fantastic tool for easily chopping out day-old holes previously fished by your or other anglers.

Also, if – like me – you enjoy trapping your own live bait, the chisel is indispensable in keeping the holes open and clear of ice.

Let’s Go Fishing Properly outfitted with the latest in ice fishing gear, anglers this month would be well served to chase brook trout on many of the stocked ponds in Central Maine.

For example, Togus Pond in Augusta (see Delorme’s Atlas, Map 13, C-2) was stocked with approximately 1,000 brook trout in the 12-13 inch range during the month of November. While Togus receives heavy fishing action, good fishing can be found on this 676acre pond right through early spring.

In addition to brook trout, the pond also con-

tains a healthy population of delectable white and yellow perch, as well as largemouth bass of the size that will turn heads.

Access to the pond is available off Route 105, about 5 miles outside of Augusta. Limited parking is available along the road, as well as at a small parking lot next to the bridge.

Since the access is at the extreme southern end of the lake, on windy days ice fishermen are very much exposed to the elements. Many anglers bring small portable shelters, while others use their snowmobiles to haul in large, comfortable ice shacks complete with wood-fueled heaters.

If anglers are looking for lots of popping flags, Little Togus Pond (Map 13, C-2) offers explosive action for largemouth bass, pickerel and yellow perch. Anglers should just make sure they walk at least half way across the pond before drilling holes, as the pond is extremely shallow.

As with Togus Pond, out in the middle of the lake there is very little shelter from the wind, so plan accordingly.

When I fish Big and Little Togus with my children, I wait for calm and sunny days, or we bring a small portable ice shack and Little Buddy heater.

Having young anglers feel warm and comfortable means they enjoy the experience, and I get to spend more time fishing!

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

56 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Recap of My 2017 Fly Fishing Season Fly Fishing “Outside the Box” As most readers know, Lou Zambello and I rotate our writing of this column. We alternate months, and when January comes around we even switch it up so neither of us gets the same months from one year to the next.

I really missed writing a January column this year because I always like to include a recap of the previous year’s fishing activity. So this year, for this month of February, I’m going to pretend it’s January and use this column to recap 2017.

I like to try all sorts of new water, different gear, new styles of fishing, and high-tech stuff, as well as traditional activities and older tackle. In doing this, I have found new things that work for me, new places to fish, new people to meet, and old gear that sometimes works better than new items.

I try to avoid getting into a rut, but often find myself fishing the same

The author had an adventuresome 2017, including catching his first-ever cutthroat trout, taking his first king salmon on a fly – and even riding a horse for the first time!

Author’s bamboo fly rod from “Headwaters Bamboo Rod Company” gently shoots flies with plenty of style. William Clunie photo

old hole or stream with the same old gear. I find myself sticking to what works – not really a bad thing, but an angler can miss a huge amount of the fishing world by refusing to fish “outside the box.”

Back in the Maine Stream — A Fishing Program for Disabled Veterans —

Last year I really pushed myself, stretching into new areas and activities as frequently as possible. If any readers find this interesting (I hope so), please feel free to call or email with questions or suggestions you

have about the content of my columns.

When anglers connect like this, and when we collaborate on thinking outside the box, we can dramatically increase our fishing knowledge and deepen the fishing expe-

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New Larger Venue, more exhibitors, new seminars and presentations, casting area to test drive new rods” and this year’s theme is “Women in Fly Fishing.” Come learn from prominent women involved with fly fishing how you, too, can get hooked!

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rience itself.

First Times Last year I had a few firsts, taking my angling skills to the edge and testing my ability to adapt to different situations. Some of these new experiences will never be tried again, while others will hopefully entertain me for the rest of my fishing life.

Last year, I caught my first fish on a bamboo rod.

Headwaters Bamboo Fly Rod company (HeadwatersBamboo.com) sent me one of their rods to check out. I thoroughly enjoy fishing with it … not only because the gorgeous piece of work evokes a traditional spirit of angling past, but also because the finely-wrapped bamboo accurately shoots a fly almost wherever I’d like.

I also tried something completely off the radar – a fishing trip to Montana. Liz Barker and her son Travis own the Ford Creek Guest Ranch (FordCreek.com), just west of Augusta, Montana.

They graciously allowed me and three other disabled veterans a chance to fish from their awesome ranch. I caught my first cutthroat trout and rode a horse for the first time in my life.

I also caught my first king salmon on a fly on a fishing trip to New York’s famous Salmon River. I had several fish take my fly and snap me off, but then a three-foot salmon hooked up, and the guide finally got him in the net.

What a totally fantastic experience that (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 57 (Continued from page 56)

was – and it led to another wonderful and unexpected fly fishing experience.

New Technique Sometimes, fishing outside the box leads an angler into new territory they otherwise would not have explored. Then, while exploring this new territory, the lucky angler gets introduced to something completely different from what was originally intended. Let me explain….

While on the Salmon River fishing trip, I had the pleasure of learning how to catch big trout and salmon using a switch rod from Guru Walt Geryk (SpeyDoctor.com). I have never tried casting with any kind of two-handed rod before, and Walt’s instruction worked perfectly in helping me hook up with a big fish.

Walt also led me to a revolutionary new product for cleaning and preserving fly line, called “Endura.” If you click on his website, you can navigate to a second site to order the marvelous stuff.

I’m not a scientist, but Walt says that all other line cleaners will eventually destroy the line – Endura doesn’t, and it sure makes the line fly through the ferules like no other line dressing I’ve ever encountered.

If any other anglers out there have ever considered fishing with a spey rod or switch rod, do your self a favor and connect with Walt Geryk.

Next fishing season, I’ll be trying out a new switch rod to swing big streamers here in Maine – a perfect way to cover big rivers thoroughly.

New Year So what will I do to continue my “outside the box” angling in 2018 fishing season? For one, I have my eye on a new fly rod – not that I need another fly rod. Some fly anglers get by their whole life with one, simple rod – not me.

I can appreciate the “one-rod concept,” but I thoroughly enjoy trying different things. And I’ve already said I’d like to try out a new switch rod this year, but I’ve also got my eye on another rod – a choice graphite selection.

Several companies have been competing to create the lightest and most accurate fly fishing rod in the world, and their efforts have come real close to perfection.

I visited the Thomas and Thomas Rod Company (ThomasAndThomas.com) last year, and think I have discovered the exact rod needed for precisely delivering deli-

cate dry flies on fine, long leaders to extremely finicky trout.

I fish for sweet little brook trout on remote ponds here in Maine, and the exquisite Thomas and Thomas “Aeros” fly rod will fit this bill just fine. I’ll give it a thorough workout this fishing season and report back here with the results (photos included).

Besides trying out new gear that routinely seems to pop up on the

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¶

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market, I want to try fishing in some new places right here in our great state of Maine. There’s an awesome pond I just found access to while deer hunting this past fall, and I can hardly wait to hit it this spring.

The location shall remain secret, but the photo-evidence will be included in the story…stay tuned.

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Outdoor enthusiasts wait all winter long for the spring thaw and what better way to spend one of those spring weekends than at Maine’s biggest outdoor trade show, the 38th annual State of Maine Sportsman’s Show!

Tens of thousands of outdoors-minded folks will gather for an entire weekend of everything outdoors March 30, 31, and April 1. There truly is something for everyone: over 100 exhibitors, kid zone, demonstrations, seminars, taxidermy, art, photography and carving contests, and LOTS MORE!

STAY TUNED TO OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE FOR UPDATES!

www.show.mainesportsman.com www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Other Tick-Transmitted Diseases In my December, 2017 “Trapping The Silent Places” column, I addressed several tick diseases that are transmitted to humans. I wrote that I would discuss the issue further in a future article. This is the promised follow-up.

Maine residents have received a wake-up call in recent years about how ticks can affect our health with marked increase in cases of Lyme disease.

Another more recent tickborne disease has been much in the news as of late – Anaplasmosis.

Fortunately, the majority of individuals affected by these diseases can be cured if medications are administered in time. Only a few who receive proper treatment will be affected longterm.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Another infectious disease caused by ticks is a bacterial infection known as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). Despite the name, most cases are found in the Eastern US. In this half of the country it’s carried by the dog tick, while in other regions it can be transmitted by wood ticks or Lone Star ticks.

The good news, if there is any, is that I’m not aware of any cases in humans here in Northern New England – although we’ve seen some cases of the disease in dogs in Maine.

The technical name of the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever bacteria carried by the tick and transmitted to humans www.MaineSportsman.com

The tularemia bacterium, sometimes found in muskrats or beaver, is so dangerous it’s officially categorized as a biological warfare agent. Those who inhale the bacteria and do not receive treatment can experience lifethreatening pneumonia and systemic infection.

From Left to Right: Dog tick (male), Dog tick (female), Deer tick nymph. Photos provided by Maine Medical Center Research Institute Vector-borne Disease Laboratory; Scarborough ME

is rickettsia rickettsii. Approximately 600 cases occur in the U.S. each year.

The “spotted” part of its common name derives from the fact that it causes small red spots and blotches, while “fever” is because the disease can cause a temperature of 103 or even 105 degrees.

Symptoms include muscle soreness and severe headache. Eyes can become red, muscles may feel tender, and victim experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and fatigue. The trademark rash begins on the wrist, ankles, palms and soles, and spreads up the arms and legs.

RMSF is treated with antibiotics, and properly medicated patients usually recover without complications. But late or no treatment of RMSF can result in very serious health issues. Googling rickettsia rickettsii online will bring home the importance of seeking medical attention immediately if experiencing

symptoms.

So, if you head south to warmer climates for fishing, remember that there are other critters besides snakes and gators to worry about while playing in the swamps and piney woods. And if your Uncle Fred calls and says he wants to come north and bring his prized quail dogs, encourage Fred to pop flea collars on those canines before he starts on the trip.

Tularemia Tularemia is commonly called rabbit fever, which is a disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Tularemia is typically found in animals, especially rodents and of importance to us trappers, it is most commonly found in muskrats and beaver here in the United States.

It has been reported in all states except for Hawaii.

In the U.S. it was never particularly common, with the disease most frequently found with

trappers, hunters, cooks and agriculture workers.

The incident rate has dropped through the 20th century, and the disease is fairly rare today. This is due to fewer and fewer “city folks” processing and handling their own farm animals – most all reported cases are in rural areas.

Infection may be caused by bites of infected insects (most commonly deerflies and ticks), by handling infected sick or dead animals, by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, or by inhaling the airborne bacteria.

Trappers and hunters can most easily be infected through a break in the skin while handling an infected animal, and more rarely by eating the insufficiently-cooked meat of infected animals.

The tularemia organisms can live for several months in the carcass of dead animals, and the same period of time in mud and water.

Evidence of tulare-

mia in an animal is white spots on the liver. I would suggest anyone eating muskrat or beaver, or feeding them uncooked to pets, to check the liver prior to consumption.

Bioweapon – in Ancient Times and Still Today Interestingly, the disease was first documented in ancient Canaan in about 1715 BC. Three hundred years later it was reportedly deliberately introduced into western Anatoia, constituting the first known record of biological warfare.

Today it is categorized as a viable biological warfare agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is of concern today, as it could be used in a terrorist attack as a bioweapon, and would most likely be made airborne so that the bacteria would be inhaled. Those who inhaled the bacteria and did not receive subsequent treatment would experience severe respiratory illness, including life-threatening pneumonia and systemic infection.

Various natural outbreaks have occurred in recent years around the world. In January of 2011, researchers searching for brucellosis in feral hogs in Texas discovered widespread infections or evidence of past infections of tularemia in populations of the hogs in two counties. For that reason, precautions are recommended for those who hunt, dress, or prepare feral hogs.

Symptoms include chills, eye irritation, fe(Continued on page 60)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 59

Downeast Counties Produce Outstanding Ice Fishing Results I am pleased that my Greater Penobscot Bay (Hancock County) writing assignment for The Maine Sportsman has been expanded to include Washington County, taking over that region from Steve Vose, who is now covering Central Maine.

My column is entitled “Downeast,” and it will contain relevant hunting and fishing news and information from Washington and Hancock counties.

I would appreciate continuing to hear from hunters or anglers from either county with newsworthy items you’d be willing to share with me.

It is my policy to include as much detailed hunting or fishing information as possible – although I also promise not to divulge, without your permission, any secret places or any special techniques you have perfected.

E-mail photos or stories to me at JLem405088@aol.com, or call me at: 207-570-2968.

Biologists Have Good Info In January, I often make my decision to fish a particular water by checking the up-to-date, on-line Maine stocking report. However, in February, after the highest-stocked waters have been heavily fished, I often call one of the Region C biologists to help me decide where to set out my traps.

According to Greg Burr, Region C fisheries biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W), state biologists stocked salmon and brook

by islands or close to the shoreline can also provide fast action.

According to biologist Burr, “For large togue, I recommend Tunk Lake, Green Lake, or Branch Lake.”

Trophy lake trout are often caught in the east part of Green Lake.

Hard-water anglers fish for togue in water depths of 45 to 50 feet.

Togue in the 3- to 4-pound range are often part of a day’s catch. Green Lake has a minimum length on togue of 23 inches.

Northeast of this area lies the “Narrows,” where the majority of game-fish anglers drill ice holes.

This region also harbors well-established populations of bass, white perch and pickerel.

West Grand Lake has 14,340 acres of some of the finest salmon waters in Maine. According to West Grand Lake resident Charlie Towns, salmon in the 17- to 19-inch range are often caught by ice anglers, while larger footballshaped salmon are also pulled through the ice.

Winter brookies caught by the author. Jim Lemieux photo

trout in a multitude of Hancock and Washington County waters this past fall.

Some waters have received more fish than in previous years. These additional salmonids will greatly enhance fishing opportunities for this winter’s fishing.

In addition, Burr mentioned that in the fall, yearling brook trout, brown trout and landlocks were also released into area waters.

Access to the prized fisheries discussed below can be located by referring to DeLorme’s Atlas, Maps 16, 23 and 35.

Hancock County Salmonids Green Lake is an outstanding salmon water in the Greater Penobscot Bay Region (Map 23, C-5). Folks often have good luck fishing for landlocks off Jellison Brook.

Fishing around the near-

Eagle Lake in Bar Harbor Another excellent choice to ice a few trout, salmon or togue is 436(Continued on next page)

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Downeast (Continued from page 59)

acre Eagle Lake in Bar Harbor (Map 16, B-3, B-4). Brook-trout anglers are often successful by fishing along the west shoreline. Other trout enthusiasts have good luck by placing a few ice traps off the inlet streams running into the southeastern end of the lake.

A fall of stocking of 400, 13-inch brook trout and 3375, 9-inch brook trout should supplement an already healthy population of fish. Brookies in the 12- to 14-inch class are frequently pulled up through ice holes; however, a few trophies exceeding 20 inches in length are iced each winter.

Smelts or worms are the usual bait to entice these beauties, although a jig stick and a 1/8 oz.

Panther-Martin lure have produced trout for me.

Brook trout are the principal game fish caught on Eagle; however, salmon and lake trout

are also caught from this water. Folks often catch salmon by fishing smelts just under the ice, while other anglers increase their chances of catching a togue by fishing a sucker close to the bottom.

Special regulations are in effect on this water, so make sure you read a current copy of Maine’s Ice Fishing Regulations before setting out any traps.

Access is gained by parking vehicles at the boat landing off Route 233.

Washington County Ice fishing West Grand Lake (Map 35, B-3, B-4) is one of the finest salmon fisheries in Maine. This 14,340 acre lake provides an exceptional environment for salmonids in Downeast Maine.

In a recent telephone conversation with avid fisherman and West Grand Lake resident Charlie Towns, he re-

Trapping

(Continued from page 58)

ver, headache, joint stiffness, muscle pains, red spot on the skin, shortness of breath, sweating and weight loss.

Testing for the disease includes a blood culture for the tularemia bacteria, blood test measuring the body’s immune system to the infection, chest x-ray, and a test for PCR from an ulcer.

It is cured with antibiotics. The disease is fatal in about 5% of untreated cases, and

ported: “Salmon caught by ice anglers are often of the 17- to 19-inch range; however, larger football-shaped salmon are also a realistic likelihood.”

According to Charlie, the left side of the lake on Upper Whitney Cove and the area around South Twin Sister Islands are both excellent prospects to catch silver-sided salmon.

Regional biologists try to produce an abundance of salmon in the 2-pound range for area anglers. West Grand is stocked annually with over 10,000 7-inch salmon.

West Grand also provides a good lake trout fishery. This fishery is sustained by wild fish. According to Charlie Towns, most lakers iced by winter anglers are in the 3to 3 ½-pound category; however, 5- to 6-pound fish are not unusual.

Charlie also mentioned that he had heard of togue of 18 pounds and 23 pounds being pulled from the lake in past win-

Rubber Gloves for Trappers -Prevention is Easier than Cure What’s the best advice for trappers pelting or dressing animals, especially muskrat or beaver? Three words: Wear rubber gloves.

(In the past, most trappers have been aware of the need to wear gloves only when han-

Sportsman WE’RE GROWING! The Maine Sportsman Magazine is growing and looking to add part-time magazine distributors in multiple key areas of our great state!

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ters.

Two areas that are heavily fished for togue are near Munson Island, and Sandbar.

West Grand Lake has many regulations on ice fishing that include: no minimum length on togue; daily bag limit on togue: 2 fish, only 1 of which may exceed 33 inches; and all togue between 23 and 33 inches must be released alive at once. It is closed to all

less than 1% of treated cases.

Those who experience such symptoms should call their doctors if symptoms develop after a rodent bite, tick bite, or exposure to the flesh of a wild animal.

The Maine

Please contact Chris at (207) 622-4242 or chris@mainesportsman.com for more information!

Five year old Amelia Ames of Bucksport shows off a 15inch brookie she caught fishing with her Dad on the Orland River in December. Jim Lemieux photo

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fishing between October 21 and January 31, and it’s open to ice fishing for all fish during February and March only.

Ice anglers also target whitefish. The Junior Bay area is a good place to set up ice traps. Most whitefish caught here measure 15 to 16 inches.

Members of many winter ice-fishing parties each catch their limit of three fish on many occasions.

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dling animals normally associated with rabies.)

Although tularemia is only a minor threat to the general public, we trappers have a much greater chance of being exposed to the disease. For us, therefore, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

For more information on these and other tick-borne diseases, visit the website of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute Vector-borne Disease Lab.

Wildlife Quiz Answers

¶

(Quiz on Page 54)

The native range of the black crappie includes the eastern United States and Canada.

Due to illegal stocking, black crappies can now be found in all 48 contiguous United States, including Maine.

The black crappie is also known as the calico bass, or just plain crappie.

The largest black crappie ever caught in Maine weighed 3 lbs., 4 oz.

Black crappies breed in the spring.

Black crappies feed on a wide array of plankton, crustaceans, insects and small fish.

Black crappies reach sexual maturity between 2 and 4 years of age.

Black crappie hatchlings fortunate enough to evade predators live for up to seven years in the wild and fifteen years in captivity.

Bonus Question Answer: Technically it’s pronounced “crappie” (like “happy”), although folks in Tennessee and Georgia may strenuously beg to differ.

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 61

Spring-Stocked Trout Show Up In Winter Anglers’ Bags Smith’s Pond, a flowthrough pond on Goose River in Swanville, provides a classic example of how trout stocked in one location often show up far downstream.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) has begun stocking Goose River with spring-yearling brook trout at two separate locations. The two locations are just below the dam in downtown Swanville, and at the Smart Road bridge, nearly four miles downstream from the dam.

These trout give local anglers lots of sport for a month or more each spring. And while some fish remain below the dam until well into summer, many of those that remain uncaught swim downstream two miles to Smith’s Pond, where they find plenty of baitfish to feed upon.

Trout stocked at Smart Road stay for some time in the long, deep hole where they were stocked. But eventually, as the water warms, these, too, head for cooler conditions.

In both cases, these stocked trout remain in parts of the river and show up in winter where hardwater anglers catch them. And often, these fish have grown to 16 inches or longer, the result of a year or more in this trout-friendly environment.

The one caveat for those wishing to ice fish Smith’s Pond is that access is limited. The one path leading to the pond requires anglers to cross a marshy area. This

Ice fishing without a shelter means wet fingers get chilled ’til they’re stiff and numb. But the life of a travelin’ man still appeals to me. Give me a hand-cranked auger, traps and a bucket of baitfish, and point me toward any frozen pond in the Midcoast region. marshy spot freezes later than ice on the pond itself, so great care is required to make the trip.

For those wishing to try a new trout spot – and, I might add, a sometimes-salmon spot too – look for Smith’s Pond in the DeLorme Atlas, Map 22, E-5.

Togue Time February and into March sees the best ice-fishing for togue of the year. The Midcoast region has two productive togue waters. These are Swan Lake and Sheepscot Pond.

Swan Lake togue average an inch or two over 20 inches, although togue as heavy as 10 pounds inhabit Swan Lake’s cold, clear water. Last summer, I had a report of an angler taking a 13-pound togue while trolling.

Swan Lake closes to all fishing in March, at least for this year. So February is the best time for togue.

By now, togue have dropped down to about 50 feet of water. That, however, doesn’t mean togue don’t show up in shallower water, because they sometimes do. But for consistently best results, go deep.

The togue fishery at Swan Lake is a highly productive one, and hopefully it will only get better. Salmon at Swan Lake remain far and few between, probably be-

cause of decreased stocking rates designed to grow bigger fish and decrease demand upon the lake’s smelt. But now, it appears that the smelt population has returned to healthy levels, so perhaps DIF&W will raise salmon stocking rates and put some more salmon in Swan Lake. See Swan Lake on Map 22, E-5.

Sheepscot Pond Sheepscot Pond also has a self-sustaining togue population, and for those who like catching lots of togue, this might be the place to go. Unfortunately, many Sheepscot togue run small, so it takes a good number of fish before a legal one presents itself. But for lots of flags, try Sheepscot for togue.

Before leaving 1,215acre Sheepscot Pond, let me point out that this place is home to some of the biggest white perch around. Perch run between 12 and 14 inches – respectable fish in anyone’s book.

For perch, I like to find a spot along the west shore, in between 25 and 40 feet of water. Try setting out four baited lines, reserving a fifth line for jigging. If you can hit it right, big, humpbacked white perch will cooperate. See Sheepscot Pond on Map 13, B-4.

Travelin’ Man Many of my friends

put up ice shacks on their favorite pond or lake.

This ensures a warm place to stand, out of the wind, while ice fishing.

But leaving a shack out all winter almost certainly dictates that most, if not all, of your time will be spent fishing out of that shack. After all the effort it took to build and transport the shack, the pressure is on to use it as much as possible.

With the exception of rented smelt shacks on the Kennebec River, I’ve never fished out of a shack. And there’s a good reason for that – fishing the same place, week after week, bores me. I enjoy trying different places, having new and different experiences. And being without a shack frees me up to fish most anywhere.

And speaking of fishing anywhere, walking for miles through deep snow just to get to a certain place on a lake was nothing to us in days gone by. Besides that, we didn’t have power augers, but instead used hand chisels, heavy to carry and a real workout to use.

Well, I still walk good distances to get to my ice-fishing destination.

Driving on the ice in a motor vehicle represents a risk I’m not willing to take. And now, instead of a chisel, my tool of choice has become a 6-inch, hand-cranked ice auger.

Perhaps some day I’ll

Traveling light, with no ice shack, means Tom can go ice fishing anywhere he wishes, with traps and a jig rod.

give in to persistent back pain and buy an electric auger, like the ones advocated by the Sportsman’s Central Maine columnist, Steve Vose. These are feather-light and cut fast and well. But at least for the rest of this season, I’ll stick to my hand-operated auger.

Of course, fishing out in the open means the wind plays havoc with me, chilling wet digits to the point that they become stiff and numb.

But even so, the life of a travelin’ man, ice-fishingwise, that is, still appeals to me. Give me a handcranked auger, traps, jig rod and jigs, a bucket of baitfish and set me in any direction.

Midcoast Maine abounds in fish-filled ponds and lakes, and given my “going light” attitude, all these places are fair game to me.

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62 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Lake Trout Cake Sandwiches This month we will explore Chesapeake Bay Seasoning, aka Old Bay Seasoning, for our Lake Trout Cake Sandwich.

In 1939, German immigrant Gustav Brunn developed Old Bay Seasoning. During this era, crabs were so plentiful in the Baltimore bars that they were offered free along with salty seasonings to encourage patrons to

purchase more beverages. Old Bay is a blend of herb and spices marketed by McCormick & Company today.

Personally, I enjoy The Spice House’s (www.thespicehouse.com) fresh, hand-mixed Chesapeake Bay Seasoning better. It is still done in the East Coast Bay Area style, and includes salt, mustard flour, paprika, cel-

ery, chili pepper, black and red pepper, dill weed, dill seed, caraway, allspice, cardamom, thyme, ginger, powdered bay leaves, mace, cinnamon, savory and cloves.

Visit me at the Maine Sportsman Booth during the State of Maine Sportsman Show in Augusta, Saturday March 31st!

Making Lake Trout Cake Sandwiches I LOVE this fish sandwich when out ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or on a cross-country ski trip to a local island. This is my new “go-to” recipe, and I bet it will become • • • • • • • • • •

• •

yours too! The Chesapeake Bay Seasoning from thespicehouse.com really makes this fish cake come together.

I cool off the patties, wrap them in foil to

heat up later. Bring along English muffins or rolls and your favorite Thirst Quencher for a delicious meal.

1 pound Lake Trout cooked, flaked 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup red onion, minced 1 garlic clove, minced ½ cup fresh kale, chopped fine 1 egg white 1 cup cooked quinoa or rice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 ½ teaspoons Chesapeake Bay Seasoning ¼ cup vegetable oil 8 sesame bulky rolls

Heat butter in cast iron pan, add onion and sauté over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

Add in sautéed onion mixture and toss. Form 6 or 8 patties and set on plate in fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

Heat oil in pan on medium high. Add patties and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.

— Kate’s Fan Letters — She Likes it Hot To the Editor: I’ve been reading Kate Krukowski Gooding’s “Wild Kitchen” columns about how she’s been growing the super-hot Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper plants, with the second-hottest peppers known to mankind.

I would like to get on her list to reserve some pepper seeds. Will she be selling some fresh? If so, I’m interested in buying a few for my husband.

I am also going it try her recipe using bison and ghost peppers. www.MaineSportsman.com

Please let me know. Thank you!

Kasha Hussey - Wiscasset, ME

Kate responds: I just put 10 seeds in the mail to you, Kasha. The seeds will also be available at the Maine Sportsman booth on Saturday at the March 30 – April 1 State of Maine Sportsman’s Show, Augusta Civic Center.

—

Another Kate Fan

To the Editor: My name is Lawrence Gooding, although I don’t think I’m a relative of Kate Krukows-

ki Gooding. However, I am a fan of her wild game recipes.

Does she have any recommended recipes for Canada Geese? And will she be at the upcoming State of Maine Sportsman’s Show?

Lawrence Gooding - Springvale, ME Kate responds: Thank you for your note, Lawrence. I have sent you several goose recipes (barbequed goose filets, roast wild goose and spicy bean hole goose). And yes, I will be at the Augusta show on Saturday, March 30. Please introduce yourself.

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 63

Winter Archery in Maine?

Shoot a Snowman, or a Fox Perhaps it’s not readily apparent, but there are a surprising number of activities for a Maine bowhunter to do in the dead of winter. Time dependent, I’ll tackle all of these each year at least once or twice, which breaks up the winter doldrums.

The first is shooting indoors at a local archery shop. Fellow writer and “Southern Maine” columnist Val Marquez touched upon it last month. And I’m glad he did, because it’s a great way to for both kids and adults to stay active in the winter.

The Maine Archery Association holds friendly competitions on the weekends throughout the winter at local archery shops. Schedules and locations can all be found on their website, www. mainearchery.org.

I’ve been to several events over the years, and the folks are incredibly helpful and supportive, regardless of shooting level. The hosts also have indoor shooting at other times, so it’s not necessary to compete.

Anyone can go and shoot during open hours for a nominal fee that doesn’t at all break the bank. It’s fun, social, and everyone is glad to share information for the better of the archery community. All ages, genders and types of bows—traditional and compounds—are welcome.

Ice Fishing and Archery Other than it being colder and the presence of snow on the ground, there’s no reason why folks can’t practice shooting outdoor targets in

Until I’d owned chickens for a while, I did not know they have individual personalities. I became quite fond of one hen we named Dotty. Of course, Dotty was the first one we lost to a fox. That moment, my career as a fox hunter began. the winter – as long as the targets don’t harbor moisture that can freeze, thereby wreaking havoc on arrows. That said, who wants to shoot outdoors in the middle of winter?

I certainly don’t make a habit of it, but there are times when winter archery can be fun.

One thing I do often is bring a bow and target along with me when I icefish. I’m not a good ice fisherman, so for me – like many other ice anglers – it’s more of a social event with family and friends.

However, outside of eating over good conversation and some snowmobile fun, there’s not a lot to do while I sit and wait for a flag to pop.

But having a modest archery setup on the ice can make an otherwise unexciting day a lot of fun for all ages. Frozen lakes provide great spots for practicing long range archery.

In the summer months, I usually practice out to 60 or 80 yards, but in the winter on the ice, if the space is available and there’s no one anywhere nearby, I’ll place a target 100 yards or more down the lake and have at it.

Needless to say, having a snowmobile to get to and from the target makes life a lot easier.

I’ve also learned to pack down any snow around the target to ease the effort of finding arrows when I miss.

While waiting for your ice fishing flags to pop, build a snow sculpture and use it for archery practice. Photo credit: Encurious/Tumblr

If folks don’t have snowmobiles, targets can be placed at shorter ranges to make the backand-forth to and from the target much easier. E i ther way, having open expanses of ice and a group of folks with a target and few bows makes ice fishing more fun.

Shoot a Snowman… or Buck The header above this paragraph says it all.

Kids love building snowmen, so why not have some archery fun afterward? Assuming a snowman made with fresh, light (not refrozen) snow, no damage will be done to any arrows while shooting.

Because snow is no match for a high-velocity arrow, heavy draw shooters should keep some distance, as the arrow may pass right through without much difficulty and keep going.

Kids’ bows, lighter-weight compounds and traditional bows, however, are perfect for snow-

man target practice.

After several hits, a quick patch-job will have Frosty right back in place for more fun. My nephew and I once made a snowbuck—instead of snowman—in the snow, and shot at that.

One thing folks should keep in mind, however, is how the extreme cold affects matter, which it does so by making substance brittle. If the temperature is cold, wooden and composite bows should be “warmed up” prior to firing.

Wooden bows should be drawn back to quarter draw, then let down, then half draw, then let down, then to full draw a few times. Also, for wooden traditional bows, they should be unstrung after use. Warming the wood up while strung may allow the wood to “re-settle” and weaken the limbs.

For compounds, they should be drawn to full draw a few times and let down before firing.

Fox Hunting I was never a fox hunter until a few years back when my wife and I decided to parent some free-range chickens for the eggs. After our neighbors lost all their chickens over a summer to a local skunk, the fox decided our chickens were next.

Until I’d owned chickens for a while, I did not know they have individual personalities. I became quite fond of one hen we

named Dotty. Of course, Dotty was the first one we lost to a fox.

I was in the house when I heard the squawks and bolted out the door, 15 seconds too late. It was that moment my career as a fox hunter began.

Fox season takes place in the winter, and runs through the end of this month. That’s a good thing, because hunting fox any other time of the year would prove very difficult.

They spend enormous amounts of time in their dens in the winter, which they mostly abandon other times of the year.

Several fox may use the same den, and finding one with snow on the ground is as simple as following tracks.

Most dens I’ve found are situated on slopes with good drainage. If I have no tracks to follow, I think about where water would settle in a hard rain, and move upslope from there.

Generally speaking, they are easy to find with snow on the ground because of all the activity.

Hunting them with bow and arrow is a waiting game, but often a successful one, as they will always return to the den.

Good concealment is a must, as they will always be a moving target if they see you.

But otherwise, hunting fox with a bow is an enjoyable time in the woods this time of year, and just one other seasonal activity in which bowhunters in Maine can participate.

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64 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

For Ice Fishing, Tom Likes the Big Lake for Big Fish My ice angling technique on Sebago Lake (Delorme’s Atlas Map 5, C-1) is to jig a spot for no more than 30 minutes, then move on.

One day I had sledded out to the middle of Jordan Bay and had already drilled two holes with no luck. I moved into shallower water close to the tiny island that Sebago anglers would be familiar with.

I dropped my jig – a nickel Swedish pimple baited with a chunk of sucker – into the hole, and let it settle to the bottom.

Reeling in a few feet, I began the rhythmic upand-down jig pattern.

I felt a bump and guessed I was set up over one of the large rocks so common in the area near the island. Another bump – and then a tug – told me this was no rock … it was a fish!

I reeled and played the fish to the surface and was pleased to see how this togue filled the

The attraction of the big lake is not to be underestimated.

Lunker togue upwards of 20 pounds are caught each season through then ice, and there are also plenty of smaller fish to keep anglers excited.

This togue, in excess of 18 pounds, won the 2009 Sebago Lake ice fishing derby for angler James Farrell of Westbrook. Photo credit: Sebago Lake Rotary

hole as it made a lastditch run toward the bottom. After a few minutes I had the fish at the hole and was able to retrieve my jig and send the three-pounder back to his home on bottom. My

Range Pond State Park Open ALL-YEAR! • Enjoy ice fishing (only plowed access to Lower Range Pond). Early Fishing permits available for access before gate opening at 9 A.M. Stocked with Brook and Brown Trout • Kids only ice fishing Derby March 3rd sponsored

by Kittery Trading Post and Sebago Rotary Club • 2018 State Park Passes now available to purchase at the park!

• 2 miles of groomed x/c ski trail, 1.5 miles of groomed snowshoe/ walking trail and 4 miles of additional trails • Park and Ride snowmobile access to Southwestern Maine • Remember, the park is open to hunting; special rules apply

Entrance Gate Closed Tuesday and Wednesday Call park for more information at 207-998-4104 26 State Park Road • Poland, ME Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry www.MaineSportsman.com

technique of jigging-onthe-move worked again!

Finally – Sebago Ice! With the low temperatures experienced so far this winter, the ice on Sebago will likely stay solid enough to permit us to enjoy some great monster togue angling.

As many of you know, the past two years were disappointing for big lake anglers. Because of the marginal ice last season, careful anglers ventured out only into a limited number of sheltered coves to fish.

This angler heads out only when the ice is solid, so that also meant no shack on the lake in the past two seasons.

However, I am optimistic for this season!

I Like the Big Lake There are plenty of great lakes and ponds in the region that freeze

each year, but I like the draw of the big lake.

In my younger years, I’d spend nights off down at the family camp, cusk fishing all night then togue fishing in the day, napping in my ice shack, cooking up some great meals and generally making the best out of a cold winter.

These days, I prefer getting up at the crack of dawn and getting a few traps out and jigging as the sun rises along Tassletop Beach.

Here are a few of my favorite Sebago Lake ice-angling techniques.

Move It As I said earlier, I prefer actively moving around and jigging. Maybe I’m a bit antsy, but I like to keep moving, especially when the mercury dips low.

I’ll set a few traps

with a large shiner or sucker, or perhaps a frozen smelt that I jigged along the coast. The big jack smelt make great laker bait on Sebago.

I rarely get a fish on my traps, but every once in a while I get surprised.

Occasionally a cusk shows up, even in the daytime. If that odd-looking denizen of the deep makes an appearance, he’s chowder-bound, for certain.

I place my traps so I can see them in sort of a triangle, and then head off to jig nearby. Keeping the wind at my back and my traps in front of me, I sit on my trusty old 1988 Ski-Doo Safari 503, jigging away, and begin a 30-minute countdown.

Despite what some say, if I get a fish I stay put. I have pulled up five lakers from the same hole on Sebago, so there’s no sense abandoning it just yet.

If 30 minutes elapses with no bites, it’s off to another spot, maybe only 25 or 30 feet away.

This regimen continues until I’ve had enough angling for the day.

When my shack is on the ice, I jig all around it and use it as home base to get warm, cook a meal or play a game of cribbage.

Jordan Bay is my “headquarters” when the lake is frozen, likely because I know the depths and structure from so many trolling trips across it in the spring and summer. It’s also close to camp.

But don’t let that fool you – there are plenty of other hot spots on Sebago (Continued on page 66)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 65

A Scary, Snowy Slide Down the Mountainside This past December, the beauty of winter’s white took over the landscape, as the region was blanketed in a huge quilt of snow. I hunted ruffed grouse until the end of the year, never letting the snowfall stop me from getting into the woods.

One December day I hopped into the “new-tome” 2010 Toyota Tacoma and decided to hit a few back roads to the north of town. This decision was made for two reasons – first, I had to get some coyote bait in place at a few sites; and second, I wanted an excuse to carry my shotgun along be-

Starting up the steep logging road in my pick-up truck, I failed to notice the glare ice under the snow. As my forward progress stopped and I started sliding backwards down the hill, I realized that the one side of the road was edged by a steep rocky face, while the other side consisted of a 100-foot plunge to the bottom of a gorge. cause I would be traveling through some great grouse covers.

I turned off the pavement onto a well-used logging road. I noticed the gravel road had about a two-inch covering of fluffy snow, with some places showing bare ground – probably sunny sections where the snow melted off.

What I didn’t notice was that in some shaded areas of the road there was a slick layer of ice underneath the fluffy snow.

One the way in I looked to my left and marveled at the breathtaking view of the little brook … it seemed so small, 100 feet down into a vast gorge on the side of the mountain road.

Slip-Sliding Away As I climbed the side of the mountain on the logging road, my tires started slipping, and I wondered if I had forgotten to put the truck in four-wheel-drive. As I let off the gas and applied the brakes, the truck came to a stop on the steep incline.

Then, the whole rig

started slowly sliding backwards.

With a 100-foot drop looming to the left, I gently tried to turn the wheels enough to slowly slide into the right side of the road. The only problem was that the right side of the road consisted of a sheer rock wall. It was my only hope of saving the truck from going over the 100-foot cliff.

Between a Rock and a Steep Place The truck slid backwards against the right shoulder of the road and a small sapling that (Continued on next page)

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Off-Road Traveler (Continued from page 65)

sprouted up from the wall of rocks took off my passenger-side mirror.

The gorgeous beauty that started this wonderful day of winter hunting had suddenly turned into a life-and-death struggle in which I was trying to avoid falling over the cliff in the truck.

I guess I could have just jumped out of the truck and saved myself – letting the vehicle slide over the edge and crash its way down to the little stream at the bottom of the gorge.

However, being an old U.S. Navy man, I made the rash decision to go down with the ship.

Doing a 180 As the truck continued to slide backwards down the icy incline, the front end swung around, and I suddenly found myself sliding down the ice-covered logging road head-first.

At that point, I was able to gently brake the vehicle to a stop in a spot where the road leveled off a bit.

Breathing deeply, I tried to reassess the situation.

The exit from this mountainside hadn’t ended yet – I still faced several hundred feet of incline to descend after this little level area of the road.

The worse aspect of this section of road – a

feature I’d never noticed before – was that the crown had a slight angle that was inclined toward the side of the road that dropped off to the deep gorge.

Just sitting there, I could feel the gravity pulling the truck towards the edge of the cliff. I tried to keep the left wheels hanging in the slight ditch to my left to help fight the crown in the road, and inched my way down the steep incline.

No Laughing Matter I can laugh about it now, but let me tell you this – as I slowly crept down that steep section of the logging road, the only thing I did was pray.

I made it out safely, but let’s look at what I did wrong, so that others don’t make the same mistakes I did that day: • First of all, I knew my tires had only a little tread left and needed replacing.

• Secondly, I should have had a set of tire chains – this alone would have helped me completely avoid the problem.

• And the last and most important thing – I could have easily gotten out of the truck at the bottom of the hill and checked the road conditions instead of just driving right up the hillside.

I already had an ap-

Sebago to Auburn (Continued from page 64)

for winter angling. To the north, the waters around the Dingley Islands produce well during hard water season. Across the lake, the depths surrounding Spider Island provide plenty of fish for North Sebago anglers.

Hardware If you’ve followed my column for the past 23 years (yes, it’s been that long), you’ve probably heard “Swedish pimple” ad nauseam. But I’m not one to mess with success, so I can honestly say, without payment or special treatment from the Bay De Noc Lure Company, that this thing works! I’ve have www.MaineSportsman.com

Dan’s Automotive in Rumford replaced the old tires (see example on left) on the author’s Tacoma, with new Goodyear Duratrac snow and ice tires (on right) -- an obvious improvement in tread and traction. William Clunie photo

pointment to get a set of new tires, but I just couldn’t help control my desire to get in the woods and hunt.

New Snow Tires I am having a new set of tires installed as soon as I finish writing this column. I checked with several companies and talked with their technicians about what kind of tire I needed. At first I thought I had to have a snow tire with carbon studs for backwoods travel in the winter, but they filled me in on the latest in the world of automobile tires.

New technology in snow tire rubber compounds provides a viable alternative to traditional studded tires. Rubber for tires has evolved, such that newer compounds won’t get hard and slick like the old rubber tires.

Older snow tires relied solely on tread design to plow through the snow – when they hit ice, the cold, hard rubber wouldn’t grip for a stop, but would slide like a summer tread design.

The new rubber compounds remain more pliable in all temperatures, but not so pliable that they easily degrade when

an assortment of airplane jigs, tube jigs and leadheads, but pimple is my go-to.

In recent years, I’ve also had good success with rubber tube jigs that resemble crayfish. These hollow tubes get a squirt of smelt scent, perhaps owing to their effectiveness. The enticing tentacles of the tube jig coupled with a scent cloud and the zig-zag effects of a lead jig head is often too much for a finicky laker.

Other Spots Sebago is made up of bays and coves, and many of these coves produce good results. Coves like Turtle, Deep, Camp and Whittemore should not be overlooked by anglers who think the action is on the bay.

used on pavement in warm weather.

After receiving several recommendations, I chose Goodyear’s Wrangler DuraTrac tire for the Tacoma. I’ll let Maine Sportsman readers know how they work for me.

Even though the tread design and rubber compound of the new tires can handle all road conditions, I still will pick up a set of tire chains to accompany the DuraTracs. Sometimes it pays to have chains on, no matter how excellent the tires might be.

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These spots all lie within Jordan bay, which freezes first, and they are early favorites for anglers. Almost all of the lakeshore is private property, so be sure to be mindful to avoid trespassing if exploring new launch spots from shore.

The lure of the big lake is not to be underestimated. Lunker togue upwards of 20 pounds are caught each season through then ice, and there are plenty of smaller fish to keep anglers excited. Togue fishing is, by nature, slow, but these few tips may just increase the action and frequency of hits when fishing mighty Sebago.

Good luck, and be safe on any ice.

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 67

Maine Tactics Work Well on Pronghorns Surprisingly, as I settled into a blind overlooking a waterhole in Wyoming, I felt right at home. The view was quite different though – bear hunting over bait in Maine’s cedar swamps, where you can only see 20 yards, at best, is quite a different matter from bowhunting over a waterhole with views over ten miles and an effective shooting range of only 30 yards.

However, lessons learned bowhunting bear and turkey from pop-up blinds here in Maine helped me kill a pronghorn on the eastern plains of Wyoming in August. The same tactics are involved – the lessons learned in swamps of Maine enabled me to cleanly kill a pronghorn with an arrow at 20 yards.

I first saw the pronghorn sky-line on a ridge over a mile away. It was only a dot on the horizon but it wasn’t there a few minutes ago, peering through my binoculars it was confirmed a pronghorn buck with good horns shining black in the sunlight.

Western Prairies Aren’t Flat Folks from the east have a misconception of western prairies – we think that they are flat, when in reality they are a network of rolling hills with gullies and washouts that game appear and disappear into in a blink of an eye. And disappear – that’s exactly what this buck did.

I knew, though, that like bear coming to bait in Maine, the buck would,

Lessons learned bowhunting bear and turkey from popup blinds here in Maine, and a great deal of practice, helped me cleanly kill a pronghorn on the eastern plains of Wyoming with an arrow at 20 yards.

Even at only one yard away, this mule deer never detected the author inside the blind because he closed all back windows, and had black shirt and face camo on -- lessons learned bear and turkey hunting in Maine.

sooner or later, come to water, and that it would be during daylight hours.

Pronghorn move during the day and bed at dark.

They water at least once a day if water is available, which is the reason my blind was stationed at this remote waterhole.

As the blazing sun rose in the sky, temperatures reached triple digits, heat waves shimmered over the landscape. Pronghorn and mule deer came, drank and left all morning long, but no sign of a mature pronghorn buck. Then, out of nowhere, there he stood –100 yards away, staring intently at the water hole.

Pronghorn are magnificent animals. This one stood out against the green rolling plains offering a great photo opportunity, I clicked a few photos with my camera with a 300 mm lens. Then he slowly circled the area checking for danger which took over an hour.

He continued watching the waterhole for at least another hour and then disappeared behind me. Looking out a small opening in the back of the blind, I saw he was at 40 yards. I slowly placed my camera on the ground and nocked an arrow.

Even though I’d been practicing out to 60 yards from a blind all summer

for this shot opportunity, still I decide to wait for a closer shot.

Much like a bear coming to bait here in Maine, the animal here will come to drink, and a shot at a relaxed animal either eating or drinking is always wise with a bow.

A Plan Comes Together It happened quickly – he committed to drink, walked in, lowered his head and drank. I slowly drew, checked to ensure my compound was clear of the blind, then checked that my arrow would clear the blind window – both issues I’ve had hunting turkey and bear in

Maine.

Placing the pin behind his shoulder, I took a few seconds and then the little voice in my head said release. It was a perfect hit with total penetration; the arrow hung from the opposite shoulder, only held there by the vanes. He jumped, turning in the air, ran ten yards and stood looking around then his legs wobbled and he dropped dead.

Preparation and practice, along with a lifetime of bowhunting experience in Maine, were the reason for my success – a weakness in any of these factors would have caused a much more difficult hunt with possible wounded game. My preparation for this western hunt of a lifetime was the key to my success.

Getting Ready First, and most important, I needed to address target panic that I’d developed over the years without proper shooting form. To improve, I joined “Maine Archery Association,” NFAA and USA Archery, received in-depth training and became a Level II archery instructor.

I had to completely rebuild my shoot process.

I started shooting in tournaments, too. Shooting at a small X ring, year round, made me a better shot at game. Even though my scores are bad on paper, on the pronghorn 3-D I shot over the summer, I became deadly accurate.

Next, the 3-D I made from an old beat-up deer target that was painted (Continued on next page) www.MaineSportsman.com

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My 2017 Deer Season My Dad got a deer on opening day – the same day much of the state lost power. Luckily, our butcher had a walk-in freezer and a generator. A week later, power was restored, so it was my turn to hunt.

Two years ago, when I was twelve years old, I shot a really nice 8-point, 210-pound buck, but in 2016 and during the first few weeks of the 2017 season, we really didn’t see much for big deer.

During those early weeks of the 2017 season I passed up some does, because I was holding out for a buck. However, as the season began to wind down I knew I would probably take a doe.

I went out and hunted a lot of the time with my buddy Andrew this year because I already shot three deer (the big one in 2015, and does in 2014 and 2016) and I wanted to see him get one. He saw a doe, but she had

some young ones with her, so we let her walk.

“Hey, there’s always next year, so we will try to make it up with a turkey this spring,” I said to Andrew, to cheer him up.

butcher gave us the meat from Dad’s deer, we had to go get ice in order to keep it cool.

At least we didn’t lose the meat – that would not have been good.

Wind-storm Blackout Causes Concerns My dad shot a doe the first Saturday of the season, the same Saturday (October 30) that much of the state lost electrical power. The lack of electricity almost caused a big problem for him, since we did not have refrigeration and the air temperature was too warm to leave the meat hanging.

Luckily, the butcher had a walk-in freezer, with a generator for back-up power. When the

Power (and Hunt) Back On Then a week later, the power was restored and the hunt for me was back on.

As the season progressed and neared the end, I just wanted a deer.

So we walked through an area that had a lot of deer in it.

We bumped three or four deer. I saw a spike horn, but we didn’t think any of the deer saw us, so we just sat down against

The author’s biggest-ever deer was this 208-pound buck, shot in 2015 when the author was 12 years old. This past season, he took a spike-horn.

a tree and didn’t move.

We could hear the deer snorting and blowing at us but they couldn’t smell us so eventually they came back.

I could clearly see that spike, so I raised my rifle, aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger. The deer traveled only 25 feet – a double-lung shot; a clean kill. I was pleased,

especially because the last time I shot at a deer, I’d hurried the shot and missed completely.

Even though it was a spike and not a monstrous, wide-tined trophy, I was just as happy.

This was a nice deer to fill the freezer.

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Southern Maine (Continued from page 67)

as a pronghorn and the handmade wooden, black antlers I placed on its head was shot out to 60 yards over the summer. A month prior to the hunt, I set up a blind and practiced shooting out the windows from different shot angles.

As the hunt neared, I shot over 50 arrows a day. While sitting in the blind with broadhead-tipped arrows, my confidence grew. Equipment wise, Kittery Trading Post’s archery department had set up and tuned my bow, and I’d planned and staged all the gear for my hunt. It was what I did here in Maine that made the difference – not luck on the plains.

Not for Everybody

Maine hunters who want a dream hunt out west should consider pronghorn. It’s not an easy hunt, requiring 15-hour waits in 100-degree heat and potential long shots in windy conditions. It requires pinpoint accuracy. www.MaineSportsman.com

Val passed on this 40-yard shoot and waited another hour for a 20-yard shot. Like with Maine bear, it’s important to wait until the animal commits to feed or water.

I hunted with “Table Mountain Outfitters” – you may have seen their TV program on the Sportsman channel, “Life at Table Mountain Outfitters.” You could do a DIY hunt which will require hunting on public land and a lot of research and scouting along with dealing with a low success rate.

I chose the guided option. I’m too old to stumble and bumble around searching for

Val and his pronghorn, taken cleanly with an arrow at 20 yards, using skills perfected here in Maine. All photos by Val Marquez

hunting locations out west.

Bring a camera, become totally prepared mentally, physically and equipment-wise.

It’s the ground work here in Maine that will make for success in the west. Check my Facebook page for additional photos of the hunt.

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 69

Yellow Wabler is Tom’s Secret Brown Trout Weapon It was one of those days – nothing I could do would elicit a strike from a brown trout. My only hope was to scour my tackle box, looking for something that might pique the fish’s interest.

After I tried and discarded a number of trolling lures, a bright-yellow wobbler caught my eye. It was a Williams Wabler with a silver back and bright-yellow face, checkered with small red diamonds. This was, for sure, an attractor lure – not an imitation of anything from nature.

So mostly to satisfy myself that no lure was left untried, I tied on the little yellow lure and began trolling. Bang! A brown trout nailed the little lure almost as soon as it hit the water. And lots of other trout followed suit.

What began as a poor day of fishing quickly became a bang-up day, thanks to the yellow-andred wobbling lure.

Williams, maker of the famous Mooselook Wobbler, introduced its Wabler line more than 100 years ago, and it was this lure, if not this color pattern, that set the company up for its place in angling history.

Attractor Lures Despite the Williams Wabler’s long and honorable history, I rarely meet an angler who has one in their tackle box. Hopefully, this will soon change, because Wablers in this color pattern represent one of the hottest brown trout lures around.

Of course, Wablers come in a wide variety of colors and color combina-

A yellow and red Williams Wabler does to brown trout what an Edson Tiger Light bucktail does to brook trout – that is, it drives them wild. Those colors figure prominently in brook trout flies, and the same combo has a similar effect on brown trout.

Williams Wabler in yellow and red, a super lure for brown trout.

tions. But for purposes of this article, I mean the Wabler in bright yellow with red triangles. Also, I’ve found that the smaller varieties (Wablers come in all sizes) work best for trout.

So what makes this rather little-known – at least in Maine – lure so effective on trout? Well, to my mind, a yellow Wabler does to brown trout what an Edson Tiger Light bucktail does to brook trout. That is, it drives them wild. Yellow and red have figured prominently in brook trout flies, and the same color combo has a similar effect on brown trout.

We know we can fool trout with a skillfully presented, exact representation of some natu-

ral insect or baitfish. But sometimes, when trout seem reluctant to fall for the obvious, it’s time to switch to something altogether different. And a Williams Wabler in yellow and red certainly ranks as something altogether different.

The beauty of an attractor-type lure is that its effectiveness is not connected to anything living in the stream, lake or pond where trout live.

Instead, the brilliant colors trigger some strike mechanism buried deep in a trout’s tiny brain.

Casting, Too While most of my fishing with Wablers was by trolling, small versions of this lure perform well when cast. Last fall, I was fishing a large pool

for brown trout that refused any and all of my offerings, just as those brown trout did that day out trolling. And as it turned out, my next step was predictable.

Whipping out my little box of light and ultralight lures, I spied a tooth-marked Wabler. A point on one of the treble hooks was bent down, but it was flexible enough to allow me to straighten it out by grasping it with

my ever-present hemostat.

The spoon, despite its diminutive size, had some heft and cast like a bullet, landing farther out than any of the other lures.

And as the spoon settled, a fish struck it. This happened so fast that my instincts were unable to respond quickly enough and the fish was just lightly hooked. It leaped clear out of the water – something brown trout often do during times of cool water temperatures.

After that, I was primed to strike at a moment’s notice. And to my surprise, brown trout hit the lure repeatedly as it fluttered toward bottom, as well as on the retrieve.

This “flutter-down” kind of spoon fishing was until now reserved to the lightest lures. But the Wabler, despite its weight, fluttered slowly to bottom, shining and sparkling and driving brown trout absolutely nuts.

If your local tackle shop doesn’t have a yellow Wabler, ask them to order some. The Catalogue code is DMD, and the product description calls it “yellow and red with silver back.” I predict once you begin using one of these lures, you’ll never again go out without one or two in the (Continued on next page)

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Great for Trolling, Casting and Jigging. www.MaineSportsman.com

70 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

The Young Maine Sportswoman with Alyssa Sansoucy Life for Deer in Winter Home Away from Home In Maine, the winter months can get pretty tough for deer, especially if there is a lot of snow covering their food sources.

Deep snow also makes it more difficult for them to make their way through the woods to escape predators.

Feeding deer is not usually a good idea, but if you do it you have to know how to feed them and what to feed them.

Predators Coyotes can kill a large number of deer in the winter, especially if they get into a deeryard that has deep snow.

A coyote’s paws and light weight allow the animal to move more easily along the top of the snow than can deer, whose sharp hooves break through any thin crust.

Some of our state’s hunters, especially in Western Maine, specifically hunt coyotes in the winter than are hanging

around deer yards.

The hunters do this in order to reduce the number of deer killed by the coyotes.

they are full. However, in the winter, corn can get very hard to digest, so deer can’t get nutriNatural Food tion from it.

Sources Also, if corn Change In the win- Healthy deer move through a deeryard in Allagash on a sits around, gets ter, a remark- January day. Photo credit: Stacy Belanger, Eagle Lake and wet a few able thing hapserve energy as best they times, it pens to a deer’s stomach can. can get moldy, which can – it changes, to allow the

When humans feed make deer sick. deer to get nutrition from deer, it can cause several different food sources.

Reliance kinds of problems.

Since soft moss, li A second reason not chens and fresh green plants are under the snow, deer turn to woodier foods, like bark off trees, and buds. The changes in their stomachs allow them to eat this fibrous food.

Their systems also adapt – their bodies get accustomed to eating less food, and the deer learn to work very hard to get what they can. They move around less, to con-

Problems with Feeding Deer Biologists say the best way to feed deer is to cut down a few hardwood trees on your own property deep in the woods, so deer can nibble at the upper branches. That way, they are getting natural food.

Some people put out corn. The problem with that is, the corn fills up the deer so they feel like

to feed deer is that they get accustomed to eating a lot of food during a time when they don’t usually eat much. They will expend more energy than usual.

Then, if the feeding schedule stops, they are in big trouble. They depended on the food that was left out for them, and now they have to try to find fibrous food in the snow-covered woods.

Trout Fishing (Continued from page 69)

tackle box.

Tiny Trolls While downsizing lures sometimes gets persnickety trout excited, the same holds true for lake trolling sets. In my younger days I was certain that the larger the string of Dave Davis lake trolls, the better the chances of success. Now I’m not so sure.

It has become my habit to switch from heavy lake troll sets to dodgers because dodgers don’t offer much water resistance and make it more fun catching fish. But until only recently, it never occurred to me to downsize my lake trolls.

Several years ago I was trying out a 12inch set of trolling blades from a now-defunct tackle company. Unfortunately, a snag on the bottom claimed my troll set, but not before I landed several respectable www.MaineSportsman.com

Breck’s gang trolls with fluted blades -- super attractors for trolling.

brown and brook trout with it.

So looking around for another source of miniature trolling sets, I stumbled across Lake Clear Gang Trolls, listed in the Williams catalogue. These have three blades and measure 12 inches long. The wire also has four red beads, adding to the set’s allure.

Color patterns vary, with gold, silver, copper, silver-and-copper and silver-andgold being available. These are about the nicest, shiniest lake trolls I have ever en-

183 State Street Suite 101 Augusta, ME 04330

Over-crowding Feeding can lead to deer crowding into a small space, which can result in the easy spreading of disease.

And if the feeding location is near a road, deer will cross the road in daytime or nighttime to get to the food, which can cause automobile accidents.

Importance of Evergreens Finally, it’s important for sportsmen and environmentalists to protect deeryards and thick areas of woods. Don’t cut down fir trees, since deer use the protection of their branches to bed down.

Evergreen trees retain most of their needles all winter long, and deer use the trees to hide behind, making themselves less visible to predators.

Deer use the trees as protection against the wind and blowing snow.

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countered. I plan on logging lots of hours on the water this coming season, pulling a baitfish or bucktail behind one of these lake trolls.

Thinking back, it occurs to me that my Grandpa and others in his age group used to troll for white perch with these tiny troll sets. They used worms instead of baitfish, and sometimes took trout as well as perch.

I remember seeing one proud angler with a hefty rainbow trout he took while trolling a miniature trolling rig for white perch. Why it didn’t occur to me back then to try for trout with one of these little sets remains a mystery.

But better late than never. You can bet that I’m itching to get out on the water, equipped with a tiny trolling set. You can do the same, since there’s plenty of time before spring to stock up on these efficient and attractive fish-catchers.

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 71

German Shotgun Bespeaks Finest Quality Americans admire German innovation and design. They truly respect the quality and distinction of German manufacturing. Teutonic inventions such as the Christmas tree, the Volkswagen Beetle and the hot dog are German imports turned icons. BMW and Mercedes automobiles bespeak quality and status every bit as much as Swiss timepieces or French cuisine.

In the 18th century, German craftsmen created the quintessential American rifle – the misnamed Kentucky Long Rifle. After settling in Pennsylvania, German immigrant gunsmiths melded art and technology, form and function into firearms that still symbolize our continental expansion.

Modern German firearms symbolize the

From the leather case, I first drew out the bright, clean walnut stock and impeccable engraved and case-colored receiver. The piece, manufactured prior to the Second World War, appeared unused. All the screws were still aligned the way the maker set them. essence of quality and performance, too. Yet, German-branded sporting rifles and shotguns do not seem to enjoy the same levels of popularity as firearms from other sources.

Whether in the field locally, or across the United States, any sampling of shooters will turn up more arms from Great Britain, Spain or Italy than East, West or a unified Germany.

German-made products from firms such as Heym, Merkel, Blaser, Sauer, and Krieghoff deserve more popularity with American shooters.

Cost is a factor, but for

those seeking first quality, the cost of a German firearm aligns with more well-known guns by Perazzi, Guerini, Churchill, Brown, Beretta, Arrieta, Francotte, or AyA. Although German firearms are never cheap or even inexpensive, most of that country’s makers do offer more affordable models. In the same vein, for every Mercedes-Benz on the road, eight or ten Volkswagens come down the pike.

The used-gun market also offers opportunities to get a best-quality rifle or shotgun at lower cost.

the Germans their due, this installment of “The Shooter’s Bench” will feature first, a fine German shotgun that landed here, while next month we’ll cover a very special German-made rifle. Between them, those two examples may spark some interest in, and appreciation for, firearms from the Teutonic states.

Not long ago, an old and close friend named Michael brought me a side-by-side shotgun he

purchased along with several other guns in an estate sale. As soon as I saw the old, but hardly worn, leg-o-mutton case, I knew a story lay inside.

In almost 50 years of hunting, fishing, hiking the high country and canoeing the marshes with Michael, I’ve learned that he always finds the bargains. The rich brown of the old leather case said this would be no different.

Tugging on the strap to release the buckles revealed the shotgun’s three components tucked into separate compartments within the 32-inch case. I first drew out the (Continued on page 73)

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72 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

The Battle Against Northern Pike in Pushaw Lake I loaded my kayak into the back of the truck, put my fishing pole in the cab, and headed to Pushaw Lake in Hudson, just a few minutes from my house.

After launching the kayak and paddling to my favorite spot, I threw out my first cast. I expected to catch smallmouth bass, yellow perch or even some pickerel.

However, after three hours of changing lures and adding worms, I hadn’t caught a single fish. This was extremely unusual.

Afterwards, on my walk up the landing ramp, I noticed a red sign that I had never seen along my hometown lake.

Pike? I thought. In Pushaw? That can’t be right.

But it was. I immediately wondered whether the lack of action was the direct result of the new invasive species in my lake.

Invasive Species An invasive species is any plant or animal that’s non-native to an ecosystem, whose introduction to the area causes economic, environmental or health harm. Pike are native to Canada and

If the pike population spreads unchecked, the voracious species could decimate the Penobscot watershed smallmouth bass fishery. Further, they may devour stocked smolts essential to the Atlantic salmon restoration program. This makes pike a major concern to fishery biologists, conservationists, and sportsmen alike.

Alaska, not pike a major Maine. The concern to fact that they fishery biolwere here, ogists, concausing harm servationists, in the ecosysand sportstem of my lomen alike. cal lake, was In Sepmind-bogtember 2009, gling. a pike was I learned caught downthat pike stream of were introthe dam in duced to the Pushaw This sign greeted the author at the Pushaw Lake launch site.

Pushaw Lake Stream, sigduced by humans, either in 2003, probnaling that inadvertently or on purably as the result of illethey may be on their way pose. And once northgal stocking. to invading other parts of ern pike are established, Illegal stocking, also the Penobscot River watheir seemingly insatiacalled “bucket stocking” tershed. Local authorities ble appetite leads to rap(because non-native speasked that all fishermen id growth and an increase cies can be transported in catching pike kill them, in their population. buckets from one water rather than releasing body to another) is not them back into the water Constitutes Threat to an activity practiced by where they would breed Area Fisheries responsible fishermen. and prey on all other fish If the pike population Stocking decisions should species. spreads unchecked, the be left to the professional voracious species could Pushaw – Good Food fish biologists at Maine’s decimate the Penobscot and Cover for Pike DIF&W. watershed smallmouth Pike tend to lurk If pike were in Pushaw bass fishery. Further, in the cover of vegetafrom illegal stocking, this they may devour stocked tion in a lake’s shallow, would be consistent with smolts essential to the Atwarm waters near shore. the reality that most inlantic salmon restoration Pushaw is a warm-wavasive species are introprogram. This makes

ter lake with an average depth of about only 11 feet, with lots of vegetation to provide cover. This makes Pushaw a perfect home for pike.

Ninety percent of a pike’s diet is smaller fish.

Their preferred forage fish are yellow perch, sunfish, minnows, and suckers. However, if there are not enough smaller fish available, they supplement their diet by eating any living creature their huge jaws can engulf, including frogs, crayfish, waterfowl and small rodents.

When pikes consumer forage fish, they are also harming large fish such as bass and pickerel, because they are competing directly for the same food source.

Secret Life of Pike Female northern pike become sexually mature at three or four years of age, and males at two to three years. After reaching sexual maturity, pike continue to gain weight, although more slowly.

Northern pike have an average life span of six to eight years, with some living as long as 15 years.

And the pike’s sex life – or more properly, (Continued on next page)

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their spawning season – has posed a challenge for those making efforts to rid Pushaw of pike by netting them.

Starting in 2005, DIF&W administered a trap-netting program for pike in Pushaw – in the lake, as well as in the inlet and the outlet.

The netting was done in collaboration with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, with assistance from the Maine Atlantic Salmon Federation. Their goal –

to document the spread of pike, and to eradicate the species.

The 2011 netting results were sobering. Officials announced, “The 78 fish caught averaged 26.7 inches long and 4.9 pounds. The largest fish caught weighed 17 pounds. All the fish netted were killed.”

What makes the netting difficult is the spawn season of the fish. Maine’s fisheries biologists target spawning fish for their trap-netting efforts, since finding pike as they move

into the shallows is the most efficient method.

But pike spawn early in the spring – too early to catch, in some cases.

In 2012, Tom Hennessey wrote an article for the Bangor Daily News about trap-netting pike. Before writing the piece, he went net fishing with biologists in Pushaw. Later, he described the results.

The first pike they netted, he reported, was an eight-pound female, capable of producing over 20,000 eggs!

Faded Memories of Diverse Species?

Fishing in Pushaw Lake has been, and always will be, one of my favorite memories.

Now that there is an infestation of northern pike in my lake, the biodiversity is decreasing.

What has changed over the last few years, however, is that now most people know about it.

Game wardens have done a great job placing signs and making public service broadcasts re-

garding the species. Anglers are excited to bring a pike into their boat, because by killing it, they are slowing the spread of pike and are help the ecosystem remain diverse.

I hope the effort to eradicate pike is successful, and I can’t wait for days of great fishing again at Pushaw.

Guest writer, Kylee Townsend, is an Environmental Studies student at the University of New England.

¶

Shooter’s Bench (Continued from page 71)

bright, clean walnut stock and impeccable engraved and case-colored receiver. The piece appeared unused.

Next came the 26-inch blue steel barrels, and last, the hand-checkered forearm with a little tiny Schnabel tip. Assembled, the three components fitted together with all the delicate authority the master craftsmen imparted to it. I smiled and clucked at the beauty of it. I uttered something like, “Michael, you lucky dog.”

Bird Gun From the twin muzzles to the stylized “S” on the plastic butt plate, indicating a J.P Sauer & Sohn origin, the gun seemed new.

All the screws aligned the way the maker set them. The graceful pistol grip bore a black grip cap to match the butt plate, and hand-cut checkering matched that on the forearm.

The action is an Anson Deeley-type boxlock fired by double triggers. The 16-gauge chambers call for 2¾ -inch shells. The chokes are fixed: cylinder in the right barrel and improved cylinder in the left. The action employs extractors to remove spent shells, rather than ejectors.

A small ellipse carved into the solid rib spells out “J.P. Sauer & Sohn Suhl Germany.” However, both barrels bear the inscriptions of “Friedrich Krupp Essen.” The markings indicate production before World War II. Renowned for the quality of its steel, Krupp was one of Germany’s leading industries. Allied bombing destroyed the Krupp steel works, and in the closing days of the war Suhl fell to invading Soviet forces.

Founded in 1751 and now considered Germany’s oldest gun maker, the firm gained the name J.P. Sauer & Sohn in 1840.

In 1945, with Suhl controlled by the Soviets, the company fell into the hands of the Communists. Managing Director Hans Sauer disappeared, probably executed as Russian

A rare pre-war J.P. Sauer & Sohn 16-gauge shotgun is proof German sporting arms deserve more popularity. Photo: J.C. Allard

troops dismantled the factories and moved the machinery east to the Soviet Union.

A resurgent company, also called J. P. Sauer & Sohn, reestablished shotgun production in the small Baltic port city of Eckernforde, Germany in 1951. Any guns marked “Suhl” have survived the turmoil of WWII and the Cold War, as well as the rigors of time.

Since 1951 all J. P. Sauer guns are stamped “Eckernforde.” All firearms manufactured by the 1976 partnership with the Swiss called SIG Sauer are another story entirely.

Do Over Little or no provenance accompanies this particular gun. Why it remains so pristine seems a bit of a mystery. Did some returning G.I. carry it home as a war trophy?

Was it some high-end import during the Great Depression, unsold for a couple of decades? Was it someone’s cherished bird gun that went unused season after season due to the owner’s poor health?

The facts will likely remain wrapped in

a veil of mystery. The past is the past, but the gun’s future could be bright indeed. J. P. Sauer guns would not generally be considered of great collector’s value. Fjestad’s Blue Book of Gun Values does not even price pre-war Sauer shotguns. But to a dedicated upland hunter, this little gun may be priceless.

Many would call this specimen a near perfect gun for partridge, pheasant and woodcock in the Maine woods. Unblemished and in perfect working order, it stands ready to accompany several future generations into the field. The stories of its triumphs and tragedies remain unwritten. In fact, this very gun could set in motion a trend toward greater popularity for German-made field guns.

Almost every German maker that imports today through U. S. subsidiaries centers its operations in the big Texas cities of Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio. Might they know something down there that we up here in the Northeast have yet to learn?

¶

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74 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Rangeley’s Yarding Whitetail Population Looks Healthy After hunting deer in and around the Rangeley Region almost every day during the 2017 November rifle season, I’m happy to report that I saw plenty of does and a few small bucks. Even though I didn’t drop a big buck, I enjoyed every minute of my time in the woods just the same. I spent most of my time trying to find a huge track to follow, looking for a really big buck.

I did find one huge, fresh buck track late in November, but it wasn’t until well into the afternoon, and I decided to come back in the morning to pick up where I left off.

The next morning, several other hunters had also noticed the huge track and parked their trucks close by to hunt the big deer – so I headed elsewhere.

On another occasion I found a huge track indicating a really big buck in pursuit of a doe early in the morning, and I got right on it. To make a long story short, after a mile or so of tracking I came upon a set of human tracks and a vehicle where the track crossed an old skidder trail. I continued to follow the

I was on the trail of a big buck when I unexpectedly came across the boot tracks of another hunter – then, up ahead, I heard a shot.

Hungry does feed voraciously, building up fat reserves to help them last through the long winter. Clunie photo

track and suddenly heard a shot.

I returned to my truck and drove into the area where the shot came from, where I noticed two “orange suits” way up on a cleared ridge in the direction the track was

headed. When I glassed the two hunters, I could see they were standing over a nice deer and beginning the field-dressing process.

The hunters hadn’t cut me off intentionally – they just started on the big track at a point ahead of my position. I left a note on their dashboard congratulating them and gave them my phone number, asking if they could contact me about the hunt and maybe send a photograph of the big deer. I’m hoping they will respond, but haven’t heard back from them yet.

Deer Numbers I haven’t seen the harvest numbers for the

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2017 deer season yet, but I would bet that quite a few hunters have had great success. When I was hunting coyotes in December in the Oquossoc/Rangeley Region, I watched as more and more deer came into their winter yarding areas – the numbers are incredible, especially the bucks.

On one day in mid-December I counted over twenty bucks in one area alone. I forgot to take my camera that day, but will always have it with me from now on. It was near noon and it seemed as if the deer were everywhere.

A lot of folks in the Rangeley and Oquossoc Region feed deer, hoping to help the hungry ani-

mals survive the tough winter conditions. Big bucks really need this extra nutrition following the October/November breeding season. The extra activity associated with breeding puts a heavy strain on the big bucks right before the harsh winter weather hits.

Most Mainers have been educated in the proper way to feed deer, using the correct food products and remembering to continue feeding throughout the winter months without abruptly stopping at any point. Giving whitetailed deer this extra nutrition during the winter months certainly helps keep the condition of the herd in better shape – all hunters should give these folks a big thank you!

Herd Strength Many hunters complain that the deer herd in Maine has dropped off over the years, and blame this on their lack of success when they come up empty-handed after hunting hard during the season.

I can’t deny that the deer numbers are in a decline for several reasons, including predation by hungry coyotes, bear, and bobcats or lynx; harsh winter conditions; and loss of winter yarding areas.

This combination of factors really puts a hurt on the deer herd, but after seeing all of the big bucks around this region while coyote hunting this past December I have to say, “The big bucks are still out there; hunters just need to find out where (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 75 (Continued from page 74)

they hang out during the hunting season.”

As a general rule, big bucks hang out on big mountains. During the rut they move off the mountains and chase does where ever the female deer might be.

I saw one report where biologists radio-collared a young buck and tracked the buck throughout several years. The researcher marked the deer’s movements on a graph overlay of a map that revealed some remarkable data.

The information gathered on this buck in a remote location indicated that the buck bedded halfway up on the same ridge every night and moved down into a lower section of the area after bedding, but never went beyond an eight-mile radius in the woods.

Also, the buck usually moved up to the ridgeline bedding area to lie down

The deer herd is strong. One December day while hunting coyotes in Oquossoc area, I counted 20 bucks in a single deer yarding area.

A majestic white-tailed buck wanders the yarding areas around Rangeley. Clunie photo

during the middle of the day.

The only thing that changed throughout the year was the deer’s activity during the rutting season. The buck chased

This big buck will be a real trophy in the next few years. Clunie photo

does all over the place and hardly bedded down, moving farther than the eight-mile radius and putting more miles on than ever before.

Deer Watching As much as I enjoy deer hunting, I also look forward to my time in the woods right after deer season. I can watch the deer as they move into

their winter yarding areas, and I can also find evidence of where they “hang out” during the hunting season.

I mark certain areas on a map that hold the deer during November and December and make plans to return during the hunting season next year.

All this deer-watching helps out in many ways.

As I observe the deer, I also keep an eye on the predators that follow them into their yarding areas. One surprising note here has been the huge increase in bobcat sign and sightings – and I can hardly believe the number of lynx I’ve seen.

These big cats can do a number on the deer population – I wonder whether the State of Maine will ever have a hunting or trapping season on lynx again, or at least have them removed from the endangered species list?

¶

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76 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Sportsmans Shows, Hare Hunting and Ice Fishing Prevent Winter Doldrums For many fly fishers, winter stands as nothing more than a hindrance to their chosen activity … a long period of time between angling seasons.

Some anglers don’t wait around during the winter months and wait for fishing season to start.

Some anglers wait out the snow season tying flies, or they just spend their winters down south where they can keep their casting arm in shape all year long. Others attend all sorts of fly fishing shows.

Personally, I tie a few flies, but I try to fill my winter days chasing coyotes and snowshoe hare – and then if there happens to be any time left, I’ll dream of next year’s fishing season.

I also like attending as many outdoors-themed shows as possible: the Marlboro Fly Fishing Show, and the State of Maine Sportsman Show (Augusta Civic Center, March 30 – April 1), are two of my absolute favorite shows. Time spent at the shows keeps me in touch with my favorite activities and the people that also understand the passion.

Connecting with old hunting and fishing buddies and drooling over all of the new gear for the year keeps me dreaming and scheming of future outdoor adventures.

Fly Fishing Expo Another of my favorite shows is the Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo. In fact, the 7th Annual Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo will be held March 17, 2018, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., at a www.MaineSportsman.com

Among great upcoming outdoor shows are the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show (March 30 – April 1 in Augusta), the Marlboro Fly Fishing Show, and the Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo, which has moved this year to the spacious Gould Academy Field House in Bethel.

Plenty of snow in the Western Maine Mountains for chasing rabbits with beagles -- just make sure to bring enough ammo. William Clunie photo

new location. The bigger and better show will take place at the Gould Academy Field House in Bethel, Maine.

The Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited puts this awesome show on, and this is the pre-show information they sent to me: This year’s theme is “Women in Fly Fishing,” but there will be plenty of interest to men and kids as well. Come enjoy more than fifty exhibitors including; fly shops, guides and outfitters, sporting camps, fly tiers, rod

builders, artists, authors, fishing and conservation organizations, and camp and fishing related accessories and services. There will also be special quests from Maine’s Fly Fishing past appearing at our Molly TU fishing camp.

Come visit and talk with these important women from our past and learn about their contributions to Maine and the sport of fly fishing.

This year we have expanded our presentation program to include: a panel discussion and Q&A period with several

prominent Maine fly fisher women; a discussion of the effects of climate change on brook trout here in the western mountains of Maine; a history of fly rods in America; arctic char in Maine; fly fishing in our neighboring Canadian Provinces; and much more.

New this year will be an indoor casting area where you can “test drive” new rods.

As always, we will have our kids fly tying bench, large silent auction, and many raffles.

This is Mollyockett

Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s primary annual fundraiser, allowing us to conduct our cold water conservation, preservation, and restoration projects as well as our many youth education, adult education, and veteran’s fly fishing, fly tying, and conservation programs.

Snowshoe Hare and Coyotes Let’s talk about hare hunting, since I sure have seen plenty of rabbit sign around the woods this winter. I’ve done a lot of driving along the back roads since December, and with all of this snow cover, I’ve seen plenty of tracks.

I don’t hunt rabbits anymore because I lost my beagle a few years ago and never got another. I have filled my winter days with another passion … helping my friends from Carthage, Western Maine Coyote Control, chase coyotes with their hounds. Check out their Facebook page, Western Maine Coyote Hunters and Coyote Hunters of Maine.

If I were still into the rabbit-chasing business, I’d be focusing my efforts north of Route Two, from East Dixfield (See DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 19, E-4) to Bethel (Map 10, B-3).

Look for frozen, lowland swamps, and take note of all of the hare tracks covering the snowy surface.

Some of the roads won’t be plowed, so hunters might have to hoof it or find snowmobile trails into the woods. Some logging roads get plowed, which helps with access but also creates a problem (Continued on next page)

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for those hunters driving their vehicles in on these roads – be aware of heavily-loaded logging trucks on the roads: they cannot stop, and that means you are responsible for getting out of their way.

I used to enjoy taking a snowmobile trail way back in the woods to find some rabbit tracks, pull well off the trail, and then let the beagles go. I never had to worry about anyone else being nearby, and I liked the fact that

I had the whole woods to myself.

Icy Ponds Wilson Pond (Map 19, D-4 and D-5), a 480acre body of water located near Wilton, holds a large variety of fish and keeps outdoors folks busy all winter.

Brook trout, brown trout, togue, landlocked salmon, chain pickerel, smallmouth bass, white perch, and smelt live in Wilson Pond, thriving in its cool 88-foot depths.

Patient anglers wait

for trophies to take the bait, while enjoying in the sweeping views of the surrounding mountains.

Access Wilson Pond in the town of Wilton near the old Bass Shoe Factory. Another access point, located just off Route 2 on Pond Road, offers entry to the pond from the west side. The best fishing for most species takes place in the deep water at the very center of the pond, with brookies preferring shallow water locations, especially near the west

shore access point.

Another pond, the 568-acre Anasagunticook Lake (Map 11, A-4), or as the locals call it, Canton Lake, also promises to keep the winter doldrums at bay. Ice fishers here pull in brown trout, brook trout, chain pickerel, and tasty white perch.

Finding the access point for this lake can be a little tricky. Follow Main Street (Route 140) west out of downtown Canton as it hugs the west shore, and look for a

small parking area a few miles out of town. Look for the short entrance to the lake on the left of the parking area. Keep an eye out for cars parked in the road, as the parking area fills early.

Good fishing can be found throughout the lake, with some steady success on the southeast shoreline. Folks have loads of fun jigging for a mess of white perch, while waiting for big fish to spring the traps.

¶

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78 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Heavy Logging is Changing the Woods in NH and Maine Recently, I received a letter from an 85-yearold reader of the Maine Sportsman (see letters to the editor) who lives in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine.

I was pleasantly surprised to read that he enjoyed the article and picture I had published in the December 2017 issue.

The picture was of my great-grandfather’s wilderness camp in Philips Brook valley in northern New Hampshire.

Not only did the reader say that he enjoyed the article and picture, but he shocked me when he said that he had actually stayed in the camp!

He even attached a photo of himself sitting on the porch in 1961 as proof.

How remarkable!

Remembers Logging

by Horse I called the gentleman, who had provided his number, and learned all about how he had worked for International Paper, which owned much of the timberland in the northeast in the 60s. This fellow, Russ, told me about how he had traveled painted ridges all the way from upstate NY, to the Northeast Kingdom of VT (where my wife is from), to the Parmachenee area of Maine (where I also have a camp). I listened as he recounted in amazingly vivid detail (I hope I am that articulate at 85!) the locations of horse corrals (this was at the end of the great horse logging era), brook fords, hardwood ridges and corporate offices.

His memory-based orientation skills rivaled that of some of the most www.MaineSportsman.com

In the Parmachenee Lake region in the northwestern corner of Maine, so much clearcutting has been done you’d be hard-pressed to find more than 200 yards of contiguous mature forest anywhere in the 60 square mile area.

Eight deer -- three of them bucks -- hang from the writer’s great-grandfather’s camp in the Philips Brook Valley, circa 1950. Today, one would be lucky to find eight deer in the entire valley.

experienced woods-travelers I have encountered.

What an incredible conversation!

Anyway, our conversation turned to how different things are in the area and timber industry today. Russ said that he had returned to the Philips Brook area in 2008 and didn’t much care for it, given the mass clear-cutting and other timber-harvest practices of the new management company.

This is an interesting point, since I can remember the valley in 2008—to me, those were the “good ole days” before the mass clear-cutting.

Cutting, and Still Cutting Since 2008, there has

been much more development of the 24,000 acre watershed, including the addition of a dozen or more massive windmills on the mountaintops, and a large transmission line connecting them through the valley to an enormous substation.

Even with all of the cutting that has happened in the Philips Brook valley, it all pales in comparison to the utter devastation that has occurred in the Parmachenee Lake region of the extreme northwestern corner of Maine.

Five years ago, I didn’t think that it was possible for the timber management company to find any more trees to put the saw to, but apparently I was wrong—they still

haven’t stopped dragging logs out of there.

A quick look at the area on Google Earth illustrates the extent of the clearcutting that has occurred. One is really hard pressed to find more than two hundred yards of contiguous mature forest any where in the 60 square mile area.

Impact on Deer?

My great-grandfather, grandfather, and Russ saw these places in their prime: oldgrowth, mature open hardwood and giant softwood stands, with cedar swamps acting as natural deer yards.

I wish I could have seen what they saw: trees. Now all you see and feel tearing at your sides

as you walk through are six-foot-high raspberry whips, hobblebush, and left-behind tops.

The navigability of the woods is not the only thing that has suffered due to the advent of the skidder and change of property ownership and management practices, though. As evidenced by the photo of my great-grandfather’s camp in the December issue, where the cross beam of the porch acted as a game pole, there were deer to be shot in the area.

Over the past ten or so years, my dad and I, along with many others that traverse the area, have noticed a severe decline in the number of deer in the Philips Brook valley. Specifically, after driving and walking a combined total of over 50 miles on several-day-old snow at the end of this rifle season, my dad only encountered a handful of deer tracks—and only one buck track. Last year, the same problem.

Now, it would be hard to prove that the recent timber management practices are directly and solely responsible for this phenomenon—and I don’t claim to be a biologist or other authority on the habitat preferences of the whitetail deer. All I know is, it is ironic timing, and it’s miserable hunting/ walking.

Fewer Deer, Fewer Tracks The deer situation around the Parmachenee area, though far from being as desolate as Philips Brook, is trending in that direction. My dad tells (Continued on next page)

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 79 (Continued from page 78)

me that it was nothing, twenty years ago, to have your pick of 6-8 different 200-pound buck tracks crossing the roads each morning. Now, this past Thanksgiving week, I only encountered one buck track all week, driving and hiking combined, that I was sure would go over 200 pounds. Some guys in our camp didn’t encounter any.

Again, I can’t definitively state (nor do I know that anybody can) that

the depletion of big bucks in the area is a direct and sole result of the logging practices, but I would think that it couldn’t possibly help the situation.

More important to me than just the percent chance of bumping into a big buck, is the enjoyment of the overall wilderness hunting experience. I enjoy being in remote places. These are getting harder and harder to find, considering the incredible power and climbing ability of the

Lemieux Garage, Inc.

modern machinery used in logging.

It seems that I am never more than a couple of hundred yards from a skid trail now at Parmachenee, regardless of how high I climb or how low into the swamps I go, or how far I get from the truck. It doesn’t feel like I am in the true wilderness--and that bites at me.

The definition of the word “woods” is changing – and not for the better.

¶

In this four-mile square area north of Parmachenee Lake, there are well over 100 different clear cut sites.

There are also dozens of areas of select cuts. This satellite image is over two years old, and there is still wood being cut out of there. Source: Bing Maps

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80 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

Smilin’

Sportsman

Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com

An elderly monk was studying computerized images of the ancient parchment manuscripts setting forth the rules for holy men to live by.

Suddenly, he started crying uncontrollably.

The other monks gathered around him. “What’s wrong?” they asked.

“Centuries ago, there was a mis-translation in a very important rule!” the man wailed. “The word was supposed to be “celebrate”!

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• A prominent Greenville sportsman passed away. His thrifty wife called the Bangor Daily News to place an obituary.

“This is what I want to print,” she told the lady in the obituary department. “Jeremiah is dead.”

“You know,” replied the helpful woman at the newspaper. “The minimum charge is $25, and for that price you are allowed six words.”

“Okay,” said the widow, “Let’s make it ‘Jeremiah is dead. Snowmobile for sale.’”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• A cocky young Warden showed up for his first day of work at the regional dispatch center in Gray, strolling through the front door at 11:20 a.m.

His supervisor yelled, “YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE AT 8:00 A.M.!

“Why?’ said the new guy. “What happened at 8:00 a.m.?”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• A hunter was flirting with a waitress at the Greenville diner, and he thought he was making some progress.

After a while, the waitress announced, “Well, my shift is done, so I have to leave now. Goodbye!”

“Wait,” he protested, “I don’t even have your phone number.”

“It’s listed online,” she replied, “on the Whitepages.com website.”

“But what’s your name?” he asked.

“Oh,” she said, smiling sweetly. “That’s also listed on Whitepages.com.”

The Smilin' Sportsman Youth Edition Kids! Send your best hunting & fishing stories, and your favorite jokes, to the editor at will@mainesportsman.com

A father and son were spending some quality time together, hunting from a two-seat tree stand.

“Joe,” said the father, turning to his son, “I know I’ve been away from home a lot on business, but please tell me straight – do you think I’m a bad father?”

“Dad,” the son replied, “I’m Bobby. Joe is my brother.”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• “Hey, Dad,” said the kid. “What would you say to a nice walk?”

“That would be great!” replied the father.

“Wonderful!” said the kid. “Can you pick me up some chips and a soda on your way back?”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Q: Why do gorillas have big nostrils?

A: Because they have big fingers.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• A man and woman were out to dinner at a Greenville diner. The man accidently dipped his necktie into his tomato soup.

“Wow,” he said, “I must look like a pig!”

“Yes,” said his wife, “and you also dipped your necktie into your tomato soup.”

www.MaineSportsman.com

��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 81

Welcome to The Maine Sportsman

TRADING POST Subscribers may place one free 20-word classified ad per month, limited to two months.

Items for sale must include a price. Real estate ads must include an address or location.

The regular rates are $15 for up to 20 words and 50¢ for each additional word. Include a black and white photo for an additional $10. Check, money order, MasterCard or VISA (Credit or Debit) are accepted.

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

SUBMIT AD AND PAYMENT BY THE 30TH OF EACH MONTH AND YOUR AD WILL APPEAR IN THE NEXT ISSUE.

FOR RENT

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Sportsman The Maine

published in The Maine Sportsman?

Send your photo with details or your story to us and you might see it in an upcoming issue!

Email: will@mainesportsman.com Photos to be published at Editor’s discretion.

Not all photos may be published.

———————————

REAL ESTATE HUNTING/FISHING LODGE FOR SALE Active commercial hunting and fishing lodge with 7 cabins, 10 acres, 50 leased bait sites. $250,000. 802-738-3877 ———————————

GUIDE SERVICES SNOWMOBILE RIDES, JACKMAN Guided half & full-day tours; helmets, snacks/ lunch provided. 2 person minimum, up to 5 people.

HELP WANTED LOOKING FOR SOME EXTRA CASH OR A FULL-TIME GIG? Is selling second nature to you? Are you driven?​​ Can you manage multiple accounts and data entry?​​ ​ he Maine Sportsman T has an immediate opening in ​ADVERTISING SALES for a commission-based Sales Rep!​​ Willing to train the right person ​and a ​support

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MONSON: Abutting Appalachian Trail 15 miles south of Moosehead Lake, start of 100 Mile Wilderness. 40 acre lots, 35 mile panoramic views of lakes and mountains. Rolling terrain with southern exposure. Gated gravel road 5 miles to village. Close to local snowmobile trail and ITS 85. Starting at $1250 per acre with owner financing 20% down.

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Sportsman The Maine

WE’RE GROWING! The Maine Sportsman Magazine is growing and looking to add part-time magazine distributors in multiple key areas of our great state!

Please contact Chris at (207) 622-4242 or chris@mainesportsman.com for more information!

ing partners, work within deadlines, provide topnotch customer service.​ To apply, call our Advertising Director at 207357-2702​​(leave message) or email resume and cover letter to​ ​nancy@ mainesportsman.com ———————————

WANTED WANTED DEER/ MOOSE ANTLERS BUYING any size deer & moose shed antlers/ racks or antlered skulls.

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¶

Noyes Real Estate Agency 2388 Main Street • Rangeley, ME 207-864-9000 • info@noyesrealty.com www.noyesrealty.com

— GREAT SPORTING LOCATIONS! —

LIST # 136 615 100 102 167 107 610 192 115 768 694 683 592 197 199 766 600 698 704 130 138 108 506 611 139 712 702 703 715 900 967 433 965

AMENITIES Easy Road Access, Industry Water Access, Trails, Rangeley Wing Community, Eustis Garage, Slab, Phillips Driveway, Power, New Portland Brook, Driveway, Farmington Rangeley, Trail Access Near Saddleback, Dallas PLT Trail Access, Rangeley Views of Dodge Pond, Rangeley On Nile Brook, Rangeley

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ACRES 10 0.92 0.2 1.1 18 17.5 1.1 1.8 2.23 1.96 6.5

PRICE $16,000 $19,500 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 $32,000 $36,000 $37,000 $39,000 $41,500 $49,000

5 53 5 58 58 1.8 1.2 92 4.85 75 78 13 20 13.5 130 151 160 2 1.2 2.28 200 5.7

$49,000 $49,500 $49,500 $49,000 $62,500 $63,000 $69,000 $69,900 $70,000 $79,000 $84,000 $75,000 $89,000 $95,000 $99,000 $99,900 $139,900 $149,000 $160,000 $185,000 $189,000 $399,000

If you’re looking for LARGE ACREAGE (300 to 5000 acres) including waterfront, call for information!

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82 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ��������������������������������������������������� — LAKE VIEW PLANTATION — 1306088 – 3 bedroom spacious camp with 200’+/water frontage on pristine Schoodic Lake. Includes 1289887 – PARKMAN: 5.7+/- acres with dock, outbuilding and some furnishings.

250’+/- of road frontage. Wooded lot pro- $239,000 viding plenty of privacy. Power at road — EBBEEME LAKE — side. Lots of wildlife. $17,900 1333506 – New con40’x28’ 1321611 – MILO: 20+/- acres located on struction town maintained road with power at camp with log sidroadside. Just a few miles from town. Pos- ing and metal roof on 2 acres with sible owner financing. $19,900 283’+/- water frontage. Sandy beach 1282621 – BOWERBANK: Sebec Lake area and great mountain views. $176,500 .56+/- acre lot. 110’+/- of lake frontage.

— ORNEVILLE — Great opportunity to build your home or 1275169 – Cozy cottage on the water. $80,000 cabin on Boyd Lake 1333429 – SEBEC: 93+/- acres close to Se- with 75’+/- of water bec Lake located on maintained road frontage. Enclosed and power at roadside. Great views and porch overlooking small brook runs through the property. the lake. Great rec$91,000 reational location. $82,500

Lincoln - Wonderful private 1.16 to 5.36 acre lots, driveways installed, ability to boat to Caribou and Long Ponds, access to snowmobile and ATV trails, owner financing, frontage on Egg Pond, starting at $49,000

Lakeville - Easily accessible 13.1 acre lot, driveway, gravel pad and some clearing complete, extremely private lot, low taxes, just build a cabin to fish and boat onUpper Pug Lake. $49,000

Lincoln - 10+/- acre lot, gravel pad, clearing and driveway already done.

ATV and snowmobile trails, owner financing, private location, quiet lake with 584’+/- frontage on Upper Pond. $59,000

Lincoln - Great 2.59 acres, 305’+/deep water frontage on Long Pond, driveway installed, electricity available, snowmobile and ATV trails, owner financing. $65,000

Lincoln - Nice 1.77+/- and 2.78+/- acre lots with 240’+/- of water frontage, driveway in place, electricity available and owner financing. Enjoy these Long Pond lots with 800 acres of water to play on and snowmobile trails for winter fun. Reduced to $59,900.

Mattamiscontis - Nice 1.7+/- acre lot.

Located on a year round road not far from I-95 or downtown Lincoln. Enjoy fishing, hunting, and paddling on the Penobscot River. $16,000

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR OVER 100 LAND LISTINGS!

The Folsom Realty Group 207-695-3766 • info@folsomrealtygroup.com 38 Pritham Avenue, Greenville, ME • We work with Buyers & Sellers!

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ROCKWOOD

BIG W TWP

TOMHEGAN TWP

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Quality built low maintenance getaway in the heart of Rockwood.

Perfect base camp for all your outdoor adventures. Standing seam commercial grade metal roof, vinyl siding, and a full foundation make this a home to enjoy, not work on while vacationing. Easy to heat, and room for a large crew with the bunk house style second floor. Situated in the middle of a winter deer yard, and very private with deeded access to Moose River. Give us a call to schedule a viewing. MLS #1296672. $150,000 Low maintenance cabin directly on the shores of Moosehead Lake! Come and enjoy the deck almost overhanging the water.

Nice docking system and the best fishing on the lake right out the front door. Perfect opportunity for a piece of paradise that can no longer be permitted under current zoning. MLS #1261985. $115,000 This is the last set of lots on the power grid as you head north on the west side of Moosehead. Excellent recreational opportunities, great road, flat lots with virtually 100% of the lot useable. Quiet and private with deeded access just down the street to Moosehead. Have your choice of 18 lots still remaining, start a new family tradition in the north Maine woods and waters. MLS # 1222642 $24,900 This is a great opportunity to buy Moosehead water frontage with relatively easy remote access. Large A-frame structure only feet from the shore. Privy and outbuildings in place. Structure is in need of some TLC, but a handy person could have an affordable paradise! MLS #1311562. $99,000

Friday, March 30th Saturday, March 31st Sunday, April 1st 2018 Augusta Civic Center

Lee - 4.3 and 5.2+/- acre lots on hardwood ridge, nice views, snowmobile and ATV trails, fishing and skiing nearby, electricity available, owner financing, sited on Skunk Hill Road. $18,900 each Prentiss - Low taxed area perfect for getaway cabin with easy access, 44.4 acre parcel, great recreational area, owner financing, 1,000’ of frontage on Bluegrass Road. $20,000 Lincoln - Build or place a home now!

Developed 1+/- acre lot with driveway, gravel pad, drilled well, septic, electric pole and lawn located just minutes from downtown amenities on Lee Road. $24,500 Lincoln - 2.79+/- acre lot mostly field, electricity available, build a new home in the country, near several lakes, owner financing, attractive rural area with 265’ on Phinney Farm Road. $25,000

R E A L

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STAY TUNED TO OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE FOR UPDATES!

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��������������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • February 2018 • 83

www.MaineSportsman.com

84 • February 2018 • The Maine Sportsman ���������������������������������������������������

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